My Vette

Nice! thats one sick looking car.

Great job Otis!

She's a real beauty Otis. I'm a bit of a gearhead myself. Did you have to do anything with the other driveline components or suspension to handle the extra horsepower ? That year came pretty tame stock compared to other years.

mAmA

Thanks Jay, Mama!

Yes Mama - I think the only thing stock on the vehicle is the shell which was somewhat damaged as well when I got it. I'd never worked with fiber-glass before and that was a real mess learning how to do that. My mechanic actually laughed when I told him that I wanted to drop in a 550 horse 442. He said the engine would be the only thing that made it to the next stop light 😆 . Anyway - he did all the suspension, trannny, driveline stuff. I don't have a lift and to be completely honest I would have no idea how to do that stuff. I'm an engine man and did most of that work myself. My first car was a 76 Plymouth Valiant with a slant-6 and plenty of room to get your elbows in there. I learned motors with that car - she was beauty as well.

After we dropped in the engine there were some significant issues with the suspension and was in-shop for about two weeks while he found the right parts for the job. I almost bought a big-block 350 but would've had to opt out of having an AC - and South Carolina summers are very unforgiving so...

Anyway, you are right - Corvette was a big disappointment in the 70's with all the restraints put on emissions. Compared to the 500 hoses of the 60's Stingrays the 70's models declined in power year after year. I think the 78 came with a 160 horse small block and the anniversary edition had a 195 horse L82. Still disappointing. 🙁

GM cut production of the Vette's in 79-80 to work out some power issues and came back in 81-83 with slightly more powerful C3's. Then it was on to the C4's which are ugly as hell and look like the Honda Preludes of the 90's. Very disappointing as well - but the power/torque saw great improvement!

Oh Well

She's a fun ride though! Even though I get blown by the new Chargers, Mustangs and stuff - I still look better going down the road. 😀

My first car was a 72 RoadRunner was a sweet car...

wish I still had it

Sweet Ride!

I like the color...

I had a fire-engine red '73 Satellite Sebring(Looked very close to '72 Roadrunner, different front end) with a white vinyl half-top that I dumped huge money into. Was a sweet looking ride And had 440 with a six-pack. Made about 500 (+/- 20) horses after all the upgrades including a bunch of after-market stuff and machine work. Chewed through 3 tranny's in about a year drag racing. Kept blowing second gear out for some really odd reason. When the last tranny blew, I was so pissed I sold her for $600 in a WalMart parking lot to some dude who was walking by. Invested: $8500... Sold out of rage: $600... God, I'm a moron!!!!

~Johnny Jones

Draco wrote: Invested: $8500... Sold out of rage: $600... God, I'm a moron!!!!

~Johnny Jones

Ok... if you were looking for an argument there.... 😛

I had a 1989 C3,1996 C3, a 1997 C4, and 2001 z06. All at different times of course, My last name isn't Trump. The 89 was maroon, the rest were all black. The only one I had work done to was the z06. It scooted. Loved them all, but they were a single mans car and I traded them for my family.

By the way, that paint looks deep and wet Otis (kinda like my exgirlfiend 😛 ).

Did you go base coat clear coat and colorsand between coats ?

mAmA

Beautiful Ride. Chick Magnet ????

😆 Mama - I didn't paint it, although I would love to say that I did. I spent about $2800 for the paint job and got three clear coats with that. I took it to a Corvette place here in Charleston and told them to give me the best shine they could. That came with three layers of clear coat and after a Sunday waxing you could pick your teeth in the refection. I guess basically what I'm saying is that I spent a bunch of money to have people restore the car for me. I do hail to most of the engine work, I did the interior installation and re-wired the stereo, headlights and dash components after someone else installed it. But it was my money so when peeps ask I just say I restored it. Let's just keep it between us! 😕

It is a single mans car and although I'm married we don't have kids, only three dogs and they ride in the Xterra. 🙂

Otis_Firefly wrote: 😆 Mama - I didn't paint it, although I would love to say that I did. I spent about $2800 for the paint job and got three clear coats with that. I took it to a Corvette place here in Charleston and told them to give me the best shine they could. That came with three layers of clear coat and after a Sunday waxing you could pick your teeth in the refection. I guess basically what I'm saying is that I spent a bunch of money to have people restore the car for me. I do hail to most of the engine work, I did the interior installation and re-wired the stereo, headlights and dash components after someone else installed it. But it was my money so when peeps ask I just say I restored it. Let's just keep it between us! 😕

It is a single mans car and although I'm married we don't have kids, only three dogs and they ride in the Xterra. 🙂

No shame in paying someone else to do some of the work. I like to think most people stick to what they're good at.

I know If I want a great end result I'm going the direction that get's that for me whether that means I do it or someone else. Learning curves with cars are expensive 😆

Figured you'd have to have a second car as a daily driver. Vettes arn't real dog friendly.

mAmA

Otis_Firefly wrote: Hey folks - just wanted to share some pictures of my 78 Vette that I recently restored.

The first picture is pretty much what it looked like when I bought it off of Ebay. Seized engine, torn interior - no exhaust etc etc. I got it for $850 and paid another $600 to have it shipped to SC from California. After dumping another 12G's into it over the past 5 years this is what she is today. I put a rebuilt GM 350 short block in, 4 barrel Holly Carb, Chrome Headers, Arc-Curve kit, and busted all the substrate out of the muffler. Repainted with 3 gloss coats (mirror finish), plush leather interior with solid black carpet, 10 CD changer, an OEM gauge cluster all for a very nice interior ride. - She was rated at 392 Horses and gets about 8 miles per gallon. 😆

Anyway - since gas here is about $2.09 gallon, we were able to take her out for some country driving over the weekend. She sounds mean folks!

Hope you enjoy!

My next one is going to be a 72 Plymouth Roadrunner! Can't wait to get started...

Any chance you can do that to my wife?

Well Wave - I'd have to take her for test drive first....