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I can understand why the special someone you chose used 6 months to do the body and paint on the car. I would have to kinda agree because it could actually take less due to you doing some of the work...but with so many 'unknowns' that may be found by someone who does that type of work...it could add time into the equation.
As like many of us in this profession call it ...a guess-timate.
DUB
and.... Perhaps it is because that "someone" knows what they are doing and would rather over estimate than underestimate and they know I will be chomping at the bit to get my baby back....
and.... Perhaps it is because that "someone" knows what they are doing and would rather over estimate than underestimate and they know I will be chomping at the bit to get my baby back....
YEAH...I can relate to your 'someone' very very well because I run into the excitement of an owner who gets so excited they are like a 5 year old on Christmas day....just about ready to jump out of their own skin.
I actually enjoy the challenge when I get a customer who is so excited...they can not stand it.
And the one thing that I have learned or acquired is the ability to STAY ON TASK and NOT get influenced in that excitement which can cause me to alter the process due to the owner wants the car so badly, they are willing to possibly suggest sacrificing QUALITY. SO....I put the reigns on that thoroughbred and calm them down and ASSURE THEM that WHAT they are waiting for...even if it runs over the time 'guess-timate' WILL be well worth it. AND ...if it gets done sooner than expected..DOES NOT mean that quality suffered also.
Like I tell my customers..."The car will tell me what it needs for me to do to it to get it right". Kinda weird,...but true.
I am sure your 'someone' has probably learned this also...because (speaking for myself) that is what I am being paid to do also...when I do this type of work..and that is to make sure the quality and attention to detail is what is PARAMOUNT and worrying about a specific date should not effect the quality of the job that MUST last for years and years and years....because if quality standards have to be lessened...then common sense would dictate that the owner of the car ( or anyone) can not expect the quality of the job to be the same.
I truly hope that your 'someone' will do all they can to make you happy in choosing them to do it for you. Becasue I PITY them if they don't.
After looking at reviews and taking into account my budget and lack of desire for massive audio overhaul. We will shelve the stock stereo. This is the selection we made. There will definately be a huge improvement from my one working staticky kickpanel speaker playing only 1 or 2 local FM channels.
Dear Someone!
How long are you going to take, can't wait to see the finished product.
Lol. You think you can't wait? Haha. We start her and let her run in the garage but have not driven her since DUB recommended against it (bare glass). Tim and I are working on her while we wait for a spot in the body shop. Fingers crossed for springtime. I don't like driving in OK heat and we know this fall is out of the question. 👍
I feel your stereo and speaker choice is very quite acceptable..the speakers I feel are REALLY nice. I have installed them ( Polk Audio speakers) on a few Corvettes that have had the conversion done to the factory radio where it was gutted out and new electronics installed inside it. The stereo sounded REALLY good.
DUB is 100% correct.
You might notice sometimes when you wash your daily driver that there is black stuff on it (Bitumen/Asphalt), which can be removed with Kerosene.
It will not affect your paint (finished product), but would give you an enormous amount of grief Pre-Painting.
I decided to order a new upper dash pad, pillar and header pads. Also got a new seat back but it was black so it had to dye it. I love this dye! Is has a great shimmer to it and seems to really be adhering with proper prep! These pieces are not perfect, but for a driver, I can live with it. Not too bad for my first dye job. I think that the shifter console has been recovered. Not sure how to tell.
Knowing that the 1968's were a year all their own..and MANY things are 1968 ONLY....I would have to assume...but I know I can be wrong...but I thought that the console vinyl should have a grain effect to it that matches the speedo/tach panel and also the right side dash panel.
I do know the 1969 consoles have what appears to be stitching along the top edge.
I know companies that can recover parts like his but for teh common individual...getting the vinyl heated up and shaped and contoured and also bonded usually takes someone with the know how and patience to do it.
Yours looks really good....and where the fiber optic light housing goes for your front lights fiber optics looks really good and shaped well...so I am doubtful that it has been recovered.
Since my dash was made worse by an inexperienced vinyl repair person, purchased new pad as well as pillar and header pieces. Other parts restored.
Coming along.
Also, purchased the console repair kit but quickly discovered there was not a hole for the lamp indicator screws, had to modify. You would think they would have figured this out already?
Stunning day here in OK, wish we could take her for a spin.
I restored the plate and ashtray cover, new sliders, and got a vent restoration kit.
All new, hope they fit good.
Dyed door panel. One more to go.
Where retaining nuts are you can see there was no hole in the metal plates, had to drill to make it fit. Frustrating they over looked this detail in manufacturing.
Nicole,
Have you stopped to see how the "baby" is doing and take a photo for us?
Car is still in my garage, shop is not ready for her yet, we are crossing our fingers for September. I have been getting parts ready for interior, ordering dynamat, carpet etc and working on dying and prepping interior parts.
But speaking of BABY, my first grandbaby came into this world on 7/27!! I'll post a picture of her so you have a "baby" picture. So exciting to be a "Bibi", Swahili for grandmother.
Got word this week that the shop will be ready to take our girl in in about 2 weeks. As we have to take the car and all her disassembled parts several hours away, we have been readying our closed trailer and boxing up all her parts in a hopefully organized fashion. Also making sure that we are prepared to haul our 26 ft closed car trailer as safely as possible.
Body work/paint as well as installation of interior items (new dash, e-console, dynamat and carpet, radio and kick panel speakers as well as restored door panels and shifter console items) and other finish items to be addressed. With all the unexpected life events we have had over the last year, since we started the restoration, we are ready to turn this task over to someone we trust. Also someone that has extensive knowledge/experience with vettes specifically. So many shops, in or near our area, just do not specialize in corvettes. Comparable to the Ford restoration shop my dad worked in, 95% of what they did was Ford Mustangs, specializing in Shelby's and Cobras.
I feel we have done a good job keeping as many original items as possible. PO had done some bubba work on her so it is not like she was 100% original, but still a very nice numbers matching 68.
Assuming all things go without unforeseen hiccups, she should be completed in ~ 6 months. We will be keeping with the original polar white exterior and bright blue interior.
We are getting there!! Hopefully by next spring she will be "Great again". I just am giddy thinking about driving her completed!!!!
Your Daddy's Vette was a head turner in her day ... best look out no one breaks their neck when she's all shiny heinie again, given all the work you guys have put in.
Your Daddy's Vette was a head turner in her day ... best look out no one breaks their neck when she's all shiny heinie again, given all the work you guys have put in.
"Shiny heinie" I love it!!! Made me laugh. Not exaggerating when I tell you I have had dreams about having her done.
Hopefully my dad will be pleased with the decisions we have made, and with the finished product. Without a doubt, he is at the very least getting a few good laughs at some of the mistakes we have made and probably even wanted to say "damn girl!" a few times.
There have not been many moments that I have not felt him by me during this process. It has been cathartic doing this project after his passing. I miss him more than could be expressed in words and completion of this project will not only honor his memory but also make me feel closer to him every time we take her for a drive or enter her in a local car show.
Dad was just such a COOL dude! I am so grateful he introduced me to so many things that many dads are afraid to let their little girls experience.
Miss ya Pops! Picture I took of him from track day when he was running his FJ1300. He loved smoking the younger guys.
We had the Red and White FJ1200 here in OZtralia, never seen your Dad's color combination (love it). I know my misses would go nuts over it because it has Purple on it, but your Dad definitely had good taste in Machines.
06-28-2017, 06:24 PM
and.... Perhaps it is because that "someone" knows what they are doing and would rather over estimate than underestimate and they know I will be chomping at the bit to get my baby back.... 
Comparable to the Ford restoration shop my dad worked in, 95% of what they did was Ford Mustangs, specializing in Shelby's and Cobras. 
