Hello, my name is Chris.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,216
Likes: 4
From: Smile, it's just the internet.
Hello, my name is Chris.
Hi guys -n- gals. My name is Chris Gorman and I'm new to the Forum and Corvette ownership. I'm 30 years old. I have a '68 427 4-speed roadster...sort of.
Here’s my story:
I was born into a family of horsepower addicts. My grandfather always had fast cars and he passed the addiction to my dad, Tim. Dad’s love affair with Corvette began when he got a new ’66 coupe for HS graduation. He always hung out at the local engine machine shops and part stores and learned everything he could about making power. Eventually, he started building his own. Big blocks were his favorite. He amassed a fairly sizable collection of tools and parts in his pursuit of power. Included in this collection was a valve grinding machine, vertical mill, surfacer, dynamometer, hydraulic press, etc.
By the time I came along, he was nearing the height of his engine building career; even if it WAS just a hobby. You see, my dad was an electrician by trade and spent all his spare time working on engines. His best friend, Danny Brown, bought that old ’66 and together they turned it into a drag machine. I was too young to clearly remember most of it, but I recall them winning some kind of championship with a ¼ mile time of something under 9.99 seconds. They even made it into Hot Rod magazine. Dad built the engines and Dan raced the car. This is the world in which I grew up. We never had less than three Corvettes, so I never thought much of them. It was just the way it was… As I grew, my dad and I grew apart, but we did manage to partially restore a ’68 together. That was one of the high points of my childhood. I was about 12 at the time. By the time I was 16 we didn’t speak much. Fast forward about15 years…
Dad died this past January and left behind a large collection of Corvette parts and engines as well as three whole cars. My sister took the ’85 (with 9,900 miles on it) and I took the ’68 and all the equipment/tools. The 69 (a basket case) is being sold. My car, the ’68, had been in storage, alone and untouched, in the basement warehouse of a local business for over five years. About a month ago, I went down to retrieve it. Upon inspection, I discovered that the carburetor was missing. I found the carb on his workbench at home (along with several others). As it turned out, I would have to come back the next day to tow the car out. I said as much to the business owner. When I arrived to pull the car to my own shop, I found a stripped ’68. Someone had snuck in over the night and taken the engine, transmission, radiator, exhaust, wheels/tires, emblems, and shifter ****. They left the original steering wheel, though… Gee, thanks. Still a part of my father’s estate, it was uninsured. The investigation continues. Hopefully, restitution will be forthcoming. I would gladly castrate the weasel who did this.
Anyway, I’m now the owner of a metallic royal blue (don’t know the name of the color) ’68 w/o a drivetrain and in need of a serious interior restoration. I’m researching this new world I’ve stumbled into and I hope to learn much from this forum. Let the rebuild begin.
So far, I’ve determined that I want a set of Vintiques 17” billet rallyes and I want to convert the car to side exhaust…probably chrome Hookers. I prefer the classic look with a touch modern flair and muscle. Needless to say, the car will be receiving another big block. Maybe one of the ones I inherited, maybe not. Haven’t decided. I will very likely put in a Tremec 5 speed for easier highway cruising and more refined shifting. Still undecided on the suspension. For now, it will remain stock. The soft top needs to be changed from the current white to black in order to match the black interior. I have a black hard top and an original L-88 hood painted to match. I may or may not use it. I’ll have to see what it looks like on there.
I have done some interior restoration on a ’69 C/10 pickup, so I have a feel for what I’m getting into. I know the quality of reproduction trim can be flaky, so if anybody can point me in the right direction, I’d greatly appreciate it. I don’t want to invest a lot of money and time into something that will fall apart in five years.
Thanks for listening and I hope to be able to eventually contribute as much as I take.
By the way, I’m also a Lincoln LS owner and member of the Lincoln LS owner’s club (www.llsoc.com)
Here’s my story:
I was born into a family of horsepower addicts. My grandfather always had fast cars and he passed the addiction to my dad, Tim. Dad’s love affair with Corvette began when he got a new ’66 coupe for HS graduation. He always hung out at the local engine machine shops and part stores and learned everything he could about making power. Eventually, he started building his own. Big blocks were his favorite. He amassed a fairly sizable collection of tools and parts in his pursuit of power. Included in this collection was a valve grinding machine, vertical mill, surfacer, dynamometer, hydraulic press, etc.
By the time I came along, he was nearing the height of his engine building career; even if it WAS just a hobby. You see, my dad was an electrician by trade and spent all his spare time working on engines. His best friend, Danny Brown, bought that old ’66 and together they turned it into a drag machine. I was too young to clearly remember most of it, but I recall them winning some kind of championship with a ¼ mile time of something under 9.99 seconds. They even made it into Hot Rod magazine. Dad built the engines and Dan raced the car. This is the world in which I grew up. We never had less than three Corvettes, so I never thought much of them. It was just the way it was… As I grew, my dad and I grew apart, but we did manage to partially restore a ’68 together. That was one of the high points of my childhood. I was about 12 at the time. By the time I was 16 we didn’t speak much. Fast forward about15 years…
Dad died this past January and left behind a large collection of Corvette parts and engines as well as three whole cars. My sister took the ’85 (with 9,900 miles on it) and I took the ’68 and all the equipment/tools. The 69 (a basket case) is being sold. My car, the ’68, had been in storage, alone and untouched, in the basement warehouse of a local business for over five years. About a month ago, I went down to retrieve it. Upon inspection, I discovered that the carburetor was missing. I found the carb on his workbench at home (along with several others). As it turned out, I would have to come back the next day to tow the car out. I said as much to the business owner. When I arrived to pull the car to my own shop, I found a stripped ’68. Someone had snuck in over the night and taken the engine, transmission, radiator, exhaust, wheels/tires, emblems, and shifter ****. They left the original steering wheel, though… Gee, thanks. Still a part of my father’s estate, it was uninsured. The investigation continues. Hopefully, restitution will be forthcoming. I would gladly castrate the weasel who did this.
Anyway, I’m now the owner of a metallic royal blue (don’t know the name of the color) ’68 w/o a drivetrain and in need of a serious interior restoration. I’m researching this new world I’ve stumbled into and I hope to learn much from this forum. Let the rebuild begin.
So far, I’ve determined that I want a set of Vintiques 17” billet rallyes and I want to convert the car to side exhaust…probably chrome Hookers. I prefer the classic look with a touch modern flair and muscle. Needless to say, the car will be receiving another big block. Maybe one of the ones I inherited, maybe not. Haven’t decided. I will very likely put in a Tremec 5 speed for easier highway cruising and more refined shifting. Still undecided on the suspension. For now, it will remain stock. The soft top needs to be changed from the current white to black in order to match the black interior. I have a black hard top and an original L-88 hood painted to match. I may or may not use it. I’ll have to see what it looks like on there.
I have done some interior restoration on a ’69 C/10 pickup, so I have a feel for what I’m getting into. I know the quality of reproduction trim can be flaky, so if anybody can point me in the right direction, I’d greatly appreciate it. I don’t want to invest a lot of money and time into something that will fall apart in five years.
Thanks for listening and I hope to be able to eventually contribute as much as I take.
By the way, I’m also a Lincoln LS owner and member of the Lincoln LS owner’s club (www.llsoc.com)
&amp;quot;Rodstoration &am p;quot; In Progres
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 1
From: Frisco TX
Re: Hello, my name is Chris. (CGGorman)
Welcome Chris... I am a fairly new arrival also...
You will really appreciate this forum as it is loaded with a lot of knowledge and some really interesting discussions... Some are also quite entertaining!
Good luck on your restoration... I am in the middle of an 80 interrior.
Ed
You will really appreciate this forum as it is loaded with a lot of knowledge and some really interesting discussions... Some are also quite entertaining!
Good luck on your restoration... I am in the middle of an 80 interrior.
Ed
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,742
Likes: 843
From: Gulf of America
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
Re: Hello, my name is Chris. (CGGorman)
Welcome to the forum. That sucked getting ripped off like that. Hopefully you can recover the original drivetrain. If not, a 502 and a 5/6 speed would fit! Charles
Racer
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 329
Likes: 1
From: Richmond VA
Re: Hello, my name is Chris. (CGGorman)
Welcome Chris, I see you are in Van Wert Ohio. What a small world. I was born there in 1952. My grandfather owned a farm over in Ohio City along with the old "general store". I left in about 1957 or 1958 when my dad was transfered out. He worked at what was then a Continental Can fiber drum plant. It has been at least 20 years since I was back. Anyway good luck with the vette.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,216
Likes: 4
From: Smile, it's just the internet.
Re: Hello, my name is Chris. (Mako72)
I have a Old 502 short block still in the crate. Also have a couple 427's already built up. I've got an acquaintance who works with John Force Racing who said I should stay away from the 502's. Why is that? Arew there block variances I should be aware of before making a decision? The block I've got has "pass perf" cast into it.
Scott A, Small world indeed.
[Modified by CGGorman, 4:10 PM 6/25/2004]
Scott A, Small world indeed.
[Modified by CGGorman, 4:10 PM 6/25/2004]
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,958
Likes: 0
From: Middletown Connecticut
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Hello, my name is Chris. (olouieo)
welcome chris, glad you are here..
one thing, you should change your avatar so its not a gif or else you'll make the mods angry
one thing, you should change your avatar so its not a gif or else you'll make the mods angry