1963 Corvette

Post by **TireSmoker** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:32 pm

The Corvette is back at my dad's. We are still owed a final wet sand and rub out, but they said to do any last mechanical work now. It still looks great.. Just a couple pics for now..

-Dave

edit: just wanted to throw some before-pics in here.

Fred32v · Post by **Fred32v** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:50 am

Looks really sweet! Doesn't look like there is too much more to do before we can see what it turns. Probably a very short punch list. I wonder if Tiresmoke remembers what all those pedals on the floor are for?

MostMint · Post by **MostMint** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:30 pm

Definitely looks A1. Can't wait to see it out on the street.

Post by **TireSmoker** » Sat May 09, 2009 11:34 pm

While driving the car a couple times last summer, I smelled coolant but never saw any leakage. Near the end of the season, I found wetness in the passenger floor carpet -- I found the leak. I stopped driving the car (it was September or so) and Dad ordered a heater core.

Fast forward to May, and Dad suggested going to the annual show at Bair's Corvette, just across the line in PA. We drove the Vette up there in 2007, the first long trip the car took. (before Corvettes @ Carlisle).

I was dreading the job, but I wasn't going to a Corvette show in a Mustang. We've had the heater core for months. I've done this job in my Chevelle before (and need to do it again, that's another post), and it's not an enjoyable job.

I found a good post here that convinced me this wasn't too bad of a job. And so far, it hasn't been.

I got the glovebox, and center console side panels removed. In engine compartment, I have removed the radiator expansion tank and battery removed and heater hoses disconnected. All the bolts for the heater box in the engine compartment are surprisingly accessible. I thought Corvettes were supposed to be hard to work on.

Access to the radio and dash speaker is very easy at this point. I know BP has advised against it in the past, but I ordered one of those aftermarket radios to fit the dash. It was $290 for a radio, a dual-speaker for the center of the dash, and a wiring diagram, and overnight shipping. Since I have the interior already apart and the engine is nothing special to hear, and the upcoming road trip, I wanted to have some tunes. I still have some old speaker boxes from the Elky. If I can find a way to hide some rear speaker wires, I'll hook these up. They'd be easy to remove.

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Sun May 10, 2009 7:30 am

I would think you could just run the speaker wires up the center console and then under the carpet into the back. I did this on my vette, and it worked out ok. I actually velcro'd my speakers down to keep them from sliding around, but I drove mine a little harder than you guys do.

I like the way the Custom Autosound radios fit and work. I just had lots of trouble with mine. Hopefully yours will be trouble free.

-BP

wxo · Post by **wxo** » Sun May 10, 2009 9:04 am

The Custom AutoSound radio in my truck died not long after buying it. The company would not replace it even though it was within warranty. They forced me to send it back to them. They could find nothing wrong with it and it died for good shortly after receiving it back from them. You should have listened to Uncle Pauly. (kids...they never listen).

GMJohnny · Post by **GMJohnny** » Sun May 10, 2009 5:31 pm

Doesn't Turney's have something in their Sparkomatic rack that will fit that thing???

Post by **TireSmoker** » Sun May 10, 2009 9:49 pm

Ok, halfway done.

Bunch of cruddy old parts.

Doesn't seem like much of a 'firewall.'

Dad with the new core.

-Dave

Post by **TireSmoker** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:17 pm

Well, a scant 5 months after I took it all apart, I finally finished putting it back together Sunday. The good news is that it puts out and heat and doesn't leak. The bad news is the blower motor doesn't work now (worked before I took it apart). Hopefully it's just a loose connection.

-Dave

Post by **TireSmoker** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 1:21 pm

So, after a late start to the 2010 cruising season, I had the Corvette out on several occasion with no real issues, including a trip to Detroit for the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Dad has barely driven the car and has often mentioned his dislike for the steering. Too much play, too-slow a ratio, and too-high effort. So, he decided to pickup the conversion pieces to make it power steering. The factory P/S setups on these cars basically used a hydraulic ram connected to the center link to aid the steering, instead of having it integrated into the steering box. Less than ideal to me, but it's his car.

With all the snow melted, I took advantage of the opportunity and swapped cars, taking the Chevelle over to my parents, and bringing the Corvette home.

I also have all the pieces ready to assemble a new 350 for the Corvette. So, hopefully when April and May roll around, we'll have a much nicer engine and power steering for the 2011 cruising season. Updates and pics to follow.

-Dave

MostMint · Post by **MostMint** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:27 pm

Is the kit just basically upgrading to the same system that was in all the later C3's? The frame is the same so I'd guess you could just swap in power steering from any later model C3 that had it. Of course there is some engineering to connect the pump to the engine (are the pulley systems interchangeable, does the head have the proper bolt holes).

Post by **TireSmoker** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:42 pm

I'm not familiar with the C3's, although I am aware the most of the chassis was relatively the same from 63-82. Whatever he bought is supposed to be a re-pro of the factory setup for a '63 -- I haven't opened either of the boxes yet.

Accessory bolt holes didnt start appearing till '67 or '68 I believe. Probably around the same time as the switch from short-water-pump to long-water-pump. I don't think those will come into play, although the new engine will have them.

I've never pulled an engine from a car with a manual trans. What the usual way to do this? Pull the trans out, and then leave the bellhousing/clutch attached to the block and pull it out?

-Dave

Post by **TireSmoker** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:35 am

I know this is a pictures kind of crowd, so here's a few misc 'before' shots.

-Dave

MostMint · Post by **MostMint** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:16 pm

I have never pulled the engine from a stick shift car. We did it once at the rental shop in a 2 1/2 ton dump truck. We left the trans and bellhousing in. What a pain in the butt. It's much easier to attach the engine and trans out of the car. If removing the shifter is not too much trouble I'd pull the trans with the engine.

Regarding the dump truck - it was a big block Chevy and one of two BBC engine changes I've been involved with. Ever install an engine with a front end loader as your hoist?

Basement Paul · Post by **Basement Paul** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:36 pm

If it's anything like my '71 Vette, I'd pull the trans out and away from the bell housing, but leave the bell housing and clutch assy attached to the motor. Then I would put it back in the same way, with the clutch already centered. The problem with the Vettes is that the cross member for the trans does not remove, so you can't get a good angle to put it in when it's attached to the motor.

Good luck.

-BP

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