Gonna have to change my name. Got a new addition

[White75]

I took delivery of my dad's 78 Silver Anniversary L-82 4-speed. I'm happy it's able to stay in the family because this is the car that got me interested in cars and Corvettes at a young age. I remember riding in the back before child seats were the law.

She's a little worse for wear, the paint is pretty bad, the interior is pretty dirty but appears to be in decent shape and the engine is dirty, leaky but all original including all the emissions equipment. It's only got 52K miles.

My goal is to give it a good cleaning inside and out and see what needs to be repaired/replaced and work on it over time. I'd like to get it repainted as soon as possible but I'll have to save up for that.
Here are some pics that I took after delivery as I plan on documenting as much of the restoration as possible.

With it, I also got the AIM, electrical troubleshooting document, 2 binders full of Corvette Fever tech info clippings, the 25th anniversary mirror, a Frankin Mint diecast, a complete stripe kit (since his plan was to repaint as well but never got to get it done) and 2 Longboard lagers

Well I couldn't resist and wanted to start cleaning her before she got put in the garage so I gave her a bath, vacuuming, and started cleaning the inside with the technique of Simple Green, water, then protectant that I picked up when I redid the interior of the 75.
Here are the aftershots. Not perfect yet but better:

I have noticed the carpet's in pretty good condition as it was replaced many years ago, however it is faded. Is there a good carpet dye that will bring it back to life without replacement?
I'll be posting up more from the progression back to life and will undoubtly be posting up questions as they come up.

 

[Red Vette]

What a great project car and keeping it in the family is a bonus - and it is a four speed, my kind of corvette. Did you purchase it from your dad or did he give it to you? Welcome to the group of CACers who have more than one corvette - one can never have enought corvettes IMO (I have 3). Looking forward to updates on the 78 as you progress.
Barrett

 

[White75]

What a great project car and keeping it in the family is a bonus - and it is a four speed, my kind of corvette. Did you purchase it from your dad or did he give it to you? Welcome to the group of CACers who have more than one corvette - one can never have enought corvettes IMO (I have 3). Looking forward to updates on the 78 as you progress.
Barrett

I didn't get it free but got it at a discount He was going to sell it to one of his neighbors that was going to restore it but I convinced him to keep it in the family and any time he's here to visit he can drive it. I think he'd regret selling it and then see it frequently and not be able to enjoy it if he sold to the neighbor so it's a win-win.

I wish I had a bigger garage for more although I'm sure the wifey wouldn't be too keen on another corvette (probably because we sold her 93 ruby when we moved because of a lack of space.) I couldn't find a house that had a 3+ car garage in my price range/location. The Texas sun is killer on paint and the vettes need to stay inside (especially with leaky seals and thunderstorms not being a good mix for keeping interiors dry) Plus with 3 other cars in the driveway, there's not much room for anything.

 

[mjsmm]

I believe most of the Corvette supply houses (Corvette Central, Mid America, etc.) probably all carry carpet dye. While you're at it, you can also pick up leather and vinyl dye, as well as touch up spray paint for the interior hard plastics. You should also put some protectorant on the tires and seals, too. Depending on the condition of the parts, you may need to replace some of them, but with the other items mentioned, you can keep as many original parts as possible. It will come down to time vs. money, in most cases. Problem is, when you have one, you rarely have the other!

 

[White75]

I believe most of the Corvette supply houses (Corvette Central, Mid America, etc.) probably all carry carpet dye. While you're at it, you can also pick up leather and vinyl dye, as well as touch up spray paint for the interior hard plastics. You should also put some protectorant on the tires and seals, too. Depending on the condition of the parts, you may need to replace some of them, but with the other items mentioned, you can keep as many original parts as possible. It will come down to time vs. money, in most cases. Problem is, when you have one, you rarely have the other!

I was running out of daylight and energy yesterday to do all I wanted to do but the tires and most seals aren't too bad so I'll put some protectant on them next time I have time. Right now I'm just coming up with a list as I discover what works/doesnt work and try to figure out a budget for this project without breaking the bank.

 

[XLR8]

Congrats on the 78 and keeping it in the family!
Your promise is a good way to get dad to visit more often.

Enjoy!
Jane Ann

 

[White75]

Congrats on the 78 and keeping it in the family!
Your promise is a good way to get dad to visit more often.

Enjoy!
Jane Ann

Very true. Hope this is a good excuse to visit