I am a newbie here and was looking for some help starting my dads Corvette. He recently passed away unexpectedly and I have inherited his car. It has been many, many years since I have started and driven it, and want to do it correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

My condolences to you and your family.
When is the last time the car was started?
A car driven on a regular basis may require up to three full depressions of the gas pedal to set the coke and prime the carburetor.
You then just turn the key to start, if manual in neutral with clutch depressed.

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum!

It is sad that your Father passed away. Being your Dad's Old Corvette it will probably stay with you for a long time. My daughter has already asked for my C3 after I move on to greener pastures. It is good to see something like this passed down. These beautiful cars should be cherished and taken care of.

The C3 Corvettes are a lot of fun and the parts are pretty easy to find still. The only down side to owning a Corvette is you better be able to do most of the maintenance yourself or it gets expensive quickly. The C3's and their carburetors are simple to work on for the most part.

Go to a company called Helms Publishing and order your self a Factory Service Manual so you have the best data to start with. I strongly suggest the Helms FSM's as it was the official FSM for Chevrolet, some of the other books are not as detailed but will do in a pinch.

Take a few moments and do an inventory of the Corvette. I have lists for both of my Corvettes that list each thing done to it. For the Forum members to be able to help you remember to give us as much information as possible.

The Profile each Forum member has is a great place to list out the options or details of the Corvette. The more you put there the easier it will be for the future helpers. I for example have a 1968 C3 Convertible with a 427 in it. My car was built as a BB Corvette but there were several versions of 327 and 427 you could purchase.

Quite often when someone gets hold of a "new to them" Corvette they want to start modifying the Corvette right away. I suggest that new owners drive the Corvette for a while and learn the Corvette before making big changes.

Find a Corvette Club nearby and learn who and where the mechanics are in your area. They are an awesome source of information.

Best regards,
Chris

 

I'm sorry about your Dad, it's never the same after that. I'd charge the battery, change the oil. Maybe spray a quick shot of wd 40 in the cylinders. Put some gas in a squirt bottle and pour it down the.vent tune not alot less than an eighth of a cup. Hit the gas pedal a couple times and try to crank it over if it starts great if not tell us how it responds. I hope you enjoy your dad's car the rest of your life.i inherited mine from my best friend when he was killed in an accident coming to pick me up going to a car show.

 

The owner's manual covers starting procedures.

 

Sorry I thought the car had been sitting for years.

 

According to the OP....it has.

Jebby

 

Actually, he says it has been many, many years since HE started it. We don't know how long ago dad started it.

 

Ah.....got caught up in the word snafu....

Jebby

 

Welcome to a club with maaaany members!

 

I haven't personally started it in years, sorry for the confusion. He had it started last in July 2019. It sits in a heated garage, covered and I live in West Virginia.

 

He had it started in July 2019.

 

Battery may need charging and some cranking of the engine will be required to refill the carburetor. You should change the oil and filter once you have it running.

 

Running last summer. Oil change. Charge battery and crank it. Leave coil wire unhooked and watch oil pressure gauge. It will come off the pin and climb to around 20 to 40 psi. Hook up coil wire and crank and pump gas pedal. Probably light right off. Ok, you heard it run. Now it is a live car in your head. Next before you let it run more than a minute is cooling system. And next after that before you even think about putting it in gear is brakes. Real PITA to shut it off and get it in gear and dump clutch to keep from hitting your wife's car. Don't ask how I know. Can neither confirm nor deny ...

 

Fill the float bowl with gas and crank it. I can't see cranking an engine to fill the float bowl and keeping the coil disconnected being helpful. When it starts oil will flow

 

If someone is inexperienced mechanically, I would be cautious about taking advice to fill the carb with fuel. That can invite a disaster, especially if someone tries it with the car parked in the garage. If the car has been sitting that long, I would suggest getting a new battery, have the auto parts store top it up with a charge. Install the new battery. I see nothing wrong with removing the coil wire and cranking it to get oil pressure and some gas to the carb. Then reconnect coil wire pump it a couple times times and see if it starts. Just avoid excessive pumping of the pedal or long cranking times. You don't need to kill the starter or get a backfire through the carb and the possibility of fire.

We need to remember not everyone is experienced at this and it's possible to have a little disaster, which if you are an experienced shade tree mechanic you should be prepared for, fire extinguisher handy, know what to do it you get a little carb fire. Do any project like this outside or have a couple buddies around to help you push the car out of your garage if things get sideways.

 

Lots of good advice here, sorry about your father, it's always hard. At least when my boys inherit my vettes it wont be unexpected. T

 

How old is the fuel in the tank? You dont want to run bad fuel through the carb. Make sure you have good clean fuel.