working with resin and mat is not that difficult. The kid said he's selling a Wurlitzer for a few hundred...um....yea, right...can't touch one of those juke boxes for under 5k...now this has me thinking...a 500 dollar corvette, a jukebox for couple hundred... Sometink stinks in Denmark....

 

Hah, its not one from the 50 it's an 80's one. They go for just around 500 bucks. pretty boring looking.

I took pictures of the car today, than i took off the carb and the covers here are some pictures.

There is beautiful fluid in the trans and it all looks clean, minus the spiders crawling around.

it started like this




I pulled the a plug to see how it looked, it only has 5 on it, wierd but okay.
I was very surprised to find them in practically bran new condition. On my truck i noticed small indents on the metal after they had been used but these were like new.



I proceeded to remove the a few pieces to get the covers free and went ahead and took the carb off also.









Its all very clean, minus recent debris that spiders dragged in to make nests.!?

The carb gasket was fresh but the rest were old and rather crackily.







So that's it for the engine work today. I don't have any money anymore, and have had all my bills blasting at me, (insurance and gas and food and school money), and I don't have any money to be a cheap set of anything. My grandpa didn't have any necessary tools and I was stuck with using a adjustable wrench for everything.

Anyway, someone said they wanted to see the frame so I did the best I could with the picture taking. It looks like minor rear end accident.









and some more detail of the inside. It has all glass but the windshield is broken. It has all of the dash............... In pieces.













The tach says 63xxx miles but I think it rolled.

My plan is to get the heads off, and clean it up nicely than bolt everything back down. Buy a distributor and starter and just see if I can get it to go. It will make me happy. Anything I'm missing let me.

Also i realized this will be a big post, I'm sorry, should i remake this thread perhaps under a new name "need help/advise restoring vette"

 

Keep the car, that all looks fixable.
Racing interior, bucket seats, just don't try to build the perfectly restored 'vette.
Here's some links to painting:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-...-paint-your-c/
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...0&fpart=1&vc=1
http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/241161
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...job/index.html
This is the stroker kit that I've been eyeballing:
http://www.flatlanderracing.com/scatsr-chevysbcast.html
Have fun and keep us up to date

 

I doubt you will ever get the engine to start in that particular car. Not saying you can't. But that wiring harness looks shot, and yeah you could wire directly to the starter, but that isn't getting it driveable.

As far as restoring it, I would forget it. I would just keep it as a parts car for another c3 in the future.

 

Look, no disrespect but the guy's got a $500 Corvette that he can tinker with. Lot of people out that wish they had one, let alone at his age.
He's not looking to build a period correct numbers matching car.
Let us all just support him in any way we can without getting all sarcastic and negative ok

You can start a car without a wiring harness,rig up a starter button, slap in two bucket seats, some Home Depot carpet, paint it with a roller and go out and enjoy that car.

 

Before you take the heads off, take the plugs out and squirt some oil in each cylinder, then rotate the assembly...breaker bar and socket on harmonic balancer bolt...you will know right away if the engine is frozen or not.

Next drain the old oil and pour in fresh oil....go to a scrap yard and get a Chevy distributor, points style. Doesn't matter if it works or not you're going to gut it, and grind the distributor gears down so that there are none. When done you will have a shaft and the base, nothing else...what you made is an oil priming tool...put this down the distributor hole, mate the slot with the oil pump, attach a 1/2" drill press the trigger on the drill and in a few minutes watch fresh oil come out of the the rockers...next rig up a starter switch and turn the motor over to rid of the oil in the cylinders...when this is done, you are ready to start the motor.....



There's nothing to be sorry for kid, more info we get the better we can help you

 

I have some empathy with your comments but without proper wiring and a lot more, that would be an unsafe vehicle at best. That car is salvage yard material. I would not wish to see it on the road endangering peoples' lives. How would it be safety-checked? On the positive side, parting it out would get him more than $500.00.

 

Disregaurd what the non believers are saying here. Lots of cars started off way worse than yours.

Ya know Santa Cluas is coming soon. Make that wish list. Lets see, you said you need jack stands, possibly a floor jack, a GM 1973 Corvette Shop Manual and some tools. Ahh huh, I bet Santa can handle that.

 

With all the things I hear in the news everyday I like to hear something like this every once in a while!!! If everybody here helped this kid out we could get him going. All the extra parts I have are for a 82 but some may help, do make wish list!!!! I am willing to help.

 

There is a lot you can learn by "doing" with Corvette pieces to play with. Start with the engine. Take it all apart and learn how it operates and how it's put together. Disassemble the carb, the oil pump, whatever. Then rebuild whatever you can salvage. Worst case: you learn a lot and you save some of the components...keep some and/or sell some; you learn how to refurbish interior panels and get them ready for reuse; work on the frame, suspension, steering and brakes so you understand and can work on them. Trace the existing wiring and compare it to an electical diagram for your car. Tag each wire end to identify where it connects. You never know what you can accomplish until you try. That frame looks to be in decent shape from the photos. I say, go for it and see how far you can get.

 

I see quite a few original parts on the chassis that appear to be in good condition (no real rust). Aside from the bent rear crossmember the frame seems to be in good shape too.

I know of a lot worse cars the went for much more money. Good for you.

 

Paul, it's not as bad as it seems...his 73 is in no worse than my 68. My wiring was shot, engine harnes frayed...though my body was fairly straight. It cost me around 250 for the engine and TI harness...the kid sells his jukebox, buys the engine harness...problem solved

 

Good one...

 

Good luck kid! We all have taken on some "impossible" projects and they turned out fine.

 

You can learn a lot about cars by following this advice. Your time is free, use it to learn why an engine works and why it doesn't. The internet is the best tool you will ever come across.

 

None taken, and none meant in my reply. But that car would be a huge undertaking for a master car builder to restore, and the person doing it would have to have some deep pockets.
Nothing negative meant by me at all. I think he would do well to learn a thing or two about it. But safety should be paramount. Suggesting he wire directly to the starter, bolt in some seats and go enjoy it is some of the worst advice to be giving.
Safety should be first, nothing would be worse than for this young man to do exactly what you just said and end up plowing that car into something, or wrapping it around a pole. Or if someone should happen to hit him.

It's a perfect learning car for 500.00 zarifan. Learn as much as you can about it. Chevy 350's are some cool motors, and you can learn a lot about engine theory in general by tearing into one and reading and learning as much as you can. But as far as anyone here telling you not to restore it being labeled a naysayer, it's just wrong. No one wants to rain on your parade, but I wont lie to you. That car is in VERY bad shape, and would take tens of thousands to restore into safe, drivable, inspection passing condition.
With the amount of money you would spend you would probably be able to buy two very good condition 73's. Or one very good condition 68-72 like you really want.

 

Junior

Please give us a break! open your eye's ... or bring it to someone like a mech. or jus buy a book.

 

Well, Thanks for all the support, and constructive criticism. Here's where I stand.

My pockets are very empty at the moment, and I need to buy a needle to for the Wurlitzer. I just spend my last 10 bucks on gas although I get another small check tomorrow. My dad wants me to sell it since he is very business oriented and knows that I can make a good few bucks making a quick sell. It has grown on me though. The 73 still has all the curves of the C3, and that rear chrome is what I was really looking for.

But I'll try to help my dad to understand.

There is a speed shop very near my house called Blair's speed shop, and all the employees there are really great, they said they'd even let me borrow some tools since I desperately need them. In all honesty I don't even have a ratchet and cant afford what I desperately need.

A teacher at school has an extra breaker bar he is going to give to me, and a good friend of mine has given me a couple of jack stands. I'll spray some WD-40 I have into where the cylinders are.

I'll ask the speed shop to borrow some equipment, and I'm really hoping that they will be supportive of a kid coming into this hobby, and perhaps lend me some equipment. I found a HEI on Craigslist for 80 bucks and starter for 50. It's good enough especially on my wallet. I still really want to take the heads off afterward, there is a lot of spider webs and other things in the exhaust manifold, and I'm rather worried that it will hurt the engine. Just do a quick spray, and a chance to look around. Than I'll save up for that starter and distributor, unless I can "borrow" one from my uncle. Pour some gas in the carb and, perhaps I'll ask some employees at the speed shop for some help on actually starting it. I really don't mean to bother, just trying to get some help, and anything and every bit of help I get is greatly appreciated. You guys are making this experience a whole lot better.

I need a set of tools.
And I just remembered I only have 5 spark plugs....

So many things to buy, any ideas on another money income.

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hi zarifan383, congratulations on a smart purchase! ( God bless young people) Turn this basket case into a drag car! I don't know what your hobbies are but if your willing to get your hands dirty and dig into the motor and learn about how cars work you will have a lot of fun at the track. A few years of learning about motors, transmissions and rear end ratios and you could be the next John Force! Never let anyone quench your thirst for knowledge! PG.

 

"I'll spray some WD-40 I have into where the cylinders are"

Don't use WD40, the silicon will burn the cylinder walls, once you get it started. Use some regular motor oil.