-
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Bill, No i have not.I have no interest in it .Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Ralph,
Thanks, and thanks for posting it. I was not getting a response back from the advertiser, was wondering if you, or anyone else had.I got him. Will update ASAP results.
BillComment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Ralph,
BINGO!!!!!!!
A million thanks for finding and posting!
It was a long expensive weekend, very stressful contacting this guy and then persuading him to hold this engine until I got there without showing to much enthusiasm and him knowing how potentially important it was to me, but well worth it.
I own the car it belongs in. It sure appears to be the real deal. This story I thought would be fun to share.
Bought car in Corvette Carlisle back in 2004 from Rons Restoration of Fitchburg, Mass. It was sitting on his swap spots, not on cars for sale area, good, solid original unmolested car. Original engine was missing. Obviously an original BB car. It was the year it was well over 100 degree's in the shade of a tent there, and everyone was pretty beat up by it. Not much walking traffic at all. When I inspected the car, it would not start, he had just purchased the car from a local guy back home who had had it stored unused for over 25 years, he walked into Rons shop a few weeks prior to Carlisle and asked if he also bought Corvettes.
Well, sure, Ron bought it, replaced a few leaky calipers, put in some fresh gas and it ran and drove!
So here it is for a quick flip for Ron at Carlisle and now for some reason it would not start, I think because of where it was displayed and the $$ he was asking he was not getting any bites and he indicated many guys walked away as it did not run. It had an ugly very old and dirty hot rod small block 350 engine in it of 1970 vintage with a Quadrajet carb and old rusty headers that had also been recently welded up to patch holes in it. Nasty accordion style radiator hoses connected the motor to the still in place original big copper radiator, someone creatively made a metal 68-72 metal shroud work with an aluminum fan. It still had the TI ignition in place and it was what Ron thought was the sudden cause of the car not starting. But he assured me it did run but was absolutely done with messing around with it and just wanted it sold as he was not taking it home. The heat was working on him and he just wanted to go home.
I could have cared less if it ran as the motor in it meant nothing to me, I just saw the car as a real nice solid car and great candidate for restoration. And these original projects were tough to come by.
So we struck a cash deal on Saturday afternoon. I pulled my trailer over to his spot to pick it up during the lull for the Saturday parade around 6 PM and brought a crew to push it onto trailer. Hopped into car and was speaking with Ron as I waited for everyone to get ready to push and wait for the crowd to clear the aisle and allow me to steer it onto the trailer. I was looking around the inside and noticed a toggle switch under the steering column, I flipped it back and forth a few times and joked with Ron that it must be for the 8 track tape player that had been mounted in a custom made overhead console integrated into the halo panel between the headliner and rear window.
One of my buddies said, "Hey, maybe its a kill switch!" I turned the key and it fired up! Poor Ron, his jaw just dropped. Someone must have hit it inadvertently and no one knew it even existed!
I drove it onto the trailer and brought it home. Its been sitting in my shop awaiting my attention since.
Now I have some real incentive to get a move on with it , it was last titled in Mass in 1973 and I can only assume the motor was changed around that time or before as it was gone when this owner purchased it, I spoke with him a few years back and he did not remember a lot. The title from 1973 showed 54,000 miles on the odometer then.
I ran ads in the driveline back thru 2005 looking for info but not much was learned. I learned last year the car was delivered new to Harry Mann out in Los Angeles by taking advantage of the shipping data report, so that explained to me the real nice frame. So maybe it was driven out across country and the motor was tired and yanked here in Mass, then wound up in this Craigs List sellers project car?
With that motor and 3:70 gears, must have been quite a ride! Back then it would not have been worth transporting across the country I would think. Plus, that was the Oil embargo time frame and that would be a great reason to yank it!
I will never know but I owe the power of the internet and the good guys that post the information found out there that may be of interest to some of us here. I have had many original blocks with Corvette vins go thru my hands but never once put a match together. So I consider myself pretty lucky.
Specifically I owe Ralph, as he noticed it and posted. Never would have known it was there if not for his efforts! So, BIG thanks to Ralph!
The motor has not been run or apart in a very long time, it was a gamble purchasing it I know, but I had to do it! If the engine was actually pulled in say, 1973, that would mean (assuming I get it rebuilt and running) back into the car within the next couple of years) that it will have been almost 40 years ago!
Thanks!
Bill CaldwellComment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Bill,
That's a fantastic story, congratulations, I can feel your excitment when reading your post. Sounds like a very interesting restorer article as many like to here about these cars reunited with there original engines.Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Bill,
Add a couple of photos to your post and send it to Vinnie along with a plug for the Discussion Board. The membership always loves a story with a happy ending. Congratulations!TerryComment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Fantastic Bill!Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Bill, I am so happy to be part of the reunion, Never thought something like that would happen!!!!! Ralph SpearsComment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
As Usual! Great job Ralph. You never know where or when you'll find that perfect match.
The problem we all have now is even if we find the car through a search, DMV's won't give out personal info. How lucky is Bill that you and he are on the same forum/discussion board.Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Great story, I loved reading this.Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
Great story. Bill keep us updated on the car. Love these reunions
Page CampbellComment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
go buy a lotto ticket...quick!Comment
-
Re: 1966 427 engine T1214IP VIN 6111729
What a WONDERFUL story.....The chances of this happening would have to be one in a billion....and the NCRS guy puts the other NCRS guy in touch with his original engine...I love it....Congrats on the reunion....There's gotta be a thousand guys who have dreamt of this very situation happening to them....Feel blessed...That's just great. Congrats....ARAComment
Comment