Thumper
Well-known member
After reading last month's VETTE magazine, I was completely captivated by the heavily modified 69 convertible featured in the issue. It took me awhile to make out the windshield banner, which brought me to this website. I sure wish I had known about this website earlier, as I could have avoided a few mistakes in my current '76 project build up.
My project basically consists of a very well worn 76 that I purchased from an old friend about a decade ago. I had remembered back in the early 80's finding the car in someone's back yard, stripped of it's engine, wheels, hood and brakes. Repainted black (originally blue) and in serious need of someone to care about it. My friend bought it and spent the next year putting it back on the street. He painted it red and went thru a few different engines before he had it the way he wanted it. I was in love with the car when it was finished.
He and I lost touch until '91, when he called me out of the blue and asked if I wanted to buy it. I asked him "what's wrong with it?", and he said that it he had still been driving it until a couple of months ago, and that while it wasn't pristene, it was still a solid car. I cut a deal with him right there while we were on the phone. He told me that he was in dire need of some money, so he let me have it waaaaay cheap ($3,500).
I was stoked! Went over the next day to pick it up and noticed that the front bumper was heavily cracked and missing a few pieces, the paint was faded, but the '81 tail was still in great shape and the interior still looked good. I hopped in and it fired right up....had what I would call a very loud rod knock (which turned out to be 4 roller lifters that had cratered and were destroying the cam and the lifter bores. I still went ahead and bought the car, as I felt that it deserved better treatment than it was getting.
I drove it home, fogging the neighborhood for mosquitos, parked it in the garage and decided that I'd better figure out a good story for when the wife got home. I ended up surveying the thing over the next week, sold off everything I knew I wanted to change, and then let it sit for the past decade while I accumulated parts and time.
Well, now I've found the time and most of the money to put the old vette back on the road. I've changed my mind so many times on what I wanted to do, that I'm on my third engine (going with a ZZ4 now). I'm going with the Vette Brakes premium suspension package and offset trailing arms. Haven't fully decided on rims, as I haven't decided if I'm going to leave the fenders stock, or flare them, which will affect wheel width. I'm currently installng a new gas tank with LeMans filler, SS gas, brake and tranny lines, cross drilled rotors, braided steel soft lines, and new master cyl. and booster. I figure that it should be able to stop before it can go.
Well, I'll try to post pic's soon, and will be picking everyone's brain as I run into things/problems that I could use some advice on. Sorry for the long post.
My project basically consists of a very well worn 76 that I purchased from an old friend about a decade ago. I had remembered back in the early 80's finding the car in someone's back yard, stripped of it's engine, wheels, hood and brakes. Repainted black (originally blue) and in serious need of someone to care about it. My friend bought it and spent the next year putting it back on the street. He painted it red and went thru a few different engines before he had it the way he wanted it. I was in love with the car when it was finished.
He and I lost touch until '91, when he called me out of the blue and asked if I wanted to buy it. I asked him "what's wrong with it?", and he said that it he had still been driving it until a couple of months ago, and that while it wasn't pristene, it was still a solid car. I cut a deal with him right there while we were on the phone. He told me that he was in dire need of some money, so he let me have it waaaaay cheap ($3,500).
I was stoked! Went over the next day to pick it up and noticed that the front bumper was heavily cracked and missing a few pieces, the paint was faded, but the '81 tail was still in great shape and the interior still looked good. I hopped in and it fired right up....had what I would call a very loud rod knock (which turned out to be 4 roller lifters that had cratered and were destroying the cam and the lifter bores. I still went ahead and bought the car, as I felt that it deserved better treatment than it was getting.
I drove it home, fogging the neighborhood for mosquitos, parked it in the garage and decided that I'd better figure out a good story for when the wife got home. I ended up surveying the thing over the next week, sold off everything I knew I wanted to change, and then let it sit for the past decade while I accumulated parts and time.
Well, now I've found the time and most of the money to put the old vette back on the road. I've changed my mind so many times on what I wanted to do, that I'm on my third engine (going with a ZZ4 now). I'm going with the Vette Brakes premium suspension package and offset trailing arms. Haven't fully decided on rims, as I haven't decided if I'm going to leave the fenders stock, or flare them, which will affect wheel width. I'm currently installng a new gas tank with LeMans filler, SS gas, brake and tranny lines, cross drilled rotors, braided steel soft lines, and new master cyl. and booster. I figure that it should be able to stop before it can go.
Well, I'll try to post pic's soon, and will be picking everyone's brain as I run into things/problems that I could use some advice on. Sorry for the long post.
Sounds like you've got quite a Vette and project to be working on to keep you busy. Good luck with everything! 
, Thumper. I was lucky enough to ride in that 69 last week. Good luck and hope to see your pictures soon.
