My BABY is all fixed!!

[BarryK]

Many of you may remember that Back at the end of March, after owning my '65 coupe just under 4 weeks some idiot sitting in front of me at a red light decided to back up for no reason and backed up right into the front of BABY (my name for the car).

Thankfully, there was no fiberglass or paint damage, just bent chrome bumpers, brackets, and nosegrill.

Well, I spoke to the shop today and they finally finished fixing BABY this morning along with an engine issue that I discovered just after buying her.
I already have the check from the idiot's insurance company covering the accident damage and the shop itself is covering the engine repair because they didn't realize the problem when they sold her to me.
I'm driving down tomorrow to pick her up and bring her back home where she belongs. I can't wait to see my car again! it's been at the shop for 6 weeks - longer than I had her to enjoy before the accident.
Typical luck though, once I get her home tomorrow, it suppose to be thunderstorms most of Fri, Sat, and Sun killing the weekend fun. I had wanted to drive her down to see the show in Wildwood, NJ but not if it's raining. BABY doesn't see the outside of the garage if it's wet out.
Oh well, at least BABY will be back home where she belongs

 

[boomer]

Woohoo, congrats for you!! 6 weeks....wow, that's a long time with no Vette. Makes me sad just thinking about it.
Here's to many happy drivings....
Oliver

 

[67HEAVEN]

6 weeks....wow, that's a long time with no Vette.

Six weeks? Try 20 years. :crazy (I know....you've all heard the story).

Congratulations Barry. Now get off the computer and go for a drive.

 

[BarryK]

Thanks Boomer and Heaven!


Heaven, I would be driving but I can't go get BABY until tomorrow.

 

[c5vetter]

Barry,

Was going to send you an email, but looks like Keith already rattled your cage! Was at Tony's picking LADY up for the trek to WIldwood, NJ tomorrow and Keith was giving BABY a bath! She was looking good! Didn't have my camera otherwise would have sent another pic!

 

[BlackZ28Turbo]

Sorry to hear about the weather Barry but I am glad you get your baby back home where she belongs.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Six weeks? Try 20 years. :crazy (I know....you've all heard the story).

Congratulations Barry. Now get off the computer and go for a drive.

Six weeks? 20 years?? Try 33 years and counting. I'm shooting for the '59s 50th anniversary though.

Tom

 

[Tripleblack51]

it's been at the shop for 6 weeks - longer than I had her to enjoy before the accident.

Hey Barry,
Congrats on getting Baby back!
My coupe was in the shop (mechanic's) for six week undergoing minor surgery.
(It wasn't minor for my wallet,though)
I was going through withdrawal.

When I finally got her back, she ran like a top for a week, then last Saturday, the weld on the clutch "Z-bar" broke while I was out for a cruise.

I had to have her flatbedded home and replaced the part myself this afternoon!

Enjoy your baby!! That's why we have 'em!

Regards,
Pedro

 

[BarryK]

Rick

Damn, I'm going to miss seeing LADY at the shop AGAIN!! Oh well, if the weather clears up any this weekend I'm going to try to make it down to Wildwood to see the show and LADY.
Good luck on the PV, I'm sure LADY will pass with flying colors.

Barry

 

[BarryK]

Black

yeah, the weather messes all the fun up but that's life. At least BABY will be home so when it does clear up I can enjoy her

 

[BarryK]

Six weeks? 20 years?? Try 33 years and counting. I'm shooting for the '59s 50th anniversary though.

Tom

Tom

that's ok, we all have confidence that when you are ready you will get your '59 back on the road and enjoy her

I know 6 weeks wasn't really all that long to wait, but considering BABY is my first Vette and I only had her a month before having to send her back into the shop for the repairs, it felt like such a long time being without her.

Barry

 

[BarryK]

Hey Barry,
Congrats on getting Baby back!
My coupe was in the shop (mechanic's) for six week undergoing minor surgery.
(It wasn't minor for my wallet,though)
I was going through withdrawal.

When I finally got her back, she ran like a top for a week, then last Saturday, the weld on the clutch "Z-bar" broke while I was out for a cruise.

I had to have her flatbedded home and replaced the part myself this afternoon!

Enjoy your baby!! That's why we have 'em!

Regards,
Pedro

Triple

I know what you mean about feeling like being in withdrawal!!
Sorry to hear about you having trouble with yours again though and having to do more reapirs.
I sure hope nothing like that happens to me because I'm not one that can do most reairs on mine - if anything happens I need to send her into a shop for repairs and that costs me a bunch in both time and money compared to doing it yourself. (although I'm hoping that being on this forum will help me to start being able to do at least some of the more simple type repairs / maintaince on her eventually)

Barry

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks Barry. As soon as Cruise-Fest is over there will be a major push on to get the stepside up and running. There's a Lot of members waiting for me to finish the engine build thread. Then I'll be hitting the '59 hard.

Tom

 

[BarryK]

Well, I just got back with BABY!
2 hours drive down to the shop and 3 hours drive home in BABY. Yes, the drive home was longer because I had to take a few LONG-CUTS to make up for the last 6 weeks of being without her


WOW, the new chrome front bumpers look GREAT. I really thought the ones that were on her when I bought her looked as good as new but now with the replacements I can really see the difference. I need sunglasses just to look at the new shiney chrome in the front!!

It's great to see BABY sitting back in her space in the garage where she belongs. Now all I need is a little nice weather this weekend so enjoy her and I'll be very happy.

Barry

 

[67HEAVEN]

I'm happy for you.

 

[BarryK]

thanks Heaven


how is your schedule going with yours? think you are going to make the June 5th date?
whatever you do, don't rush it at this point though just to make a date - you waited all this time so make sure you finish her correct no matter when that is.

 

[JohnZ]

Six weeks? Try 20 years. :crazy (I know....you've all heard the story).

Congratulations Barry. Now get off the computer and go for a drive.

Somehow your cluster pic looks familiar....

 

[67HEAVEN]

thanks Heaven


how is your schedule going with yours? think you are going to make the June 5th date?
whatever you do, don't rush it at this point though just to make a date - you waited all this time so make sure you finish her correct no matter when that is.

Barry,
I'm jealous of you in the driver's seat. I'm in a bit of a funk because I'm not going to make June 5th. I'll be lucky to make July 5th. This project was a massive amount of work, compounded by four new "complete" fenders, a complete change in the suspension design, a change to the Richmond 5-speed from the Muncie.........all added to your typical "complete" rebuild of the "total" car.....and I mean complete -- every nut and bolt apart; every component examined and either rebuilt or replaced. :crazy

Frankly, I'm weary and with the good weather here again, I'm frustrated at not driving it. I'd love to be headed for Auburn. Oh well. Back to the salt mines.

John,
I love that interior colour. Nice.

P.S. I don't quite know how to explain to everyone the learning experience this has all been. Not so much regarding Corvettes, although I have learned a massive amount about that -- but about me personally. Doing all this over an extended period of time has been like holding myself up to a mirror. Most times I'm satisfied with the image in the mirror, but not always.

I do know this though. It would have been easy to throw my hands in the air and say, "The Hell with it." on more than one occasion. Some of you have some idea of what I'm talking about. Others do not. This has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. It requires a great deal of determination over the long term and is hard to do while running a business and a family.

Sorry Barry.........I'm rambling. This thread is about BABY.

 

[BarryK]

Heaven

no need to apologize! I've never done what you are in the middle of with a car - hell, i'd be too scared to even start a project like that, but in other things in my life I understand how you feel. Sometimes the frustration gets to you and you wonder if it will ever end and you can finally see the end result. Believe me, with what we all here have seen of your progress on the car on your website you have accomplished an amazing thing already before it's even finished. It's something to be very proud of, both the car and yourself.
We all understand how tough it must be on you not to be able to drive her yet with the weather becoming nice, but as you have pointed out, it's been 20 years so a few more weeks won't make a big difference, but if you try to rush the job now and something turns out less than 100% because of that, it will bother you even more for a very long time, especially because you will know it could have been at 100% if it wasn't simply a case of inpatience.
Don't let the date concern you. Just keep working on her, get each step done just the way you need and want it done correctly, and when she IS all finished you will be even happier with the final result.
At that point you will have years and years to enjoy driving her!

BTW, if you even decide to drive her down along the mid-atlantic section of the US, stop into Delaware and I'll buy you a beer. I'd love to see that car in person sometime!


Barry

 

[67HEAVEN]

BTW, if you even decide to drive her down along the mid-atlantic section of the US, stop into Delaware and I'll buy you a beer. I'd love to see that car in person sometime!


Barry

Thanks. I'm actually planning on a side-trip to Bethel, CT to see friends during a trip to Carlisle -- probably next summer.