post you before and after projects.

[topless82vette]

Kinda losing incentive on my vette real fast and have no will .... so let me see how bad your were to begin with.

 

[stepho1975]

Well if you want to see how bad mine was to begin with you can check out my progress thread.

I'm not finished though so I don't know how much it will motivate you. :]]

 

[topless82vette]

Well if you want to see how bad mine was to begin with you can check out my progress thread.

I'm not finished though so I don't know how much it will motivate you. :]]

HOLY COW !!!!!!!!! Yours be a little worse then mine, I'm pretty sure mine has no rust sold new in texas then came to california a short time later.

Mine so far is stripped to bare glass and needs finishing fiberglass work, all new interior, suspension rebuild, steering rebuild.

this is mine so far of course doors are on it now.

 

[stepho1975]

Yeah I would say mine is a little farther from being done.

I wouldn't have suspected mine to be so badly rusted. Its a Florida car, and those usually don't rust unless you drive them on the beach.

I've still got to finish patching the bird cage, the body needs a lot of work too, all new interior, im not sure about the suspension and steering, but the brakes don't work. Wanna trade?

That car is going to be sweet when you get it done. Are you going to paint it back to red? What color interior?

 

[topless82vette]

Yeah I would say mine is a little farther from being done.

I wouldn't have suspected mine to be so badly rusted. Its a Florida car, and those usually don't rust unless you drive them on the beach.

I've still got to finish patching the bird cage, the body needs a lot of work too, all new interior, im not sure about the suspension and steering, but the brakes don't work. Wanna trade?

That car is going to be sweet when you get it done. Are you going to paint it back to red? What color interior?

the car was originally white with a camel interior. I'm probably going to have it two toned white and silver with a silver interior. The car is just a big thorn in my side is all, those pictures were take like god 8 years ago and it still looks the same LOL how bad is that! The sad part about it is the car actually runs and everything LOL and when I last drove it about 10 years ago it actually drove pretty nice.

I have looked for the obvious telltale signs of a rust bucket but this one has no rust in those areas so I'm hoping theres none elsewhere.even my body hold down bolts still come loose easily so I'de say thats a good sign if nothing else.

It actually took me like 3 months just to put the convertible door windows in LOL ...... Much as I'de like to lift the body and do a frame off resto at the rate I'm going I'de be in my 80's before anything would be done LOL.

 

[fine69]

Yeah--- Lately, I've been up to my a** in fiberglass...

 

[crowvet]

 

[stepho1975]

the car was originally white with a camel interior. I'm probably going to have it two toned white and silver with a silver interior. The car is just a big thorn in my side is all, those pictures were take like god 8 years ago and it still looks the same LOL how bad is that! The sad part about it is the car actually runs and everything LOL and when I last drove it about 10 years ago it actually drove pretty nice.

I have looked for the obvious telltale signs of a rust bucket but this one has no rust in those areas so I'm hoping theres none elsewhere.even my body hold down bolts still come loose easily so I'de say thats a good sign if nothing else.

It actually took me like 3 months just to put the convertible door windows in LOL ...... Much as I'de like to lift the body and do a frame off resto at the rate I'm going I'de be in my 80's before anything would be done LOL.

I am the same way. Before last week end I hadn't done anything to it since February. My camaro needs a new optispark though so I have to drive my Nissan. Being forced to drive a compact with three different color body panels has been a real motivator to getting the corvette done.

 

[topless82vette]

To the guy with the 60's vette .... that thing is simply beautiful in all aspects!!!!! You all are making me look bad because I don't think mine is nearly as bad as the ones picture but then mine is newer to. Guess I have one good thing going for me the crossfire motor still starts right up hahaha ....

Fine69 ... what is that notch by you antenna hole? my 74 rear clip has a similiar notch but the original 82 rear clip never did. I thought at first a small piece of fiberglass broke off but after looking at yours I'de like to know why this notch is there.

 

[crowvet]

To the guy with the 60's vette .... that thing is simply beautiful in all aspects!!!!! You all are making me look bad because I don't think mine is nearly as bad as the ones picture but then mine is newer to. Guess I have one good thing going for me the crossfire motor still starts right up hahaha ....

Fine69 ... what is that notch by you antenna hole? my 74 rear clip has a similiar notch but the original 82 rear clip never did. I thought at first a small piece of fiberglass broke off but after looking at yours I'de like to know why this notch is there.

You will do fine, Just make one improvement per day. It dont have to be much, cleaning bolts labeling parts whatever. Thats how I done mine (the 67 above) Finished in 10 months

 

[Art Jett]

[
Fine69 ... what is that notch by you antenna hole? my 74 rear clip has a similiar notch but the original 82 rear clip never did. I thought at first a small piece of fiberglass broke off but after looking at yours I'de like to know why this notch is there.[/quote]
Different guy---but the notch is for a tab on the antenna. It keeps it from spinning when you tighten the nut on the outside. Kind of a locator tab.

 

[swtato]

From this:

to this:

to this:

 

[topless82vette]

From this:

to this:

to this:

how much it cost you to have that painted ????? Mine right now is stripped to about what your middle picture is. Once I finish the door jambs and minor stripping around the car then I'm going to look into cost of paint. Mine really doesn't need much body work. But I do want it two toned and use factory type stripes.

 

[Nobody Cares]

 

[bill81vette]

mine went from this

to this

then
to this

to what you see in my sig,it took about a year and half to get it finished

 

[topless82vette]

I think I need to take my car to one of you guys to finish it hahahaha ....

that orange convertible is nice by the way after seeing it by the water, I can't wait to drive mine up the pacific coast highway when done! Can't remember the last time I saw a C3 driving around out here.

 

[Nobody Cares]

Thnx for the nice comments. My son and i did the car together. He has a heck of alot more patience than i do. I recently gave him the car . He now has a 69 coupe and my old 74 vert. Dave

 

[howard]

You will do fine, Just make one improvement per day. It dont have to be much, cleaning bolts labeling parts whatever. Thats how I done mine (the 67 above) Finished in 10 months

I agree, took me about 2 years for mine to get to driver stage, just have to do a small project each night or 2...I still need to do paint & interior one day..for now i'm enjoying the ride

all of the pictures....
http://coopersgarage.piczo.com/1973corvetterestoration?cr=4&linkvar=000044

a few teasers
The old "What the heck have I done" photo

Corvette curse....RUST

On the road to recovery...starting the rebuilding process
350 L82

replacement frame, all reassembled...new everything....
2.5" exhaust, 460lb springs, Addco sway bars, Polyurethane bushings, Stainless brake/fuel lines, calipers, pads, rotors..etc

New rocker channels....what a pain that was!

Body drop day...getting real excited now!

First firing and Cam break in...can no longer sleep at night in anticipation of first drive :L

For the first road trip I took it out to the mountains and back...couldn't believe the waves and thumbs up I was getting on the trip..Car ran excellent aside from the really bad gas mileage...things have improved after 3,000 miles

I don't have a clue what i've spent....one day I may add up the receipts
Its been a great journey

 

[topless82vette]

why didn't you paint it before mounting the body?

 

[howard]

why didn't you paint it before mounting the body?

2 reasons...first being money, I decided to break the project down into 2 phases , chassis restoration,body structure followed by phase 2 paint & interior .
I wanted to get the car to a driving stage, this way I could enjoy driving it, work out any mechanical bugs rather than have it sit in my garage for a couple of years in a dissasembled state while i try to save money and lose interest in it.
Second reason was to avoid any nicks or scrapes while assembling it in my 2 car garage trying to set up body mount shims, adjusting door gaps and I can block it out after the car is all settled.
just personal preference I guess