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No Budget No Space 1980 Restomod
So i finally bit the bullet...
Two years ago i bought my dream car, a 1980 Corvette and although the car was in rough shape i could not be happier. I am a 45 year old Engineer working at a gearbox factory in the Netherlands/Europe and wanted a C3 from the moment i layed eyes on one. At 45, years too late, i finally bought a basket case C3 which was rotting away for 7 years. This is the poor girl: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9be60e5f94.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2ed3d303c2.jpg With the most beautiful custom made interior found in a Vette: :ack: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...1e68c05049.jpg Although the car looked OK i already noticed a lot of work and problems ahead. I tried to get the car roadworthy but that turned out to be too much work. Everything underneath the fiberglass was rotted and rusted and trying to repair this was too much trouble. I always wanted a Vette to do a full body off resto so this summer i made the decision to take the car apart and to make ik technically sound and perfect. 2 major difficulties makes this task a bit more of a challenge, limited funds and even more limited space....:leaving: I know quite a lot about Vettes and the words "Cheap" and "Restoration" are not often said in one sentence....yes i know :hide: Nevertheless i want to save this one from the scrapyard without breaking the bank, it can be done! I would like to keep track in this thread and appreciate any kind of advice given. Thanks in advance guys! :flag: |
yikes...if a dog puked skittles on the seats you would never know it,
low Budget...low space...Hello...While I am in Orlando Fl I am in your same boat, I crawl the net daily, Ebay, Craigslist etc for bargains, I wheel and deal and swap things, Any project car can be a money pit but if thought out and the mind and hands are used over the wallet it can and is done....:thumbs: |
Yes the interior is a bit ehhh..."different" :eek:
Those seats and door panels will be ceremonially burned to a crisp, someone had a serious short circuit in his brain ordering this upholstery. And the worst part: it is actually very good high quality leather, stitched and fitted perfectly, no cover or anything. Someone payed serious money to get the most disgusting interior ever... At the process of trying to repair the Vette i found a lot of rust on the chassis and suspension. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...dadaf286b7.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9758caa3eb.jpg This summer i already replaced the rotted radiator support but that was just an introduction of the state the car is in: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...4c19072f35.jpg thats the lower part of the rad support... This is how the suspension looks like: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e0e7badce4.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ad6b20b740.jpg Yes this is actually a 1980 rad support which has collected rain for 34 years: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...1fe0aedf56.jpg I managed to get the car running but it sounded "nice", although my neighbours disagreed. I found why: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...acc754cdb7.jpg Sorry for the bad picture. But after finding one disaster after another i decided to stop trying to repair her. The car would never pass inspection and would be life threatening to drive so i made the decision to go for a full body off resto. The good news is i have done major technical projects before, have a lot of tools and i am an Engineer in a factory who makes and repairs gearboxes so i have access to all kind of machining work, welding and other neat stuff. And i have unlimited amounts of optimism and love for the C3 Vette so i guess that makes up for the limited amount of money i can sink into it. :thumbs: |
I understand the passion. You won't encounter anything that can't be overcome with hard work, time and a big bank account.
Good luck :thumbs: |
I saw that too on the seats, high end work & leather you might just be able to dye them and get a bit of use from them....
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Originally Posted by The13Bats
(Post 1588221092)
I saw that too on the seats, high end work & leather you might just be able to dye them and get a bit of use from them....
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This has to be the luckiest car in the entire world!
And I think your on the right track as far as the safety factor is concerned. Take your time, pick away at it, if your that determined. But you'll definitely a decent working space. You'll find lots of good help and advice here. |
One more picture of the rear end which state was one of the reasons to decide to take it apart:
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...476ea8a8c8.jpg The rear end is quite dry, no oil leaks from the diff (or it is empty...) so everything is rusted. In the front end everything that holds fluid leaked so no big rust issues underneath the engine, only one oily mess Also note the leaf spring which is distorted: One of the three connection bolts which holds the spring has broken off as can be seen on one of the pictures above and the leaf package started rotating. Very dangerous! If the spring leafs rotate so far they do not lay on top of eachother the whole rear end could collapse, not good. :( I did an attempt to repair the brakes, but the entire system leaked or had water entered resulting in one big brown crappy mess: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...e0f425577d.jpg The rear brakes were so stuck i could not remove them even with an Claymore landmine so i had to split them on the spot and drill the bolts out https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c5e5d7fc0d.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...adb85d2db6.jpg I know i made the right choice to take it apart, these brakes are far gone. Unfortunately here in Europe/Holland corvette parts are at least twice the price you guys pay in the USA but some things have to be done. I have two garage boxes measuring 3x6 metres and 2.3 metres high, so that is bit of a challenge taking a C3 apart, but it will have to do, i don't have anymore space. I fabricated a hoisting frame to lift the body and heavy parts such as the engine and transmission https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...685055fdc2.jpg This will be strong enough i guess: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...98a0f79d23.jpg Yes that is a bag from the National Corvette Museum which i visited last year, about two weeks before the floor collapsed due to a massive sink hole. I am quite a heavy guy so i hope it wasn't my fault....:hide: |
Ok, here we go, every body off has to start at some point.
I started by taking the rear bumper off: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...5229dd5507.jpg The rear lights came off easy and they turned out to be the last items who came off easy for a long time to come. Almost all screws holding the rear cover snapped clean off except the hardest-to-reach-upper-ones offcourse. Had to cut them from the outside: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...634fd21c5f.jpg With a couple of wedges i managed to saw through the screws without damaging the body to much: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a7765697ac.jpg The floppy rear cover will be replaced by a fiberglass one which will be glassed into place. I like the clean look without the seams. I mentioned "Restomod" before, i would like to explain: i would like to modify the car slightly the way i like it. I would never destroy the beautiful and classic curves but the looks will be a bit more modern in the end. It has a Goodwrench crate engine and a lot of other parts are not original anymore so i don't feel to bad modding it. A 1980 four speed manual isn't a valuable collector's item to start wih but a perfect base for my own dream car. And the rainbow coloured interior also doesn't apply for NCRS standards i think....:lol: Anyway, i won, the rear bumper lost: :D https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...30c7e97455.jpg Bit of a dusty/rusty mess inside: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...90ba964918.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f730a38c04.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9ae130084d.jpg Yes there is some work to do... https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d0ccb4eeb0.jpg Some parts look way worse than they are because it is the heavy coating that is flaking off, and it's not due to heavy rust. On the other end: a lot of parts are way more damaged than they look, so i have quite a job sorting out what is re-usable and not. To be continued |
Looking good . Like you, I have limited space as well . It can be done . Just get inventive in your thinking .
Keep the pics coming |
I have to admit i have started the body-off this summer and started a thread on a Dutch forum a few months ago, so in real time there is much more progress.
But i would like to keep track on this site because you guys already helped me out in the past for so many times i would like to share the job. In a few days i have uploaded the work from start until now so i am back on pace. I have removed the front bumper as well, same story: lots of rust and broken bolts: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...03256b090b.jpg Parts already starts piling up: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b72bd96b5b.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...fb7f54f5d8.jpg Then started to remove all kinds of stuff: Rocker panels, all rusted bolts snapped off: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ed9e560c8e.jpg Disconnected all cables off the greasy leaking engine: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...075c1fd4e1.jpg Clutch linkage, see how worn the shaft is: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9e020e212a.jpg Parking brake cable: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...02da2da85d.jpg Tacho cable which is about 30 cm too long: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...22075d7e51.jpg Battery cable through the floor: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...79eac69f2a.jpg Vacuum lines, so brittle they broke off: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6d64cb0b1c.jpg And after removing some ground straps i removed the shifter knob, which was one of the last parts before the body mounts. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...60cc9514af.jpg |
Regarding the rust issue, i know i am in trouble.
Side rail of the chassis: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...7f1b13773c.jpg Underneath rear crossmember in front of battery: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6cbd37f34c.jpg Front side of rear crossmember at the kickup area: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...2d340de0dc.jpg Front end left side birdcage looks quite crunchy: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...78a13e12b2.jpg Ok, so the chassis is quite rusted, i expected that. You cannot park any car for 7 years outside in a rainy climate such as The Netherlands and expect it to come out nicely, and if the car happens to be a C3 Corvette the pile of sh*t gets higher and higher as these were not very well protected against rain. Besides every rubber part rotted away so rain has found its way in any cavity of the chassis and birdcage. Feeling a bit depressed now? Well its not rocket science and i have seen worse damage in my life. There is nothing in a Vette broken that cannot be repaired! |
Continued with the body mounts.
Rear end left side: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...219c299817.jpg Rear end right side: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d479ba1383.jpg Rear kickup panel mount: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a4a4e2e465.jpg Left front door mount: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...9f66ed67cb.jpg Right front door mount, looks worse: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...87be50f924.jpg Nevertheless all body mounts came out easy: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...7bf63733ce.jpg One more look on my clean and completely rustfree chassis: :( https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6b67de71f1.jpg After cutting the steering rag joint the whole body is separated from the chassis and i can start the lift. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...4ff45894d1.jpg |
I like to keep good administration of the body off and rebuild because i would like to be able to assemble the car in a few years so i have documented everything.
For those of you who would like to do a body off, this is the complete list for separation of the body of a 1980 4-speed manual Corvette (*): Disconnect battery cables both positive and negative Remove and disconnect rear lights Remove rear bumper cap Remove antenna ground wire from left rear side of chassis Detach rear lighting wires from chassis Remove gas tank wires Remove hood and hinges Remove and disconnect front indicator lights and grilles Remove front bumper cap Remove front lower horn mounted to bumper structure Remove center front body mount Tap coolant and remove both upper and lower radiator hoses Disconnect brake lines from master cylinder Remove engine fan, waterpump pulley and radiator fan shroud Remove rocker panels left and right Disconnect clutch rod to Z-bar, remove spring Disconnect wiring loom from dynamo, water temp sensor and e-choke Gearbox backup sensor disconnected Speedocable disconnected at gearbox Disconnect E-brake cable push through grommet Main power line and fuel return hose disconnected left side inner fender Remove ground strap at left front body mount Disconnect brake switch from brake distributor Disconnect gas cable Remove vacuum hose brake assist Remove vacuum hoses from back manifold to heater and lightswitch Disconnect pressure sensor back left side of engine Disconnect wiring distributor Remove shift knob and t-handle Disconnect starter wires Remove all 8 bodymounts Remove 2 lower bolts rad frame / chassis Remove rag joint Now the body is separated and can be lifted. (*) Note: This is MY list, and therefore not necessary the way it should be done. It worked out for me, feel free to use and modify the list to your needs, i just placed it here to help others :flag: |
Wow, long way to go.
You going to store the body and work on the frame? Or store the frame and work on the body? |
Good luck with your project, you seem very motivated, which will help out in the long run.
I'm with the others on dyeing the interior..a good place to save some much needed/required cash for your project. Keep us updated..we're rooting for you. |
Thanks for the motivation, appreciated.
I will upload all the pictures upon this moment because i am further in this project than shown so far. But yes, i have removed the complete body and stored it elsewhere. I also removed the engine and drivetrain and dissasembled the entire rolling stock. I am now in the stage of repairing/restoring all bits and pieces and waiting for the chassis to be shot blasted. |
My advice is to sell the car for parts locally and start over. You are in for a lot of expense, heartache, wasted time and frustration.
I helped a gentleman in Belgium purchase a late C3 in Florida for about $10,000 USD plus shipping about 4-5 years ago. It had a pristine frame, birdcage, suspension and brakes along with a rebuilt transmission and engine. The interior only needed some cleaning to bring it back to an acceptable condition. I understand that he sold it this summer and made a nice profit. You would be much farther ahead and be able to drive and enjoy it next Spring if you went this route too. There are still some very nice examples of 1979 to 1982 Corvettes here in the USA at reasonable prices. Just make sure you have it inspected by someone who knows what they are doing. |
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Agree sell starting with a rust free or very min rust car will be your best starting point as the rust you cant see will be worse then what you due see. I'm fortunate to have 3 with solid frames but have bought some in the past that had rotted frames just for parts but if your going to spend money on it start with the best one you can find chassis and body wise It will save you money in the long run.
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