More interior work, more disappointments with my free '74 !
#1
More interior work, more disappointments with my free '74 !
I just now managed to remove the passenger's side lower dash panel and more disappointments and surprises. The backing fiberglass/plastic was shattered in the corners and cracked in two places on the main section. Covered with mud, I mean MUD as in dried caked-on formerly wet dirt ! A quarter inch in the tight spots and an eighth inch over all, cracked heater vent tube as well. Like it sat in the parts car yard out behind the dealer in the dirt mud and then was bought in and just wiped off on the top side to finish off this Vette for sale.
The car originally came from Corvettes & Classics Inc Taunton, MA 02780 and was bought there by my buddy for $10,000. He drove it for just one Summer and sold it to another of my friends for $9,000 who drove it for three months. Neither one touched it mechanically or cosmetically. It sat for over twenty years in that friend's closed barn before it was gifted to me. Clear chain of custody, ALL of these short cuts and screw ups that I'm finding were done by the shop in Taunton !
The car originally came from Corvettes & Classics Inc Taunton, MA 02780 and was bought there by my buddy for $10,000. He drove it for just one Summer and sold it to another of my friends for $9,000 who drove it for three months. Neither one touched it mechanically or cosmetically. It sat for over twenty years in that friend's closed barn before it was gifted to me. Clear chain of custody, ALL of these short cuts and screw ups that I'm finding were done by the shop in Taunton !
Last edited by Team Evil; 10-12-2017 at 12:26 PM.
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Westminster Maryland
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Hi TE,
Well, dried mud behind the dash certainly sounds like a 'flood' car!
I guess if you're lucky it was fresh water and not salt water.
Regards,
Alan
Well, dried mud behind the dash certainly sounds like a 'flood' car!
I guess if you're lucky it was fresh water and not salt water.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; 10-11-2017 at 12:08 PM.
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Chuckers dream (10-11-2017)
#3
Yikes, never thought of that ! !
So far, no additional mud found, but I've only pulled one seat and that seems to be a replacement. Carpets are replacements as well. When I remove the driver's side gauge section I might be sadly surprised. On a plus side, the car runs well and ran performed just fine for the two previous owners, no mechanical problems, but still thank you for that observation !
Tommy
So far, no additional mud found, but I've only pulled one seat and that seems to be a replacement. Carpets are replacements as well. When I remove the driver's side gauge section I might be sadly surprised. On a plus side, the car runs well and ran performed just fine for the two previous owners, no mechanical problems, but still thank you for that observation !
Tommy
Last edited by Team Evil; 10-11-2017 at 12:19 PM.
#4
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 2004
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CI 6-7 & 9 Veteran
You know, I think it is unfair to blame a dealer that sold a car 20+ years ago. I know nothing about this dealer, but 20 years is a long time. A lot could have happened with this car in 20 years.
#5
Nothing at all happened to this car in the past twenty years. It was bought and driven VERY carefully for two months during the Summer. Garaged and babied the whole time. It was bought from that friend by another and driven for another three months, babied and garaged as well. It then was parked in a heated barn/office space for the next twenty years. Seriously, NO mud was flung about under and behind the dash by either owner. Would YOU fling wet mud under and behind the dash of a car that you paid $10,000 for and had babied since the purchase? SERIOUSLY ! ? ! ? Neither would I, neither did they.
I know EVERYTHING about the history of this car, I'm best friends with both prior owners. Anything and everything that's wrong with this car was there from the get go and done by the flipper.
Think whatever you want, I can't be any clearer here.
I know EVERYTHING about the history of this car, I'm best friends with both prior owners. Anything and everything that's wrong with this car was there from the get go and done by the flipper.
Think whatever you want, I can't be any clearer here.
#9
Burning Brakes
If it sat in storage for 20 years, I would think the mud would have been from some kind of mud wasps. I have them in my garage and they can get into everything if you don't keep up with them. If you had a flood car, you'd be finding the mud in quite a few more places, like in wiring harnesses and plugs, etc.
Duane
Duane
#10
Nope, spread all over the place, not at all like it would have been were it nest. I'm still thinking that this piece was retrieved from the ground or a flood car out behind the show room and put in place during the flip. No matter, of course, just one more weird shabby find. They're getting to be so common now, that I'm going to stop posting them.
#12
Le Mans Master
If it sat in storage for 20 years, I would think the mud would have been from some kind of mud wasps. I have them in my garage and they can get into everything if you don't keep up with them. If you had a flood car, you'd be finding the mud in quite a few more places, like in wiring harnesses and plugs, etc.
Duane
Duane
#13
Le Mans Master
I'm a little confused. Are you saying Corvettes and Classics is the original seller of the car? If I understand the timeline correctly, they are not. So, therefore, what about the history before that dealer had the car?
#14
I'm unaware of the history of the car before it was sold by Corvettes and Classics. Corvettes and Classics sold the car (1974 Vette) to my buddy in 1984. Quite possibly they were unaware of what a botch job the car was, although the problems are very evident at first glance. I'm pretty sure that the interior was put together from spare parts, just checked the seat tags and found that the seats were manufactured in late 1976 and have been recovered. None of the panels were the same color underneath the dark tan leather/vinyl dye. Consoles were black, door panels were almost white. Carpets have been replaced with a cheap repro. Fender/body/door fit is horrible and fenders aren't really attached all the way around. There's a 1.5 inch gap between the passenger side front fender top and the door. Originally orange with a new (back in '85) respray in maroon. Must have lead a terribly hard life between 1974 and 1985.
Sorry if what I posted was at all confusing to you.
Sorry if what I posted was at all confusing to you.
Last edited by Team Evil; 10-11-2017 at 08:57 PM.
#15
Race Director
Member Since: Mar 2003
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Well i have to take the vantage point of a few of the other posters,
Cant blame the lot,
In all due respects,
You were not with the car 100% of the time from first buddy buying it to you getting it handed to you, free,
You think the interior was parted together, who knows, perhaps dirt wasps, perhaps the part sat in the mud,
Many vette parts flippers parts look like they were on a lake bottom,
i guess the buyers or the first one could bitch that he didnt inspect the car well before buying it but your freebie on this one kind of cancels your bitching rights,
Im saying this in a fun poking at you jealous you got a free corvette kind of way...
Cant blame the lot,
In all due respects,
You were not with the car 100% of the time from first buddy buying it to you getting it handed to you, free,
You think the interior was parted together, who knows, perhaps dirt wasps, perhaps the part sat in the mud,
Many vette parts flippers parts look like they were on a lake bottom,
i guess the buyers or the first one could bitch that he didnt inspect the car well before buying it but your freebie on this one kind of cancels your bitching rights,
Im saying this in a fun poking at you jealous you got a free corvette kind of way...
#16
Nam Labrat
Member Since: Sep 2013
Location: New Orleans Loo-z-anna
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Somebody.......offer Team Evil $100 and a steak dinner for the car as is.
It's a Win/Win situation.
It's a Win/Win situation.
#17
Team Owner
I'm unaware of the history of the car before it was sold by Corvettes and Classics. Corvettes and Classics sold the car (1974 Vette) to my buddy in 1984. Quite possibly they were unaware of what a botch job the car was, although the problems are very evident at first glance. I'm pretty sure that the interior was put together from spare parts, just checked the seat tags and found that the seats were manufactured in late 1976 and have been recovered. None of the panels were the same color underneath the dark tan leather/vinyl dye. Consoles were black, door panels were almost white. Carpets have been replaced with a cheap repro. Fender/body/door fit is horrible and fenders aren't really attached all the way around. There's a 1.5 inch gap between the passenger side front fender top and the door. Originally orange with a new (back in '85) respray in maroon. Must have lead a terribly hard life between 1974 and 1985.
Sorry if what I posted was at all confusing to you.
Sorry if what I posted was at all confusing to you.
So, let's get this straight...........Your buddy bought a 10 year old car, with it's history unknown to him, sold it to another friend, who then sat on it for 20 years. You now have the car, are finding that it has some damage, and are trying to "bad mouth" the used car dealer who sold it 20 years ago.
HUH?????
#19
Team Owner
You know what kind of mud that is? It's free mud.
#20
TheCorvetteBen