1979 corvette rebuild with some changes
 

Hi. And Priya mentioned the trim line thru the rear quarter. Did that get changed? And did you fill and relocate the side marker lights? I have a 75 vert I am planning on doing a chromie conversion on.

Impressive.

nice work

Nice work.

Wow, so much talent! Thanks for sharing.

Very nice work,
i do have questions i guess about design routes thoughts and ideas,
You aced the manta nose grill area but then why not headlights like the manta had?
I never liked the pinched loiking to me manta fastback, the 65 mako had a peaked rear ducktail i really love, curious why you didnt either go manta fastback or peaked mako style ducktail to flow with the front mako/manta look.
Do you have a color planned?

ps
several guys here including myself run the flip gas caps,
Its actually very popular,
Richard454 took the lemans cap one better for his beemervette....

It can we odd and down right weird when two people who never met build similar customs,
About 15 years ago i started a half mako on my second 81 a tired car,

I used a modded silva/motion mako front clip,
I had an old ecklers custom rear i was modding into the peaked mako rear,
I made the bubble rear glass flow for me by adding one piece cragar louvers,
I had zl1 flares for it,

I worked hard on it but took very ill got depressed and sold the project,
When i got better i grabbed a full mako kit my plan was to build on a 68 to 72 convertible,
But my tastes changed and i got super hooked on the old school vintage road race look,
So thats where my 69 is heading,

I do not know what happened to the 81 mako project.

My 69 sadly has to have been the most unlucky car ive ever owned, but im not superstitious,
Both a hired tech and then an exbuddy of 30 years doing damage and dropping the ball on keeping their word,
I had a long build thread but due to health and life work slowly i asked a mod to delete my thread, i didnt like the feel it had.
My plan is when its running driving again after first of year if all goes well to post a few pics and if someone is curious about something go from there,
My build isnt the normal look at me and what i can spend we see too much of but a real old school make it happen with mind over money idea,
I want a car that looks like i got a barn find racer running,
And yes, me and the car are posers, it wont be hitting any tracks.
being its a frame off build everything new or rebuilt faking patina isnt easy,
Im not stock, L88 flares, scoop etc,
But your car isnt stock either, you might have gone at the bumper cap seams but when cutting and glassing in happened all bets are off, :D
Hey at least the noisy negativists havent attacked you ( yet ) about how your body work will crack and show etc :lol:
( just because they cant do it doesnt mean others cant )

As a life long modder im missing why you push it can go back to stock,
It has been ground, cut, glassed, plus your daytona fender vents
its a 79 it would not be practical to go back to stock now, your mods are far from bolt on and why would you want to,
As far as the nose goes you aced the manta the best i have seen,

I forget where i first saw this,

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...268453790f.jpg

Its the manta ray with a L88 it really shows how vastly different the production model was to the show car,

As far as safety goes my car is a 69 bb convertible its only as safe as any 69, if i was at all concerned i would buy some new import and be bored,
There is a little peanut gallery here who will harp the piss out of safety and not modding anything factory, ( safety isnt their real agenda for their rants )
A bit hypocritically since they mod everything else, lol.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6f00144fdf.jpg

Fascinating work. I am always impressed by folks that can do bodywork. :)

Thanks for sharing your build, some very interesting ideas you have incorporated.
Looks very nice also.

And you have the molds to build both these bumpers? That could be a partial answer to Bat's question. Others would have a much easier time installing this setup than straight cutting and glassing a-la Priya and Doorgunner.

Just ask Priya, Tony and me when I get my 75 vert chromified.

I have just finished reading your build posts,very impressive, but have one question. Knowing how badly these vettes can overheat, are you not concerned about how much you have restricted the air flow through to the radiator?

While I'm not sure I'd want those body panels on my 79, I'm thoroughly impressed with your fabrication skills and attention to detail. The car should look fabulous when complete! :thumbs:

Impressive work sir.

I thought i replied to your question about my flip cap but i dont see it,
My cap and flange came from livrpool a cat on here with a real racer, i was really jazzed to get one of his prototypes,
In that pic the top flange screws to another flange under the deck with the deck sandwiched,
It wasnt what i liked and planned a rework in one of 2 super opposite ways,
The first very easy very poser way is mount the upper flange to the stock gas door hinge, and open cap and flange to access stock cap,
Option 2 i lean to, make an adaptor like,

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c27ad845b2.jpg

And run it like a real race car would.

It crossed my mind about your airflow, i kind of like the nose without the extra manta grill opening extentions,
I doubt you will have cooling issues at idle but moving i have no clue will air go into those extentions or over around them, time will tell, but even then worse scenario you might have to always have the electric fans running, not a big deal, so it wouldnt be a concern to me.

Did you happen to pull molds off the daytona fender top louvers?
Do yours have the baffles under them?