1958 RestoMod – 52 week build
 

The first step in any self-help program is admitting you have a problem, so here goes: My name is Richard Ott and I am a Corvettaholic. I purchased my first corvette, a 1968 BB / four speed roadster with a rod knocking, just before my 20th birthday in 1974. I have had a least one corvette in the driveway since that time. I’m a lifelong car nut and serial car builder. As many of you have done, I’ve built and drove a number of cars (most were 1968 – 1972 Corvettes) that I wish I had back. My second son and I have mostly finished a 1966 GTO frame off restomod for him (the interior needs to be finished). He is away at college and has the car, so I really don’t expect to work on it until school is out in May. We plan to drive it on the 2013 Hot Rod PowerTour this June from Dallas to Charlotte, and I expect it to be finished by then. I have included a couple of shots of the car, and the complete build can be seen at:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...ournalid=64007


http://forums.corvetteforum.com/atta...ine=1357311369

Anyway, on to the current project. My wife and I purchased a 58 Corvette basketcase in January 1985 in Oklahoma (we were living in Dallas at the time). We have toyed with it on and off (mostly off) for almost 28 years while I have built other cars and we lived life. It has always been the “next” project. Well next is now!!! For the next 52 weeks (2013) I plan to build this vette into a restomod my wife and I can enjoy for the rest of our lives!

Plans:
Corvette Correction Frame
2000 LS1 Engine from a Camaro SS
2000 4L60 Tranny acquired from another Camaro
GTS Rear Flared Fenders
Vintage Air
Power Windows
Power Brakes
Power Steering
Front/Rear suspension from a 1996 Corvette
Custom Interior
Undecided on the paint color – wife says drive it as is for a year, then paint.

I plan to update this site at least every other week to help keep me accountable for finishing this project on time. Firs I had to uncover this treasure from the corner of our garage where it has been used as a storage shelf for the last 15 years.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/atta...ine=1357312116
Here it is mostly uncovered after a 15 year slumber. I painted the car 16 years ago a few months before we moved from Dallas to Memphis. The car hasn't been touched since then!
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0156.jpg
Here is a shot of the Corvette correction frame after I picked it up.
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0106.jpg
The first step is to get the Corvette Correction frame on rollers so I can move it easily in the garage. The next step is to clean, paint, and detail the motor and tranny and install.
I hope everyone enjoys the ride!!!
Ricky

Ricky, sounds like you got a good game plan, We did a budget restomod on the 64 with a iron block 6.0, stripped the body down to bare fiberglass, put it in primer, reassembled and drove it on part of the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2011, loved it and wish we could have done more.

We are planning on running part of the Power Tour this year and hope to see you and the car.

Will definitely follow your build.

Keep us posted.

R.J. (Beach Dude)

Hi Ricky,

Looking forward to watching your build. It looks like a great car to start with. My first Corvette was a '58, that was in '69. I paid $1,000 for it, two four barrels, 098 cam, and 32,000 actual miles. Of course, I pulled the 283 and sold it for $75, got rid of the red and white and repainted it green and gold, changed the interior to black, gave away the hubcaps.

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...e/th_155-1.jpg

Thanks guys for the comments.
R J - I followed your build a couple of years ago. Remembered the initial problems with the engine. Is it still running great after the rebuild? Did you paint your car? I hope to see you somewhere between Dallas and Charolette next June.
Dave. I have really enjoyed folowing your build. The car in the picture is not what we started with in 1985. During our on/off working on the car, we completely stripped it, fixed a number of areas of fiberglass, Put a tuned port engine in it in the early 90s, and painted it in 96. We moved to from Dallas to Memphis in 97 and the car has not been touched since that time. I hope to take the car to the next level this year.
Ricky

Thanks Ricky, Even with all the boxes on top of it, the car still looks great, I love all the C1's and '62's have always been my favorite, but after working on the '59, I'm really starting to lean towards the '58-'60 Vettes as my personal choice (I'm saying that having never owned a '56 or '57). I'll be posting some more pictures of the '59 build shortly, I got sidetracked with a '67. But now that I've got my chassis done on it, I'm back on the '59.

Dave

Cudos to you for getting going on the car.
What has happened to me in the past when I have owned a car for a long time, and havent finished it, it becomes a part of the scenery, and then I lose interest as time goes by, eventually moving on to a "Fresh" project.
At least in your case the car was buried, so you couldnt get sick and tired of looking at it!!:D

Where has this year gone??? Shortly after I made the first post, a water leak resulted in our moving up the schedule for remodeling part of our home. The project took longer than projected (isn’t that always the case!), and there was some “while we are at it” (this never happens when I work on cars!!!). The good news is that this is behind us now and I’m ready to get to work (at least until the next crisis) on the 58. I guess the "official" 52 week build starts September 2!

Sooo… What better to do on Labor Day weekend than watch a little football and officially start on this project! Over the weekend I built a crude frame dolly using 4 cheap furniture dollies I had at the house. I bolted the c4 front cradle to the frame. I then pushed it outside and cleaned it. I purchased the frame from Billy Dawson’s Corvette Correction some time back, but it has been collecting dust in my garage while we finished up the GTO. I plan to use a 2000 Camaro LS1 engine (had 48,000 on the clock when I pulled it from the wreck three years ago) for this build. One thing has changed in the last 8 months, after discussions with the wifey, she said she doesn't mind shifting when she drives the car, so I will use the 4l60E in another project and will use a T56 I pulled from a 2001 Z06 Corvette (which I had converted by Texas Driveline in Fort Worth). My oldest son and I are also stripping the paint from the hood on his 92 corvette, and I will repaint the hood in the next few days. If I cannot get the pictures posted tonight, I will post tomorrow. Next up is to get the front end assembled and my son's corvette hood painted. As always, more to come.

Ricky

Are you having to do any tunnel or firewall modifications to get the T56 installed?

Here are some of the recent pictures. The frame before the front cradle install:
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0168.jpg

The 2000 camaro engine /Tranny pullout
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psb443eacf.jpg

The frame on my homemade roll around cart:
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps436e7091.jpg

The 2001 ZO6 six speed I now plan to use:
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psddeeb8f9.jpg

My son's 92 corvette (built this for him several years ago for college). Stripping the hood.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0f7c80ee.jpg

When I purchased the frame from Corvette Correction, I was told the 4L60e tranny would fit with no modifications because the engine sits approximately 2 inches lower in the Corvette Correction chassis vs a stock one. I did not ask about fitment for a T56 at that time, so I can't help you there.

Of course the Street Shop frame is probably slightly different, and I would call Trey (Street Shop owner) and ask him. I really like the Street Shop chassis for a C2/C3 using C5/6 components. I hope I have the cash to use that frame when I do a 71 roadster that I have.

Is the original frame for sale or does Billy have it? I am interested if it is for sale. Thanx

Ramrodz - Ill send you a PM.

I was out of town last weekend, but I was able to work this afternoon/evening for 5 hours on the front end assembly. Installed the transverse spring.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psb6dd6e8e.jpg

Next I pressure washed the front end control arms. I used Alumibrite and the pressure washer to really clean these up (I can see my son is going to be pressure washing the drive!!!):

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9ec50edd.jpg

I pressed out the lower ball joints but had to go to a friends shop and use his press to press the new lower ball joints in. I then installed the lower control arms (hand tight):

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psadb37792.jpg

That is it for today. The wifey is out of town on Saturday, so I hope to get the front end completed (I have to come up with a Redneck way of holding the frame down while I attach the upper and lower A arms). I will also be helping my son with his corvette hood. As always, more to come.

Ricky

Well, with the Wifey leaving town this afternoon, and today's high temp projected at 84 and sunny, I thought what better time to take off from work early and head to the salvage yard and pull the rear end parts I need. I previously pulled a rear end center section (I needed the Batwing for Corvette Correction to modify). I identified a corvette at my friend's salvage yard that had the parts I needed. He said he will have one of his crew raise the rear of the corvette with a tractor when I get there and we will block it up. Assuming the wasps are not bad, I should have it out before 5. I'll post pictures tomorrow. As always, more to come.
Ricky

What a great afternoon at the salvage yard! When I got there the owner met me and said he had someone looking at the engine in my 1971 corvette convertible (the next restomod project). The gentleman was in the shop (with his wife) and said he wanted the engine but he wanted to here it run. I drove back into town and got a gallon of gas (gas tank is out of the car). We filled the old Rochester with gas, stuck a battery on it, and it fired right up and ran for 30 or so seconds until the gas ran out. We did it again, and the dude said he would take it! He left the shop owner with a deposit, and is scheduled to pick it up on Monday. I am using the money to buy a front and rear end out of a 92 corvette convertible that the operator recently got in (had 89k on the ODO). What a great (and unexpected) event this afternoon. Anywway, I then went on his 80 acre yard to the corvette I planned to pull the rear from. It was a 1988, and had a h*!! of a fire in the front, but the rear was fine. They had the car raised on its wheels, so I had to get one of the employees to bring the tractor and reset the car on the frame. Check it out.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psc8bce3f9.jpg

Back view doesn't look as bad:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...pse391ee01.jpg

After about an hour and one half, I had the rear parts I needed in a pile ready to transport back down the hill.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7d4c4666.jpg

All in all it was a great afternoon. I will be working some on the 58 this weekend, but mostly working with my son to get his 92 Corvette hood striped and prepped for primer. As always, more to come.

Ricky

I am currently assembling the rear section of my Corvette Correction Frame. I need to know what shocks to use. If anyone who has built this frame has the year/model shock you used on the rear I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Ricky

On Saturday I cleaned up the corvette diff and then installed the Corvette Correction Batwing. This differential was great looking internals, but is just being used to mock this up. Next spring I plan to put a set of 3:43? gears in another diff and install it.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psf0555d4a.jpg

Next installed the diff into the corvette Correction frame. This took a while as I had to chase some of the bolt holes in the powder coated frame.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps846eafc3.jpg

Next I installed the transverse spring.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...psedc705e6.jpg

Finally I began disassembling each of the trailing arms. Both sides will be rebuilt using new hubs and U Joints. I will replace the rubber in the 4 Link at a later time.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7c40238c.jpg
http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/...ps217b3329.jpg
That axle nut was a B1$ch to get off. The rest of the day was spent with my son stripping the hood of his corvette. Tomorrow night I hope to finish cleaning up the rear parts and begin reassembling the trailing arms. As always, more to come.

Ricky

Slow down dude your making me tired :thumbs:

lol

That's funny Stewart! After dealing with a seven month major home remodel project, working in the garage on a car (any car) is like a vacation. On this project I'm keeping a log of time spent and progress accomplished. I'm also keeping a log of all the receipts (I know, I know). My goal is to work 10-12 hours a week on the 58 with the hope the car will be in the run around the neighborhood (at least be able to back in and out of the garage) stage by February 1, 2014.

Ricky

Ricky you mentioned 10- 12 hours a week I think you meant 10- 12 hours per day. As for receipts I only keep them for warranty I never tally the amount because the first time I did that on a Mustang I restored I went over budget by double and every time I looked at all those receipts it would make me sick. So now I spend spend spend and never never ever calculate the receipt box. I sell the car for what I can get for it but never calculate it in fear I would have to die with it for emotional attachment having put so much time and money into it. I think I spent nearly 200 hours on the hood of my C1 it's crazy how many hours can go into making something like new again. I wish I had sons to play with in the shed that were as passionate as myself with cars. I really bombed out having 2 princesses !