I have been going trough my 69 and have decided that I don't want to restore it. I like it just the way it is. It doesn't need anything so why make anything phony?
It's nice to make an old car out of nothing but not nice to abuse an old car. Thoughts on this?
My first Corvette was in 1970 and it was a 69.
This is my 34th Corvette and I am sure glad to find this puppy.
Kind of thinking restoring it would ruin it.. An original 427 4 speed that has all it's factory parts and my wife found it in a garage sale on the way to a doctors appointment.


The stop sign in the back is because Walmart won't spring for a straight one...

 

Save your money, looks great the way it is..

 

Leave that sucker alone, looks like a very nice car, and sounds like you're enjoying it as is.

 

When I first got it home, I was going to restore it but then asked myself why abuse a perfectly good old Corvette and make it into something it isn't? I couldn't think of an answer. It didn't need anything and was already original. It even smells like 1969. It even has the original smog pump on it ...

 

Only fix what's broken or unsafe,leave it as original as possible.You should get original appearing tires or turn those ones around to the black side though,those newer style white letter BFG's just don't look quite right on that car.

 

Congratulations on finding a great looking 69!

To each his own and do whatever makes one happy.

But, I vote to run it and drive it as is. Buy the replacement alternator from AutoZone too, LOL's!

I like all Corvettes, but it is really nice to find a C3 that looks all original and not like it came off the show room floor yesterday afternoon once in awhile.

(34 Corvettes???? You are my hero!)

 

If You have had that many Corvettes then You will probably own one in the future that needs a restoration.

 

I vote for leaving it as is.

 

Well Gale, This is my 34th Corvette. I still have a C5 Z06 a C6Z06 and my wifes old 78 S/A that she has had for 20 years. My problem is this car. My wife found it and thought it would be nice to work on together this winter... I would like that but it's so good there really isn't much to do and has not been worked on. I replaced the steering box because of a dead spot and am going to do the exhaust but other than yellow "smoke" out of the seats due to rotten foam, this is just like it came from the factory. The fellow that owned it died and his wife literally put it out on the curb with a "for sale" sigh on it. No joke. My wife bought it on the spot.
Here is a pic from her phone as she found it sitting on the side of the road and sent me.

It doesn't look like much here but is an original 427 close ratio 4 speed that has never been worked on. Every nut and bolt. Kind of like a barn find only better.
My wife finally drove it today and said she never made it past second gear.
It cleaned up really nice. The stuff on the hood is just needles from the trees.

 

Hi CG,
I agree that you seem to have found an especially nice 69!
It certainly looks like you can enjoy it the way it is
I must mention though that personally I don't consider restoring a car "abuse" or "ruining it".
Good Luck with your car!
Regards,
Alan

 

Great looking 69.

It can only be original once.

Has the car been repainted? Post some pics of the engine compartment and interior.

I also have a pretty much original 69 427. My car was repainted in the 80s and has new carpeting, but beyond that I have just cleaned thing while leaving the original patina. I think original cars are great, but dont expect to win any $2 trophies at the local car shows.

Order a copy of the 68/69 NCRS Technical Information Manual and Judging Guide. This will give you a really good idea of what is correct and original. I personally wouldnt even clean much on the car without getting this manual first. You might have a time capsule on your hands that you can go the NCRS judging route with if you are interested.

Gary

 

Love the slightly aged original look
You restore it make it perfect then you wont wanna drive it.
Nice find

 

When you say "restoring" .... do you mean restoring with non-original aftermarket parts? To me "restoring" means restoring original parts as in cleaning, greasing, maybe replacing bushings if needed and so on..... personally i don't see anything wrong with this approach

 

The car in the pic does not look like it needs a restore to me.

 

Nice find by your wife. It looks fine the way it is. Drive it and enjoy it. They are only original once

 

I would just keep it nice and maintained. Maybe add some go-fast goodies

 

wow! What a find! Is it bad form on this forum to ask what you paid for it?? That crucial info make these kind of stories all the more interesting!
Thanks!
Diesel

 

My wife just got strict orders to call my son when I check out of this world. My car doesn't get sold to anyone. My son gets it and he knows what it's worth and will take care of it correctly. Makes me feel a lot more at ease.
Duane

 

This is a tough issue. I am just going through the same thing with a 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix that I picked up this Spring. Less than 60K miles (verified) and nearly all of the paint is original (2 small fender repairs that were made decades ago...still using lacquer paint). The interior is [literally] like new, except for some lost vacuum-chrome plating on the armrest supports and a bit of waviness in the wood veneer on the dash. I know the interior is original because NO ONE sells the "blue charcoal" color interior pieces in the aftermarket.

Anyway, what to do with it? My original intention was to repaint it. But, I decided to take it to a few car shows and see what folks thought about it. The result: Almost all of the folks that bothered to look at it just breezed by and went on. But, about every 100th person to look at it, just stared at it as they walked around and went "WOW! This is the real thing!"

My conclusion: If you can get the needed satisfaction on your own, keep it "as is". But, if you want folks at car shows to really look at and appreciate the car, fix up what isn't up to 'snuff'. In your case, with a Corvette, NCRS has an award for truly original vehicles. The Pontiac-Oakland group really doesn't have such a thing; so there is no formal recognition for being unrestored.

As a result of my observations, the engine is out of the GP and I am detailing it (checked out the heads and bearings...all good & no reason to rebuild it) and the engine compartment. The minor interior items I mentioned are going to be replaced. But, I will leave the original paint on it for a little longer. I've also built a tri-power set to install on the engine and have some 8-lug drums/wheels for it. We'll see what response we get with everything but the paint brought back to like-new condition.

Your car looks great in the web photos. But, only you know how it looks close up. If you can fix some minor chips, scratches so that the paint looks good, I think I'd keep it just like it is.

Enjoy it, whichever way you go.

 

you have the greatest wife in the world ! the vette is great also.