Laughing Coyote Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 As I posted in the 1961 Mercury Meteor 800 restore thread I mentioned that I was getting a 1973 Corvette from my new neighbor for no charge. I Picked it up this Saturday. So I will post things that I will be doing over time to better the car and bring it back to it former glory. It's a 3 speed automatic car with a very healthy 454. It's also an AC car. The first thing that I did was change out the battery cables since it was hard starting. The positive one had lots of corrosion in it so I changed it out. He gave me new cables and ends with the car and other new parts. The car fires right up now. I'll post more as things progress. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Very nice...... I like the color ! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 6 minutes ago, STEVE POLLARD said: Very nice...... I like the color ! Thanks Steve. Actually the original color is the dark green metallic. So that's what it will be after I get things all straightened out. Lots of things that require some tlc and clean up. Going to go through everything to make sure it's up to snuff first. Paint will be last. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 7 minutes ago, Laughing Coyote said: Actually the original color is the dark green metallic Nice, would the color be called Polo Green ? Back in 1990 or 1991, I was looking at a new Corvette..... Polo Green with a tan leather interior, that car was sharp looking, was going to trade in my SS Monte, but the old man talked me out of it. I'm glad he did, I ended up buying my house a few years later from the $$ that I had save up. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) 10 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said: ...I mentioned that I was getting a 1973 Corvette from my new neighbor for no charge. And a 454 no less! That was the last year for the BB Corvette -- is it the original engine? I may be an outlier, but I've always like the look of the '73 Stingray. The soft front bumper looks well integrated and I think it compliments the design; unlike the 'battering-ram' interstate guardrails fitted to virtually all of the other 1973 cars. I really don't like the design of the '74 soft rear bumper cover. '73 was the best of both IMHO. Edited April 17, 2023 by EmTee typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 17, 2023 Author Share Posted April 17, 2023 EmTee It's the original engine, trans, and carb. The nose was changed out to a fiberglass one. The PO didn't like the rubber one. This is the color it's suppose to be. The paint on it now has some bubbles and chips. The prep work wasn't very good and the paint looks tired. Has the saddle color interior. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivguy Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 Wow, that looks nice, even if it's a twenty footer! And you got it for free! I guess that I live in the wrong neighborhood! Good luck, I like the rear end with the chrome bumper. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 This has to be the best deal ever. FREE 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 8 hours ago, EmTee said: And a 454 no less! That was the last year for the BB Corvette -- is it the original engine? I may be an outlier, but I've always like the look of the '73 Stingray. The soft front bumper looks well integrated and I think it compliments the design; unlike the 'battering-ram' interstate guardrails fitted to virtually all of the other 1973 cars. I really don't like the design of the '74 soft rear bumper cover. '73 was the best of both IMHO. 1974 was the last year for big block Corvettes. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted April 18, 2023 Share Posted April 18, 2023 Good luck with that fun project. I had a 73 that I enjoyed. It was a small block (350). Lots of good club support. Mine was taken through the NCRS judging which was very educational if you are into that type of stuff. Keep us posted. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AURktman Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 Well, I’m officially 10 shades of green with envy! I love the C3 Corvettes, one day I will get one. You get a real gem there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 Well it's not a perfect car. I have to rebuild the carb since it won't keep running on high idle very long and just dies. To keep it running you have to keep floating the gas pedal. Seems like it's not getting enough fuel so something is clogged somewhere. The fuel tank is going to be dropped so I can inspect all the lines and the fuel vent valve that's on top of the tank. The PO told me if you fill the tank up all the way it start to smell like gas, so I need to get a piece of mind on this matter. The mufflers and pipes have to go. The PO before him put cherry bombs on it and it's loud as heck. So I have a new stock system coming. It's a car that's had lots of hands on it and not very good hands from some of the stuff I'm seeing, but for free I can't complain. It all can be fixed and nothing serious. I'm a head of the game so far. The car will be gone through front to back and top to bottom. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 Love the new project! Regarding the "hard starting" and changing the battery cables... was it hard to start because it turned over slowly and the new cables made it turn over faster? The Nash Healey turns over really, really slow. It might be normal but seems really slow. The cables looked fine but I guess the corrosion could be inside and hidden by the insulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 Thanks Jeff. It turned over slow and the cables were getting warm while cranking. Once I changed them out the car turned over as normal, but the engine is built with a lot of GM performance parts so it takes some umph from the battery to turn it over. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Oh, man, that is cool!! CONGRATULATIONS, MARTIN! Sorry I haven't been following the restoration projects as often as I should've...other wise I would've seen your new project earlier. I saw it mentioned on your Meteor thread. I was 14 when this model year was introduced, so these cars evoke a lot of special memories for me. You really deserve a driving "project" that you can enjoy now. - Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Happy to see another “malaise” Corvette put back on the road. I had a 1974 big block Corvette coupe for several years. Fun car, but got quite warm inside. I fix that easily by leaving the T tops at home. Hope yours has AC. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said: Hope yours has AC. It is an A/C car. But sometime through the years one of the PO's thought it would be a good idea to take it off. I have the brackets and A/C compressor, but it will all need to be addressed and put back to normal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 25, 2023 Author Share Posted April 25, 2023 Today was the first day of actually taking things apart. Removed the rear bumpers, spare tire stuff, and the rear valence. Saw wiring routed in the wrong areas which can be routed back to where they are suppose to go, but nothing shocking. The rear leaf is pretty much worn as you can see by the stack of washers. All you can do is laugh. The hardware will get cleaned up and be ready for re install. The spare will get broken down and off to the powder coater to be blasted and powder coated. She owes me some favors so time to cash in on some. Next up will be draining the tank and dropping it. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 The washer stack enhances cornering, right? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 25, 2023 Author Share Posted April 25, 2023 39 minutes ago, Luv2Wrench said: The washer stack enhances cornering, right? For running on a oval track. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 26, 2023 Author Share Posted April 26, 2023 Did a little more work today on the Corvette parts I pulled the other day. Cleaned up the bolts that hold the tire carrier up into the car. According to the IPB there should be washers on the rear spare tire mounts, but they were gone so I made some up on the lathe. Had some 17-4 stainless laying around so why not. When I fire up the plasma table next I'll cut a little pad to weld on the tire mount frame where the material is thin and started to crack in the corners. I will get a fiber glass repair kit so I can repair a crack on the spare tire holder. Once everything has been repaired and cleaned up it will get a nice coat of black paint like it's suppose to be. Not red and silver. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 IPB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 26, 2023 Author Share Posted April 26, 2023 2 hours ago, EmTee said: IPB? Illustrated parts breakdown. Military lingo in the maintenance field. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 27, 2023 Author Share Posted April 27, 2023 Did some more work on the car today. Drained the tank and pulled it. Came right out with out a fight. Someone had it out before at some point since the fuel separator vent was installed upside down so you wonder why you smelled gas when it got filled up. I flipped it around, but will come off to be cleaned and checked. The rubber hoses will be replaced since they were hard. The sending unit is rusty on the outside so I will pull it and soak it in vapo rust to clean it up. You can see on the license plate light the kind of stuff I'm finding. Wires just twisted together with a little tape on it. Have brackets to blast, straighten, paint and bolts need cleaning. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Boy, this car is sure lucky to have found you! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 Did some more clean up on the parts I pulled the past few days. The tank vent separator was pulled from the tank and cleaned up. They is a problem with them cracking and letting gas fumes out. Mine looked good until I pulled the bottom hose off. It cracked at the bottom on the seam. So I bet that GM didn't use a very good epoxy to seal it and that's why they leak. The bottom of the housing is a flat piece that is glued on. It was a little crack so I used some super glue to seal it back up. Then I mixed up some military grade B 1/2 epoxy which is resistant to everything. I put a nice bead all the way around and it's now good to go. Added some black paint and looks great. The sending unit is pretty rusty on the inside and out. It's soaking in VapoRust. It should clean up. And I got conformation that my pipes are coming. Lots going on. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 30, 2023 Author Share Posted April 30, 2023 Tank has been cleaned inside. It has a coating in it and looks good inside. The fuel sender clean up as well as it can be. It's 50 years old so not bad. The filler neck gasket was cracked and shot so I made a new one. Got the tank wire wheeled and the surface rust came off pretty easy, but I sprayed a rust neutralizer on it before a prime and paint. I have a new sender ring and gasket coming. New fuel hoses will be a must since they are old and cracked. Other than that, still cleaning up brackets and bolts. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted April 30, 2023 Share Posted April 30, 2023 This thread makes me want to go out and buy a 70’s Corvette to play with. Looks like you are having great fun with this one! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 1, 2023 Author Share Posted May 1, 2023 Actually I thought it was going to be a chore to work on, but actually it's not that bad. Things come apart fairly easy considering the tight quarters. A lot has just been cleaning up parts, replacing minor things, and putting stuff back where it needs to be. I got the new mufflers Friday and the correct pipes will be here Monday. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 It always feels good to undo shoddy repairs and return things to the way they were intended. Nice work! 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playswithbrass Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 (edited) Don’t forget to repack the rear wheel bearings. Flat rate time was 6.5 hrs and it was a @#$& of a job. I was the apprentice at Eastown Chev so you know who got to work on the vettes. Edited November 3, 2023 by playswithbrass (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 6, 2023 Author Share Posted May 6, 2023 The tank is ready to go in. I finished the license plate light. It's now installed. The rear wiring harness has been routed correctly and secure. The tank brackets are ready and I received all my exhaust parts so it looks like real soon it's going to go back together. Once all that is done then the carb needs to be addressed and I need to check the rear wheel bearings. If they are that much of a pain to pack I'm sure that it hasn't been done. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 Did a lot more today. Hacked off the old pipes which had some really bad welds and exhaust leaks everywhere. Got the tank installed and ready to go. Started to install the new mufflers and pipes. Hoping by the end of the week to have it ready to fire up again. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 Looks like fun, I wish I had a neighbor like you. I hope the deal was binding, he may see how nice you are making it and want it back,LOL. I like those era vettes. I met a fellow not too long ago and have become good friends with a 74 convertible that he bought new. I have another friend that bought a 78 that was pretty much a basket case. He likes to tinker on cars. He already has a couple of nice old cars and the vette was going to be a project to keep him busy, then sell when finished and build something else. Last I talked to him he was having too much fun with the vette and has decided to keep it for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 6 hours ago, TAKerry said: I hope the deal was binding, he may see how nice you are making it and want it back,LOL. He told me it's a gift and he doesn't expect anything in return and I'm not indebted to him. I told him once it's all cleaned up and repainted he is going to want to buy it back. He has enough things going on in his life and he just didn't want to deal with it. It's been fun so far and it's not bad to work on. Just tighter areas to get to things, but that makes it more of a challenge. 😁 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 12, 2023 Author Share Posted May 12, 2023 Spent after dinner hours this week working on the car. I got the pipe sections from the headers to the exhaust pipes finished. Had to make some new flanges. All the exhaust pipes are where they need to be and all secured and tight. I had to fabricate a bracket for an Evap canister since there wasn't one in the car anymore. I found a can for a early 1980's GM car and it fit perfectly. Now all I got to do is put some fuel in it and run it. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 Looking great ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 22, 2023 Author Share Posted May 22, 2023 (edited) Progress has been going pretty good. Had to adjust the timing and go through the carb since it wasn't running well. Had some crud come out of the carb and had to put smaller jets in it since the others were so big and making it run really rich. The engine isn't stock and is built pretty hearty so getting it to run right has been a challenge. My old neighbor has been helping me out on it. Got it running smoother and idling better as best I can. I still can't complain since the price was right. New plugs and wires will help some too. Next up I will be addressing the rear wheel bearings. Pictures coming soon. Edited May 23, 2023 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted May 25, 2023 Author Share Posted May 25, 2023 This afternoon I went over to work on the Vette and was planning on getting the spindles pulled out of the trailing arms. Well, one thing led to another and then before I knew it the whole thing was out. I'm going to have to make a fixture to pull the spindles, but easier now that it's all out. I wanted to go over the whole set up anyway. Still finding little issues that need addressing as I go. Missing hardware or loose stuff. Feeling better about it as I get into it and then putting it back together the right way. I just want it to be right and not have to second guess the work someone else did. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48Super Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 I've enjoyed reading about your progress with this great project. Looks like you're doing an excellent job and should end up with a really nice car. About 8 years ago, a friend of mine gave me his low mileage '96 Corvette that he bought new and he passed away shortly thereafter. I had never owned a Corvette and never thought I would but it has been a wonderful car to own and a ton of fun to drive. Good luck with your car and I'll continue to monitor your progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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