Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

[Michael V.]

I own a 1971 LT-1. Have had the car a couple of years. Pretty much an original car with 106K miles. Car is in good shape, drive it in the nice weather, etc.. Lately I've been giving some thought to having it restored and have some general questions.
Car is matching numbers, no-hit, solid frame, etc.

> What determines if the car is a candidate for "frame - up" restoration vs "frame - off"?
> Is there a big cost difference in the 2 types of restoration?
> I assume if I'm going to spend the money, I should restore to NCRS guidelines to preserve the car / history?
> Is it way more costly to restore to NCRS guidelines? I assume it's worth it if I plan to keep and enjoy the car?.
> I know each restoration is unique, but what is the wide range, in terms of costs of restoration of the 2 types I mention above
> Where can I get a list of reputable restorers in the Northeast?

Thanks for any advice and counsel. Mike.

[Rick A.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

Personally, if the car is ORIGINAL like you claim, then I would get to a local chapter judging event and have judges look at the car and see how it judges. Then you can decide if you really want to move forward with any restoration decisions or possibly move forward first for an attempt at BOWTIE. You may have a significant LT-1 that deserves preservation for educational purposes. Just my $.02 centavos, but then I have massive CRS since I turned an olde farte on January 20th!

[Timothy B.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

Michael,

I agree 100% with the advice Rick gave you. When you go down the restoration road it's important you know in advance the finish goal. You may not want to hear this but many times if you have a original car it's value is very good just left alone.

[Richard M.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

Mike, Rick and Tim give very good advice.

I have another thought for you to consider. I have restored many Corvettes. I also own a 1959, which I've had for over 30 years. I drive it often, even if a chance of rain or imperfect weather. I keep it presentable, have gone through a engine rebuild, 3 carpet sets, re-chrome in the mid 90's, interior freshening, paint rejuvenation, and about 4 sets of tires during my tenure with the car. I have sworn I will never restore my car, so I can drive it without worry, keep it looking good, even though it may be a candidate for a body-off. They day I cannot drive it any longer may be then the time to take it apart for a full redux.

The fully restored car, regardless of intentions, rarely gets driven. If you perform a high level restoration on yours, what will you do with it afterwards? Will your goal be to only campaign it at judged events or present at shows, or will you also drive it often as a "driver"? If you use it as a driver it will soon become imperfect again.

A full NCRS type restoration using assembly line parts is the most expensive. It could add a large percentage of overall cost. A full body-off NCRS restoration laborwise, can total 1000 to 1500 hours depending on condition of the candidate.

I know many who have fully restored cars, and they never drive them. What do you intend to do afterwards if it's fully restored? I feel this is the most important question one has to ask before anything begins.

Rich

[Michael W.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

> What determines if the car is a candidate for "frame - up" restoration vs "frame - off"?
> Is there a big cost difference in the 2 types of restoration?
> I assume if I'm going to spend the money, I should restore to NCRS guidelines to preserve the car / history?
> Is it way more costly to restore to NCRS guidelines? I assume it's worth it if I plan to keep and enjoy the car?.
> I know each restoration is unique, but what is the wide range, in terms of costs of restoration of the 2 types I mention above
> Where can I get a list of reputable restorers in the Northeast?

The terms frame up and frame off are in themselves nebulous, ill defined and are frequently used interchangeably. Some people say body off instead of frame off.

The cost of a restoration depends on where you're starting from and where you want to end up. One owner might be happy with $10K invested. Others are still at it $150K later and not yet happy.

Don't expect any restoration to be a wise investment of money. Most owners are lucky to get back 50 cents on the dollar at time of sale.

[Bill M.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

Mike

If you really like LT 1's why dont you see if you can find one that some one has already restored? You can keep the other as a driver and have a restored car for less than the cost to restore the current 71.

[Ed H.]

Re: Very General Restoration Questions - 1971 LT-1

Michael, I'm going through this process as we 'speak' with my 70 LT-1. While I went 'frame off', and the work has been very well done from a craft standpoint, I have not attempted to finance a top flight restoration as my intent is several fold, one of which is to have a little extra cash to pass along to my most deserving daughter, LOL, another of which is to enjoy driving the car, still another is to stay married, and to not end up wildly underwater.

The engine will be pretty close to original, the near biggest expense being replacing the Ti ignition system. I am not replacing the also long-absent emission bits. The frame was a no-hitter, but did have some of the typical rust issues that needed to be repaired.

I'd be happy to chat with you if you'd like.

Good luck! Ed