New member - New C1 owner

[Donald H.]

I recently purchased sight unseen (my bad) a 1960 corvette advertised as a frame off restoration needing only to be "finished". I picked it up last week on trailer and brought home. Unfortunately for me it is proving to be more that simply finishing. Paint looks good from 30 feet, but up close has fish eye, runs, and sanding marks all over that telegraph through the paint. So need painting.

However, I just got under the car and see what looks like the driver side fender has been replaced. Work seems very poor to me, and even has wood blocks glued in to hold part of it together.

I suspect that the body will need to come off the frame to fix. Can anyone direct me to someone in the Northern Virginia area that does good restorations work?

Thanks in advance,
Don Harris

[Lynn H.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Donald,
Welcome to the organization!!!
Sounds like it may have been beneficial to find this group before you made your purchase, but whats done is done. I am certain everyone here will do their best to guide you in the right direction. I do not know anyone in your area personally, but I sure someone will give you some excellent references for work in your area.
God Luck and welcome aboard,
Lynn #28522

[Mike M.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Zane Finney in hancock,md(which is just north of winchester va). his phone # is 301 6786994. he's painted nearly all of the vettes i've taken to Duntov. good luck,mike

[Chuck S.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

I recently purchased sight unseen (my bad) a 1960 corvette advertised as a frame off restoration needing only to be "finished". I picked it up last week on trailer and brought home. Unfortunately for me it is proving to be more that simply finishing. Paint looks good from 30 feet, but up close has fish eye, runs, and sanding marks all over that telegraph through the paint. So need painting.

However, I just got under the car and see what looks like the driver side fender has been replaced. Work seems very poor to me, and even has wood blocks glued in to hold part of it together.

I suspect that the body will need to come off the frame to fix. Can anyone direct me to someone in the Northern Virginia area that does good restorations work?...

Hi Don, Welcome to NCRS. Many of us have sinned in buying our old Corvettes; we can usually forgive ourselves, but we still have to pay the consequences.

If you have mechanical skills, a high level of enthusiasm, stamina, patience and persistance, you can learn to do most of the work on your restoration yourself and save a ton of scratch. Seeing the result as you progress delivers a certain amount of pride and satisfaction, but you have to constantly keep your eye on the goal.

Paying professionals to restore old Corvettes will exceed most peoples discretionary spending in no time. There are some tasks, like paint, that are better farmed out to the pros. The risk of doing the resto yourself, however, is the reason your car was for sell...it may take so long that the restorer loses his hope and/or enthusiasm. When you have questions, come back here and we'll help...the guys here will keep you from doing things like bonding wood blocks to your fiberglass.

Good luck; We're hoping you're behind the wheel of that C1 with the wind in hair, and a grin on your face, in no time.

[Tom B.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

This story brings back old memories. I bought my '59 in '69 with new paint. It looked real nice for awhile until a crack appeared that lead to a saddening discovery. The right lock pillar was made up of window screen, shoe box and pieces of broken fiberglass bonded together with bondo. I did get to learn about panel replacement though. Good luck with your project and welcome aboard.

Tom

[Richard S.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

I also bought my 60' sight unseen out of Canada however, I was lucky and the car was as advertized, I was not so lucky this past June when I bought a "rare" 71' Dodge Challenger at auction, the type that you see on TV. The car was one of 27 R/T Challengers built in 1971 with the Sun Roof Option, a more expensive option in 1971 than the Convertible. To make a very long story short the matching numbers 4 speed trans turned out to be a replacement for the original automatic, the numbers matching engine was a restamp on a 73' block and the two fender tags turned out to be reproduction fakes. This car even came with a copy of the original build sheet, which was also a fake. Someone when to great lengths to build a car that never existed. In the end we all learn from these experiences.

[John M.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Hi Don:
You have already received some great advice from fellow NCRS members, but I wanted to add my two cents. First of all, welcome aboard NCRS. I believe that was your first great move with your new Corvette purchase. The second thing I would suggest would be to join a local chapter in your area. Get to know the members, you will be surprised the amount of knowledge that is "just around the corner." Along with joing a local chapter, start searching your self to decide what you really want to do with the car. By knowing in advance what your goals are, you most likely will measure twice and cut once. The difference between a good solid driver and a Top Flight or Duntov car can be a lot of time and money.
Good luck
John Marsico
A fellow C1 owner

[Stewart A.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Donald it hurts when you actually see what was not advertised. Buying a car sight unseen is probably the most dangerous thing you could do. I'm pretty handy with a spanner so I wasn't to disturbed when seeing my car for the first time sight unseen from the largest Corvette sales company in the States and was totally ripped. But we only have ourselves to blame, it's very easy to go and view a car that is for sale so I shouldn't be winging. Once bitten twice shy. You won't do that again, I know I won't.
I hope after the pain has gone and you manage to repair the problems you will enjoy your 1960. They are a fun car and cooler than anything that has blessed our roads. Welcome aboard Stewy

[Paul J.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Don:

I agree with the previous posts that you should consider doing as much of the work yourself as you feel confortable with. If you need a good shop, Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists does very, very good work. Jim Barber is a great guy, and he has some really skilled people. They are in Belews Creek, North Carolina (near the Virginia border), but they'll come to northern Virginia and pick up your car. They also have financing available (I think through BB&T). Someone said it can get expensive to have someone else do the work, and they're right! 336-595-3900 or www.classicautomotiverestoration.com Give them a call and talk to them, at least that's for free.

Paul

P.S. Don't feel bad about having to put more money into the car. Even though Vette prices will fluctuate in the future, your car will continue to increase in value.

[Page C.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Hi Don,
Welcome to the NCRS. I see that you are from Virginia so I would like invite you to come to the Mid Atlantic Chapter's annual meeting this Saturday at the Classic Car Center in Fredericksburg, Va. We would like to meet you and there are plenty of people there that could help you with this project.
Regards,
Page Campbell

[Ian G.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

On the flip side I wanted to save a few bucks and inspected my car myself before I got it (an original 59 FI 290), but being a total green horn, didn't know what I was looking at. It was in a front end collision and had paint stirring sticks reinforce the fiberglass under the front clip and rust-through on the frame hidden by bondo, painted over black. I saw the bondo, but couldn't figure out why it looked weird. Pretty much everything attached to the engine block was replacement parts. Oh well, I still love the car and it's coming along.

[Alan S.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Hi Don,
Welcome to the NCRS and this Board.
The person Mike M. suggested may be just the kind of person you're looking for. (He's a pretty good reference!!)
If you want another shop to consider I'll mention Tony's Corvettes in Gaithersburg Maryland. Just outside D.C. A pretty big operation but worth checking out.
Regards,
Alan

[Robert I.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

< Oh well, I still love the car and it's coming along.

I think that's the whole idea! I'd rather enjoy a car that's "wrong" than have a "perfect" car parked in the garage.

[Valeria H.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Welcome Donald, I purchased my 60 seeing it but not knowing what to look for. I was told that there had been a front end collision but it looked fine to me.
Unfortunately the repair was less than desirable (pieces bolted together). I was having mechanical problems recently and the car bolted forwards resulting in a slight indentation in the front left bumper. When I backed the car out of the garage the entire front ripped off. I am just getting the car back on the road after a year and a half.
Corvette restoration is a continual learning experience. You've come to the right place for information. The members here are excellent and will not guide you in the wrong direction.
Valeria

[Roger W.]

Re: New member - New C1 owner

Welcome Don. The old repair with the wood trick brings back memories. My 59 had a piece of wood glued in to hold the driver side front fender together when I got it. The studs on the SS trim on top of the fender were driven into the wood. I had to chisel the wood out and repair the fender with fiberglass cloth.