casmurbax
Well-known member
That looks great Don.
***** about dying on you. How did Ann handle it?
***** about dying on you. How did Ann handle it?
62 Corvette rebuild
- Thread starter don long
- Start date
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Don: your VETTE looks great as I (we) knew it would and sorry to hear you had some issues on your first test drive. was it as simple as running out of gas or do you know why it died? hopefully a fairly easy fix and you and Ann can drive around in style in your old duds.
do you have a hard and soft top or any top for it since you live in the land of the sun?
I bet you didn't have to wait long with AAA or did you cause they come quick up here on the few times i've needed them the past 30 or so years.
do you have a hard and soft top or any top for it since you live in the land of the sun?
I bet you didn't have to wait long with AAA or did you cause they come quick up here on the few times i've needed them the past 30 or so years.
HOTFR8
Banned
So what went wrong?
Chateau Slate 66
Well-known member
The interior looks perfect!
BassProCamaro97
Well-known member
The interior came out unbelievably nice. Beautiful car. Nice Work Don
~Jim~
~Jim~
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Car turned out beautiful as expected Don. Enjoy it and I'm sure you'll figure out the minor issue.
jbmatth
Well-known member
Wow that interior is great, you have done this car justice, hoping the issue is a simple fix.
JB
JB
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Don,
The car is beautiful and a fine result of all your hard work. That interior color is perfect with the red paint. Sorry about the thing dying on its maiden cruise but I'm sure you'll have it running again quick and back out on the road with your bride.
Bob
The car is beautiful and a fine result of all your hard work. That interior color is perfect with the red paint. Sorry about the thing dying on its maiden cruise but I'm sure you'll have it running again quick and back out on the road with your bride.
Bob
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Don,
On the positive side, that is by far the best looking corpse I've ever seen.
PD
On the positive side, that is by far the best looking corpse I've ever seen.
PD
Thanks guys
I agree. We have a winner
So after 2 days in the mechanical shop and no phone call from the mechanic I decided to go down and find out just how bad the car is.
When I got there everyone was hanging around the car. So I said shall we burn it? the mechanic said "I have a gallon of gas right here and I think that it will fix the problem.
He was laughing as he poured the gas into the tank and the car started right up
To my defense The dash is all digital and the gas gauge read 92% so I was sure that the car had gas.
After the gauges are calibrated it's all fine and the corvette is parked in its parking spot in the party garage
I agree. We have a winner
So after 2 days in the mechanical shop and no phone call from the mechanic I decided to go down and find out just how bad the car is.
When I got there everyone was hanging around the car. So I said shall we burn it? the mechanic said "I have a gallon of gas right here and I think that it will fix the problem.
He was laughing as he poured the gas into the tank and the car started right up
To my defense The dash is all digital and the gas gauge read 92% so I was sure that the car had gas.
After the gauges are calibrated it's all fine and the corvette is parked in its parking spot in the party garage
Toolfool
Well-known member
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
You have done well Don
casmurbax
Well-known member
Oh mam Don, I could see how that could happen... Glad it was not more serious. but it took them 2 days to figure that out?
car is beautiful.
car is beautiful.
jbmatth
Well-known member
It took them two days and 10 gallons of gas. 
I bet they used the car like the parking attendants in Ferris Bbueller's Day Off... or at least wanted to. Glad it all worked out in the end Don.
JB
I bet they used the car like the parking attendants in Ferris Bbueller's Day Off... or at least wanted to. Glad it all worked out in the end Don.JB
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Don: i'm happy to hear it was just out of gas.
JB: EXACTLY and why didn't they call Don? at least they didn't try to run the milage off backwards.
JB: EXACTLY and why didn't they call Don? at least they didn't try to run the milage off backwards.
HOTFR8
Banned
Seriously it was out of fuel! Come on that is an old trick and Anne was where when you ran out of fuel?
So after that 'stunt' did you have the guages calibrated?
So after that 'stunt' did you have the guages calibrated?
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That's what the local Ford Dealership did to my 2013 Mustang when I brought it in for service.It took them two days and 10 gallons of gas.
JB
I then needed to have the transmission partially rebuilt...
Kevkx125
Well-known member
Glad to here it was something simple and not a real issue.
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Oh, so that old trick eh? Taking your best girl for a ride in your shiny new car and just happen to run out of gas. Don't tell me she fell for that trick.
All jokes aside, glad it was a simple fix and you can now enjoy it after all your hard work.
All jokes aside, glad it was a simple fix and you can now enjoy it after all your hard work.
NASTYZEN
Well-known member
Woooo! Don , that is just gorgeous. Great job all around, well, except for the gas part.
akdiesel
Well-known member
Oh much better.
I would be sick as well seeing her sitting on the side of the road waiting to be taken back.
Glad she is up and running and she does look beautiful. Well done.
I would be sick as well seeing her sitting on the side of the road waiting to be taken back.
Glad she is up and running and she does look beautiful. Well done.
ford33
Well-known member
Beautiful car.
Thanks guys for all the positive feed back.
I spent the morning working on the car. First I bought a new fuel sending unit for the gas tank and installed it. Then went about reading up on the digital dash and how to calibrate the gauges. Of course I took it to lunch and had a great time trying not to lay rubber after each red light.
There were concerns about the air flow through the custom grille that I made and I can happily say that the car runs at a constant 185 temperature
I took some time this afternoon to give the vette a good wax and polish and then put it to bed for the night
The last thing to do with the car is get new custom one off wheels made for it
Thank you all for following along!!
Don
I spent the morning working on the car. First I bought a new fuel sending unit for the gas tank and installed it. Then went about reading up on the digital dash and how to calibrate the gauges. Of course I took it to lunch and had a great time trying not to lay rubber after each red light.
There were concerns about the air flow through the custom grille that I made and I can happily say that the car runs at a constant 185 temperature
I took some time this afternoon to give the vette a good wax and polish and then put it to bed for the night
The last thing to do with the car is get new custom one off wheels made for it
Thank you all for following along!!
Don
akdiesel
Well-known member
Good to hear it works great. The mesh grill did look like it would alter air flow but it is a very unique and great looking piece.
By far my favorite year of the Vette.
By far my favorite year of the Vette.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Don, you don't have to spoil the surprise but are they going to be 18-inch and look something like this?
Attachments
RickP
Well-known member
isn't it a great feeling when all your hard work and planning comes together perfectly? That custom grille looks absolutely stunning!
It's really nice to see how great this project turned out looking. I'll bet you and Ann can hardly believe it's finally finished after 20+ years. And the car looks even better than it did in your 1986 photo. Your paint job and the new interior look amazing - nice job!
Trying to build a photo album to carry in the car tonight I was going through my pictures and was getting confused as to what happened when.
So I remembered this thread and started looking through it for clarification and just finished re reading the entire thread.
The car has been driven over 400 miles with no further problems.
I took it to a car show last night and came home with the sponsor trophy (plaque) While chatting with another car guy, the car judges were walking by and heard our conversation. I was telling the guy how I put the car on the rotisserie to clean and paint the bottom of the car. The head judge interrupted our conversation and asked me if I built the car. While walking by he had turned to his partner and said somebody wrote a big check for that vette and then he overheard our conversation. He was having a hard time believing that the car was not done by some hotrod shop.
That's when I decided to make a photo book of the build
Here is the car at the show
2019-08-23 19.45.00 by don long, on Flickr
There were about 300 cars parked along the streets and guys were cruising all evening.
2019-08-23 19.06.09 by don long, on Flickr
At the end of the show they called out my name and interviewed me about building the car
They had a hard time believing that the car was painted at home in my garage.
they presented me with a plaque
2019-08-23 21.49.41 by don long, on Flickr
So I remembered this thread and started looking through it for clarification and just finished re reading the entire thread.
The car has been driven over 400 miles with no further problems.
I took it to a car show last night and came home with the sponsor trophy (plaque) While chatting with another car guy, the car judges were walking by and heard our conversation. I was telling the guy how I put the car on the rotisserie to clean and paint the bottom of the car. The head judge interrupted our conversation and asked me if I built the car. While walking by he had turned to his partner and said somebody wrote a big check for that vette and then he overheard our conversation. He was having a hard time believing that the car was not done by some hotrod shop.
That's when I decided to make a photo book of the build
Here is the car at the show
2019-08-23 19.45.00 by don long, on FlickrThere were about 300 cars parked along the streets and guys were cruising all evening.
2019-08-23 19.06.09 by don long, on FlickrAt the end of the show they called out my name and interviewed me about building the car
They had a hard time believing that the car was painted at home in my garage.
they presented me with a plaque
2019-08-23 21.49.41 by don long, on Flickr
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HOTFR8
Banned
Well deserved.
larry4406
Well-known member
+1!!
Duker
Well-known member
Congrats Don! As Simon said, well deserved!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Toolfool
Well-known member
Obviously, those judges have never heard of GarageJournal .
What do you mean it wasn't done by a high end restoration shop? It was restored by one of the best restoration shops in all of Southern California!!! It does have a weird name though? "The Big Party Garage" I guess the judges were right 
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
Don: looks like just the beginning of more fun days at the car shows and the many many awards and dropped jaws you will encounter. WELL DONE SIR!!!!
I bet it was kinda fun and put a few more smiles on your face while reading this entire thread again?
also you and the car just look pretty happy in the dusk of a summer night in Southern California.
cheers
I bet it was kinda fun and put a few more smiles on your face while reading this entire thread again?
also you and the car just look pretty happy in the dusk of a summer night in Southern California.
cheers
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Don, a home shop that includes a professional spray booth and parking for a couple of large car clubs is unimaginable in Southern California. I think a piece of property large enough to park three cars is a big deal.
What do you mean it wasn't done by a high end restoration shop? It was restored by one of the best restoration shops in all of Southern California!!! It does have a weird name though? "The Big Party Garage" I guess the judges were right
I think that pretty well sums it up. Nice going Don, definitely well deserved.
jhn9840
Well-known member
Don, something tells me that won’t be the last award you and the vette win. Congratulations.
jhn9840
John
jhn9840
John
RStewart
Well-known member
I have enjoyed all of fabrication tales and journeys. Thank you for bringing us along for the ride. Your skills are phenomenal. That car is a work of art and you should be proud.
rmalkow2
Well-known member
Congrats on the award Don. You will WOW many more folks in future shows with that beautiful vette. And well deserved for all your hard work.
Bob
Bob