Question:

I am thinking about a Corvette 1975-1981. Would appreciate your thoughts.

Answer:

Yes, I spent 8 years restoring a 1971 Corvette, which was very similar to the ones you are considering -  Please see my story here   http://www.lt-1.com/   There is also a significant knowledge base of articles and letters I have written on Corvette subjects.  http://www.lt-1.com/category/lt-1-questions-answers/

1975 – 1981 Corvettes make a great purchase, they are undervalued at the moment and quite affordable. They have solid and reliable mechanicals, parts are inexpensive and plentiful, and the motors are very durable and with some modifications, extremely powerful. If you are looking for the most collectible of this period, try to find either a 1975 Convertible, or perhaps a 1978 Silver Anniversary or 1978 Indy Pace Car edition, preferably with a four-speed.

Unfortunately what makes them very affordable to purchase is also an issue with Corvettes of this period. The 1968 – 1973 older C3′s known as the chrome “Bumper Cars “, tend to fetch much higher values due to their pre-emission era engines that produced a lot of power. By 1974 emission regulations caused the horsepower to drop dramatically, federally mandated 5 mph bumpers replaced the pretty chrome ones,  and these later C3′ “Rubber Bumper” cars tend to be over looked by collectors for that reason. (However horsepower can be re-gained with some minor upgrades) This is reflected in the values of the 1974-1981 Corvettes.

I have seen many well cared for and pristine rubber-bumper C3′s at my car shows, so I know they are out there it just takes some hunting and research. Also, cars like the 1978 Indy Pace car edition were often bought by collectors at high premiums when new, and many have very low mileage and are in fantastic condition. Since their historic values never really rose since they made so many, you can usually find one in very nice shape.

The problem is their low values also do not make the 1974-1981 economically feasible candidates for complete restoration, which includes the costly process of removing the body from the frame, so there are many poor condition ones out there.

So what you will find on the market is virtually all the ’74 – ’81 cars are mostly original condition cars, and may have had cosmetic or body-on restorations. There is nothing wrong with this, but you have to be much more careful of what you purchase, since if your car turns out to have certain issues, you can easily pour many times more money into it than it will ever be worth.

Besides the usual pre-purchase things that you must check with every older used car purchase, such as

-service history and documentation
-compression test,
-leak down test,
-full mechanical inspection
-full electrical and accessories inspection
-frame and body  inspection
-suspension and joint inspection
-drive train inspection

Done on a hoist at a garage by a competent mechanic that you hire.

Make sure that you include a successful third party inspection as conditions in your offer to purchase.

There are certain specific areas you need to look at for all C3′s . .

Check to see that the original motor and transmission are present,  the stamping numbers for the block must  match the VIN number of the body for the earlier C3′s. Later ones I don’t think that Chevrolet maintained this practice.

Check very carefully that all body lines and door and panel gaps are even and line up properly. Since the body is bolted onto the frame, this is critical to determine if the car has serious issues or problem repairs in it’s past.

Rust is a huge problem with these cars. They are prone to frame rust, especially in the rails under the rocker panels and the “kick-over” bend portion just ahead of the rear wheels. The frame might look solid from the outside, or even re-painted, but check inside the rails by poking your finer in the drain holes  ( when on the hoist) and look for flakes of rust or bumpy/scaly surfaces. Weak, rusted , frames are why  older high-dollar restored  Corvettes have their bodies removed and then the frames either repaired or replaced, which is a very costly process. A weak frame can actually break the car in two at the kick-over when you are backing out of your driveway. If you discover bad rust on the frame, run away quickly from the car. Unless you are doing a body-off on a pre-1973 Corvette, you will lose a ton of money on a ’74 – ’81  project.

The t-tops and convertible roofs were also prone to leakage and trap water. The  top, side, frames and corners under the chrome of the top windshield header bars can rust severely, which is a costly repair. Be sure to remove the t-tops in any inspection and check the windshield frames for rust under the chrome fascia and vinyl interior trim pieces. If you can, have the seller take a Phillips screwdriver and remove the vinyl interior windshield frame trim so that you can look under it.

If water has been getting into the windshield frames, it runs downhill into the passenger area, and  it will show as rust down the base of the A pillar (windshield frame sides) where they mate with the dash top. There is a small gap where you can see it.  The A pillars are attached to a steel box that goes down behind the kick panels on either sides of the passenger compartments. This component (A pillar frame and supporting box) is called the “Dog Leg” and includes the A pillar and the box that fits behind the kick panels against the inner fender.  If water has been getting through a leaky roof, it will end up at the base of the dog-leg and should drain, but the drain holes frequently get clogged with rust and debris. You can easily tell by removing the plastic kick panes and inspecting the hollow areas behind.

Also, if the Dog Leg has started to rust, you can tell because it will look like there is a bulge at the back of the front fender where it meets the front doors, the rust will actually cause the fender to swell up. Also, you will see evidence of poor repairs when you open the door and inspect the front of the door jam area just below the windshield above the door hinges on the inside of the body. Some cars actually have gobs of silicone caulking in this area, avoid those cars. The front of the door jam should look clean.

The final major area of rust is the rad-support cradle. When water runs off the hood when it rains or you wash the car, it will fall through the gap at the front of the hood and collect on the base of the rad support, and eventually rust through. This is also a costly repair, though not as bad as a rusted out windshield frame or body frame.

Mechanically, the universal problem with pre 1984-Corvettes is leaky brakes. The piston can seize in the caliper as well. This failure is caused by moisture accumulation in the brake fluid causing corrosion on the caliper cylinder walls.  Check to make sure the the cylinders of the brake calipers have been replaced with re-sleeved stainless-steel versions.  The lack of stainless calipers on a C3 Corvette should not be a deal-breaker, however you will need to do them, and the cost is usually around $800.

Another neglected area is the hidden headlight operating system. This system uses engine vacume, and can be a nuisance to get right. Check the controls of the headlight system to make sure they work properly.

If you are considering fixing one up, you should check online for parts prices at

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-4.html

Also, visit your local Corvette club, or chapter of the National Corvette Restorers Society  (NCRS)   http://www.ncrs.org/   They will usually have cars for sale, and plenty of helpful advice for you.

Question:

Hello, I’d just like to tell you that I like your site very much.  As a matter  of fact my dad and I are fixingup a 1971 Corvette LT-1 (350 cu. in. 330 horsepower) it’s a convertible instead of the t-top and blue with blue interior. My dad got it in 74 used and he’s had it off the road for about 10 years or so now and I just thought it would be neat to fix it up u know.  We’ve removed the body b/c we figured thatit would be much easier to work on the engine/transmission/rear/front end also there was no other way to replace  the brake/fuel lines.  I was just surfin the net the other nightand I found your site and just thought it be kinda neat to contact you…by the way nice website again…I’m thinking about creating my own corvette restoration website also…if you have any suggestions or if you had any major problem with restoring your vette please let me know, we’re mainly buying all of our parts from a place called Zip Corvette Products b/c they have a store located about30 minutes away from us…so if you feel like it please write back with any comments or suggestions.

Answer:

Thanks for your message and I am glad you enjoyed the site we did for our ’71 LT-1.

Sounds like you are doing things the right way, and can look forward to years of fun with your project.

Probably the only specific suggestion that I can make, besides having enough funds to do the job right is to join your local NCRS chapter and get a copy of the NCRS judging manual for your year of Corvette. The NCRS and it’s members are probably the best resource you could have. They are helpful, informative, and most would have much experience with the proper way to do a body off restoration.

ZIP is a good place to purchase parts, so is Paragon and Ecklers. You will find that some places will have parts that others may not.

As far as major problems go, you are going to have to be a bit more specific. Each project is different, and the problems that I had, and there were many, might not be the same as yours. These cars do tend to have common problem areas associated with their age and unique design, such as the rust prone rad support, frames, windshield headers and posts, as well as the damage done by older improper repairs.

Let me know if you need answers to any specific problems as you come across them, and I will try to offer some advice.

Good Luck!

Second Question:

Thanks for responding back. Actually our LT1 has been off the road and in the garage since 78. Looks like only serious rust issue we have is the rear frame rail that the gas tank sits on needs to be  replaced.

One of the decisions we need to make is whether or not to rebuild the engine, it only has 88k on it and was running ok , although it hasn’t been started in about 3 years now. Did you rebuild the engine in your LT1, what would be a ball-park cost to do that say to replace the rings, bearings, camshaft and bushings ?

Second Answer:

Thank you for your message.

I also rebuilt my LT-1 motor, and it had also been rebuilt by a previous owner also.

I had discovered that the valve springs were weak on my car and one thing led to another and the engine was pulled (see my website – restoration section). Apparently the previous rebuild had replaced the solid lifters and cam with hydraulic units and a milder cam, which I had always suspected.

I went through an old issue of Vette Magazine (June 1990) that I had on the LT-1 motor which had listed the GM part numbers for each and every LT-1 engine component, and had the motor rebuilt to factory specs using all the correct factory parts. The only item I changed was to use roller tip rockers instead of the regular ones.

Regarding price, the rebuild work alone is usually around $1,000, and depending on what parts you need, it can go as high as $6,000. I was able to retain my original TRW aluminum pistons, a new set alone would have been close to $1,000. Since the block was bored .030″ over, I needed new rings. Also, the cylinder heads are usually rebuilt, and I suggest that you get the better wearing brass valve sleeves.

My car needed new lifters, push rods, cam, timing gear, bearings, harmonic damper, heavy duty oil pump, valve springs, rockers, bearings, etc., and I had the carb rebuilt at the same time. The lifter bores also needed to be honed out, since the lifters actually rotate or spin as they go up and down. It cost me close to $6,000 Canadian dollars by the time I was through.

You never know what you will find until you pull the motor and the rebuilder takes it all apart. That is when cost decisions are usually made. Make sure you take your motor to a shop that specializes in Corvette motors, and has references. Also, you need to have it painted the correct GM orange.

IMPORTANT!!!!-  Make sure you tell the machine shop DO NOT DECK THE BLOCK! Have them put it in writing on the work order.  Decking the block is a machining procedure that flattens the top of the block where it meets the bottom of the cylinder heads. When you do this, it can erase the all important numbers on your engine stamping pad. If those numbers get erased, your original numbers matching LT-1 motor will be as worthless as a crate motor!

If you had good compression and you engine was not leaking or burning oil, it may not be necessary to have it rebuilt. Once it is running again, have a mechanic do a compression test, to check the rings, and a leak down test to check the valves.

If the motor has not been turned over in a few years, the piston rings may have fused to the cylinder walls. The cylinder walls may also be dry with no oil left on them. Be very careful turning it over or you could break a ring and serious damage to the engine will result. Spray lots of penetrating oil into the cylinders through the spark plug holes, and let is sit for several days before attempting to turn it over. Do not use the starter with a battery to turn it over. Work it around gently and gradually using a long handled socket wrench on the crankshaft bolt at the harmonic balancer pulley. If you have already swallowed a ring, the only way to tell is to pull the oil pan and check for bits of debris. If that happens, and the walls of the cylinders are seriously gouged, you will have to bore out and hone the cylinders to a larger diameter, and install new over size pistons.

Good luck,

Question:

I visited and read your web page on the rebuilding of your 71 LT-1, very interesting. Congratulations on the job you did. I own a 72 LT-1 and in the process of finishing the exterior detailing, in your write up you mentioned your LT-1 pinstripes were laid in using a stencil. Did you buy the stencil or have it made, could you provide any info on where or how I could accomplish the same task? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer:

Thanks for your message, I am glad you enjoyed our site.

The LT-1 hood stencil kit is sold by Mid America Designs (1-800-500-8388) as part number 600-652, for $109.95 USD.

The “LT-1″ hood decals for your ’72, would be the black out-lined white inside used on later cars, and Mid America has those for $7.95 USD each when bought in pairs, part number 600-664.

I had done the black stripes right onto the yellow base coat, and clear coated over the stripes. The effect is very impressive, though it is not exactly stock. Also, I had some problems with the clear coat
dissolving the edges of the black paint when it was applied over it. If you plan to clear over the stripes, test to see if the clear does not make the black run when it is applied over it.

The stencil kit works very well, and is relatively easy to do.

Good luck with you restoration,

Question:

I own a 1971 454 Big block Corvette Stingray, that I have had since high
school. The car has 51,000 original miles on it. I had the engine
completely redone by professionals in mississauga, I have had the
exhaust just recently done, and now I need to have the brakes redone,
the interior carpet and detailing, possibly seats recovered, and the
other details like, rechroming of bumpers, plus a new paint job is
required. There are some parts that I require, as in my younger days I
had the headers and side pipes on the car, therefore to fit the side
pipes, I had to take off the long aluminium pieces under the doors,
which I do not have, and I also need the left and right, I guess you
would call them the decorative cross-hatched vents that are just in
front of the doors, on the front fenders. I also need a new windshield,
and would like to replace the rubber on the T-roofs and the door seals.
I also need the left and right mirrors. I am on a limited budget and I
am sad to say that I got taken by a mechanic/body shop fellow in
Brampton, who basically did nothing for the 3500.00 I gave him,
therefore I am very leery of people I do not know. If you can help me or
send me in the right direction to someone that sells parts for
Corvettes, I would appreciate this very much. I live in Aurora, so you
have my general area. I plan to go to this general mechanic that I know
personally that is about five minutes from my house on Mon/Tuesday to
see if he can do the brakes, and some minor work, but I need help or
direction in the other areas.
Thank you for thoughts and help in advance!

Answer:

Thanks for your message:

Sounds like you have an amazing project ahead of you…

By the sounds of what you are planning, I have some comments that you may
wish to consider.

First of all, what ever you are planning to spend, expect to double it. Be
ready now, since the costs that you might accumulate do have a habit of
mounting and blowing your budget out of the water.

If your car is a numbers matching big block, it is a premium car, so you
should also consider doing a complete body off / frame restoration. It can
initially seem very expensive depending on what parts you need and the
condition of the frame. However, after my experience, it is actually far
less expensive in time, money and aggravation, to do it all at once, and to
do it right the first time. After all that I did to my ’71, it still should
have had a body off, but by then it was so over budget and so much time had
been spent doing things one small item at a time that I eventually became
exhausted with the project. I am happy to say that the new owner of my ’71
is actually considering the body project for himself. Also, if it is any
consideration, a body off restoration does add considerable value to the
final worth of a Corvette.

Another aspect that could affect your cost is that most all of the parts
that you need come from the United States. The low Canadian dollar that we
now seem to have, can increase parts prices substantially. I would suggest
that you ship larger single orders to cut down on brokerage fees. Remember
that U.S. origin antique auto parts are duty free.

First off, get yourself a copy of the NCRS Judging manual for 1968 – 1973
Corvettes, and better still, join the Ontario Chapter of NCRS.

Consider joining the Corvette Club of Ontario
http://www.ontariovettes.com.  It has over 150 members, is very active with
events throughout the year, and there are many members with similar cars to
your with a lot of experience as well.

I suggest that if you have not done so already, get a copy of the following
catalogues:

Mid America, Ecklers, ZIP Products, Paragon Restorations.

These suppliers will have the aluminum rocker covers, interior kits, weather
stripping, etc.

I have all my chrome work done by John Kearns at the Plating House in
Concord Ontario (905) 661-3964. It can be expensive, and there could be a
bit of a wait depending on how busy they are, but his work is second to
none.

For mechanical work, you should talk to Bill and Dino at Grand Sport Motors.
They are sponsors of Corvette Club of Ontario, and Bill did most all the
mechanical work on my ’71 while I had it. They do good honest work. They
are located at 163 Langstff Rd East (between Yonge and Bayview). Langstaff
runs parallel and just south of Highway 7 in Thornhill. They can be reached
at (905) 889-5053. Please tell them that I sent you.

Personally, I would tend to stay away from “general mechanics” no matter how
well you know them. Corvettte owners have to be very fussy, and you must
insist on correct parts and special care for any repairs, often much more so
than on a daily driver. That is why I would only have work done by a
Corvette ‘specialist’. Also, since you car is rather old, and is in fact a
classic not everone is familiar with the unusual quirks and idiosyncracies
that they have.

Interior trim can be purchased from the U.S. catalogue suppliers, however I
suggest that you have the seat cover done professionally. Also be sure to
order new interior foam pieces as well.

Btw, the Plating House also did the front end chrome, grill work etc. on
our ’73 Mercedes as well.

For paint and body, I would only recomend Loran Butler at Concept Cars in
Concord. He specializes in concours quality total restorations, including
body offs. Be prepared that it can be rather expensive to do a car there
since he often has to put in an incredible numbers of hours. It can also
take several months. Also, though your car is a low milleage vehicle, you
never know what you might find when you strip the paint off. I found a few
surprises on my car that certainly added to the cost since each old repair
had to be carefully redone correctly.

Try to plan on doing the paint, chrome, interior, body and frame all at
once. Expect it to take one year. Many of the costs can be spread out over
that time as you make your purchases, and the work is done. In the end you
will have an exceptional quality car that will only increase in value over
the years to come. Furthermore, you will have done it right and will only
need to do it once.

Much of the costs of doing an incremental restoration over a longer period
of time like I did, is in the repeated dis-assembly and re-assembly of the
various parts. These repetitive costs are actually saved in the long run if
you take the whole car apart only once, and do all the required detailing
and repairs together at that time. You also get a car that will be in new
condition throughout.

Question:

I wanted to ask your advice on some things but I’ll mention that in a moment. I have the body over at Loran’s to do the body work and painting. BUT I am also transferring the frame over to Loran’s as well.   I was lucky that Loran was between some jobs and could take on the whole car. This weekend I’m heading over to Michigan to a place call corvette of Michigan, to look at some used parts. My original frame is in my opinion in very rough shape, so I’m looking into getting a good used southern frame.

I also need to replace the rocker channels because they are totally rusted. Fortunately, the window and door frame is in near perfect condition. I saw a frame that Loran is restoring and it looks brand new. He certainly does some outstanding work.  Re color…..The car you may remember was black, but the door tag says it was originally white. Now I love black, but I know from a NCRS point of view I need to restore the color to factory white. As you know the paint cost is high, so I want to do it the right way. I have asked many about this dilemma, almost every one tells me the same thing, and I quote, “its your car to enjoy so paint it what you want, however for full marks in judging the car it has to be white”. What I have not gotten from anyone is, if I was showing the car in NCRS judging competition, how many points do you lose for wrong color. If the car is perfect in every other way, does color drop the car out of a top class?? See, I do not want to destroy the $$$ vale of the car in the event I sell it in the future because of color. A NCRS guy in Florida, tells me that although my possibly black painted car would not be “original” in NCRS standards, people buy on likes, beauty, and condition. Case in point was your LT1. Sam did not want a yellow car. But he could hardly pass up the opportunity to purchase a “pristine” car, so he bought it. He did not buy it because it was NCRS restored. The Florida guy says that there are many many novice buyers that have little or no clue of NCRS. Dan said that the wrong color in a resale to a NCRS buyer could drop the value by $5000. What you take on all this??

Also, I’ve search the net for a photo on a white 69. Most pictures are single shots and do not give me a real good idea of a white car. From your experience, do most people that see these cars a show or wherever, stop to gaze at a white or black car?? I know these are personal views, but I’m interested in knowing how you would think…..Please let me know……Regards.

Answer:

As I am sure you have heard many times at Loran’s, do it once, and do it right, because if you don’t pay now, you sure as hell will pay later!

Good luck finding a new frame, sounds like you’re in the major leagues now. Don’t forget to check your trailing arms, dog legs and windshield pillar and header bars. If you do get a new frame, have it dipped and galvanized etc.  Also, do all the lines (brakes, fuel) in stainless. Get the latest catalogue from Paragon Reproductions http://www.corvette-paragon.com/. You must also consult the NCRS judging manual for 1968-1973 Corvettes. Ask Loran, I think he still has my copy in his shop, or buy your own. It is an extremely valuable aid in doing a thorough restoration. Every finish of every component is carefully described.

Regarding the issue of you car’s body colour, it is a personal choice, and I do support the notion that it is your car and you should do as you wish with it. However, there are a few considerations when making such a choice.

When we first saw our ’71 when we bought it in 1993, it was black. Then we had it painted silver by the guy who sold it to us. Finally Loran painted it yellow as you see it today.

As you mentioned about Sam and the yellow ’71, I sure did not ever imagine I would be driving a yellow car ever in my life. Once it was done and I saw how great it looked, I was sold. It is difficult to determine what you should do while the car is unfinished, and you are uncertain as to how it will eventually look. However one thing I learned doing my ’71 is that WHATEVER colour Loran does it in, it will be outstanding. As with my yellow, a colour that I never thought I could ever like, once I saw the job that he did, it changed my mind about yellow. I am still not crazy about yellow cars, but Loran’s yellow is an exception.

I have owned three white cars. I think white is a very opulent, classic and wealthy looking colour. Fine yachts are always white. My “first” car was our
family’s white 1969 Mustang convertible. We got it in 1973 and sold it in 1986, and it only had 60,000 original miles on it, no winters, mint condition. With it’s contrasting black interior and roof, it was a real head turner, even though it only had a straight 6 cylinder, 250 motor. I was hired to I drive it in numerous parades for Markham Hydro, and carried our three hydro commissioners on the back deck. I owned a white 1991 JEEP CJ that I drove two years. It was the vehicle that I chose for my company car when I used to manage shopping centres (in my other life). I currently drive a white 1993 Eagle talon AWD turbo on a daily basis. I have seen several white ’68 – ’73 ‘s Corvettes, and I know of one, perhaps two, in CCO. They are an unusual colour, like my yellow was, and are therefore more noticed and stand out in a crowd of red’s and silver’s.

It is you car to enjoy now, however resale value should be a factor you consider. Unless you are going for a mild custom, you should be prepared to paint the car in the stock colour or you will lose value on resale. This may not seem like an issue today, but who is to say five or ten years from now when some sexy ’65 roadster suddenly turns your head, and you, like me, feel it’s time for a change. It will happen, since in our hobby, nobody owns the same car forever.

NCRS is an issue, since people that purchase Corvettes seem to use originality as an established universal bench mark for determining the quality of a restoration or of a car in general. Even though NCRS was never meant to be that, it has created a standard by which cars can be evaluated against one another, at least in the minds of onlookers and potential purchasers. Believe me, when your car is done, and if you ever try to sell it, the amount of money it will be worth will be pretty steep for any “novice” buyers.

NCRS is also not an absolute. The local NCRS chapter guys actively and specifically pursued me to join their association simply because they were very impressed with my ’71, and wanted to show it off as a quality Canadian car. They accepted the fact that it was restored to concourse condition, and effectively over restored. However what Loran did was to simply improve on the quality and fit and finish of what was there, without actually altering anything significant (such as colour) on my car. Even though I knew my ’71 would probably never do better that a 75% score or a Second Flight, it did not matter to the NCRS guys, they all liked it any way. The ’71 appeared original, and it looked fantastic. I also always beat any NCRS car that I went up against in concourse showing events.

Having a car in it’s original factory colour is like having the final word in every argument. Whether you or any one who looks at your car likes or dislikes its colour, the fact that it’s “factory” always settles the issue. Your personal taste is never in question. It’s the safest way to go, and for my opinion, I think white is a great colour. Also, since Loran is doing it, I know it will look fantastic.

Keep in touch

Question:

I have sent you a few photos of our Corvette’s front bumper. To me, it appears that the crease in the center of the bumper is sticking up too much, as if one side, or the other, has been pushed back. The bumper, itself, actually appears to fit the body of the car pretty well.   What do you think? We are going to have the bumper rechrommed, so do we need to do something about changing the crease? And, if we do that, do you think it will still fit the body when it is place back on the car?

Answer:

Thank you for your message.

Though it is hard to tell, your bumper shape could be the result of several things.

It definitely looks uneven from the pics you sent me. It could be that it was that way from the factory, quality control not being the greatest in those days.

It could have been a replacement bumper, installed at a later date. Most factory replacement chrome parts were actually “service” grade, in that they were not up to the standards of installation on a new vehicle, but were good enough to use as factory part original equipment replacements as the vehicles got older.

It might have also been reworked after it was bent in a collision. To check for this, look for miss- matched bracket welds that do not seem consistent with other welds. Also, look for marks made by an air tool such as an air hammer or chisel on the inside of the bumper itself, and any waviness along the flat surfaces of the bumper.

I noticed on your image #0349, the bolt holes for the front bracket do not seem even with the tip of the crease. The bracket appears offset slightly to the left of the crease. It might have been repositioned after work was done to the bumper, and not attached to the correct location.

Since Corvettes are fiberglass, the bumpers must be fit to the car, not the other way around. To get my rear bumpers to fit for example, 1/16″ cuts were made to the upper and lower surfaces at the corners, the bumpers mounted, and delicately hammered and bent to shape the curve of the rear corners of the car. The cuts were then filled with brass, and polished out before re-plating.

Front bumpers are even more tricky, and since your bumper fits okay, you may just want to leave it alone.

Does the crease match the tip of the nose of your car, or is it off to one side? What about the ends, are they even on both fenders, or has one side been shimmed out excessively? You should look at different Corvettes, and see how they are supposed to fit.

As a rather expensive option, if yours looks way off, you might consider getting a replacement bumper from Ecklers or somewhere, re-chroming that, and mounting it. You will find that the chrome on replacement or service parts as mentioned above is not of show quality. If you are going to the trouble of doing proper triple plating show chrome with dressed edges, you might as well chrome everything or the lesser finishes will stand out.

Finally, if you have access to an excellent restoration shop that has experience in working on Corvettes, and can also get show chrome done, I would suggest that you show it to your shop and see what can be done. Chances are it might involve making cuts into the bumper, mounting the bumper to the car, and working the steel to fit the shape of your car after numerous trial fits. The cuts, if made, are then filled and the triple plating hides any evidence of work. This too can be a little costly, but will guarantee a perfect fit.

You should also paint the insides of your bumpers with a good rust preventative paint, I used Tremclad aluminum. They will rust again as water gets trapped inside them, especially around the brackets. Wax the fresh chrome surfaces with pure (NO cleaner) Carnuba wax, and NEVER use metal polish on them, or any compounds that have abrasives or polishes in them, these will dissolve or wear off the soft nickel finish. Only dust chrome parts, and delicately soap them when washing your car (never rub you bumpers).

Question:

I have a question for you.. in your car, for your stereo, what size speakers are in the dash and behind the kick plate??

Answer:

Regarding how I did my speakers,

I think I installed Sony 4″ x 6″ two way speakers behind the kick plates . I think that the dash speakers were 4″x4″.  It could have been the other way around. If in doubt,  measure the openings and sketch them out, bring the sketch to the stereo store to make sure the frame of the speakers you are thinking of buying overlaps to bridge the openings. Some circular speakers may fit better than the oval ones.

For the kickpanels,  you can drill into the frame around the opening, and with rubber washers as vibration mounts, screw the speakers directly into the opening frame. While you are in that area, I suggest that you check to
make sure that the tiny drain holes that drain the water that comes in there from down the windshield posts has somewhere to go. If you notice water accumulated in the floor of your car under your feet after a drive in a heavy rain, it’s because the drains are plugged and the space behind the kick panels has over flowed. I also replaced my upper speakers with modern two ways, and had to fabricate under dash mounts using a stiff type of suspension strap as a frame to attach (suspend) them under the dash.

Old cars can produce tons of ignition noise. If you have not done so already, you should use resistor spark plugs, and supression plug wires, a choke coil filter in the power line to the radio, a coil filter for the alternator, and check that you ignition shielding is in place. Ignition noise supression kits can be found at Radio Shack as well as Ecklers. The Custom Auto Sound radio that I have is a good 40 watt unit from Ecklers, that I found also has excellent noise supression qualities. Having said all this, I still could never hear the stereo with the windows down on the highway!

One cool set up I have seen for rear speakers, is to mount them in the rear storage compartments. I have seen one mount where the guy cut out openings in the storage compartment lid doors, for the speakers to shoot through, with the wires run underneath. The speakers were screwed directly into the lids.  The original carpeting was left on as  speaker covers, wiring run under the carpet and door sill, and the whole installation was invisible. Clearance  for the battery should be checked carefully.

Good luck

Question:

Hi, I have really enjoyed your website, as my husband and I are in the process of restoring a ’71 Stingray. I was wondering if you can help me with a question about the metal louvers on the front fenders.
Are they entirely painted the color of the car? Are they supposed to be metal with just the recessed parts painted? It seems like I could find a few good photos to determine this, but this area doesn’t seem to be very detailed in most of the shots that I have found.
I appreciate any advice you may have.

Answer:

We purchased our Corvette back in 1993, AND SOLD IT IN FALL OF 2000.

Over the next four years it underwent a thorough and extensive incremental, and historically accurate, body-on restoration. Close to $50,000 (documented) has been spent on a complete rebuilding of the car including: engine, carb, transmission, clutch, brakes, interior, paint and body, chrome, suspension, etc. It had 118,000 original miles, and we were the eleventh registered owner. Fortunately for us, this Corvette was not seriously molested, and other than an after market intake, it was a VERY well worn, and original vehicle. Even the original spare tire was in its carrier.

Soon after becoming Corvette owners, we joined the Corvette Club of Ontario (CCO) and later, the National Corvette Restorers Society Ontario Chapter (NCRS). With each show and event we attended, we learned more of what Corvettes are all about, and what steps we had to take to transform our car into a concours and show winner. We also found friendship and camaraderie with a great group of fellow enthusiasts. Stu served two years on the CCO exec as Competition Director, and was responsible for organizing the club show events, such as indoor event displays and show n’ shines.

Visit these next few pages and get a glimpse of what Corvette ownership can be like, including all the restoration work, vehicle details, club activities, events, and even some helpful links. We hope you enjoy our album, and look forward to hearing from you.

Photos and original artwork Copyright Stuart Cork. Corvette and Crossed Flags logo are a registered trademark of the Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors.

Participation and support of charitable organizations and special events is an import part of the car hobby. The Corvette Club of Ontario is a Patron of the Spina Bifida Association of Ontario, and has raised many thousands of dollars on their behalf through its activities.

The Markham Transit for the Disabled foundation hosted a show held annually at the Markville Shopping Centre in Markham. As part of the promotion for the 1997 show, our car along with a few other special interest vehicles, was displayed in the Centre Court of Markville Shopping Centre for one week.

We have participated in many such events both with the Corvette Club of Ontario, and as individuals as well. In 1996 we attended the 500 vehicle car show held as part of the “Corel Great Race”, sponsored by the Bloor-Yorkville Business Association. The event featured an across North America car race of vintage automobiles, that had its finish line in the Yorkville District of Toronto. Several blocks of the Downtown area were closed off for the event, and our Corvette was shown right at the corner of Bloor and Bay streets in Toronto.

We have also participated in various Corvette Club of Ontario’s sponsor events as well. Here we are at the “Mardi Gras” parade for our sponsor SUNOCO’s 1997 United Way fund raising Campaign.

Specialty vehicle owners and Clubs have always been very generous and supportive of all sorts of worthy charities, and special events. We, and many of our fellow Corvette Club of Ontario members, participated annually for three years in the Toronto Star Wheels Fresh Air Fund Cruise-in held at the Toronto Woodbine Race Track. This event regularly drew 500 plus cars, and was a major fund raiser for the children’s charity.

In 1996 I participated with CCO in a car show on the un-opened Hwy 407 for the Canadian Cancer Society that saw over 250 cars participating. The Club has also participated in the Ride For Sight, as well as car shows in support of the Hospital for Sick Children. The 1997 “Shine 4 Kids” show helped raise over $40,000 for the hospital.