Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

[Steve G.]

I am a new NCRS member and recently bought my first Vette - a 70 coupe, number matching LS5. It has had some changes made to it before I bought it - carb, alternator, starter, distributor, ac system cut out of engine compartment, and a couple other minor items in compartment. Car sat in previous owners garage and was never moved or started since '85. I pulled the motor and tore it down to check it out before starting it - seems there is little to no wear inside and it was never rebuilt. Before reassembling and installing into engine bay, I have been contemplating doing some restoration of the engine compartment. It doesn't look real bad in there, but there are some issues: a few wires were cut, a couple small holes and cracks in inner fender wells and firewall, slightly cracked A-arm bushings (at least thats all I can see without disassembling A-arms), leaky power steering hose, and some surface rust on master cylinder, power brake booster, and a few areas on frame. There is also a dent on bottom of crossmember - floor jack??

I would like to have an original car that I can drive when I am done. So, not sure if I should simply clean it up, then replace what needs replacing with good used original if I can find it, and repro if I can't (ex: fuel lines, trans lines, ac wire harness and other ac parts) then reassemble. Or if I should try and restore the engine bay to look new since motor is already out. Any advice? I don't want to touch anything if I can't make it look like it did coming from factory. If that isn't possible, can live with some surface rust and other minor issues. Are there photo's available showing what an engine bay looks like from a nicely kept original '70 or similar year? Is there a list of what colors, finishes, luster should be on which parts? thanks, Steve

[Bill C.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

I would get the 70-72 judging manual. It will have LOTS of great information for you. You will be able to indentify the originality of parts, the manual list part numbers, exceptable dates etc...

There is a section under chasis that lists all the original finishes for various parts on the car.

It is the BEST document out there for preservation/restoration on a Vette.

I would take a bunch of pictures, post them on the forum and let some of the well seasoned folks look and provide advise/direction.

I will look around for some pictures and post what I have - my car is a 72'.

Good luck to you !!

[Tim S.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Steve,
Is the rest of the car original? (paint, interior, chassis, etc.) If not, me personally would restore it to the best of your ability.
Tim

[Alan S.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Hi Steve,
I'm very glad to see you on the Board.
Here are a few suggestions for getting information about your 70BB.
The 'Vet-Vues 68-72 Fact Book', by M.F.Dobbins as some very good black and white photos of engine compartments and engines. I think you'll find this book interesting and helpful. The NCRS store carries this book.
Getting the AIM, the factory ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTION MANUAL, for your 70 will help you too. It's also in the NCRS store.
Although it's not a 'restoration guide', I find the GM CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL to be very helpful and full of information. Yes, NCRS store again.
People here are very good about answering questions and posting helpful pictures.
The BEST thing to do is to get to some judging meets to take a look at cars similar to yours there.
Have Fun and Ask Questions!
Regards,
Alan

[Greg H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Steve,

I'm also new to Corvettes and have similar questions about my '70 I am still sorting through. I've had mine less than one year now, and have done very little other than bring some things back to original such as radio, carburetor, wheels. My car is also fairly well preserved but I like to describe the biggest problem as it was well maintained. The previous owners had kept it up nicely but that meant as parts broke they were removed, discarded and replaced. Plus, they added a few accessories like a theft alarm, which meant a few screw holes where they don't belong. So I now have a good alternator, but the wrong numbers, a good starter, same problem, a good radiator but has been worked on. On the other hand it was driven only for pleasure so I still have the original wiper blades.

I'm trying to correct things that were done to the car by bringing back original parts where practical, and repros where the cost and durability make sense (radiator cap, for example).

Here's a few points of advice I've learned so far;

1) cleaning with laquer thinner can be very effective, but be careful under the hood as the black-out paint will come off quite easily.

2) WD-40 makes a great finish under the hood for many surfaces. I've been using it liberally.

3) Don't leave small hard to find parts in the engine compartment and take it for a spin.

4) Share pictures of big ticket items here on the forum before laying down your cash. There are many minor details to some of these parts and you want to learn them first.

Definitely get to the local NCRS meeting or judging meet.

Greg

[Paul O.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Greg I would not use WD-40 as much as you have stated there is a lot of silicone in that product. Later if you were to try and paint any surface it would have really bad fish eye problem due to the silicone. Just to let you know. Paul 18046

[Thomas H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Steve,

Three years ago I bought a 71 LS5 4spd coupe. The only things that were non-original to the car were the alternator and rims (for some reason the car had 1968 rims. I have since replaced them with the correct ones) and one correct color repaint (mid 80's era). The paint is showing its age now.

My first decision was how far did I want to go in fixing up what needed to be done as the car had 199k miles on it (well cared for miles though). I went through the "total resto" thing with a SS-454 Chevelle years ago and once it was done I was afraid to drive it for fear of getting it dirty or, God forbid, a stone chip! I decided to fix what needed to be fixed keeping originality in mind and just drive the car for enjoyment.

I rebuilt the suspension, differential and brakes one summer and then tackled the engine and trans the next summer. I did things so the car was only down for a few weeks at a shot so I could get some driving time in. Infact I pulled the engine/trans in August and had it back running about 4 weeks later.

During all of this I relied heavily on the TIM/JG and the MF Dobbins book. I avoided painting things like the firewall and the inner fenders. I just cleaned them the best I could with soap and water. (Take a lot of pictures!) I tried to keep the car "balanced" if you will. In other words, I didn't want to over-restore any one section so it would stand out from the rest of the car. If something was rusted, then a quick cleaning and coat of paint was in order, otherwise I just cleaned it and left it alone.

My goal was to keep as much of the original finishes as possible while providing a mechanically sound drivetrain so I could DRIVE it! This summer was great, just get in, fire it up and go.

I know that some day I'll probably end up pulling the body off and doing a full resto on it, but until then it is a solid driver.

The other thing, and others mentioned it, post your questions and pictures here and you will get answers from some very experienced Corvette owners. The knowlege base available here is invaluable.

Tom

[Steve G.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Thanks all for the great advice. I did just order the manuals and books that were recommended and look forward to reading those. Someone asked about condition of rest of car. It is Donnybrook green, though it was repainted. Body looks to be in very good condition. Paint is not perfect, but good for a driver so I'll keep it that way for awhile. I believe it was done in lacquer as it buffs out easily and is coming out nice. Interior is original, but the car was stored with windows open in garage that apparently had mice. There were 5 nests inside - one in each corner way in the back. I think they are body mount bolt depressions back there? One under the passenger seat. And a couple inside dash. No wire damage that I could see. Just smelled bad and needed a very good cleaning. I'll need new carpets. The seats are in great shape, but they smell. I opened back cover to look inside and saw what looked like light green mildew? So I'll need new cushions and probably covers as I do not want it to smell. I'd love to put leather covers on, but car originally came with light saddle vinyl. Could use lower dash pads and console (having very hard time finding those as they are different from other years). Some have warned against new repro, but I may have no choice. The finish on mine have deterioted - dirt engraned in them and they smell musty. Also had some rust on inside of passenger lower dash due to a nest and all that comes with that. They left gas in tank for 24 yrs, and they lost the key to the gas cap. It smelled verrrry bad. I had tank cleaned out, but it is too far gone to re-use. No tank sticker, but I can see where it was. Matching numbers LS5. Not sure on the transmission. I posted another question on that last night, but have not yet read the replies to see if my transmission is correct. I'd post pictures, but I can't figure out how to do that yet...

[Chris H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Hi Steve, welcome to the NCRS and congrats on your 70 purchase. I have a 70 LS5 and am partial to 70s,

What you do to the car deppends on what your goals are for the car. Do you want it flight judged or do you want a nice driver?

If you would like to have it judged some day then get the 70-72 Judging Guide and start going through it. You can also get some practice judging sheets and see how your car does.

Join your local NCRS chapter and see what its all about.

Attached is a photo of my engine bay. My car has Top Flighted and is a Bowtie car, which is an award for un-restored cars.

Let me know if you would like other photos.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Steve,

Some Simple Green and hot water cleaned my dash pads, and they look great. Realize that for some saddle interiors you will see "dark" in the grainy lines. It's not dirt. My friend has a 70 with your same interior, and some of that is a "normal" appearance. Dash pads in reproduction are horrible - I'd do everything you can to clean yours.

Also, the seats will normally have a "dust" inside them coming off the foam of the covers after 38+ years. It may not be mildew. I'd clean them as above, and put them in the sun (depending on time of year and where you live.

Patrick

[Steve G.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Thanks guys. Chris, I would greatly appreciate pictures of your engine compartment - the more the better for me. Especially close ups showing details. That will give me a good idea on what areas I should re-do and what it should look like. I am getting a copy of the judging manual, but there is nothing like pictures of what an original BB engine compartment should look like - thanks!

Patrick, I'd like to re-use my seats if at all possible as they are in excellent condition, aside from the odor. Are you suggesting I take the covers off and wash them with simple green. I am thinking the odor is mostly in the foam. Putting them in the sun might help. Or do you suggest washing them as well? I live in the northeast, so I would have to do it in spring to dry them thoroughly. Steve

[Patrick H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Thanks guys. Chris, I would greatly appreciate pictures of your engine compartment - the more the better for me. Especially close ups showing details. That will give me a good idea on what areas I should re-do and what it should look like. I am getting a copy of the judging manual, but there is nothing like pictures of what an original BB engine compartment should look like - thanks!

Patrick, I'd like to re-use my seats if at all possible as they are in excellent condition, aside from the odor. Are you suggesting I take the covers off and wash them with simple green. I am thinking the odor is mostly in the foam. Putting them in the sun might help. Or do you suggest washing them as well? I live in the northeast, so I would have to do it in spring to dry them thoroughly. Steve

I'd put a dash of Simple Green in a bucket, add hot water, and then wash your dash and your seats. If you want, set up a separate bucket for rag rinsing after each seat or dash wipe-down. You want to also think about a soft toothbrush for small areas of the seat and dash as well as crevices.

Consider doing the washing and drying all out side. You're not going to use a lot of water, but enough to help move the dirt. A "more than damp" but not "sopping wet" rag is about right. 4 bolts and each seat will come out for easy cleaning. I would wash with seat covers on, but remove the rear hard cover. Vacuum the seat first, and consider lubricating the rear support, seat track, etc while you have it all out.

Oh, and if you have a coupe with shoulder belts, it's one extra bolt to remove each seatbelt from its location in the rear compartment and take it all out as a unit. Don't mess with removing the belt from the seat.

Patrick

[Thomas H.]

Re: Restore, or not to restore - question from new member

Hi Steve, welcome to the NCRS and congrats on your 70 purchase. I have a 70 LS5 and am partial to 70s,

What you do to the car deppends on what your goals are for the car. Do you want it flight judged or do you want a nice driver?

If you would like to have it judged some day then get the 70-72 Judging Guide and start going through it. You can also get some practice judging sheets and see how your car does.

Join your local NCRS chapter and see what its all about.

Attached is a photo of my engine bay. My car has Top Flighted and is a Bowtie car, which is an award for un-restored cars.

Let me know if you would like other photos.

Chris,

I was also thinking about putting gloves on my engine to keep it warm during the cold winter months. Does it really work?

Tom

71 LS5