new owners of 74 stingray

[D&Ds]

Hello everyone!!

Well since I last posted we bought the car. We have done nothing but work on it since monday night. Well I say work but it is fun work for the most part. It needs quite a bit more to pass the safety than we expected it would. From reading some other postings it seems we are not the only buyers to be told the breaks had all been done. Oh well what are you going to do. We just want it done so we can enjoy the car. A couple of questions maybe someone can help us with though. First there is a light bulb for the heater display but it doesn't light up the display as light doesn't show through black very well. Is this how they all are or has somee other owner altered the color of the background? Also there is a pull out black thing located on a metal bracket at the bottom front below the steering column. It appears to have been some sort of vacume at some time. Does anyone have this or know what it is for?? Any suggestions for newbies will be very much appreciated.

Deborah & Dave :W:

 

[Ken]

Welcome To The Corvette Action Center D&Ds!

I don't have an answer to your question (C3s are not my forte ) but it won't take long for you to get a response here. Lotta Sharks! :L

 

[Yoda]

D&Ds,

I can't be of much help.. I'm sorry.. We have a gentleman here from SSautoSport (Steve) that is somewhat of an expert on 74's. Be patient as soon as he sees this post anything and everything you every wanted to know about a 1974 Corvette can be answered.

We stopped by his shop on our trip back to California from Bowling Green. Steve and his son Sam are very nice and knowlegble Corvette People.

BudD

 

[D&Ds]

74 stingray

Hi BudD

Thanks for the info. I know we will have a ton of questions for the next while. This is so exciting but also a little scary!!!

We are just finding out all the common things to go on these cars. She sure is pretty though. Thanks again for the reply.

Deborah

 

[wipeout48]

Hey i know what that black puller thing under your steering column is, it brings the lights up and down on my 77, i always thought it was kinda weird to have it there. Im not to certain if all vettes have them there or what. check to see if your lights go up or down when you turn them on, if not then you will have to run your vacum from your lights to there.

Thats all i can tell you about that switch

 

[D&Ds]

74 headlight switch

Hello

How are things in Timmons? I am in Niagara Falls Ontario. Things are pretty dried up around here.

Thanks for the reply. You may be right but if so than the lights were changed by someone because they go up and down with a light switch that is near the top left just below the dash board. Some strange things have been done to this car by someone over the years. We are trying to figure it all out and hope to have it back to original condition someday. I jst told my husband what you said and he thinks you just might be right. So I guess at some point in time they changed the vacume lines to work off the other switch.

Thanks !!!

 

[wipeout48]

Yeah,

Thats what im trying to figure out is mine supposed to run off the light swithc at the top or did they run the vacum lines under the steering column?????

Mine was in rough shape to when i first got it, the owners stored it in the freezing heavy snow of timmins, it makes about a year i own it so last winter i stored it in my garage, riped the motor out and totally rebuilt it, sanded down the frame and put undercoating on, and also installed side pipes with hooker super competition headers since the rear exhaust just kept on hitting the pavement on the bumpy roads in timmins. Car looks like it just rolled off the assembly line.

I was down in toronto last week, think i have to adjust my carb since i was only able to hit 130 mph on the 401.

lol

 

[D&Ds]

car sounds nice

Well we havn't been able to give this a rewal good try out because we have no back breaks. The right side wheel cylinder is leaking so just have front breaks and the pedal goes almost to the floor. It goes in monday and I hope we will be driving it in a week or so. Someone ripped out the air conditioner and all the hoses and lines for it. All the duck work was apart. The dash lights didn't work, the tack cable was taken off, and we still don't know what else is missing or altered. This is the kind of stuff we have been fiddling with all week. We now have a working heater and defroster and dash lights. Tomorrow we have to put it all back together. Sounds like fun doesn't it??

Only 130 miles per hour huh!!!!!!

Must be nice. I'll let you know when ours is safely drivable how fast it goes. Do you have a BB in yours?

How is you're rad support and other metal parts. Out frame is real good. The car was stored in a garage since 1993. We need interior parts but that will have to wait till next year.

Where do you get parts for you're car?

 

[Yoda]

Little Black knob looking device under the steering wheel

wipeout48 is right about the little "switch" under the steering column. It is a vacumn switch to let you bring the head lamp assy. up without turning on the lights.

The actual light switch should be on the dash upper left side. You should be able to turn on the headlights with it and adjust the interior dash lights.

sounds like you and your husband are having fun.. I just spend a couple of hours in the garage with my Rare81.. she needed a few little things done from her run to Bowling Green and back to California.. We Be Ready to Rock & Roll now

BudD

 

[GS Diva]

Congratulations on your purchase!!! We also have a 74 (though I can't answer your questions!). Enjoy it!

Lemon Peel aka Elaine

 

[wipeout48]

No i wish i had a big block, thats my next vette when i can afford another one, i have a 350 small block the l-48 model.

My rad support was rusted right thru on the bottom but i had it welled up and now it looks like brand new. When i took the motor out i sanded down every single part i could right down to the metal and primed them and repainted them.

My frame was in really good shape, but didnt look the nicest so i sanded all of that down to the metal and undercoated it.

I also get all the hard to find parts from complete corvette which is located in st. catharines ask for Rick when you call he can find you any part for any year corvette (905) 688 3327. Any other parts i get from local stores.

 

[stingrayl82]

Deborah & Dave,

Congradulations on your purchase.

If you are referring to the little hole, in between the vents in the center of the dash, that's supposed to shine light down on the heater panel, don't worry.....I don't think that there's one C3 owner out there who doesn't have the same problem as you do, including me. I can tell you this, though.......that light is a different number than the other light bulbs behind your dash. The correct light bulb does burn brighter, though not by much. It was one of those ideas that Chevy came up with that had good intentions, but the end result was lame. I'll look in my owner's manual and shop manual and get you the right number.

As for the vacuum switch for the headlamps, I have no idea why Chevy did it. It took me about two weeks to figure out what that switch was for. I finally had to ask my father-in-law (the original owner), and he was laughing as he explained it to me.

 

[D&Ds]

74 stingray

Thanks for the info. We just finished puting it all back together. What a job. At some time another owner changed the vacume for the headlights to the light switch on the top left of the dash. The dash lights weren't working when we bought the car so we had to replace the switch. Everthing is working now except for the low speed on the wipers. They were working but quit on us tonight. I think this car is posessed. It goes in tomorrow for the breaks( all around ), front control arm bushings, belts, hoses, new thermostat, etc. etc.

I hope to have it back in a week or so. Now a question on calipers. We are going to go with stainless steel. Are there any that are bettter than others? Is there anything you can tell us so far as break parts or any other parts in the front end or rear that are better than certain brands. The mechanic doing the work seems very familiar with vets so we hope all will turn out okay. Well if you think of anything for us to watch out for or parts top check often we would really appreciate you're input. Oh one question we can't get into the one compartment in the back. The top is missing. Any ideas?

Deb and Dave

 

[Wamp]

D&D

D&D

Glad to hear you are in the 74 realm. I just bought mine in march, have been taking it apart sections at a time. Is your interior cracked or just real dirty? I just redid my interior took me 4 weeks to get it back to new condition, only have the glove box frame still to do and install new front carpet with heatshielding/sound deadner. Any questions on interior email me, help you save a ton of money.


Wamp '74

 

[reddevil]

See my restored 74 in Reader's Ride section and highlighted as "Split-tail".

Have fun with your restoration - 74's need a lot of it!!!