Where to start
Posted by StaticAndStill@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 13 comments
My dad has 69 Stingray Corvette that's been a project for at least the duration of my life, he's 72 and no longer able to really do much with it. I (37F with 2 teens 15 and 17 willing to help) would really love to get this thing built but the difficulty is it is completely dismantled, the shell is off the chasis and gutted. I have everything originally pulled out but I have no idea where to start or who I would even ask about something like this, I have good car knowledge but it's definitely not enough to build a car. What would people suggest. we live in Sydney Australia if that changes anything.
hosalabad@reddit
Brakes, fuel air spark.
NoseResponsible3874@reddit
He’s not trying to get a car that has just sat running. It’s entirely disassembled. He’s starting from scratch
hosalabad@reddit
Step 1, assemble the car until you have brakes.
Step 2, assemble the car until you have fuel.
Step 3, assemble the car until you have air.
Step 4, assemble the car until you have spark.
NoseResponsible3874@reddit
Whoa, that's a really helpful step by step.... If someone has no idea where to start, that should tell them all they need to know!
Klo187@reddit
First up, get a service manual for it. They used to be fairly common, but these days a physical copy, which you want to have, is gonna need a bit more searching.
Next, YouTube, classic car stuff, chrisfix, general mechanic stuff, hotrod stuff, body panel stuff, interior stuff, electrical stuff. And try to look up corvette stuff from the era, there’s so much info on the internet for American muscle and sports cars.
And research what you have as much as you can, and get your father as involved as you can, even if he’s not doing the work, he has experience and expertise you don’t have, and it’s a waste to not use that resource while you can.
I’m also from Australia, it’s not a common car, so your best source, is your dad, he presumably took it apart. But I know there’s at least two other stingrays floating around NSW as of two years ago, so there’s obviously people who worked on them or know them around.
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
A corvette is rare in Sydney but classic Holdens are popular enough she could hopefully find a shop to do some work on it if needed.
Klo187@reddit
Gotta love that Gm parts bin that meant everything sorta fit regardless
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
Totally agree. Plus a literal 12 year old can rebuild a chevy small block.
Obvious-Dinner-1082@reddit
Find a group club the focuses on that car. For me and my Camaro it’s NastyZ28.com for example. You’ll meet people who can tell you everything you’ll want to know and more.
Sounds like a fun experience for you and the teens.
If it’s already off the chassis, I’d enlist them to do the grunt work of sanding and cleaning up all your parts before reassembly. lol.
Jegs has a factory assembly manual take it to a print store for a physical copy.
s92e92spen15a55t1ar@reddit
You should probably first figure what parts you have and what parts you need to buy, and figure out a rough approximation of the cost and time involved.. Then decide whether its something you can undertake or not.
jedigreg1984@reddit
There's a lot of organization that goes into planning this stuff and keeping the energy/enthusiasm/progress going. If this hasn't been done already, make an inventory of everything you have and label it with tags or in ziploc bags
As far as the actual work - assuming everything needs work - I'd recommend starting by raising the chassis safely and dissembling anything still left on it. You can then remove all the paint from it, see if it needs repair, and get it powdercoated or painted. This first step is a bit time-consuming and messy (goggles and masks required) but it doesn't need a lot of specialized skill and is a great group activity with kids. You can then be confident about the condition of all of those parts of the car that you can't see when it's done, which goes a long way towards worry-free driving
Next would be reassembly of the suspension and brakes - but the Corvette guys will chime in on all of that I'm sure. Good luck!
No-Locksmith-9377@reddit
Get a factory repair manual, you can probably download a pdf for free or find the book online. YouTube will be your best friend. There is soo much free info online that will help you, including this subreddit.
Ask for help, but also learn to google for yourself. Learn what companies sell parts for your 69 vette. Good news, there are tons of companies that will sell you everything you need.
LMR, summit racing, corvette depot, classic industries, holley....etc.
Watch this video by SuperFastMatt. He lays it out best. https://youtu.be/MCh2GTjlJvA?si=Z6LJCQ1rbpPGsCz4
The general plan would be do any frame work that needs to happen while its separated, do any body work that would be easier with it separated, do engine rebuild/refresh while its out, put body on frame, put engine in frame, get engine running, suspension, brakes, wiring, interior finishes, exterior finishes and glass.
Outrageousintrovert@reddit
Likely pretty rare in that part of the world, so as the other poster said, just start slow and follow the manual. Anyone who has ever worked on a car has enjoyed the experience of putting parts together - then taking them back apart to put something else in first, etc, repeat numerous times. It's how I learned to work on cars, trial and error - lots of error.
Take care of the interior parts, those can be difficult to find.
In the end, it will be worth the effort!