I still have dreams about the mid year that had just got painted and was sitting at Dee Westcotts (Yes the body manufacturer) -- it was pearl white -- with two blue candy stripes -- side exhaust (the header into chromed aftermarket versions)... duck tail -- flares... and Tiger Paw wide ovals....
I think I was 16 or 17 at the time. That car has haunted my dreams... it was pure perfection. We all wanted the Trans Am look back then (that would have been 1969ish).
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My point on the motor -- nothing wrong per se with a CE motor.... it's just a factory replacement. Might have been a warranty issue back then -- you know - like the idiot blew it up -- or floated the valves til they let go.... or maybe it was just a factory oil eater.
You want to keep the motor and all the stuff.... you don't want to separate them. BUT --- a good quality rebuild will cost you several grand -- and for about the same money you can have a far superior engine.... Of course there's more to it than just the motor -- because it'd be EFI so you have pumps and all that jazz.... But my 2 cents worth would be to have a car that was totally reliable and leak free for the bride. Your car - your dime - you do it the way you see fit.
She may also want an automatic - the new ones are so dang good.
Also -- best cheap money improvement on these is the single rear phenolic leaf spring...
With these old Vettes - just make sure you have a plan and the people working on it realize what these "old junk parts" are worth.... Vette stuff fetches some good prices if you decide to sell off the pieces you don't want -- but keep in mind -- once you do -- you've destroyed a lot of value down the road. The real money in these is in a restoration not the resto mod. Having said that -- I'd never own one that was stock... I'll let the collectors of the world have 'em. They pack 'em away in cotton balls and brag about their certificate they got at the last "meet". Been there done that. BORING.
Just sayin that if you tear into it -- and have the motor redone - the guy will deck that block and wipe out the CE stamp and the factory broach marks -- and then you'll have absolutely nothing but an old block. So these are things to learn about.
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