56 Where to start?

[Ralph Voelker]

My wife and I have been given the family Corvette. It rolled off of the truck last night and I got my first up close look.

My father in law rebuilt this car for racing back in the 60's. For most of the past 30 years it sat in his barn. The past two it sat outside in Colorado. Those two years were pretty tough on the car. The paint is peeling, most of the hinges are loose. The engine was swapped out for a 327. There are two straigt, unmuffled pipes coming out underneath the car. There are oversized wheels with air shocks to lift the car up high enough. The body looks pretty good.

My question is, where do I start? My wife handed tools to her dad when she was four years old. He promised her the car, and here it is. We have agreed that the car can't be sold while he is alive, but this is something that I would like to bring back to life for both of them.

Appreciate any thoughts.

Ralph Voelker
56, gold, 327

[Mike Ernst (211)]

Re: 56 Where to start?

Ralph--
Where you start really depends on where you want to go. NCRS Duntov is one end of the spectrum--another end is a running and driving car. And there's much in between. One criterion I like to use is: What is the value of the car once it is where I think I want it to be--and what is the cost of getting it there? If the cost is more than the value, unless you're doing it for the fun and satisfaction of doing it, it doesn't make sense.
My suggestion is to get it to the point of it being safe to drive, stop, steer, etc., and then after that, decide what you want to do next. I cn't tell you how many cars I've run across over the last 30 years that someone starfted and never finished because their aspirations were bigger than their ability to accomplish them. Good luck--you're on the right path, because you're starting with the right question in the right forum.

[Mike McCagh (14)]

Re: 56 Where to start?

agree with mike. get it running in a safe manner then decide if you like the beast or not. if you fall in love with it and strive to return it to its original state, then the fun begins. if the 327 needs rebuilt, suggest ya find an appropriatly casting numbered and cast dated chevy pass car 265 that has a virgin pad and has either a F suffix(if you think it was originally a powerglide tranny) or a G suffix (if you think it was a 3 speed). have the 265 rebuilt(it'll cost no more than rebuilding the incorrect 327). then if ya want to go for duntov, the F or G suffix can be persuaded into becoming a 56 vette suffix. ya need to buy the 56-57 nmudging manual from the membership guys(mortimers) and you can do this online , just go to the ncrs home page and follow instructions therin. if you have specific questions, this is the place to inquire and get the correct answer. good luck with the family jewel. mike

[David Nims (19639)]

Re: 56 Where to start?

Ralph,

I would agree with both Mikes. I have a 1969 that I autocrossed from 1975 thru 1979, then the car was stored in the garage for 8 yrs, then outside of the garage here in Michigan for 2 1/2 to 3 yrs. At that point my older brother who has a restored 1957 T'bird talked me into a "restoration" project. I did just about the exact thing mention in the 2 responses above mine. Now the car is a fair street car and is driven occasionally just to enjoy. Good Luck and keep close watch over your "family jewel."
David Nims #19639~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Christopher Ritchie (238)]

Re: 56 Where to start?

You're smart to explore your options before you start work. Biggest mistake in this hobby is to tear into the project without clearly understood goals.

No matter what level you wish to bring the car, it needs work. Who's going to do that work? You or a Corvette restoration shop, or some mixture of both? Therefore, decide:

1. How much time and money are you willing to spend on this?

2. What is your mechanical ability and desire to work on this car?

3. Can you dedicate space in your garage for a long time for this project?

Answer those questions, and we can give you better advice and more options.

[Ralph Voelker]

Re: 56 Where to start?

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. I have to admit, this is pretty tough process to get started. At the same time, this is the type of project that I normally am pretty good at. I figured I would try to learn as much as I can before starting. By the way, Noland Adams book was in the trunk of the car, the section for this year looks pretty used. I found out about two months ago we were getting the car and have been reading this site and as much as I can find since then.

It has been 20 years since I did a lot of mechanical work. I have spent most of my free time with restoration projects around the house. I am kind of excited that my next honey do would actually be the car. The last chevy that I spent a lot of time working on was a 61 Corvair. Boy, what a step up this is. My dad is a retired F4 mechanic and is excited as well.

I think it would be likely that I would have to do a mixture of myself and a shop. The key element will really be the cost and how long. I tend to move every 4-5 years and I am about 3-4 away from that now. I don't have thousands of $ to sink into this overnight, but over the long haul can find a way if need be. I certainly don't see putting $50k into it like I saw advertised at one shop.

Looking closer at the car, it looks like the front end may have been replaced at some point, there seems to be a couple of lines going across the front fenders, about a foot behind the headlights, where the paint is nicer than the rest of the car. The hood doesn't match up really well. The hard top is in great shape. Although, I am over six feet tall and I don't really fit in the car with the hard top on.

The engine number is 3782870. I didn't see any letters before or after. I think going back to the original sized engine makes sense. There is about 5000 miles on this one since it was rebuilt. The car sounds about twice as loud as any Harley I have been around when it is running. No muffler would do that. I was warned to have a wet towell ready in case the air filter caught on fire when starting.

Really, I don't think the car is safe to drive at this point, so I think the advice to make the car safe is right on. The intention was to race this car, and my father in law did a great job doing that, I think I am more interested in a nice driver. I don't see us having this car judged.

Because it has sat for 30 years, the lubricants on the chasis I would imagine may not be working very well. I also noticed that the rear springs, one seems to be somewhat curled.

I have the space in the garage if needed, but several years of no garage would be a tough one.

Thanks again for your thoughts. I have a feeling that I will collect info for the next few months and decide what to do this summer.

Ralph Voelker
56, 327, Gold

[Gary Bishop]

Re: 56 Where to start?

I was in a similar position you are in when we bought our `62. I had pervious experience working on my cars 20 years earlier. I would recommend joining a local NCRS Chapter where you will meet very helpful and knowledgeable people. Make the car safe. Drive it and go from there.

[Christopher Ritchie (238)]

Re: 56 Where to start?

With your experience, you're more than qualified to undertake this project.

It will tie up your garage forever. It'll tie it up while you're doing the work. And then it'll tie it up after you've made the car pretty, especially because of the paint job.

Join your local NCRS chapter. $25/year. At a minimum, those guys'll hook you up with the good local resources, and advise you away from the the bad ones. They may even help you with the car.

In addition to Noland's book, you need the ST-12 and the AIM. They are about $20 each. You can buy them on this site or from any Corvete vendor. The ST-12 is the factory shop manual. The AIM is the Assembly Instruction Manual. The AIM showed the assembly line workers how to put the car together. It's all those great exploded parts diagrams.

You'll want to start with making the car safe to drive. Finish with a paint job. Making the car safe to drive really means stopping. Go through the brakes completely. I was in the same spot as you. Brakes aren't expensive. I just didn't want to fool around with them. I replaced everything - from master cylinder, lines, brake cylinders, return springs, hardware, etc. Not that expensive, and it simplifed the job for me. Also allowed me to switch over to silicone fluid.

You probably will want to contract out the seats, convertible top, body work, and paint job. Get quotes from knowledgeable shops. You can probably do the rest of the car yourself. Make a plan of attack; study the books; and, ask questions here. Good luck.

This is a hobby. It's supposed to be a lot of fun. Doing all this stuff. It doesn't stop when you finish restoring the car.