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najar28
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Here are some pictures of the project....
Little Help? Learning the Hard-way
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najar28
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fine69
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Najar,
Excellent! Thanks for sharing the pics.
I am impressed that you've kept the look of your engine stock. That looks best to me. Personally, I think too much chrome on the engine looks cheesy on the older Vettes - leave all the bling for the for Camaros etc...DOH! :naughty:
I am all too familiar with those Corvette Central packages. You're well on your way... you'll be driving before you know it --- smiling the whole time I'm sure!
Ralph
Excellent! Thanks for sharing the pics.
I am impressed that you've kept the look of your engine stock. That looks best to me. Personally, I think too much chrome on the engine looks cheesy on the older Vettes - leave all the bling for the for Camaros etc...DOH! :naughty:
I am all too familiar with those Corvette Central packages. You're well on your way... you'll be driving before you know it --- smiling the whole time I'm sure!
Ralph
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najar28
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Thanks.
I know what you mean about those corvette central packages.
Right now every day is like xmas at my house. I get gifts from Ecklers, Corvette Central, Keen Parts, Mid America Motorworks, Corvette South, Dave's Corvette, and Zip Products. The problem is that I buying my own presents, but oh well.
I know what you mean about those corvette central packages.
Right now every day is like xmas at my house. I get gifts from Ecklers, Corvette Central, Keen Parts, Mid America Motorworks, Corvette South, Dave's Corvette, and Zip Products. The problem is that I buying my own presents, but oh well.
LVMYVT76
Well-known member
LOOKING GOOD!!! I think you are doing a graet job, like they said , you saved a corvette's life, and made it part of your own!
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Najar, for any steel pieces, check out CSC Reproductions. They make all the steel pieces that the big mail-order houses resell. Might as well get your pieces direct from the mfg rather than using a middleman! Also feel free to tell them you were referred by the CAC. That is, if you are still buying parts.
I'm just seeing this thread now for the first time. Sorry I didn't catch it sooner. Anyways, since you have committed yourself to the project, best of luck. Don't ever expect to get your money back out especially since you're paying someone else to turn the wrench. At this point, just build the car as you want it. It's your money, your car, your idea/dream. Build it for you and no one else.
As for having your credit cards paying for all this, a lot of us probably know that feeling. I don't know what your interest rate is on your card(s), but you might consider shopping around for a low-interest bank loan with the car as collateral. You might be able to get a lower overall interest payment. That's how I got my paint job years ago. Took a bank loan with the car as the collateral.
I'm just seeing this thread now for the first time. Sorry I didn't catch it sooner. Anyways, since you have committed yourself to the project, best of luck. Don't ever expect to get your money back out especially since you're paying someone else to turn the wrench. At this point, just build the car as you want it. It's your money, your car, your idea/dream. Build it for you and no one else.
As for having your credit cards paying for all this, a lot of us probably know that feeling. I don't know what your interest rate is on your card(s), but you might consider shopping around for a low-interest bank loan with the car as collateral. You might be able to get a lower overall interest payment. That's how I got my paint job years ago. Took a bank loan with the car as the collateral.
chevy6673
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good job
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najar28
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Thanks for the tip.
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najar28
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Just checkin in to show the progress. The shop has been moving at a snails pace, but they are now picking up speed. They ran into some problems with the aftermarket front end that I purchased. The body did not match perfectly. First thing was that they had to cut the hood area because the original hood was too big for the hood area. The bottom where it meets with the rocker panels had about a 1.5 inch gap, so they had to add fiberglass and lastly the front end where the bumper would go was about an inch and a half too narrow, therefore the bumper really sticked out too far on each side. They had to modify the bumper a bit to get it to fit nicely and the problem with that is, now I have to have it re-chromed.
Now they are getting ready to start painting.The painting is now becoming a problem because they can't find the right color codes to make steel cities gray. I had a sample made months ago with dupont paint and it was perfect, now the shop has changed owners and they don't use dupont paint anymore and the codes they used to make steel cities gray with their paint came out to look almost silver. Now they have to color match my sample and I sure hope it comes out identical or I will be very unhappy.
They are going to paint all the jams first probably tomorrow and then they will get started finishing up the mechanical. I bought a Hot Rod A/C that needs to be put in, so I'm hoping this will work out great because summer is comming and I live in the desert. I just bought an HEI with Tach distributor that needs to go in as well. Once the mechanical is done they will put my new interior in the car and then finish it off with the paint job. They tell me it is a couple of weeks away and I can't wait, but they have told me this before, but this time I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My car has been there 1 year now, and that will all be forgiven if it is finished just right. This will be a total restoration and they are charging me 15K, so I think I am coming out ahead on this one, so I'm ok for waiting this long.....I think.
Now they are getting ready to start painting.The painting is now becoming a problem because they can't find the right color codes to make steel cities gray. I had a sample made months ago with dupont paint and it was perfect, now the shop has changed owners and they don't use dupont paint anymore and the codes they used to make steel cities gray with their paint came out to look almost silver. Now they have to color match my sample and I sure hope it comes out identical or I will be very unhappy.
They are going to paint all the jams first probably tomorrow and then they will get started finishing up the mechanical. I bought a Hot Rod A/C that needs to be put in, so I'm hoping this will work out great because summer is comming and I live in the desert. I just bought an HEI with Tach distributor that needs to go in as well. Once the mechanical is done they will put my new interior in the car and then finish it off with the paint job. They tell me it is a couple of weeks away and I can't wait, but they have told me this before, but this time I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My car has been there 1 year now, and that will all be forgiven if it is finished just right. This will be a total restoration and they are charging me 15K, so I think I am coming out ahead on this one, so I'm ok for waiting this long.....I think.
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$15K for everything they've done in this thread including the paint job? Or have you already given them some money and there's another $15K going to them?
How's your wife been about all this?
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najar28
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$15K for everything they've done in this thread including the paint job? Or have you already given them some money and there's another $15K going to them?
How's your wife been about all this?
15K total....all the labor and the paint job. My wife is not too happy about this, but she got a new car last year, so that is how I justified it. As she says, I'm going to do what I want to do anyways, so why bother trying to stop me. As long as I don't put us in the poor house, I won't end up in the dog house.
Whiteshadow89158
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so how did you get your car shipped to Cali so cheap? i was quoted $2,400 from Mass.
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Yeah, as long as it's quality work, you're getting a good deal.
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najar28
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I just shopped around on the internet for car shipping companies and got quotes. I forgot what company shipped mine, they were based out of the southwest. I will look and see if I kept the receipt anywhere and let you know.
73shark
Well-known member
Since a quality paint job will run at least half of that, you got a really good deal.
Be sure you get a good plating shop since they'll probably have to do some restoration to the modded area. Any imperfections will show if they don't.
Be sure you get a good plating shop since they'll probably have to do some restoration to the modded area. Any imperfections will show if they don't.
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najar28
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It has been a while since my last update and there has been a lot of frustration with the shop where my car is at. This was supposed to be done at the end of every month since January and we are now getting close to the end of July and it still is not in my garage, so I have been a little frustrated with the shop and the speed or lack of in finishing my car.
BUT.....I am happy to say I am about to enter that light at the end of the tunnel, because the car is now in the final stages of being aligned and making sure that everything was put back together properly, so that it does not fall apart on me.
This has been an adventure and I don't think I will ever take on such and expensive task again. Every time I looked something else needed to be replace and if I replace one thing I have to replace the next. It has really gotten crazy and I would not have been able to finish this thing if it were not for the old credit card. I will be paying on this thing for years to come, unless I choose to sell it and pay off my debt, but I still will come up short because I put more money into this car than it is worth...especially in tough times like these. Here are a few pictures showing the car before paint, the interior going in, and the car painted in the middle of it being color sanded. I will submit the final pics once I get this thing home in a day or two.
BUT.....I am happy to say I am about to enter that light at the end of the tunnel, because the car is now in the final stages of being aligned and making sure that everything was put back together properly, so that it does not fall apart on me.
This has been an adventure and I don't think I will ever take on such and expensive task again. Every time I looked something else needed to be replace and if I replace one thing I have to replace the next. It has really gotten crazy and I would not have been able to finish this thing if it were not for the old credit card. I will be paying on this thing for years to come, unless I choose to sell it and pay off my debt, but I still will come up short because I put more money into this car than it is worth...especially in tough times like these. Here are a few pictures showing the car before paint, the interior going in, and the car painted in the middle of it being color sanded. I will submit the final pics once I get this thing home in a day or two.
oceangal
Well-known member
Looking good!
Mine has been 3 years in the making and its still not done. I at least got to drive her for a 100 miles. Still a few issues with the engine. sigh.
Mine has been 3 years in the making and its still not done. I at least got to drive her for a 100 miles. Still a few issues with the engine. sigh.
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