Worth the money to restore?????

[Toms01]

Like Carbert, I'd hate to see this car restomoded. It's a restorable car. But I'd like to see you make it a driver too. There are plenty of 63's that are show queens. No matter which path you take, there will be some money leaving your pocket.

[Pudge]

Like Carbert, I'd hate to see this car restomoded. It's a restorable car. But I'd like to see you make it a driver too. There are plenty of 63's that are show queens. No matter which path you take, there will be some money leaving your pocket.

Yea, I realize that and am actually willing to put a good chunk of change into it. Just trying to get an idea about it being 15K or 30k or more. I also will try to get the block number and trim info next time I see it. No interest in making it a show queen. Want to be able to drive it a bit here and there is all.

[catbert]

You can restore it to original driver quality without making it into a show queen. The secret is to restore the bones with OEM components without sweating the very expensive details that make it a show car, and the huge investment that involves. If the drive train is original, restore it to original specs, and use the trim and paint options that suit your wallet and fancy. Doing that will provide you with a good looking driver, and retain the basis for a full-on NCRS restoration some time in the future, or when you sell it. You can get a very nice paint job and original looking interior for less than half the price of an all-out restoration. If you don't have to sweat buying OEM IDENTICAL repair pieces it makes the project more fun, and a lot cheaper.

I just helped an acquaintance fix up a 72 to original looking, but not original condition. It looks great, and he isn't afraid to drive it whenever he can. He had a shop yank the motor and transmission, and go through them with OEM parts. The seats and interior were easy and cheap to rebuild/replace, and the paint and plating didn't break the bank. The interior is a piece of cake and 2 six packs of beer for 2 guys on a Saturday. He had Mid America do the seats for not a whole bunch of money. Except for the drive line, no mechanical experience was needed. He's a college prof with 2 left hands.

The car looks great. It's painted am OEM color, but using modern paints, and he chose a non OEM leather interior in place of the original. He even added a Vintage Air a/c unit. Way down the road, when the kids may want to sell, it can easily be concours restored, because nothing he did was was irreversible. Even if your driveline isn't original, you are still a crate motor away from a great ride.

[6 Shooter]

[Pudge]

Oh, I am sure it won't be easy. But, if I can find someone to do it, I am willing to part with some good money do do it.

Thanks to everyone who is writing in. I appreciate it as I am VERY new to this game.

[Tom Bryant]

It looks like a great project to me. I like the driver thought too.

Tom

[haganml]

I have just gotten a 1965 coupe that is a basket case with no engine, transmission in a box and a garage full of resto-mod parts. There are also boxes of NOS trim. I will never be able to get the original engine (the deceased previous owner had traded the original L76 to "a guy" for a 63 coupe basket case). The body is all GM grey FRP, it has been appraised and I was told that it is a great car to start on BUT it needs everything. It will never be a "numbers matching" perfect restoration. I was going to install a GM Performance crate engine to get it on the road.

Being a OOF (Official Old Fool) I like modern cars. A/C and my comfort is part of it. When you travel with your spouse and want to drive around with the windows down on a nice summer day you wind up with a very grumpy overheated windblown passenger. It is a power steering car but that is it in the comfort and convenience scale.

I do not plan on cutting and modifying the body, I understand the value issue there. I am retired and this is my project. Like our friend Pudge I am a newby with Corvettes although being a professional automotive mechanic all my life has me planning to do this on my own. I do own a old Tee shirt with a "Anybody can restore an antique, but it takes a real man to cut one up." from a hot rod shop in upstate NY. No, that shirt doesn't fit my 64 year old chassis anymore. Just looking for some guidance here. I am feeling pressure from the Mod guys and the Restoration guys. Where do I stop?

With the mass media televised auto auctions everybody is dragging all this rusty junk out of the pastures and weed lots to pump a load of cash into them and SCORE! This cannot sustain the inflated prices I am seeing. I just want to feel/hear the rumble of a small block and stuff a few corners faster than the law allows.

Who can I contact in the greater San Francisco Bay area and have a reasonable dialog with? haganml.

[catbert]

Sounds lile my friend and his 72. A crate motor and modern transmission is the way to start a driver quality classic. All the modern replacement pieces, paint and trim are only a wallet away. Going the restomod route with "modern suspension and all the bells and whistles is a lot of work and pretty pricey. You can start with a driver, and work your way up if you feel the need. A fun dilemma.

[KANE]

Call me a dork... but I've found taking thoughts to paper helpful.


Writing out what the strong points are for the car as it stands (current state)... issues (current state)... opportunities to improve (future state)... and things that could really drain you (future state).

Put each of those in a quadrant. Then, take a look at what seems to come out.



What stands out? Originality? Is there a clear vision or direction of what SHOULD be in your mind?


Regardless- it'll turn out great. It will be whatever it is supposed to be.

Just my $.02

[Huskerman]

So many choices....that is the car of many a man's dream to find and restore. If it is unique in any way other then the fact it is a split window 63 and it has the original block and tranny it would be more then worth it restoring it NCRS standards in my book. A lot will depend on what history and documentation you can find on the car. You have had it how long........?

It would cost a lot but it would be worth a lot.......the problem with that is you can get worried about taking baby out for a spin since its worth so much.....I think it would bring pretty good money just the way it sets and then you can go get a newer Corvette daily driver.......so many choices...good luck with it.

[GerryLP]

Yea, I realize that and am actually willing to put a good chunk of change into it. Just trying to get an idea about it being 15K or 30k or more. I also will try to get the block number and trim info next time I see it. No interest in making it a show queen. Want to be able to drive it a bit here and there is all.

Pudge,

I would think that the engine block numbers would be more important than the intake. Once you find the block vin / designation number, then the right intake can be found.

I think it is worth bringing back to life in either form, restoration or restomod. Daily or weekend driver. A vehicle with 30 years of history with you has to be surely worth it.

GerryLP

[Pudge]

Pudge,

I would think that the engine block numbers would be more important than the intake. Once you find the block vin / designation number, then the right intake can be found.

I think it is worth bringing back to life in either form, restoration or restomod. Daily or weekend driver. A vehicle with 30 years of history with you has to be surely worth it.

GerryLP

Truth be told, my history with it is very complicated and only for the knowledge that it has been sitting in my wife's fathers garage since the early 80's. It kind of came with the wife, who bought it from her Uncle. I have no documentation, other than old registration forms from the mid 70's. Tried to see if it was registered in my wife's name today and apparently there is some hold on it so need to go to DMV to settle up.

I've got the trim info:
E2
style =63 837
trim = blk
body = 3494
paint = 923A
Engine block = 3782870
I have another intake, as mentioned, with number 3794129

If I had to guess, the tranny is the same as the block but no ida where the tranny number is. Someone did some switching as they put a Hurst shifter in (but I do have the original) so if they really went crazy, maybe they did change the tranny. I hope not.

[JohnZ]

I've got the trim info:
E2
style =63 837
trim = blk
body = 3494
paint = 923A
Engine block = 3782870
I have another intake, as mentioned, with number 3794129

If I had to guess, the tranny is the same as the block but no ida where the tranny number is. Someone did some switching as they put a Hurst shifter in (but I do have the original) so if they really went crazy, maybe they did change the tranny. I hope not.

The numbers say it's a '63 coupe, built the second week of January, 1963, Riverside Red exterior with a black vinyl interior. 3782870 is the correct block casting number (used in all '63-'65 Corvettes), and the raised block casting date code will be found on the rear flange of the block about six inches toward the passenger side from the distributor (letter followed by two or three numbers). What's stamped on the machined surface on the portion of the block just forward of the front of the passenger side cylinder head? That will tell where the engine came from and its original horsepower rating.

The 3794129 intake was used on very late '62 and all '63 Corvette 327/340hp engines.

The car should have a Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed transmission with a T10D-1 main case, T10-7D tailhousing, and T10-148B side cover. The Borg-Warner assembly date code (5 digits, starting with a "W") is stamped on the machined surface on the driver's side of the main case adjacent to the upper rear corner side cover bolt.

[6 Shooter]

Call me a dork...

[Pudge]

So I looked for the engine code. Either looked in the wrong spot or have my doubts it is there. Here is a photo of where I thought it would be. Maybe I just need to clean the flat surface off to see what is there. In the photo shouldn't the numbers be on that flat surface where the letter "B" in the word Block is?
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