Help

[Michael L.]

I apologize for the length of this message. I am beginning the restoration of my 1969 coupe and I need guidance on how to proceed. The restoration was started by a local resto shop but almost no progress in three years forced me to remove the car and bring it home. It is currently in a thousand pieces (literally) with boxes and bags full of bolts and nearly every part disassembled. The body has even been removed from the frame. I am committed to doing a first class restoration but I feel a little overwhelmed. Some of the things I need: some guidance on how best to start with regard to finding out what the factory specs are for the car. (It was a survivor car with practically the original spark plug wires.) I would like to know who are the goto people for restoring:
Carb
A.I.R. pump
Alternator
Sarter
Waterpump
Power steering pump
etc.

I have many, many, more questions but will hold them for now. Any help provided would be very appreciated.

Mike

[Gary Schisler]

Re: Help

I think that you will find that the universal suggestion for starter and alternator will be John Pirkle. His is a class act and most will acknowledge that. He advertises in The Driveline and is easily found with the Google search engine. Imho, the best man out there for A.I.R. pumps and equipment is Bill Hodel, in OH at 330-832-0871. I have used him in the past and found him to be honest, very knowledgeable and easy to work with. My experience with Holley carbs is Jerry Luck - VERY good but V E R Y slow (which I am led to believe may be health issues). My latest carb was rebuilt and refinished by Jerry MacNeish of Camaro Hi-Performance at http://www.z28camaro.com/ Beautiful carb that worked right out of the box with virtually no tweaking to make it optimum. Fwiw, he did my distributor too.

Gary

[Eric F.]

[Harmon C.]

Re: Help

Mike
I think a good place for you to start is with book in hand start checking to see if indeed the parts are original for your Corvette. This will help you know what to restore and what original parts to look for.
I like to have the body on a good frame and send it to the painter first with all the parts removed.
I then would hope it comes back when I need it. I would then complete all the chassis repair by sending the parts out I do not want to restore myself.
You could do the engine restoration frist as it helps keep you working on the project to have something done.

Keep in mind your body shop lost intrest in the job and you want to see it get done but it is a long road. Many on this board will help you as you go along and will be more than happy to answer questions.

Lyle

[Michael L.]

Re: Help

Thanks for the info. I will contact these folks for their help.

Mike

[Michael L.]

Re: Help

thanks for your response. I have the books you have listed, and many more. I also joined the NCRS and ordered the complete collection of Corvette Restorer on CD, but have found it to be less helpful than I was hoping. I guess what I was wondering was what is the best way to find out what was factory on my car so I can put it back together properly (not the assembly manual- I already have that). Is there an index or something that will allow me to look up the VIN and determine what all the options were?

Mike

[Michael L.]

Re: Help

thanks for your response. I will begin to check my inventory of parts. I have started the engine rebuild (which I have checked already and is original) and wanted to know a couple of things. At what stage of the build was the engine painted? Are oilpain bolts, timing cover bolts, freeze plugs etc. on the block all supposed to be painted? How do you get a factory appearing finish on things like bolts (black oxide or zinc plated) or Gold irridite on the master cylinder cover? Thanks again for your help.

Mike

[Stan E.]

Re: Help

I would bolt it back together and buy one that is finished.That is what I should have done with my 63 SWC. It wasn,t worth my cost when finished and I did all the labor.

[Kent K.]

Re: Help

Mike,

Sorry to have to inform you that the VIN has no bearing on the cars options, at least for Corvettes. Books that I have found very helpful with my '69 are Rick Bizzoco's 1969 Singray Guidebook and M.F. Dobbins's Fact Book of the 1968-1972 Singray. Natrually, the NCRS Technical Information Manual & Judging Guide are indespensible. Then, if you still need expert assistance understaning something or just about any kind of advice regarding parts identification and/or restoration, this board is the place to ask your questions.

Best of fun with your restoration,
Kent #6201

[Bill S.]

Re: first you need passion

car talk for "have i lost my mind" you will say that to yourself alot. spend a lot of time here. have an understanding wife if you have one. warning: girl freinds have less sence of humor. and read read read. and some day it will be done, oh yeah lots of money is a plus but it can be fun and rewarding, i just finished now time to drive. good luck, bill

[Joe T.]

Re: Help

Michael:
I sympathize at the same time I am a little jealous. Check my profile for MY sad story (not dissimilar to yours, only worse). I am jealous because you have a more "original: car than mine, but no way more cherished than mine to me. Get yourself the Assembly Instruction Manual (referred to as the "AIM"). It has assembly diagrams and more importantly PARTS NUMBERS that will prove invaluable. Blueprint reading skills will help with that manual, but are not mandatory. You already have the MOST important resource for your project: Access to this site and the great people that have helped and continue to help in innumerable ways. Check out my posts if you like, since I have a similar car and I am sure you will have a lot of the questions I had and will have. Good luck. Patience and enthusiasm are the resources (along with $$) are also invaluable.

And you thought YOUR message was long? Regards...joe

[Mark S. Lovejoy]

Re: Help

Michael,

All of the advice given thus far is good stuff.

However, the 'Holy Grail' is the Assembly Instruction Manual or AIM. It was published by GM for the assembly line workers. All original part numbers and assembly procedures are documented.

Get one for your model year and study, study, study.

[Bill S.]

Re: Help

i have read myself to sleep with the AIM many a good night allways found some thing new or clearafication to things i did not understand

[Terry R.]

Re: Help

I would get another knowledgeable Corvette guy to go through the boxes with you to make sure all your parts are their while it's fresh in everybodys mind. Have Fun

[Chuck S.]

Re: Help

I concur...the MOST IMPORTANT STEP of a restoration is the disassembly "bag and tag" process.

Since you were denied the priviledge of undressing your baby, it is imperative that you IMMEDIATELY go through the boxes and put every single nut, bolt, screw, and part that fits into a Ziploc sandwich or freezer bag. In each bag, enclose a label that describes the contents. Parts too large to fit in Ziploc bags can be stored in labeled boxes AFTER they are restored...you are well advised to keep a Microsoft Works (or similar) "Database" inventory that identifies where each part (by AIM reference) is stored by box number.

A tag format I use for the Ziploc bags is 2" X 2" Post-It sheets...at the top, write a line or two describing the contents. Record the exact number of any identical parts enclosed...Example: Front Lower Cross Member To Frame Bolt and Lock Washer (4 ea). Below the description, write any other information that may be useful in the future, such as "A headstamps on the left end and M headstamps on right end". (You probably won't know this; you'll be lucky to find out where all the bolts go!).

Then, find the part and it's application in the AIM, and write the page reference in the lower left corner...For the example above, that reference for a 70 Corvette would be 14A2, Item 2/3. In the lower right corner, write the finish of that fastener or part. Keep the bags sorted by finish, i.e. zinc/cad, black phosphate, dark gray phosphate, black oxide, black paint, natural aluminum, natural steel, etc. In the example given above, that would be Black Phosphate or you can use a shorthand, BLP. Keeping the bags sorted by finish will simplify "getting them all together" when you are ready to refinish; plating is cheaper by large batches...you don't want to make several trips to the plater with small batches.

In the case of some fasteners without significant identification, say cut lockwashers, you may want to simply replace all with new rather than refinish. In that case, keep a running list of those fasteners by size and part number. For black oxide cut lockwashers, you will have 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", and 9/16". Be careful about assuming that cut lockwashers of the same size are the same weight or duty...study of the AIM applications will show that GM used standard duty and heavy duty cut lockwashers in the same sizes in different applications; they will have different part numbers in the AIM.

Buy yourself one (or two) of those bin storage units from Sam's Club, and label the front of the bins by AIM page range and preferably by category, e.g. Unrestored (by applicable finish), Body, Chassis, Engine/Engine Compartment, Interior. Use a Post-It sheet and attach it with clear tape, because the labels will probably change as you add parts...you don't want to mark the bin fronts with indeliable marker just to have to scrath it out. An example of one of my bin labels: Body; 1A17 - 11/13A6 (UPC1, page A17 through UPC11/13, page A6).

You will find that any given UPC section of the AIM may have references to several of the part categories above. Start out by going through the AIM and making a list of page numbers under each of the categories. In some instances, this will require a well-defined demarcation interface...Example: Body ends at the door frame sheet metal, and Interior begins at the moisture barrier plastic. By the time you work yourself through this identification process you will know the details of your car, and you will practically have the AIM memorized (very important for when you start putting it back together.)

Everything will be in "unrestored" bins by finish and AIM page reference when you finish this identification process...your goal is to get all of those parts refinished and filed in the category bins. The above is the way I choose to do it...it would probably be tedious and unnecessary to most restorers