More than meets the eye is good. More work than meets the eye maybe not so much, but it appears that this is what you’re getting with this 1973 Corvette Coupe. It’s at first blush a handsome car in an interesting color. And the current bid, which sits below reserve here on ebay, is a conservative $5100. There are four days to go to see what the seller’s real number is. The winning paddle-waver will go to Frederick, Maryland to claim his or her project.
Yes, project. The more you look, the more there is to do, though the bones look good with the original 350-CID V8 motoring the car at 91,000 miles. Lots of life left there, it’s probable. The cooling system has been attended to by the current owner, who has had the car a couple of years and bought it, he indicates, as a restoration project. That cooling repair, by the way, consisted of a radiator and shroud, usually a sign of an overheating condition. He has also done some things to combat a car that’s been sitting giving off trouble, including fitting a new master cylinder. This in addition to some tune-up parts and intake gaskets.
So what’s for you to do. We’ll get to the body in a second. Before that, the seller says that the car needs a brake booster and some carb work by an expert Corvette person. There may be vacuum line trouble that accounts for fuel problems as well as headlight doors that don’t work. He doesn’t mention the interior, but he need not do so—it looks pretty tidy for having gone nearly 100,000 miles. You could just jump in this car and drive it.
None of this touches the body, which is where the value kill is going to come in on this car. The paint is flaking off in sheets, and there’s going to be no way around a complete strip down to bare, uh, fiberglass. What’s the preferred way to strip a ‘glass-bodied car? With a wheel, by hand? Are chemicals possible? You’ll figure it out, and don’t try to take any shortcuts, or the problem will come right back. Anyone got a idea as to how this kind of bodywork compares with a steel-bodied car in terms of cost to repair/re-do? Anyway, bid with care. You’ve got a good platform here, but it’s going to take some cash or skill on your part to put this Corvette right.
Could be a nice one. As for paint, no way can you repaint a fiberglass car without stripping down to bare fiberglass. Fiberglass shrinks and expands as temperatures change. A single coat of primer and paint will flex with it but multiple layers of old dry paint under new paint will not and will crack.
I used a chemical stripper on my ’79 Vette. Takes time and alot of scotchbrite pads. I couldn’t find the same stuff for the ’58 GMC I’m prepping now, it was called “Captain’s” something or other. The “aircraft” remover I tried on the ’58 in a word, sucks. I’m simply going to sand it all.
Almost forgot, I had the rubber bumpers media blasted. I was leery of the chemical stripper on the urethane. Some people scrape the paint off with razor blades. If you do ever sand one be gentle around the body lines and fender peaks. I saw a freshly painted one at a show that looked terrible, he had rounded the fenders, and not evenly. He put beautiful paint onto crummy prep
When I had my ’70 stripped of it’s 3 layers of paint, the guy who did the work said he used aircraft paint stripper. Still not sure what that is.
Yeah, good description of this car’s condition, Brian. The seller does not give enough details, but that’s probably because they bought it to drive and really don’t know much about it.
It looks “okay”, but the engine may be toast with 91K on it. Vacuum issues are claimed, no surprise that in the one close-up picture, the PVC line is just laying on the valve cover. And, when there are vacuum issues with the headlights, they are stuck in the open position, for safety reasons.
Frame / Birdcage? We need underside shots.
Dave, didn’t know you had a 79 also. I too stripped 4 previous layers and went to the glass before re-applying 1 coat of silver under blue pearl finish. Turned out a brilliant blue. Not much original about mine. It is an original L82 car but missing the powerplant when I bought it. Frame and birdcage were perfect so I tore into a 3 year project, new glass and custom interior. It gets plenty of attention, especially once people try it at the light and realize I replaced that old engine with a ZZ4 crate packing 370 HP and 425 ft# of torque!
It sure looks nice, Cooter, if your avatar is the actual car you speak of. That is a really nice, deep shade of blue.
Found the best way to strip paint on glass considering my 72 had no less than five different coats of paint not to mention all the primer coats in between is from New Zealand it’s called cooper’s strip club works great visio on line of him using it on a 71 vett.
Only 14 layers here…obviously not on a Corvette. Worst I ever encountered. “Aircraft” paint stripper was reformulated years ago to meet EPA regulations, and it is almost useless.
I’d keep it the way it is .
I hate painting cars
Waste of money .
The home depot quick color flat black spray paint can quickly do wonders to a junker(one that looks much worse than this vette) that runs good but has a horrible paint job, tho the dollar price has inexplicably tripled in the last 3 yrs or so! EZ for even a 12 yr old to apply with half decent results.
Anything over 3k for one of those is too much