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I have restored a number of cars over the years but never messed with Vettes. Back in 1969 my Dad (86 now) bought a new 1969 4 speed 427 convertible. Was originally gold. He had it until we grew up enough to drive and then sold it. Recently, I learned that a friend of a friend has the car and wants to sell it. It is in a few pieces, the original motor is not there. My Dad pulled the original motor built something bigger and put an L88 hood on it.I went and looked it over. It seems complete, and I did not see any evidence of rust or wreck damage. I am thinking of buying it to restore. I figure it needs about everything, including a motor. Since its not a matching number, I am considering a resto mod? I am not a big fan of big wheels on an old car, so something with a modern suspension, brakes and motor. Or maybe just keep it close to original?
Looking for a build thread with a lot of pictures, I cold go through to see what I might be getting into. Thanks, what would you do?
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Go to this thread.. concentrate on the rust portion becausevrust is invisible on these cars until you know what and where to look. The meat of it starts at post 107
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ispreloading=1
After that its just a car but expensive to paint..parts can be expensive and most repops are junk, exxpecially vacuum and electrical parts.
If you get it start a thread with lots of pics. And keep it going wish i did it that way when i started
Just my 2 cents - Dollar-wise, you’ll probably be ahead if you go down the restomod route as a bone-stock 69 NOM might fetch $30-40k and you’d have close to that invested (top quality paint will run 1/3 to 1/2 of your investment).
Really dig deep into the condition of the birdcage. If you don’t know anything about it, it is the metal sub-structure that surrounds the cab, to which the fiberglass is bonded. A rotted birdcage has the potential to kill the project.
The Forum hasn't fixed the search feature yet, but I had these saved.
@AllC34Me has documented several of these restorations on the Forum. You can find the rest when the search feature works, and you can look for "threads started by @AllC34Me". Here's one example
Hi,
Good morning. Just another day in Paradise and only 51 days til Spring. If you can purchase it for a decent price buy it. You already have ties to the car and if you watched Barrett Jackson over the weekend the resto mods were bringing out of sight money....
Have fun,
Fred
Thanks for the replies and the links. I tend to be pretty good at spending 50k to build a 30k car! I will certainly read through the threads, especially concerning the rust and maybe go look at it again with a different eye. If the deal works out I will post up a build thread. Thanks again.
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by 1012
Thanks for the replies and the links. I tend to be pretty good at spending 50k to build a 30k car! I will certainly read through the threads, especially concerning the rust and maybe go look at it again with a different eye. If the deal works out I will post up a build thread. Thanks again.
It is a shame that your dad did not keep the original big block motor. Lou.
It wasnt long after he bought it that he swapped in a pretty hot motor that he had built. He told me that when we got up to driving age, that he didnt want us to get anywhere around it, and sold it. That was probably smart as my older brother was a nominee for the demolition derby. We moved into the Z cars as teens. No clue what happened to the original motor, but the second motor was pulled and used in a drag car years later.
The project interests me just because I have so many memories of sitting in that car as a small kid pretending to drive. It had a hurst shifter with a big white ball. My mom used to drive us to school and football practice in it. Three or four kids and gear piled into it. I remember mom never used first gear. Always started in second. Weird what you remember. I just need to sell a car to make room for it.
All depends on the value to you personally. You will probably put more into it than it will bring back in the near future since buyer trends change from original to restomod to who knows what in the future.
I have my 69 sitting apart in storage now for 15 + years. After working on corvettes for living and doing it every day, do I have the time or desire to start a full body off, no and I can custom build it better than anyone with the exception of paint.
So think it over good before you get into a huge money pit. Good luck.
My idea of a restomod may differ than most. I dont like big wheels and lowered to the ground. I was thinking maybe a modern suspension, brakes, AC, and a big block with fuel injection (sniper style) with oe air cleaner. Stock interior. So, I guess I really don't want a restomod
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by 1012
My idea of a restomod may differ than most. I dont like big wheels and lowered to the ground. I was thinking maybe a modern suspension, brakes, AC, and a big block with fuel injection (sniper style) with oe air cleaner. Stock interior. So, I guess I really don't want a restomod
If you get it, it is yours…yours to do as you wish. BTW….like your ideas.
1969 corvette conv cant decide
