Hi everyone,

Let me start off by saying that I do not have any experience on any forums so please help me if I am not in the right place.

My story goes that as a naive car buyer I bought a 1979 Corvette (as my first vehicle, no less) with no understanding as to what was wrong with it. Come to find out that through this cars had been pretty much abused by previous owners. (The only good thing was that the engine was basically new since last owner blew through the original).
I want to take care of this car and fix it up over time as I have free time.

Does the community have any good recommendations for how to order parts into the north of Ontario? (I tried to order on Zip and the shipping was over 100$ cad for a 20$ order)
I'm also considering bringing the car to a shop in the future and having it looked at by people who know what they are doing. If there are any good shops in Ontario I'd love to know about them.

Just for fun here's a list of the issues I have encountered with the car that I need to fix:
-Tachometer not functional
-Tachometer/ Speedometer lens broken/cracked
-Light in dash for left turn signal not working
-Seats (Especially driver) falling apart
-Driver/Passenger door panel need changing (A previous owner thought that putting a wood screw to hold it was a good idea)
-Inside part of the T-tops need replacing (Previous owners screwed it in place)
-Whole Carpet needs to be replaced. (By the looks of it also what the carpet is on might need replacing) (One of previous owners spilled something and it has eaten through the carpet in the rear storage area)
-Driver Window no longer functional (Guessing it's the motor)
-"clip" that holds the cable for the heat control in place broken
-Pump for windshield washer not working
-One of the nozzles on the wipers is broken
-Parking break holding barely
-Water leaks into the car when raining
-Missing Dome light
-AC not working (might just be refrigerant)
-Engine throws heat into the car with fan off
-Exterior fibreglass starting to crack at the nose

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

I just Googled "Ontario Canada Corvette Parts Supplier" and four suppliers came up. Contact them for parts and a mechanic recommendation.
You can also Google Ontario Corvette Clubs and contact them for further recommendations.

 

My first advice is to make sure the car is safe for you and all around you. This is priority number one, to do otherwise is irresponsible.

• Are the brakes effective, especially for emergency stops?
• Does the car track and steer well?

Sounds like the interior needs a complete refresh. My preference is to get the window working. Everything else is cosmetic or minor in the big scheme of things. After that, I'd tackle the dash issues.

What type of books and manuals do you have? The assembly instruction manual (AIM) for your year is what Chevrolet used on the assembly line to illustrate all of the assembly processes and parts. Then get the 1979 Corvette Shop Manual - it's the book that dealership service departments used for repair instructions. Stay away from Haynes manuals as they are generalized to multiple years and may not address all of the small changes over time.

One of your best resources is this forum! Ask questions – there are hardly any new questions – someone has faced the same thing and it's a helpful community.

 

Hello NNV,
Welcome...!!!
Here's the GOOD thing.......
None of the items on your long list involve the word 'COMPUTER'.
That means a normal, slightly intelligent person can repair all of them with a few parts and a few tools.
One item at a time, starting with as BR said,.... the brakes. MUST be able to stop.
A few photos would be good since seeing what you're working on will help folks give you good answers to all the questions you'll be asking.
79, NICE.
Regards....

 

Welcome to the forum. Below are suppliers that I've used over the years and would recomend. There are others but the C3 group that I associate with also use these.

Canadian (Ontario) Corvette Parts suppliers:

Corvette Depot, Windsor
Northern Corvette, Wetland
Ontario Corvette Coral, Grand Valley
Caledon Corvette Parts, Caledon

US. suppliers that ship to Canada at a reasonable price.

Corvette Central,
Summit.

I hope you're handy with car repairs as your list can quickly drain your funds.

Good luck.

 

Welcome to the forum.


My advice is to first take a step back and consider what it will take to achieve your goals. You may find out that this car is not the right choice. Consider:

1. GM built 53,807 of these cars, the highest production total of the C3 era. There are plenty of these cars available today.
2. The car is nearly 50 years old. You will likely find a lot more things wrong and things that will continue to go wrong in the future. Consider that all rubber bushings are fully rotted, brake lines corroded, fuel line rubber hoses rotted, differential axles need replacement, wheel bearings, U-joints worn, etc, etc.
3. Do you know the condition of the birdcage?
4. Have you done a detail assessment of the condition of the frame?
5. What is your ability to address issues yourself? What kind of tools do you have? Do you have a heated garage?
6. Other than shops specializing in restoration work, finding a “regular” shop to work on the car will be a challenge.
7. Labor rates today in Ontario are likely between CD $135-$300 so small repairs can add up quickly.
8. How much time are you willing to wait until you can enjoy (drive) the car?

Haggerty places the average value of a 79 in good condition at USD $15000. I don’t know what you paid for yours but I would recommend you spend some serious time estimating what it will take to bring your car to your expectations. You might find that it makes more sense to find another car that you can enjoy today.

 

This car might be a sizeable project for a rookie. If you are determined and engaged, you can research, study and learn to do most of the work yourself. Shipping is fairly costly there days. Try to consolidate your orders so you are paying less shipping overall. I use Rock Auto a lot.I'm in Canada. Their shipping seems reasonable to me. Rock auto has cheap parts options, or higher priced better quality. Use your judgment and gained experience to pick the part that makes sense for you. I generally lean to higher quality and price. Some parts, Amazon make good sense and has free shipping. I try to salvage and repair where I can. Personally I started with lawnmowers and carburetors 40 years ago. Worked my way up to more complicated vehicle repairs and maintenance. Its been a ton of fun, this journey. Yet there are frustrating times too as you learn, make mistakes or have to re-do things. Its all part of learning.

Good luck. There is lots of help on here

 

I'm also new to this forum and corvette ownership. I bought a 1980 last year and have been working on it ever since then. The first thing you should understand that its going to cost a lot more than it is worth to restore it. I know this was stated in an earlier post but as someone that is in the same boat as you are I think it needs repeating. Are you mechanically inclined? Being able to perform work yourself will save a lot of money. I don't know if you have the room, but I bought a car lift for working underneath and it is worth every penny I spent on it.
As for suppliers someone mentioned summit racing and corvette central. I have used and would recommend both, especially summit. There are many others out there. I sometimes start by googling the part I need using year and model in my description and being as accurate as possible in the description. I also got a shop manual with mine which is a big help. You want the GM shop manual that repair shops use. Amazon sells it for around $65US but you can probably find cheaper alternatives. Some people recommend GM assembly manuals, which don't have yet.
I'm not an expert yet and learnig as I go along, but reply back with any questions if you want as I am retired and have time. Good luck and have fun.

 

Hello,
When buying a car it's important to remember that appearance items....paint, glass, chrome, and interior restoration are much more costly than mechanical restoration.
The deal breaker in most instances is RUST, be lt birdcage or frame/chassis.
Regards......

 

Show us a couple of pictures. A picture of the #2 body mount area with the interior kick panels removed. Also pictures of the frame directly in front of the rear tires. High mileage cars in the northern States and Canada can suffer from severe frame and birdcage corrosion. Determine if this car is worth restoring as a couple of other members have mentioned.

 

Define 'north of Ontario'. I am also in Northern Ontario but I am within 60 km. of the border. There is a business just the other side of the border that will receive packages for Canadians. I order my parts sent there and drive down and pick them up. By far the most economical way to get parts. In my experience any place you get parts from in Canada will be even more expensive than ordering the parts from the States delivered to the door.

 

Another recommendation for Northern Corvette. I think they source their new parts from Corvette Central.