63 Split Window Corvette Restomod
 

Here is my current Corvette build.

I purchased this car this past January and started disassembling it on May 29th. The previous owner did a nice job building the car and it handled well for a stock frame with upgraded suspension, but when he was building the car the variety of aftermarket frames and ls motors were not available...there is only so much you can do with a stock frame.


When purchased...super nice car to start the project with.
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse6c5e293.jpg


May 29th: Disassembly/wet sanding with 600


http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps93ac68b8.jpg


http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps05ce7182.jpg


http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc122fb75.jpg

32 Man hours total

Body completely naked of all exterior parts and glass(minus tail lamps), the paint has been wet sanded with 600 grit, all interior molding has been removed, rear carpet is out, and the door alignment has been adjusted as best as possible.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psef662c1d.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps1f48b892.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd1668c47.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps41dbf485.jpg

Checking door alignment

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5b62cf15.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps937d0108.jpg

Also in early June

50 hours deep

I was watching overhaulin' the other night and saw how they were using tape to create a form for fiberglass, so i tried it on the firewall where the heater box hole will no longer be necessary thanks to the newer vintage air unit. It worked well, but i ended up needing to still put a layer of glass on the backside for support.

Clean slate
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps87736b88.jpg

My opponent

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps36c6f62e.jpg

Template for fiberglass mat made out of tape, which i then transferred to cardboard.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8f545c57.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps71c27ba4.jpg

Firewall glassed in and sanded around area to be filled.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2f5a4fa2.jpg

First skim coat of evercoat filler.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps99bce3db.jpg

6/13/13

54 Hours Total

New dolley came in yesterday. I assembled it this evening and mounted it under the car. No big updates for now. I've been busy hustling to get another car ready for paint, so i havent had time to work on the 63 this week.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3960c44e.jpg

7/17/13 Took a day to work on the dash since the pads arrived.
57 hours

I started to work on some of the interior items in anticipation of the SRIII chassis and 63 hood arriving soon.

I wet sanded the dash, primed it in areas where i had rubbed through eliminating drips, and then repainted it with SEM hot rod black.

Wet Sanding

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps652bffaf.jpg

New Black Leather Dash Pads with French stitching option
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc7b9edd3.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psebbd1574.jpg

Here (on the left, not the other gauges) you can see what the Autometer American Muscle gauges will look like with the original clock. I sold the cluster shown with the stock chassis. The new one will have the autometer gauges recessed behind the original cast in bezels.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psecd1898c.jpg

Love C2 coupes. Sounds like a great projects.

8/21/13 I started working on the car full time and put my other projects aside.

64 hours

I removed a large majority of the old paint from the firewall and fender skirts, but still a lot to go before epoxy primer. At this point, i was also in the process of fitting the new components on the firewall and in the engine bay to insure everything fit correctly.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7993101e.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3bbe79a2.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7de7aae7.jpg

Making sure everything lines up with the new vintage air system. Still a good bit of body work to do on the firewall where i deleted the heater box cut out.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb12bc528.jpg

New wiper motor from Detroit Speed.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse0b1b3cc.jpg

Seats recovered in new black leather.
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse82edb1e.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfddfae68.jpg

70 hours

I really did not want to get this far into bodywork, but the door gaps on this car were massive at the front and rear and I just couldn't leave them that way.

Before

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps83e2cc4c.jpg

After, which ended up being too tight.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbc93a629.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa77210d4.jpg

Smoothing out the firewall took a lot longer than i initially thought it would.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3dad36ca.jpg

The hood finally was finished by shermersheim and arrived. Bolting it on made me realize that the hood surround is wavy from previous bodywork.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8b94b0f5.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb68fe141.jpg

Finished narrowing the gap on the driver's side door and fitting the door to the roof, quarter, and fender. The door stuck out past the roof panel just in front of the indentations previously , but that problem is now resolved.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps15d16228.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa4cc1134.jpg

The door had dipped down at the rear corner and sat lower than the body. It wasn't terrible, but it needed to be addressed.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse8872b1e.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4eab7b6a.jpg

Front of door Before

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3889880d.jpg

Front of door After. I will need to remove the door to finish smoothing things out.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9ae0fdad.jpg

Still a good bit of filling and smoothing to do on the passenger door, but the gap is already nice and tight after building up the jamb with evercoat vette panel filler.
http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psac0c0a0f.jpg

Very nice. Split windows are the bomb. :pushbutto Are you going to put an aftermarket frame under it?

119 hours At this point I started to have a whole new appreciation for people that do body work day in and day out. Miserable!!!

IF you purchase a new hood, order it in two pieces and bond it together yourself with 3m panel bond. This hood fit like crap and it is supposed to be the best on the market

This was the worst fitting spot on the hood.

Before

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd11b6f67.jpg

After

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps70b72959.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse4d20efc.jpg

Before-Zero space on passenger side

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pseffef9aa.jpg

After

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps209939d7.jpg

Front Before-No space and sat way too low at front edges.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psaebcd34a.jpg

After

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps01e4b8f5.jpg

Driver's side before-too wide

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps72b52854.jpg

Driver's side after

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6507133e.jpg

Had an issue with the headlamp bucket...the casing was too narrow and the bezel was to wide. So, i has to shave the edge of the bezel and build up the casing. Once i had it properly aligned, i had to build up the inboard corner and the front of the casing at the lower nose portion of the surround.

Before

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps3be1c8df.jpg

After

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5f29d5d7.jpg

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdb44d4c7.jpg

Both Required attention, but the driver's side was not nearly as bad.

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfbcd0914.jpg

Front of driver's door is finally finished

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscef37445.jpg