[C2] Neglected 64 coupe
08-18-2018, 03:33 PM
#1
Neglected 64 coupe
Hi, I'm new to the site,I am used to working on Camaros, and Chevelles, but saw this 64 sitting under a cover. The owner has neglected it, and said he would be willing to sell. I almost fell down because I thought he would say, "no, I'm going to fix it someday" I had previously asked around, and was told what major things to look for, and went to take a look. The tires are flat, the body does not look bad at first sight, but when I opened the driver door, the A pillar is split open, and there is swelling at the corner of the roof. The interior is not real bad, and something is missing from the dash. I told the owner no thank you, and left it, as it is going to be a hand full, and if I was going to do it, it will be shipped to the Mainland (I'm in Hawaii). At this point I only took a couple of pictures, and I know the engine is not original, it's not a desirable year, yada yada. The owner is looking for me, and wants to negotiate a deal, I don't even know if free would be worth it, so that is why I'm here. I know that I would have to go back, and get a bunch more info, and better inspection, but am I wasting my time? Here are the pictures I took before I walked away.Thank you for any help, and what west coast shops are recommended for this kind of work?
08-18-2018, 03:45 PM
#2
Team Owner
Don’t walk away from this deal....RUN!
That rust is a deal breaker —. You can’t possibly address that without being miserably upside down in the car. That may be the worst A pillar I’ve ever seen.
That rust is a deal breaker —. You can’t possibly address that without being miserably upside down in the car. That may be the worst A pillar I’ve ever seen.
08-18-2018, 03:51 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
I lived in Hawaii for nine years and the thing that I noticed about cars over there is that they rust from the top down...unlike cars in the rust belt that rust from the bottom up. The salt air settles into all the nooks and crannies and then when it rains the salt soaks in and begins its' "magic". Even though the Corvette's body is fiberglass, its' frame and cage are metal. I believe what you're seeing in the "A" pillar is the complete rusting away of the birdcage, which on an island car would not be surprising. This car, IMHO, is not worth the dollars or the effort...way more time and money then this car will ever be worth.
08-18-2018, 03:58 PM
#4
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In threads like this, I'm usually the lone voice saying some guys enjoy the challenge of a difficult restoration, it's not always about the money, etc, etc, I have to say I don't think I'd want that one unless the guy gave it away. And at that, it would probably make more sense to part it out. By all means show us more pics, but between the bad condition we can see, plus the remote location, even I am pessimistic on that poor car.
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bbison (08-22-2018)
08-18-2018, 04:02 PM
#5
Thank you gentlemen, it is just so sad for me to see it just disintegrate like that. Would it be a candidate for a parts car? I would think that it would have to be shipped whole somewhere, not piece by piece with shipping prices. Thank you for your insight.
Last edited by Aukai; 08-18-2018 at 04:04 PM.
08-18-2018, 04:07 PM
#6
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I would not part it out until the math is not in your favor to fix it. while the cost will be more then it will ever be worth but that never stopped anyone from restoring a car before.
08-18-2018, 04:10 PM
#7
Team Owner
It is only a parts car IMO. Lots of things to sell. Date codes glass maybe, original vent window regulators, body panels, seats perhaps. Such things could provide a renewed life for some worthy restoration project.
08-18-2018, 04:38 PM
#8
Is there a favored shop on the west coast to check out pricing for the work, I'm figuring 30K(to conservative?), and I do not know if full cages are available, or what the frame looks like. The owner stated he started painting it from the rear but never finished it, and said it "wasn't bad". Corvettes are out of my league I'm just finishing a 70 Chevelle resto mod right now, and do not want to tackle this too.
08-18-2018, 05:09 PM
#10
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08-18-2018, 05:12 PM
#11
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Just walk away. The tag should read UPSIDDN 
Dennis
Dennis
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ptjsk (08-22-2018)
08-18-2018, 05:40 PM
#12
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Is there a favored shop on the west coast to check out pricing for the work, I'm figuring 30K(to conservative?), and I do not know if full cages are available, or what the frame looks like. The owner stated he started painting it from the rear but never finished it, and said it "wasn't bad". Corvettes are out of my league I'm just finishing a 70 Chevelle resto mod right now, and do not want to tackle this too.
08-18-2018, 06:29 PM
#14
Team Owner
If you want to make a small fortune with this car; start with a large fortune...
08-18-2018, 09:03 PM
#16
Thank you all very much.
08-18-2018, 09:20 PM
#17
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if you have access to a bore scope you can see up under the dash and other hard to see places just how bad it is. It can be saved but at what cost.
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Aukai (08-18-2018)
08-18-2018, 09:30 PM
#18
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This is a POS! First it is a 64......the least desirable of the mid years. Second there was a thread on here where a guy replaced parts in the bird cage, he had the car just down to the cage. He was very confident in what he was doing and looked to know what he was doing.
He got the fiberglass mounted on the birdcage only to find out that the section by the pillar was not correct...seems to me that unless you have done this many times and had some fixtures or at least a table to make sure that parts were square and plum, then you need to stay away from projects like this.
There will be guys that say it isn’t too bad or hard....IMO my time is more valuable and there are plenty of other fish in the sea to pursue....even if they cost more.
He got the fiberglass mounted on the birdcage only to find out that the section by the pillar was not correct...seems to me that unless you have done this many times and had some fixtures or at least a table to make sure that parts were square and plum, then you need to stay away from projects like this.
There will be guys that say it isn’t too bad or hard....IMO my time is more valuable and there are plenty of other fish in the sea to pursue....even if they cost more.
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Aukai (08-18-2018)
