First C3 Vette and luvin it :)

[Waynio]

Hi all, Wayne ( Faffer ) here from Manchester.
At long last i have one. What a time it has been. For aslong as i remember i wanted a C3 of one type or another and recently i gave up messing with boats and got back into cars. Now this was a chance to get a project one. I had £10k spend but was told i would not get much at all for that money. To my delight though an extremely decent chap got in touch with me about one he wasnt selling as such but offered it it to me at half my budget. big bonus to me.

Problem was though i hadnt sold my boat yet so funds were held up. This went on for six months, VERY long months but the chap kept it there for me to my surprise. you dont get many folk about nowadays that decent. We kept in contact well i did every few weeks to say i am still very interested but i had already bought it to me without seeing it in the real.
ped down to Cornwall on 750 mile round trip last weekend. On a day trip that is. yes i do these things in one go.

Although the trip didnt go to plan. Much like all my plans and luck. This Vette is the only bit of luck i have had for a long time. All went well untill the trip home started as when after just 80 miles the tow car broke down, ok blew a piston. On top of that it was a mates car and trailer.

Long story short.

RAC are not much cop like the AA. They had nobody in Cornwall or Devon licenced to tow a trailer so had to ask a local firm to help after an 8hr wait.. We was given a car to be able to get home and then they are going to bring the tow car home that broke down in a few days I hope anyway. All the parts for the Vette are in that so i cant do much at the minute.

That trip in total taken us over 23hrs to do. we broke down at 3pm and didnt get home un till 4am next day.

And all that time i was still smiling with having the Corvette. But my god i had jet lag just from that trip i think.





I was pleased as it was better than i expected from the details and pictures i was sent.





Well its home now and waiting for me to break a Shogun and get rid so i can put up the garage for it..






Ingterior is great. seats are decent no cracks, a quick vacuum out of the carpets and interior is good to go.

Exterior needs a fettle but i am looking forward to spraying in same colour. Few small dings and a fair few bubble popping through the paint

First thing though is to ge the heads back home out for the recovery Landrover and see what heads they are so i can find a new cam kit etc. OR i re.uise the old ones. There was nothing wrong with the engine but for the previous owner started to work on it to gain more power.

The cam shafts have battered my head abit with so many to look at ands specs. Its jsut a road car for me so a mild cam will be fine. Ill see more as said when the heads get here.


So thats me Faffer and my new Vette

 

[mickn]

I like the colour, sounds like it might have been quicker to go to the US and bring one back

 

[teamzr1]

What year is this ?
Did they give you the side exhaust mufflers and covers that are missing ?
You check to see how the clutch pedal feels ?

Looks like the rubber seals for around window in good shape

 

[Roscobbc]

That sensor on the header just has to go out of sight......that is bound to get damaged/vandalised etc - someone planned to install fuel injection?
Car look like it has 'good bones' - and a manual too which is a plus!

 

[Waynio]

I like the colour, sounds like it might have been quicker to go to the US and bring one back

It would of been quicker yes bloody joke these recovery companies these days.Its has all i like, oriogianl wheels and interior and the colour, love it.

 

[Waynio]

What year is this ?
Did they give you the side exhaust mufflers and covers that are missing ?
You check to see how the clutch pedal feels ?

Looks like the rubber seals for around window in good shape

View attachment 26596

It is 1981 with a crate engine 290hp from what we know. Clutch feels good. and this is what i got when he sent me pics from the strat, so all up and running untill lst May . no exhaust covers but i am short arse so in can jump over the exhaust lol.

The seals seem good. I know its rare but the T tops dont leak either, no reason to disbelieve the last owner either, we will see but its under a caover for now as dont wnat to get it wet haha

I managed to get the windows up once the battery was charged but the came up very slow and struggling, mite be that the battery is goosed as its been sat for while and dropped to 9v. No big deal that though .

 

[Waynio]

That sensor on the header just has to go out of sight......that is bound to get damaged/vandalised etc - someone planned to install fuel injection?
Car look like it has 'good bones' - and a manual too which is a plus!

I agree its annoying me. Its on full carbs no eletronics at all. He removed them to back to old school with no electrics which i like. .

Manuel, well the best IMO for a drivers car. one main reason i wanted it, well aswell as the rest lol.

 

[johng]

I hope you are going to post progress of your project as you go. I enjoy reading what others are doing and you'll probably get some good advice from people here. If I were you I would put covers on the exhaust, I'm a short arse too but it's very easy to brush against them and even if you always remember your passenger might not.

 

[Waynio]

I hope you are going to post progress of your project as you go. I enjoy reading what others are doing and you'll probably get some good advice from people here. If I were you I would put covers on the exhaust, I'm a short arse too but it's very easy to brush against them and even if you always remember your passenger might not.

Most definatley, i enjoy doing blogs as its good for me to see how things go on, I have spent 5 years on a boat rebuild a while ago.
Know what you mean about the shield really. Mite make my own, a custom one would be good with corvette cut into it maybe.

 

[Chevrolet]

I had £10k spend but was told i would not get much at all for that money. To my delight though an extremely decent chap got in touch with me about one he wasnt selling as such but offered it it to me at half my budget. big bonus to me.

Are you saying you got it for £5k? If so, sounds like a bit of a bargain to me, looking at the photos?

 

[Chevrolet]

I have spent 5 years on a boat rebuild a while ago.

So, is it true what they say? Best two days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it?

 

[Waynio]

Are you saying you got it for £5k? If so, sounds like a bit of a bargain to me, looking at the photos?

Near that £5500. I thought as usual to good to be true but for some gut reason i went for it.
I wsnt ready to buy one at that time and just asked what i could get for £10k. as then that was my budget. I got a message from the owner saying he this for sale. And well thats the pics i taken got from six earlier. Straight away i though iot was a typo. Nope £5500. Pics of the cage etc and details of it. well now its here although six months after we stated to chat.

 

[teamzr1]

It is 1981 with a crate engine 290hp from what we know. Clutch feels good. and this is what i got when he sent me pics from the strat, so all up and running untill lst May . no exhaust covers but i am short arse so in can jump over the exhaust lol.

The seals seem good. I know its rare but the T tops dont leak either, no reason to disbelieve the last owner either, we will see but its under a caover for now as dont wnat to get it wet haha

I managed to get the windows up once the battery was charged but the came up very slow and struggling, mite be that the battery is goosed as its been sat for while and dropped to 9v. No big deal that though .

1981 was another year of SMOG pigs and only had the L81 engine


I have attached below a 75-page PDF that is GM engineering design specs
Has lots of good info you will need if doing any restoring to specs

 

[Waynio]

1981 was another year of SMOG pigs and only had the L81 engine
View attachment 26630

I have attached below a 75-page PDF that is GM engineering design specs
Has lots of good info you will need if doing any restoring to specs

So crate engines all come in same as manufacturers spec, ? .I thought crate engines were as to spec you want.

 

[Roscobbc]

So crate engines all come in same as manufacturers spec, ? .I thought crate engines were as to spec you want.

As you have said Waynio - pays yer money - gets what you want (to a point........)

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Can't argue with getting that for a tad over 5k. Pop the door covers off then clean and lube the window tracks before incurring expense as they get full of crud in there.

Hope to see you and the Corvette at upcoming meets in the north west soon?

Stuart (NW Regional rep)

 

[Waynio]

So, is it true what they say? Best two days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it?

I have had boats for 30 years and worked for myself on them for folk. Some reason i lost the love after i got the boat i always wanted. Been a long love of boats with cars in there too.
Now i am sick of boats. And costly more than ever now. The Vette wiill be cheap towards boats. Last boat did full belt at 30 knots around 5gph. Old boat aswell at around 54 years, twin VP AQ115.

 

[Waynio]

Can't argue with getting that for a tad over 5k. Pop the door covers off then clean and lube the window tracks before incurring expense as they get full of crud in there.

Hope to see you and the Corvette at upcoming meets in the north west soon?

Stuart (NW Regional rep)

Yes i think they need doing as i charged a battery and they struggled to get up. had to help them for last bit.

Will be at some meets defo

 

[Waynio]

1981 was another year of SMOG pigs and only had the L81 engine
View attachment 26630

I have attached below a 75-page PDF that is GM engineering design specs
Has lots of good info you will need if doing any restoring to specs

Thanks for that Downloaded and will be printed of an laminated . Just need a full engine rebuild an dany other i can do same with. Like to have all specs etc to hand int shed.

 

[Waynio]

I have an excuse to knw go and use the Vette more than i planned to, better up the restricted mileage when i insure it from 3k haha.

I like my fishing so getting back into it. I bought a VW Caddy and was expecting to collect it tomorrow.. i called the seller and he used it last week and it broke down and been in the garage for a week and they cant fix it. good in a way as it could of happened when i took it away..

So i was going to look at a 1992 Chevy Astro.

After some tooing and faffing i decided to let SWMBO to have the money to get a newer car and ill do with out an day car and use the Vette. I was going to use it a few days a week anyway but now also fishing days.

BUT ill need to get some more Travel rods as this gear will not fit.





After faffing about debating i took some pics of the state of the bay. Good and solid but for surface rust. I have bought another, yes another blast cabinet, i sold my last one last year not thinking i would need it.

Also the bushed will be replaced with poly bush.





Few more parts required aswell.

Oh and splshed out all of a tenner on a set of spanners just to fix it up.

set of AF




And a set of these odd ones, been fafing a good while in cars but never seen the metric/Imp spanners.



So after a weeks wait the .top end of the engine will be here in the recovered recovery vehicle. I hope

They are coming 270 miles from Exeter to Manchester and will be `Setting off this morning being Friday and `mite` be here tomorrow` What a cracking service RAC provide hey lol. And it cost me £70.