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At home i have a C3 that has been sitting for 16 years, and was wondering what is the process to get it back on the road. I would be working on the car slowly, I want to get it on the road in about 6-12 months. Also, if anyone can suggest a parts website that would be much appreciated!! Thank you all in advanced!
Hi S,
WELCOME!
Sitting 16 years and now ready !!!! Great!
Knowing some more details about the car and what you perceive it needs and what you'd like to do to/with it will help get some suggestions on how to get started.
Some pictures of the car would help too.
These are the vendors that often get mentioned:
ZIP Products
Paragon Corvette Reproductions
Corvette Central
Willcox Corvette
Good Luck as you get this underway!
Regards,
Alan
I would be working on the car slowly, I want to get it on the road in about 6-12 months.
The above sentence is somewhat contradictory.
A car that has been sitting for 16 years will not be ready to drive in 6-12 months by working slowly. Likely, parts will need rebuilding and cost money.
The first thing you will need to do is make a list of what needs to be rebuilt, what is missing (essential parts) and what your budget is. Decide what you can do yourself and what needs to be sent out to a rebuilder.
The idea of going slowly is a good one. But don't set a time limit unless its absolutely necessary. Meeting deadlines is not a good way to rebuild a car, regardless of what you see on all the reality TV car shows.
Good luck and you will find this forum is a tremendous resource of information.
Thanks for the insight, some information on the car is that it has been raised on jacks, in
a garage for all 16 years. My initial thoughts are to: drain/replace the break fluid, transmission fluid, engine oil, gas in the tank/fuel lines, coolent fluid, replace the battery, replace or rebuild the carburator, new wires, new spark plugs, and see if the car will start, if it starts then I would change the belts the tires the disk breaks.
At home i have a C3 that has been sitting for 16 years, and was wondering what is the process to get it back on the road. I would be working on the car slowly, I want to get it on the road in about 6-12 months. Also, if anyone can suggest a parts website that would be much appreciated!! Thank you all in advanced!
welcome
One of your best parts resources is right here on the forum.Under parts post a WTB want to buy for what you may need and usually someone will have it.
Good Luck
Wes
A car that has been sitting for 16 years will not be ready to drive in 6-12 months by working slowly. Likely, parts will need rebuilding and cost money.
The first thing you will need to do is make a list of what needs to be rebuilt, what is missing (essential parts) and what your budget is. Decide what you can do yourself and what needs to be sent out to a rebuilder.
The idea of going slowly is a good one. But don't set a time limit unless its absolutely necessary. Meeting deadlines is not a good way to rebuild a car, regardless of what you see on all the reality TV car shows.
Good luck and you will find this forum is a tremendous resource of information.
Ed
It's not impossible to restore a car in 6-12 months after sitting 16 years but the funny part is the " working slowly " . My 72 sat for 22 years and I completed the full body off every nut and bolt restoration in 9 months to show condition but I'm retired and worked most every day and evening at a hectic rate. But it takes a labor commitment and a big bank account .
You CAN'T just "drain & change the brake fluid" without, more than likely, totally rebuilding/replacing the calipers & probably rotors, AND rebuilding/REPLACING the emerg. brake parts!! It's no good to be able to drive the car if you can't STOP it!! It's been sitting a long azz time, and there WILL be RUST & crap everywhere!!
Last edited by Sluefoot; Dec 11, 2016 at 07:09 AM.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I would replace all the rubber, tires belts hoses. Drain the radiator, flush and refill. Drain the oiland replace the filter. Refill and once you get it running , get it hot and drain and refill again. Drain the fuel tank and flush the lines. Pull the carb and get it rebuilt. If its an automatc relace the tranny fluid and filter. The power steering fluid probably isnt a huge problem, just make sure its full. Then do a tune up on the engine, cap,points, roter, condenser if its not hei, then just cap and roter if it is. And plugs
Once its running then you need to make it stop. I would bleed the brakes then see if they work. If they do your all set. If not, head to an auto parts store and get some rebuilt ones and start over.
Theres been people that put a pick up line into a fuel can and drpped a little gas in the carb and had old cars fire up relatively easy , but I wouldnt count on it, atleast not running smoothly with years of varnish in the carb.
Other have said. Make it drive, make it stop, make it drive faster.
I would guess a lot is going to depend on how dry that garage was as to how much rust you are going to be dealing with. The 1st thing I would suggest is you push it outside and get it cleaned up. While there is no mechanical benefit what so ever it would sure be a physiological lift to be working on something that looks like it's ready to run. Then assess what you're up against. Take on one project at a time. Then you will see progress. If you take lots of things apart you may get overwhelmed. That will just delay you seeing results. Results will keep you motivated. Staying motivated will get the project done.
Good luck going forward.
I just helped a friend get a 64 Stude running and driving that had a seized engine from sitting (it hadn't been started/driven for 14 years, his neighbor gave it to him after her Husband died). I had him pull all Spark Plugs and fill with marvel mystery oil (he used a spray can type a week previous to my suggestion and it wouldn't budge), we let it sit a week and got it to turn over with a big breaker bar and some bumping the starter, left the plugs out and used the starter to spit to crap out of the cylinders (bit of a mess). I rebuilt the Carb, he installed a new Fuel Pump (diaphragm shot), we used a turkey baster to swap out the break fluid (better than nothing, till he replaces everything). It started and drove the following week end, we did have to get the rear end off the ground to get the Trans (auto) to shift into gear, and it took about 15 minutes roll down the drive way, drive back up the hill before reverse started working. So you can do it quick, but be cautious as others have pointed out, we really made sure the Brakes were fully functional before we went on the street. Good luck and have fun with your money pi.. I mean new hobby
Last edited by suprspooky; Dec 13, 2016 at 10:33 PM.
Welcome! Where you live, and the environment in the garage, as has been mentioned, will play a big part in what you'll have to do. Mine sat for nearly twice as long, in a New England garage. You can read all about it as its in process now, for about 5 months.
My first question would be what was the condition when it was parked? was it running, but had some problem so it was parked? That would dictate what I would do to put it back on the road, or at least where I would start.
C3 Restoration Project
