You should listen to your dad. My suggestion....sell it. For parts or whole, before you get any further over your head than you already are.

We're talking about someone that said "I know my steel bumper corvettes", yet couldn't tell that this was a 73.

We are also dealing with someone that thinks this is a like new spark plug...



Not trying to bust your bubble kid, but you've got a bunch of learning to get through before you are ready to tackle getting this car drivable.

 

Kid, did you read my post? Did I say anything about spraying wD-40?

The first thing you have to do is learn to listen to what people are telling you. If you feel this is an undertaking, then listen to the people that tell you to sell...if you want to tinker and work on it, then listen to me and what others's are telling you.

Kid, if you had eight plugs that all looked like that, you'd never get the car to start....buy a set of new plugs...and go re-read what told you to do.

What is your address....I have a spare 3/8 drive ratchet, I'll send that to you. Send it via PM.

If your pockets are empty, don't even think about removing the heads...if you remove them what are you going to do? You don't have the money for a valve job, engine gaskets cost money, so leave them on. If you remove the heads and you have no money to do either, then your cylinder walls will rust, and you managed to destroy the motor.

 

Costs on a vehicle like this will eat you up. You should be able to get 1000 for it, at least, frame looks to be in pretty good shape, and it being a so-cal car, it's gonna be rust free. Buy something that RUNS, and gain experience little bit at a time. sheesh, at 19, you should be getting into a trade school, a trade union- electrical, plumbing, or college. This one can be saved, but would cost you THOUSANDS just to get it drivable, and you said you don't even own a ratchet? $$ or experience, that's what it's going to take to get this one back on the road, and you don't have either. Not a knock on you, Virtually no one has either at 19. Get some training for a career, buy a steel bodied car that you can drive and mess with in your spare time. Learn, have fun, enjoy life,, don't sink your spare time and $$ into that Car!

 

The car will be of greater value if the motor is running. To get it running, you will learn about carburation and ignition systems...Invaluable lessons that you will retain throughout your adult life.

Kid, if you get this motor to fire and run, you can fix anything on the car. Everything else is a walk in the park.

 

WD40 is great for it's original design purpose (water displacement) but is not really that good for anything else.

 

Or use some Marvel Mystery Oil, good stuff.



Get the guys in the speed shop to help.
Any chance that you can barter with the owner?
Help out in the shop, sweep floors whatever to borrow tools?

 

I use it a lot to clean up door locks when the door won't open due to being gummed up. I shoot it in any way I can and usually I can get the door to open,then clean right and readjust or whatever it takes. I like it because it doesn't seem to harm anything. Not much of a lubricant but I wouldn't be without it. I guess its like any other tool it has its place.
Didn't know about burning the cylinder walls though.

 

Let me clarify- I don't agree that it will 'burn cylinder walls' per se. It's just a poor choice for breaking stuck rings free.

 

I think you should keep the car. Looks like a 73 nose and all. If you know somebody that can run the Vin # without causing a problem it would be great. If it comes up clean or with nothing because it hasnt been registered in years I would pull the windshield and take a stencil of the vin tag. Then go to dmv and say the title is lost. You have a bill of sale with the vin # written on it and the stencil. They will run the Vin number see that its clean or not in the sytem and issue you a new registration. My brother bought a 63 convertible that way. Its a good project to start. Just dont expect it to be done in a short time.

 

I didn't know about the wall burning thing. I still plan on keeping it. I'll be sure to follow your directions more carefully. I figured that WD-40 would work, but no worries I haven't made the mistake yet. I won't take the heads off as that made a lot of sense. I need new covers gaskets as the ones that were on simply crackled and died. I'll probably be spending a lot of time at the speed shop, doing the whole sweeping the floors thing.

There are one of those streets a few streets up from my house, where every shop has to do with cars. I'll go pick up new spark plugs. Just so you guys know what I meant with great looking spark plugs was that the upper electrode (I think its an electrode) didn't have an indent in it from being overly used. Often in the past when I have changed spark plugs it had some kind of a dent, and I realized there was no way to see them anyway.

I had never worked on a C3 before, nor have I seen a steel bumper vette vs a 73+ vette without the front piece. It has the steel bracket i think, and I assumed that the chrome just bolted onto that. My mistake and I'm so glad you guys helped me clarify. Of coarse I felt a bit stupid at the time.

I have taken one class at the local community college wich happens to be two blocks from my house on car fundamentals, and I have a good idea of what goes on in the engine. The next class on the list is performance than rebuilding. I was hoping, that by than I could have the engine going, and pull it and bring it to the class, and stroke it .03 over. Buy a nice balanced block stroking kit and put it all in. And If there is enough time, port and polish my own heads to save thousands on engine work. The teacher at my school is a pro, in my eyes at least, and he wont settle for a half *** job. He wont let you pass the class unless the entire thing is withing two one-thousandths of an inch off.

I have a friend who has a CHP friend, who will hook me up, with just a quick check. I'll drop off the VIN Monday because I have work all weekend.

I've heard about the marvel mystery oil and I plan on using it. One other thing, besides the juke box, the seller of the vette also gave me a couple extra parts. A original hood, in rater poor-average condition, and a front piece of a 73. If anyone is interested in buying it to support this project I'd be very grateful.











And 2 exhaust pipes from his 77.



(there is a small crack in one)

Most importantly, I know I have my hands full. I know this is a very difficult job to accomplish. It's no walk in the park, and with my minimal experience, it doesn't get much harder. I still plan and pushing my way all the way through. It will take me a long time to get it finished. I will push to the end, and finish as soon as I can, because the sooner I do, the sooner, I can get the satisfaction, I can say that I have a corvette.

I'll send you a PM right away, that's really awesome of you for that, It's feel really bad to have to ask to borrow a ratchet, or ask for one at all. I wish I've had since I was four years old.

I definitely cannot repay you for helping me out so much. It was definitely the right choice to stop by the corvette forum!!!

 

I think "hook me up" (10-15) is the key phrase in your statement above.
You were hell bent on getting this vehicle even when it was possibly stolen. Now you think a CHP Officer will risk his career for you. Not going to happen. I'm sure he will run the VIN, but if it comes back stolen I hope you don't expect him to look the other way.

 

Especially since if he logs into the system and checks it and finds it stolen his commanding officer is going to get a flag and then ask him where is the stolen vehicle.

 

we really don't know if the 73 is a stolen vehicle...only speculation at this point, so let's give the kid the benefit of the doubt. If the vehicle is stolen, then you can rag on the kid all you want...

 

Just so you guys know, I have a bill of sale, and he said that they cant take it away because of it. If it is stolen, the bill of sale would be forwarded to the PO and he would either have to pay or it's mine.

Monday comes I will buy some oils see the speed shop to see what I can do.

 

You've been lied to...stolen property is always confiscated and a bill of sale means Jack Squat.

 

telll that to the guy thats out 10 grand for purchasing a vette that was stolen 37 years ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1515055

 

How did the VIN check go? I wouldn't do much to the car until you get that squared away.

 

I got a motor running that sat for 20 years with PB Blaster in the cylinders. Pull plugs and squirt a healthy spray in each cylinder. Let sit overnight then use a wrench on your crank balancer bolt and start turning the crank by hand. Crank it back and forth to start with then in full revolutions.

My car still runs great after 2 years, no smoke and a lot of power.

 

It came out fine.

I did some research though and I have absolutely terrible heads on it.

But I'm working to see if I can get it turned over.

But I want to do alot so lets just wait and see.

 

How "fine", as in it's legally yours now?

Terrible heads are better then no heads.Running engine is better then no engine. Trust me, there's a lot of misinformation out there on the net.
Terrible compared to what? All out $2,500 race heads?
I have a '79 with a stock L48 engine which has "terrible" heads also.
Ran it at 80mph all day last Saturday with a quick run up to 100mph.
Fast enough for now with stock everything else.
That's how terrible those heads are.
Don't worry about it for now, get this motor running.
Build another one while you have a running car.
I got a free engine a couple of months ago by being buddies with a shop owner. One of his customers wanted an engine swap and told the guy to get rid of his old engine. So I picked it up. Needs a lot of work, but hey, it's free.