New Member 2nd Vette, Hopefully

[Dickvegas]

Hi, I just found this forum, mostly because I may be getting my second vette. I currently own a '92 convertible. The new one I might be buying belongs to a family member who has had it stashed in his garage for 15-20 years. I saw it in person today and it looks great to me. The hoses and wiring under the hood don't even look dry or cracked. It hasn't run in that long and I'm looking for what I need to do to a car that has been sitting for 15-20 years in the dry desert climate. It has been covered and he kept the tires inflated.
It's a 1962 hard top convertible. Thanks in advance for any advice and I'm glad I found you guys. You seem like a welcoming community.

 

[Huskerman]

Welcome to the party.....that's quite a find, wish I had family like that. I love 62's. No matter how they look, all the hoses and belts will need changed out and all the fluids also. Tires will need replaced, I know I wouldn't trust them very far. I would tune it up and I am sure the brakes are going to need some work including the hoses. A new battery of course and the fuel tank and carb will be gunky and a lot of gaskets will have dried out I'm thinking. Will the engine turn over. I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of things.

What you plan on doing with the car and its originallity will be a factor in what parts you chose to get it up and running again. Is the car stock or has it been modified? Do you want a driver or go the NCRS restoration route? Those are some things you will need to think about as you get into the project.

There is a huge amount of info in the archives and a lot of folks with a lot of answers on the CAC and you're right this is a good bunch who hangs out here. Good luck with your find and post up some pics when you can.......

 

[Tom Bryant]

Welcome!

Sounds like a great find.

Tom

 

[catbert]

The 62 - my favorite year for the Vette.

 

[XLR8]

Good luck on the 62!

The people here will be a great resource to get it back on the road safely!
Jane Ann

 

[Dickvegas]

Welcome to the party.....that's quite a find, wish I had family like that. I love 62's. No matter how they look, all the hoses and belts will need changed out and all the fluids also. Tires will need replaced, I know I wouldn't trust them very far. I would tune it up and I am sure the brakes are going to need some work including the hoses. A new battery of course and the fuel tank and carb will be gunky and a lot of gaskets will have dried out I'm thinking. Will the engine turn over. I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of things.

What you plan on doing with the car and its originallity will be a factor in what parts you chose to get it up and running again. Is the car stock or has it been modified? Do you want a driver or go the NCRS restoration route? Those are some things you will need to think about as you get into the project.

There is a huge amount of info in the archives and a lot of folks with a lot of answers on the CAC and you're right this is a good bunch who hangs out here. Good luck with your find and post up some pics when you can.......

Here is what I know. I would be 4th owner. For now I want to just have a driver, and enjoy it how it is. Some things I noticed right away and was told. It's not the original paint but it was repainted original color. He did a weird modification so that the gas fill is inside where the soft top would go and the body has been smoothed over where the door or hatch was. (I totally don't get that but maybe that was something people did?) Carb is not origiinal, looks like a Holley with braided steel and anodized gas lines, very 80's. It sits taller so the air filter has been replaced but we have original air filter. Radio has been replace but we have original station seeking AM. Tires on it are double white wall. It is still buried behind boxes and junk so I'm not going to see it fully until next week but it looks like it's gonna be mine. Woohoo. Will post a couple pics we took. later.

 

[Tuna]

If the car has been sitting that long, no matter how the belts, hoses and tires look, plan on replacing them.

Replace all the fluids in the engine, trans, rear end and brakes.

Gas tank and fuel lines may be coated with shellac and/or rust. Plan on cleaning the fuel system.

Brakes: the brake shoes may be stuck to the drums. This could be an issue.

Barn/Garage finds like this can be wonderful but they always require a "little" work to put the back on the street.

Hope it works out for you.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Expect the clutch disc to be stuck to the flywheel and pressure plate also. I've never seen a fuel fill moved inside like that on one of these cars. A competition cap in the center of the deck was done sometimes but was still easily accessed with the top on. They aren't that big of a hickup on the body anyway. That would be a real pain to fuel with the top up. A hardtop would be out of the question. I would look it over closely and determine what is necessary to restore the fill door to stock. You may be in the market for a new gas tank anyway if major rust inside is an issue. It will come with a stock fill neck.

Tom

 

[Dickvegas]

Couple of pics


Here are a couple of pics I took yesterday

 

[BigJimZ16]

View attachment 10854View attachment 10855
Here are a couple of pics I took yesterday

HMMM... Headers and a big Holley. I wonder what cam is in it?? Or what it started life as...

 

[Huskerman]

I would like to see some pics of the gas filler set up....that's a new one on me. You would think if they were having problems with folks dumping stuff in the gas tanks he would have bought a looking gas cap. To see if the numbers are correct on the engine you will need to do some crawling around to get them. The casting #'s on the block for 62 was 3782870 which I think was the same thru 65. On the passenger side of the engine up at the front there is a pad with some stampings on that. Clean it off best you can and then let us know what it says. That will help in establishing if the engine belongs with your car or what the original HP rating was on the car. You might want to get a Corvette Black Book as a quick reference quide.

 

[Dickvegas]

I am still having trouble finding the numbers you described in the front. In the back driver's side there is one stamped that is 390?018(or 3 or 0). I'm having trouble loading pics today but I have a bunch. I'll try later.

 

[Dickvegas]

More pics

 

[Dickvegas]

The weird gas filler thing

 

[jrose7004]

Congrats! Quite a find.

 

[VoodooVettes]

View attachment 10854View attachment 10855
Here are a couple of pics I took yesterday

Schwiiiiiiiiing!!

 

[bill81vette]

wow!!!!!what a find!!!!

 

[Dickvegas]

engine

I found out today that the engine started out it's life as a late 70's early 80's 350 for trucks.

 

[LT4man]

What a great looking Vette!

Cool that you know what engine is in the car.