New project.......just started....

[firstgear]

I found a 63SWC and have begun the process of transforming the car. Body needs some work in the front fender area, but other than that it is good except for the areas I need to cut on in order to make everything fit.

Here are some photos....

Minnie past away right before Carlisle this past year and we recently got a new addition to the family, a young (16 month) male Golden retriever named Romeo. And he is a Romeo for sure! Jeff had come over to assist in the body pull and Romeo was everywhere in the garage. When the door opened he jumped in like he was going for a ride!

up it goes....got the straps at Paragon

you can see Romeo in all of these photos...

We got him out for the lift and then he was everywhere under our feet, so I finally opened the door on the pick up truck and he was happy to sit inside his truck and watch....

new SRIII frame in the foreground and the original '63 in the background

I will post some add on photos later in the week when I can get a chance to go out and take some more. We dropped the body on the new frame today after cutting out the rear areas and making a mini tub. The body fits the new frame almost. It is about 3/4 of an inch from having all the mount locations match up. I emailed Rich if he had run into any areas that were a bother to the fit and he sent me some photos of a potential interference area at the passenger outside rear corner position.

I will also check this area later in the week. After all the cutting and fussing with the body today, plus snow blowing and other chores around the house I was whipped at the end....stay tuned!

 

[twiget]

Looks like a great project. With the mini-tubbing, I'm guessing your not going to do an NCRS restoration? :L

My dog is just like Romeo. Except for maybe food, his favorite thing is a ride in the car.

Jason

 

[BarryK]

Hey Herb!
wow, already have a rolling SRIII chassis and the body is off. You are going to make quick work on this project.
What motor are you putting in? going for an older vintage generation motor or an LS?

Got a color combo picked out for the car yet. Oh wait, it's YOU so I'm guessing the exterior color at least will be either Silver or Blue! :L:L:L

BTW, at least you can't blame THIS project on me, this one is all on you my friend!

cool new puppy. Golden retrievers are one of my favorites although i've never had one, but have known a lot of them and they are always very nice, friendly dogs. At the moment I'm a bit partial towards Border Collies since that's what we currently have. In the past i've had two other collies (the Lassie types) and an Australian Sheep Dog. I'll tell you what though... collies are SMART dogs. It's like having a kid around sometimes - Linda and I actually have to spell out words to each other so the dog doesn't know what we are saying because if he hears certain words he knows he will get real excited or real sad and upset. We can't let hear him things like "dinner", "car", "truck", "outside", "go out", "food", "trip", "ball", and about a dozen or more others. Even completely out of context of what he would be used to if he hears any word he knows (and he knows a lot of them) he'll react. Either real excited thinking he is going to get fed, or go outside, or play, or even get upset and sad because he thinks we are leaving the house so he will be alone. Like I said, having to spell out words to each other all the times is like having a kid around and even than I swear he is starting to learn to spell because sometimes he still understands what we just spelled. It's scary.
At least the cats either never understand or just don't care.
Sorry to hear about Minnie. BTW, one of our cats is named Minnie.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Herb,

I didn't know that you had so much spare time and energy. I could have just turned you loose on my '59.

Tom

 

[firstgear]

Herb,

I didn't know that you had so much spare time and energy. I could have just turned you loose on my '59.

Tom

too funny Tom, what I like and make time for is the challenge. I am an engineer and engineers love to solve problems. Certainly there is the challenge of restoring a car and then there is the challenge of creating something that is your own with your own ideas and twists. sometimes those twists take you down roads that are full of problems and more challenges, but that is the fun of it.

I tell Sharon, I am an engineer and she responds, "I know, you solve problems and creat new ones", yup that is the fun of it......

While I had the body work on the last one done by someone else, I am tackling this one.......primarily because I am trying to conserve cash and secondly because I don't feel the time crunch on this one like I did with the last one. I have the '60 and a couple of other bad a$$ cars I can drive if I feel the need, so this one I can enjoy the build and rahter than not doing something "right" or because I don't want to spend the money, I am doing this one "full out". So who knows how the road will twist and turn, but whlie it will be similar to some other cars that have been done, it will also have my own flavor to it that will make it different.....

So stay tuned, the motor will be familiar yet very different......that is all I am saying for now......

 

[Red Vette]

What a combo, a SWC that needs repairs and a terrific pup that need training. Where do you get the time Herb? You must paint the SWC RED, otherwise it just won't go with the avatar of the 4 red corvettes. I believe the interior should be red, but as I have said before, I am biased toward the color. Keep us posted. Not only do you do great work, but your photos are terrific.
Barrett

 

[henny496]

Hello Herb
You really don't sit idle for too long do you? I am impressed that you are doing another car and by the looks of it, you have a really good car to start with for your new project
I look forward to watching the build on this car and the pics and info that will follow
We also have a new dog. Jasmine is here name. If Romeo is 80 lbs, Jasmine is about 77 lbs lighter
take care
Tom

 

[vett boy]

Great project.

 

[navy2kcoupe]

That 63 frame looks to be in very good shape! Are you swapping it out "just because", or is the 63 frame worse than it looks in the pictures. I expect that you are doing it for better handling characteristics (just because), but I was curious.
Andy Anderson

 

[firstgear]

What a combo, a SWC that needs repairs and a terrific pup that need training. Where do you get the time Herb? You must paint the SWC RED, otherwise it just won't go with the avatar of the 4 red corvettes. I believe the interior should be red, but as I have said before, I am biased toward the color. Keep us posted. Not only do you do great work, but your photos are terrific.
Barrett

yup, RED, same red as the '60, '01 and '03....TORCH RED!

Interior will probably be like the '60 and the '03, MOD RED (black and red combo)

Thanks for the comments on the photos, that is my other hobby.

 

[firstgear]

Hello Herb
You really don't sit idle for too long do you? I am impressed that you are doing another car and by the looks of it, you have a really good car to start with for your new project
I look forward to watching the build on this car and the pics and info that will follow
We also have a new dog. Jasmine is here name. If Romeo is 80 lbs, Jasmine is about 77 lbs lighter
take care
Tom

I was burned out on the last one, but after Autorama and the rest of the summers events I decided to act on my thoughts of another project. There were compromises I made on the '60 not knowing how far I was going to take it. So I thought if I was ever to do another that I would take more time and get the things I wanted on the '60 but didn't.

So there ya go......

Romeo is a solid 62 pounds and very fast......

 

[firstgear]

That 63 frame looks to be in very good shape! Are you swapping it out "just because", or is the 63 frame worse than it looks in the pictures. I expect that you are doing it for better handling characteristics (just because), but I was curious.
Andy Anderson

I wanted to have a '63SWC restomod and I looked at many cars. Even drove to Kentucky to actually pick one up based on the phone conversation only to get down there and find that the bird cage looked like this....

even though I specifically asked about the bird cage and the guy had been selling Corvettes (mostly C1 and C2's) for more than 20 years.

I twitched on another one, but decided to not pursue it because of the bird cage

there were several others that I looked at only to pass......

And then finally this is the one that I bought....

The car was basically all apart as the previous owner had decided to redo the car but a land deal came up that he needed to act on and sold his 2 Corvettes. One of the guys on the forum knew I was looking for a '63swc and found this on Craigs list in New Hampshire.

I had my brother in law go take a look at it and a deal was made. I wasz the first phone call and we cut a deal on the phone based on his descriptions and subject to verification by my brother in law. I gave him what he was asking because I knew the price was right. In the end he was happy and so was I.

We drove out after work to eastern NH, we were just over an hour from Kennbunkport, Maine, after work on Friday. That was how far east we went. Got there and loaded the car and all the boxes of stuff he had and was back hom by 10pm on Saturday night. The whirlwind car pickup.

The frame had been redone and many of the suspension pieces had been done. I don't know close to NCRS all the pieces were done, but they looked good. The car is 340hp matching numbers. I tried to swap the car for a non numbers matching but it all had to be there and the bird cage had to be as good or better. No one had a car that was acceptable to me so I went ahead with my plan.

I have sold several of the parts I am not using and as I go forward I find more than I won't be using. So there you go, nothing wrong with the frame except it just didn't fit in with my plans like big wheels and tires. The rear wheels are 285R40X18 and 27" tall fit on 10" rims.

The car will have an LS style motor with gobs of HP, more than these tires can handle....but oh well.....should be fun!

Rear rims by Billet Specialties, when I opened the box all I could say was OMG are these awesome.....

and yes, they do look that good!

So stay tuned.....more to come

 

[IH2LOSE]

Ok Herb One word comes to mind here

WACKO

Well may be 3 more

Lost your mind


Best of luck I just cant belive your jumbing stright into a nother one

Best of Luck

 

[jims427400]

Hey Herb,
I'm excited to see you pursuing another project, but I'm cureous... dont you ever want to restore these beauties back to original condition ? especially a 63 swc..
I'm still going to get over when the weather breaks.. Good luck, and I'm sure its going to be awsome with all that hp.
Jim

 

[firstgear]

Hey Herb,
I'm excited to see you pursuing another project, but I'm cureous... dont you ever want to restore these beauties back to original condition ? .
Jim

I have another 63SWC that is original that needs a paint job and a couple of interior pieces replaced, other than that it is in great shape. I like hot rods, or in this case resto rods.....

 

[firstgear]

Ok Herb One word comes to mind here

WACKO

Well may be 3 more

Lost your mind

Before it was only suspected, now it is CONFIRMED!

 

[IH2LOSE]

I hope you know I am only joking . I wish you the best with the project. For sure sharon is a saint. I hope you guys are getting to enjoy the other car and not just letting it sir.

PS

sorry about your loss and best of luck with the new family member. Our shepard is getting up there in the years and its heart braking to see them get old

 

[firstgear]

I hope you know I am only joking . I wish you the best with the project. For sure sharon is a saint. I hope you guys are getting to enjoy the other car and not just letting it sir.

PS

sorry about your loss and best of luck with the new family member. Our shepard is getting up there in the years and its heart braking to see them get old

I thought you were serious!