1974 Coupe information

[Yamafan]

Just joined. See profile in Introductions. Hope not try anyones patience but I will have many questions.

1) What modern tire size does the GR70-15 equate to?

2) Have followed all the threads on rust and found them most informative. My windshield does not seem to have lower frame for it to sit in. It seems to be stuck to the body with some glue on the underside. It seems to have notches right above the wiper arms. Do I need to concern myself with the corrosion issue at the lower corners of the windshield?

3) Any websites show the locations of all the metal frames in the car? I was under the impression there was very little metal in the body but the messages state different.

4) In the event of engine trouble would a more contemporary 350 engine bolt in? Are the mounts in the same location etc?

5) Is the inside of the doors metal?

6) Does this model have collapsible steering in the event of an accident? It has tilt.

7) The "Restoration Guide" says this model was painted with acrylic lacquer. Is this true? No colored gelcoat? I ask because it was repainted at some point and the paint has peeled revealing a grey smooth textured surface. I will get a shop to repaint but want to be sure the paint will not peel again.

Thanks in advance for your response.

 

[Tom73]

Just joined. See profile in Introductions. Hope not try anyones patience but I will have many questions.

1) What modern tire size does the GR70-15 equate to?

225/70R15

2) Have followed all the threads on rust and found them most informative. My windshield does not seem to have lower frame for it to sit in. It seems to be stuck to the body with some glue on the underside. It seems to have notches right above the wiper arms. Do I need to concern myself with the corrosion issue at the lower corners of the windshield?

The windshield is "glued" in with a rubber type of sealant. And yes you do need to be concerned about the lower corners, in fact all the windshield frame.

3) Any websites show the locations of all the metal frames in the car? I was under the impression there was very little metal in the body but the messages state different.

image edited by 71Shark - 12/02/01 at 12:40 am

4) In the event of engine trouble would a more contemporary 350 engine bolt in? Are the mounts in the same location etc?

They are all the same basic engine all the way up to 91. The LT1 of 92-96 is a different engine but bolt points are basicly the same. The LS1 is a totaly different engine.

5) Is the inside of the doors metal?

Metal frame

6) Does this model have collapsible steering in the event of an accident? It has tilt.

Yes

7) The "Restoration Guide" says this model was painted with acrylic lacquer. Is this true? No colored gelcoat? I ask because it was repainted at some point and the paint has peeled revealing a grey smooth textured surface. I will get a shop to repaint but want to be sure the paint will not peel again.

The fiberglass has a grayish gelcoat. It is then primered and painted with lacquer.

Thanks in advance for your response. [/B]

Hope this helps. Sorry about the large graphic.

tom...

 

[Eric]

Phew, now that was a heck of a list of questions. Now where to start. Here goes:

I had to edit this post as soon as I typed it since Tom and I were typing at the same time. Since he already covered everything, I thought I'd just add to his explanation of #7.

7) All sharks built prior to the 1981 model year were painted at the factory with lacquer. In 1981, Corvettes were built at both the old St. Louis factory and the new Bowling Green facility; St. Louis used lacquer, Bowling Green used enamel base coats with clearcoats. If your car has been repainted, it is most likely not lacquer as it is illegal in most areas in the US (not sure about Canada) to use the old type paint. An old trick to tell which you have is to rub a small amount of polishing compound on to your car and after it dries wipe it with a white cloth. If the cloth has your car color on it, you probably don't have clear coat. If you are going to get it repainted, check around to find a shop that really knows Vettes. Ask other owners in your area for recommendations.

Good luck!

 

[69MyWay]

Tom73,

That is a great illustration you posted here of the metal inner body frame of the shark. It is interesting to see how they tend to rust in different ways. Mine was minimal at the windwhield corners and frame, yet the entire rocker area was very bad. My buddies 71 looked like orange and brown swiss cheese on the top areas and corners of the windshield, but the rockers were clean.

Here is my convertible body frame out of the car.

 

[Yamafan]

Frame rust info

Thanks guys. The quick response is great. 69MyWay could you email me the photo or tell me where to get a larger version.

RJ



PS. Where is the home of this site? The clock is 5 hours ahead of mine putting it in Europe somewhere?

 

[69MyWay]

Just click on my link below and you can view the whole sorted story in mixed up order (I will eventually organize it) of 69MyWay. You will be able to double click on any of the pics to get large views.

Go grab a sandwich and a tall cold one because there are almost 500 total photos, and around 200 of just the 69 from the hydraulic clutch swap, Vintage a/c install, big block build (in progress) and 137 of the resto.

Don't sweat the clock thing. The I believe the main brain box server is up on New York, but due to the complexity of the systems and world wide applications the time zones don't always appear the same on your end as they actually are.


Chris

 

[Yamafan]

I had to have 3 cold ones and its only 9:30 AM This is the most informative series of photos I've seen. I can hardly wait to read your book which I recommend you write. I am really curious as to how all those panels and parts were fused back together. You are a testament to patience.

RJ