Stingray noob

With the unfortunate passing my father in law 2 weeks ago, my wife is now the heir to a 65 stingray convertible. The car is now titled, registered, insured and almost ready to go. Battery was dead so it is currently charging and hoping take it out for the first time tomorrow (straight to a mechanic for a look over). My father in law, who has been very sick for years, absolutely loved the car. Unfortunately because of his illness has not driven her, let alone started it in 3 years.
Now Ive never been a car guy but sitting in it with anticipation of taking her out for the first time is exciting. My concerns are what I should do first. Assuming the battery is still good and I can get it to start, is there anything I should check besides the oil? There are a few switches and ***** under the dashboard that I have no idea what they are for. Is it as simple as neutral, clutch, brake ingitition?
A little history about the car. It was bought around 30 years ago from someone who sold most of the original parts. I believe the only thing original is body, Frame and interior. He would talk about it to me but because Ive never been a car guy most of it went over my head. He said it was 475 hp with 4 speed. What I know is that the one time I saw him take it out it was loud af.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
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ptjsk

Sorry about the passing of your Father in Law. Condolences to you and your wife.

About the car. Members on this forum really want to see pictures, and pictures provide a lot of information for the people here. Fortunately, there are a lot of good knowledgeable people on here that is more than willing to help you out, and inform you with what exactly you do have.

I think you're doing the right thing getting it directly to a qualified mechanic. But, rather than attempt to drive it there, you may want to rent a trailer, or have it transported on a flat bed.

The brakes would be my first concern, and you don't want to find out that what condition they're in as you're trying to stop.

Then it's down to the standard check list of fluids, replacing the old fuel that may still be in the car, possibly removing spark plugs and shooting some lubricant inside each cylinder to ensure the rings move and aren't stuck against the walls. Condition of the Carburetor. Making sure it doesn't leak when you apply new fuel into it. Making sure float bowls aren't stuck, etc. Radiator fluids, oil in the crankcase etc....

A lot of stuff to think about, but nothing a qualified mechanic can't handle.

Good luck, and be sure to have a lot of fun in that car, as that's why your Father in Law left it to you guys.

Pat

Qblue92

Sorry to hear about your FIL's passing. Hope your wife is doing ok.
I'd like to see a pic of the engine. 475 hp is a lot, so your engine situation may need special attention. Is it a Big Block?? We need to know.
Don't be afraid to ask questions here. We were all novices at some point.

SDVette

Condolences to your family.

You'll get the full range of advise here... from 'just turn the key' to 'tear down the motor'.

Safety first: Make sure you have solid braking before you take it out on the road. And have your mechanic go through the brakes thoroughly when you get it to him.

At 3 years.. If it were me... I would drain the fuel from the tank and refill with fresh gas before starting it.
Old gas can do real damage.. it froze the intake valves on my motor, although mine had been sitting much longer (35 years!).
Make sure you have oil pressure indicated when the motor starts. Shut it down if you don't.

Oil should be changed and coolant flushed.. but you can afford to drive it to the mechanic without doing these.

On the non-technical side... since you say you are not a "car guy", realize that you need to respect the 50 year old technology for what it is.. Braking and turning, are all very different from modern cars due to the narrow tires, drum brakes, etc.. So take it easy for a while until you get the hang of it.

Welcome to the forum!
Fred

SI67

My condolences to you and your family on the loss of your father-in-law. I'm sure that working on and driving his special car is one way you will keep him in your heart.

Step 1) If you don't have an owner's manual, get one. I don't know if there are any brick & mortar Corvette parts shops located conveniently near you, but I'm sure you've already noticed that there are plenty of mail-order/online-vendor outfits. My favorite is Long Island Corvette Supply, largely because they specialize in model years 1963 through 1967.

Easy Rhino

Condolences on the passing of your FIL, hope the family is doing well, particularly your wife.

As far as the '65 goes, check all fluids and start slowly. That car not only has lots of power, it has a near-complete absence of safety systems, including nanny systems, to protect you in today's vehicular traffic era, and there is no one to sue if you get hurt and didn't know that there was no collapsible steering column or gas tank rear end protection.

As far as a mechanic goes, lots of guys would like to get their hands on it as well as rack up several hours of labor on it, but few know how to do these cars right. Take the time and find a professional C2 mechanic - that time is well spent and can likely save you money poorly spent taking it to someone who has no idea how to manage 53 year old car systems.

Good luck, and oh, pics are required!

corvetteed

Condolences to you and your wife.
RE: the advice you asked for, typically, you'll want to change out the fluids, ensure the brakes work, look over the belts and hoses, and be prepared for just about anything the first time you drive it. Take your cell phone w/you, maybe have your wife follow you over to the mechanic's, in case you need to be rescued.

Best of luck.

kellsdad

I second this suggestion. You likely don't know how much car technology has changed over the past 50+ years, so many things just operated differently back then. Save yourself some trouble and embarrassment by reading the manual. .... And be extra cautious until you get used to the car. It does not have anti-lock brakes and air bags. And unlike most modern cars it can be pushed to oversteer (spin out) if you take a turn too hard. ... Oh yeah, as another recent noobie learned the hard way recently, have the guy who inspects the car check the dates on the tires. ..... I hope you enjoy the car as much as it sounds like you are looking forward to it.

rtruman

Keep us posted

65GGvert

Drum brakes shouldn't be a concern, all but a little over 300 of the 65's came with 4 wheel disc brakes. You should, however, verify that there are no leaks or blockages and the stopping ability is good. My neighbor often quotes the old adage about the order to get a car on the road, in this order: make it stop, make it go, make it pretty.

Stingray noob

Wow thanks for all the great replies. If I can get her started I will make sure all the gauges work, especially the oil pressure. Definitely going to take it easy. I've had had a few "quick" cars in the past but nothing with real muscle. He had mentioned some type of special breaks on it in the past. Some type of "lifetime" or "steel" breaks? Does that make any sense or is everyone laughing at me right now lol.

elwood13

Stingray noob

Frankie the Fink

Three years is not nearly as long as some of the cars members have resurrected....

As stated: battery, tires, brakes, fluids, check closely for gas leaks....
A look under the car at the "soft bits" is called for; especially get the trailing arms and rear bearing health checked out - those can be dangerous areas...

Then drive it a bunch in memory of your father-in-law...

My split window had sat on a lift for most of 4 years and the brake fluid was like mushroom soup and the clutch was stuck -- other than that it was completely fine.

kellsdad

These cars orginally had steel brake calipers that would rust and leak after a while. Many replacements had stainless steel components that last much longer. I suspect that was what he referred to. All it means is the brakes will last longer between servicing.

Tampa Jerry

Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. We only rent these cars. A quick look reveals the car has a disconnected Air Conditioning system. It does not have power steering or power brakes.As others have said, give the brake system a thorough check up, especially the master cylinder. You mentioned that your FIL said the car has steel brakes. Most likely he had the calipers at all four wheels upgraded to stainless steel sleeves. They can be rebuilt fairly easily by a competent mechanic familiar with the second and third generation Corvettes. Pay attention the steering coupler or rag joint. Steering and brakes are the two most important components for safety. Don't forget to determine the age of the tires. A forum member lost a section of his car because an old tire blew out while he was driving. Lastly, use the forum search feature to familiarize yourself with the car and its inherent problems. Good luck. Jerry

cv67

x2
not crazy about those single pot master cyl either there are some nice upgrades out that way if you have a leaky wheel cyl your pedal dont go right to the floor.
Nothing wrong wiht manual brakes if set up right.

Bet its 375hp but whos counting, sounds like a fun car. AC a big plus

JF in MI

Condolences. When I was in my teens and twenties I had a '68 with a monster modified engine with 4.11 rear. I could practically pick my teeth with it under any situation. About 20 years after I sold it, in the shop where I worked, I was working on the suspension of a '66 (IIRC) with a 365HP (I think). I took it for a test ride and jumped on it (like the old days) and almost wrapped it around a pole. It was a shock to me to realize I no longer had the reactions of a teen. Never do that again. Be careful.

64luke

Bluestripe67

You have been given some good accurate advice above. So no need for me to repeat anything except, get a fire extingushier. Dennis