Not the '57 chevy you're thinking of!!! Its a Vette, not a Bel Air. Never though I'd own something like this. It is actually titled as a '59 chevy. So no need for me to mess around with the ca dmv (YAAAY!). It is a '59 corvette frame (with race history) under a '57 promotional repop body. The engine is a '66 chevy 283. Needs a LOT of work. In reality, I'm in over my head. I need to learn and keep busy. My grandmother just passed and keeping busy keeps me sane. Here is what the guy told me about the history and what he was going to do to it. The frame has some race history. He showed me some pics of the car with the 59 body on it. Looked nice. Hes going to scan them and send them to me tonight hopefully. When I get them, I'll throw them up on here. Apperently, the guy had some work done to the front end, but I dont know where. He was setting it up gasser style. So what exactly does it need done? I need to hook up the brakes. Its got a 9" ford rear. I need to get a master cylinder and run lines to everything. I need to set up the pedals. I need to get a fuel cell made for the trunk (its fed from a 2.10 gallon gas can right now). I need to get steel templates made to secure the body to the frame- right now, a lot of wood is used, and thats just unsafe. I need to get new tires- I'm going to put some more meat on the rears to try to get them flush and looking right. Needs a lot of body work- mostly old screw holes filled. In general the body needs to be smoothed and sanded and it needs some nice paint. I need to find a lot of moulding and chrome pieces. I have the drivers side, but its missing the passenger side. Need the grill, bumperettes, fender scoops, windshield moulding and windshield because its just a piece of plexiglass screwed in right now, and some more i cant think of off the top of my head. Needs all electrical hooked up. Check out what the dude did to the rear suspension http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b140/Skattruggles/PC190694.jpg . Can you believe that? I've never seen a piece of tubing secured through some u bolts before. Any reccomendations on what I should do there? Need to figure out a better way to secure the hood, and a better way to secure the trunk lid. Need to do something with the transmission- make it so it can go into P, R, D, etc etc (not a manual ) Need to make a battery tray... maybe i'll run it to the trunk. Secure the seats down to the floor, and toss the roll bar thingy out. The steering assembly works, but needs some extra attention, need to do some shit with the knuckles. Um I cant think of anything else right now but I know there is a lot more. At least the engine was recently built up. Its got an aluminum intake, nice valve covers, the fronts been worked on a bit, etc etc. It turns over, and sounds really damn healthy actually. If I ever finish it, I might run it without a hood. It think it looks pretty nice like that. Anyone else? Today I went from this: To this I love this car. Cant wait to get it semi road worthy and take her for a maiden cruise. It wasnt what I was looking to trade, but it was too good to pass up. If anyone was looking for a project like this, I'd be willing to sell it or trade it possibly. Just drop me a line.
Looks to be like he was trying to make it a roller with the rear suspension...at least that's what I'm telling myself to keep from crying.
Yea, its not exactly what everyone is doing, not particularly traditional, and its a long way from being finished, but its something.
I know . Probably going to be too big of a job to tackle myself. I'll probably end up trailering it to a shop and having them do... something with it. I have no idea where to begin there.
That is not, of course, a 57 Vette at all. It is a racecar, a one-piece race-weight body shell on a purpose-built or modified stock style chassis. Looks like a fun project to me!
Its a stock 59 chassis. I thought i stated it was a one piece repop. Maybe i didnt. I had everything all typed out and i clicked closed somehow and lost everything and had to retype. ANyway, the body is SUPPOSEDLY from the late 60s/ early 70s used by chevy dealers for promotional purposes. Supposedly only 400 made but I have no resources to confirm this. Again, titled as a 59 chevy and i'm reaaaally happy.
It might not rub out right away but it's got lots of potential. Make a plan and work it - one piece at a time. These things look pretty tough as a whole but when you break it down to manageable chunks it gets a lot easier. Do what know how to do now, then take on harder tasks as you learn. Keep updating us. Charlie
I sure will keep updating. I'm going to do brakes first. Then rear suspension. The things I GOTTA do to make it semi drivable (and inspiring) will get done first, that way I'll get motivated to do more.
Early vette's look KILLER as race car's, especially straight axle.. Considering the fact that you have a shell with no interior 'tub' so to speak, and will have to pretty much fab a lot of stuff on it.. Why not make it a true street/strip car.... Build it as a race car with minimal creature comfort's etc..'cept a nice roll bar or course.. Straight axle (if you like) with some pie crust's out back etc... It could be built much like the early funnycar's were..all business chassis with a body set on top.... i know, there's more to it than that..i'm just brainstorming I LOVE solid axle Vette's....I respect the amount of work that go's into them when they are restored..i did a 58 last winter for a customer... But if i was to ever get my hands on one for myself, it would be a nose bleed straight axle, dual quad small block set up to run...but street legal... Good luck with the car..no matter what way you go with it i have a feeling you will have fun...ok, so you'll have some stress too..that's all part of it..haha Tony
some stress is an understatement. its definitely going to have little to no 'creature comforts'. Simply because I want to drive it as soon as i can haha. Any extras will be added AFTER I get this thing on the road and drive the shit out of it. I'm pretty happy with the engine. I'd much rather have a manual transmission, but if i ever change it out, it will be down the line, since like i said, i'm looking for a runner first. Just to have fun, and lots of it. Not sure if i'll build it as a drag/race car. As much as I'd like to, I'm simply too inexperienced. MMmmmm, pie crusts
If only I knew more people to help me learn. I'm a visual learner. I have a few friends who know what they're doing. When I get around to fabbing the body to frame, It will be done professionally, and track worthy.
Got pics of the one in HRD? I havent been to a bookstore in a while. I like it a WHOLE lot. So what exactly am I looking at- in reference to reinforcing the body? I'm sure I could get a floor and firewall made, no problem, but how do people reinforce firberglass repop cars?
Here's 3 pics of what it used to be- a '59. anyone have any info? He says it was in the sacramento area. I'm going to start searching soon for more info. Any ideas on where to start? THanks Oh, and I talked to the guy I got it from again and he said the tubing was in no way intended to be permanent. Strictly to get it to sit where he wanted it as a roller. Its a 350 tranny, new stock cam and new lifters. A new timing chain and gears. New gaskets and thermostat. New modulator. He says the 9" ford rear was drilled to a chevy pattern. I'm going to check that later. Says the guy who raced the 59 had a new axle custom made from MAS or some outfit like that.
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