Need advice 1964' Stingray : Mandatory first parts & maintenance list for a long dormant barn/garage project car.

[ShawnBeau]

Hi all. I've got a 64' Convertible w/ hard top in the garage for the past decade, that was in a dry barn and garage for some time. I posted some pics over at a thread a few years ago if it looks familiar, but I went on the road for a while and shuttered the project due to old British motorcycles taking over my mind and a lack of time. Now I'm turning all my attentions to this car. Main focus isn't full restoration, main focus is making it a Sunday driver for now that safely starts and stops and does what it's supposed to do. I am competent with a wrench and have prevented myself from getting stranded on the side of the road by necessity & sudden part replacements multiple times with various vehicles, but have never had a "barn" car before. I'm concerned with where and which parts to acquire in what order. I'm well aware that this is going to take some weeks of undivided attention to get it running and much more time than that to make it 100%. All good.

I know there's a long list of parts that will be in safe working order (like the motor itself, with some cleaning and adjustment), and also a long list of parts that need to be replaced (anything rubber). But, not 100% sure of which is which at the moment. Also never messed with repair of a manual car before.

So: Any advice on what to tackle in what order and what initial parts to have on hand to get it a driver condition would be appreciated from those who have been here before.

Specs: 1964 Stingray Convertible, Manual, originally Ermine White 327/365 car w/ Holley. Currently has an early 70's SS over the counter GM 350 Racing block in it that was built for a sprint car, but removed with low miles has pop up pistons and racing cam. It's missing the Carb. Block has been stored with SeaFoam/PB Blaster in the block for about a decade. Car last Ran in mid 1980s and was stored in a dry barn, I was there for that to happen, and know that the only reason why it was put in the barn was that the gas tank rotted out. Was 100% running fine / working order when stored.

I am in the process of cleaning it with more attention, in and out, and I have a full enclosed garage with a decent amount of needed tools and can acquire more / rent / get a couple buddies to help with muscle as needed. I'm fine and used to getting my hands dirty with various cars ... so time to get some advice and start purchasing parts.






Again: At present I'm concentrating on making it a driver, and will be working on it every week until it's there. Later I will get to a better restoration, but for now, I need this thing moving around.

Appropriate advice appreciated. Thanks again everyone. Look forward to your extensive wisdom.

 

[Tuna]

Many years ago, I inherited a car that had been sitting in a garage for only 5 years. Just to make it a driver (and not a very good one), I did the following:

1. I had to get the brakes working properly - rebuild the master cylinder and the wheel cylinders, new shoes, etc.

2. Next was fuel - even with an electric pump, I could not get fuel to the carb. The tank and fuel lines were full of gunk. Instead of replacing the fuel line, I did a "roto-rooter" job on it using an old speedometer cable flattened on one end. An electric drill and patience produced a clean fuel line.
Rebuilt the carb, put in fresh gas and fired it up. In my case the engine started and seemed to run fine - smoked a bit though (rings gone bad?)

3. Rubber components - don't trust any of the hoses or belts including fuel lines --- replace them.
ditto the tires!

4. Somewhere along the way, wash it and clean all the dirt under the hood and under the car - helps you find other problems that you would rather find early.

Good luck with the rebuild.

 

[ShawnBeau]

2. Next was fuel - even with an electric pump, I could not get fuel to the carb. The tank and fuel lines were full of gunk. Instead of replacing the fuel line, I did a "roto-rooter" job on it using an old speedometer cable flattened on one end. An electric drill and patience produced a clean fuel line.
Rebuilt the carb, put in fresh gas and fired it up. In my case the engine started and seemed to run fine - smoked a bit though (rings gone bad?)

Given that the tank was missing, I'm planning on all parts for the fuel delivery to be replaced, because I know it can be a dangerous nightmare upon failure. I have a new Spectrum Tank in the box and apparently got a sending unit along with it at some point. I'm making the list! All advice appreciated.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Block has been stored with SeaFoam/PB Blaster in the block for about a decade.

Ooops. I can't think of anything worse to store an engine with. Both products will strip oil off metal surfaces leaving them dry and subject to corrosion.

Do not try to crank the engine. I'd drain the crankcase and dump the filter. Pull the spark plugs and borescope the cylinders looking for damage and corrosion. If OK, try turning the crank over by hand. If OK, install a fresh filter and fill the crankcase with oil. Use something like Rotella 10W30 deisel/spark oil and NOT modern oils meant for cars that are API SM or newer.

Remove the distributor, install a prelubricating tool and spin it with a drill till you see good solid oil pressure on the gauge.

Reinstall the distributor and try cranking it over, assuming the carb is in place.

 

[ShawnBeau]

Ooops. I can't think of anything worse to store an engine with. Both products will strip oil off metal surfaces leaving them dry and subject to corrosion.

Do not try to crank the engine. I'd drain the crankcase and dump the filter. Pull the spark plugs and borescope the cylinders looking for damage and corrosion. If OK, try turning the crank over by hand. If OK, install a fresh filter and fill the crankcase with oil. Use something like Rotella 10W30 deisel/spark oil and NOT modern oils meant for cars that are API SM or newer.

Remove the distributor, install a prelubricating tool and spin it with a drill till you see good solid oil pressure on the gauge.

Reinstall the distributor and try cranking it over, assuming the carb is in place.

This is awesome, thank you. I've been told in the past by shadetree hotrodders about the Diesel oil first in the old blocks and then hand cranking before but am admittedly ignorant as to why it is recommended.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Modern car-oriented oils might have insufficient additives that prevent wear between the the cam and lifters. Many diesel oils still have them. Look for API CJ-4 ratings on the jug. Don't let anybody trick you into using expensive boutique oils.

If you've got years to spend reading on the subject, google 'ZDDP' and stand back.

 

[ShawnBeau]

Any nominations for the best online shop to order vette specific parts from ? I know a lot of these parts I can just get as stock GM parts from NAPA or ... but Vette specific parts I'd like a referral on which online retailer is the best.

 

[c5vetter]

Long Island Corvette; Dr. Rebuild; Paragon are the ones I would look to for "period correct" parts - possibly NOS and/or NORS may be available also

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I know a lot of these parts I can just get as stock GM parts from NAPA or ... but Vette specific parts I'd like a referral on which online retailer is the best.

There's no one retailer that's universally 'the best'. I always liked Dr. Rebuild but my car just doesn't break enough for me to require parts very often to be a frequent customer.

 

[ShawnBeau]

Today I went through it with a friend, drained the existing mixture of oil and PB blaster that had been sitting in it for decades and refilled with Rotella T. But it wouldn't turn by hand. As it looked otherwise clean, and had been sitting with oil in it we removed the old battery, hooked up the hot one and unbelievably the starter works. After one bump the motor broke free and everything moves the way it should.

Now time to go fetch new wires & a spare set of plugs, fuel line, battery terminals, a coil, a carburator, and the mounting system for the new gas tank.

Also think I'm going to go ahead and buy the disc brake conversion for the front out of the gate, as it's all going to need to be redone anyway, and leave the drums on the back.

The exhaust is trashed, but the sidepipe housings look good for now.

The radiator is not original, and is too big, in fact someone cut the driver's side ear off the fan shroud to make it fit. Not sure what the right thing to do is there, may just get it rebuilt for cheap and put it back in for now and worry about it & a not cut up shroud later because it was working as it should have been when it was parked.

Any suggestions on the best options for the updated disc brakes is appreciated, I've scoured the threads and a lot of them are years old in reference, and perhaps there's a better current option than those mentioned years ago.

 

[Toms007]

I think you are smart to consider the front disk brake conversion. One of the things that I remember about my 64 coupe, was the lack of braking power. It was stock and conversions weren't readily available back then (40+ years ago). I do remember that Vette brakes and products were one of the first to offer stainless steel conversions for the problematic early disk calipers. I have no idea about their quality or service today, but a quick search shows they are still around. I'm sure that there are lots of good options available to you today.

When you have the opportunity, post up more pictures of your mid-year.

 

[ShawnBeau]

Modern car-oriented oils might have insufficient additives that prevent wear between the the cam and lifters. Many diesel oils still have them. Look for API CJ-4 ratings on the jug. Don't let anybody trick you into using expensive boutique oils.

If you've got years to spend reading on the subject, google 'ZDDP' and stand back.

Woah, I did google ZDDP and lost an hour or so reading through very heated oil debates on the forums. Wowza.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Woah, I did google ZDDP and lost an hour or so reading through very heated oil debates on the forums. Wowza.

Told ya!

 

[ShawnBeau]

I think you are smart to consider the front disk brake conversion. One of the things that I remember about my 64 coupe, was the lack of braking power. It was stock and conversions weren't readily available back then (40+ years ago). I do remember that Vette brakes and products were one of the first to offer stainless steel conversions for the problematic early disk calipers. I have no idea about their quality or service today, but a quick search shows they are still around. I'm sure that there are lots of good options available to you today.

When you have the opportunity, post up more pictures of your mid-year.

There seem to be quite a few different kits to choose from, I'm going through old posts to try and gauge which one would be the best, I definitely want power brakes as well and want to do this right the first time. Also going fast is great but stopping is also very important.

 

[ShawnBeau]

Here's some more gut photos now that I've been cleaning it up a bit.

 

[ShawnBeau]

And some more pics from today.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Since you need to totally rebuild the braking system and are going to change over to disc why don't you just do all 4 and do it right? You can use all stock components that match and not have to try to engineer a disc drum system that was never used on a Corvette.

Tom

 

[ShawnBeau]

Since you need to totally rebuild the braking system and are going to change over to disc why don't you just do all 4 and do it right? You can use all stock components that match and not have to try to engineer a disc drum system that was never used on a Corvette.

Tom

That's good advice: which stock components should I get then ? Would it be best to just retrofit the 65' brake parts onto the 64 ? Or is there a better aftermarket option?

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I'd get the car up and running and be in a position to judge myself whether I liked the drum brakes or not before getting into a major project like 4 wheel disk brakes conversion. Most of the guys I know with early C2s love their drums and wouldn't switch.

Not sure if you knew (or cared) but the casting number on the engine indicates that it's not the original engine. It's most likely from the early 70s and is 350 cu in.

 

[ShawnBeau]

I'd get the car up and running and be in a position to judge myself whether I liked the drum brakes or not before getting into a major project like 4 wheel disk brakes conversion. Most of the guys I know with early C2s love their drums and wouldn't switch.

Not sure if you knew (or cared) but the casting number on the engine indicates that it's not the original engine. It's most likely from the early 70s and is 350 cu in.

I've driven a similar but heavier weight vehicle with drums (old 70's chevelle and a nova) and also wrecked a chevy truck the day after driving through water due to drums seized up. Last car was a mid 80's Jag XJS with previous owner having done the Chevy Conversion, and it was disc all around, and was aside from being a bit heavy, a blast to drive, and that thing stopped on a dime. However if it weren't for that motor you accurately spotted and the fact that the braking system still has the single master cylinder I would probably just run drums on the cheap for a while.

Why I feel that I should at least have power disc front brakes: Partially because of what you noticed: the engine was said to be a replacement 71 SS camaro 350 block built with pop up pistons and high compression and a racing cam, allegedly out of a wrecked sprint car in the 70's. The original 327 / 365 block may be found though, there's a pile of these 327 blocks in the family unfortunately probably not well kept and in the trunk of a rotting 55 chevy or something similar, and the intake I believe to be from the original block. But I'll have to do some significant hunting to track it down if it even is one of the blocks in a pile in the field by the barn etc.

I'm planning on doing a compression test on the existing motor tomorrow with proper equipment to see what it's actually at. But several usually big talking hot-rodders-in-their-younger-days have said the motor is very very hairy. One uncle has repeatedly advised me to get rid of the motor if I was ever to fix the car and drive it. Admittedly I'm in my 30's and they may just be talking it up.

Since I'm going to have to spend bucks on power brakes if I did stay with drums, and I'll have to replace all lines and associated parts anyway I think I should probably opt for at least front brakes. Also Florida (where I am right now) has a lot of ... very distracted drivers. It also gets water in the streets here, high enough to get into drum brakes.

Even though I'm a younger fellow, and I still occasionally open up my Triumph Bonneville going over the bridges when there's no cars on them, I wear a helmet and have a healthy respect for staying alive.