New guy on the block
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
New guy on the block
Hello all...I'm new to the world of Corvettes. Last week I bought my first, a '72. Base model 350, 200hp, steel cities gray. I'm so excited that I haven't slept in three days.
My intial review has met with great results...not much rust down under. Mostly surface rust. Body is in great shape and as far as I could tell hasn't been hit. The gentlemen I bought it from said "survivor" but I haven't confirmed any numbers, yet. The price was right so I quickly bought it. Here is my dilemma. I know that to do it right I need to do a complete restoration. I've got the fever bad though and really want to drive it. It needs work on the headlights(they come up but only the high beams work), The windshield wiper door doesn't lift, and there's a gas leak at the tank somewhere(nothing major yet as it's not dripping on the floor). Of course it needs new bushings all the way around but it handles well. I've never done a restoration before. I am mechanically inclined and I'm willing to try. What do you think? I've ordered all the reco'd manuals already. Sorry fo the long post.
Not2New72
My intial review has met with great results...not much rust down under. Mostly surface rust. Body is in great shape and as far as I could tell hasn't been hit. The gentlemen I bought it from said "survivor" but I haven't confirmed any numbers, yet. The price was right so I quickly bought it. Here is my dilemma. I know that to do it right I need to do a complete restoration. I've got the fever bad though and really want to drive it. It needs work on the headlights(they come up but only the high beams work), The windshield wiper door doesn't lift, and there's a gas leak at the tank somewhere(nothing major yet as it's not dripping on the floor). Of course it needs new bushings all the way around but it handles well. I've never done a restoration before. I am mechanically inclined and I'm willing to try. What do you think? I've ordered all the reco'd manuals already. Sorry fo the long post.
Not2New72
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
if its safe to drive ....drive it.... and take your time coming up with a plan and put some real numbers$$$$ and time frames inthe plan ....in other words eat the elephant one bite at a time... and only do things that lay the car up during the winter months.... welcome to the forum and good luck...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6,217
Likes: 1
From: End of the Ike IL
Cruise-In V Veteran
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Hiyas 
If it's safe, drive it a bit to see what areas demand first attention. It's very hard (and expensive) to do everything at once. Good Luck!
If it's safe, drive it a bit to see what areas demand first attention. It's very hard (and expensive) to do everything at once. Good Luck!
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
From: Eagle WI
Welcome! Congrats on the purchase.
I remember how excited I was when I bought my first Vette. My advice would be to fix safety issues (like that gas leak) and drive and enjoy it for a while before a major teardown. You'll learn a lot about what your car really needs and what you may want to change. You can drive it while you figure out which direction you want to go (stock or modified) and do some research on parts, costs, etc. There are lots of books, videos, parts catalogs, with info out there but this forum has lots of knowledgeable members that are willing to help too. Here's a link to another site with lots of Vette info you may not know about:Corvette FAQ
BTW, post pics of the Vette if you can.
I remember how excited I was when I bought my first Vette. My advice would be to fix safety issues (like that gas leak) and drive and enjoy it for a while before a major teardown. You'll learn a lot about what your car really needs and what you may want to change. You can drive it while you figure out which direction you want to go (stock or modified) and do some research on parts, costs, etc. There are lots of books, videos, parts catalogs, with info out there but this forum has lots of knowledgeable members that are willing to help too. Here's a link to another site with lots of Vette info you may not know about:Corvette FAQ
BTW, post pics of the Vette if you can.
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 11,920
Likes: 2
Welcome!
Post pics to the gallery if you don't have a place on the web to host your pics. You can't host pics from your hard drive.
As to the car, drive it to your hearts content while you fix, repair, upgrade and modify or restore it.
Fix the gas and brakes first, then the suspension. Those are things that keep you on the road safely and out of trouble.
The other things will keep you amused for years to come and the forum is a vent for those rants
Great place this and lots of car people to help you out with each and every problem.
Post pics to the gallery if you don't have a place on the web to host your pics. You can't host pics from your hard drive.
As to the car, drive it to your hearts content while you fix, repair, upgrade and modify or restore it.
Fix the gas and brakes first, then the suspension. Those are things that keep you on the road safely and out of trouble.
The other things will keep you amused for years to come and the forum is a vent for those rants
Great place this and lots of car people to help you out with each and every problem.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 4
From: Northern NJ
St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
Welcome to the insanity! 
What you need to do to post pics is to first upload your pic(s) to
a location on the internet. Some people use cardomain.com, photobucket.com, photohost.org or if your ISP provides you with some webspace, that will work too. Then in your post, click on the "Insert Image" button (directly below the right side of the font "size" box) and then place the whole address to the pics within the box that appears. To finish click the OK button and what ends up within your post should look something like this.
Note that the image tags (img) are misspelled (image) so they will show
up here and not actually try and display a picture.
[IMAGE]http://www.yourdomain.com/pictures/yourcarpic.jpg[/IMAGE]
Hope this helps. Good Luck!
What you need to do to post pics is to first upload your pic(s) to
a location on the internet. Some people use cardomain.com, photobucket.com, photohost.org or if your ISP provides you with some webspace, that will work too. Then in your post, click on the "Insert Image" button (directly below the right side of the font "size" box) and then place the whole address to the pics within the box that appears. To finish click the OK button and what ends up within your post should look something like this.
Note that the image tags (img) are misspelled (image) so they will show
up here and not actually try and display a picture.
[IMAGE]http://www.yourdomain.com/pictures/yourcarpic.jpg[/IMAGE]
Hope this helps. Good Luck!
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Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
From: Eagle WI
You can post to the CF gallery, but will have to wait for pics to be approved. You can also post on other photo hosting sites. Here are a few free hosting sites that allow hot linking to message boards (you will have to register though & some have more advanced features if you pay a fee):
Photobucket
Imageshack.us
Onfinite.com
Here's a link to an older thread on posting pics:Help posting pics
Have fun!
Photobucket
Imageshack.us
Onfinite.com
Here's a link to an older thread on posting pics:Help posting pics
Have fun!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,577
Likes: 2
From: Long Island New York
Congrats on and welcome to the forum. This is an awesome place to learn about Corvettes. Their are many freindly and knowledgeable people here to offer you expert advise with any questions you may have. If your car is safe enough to pass inspection, then I say drive it and work on things as you can. This will also give you a chance to get a feel for the car and help you to determine what else may need attention.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,783
Likes: 2
From: Downey California
Originally Posted by bobs77vet
if its safe to drive ....drive it.... and take your time coming up with a plan and put some real numbers$$$$ and time frames inthe plan ....in other words eat the elephant one bite at a time... and only do things that lay the car up during the winter months.... welcome to the forum and good luck...
welcome to the forum
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,527
Likes: 1
From: St. Petersburg, Fl///Columbus, Ohio
Originally Posted by yellow 72
Make it a rolling restification, and welcome to the forum 100%Enjoy your new (old) Corvette!!!
I've had mine almost a year & I still catch myself in the garage just looking at her!!!!!
You'll like this Forum..... Tons of information & help with any project you tackle!!!
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Sounds like a pretty nice car to me. Like everyone says, take care of the safety stuff first and enjoy the drive. Don't forget to wave.
The ORIGINAL and bestest
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,009
Likes: 240
From: Toronto Ontario
Toronto Events Coordinator
Hey! Welcome to the forum from another 72 owner! I have just finished the ground up restoration on my 72 L-48, so if I can help with any questions, I will!
Racer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
From: Va
sweet car. Steel Cities is one of my favorite colors. Your 72 sounds a lot like my 71 coupe that I picked up in March. I am still trying to figure out what to do with it. I have a little rust on the frame on the last two crossmembers and am considering taking the body off the frame so I can fix it like new. However, I've heard lots of stories about guys pulling their cars apart to fix one little thing and the next thing they know, two or three years have gone by. All the fellas on this forum have great ideas and will be able to help solve any problem you may encounter. My recommendation - I would check the brakes and all the fluids. Then drive it til it breaks. Pick little projects that keep the car on the road. Good luck and welcome to the forum. Where in VA are you?
Oscar
Oscar
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 2
From: Montreal Qc.
Originally Posted by Not2New72
do I post pics to the thread or to the gallery thats talked about in the in the threads at the top?
Feel free to email them to me superstar@videotron.ca and I'll do it for you, then in no time you'll have figured it out yourself.
(edit) I see that you have forum space, never mind the email. You have a nice big garage, and what looks like lots of snow shovels, so as mentioned above drive it for now, fix it in the winter. There is almost nothing you won't be able to do yourself.
Here's the car
Last edited by Star79; Nov 6, 2004 at 10:40 AM.