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I have my 71 in a restoration shop. It's just a 350/270hp, 4 speed car. The body is off the frame and the frame is being powder-coated. The suspension is being gone through and bushings and other worn components replace. While the car is apart, I thought about going with fuel injection. The Rochester 4 barrel is original and probably needs a rebuild. I have a constant smell of unburnt fuel. Also, the brakes needs to be repaired, after I lost them driving home from a car show. I drove it 20 miles home using the hand brake. They are manual brakes and I was thinking about getting them upgraded to power brakes. I'm torn as to whether to try to stay as original as I can without going full NCRS or go for drivability. I need opinions from guys, other than the shop, who aren't making money off me. Fire at will.
Get your Qjet redone properly and put power brakes on it unless you dont mind the way manual brakes feel.
NCRS most times means zip when it comes to sell time, just condition/price compared to whatever else the buyers looking at.
Make it your own, youre spending too much to compromise.
The smell is a large reason i will only keep it stock! If your brakes are repaired correctly you should be good only if you do not auto cross or race it.If your car is properly tuned and the carb is rebuilt by a carb only shop and i mean a Corvette shop you should have a clean burning no odor car. I hope your car is at a Corvette shop because any other shop unless own by your brother in law is asking fot trouble . Also always get a completion date for this is how the labor hours add up and a written estimate would be help ful as you make changes.
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I am also doing a Frame off 71, a convertible, numbers matching automatic (block and trans). I didn't find a tank sticker. I'm at the point where I just put my frame and engine (all re done and painted) back under the body (cleaned and painted). It's an automatic, 270 hp car that I know will not be ending up in a museum. I decided at the start of this project, (June of last year) it would stay original. I hate "giving" my money away and found there are plenty of places to save money and not cut corners on safety or quality. I want it driveable so I'm doing a power brake conversion and will keep the original carb (I too like the smell of a carbed v8) and ignition system. At some point I know this car will be up for sale and the less modifications hopefully will make it more marketable. I know I will be "upside down" on the car anyway but I seem to enjoy the restoration more than the cruise nights. Do what makes sense for your peace of mind and pocketbook. My 2 cents
The body is off the frame and the frame is being powder-coated.
Now I'm not a NCRS guy...but having the frame powdercoated- I'm thinking you'd loose points right there...Not to mention painting any of the metal that came from the factory bare metal...
Why not make it what you want? Especially if you are going to drive it.
When you powder coated the frame that was the purist blasphemy right there, so make it your dream come true.
My 66 had manual brakes i dd it didnt bother me but consider hydroboost.
Fuel injection is super cool wonderful, im old school wont touch it but get jealous sometimes with guys who do,
I saw in the parts section a guy has a ruggles built qjet, cliff literally wrote the book on qjets has websites forums etc and if a guy hadnt given me one i would be on that like oprah on a baked ham,
Just a thought.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I went to power brakes because I wanted to have the ability to lock up all four when that jack *** pulls out of Starbucks without looking. It ahppens all the time around here and no matter what I did to my manual brakes, they didnt do that. In hindsight my Bubba probably had a power brake master on the car and not a manual master.
As for the Qjet, I have carbs because I can afford them. If I had a couple of grand to throw at a sniper fuel injection set up I would. I wwould buy everything from summit including the tank with the built in pump, it would be a plug and play setup. Now they have 6 pack/ tripower carbs available as efi units, when they get more Hillborne style down drafts out to the public, then I may jump in. No name brand manufacturers doing them yet, but they are out there.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
not at 35mph with my sticky tires. Hell, my clutch slips before they spin. Plus learning to drive on ice helps to learn to avoid or control a skid.
The way these idiots around here drive, you could be stopped, waiting to turn and they"ll drive right into the side of you. They slow down or stop to merge onto the highway when they shoulld be speeding up to get into the flow. Or they'll stop on the road and wave someone out into the road "to be nice". I've seen more accidents from these clowns than good drivers. They wait for a single car gap between cars and jump right out of these strip mall parking lots. Evebn when I'm the last car in the line of traffic!!! They just cant wait one more car.
Last edited by Rescue Rogers; Nov 12, 2018 at 09:53 PM.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
thanks, im a little sensitive right now. Sorry to hijack a thread but she is My best friend and had to be put to sleep yesterday. She was my ski patrol partner for 9 years.
North American , Australian Shepard, would have been 15 this Feb 4
Last edited by Rescue Rogers; Nov 13, 2018 at 11:24 AM.
Get your Qjet redone properly and put power brakes on it unless you dont mind the way manual brakes feel.
NCRS most times means zip when it comes to sell time, just condition/price compared to whatever else the buyers looking at.
Make it your own, youre spending too much to compromise.
The gasoline smell could be vapor canister or hoses at tank or the Q-jet needing fix, all easy. C-3, 4-speed convertibles keep good resale. Just don't do any objectionable, visible mods.
Rescue Rogers, I am sorry to hear about the loss of your best friend!!! It is incredible how much they become part of your family. My guy, a yellow lab is getting old and having some hip and breathing issues. I know his time is coming but I cannot imagine it. You have my sympathies!!!! Ike
I have a hydro boost with wilwood brakes. It stops! But do you need it? If you have good vacuum a new master cylinder and a vacuum brake booster will set you back under $200. Im about to post to classifieds my lightly used stuff that was new when I did my restoration. It will be considerably cheaper than $200. As for F.I.? Its wonderful. Whats not to like about instant startups when hot, automatic adjustments for altitude change, ( I can drive from 2000' to over 7500' in less than 45 min where I live) heck, I even have my F.I. unit controlling my engine timing. Nothing wrong with technology.
Good working manual brakes work fine. Normal driving you don't even notice. Only when you want to stop fast do I notice I have to push down with some authority.
I can still locked them up with not much effort.
upgrades or not
