Technical Barn find 57 vette.

Brian, love what you’re doing with your Vette, it’s a stunner just the way it is! The ignition shielding is nice to have, but leave it off ( the pieces down by the plugs). The skin you save will be your own!,

 

Took me a minute to recall his name, but I remember Paris Fish’s quite well. It would Still be a crowd favorite wherever it went. I’m pretty sure I have any mag that it was ever in, the Way that Vettes were meant to be!

 

I only ever saw it in magazines but I remember how I reacted the first time I saw it.
That was one cool looking black hot rod Corvette wasn't it catdad!

 

Sure was, Denny! I think it was called a “Street Freak” back then, all I knew was that it was (And Still Is) Freakin’ Cool.

 

I love it! What a great find! I'm so glad you're cleaning it up, but leaving it in its original clothing.

 

Outstanding thread!

 

I have been using purple power. Its like fantastic only better.

 

Two boxes of parts showed up today. Things are going to start being reassembled. Now it gets fun.

 

That’s the kind of “unboxing” I’d like to see!

 

Unboxing. Laying out the carpet. Im going to remove the shifter to get the two holes just right. The way all the carpet pieces line up there is not alot of room for error. It has to be mocked up before i start to glue it down.

 

Don't know if you need them but I am having trouble getting window regulators. Everyone shows them in the catalogs but they are out of stock. Other door parts are back ordered too.

 

The rear end axle straps have me baffled. I have the correct 57 length. I measured it. I have the car on the lift with two screw jacks under the rear end with the full weight of the car on them. I have ratchet straps from the frame to the rear end pulling it up as far as it will go. Even with all of this pulling the straps are not close to lining up the pre drilled rivet holes. I can get it through the loop but its still several inches short. Does anyone have any ideas?
The front spring mount looks original. Could the rear shackles be incorrect and too long? If so what is the stock length center to center?
Or maybe the rear springs are wrong. Something is screwed up. View attachment 5150086 View attachment 5150086 View attachment 5150086

 

Im good on the regulators.
On the sill plate screw holes a few are stripped out. Whats the correct way to fix them?

 

I wonder if the springs are wrong do to how high the car sits. It looks high in the back to me.

 

What year is the chassis in the pic? I dont have the bars running parallel to the springs. I need to look at the pic on a computer and not my phone to see the shackle detail.

 

It looks like the shackles are flipped!

 

Thanks guys for all of the great advice. The shackles are flipped. I would assume the spring goes over the cross member. Thats going to drop the car a lot.
Once again the power of the hamb. I had to go out to the car and look so i can sleep tonight.

 

I'm kinda' diggin' the stance as it is. Personally, I would leave everything the way it is and say "To Hell" with the limiting straps. But I also understand wanting to put everything back to the way it's supposed to be. JMO.

 

I like a little rake but to me this looks funny. Theres way too much room between the top of the tire and the opening to the fender. I will flip it then push it outside for a good look.

 

being a mopar guy thats used to shackles hanging down it never occured to me that they should be mounted pointing up. when i first got the car it crossed my mind that there was something funny going on. the car sat high and the shackles were visible from the back. i never paid attention to vettes but i never recalled seeing shackles hanging from them. i never gave it a second thought because i had so much else to do that was more important. it will give me something to do while i wait for more parts to arrive.

 

May have been done to compensate for weak rear springs?

 

Grind some of the old glass out and put some new pieces of mat in it.

 

Project creep will set in when you remove those rear springs. You will decide to replace the dried out bushings, and probably the shackles and bolts. Then probably the shocks and their studs. Then you might as well do the rusty springs too. Then...