vette what to do with it todd muhleman i've inherited my dad's convertible but don't know what to do with it it has been garaged for the last years or so the car is currently not running i stuck in new spark plugs and changed the anti freeze but the car won't start althougth it turns over the frame is solid but with some moderate scaling rust on the inside of the frame the interior is in good condition while the exterior is in need of a paint job overall i would judge the car to be in fair to good condition i'm wondering if i should sell the car as is get it running as a daily driver or go all out on a frame off restoration i figure that since the car is almost entirely original as well as being a one owner documented with protect o plate and title among other things it might be worth the total body off restoration all advice is appriciated
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Re: 66 Vette (What to do with it?)
re vette what to do with it vinnie peters todd i would suggest that since it is really a owner car that you get someone from your area that is very knowledgable about the cars and make sure that person is up to date on our bowtie award from your description the car may be worth more as a bowtie car unrestored than it would be worth if you invested a lot of time and money to restore the car i would suggest that you do not try to replace any parts or do too much cleaning of the car until you have someone look at it
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Re: 66 Vette (What to do with it?)
re vette what to do with it gary schisler as far as surface rust on the frame that is to be expected it is acutally easier to check the frame if you can get it up on a lift as you may know many of the 's on up had frame rot problems as for the frame off restoration it is nice to have a one owner car especially if that previous owner was your father but unless you have a a highly optioned car and can do the work yourself you may find out that a frame off restoration will exceed the value of the car i have a myself and i am fortunate to be able to do all of my work so far i do not kid myself into thinking however that i will ever have a real high dollar car before you pay for a paint job you might try some polishing compound and a little elbow grease the nice thing about lacquer paint is that it can be cleaned up rather easily even if there are some big problem areas a lot of folks like unrestored cars even if the condition is a little rough if you decide to make this a nice driver be certain that you change every fluid in the car from the differential to the radiator and treat the engine with tlc until you have had a chance to get a good inspection of the internal parts of your engine your cylinders will probably have a fair amount of surface rust on them so once you do get it running consider an oil change withing the first few miles to insure that all of the impurities from sitting around for ten years will be taken out with the oil good luck and be sure to ask the questions here and share your adventure with us garyComment
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Re: 66 Vette (What to do with it?)
re vette what to do with it carl rose oh todd you have a true documented one owner mid year convertible not to mention but it was an inheritance from your father sell it it hurts to even think of such as mr peters schishler noted you probably should do a thorough evalution before you decide to completely restore the car do you have mechanical inclination because these cars are actually quite uncomplicated if you have the car professionally restored you will probably spend k plus parts ad ultimately financially you could not recoup the cost were you to sell however there is the sentimental aspect to consider how many folks can honestly say their car is an original purchased by their family do you remember taking rises in the car when you were little these are important considerations this ncrs board will be willing to provide direction specifically at this point change the gasoline the carb probably is full of gunk also are you getting fuel to the carb check the plug wires dist cap points are you getting spark to the plugs you can probably get it running with the above but changing all the fluids is mandatory check the fuses also and the brake lines tires etc with a bit of work and a few thousand dollars you will have a good driveable safe car carl p s why weren't you around when i was looking for my first stingrayComment
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Re: 66 Vette (What to do with it?)
re vette what to do with it jim jordan hi todd sounds like you have a vette that most folks would love to have before trying to turn the engine over further i would suggest that you reprime the lubrication system of the engine this will require removing the distributor and manually turning the oil pump to re pressurize the system obviously changing all fluids is mandatory as is rebuilding the braking system depending on your level of mechanical ability you may or may not be able to perform these tasks if you must have the car worked on professionally i would strongly suggest using a facility that is proficient in working with older corvettes consult with your local ncrs chapter for guidance to a competant facility as stated previuosly it is important that any original components be rebuilt or saved to help maintain the authenticity of the car and it may be more valuble as a surviving original good luck with your efforts jim jordanComment
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Re: 66 Vette (What to do with it?)
re vette what to do with it todd muhleman thanks to all who responded it looks as though my first task is to find a qualified shop in the cincinnati area any ideas i've heard of antique auto shop and classic custom autobody specializing in corvettes however i'm not looking to spend big bucks right now so if someone has any other suggestions either post a response or email me at the above address i talked with my dad last night and he's anxious to get his garage space back so i have to do something in the next two to three weeksComment
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