Scratch-Built Vette Anyone?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 419
Likes: 4
From: MA
Scratch-Built Vette Anyone?
A previous post got me thinking . . . Not that I would consider doing this any time soon, but has anyone had any experience in building a Vette from the ground up, just buying a frame and body and piecing it together part by part like a hot rod?
It was hard enough to do this with a 1/10th scale remote control car when I was a kid.
Joe
It was hard enough to do this with a 1/10th scale remote control car when I was a kid.
Joe
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,508
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
Sounds like the way to go for a true performance Vette, except forget about buying a frame, make your own chassis. I'm almost thinking I should do mine like that since I have such big plans for it.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
I'm basically doing that, all I'm reusing from the original car are the body and frame and not even those are unmodified. And this is using non vette parts, I have bought very little from vette parts vendors and will not buy anything more in the future, all I bought was a new hood, weatherstripping and some misc. pieces.
Schmucker, I've been toying with that idea but just the effort of building the jig...I figured it wouldn't be worth it.
Schmucker, I've been toying with that idea but just the effort of building the jig...I figured it wouldn't be worth it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
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From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
It would be a real expensive way to get a vette. I sorta did that with mine though. It was all in pieces (with a lot missing) when I got it.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 3
Would you consider this project? See my before pictures of my '61. They show in my picture section. I had to rework the frame (rusted), the body (broken badly), and find almost every piece needed to make a full car... There are better pictures at the site below if curious. I did all the work except the final paint.
http://sarkis00035.vettepics.com/index.html
http://sarkis00035.vettepics.com/index.html
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: I may be getting old but I refuse to grow up
May do this myself once my 73 is done, I have a 73 coupe body the remains of a 74 only need a frame and lots of time & $$..........may even do a vert conversion I'm liket his now 
so why not 
Steve
so why not Steve
Team Owner
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SPARTAN
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I think that there are a lot of people that end up doing almost exactly that. Not that they set out with that in mind, they just end up replacing so many parts over the restoration process that it would have been easier to build one from scratch. It probably wouldn't be that difficult given a decent shop and the proper tools. Heck, how long did it take for the car to roll down the assembly line? A day or so? 
