1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

[Talmadge W.]

Should I make the body super straight when preping for paint or leave the low spots in the panels? Is there a preference during judging? Thanks

[Terry D.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

T D

Stop and think about it what NCRS stands for. If you are building a car to be judged and want it "original" then leave the body alone.
Terry

[Tom H.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

I agree, if you are sure the low spots were there when the car was new, leave them there. Now, if your intentions are not to have the car judged or to seek additional points, it's your car and do as you wish.

As was mentioned before, the goal of the NCRS is to restore or preserve as the car was built and delivered to the customer when new. JMO.

[Duke W.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

Do it how you want. I don't think you will be docked any points for the body being "too straight". You know, there are always production flukes.

Duke

[John D.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

Duke, I agree with you. I bought those cars brand new and they were a POC. Horrible bodies with all the seams showing and just plain ugly. Had all of my new ones done over but one. Here's a quick story. I had two new 65s. The first was a glen green job that I got around Xmas of 64. Body and paint were the pits. A disgrace is a better word. Anyhow traded the thing in the summer of 65 at Grabiak Chevrolet and got a beautiful burgundy-maroon? convertible. The body was really nice. I asked the salesman(a close friend) if the car had been repainted. He said the only touch up was rear exhaust panel where it had been gouged. Point is that sometimes St. Louis turned out some pretty nice midyears and sometimes they did not. Doesn't mean that all our NCRS restos have to have seams showing and primer showing. My late 65 was a show car for sure from the factory. Bad thing was it was a 250 HP air car that sounded like a bus. But it sure was cool driving thru the Big Boy curb service with the windows up that summer. But it couldn't get out of its own way. Dead horse. Needed a LT1 cam. John

[Duke W.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

Having lived with a new SWC, I am well familiar with the poor body and paint work. I don't think I've ever seen a restored Corvette that didn't have body and paint work that was vastly superior to OE.

I usually judge mechanical, so I'm not sure what the exterior teams do, but I don't ever recall hearing any grousing about points being knocked off because it looked "too good" to be factory original.

The fact of the matter is that most restored cars are "overrestored" (and I'm all for it), but despite the myths out there, I don't think most judges dock points because the cosmetics are "too good".

My Special 300 HP engine configuration is "overrestored" too, but a judge will not know unless the owner is foolish enough to try to "impress" the judge by revving it beyond the 5000 RPM requirement for a 327/300 in the PV test. In that case the owner deserves to get busted for being foolish!

Duke

[Talmadge W.]

Re: 1963 Original Body waves vs super straight

Thanks for the replys. My plan has been to keep it as orignial as possible, including wavey panels. While stripping the paint I have found about 60% of the original Silver Blue which seems to be over red/brown primer.