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Thread: Sue's 59 Corvette project....

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  1. #1
    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Sue's 59 Corvette project....

    OK.. we DO have a forum for 'Non-trifive Chevy Projects', so Over the next days/weeks I'm going to try to pick up with this project thread and get it off the ground. We'll begin with when the bought the car in October 2017. This was the day she returned from trailering the car back from Ohio where it was purchased, and here it is resting after being driven into the shop. Sue's desire for a 'older Corvette' began after she and TrifiveRichard had collaborated on his '56 Chevy HT, and when it was finished she wanted to DRIVE it a lot more than Richard wanted it to be driven (He may want to comment on this part!)..

    Here they are posing in front of the '56 HT just after completion...
    IMG_1288.JPG

    She wanted an older car which was updated with all the modern conveniences along with 6-spd manual trans and modern HP engine, and after some consideration she decided it needed to be a 1st gen Corvette, so their search culminated in the purchase of this car.

    0- Sues '59-as purchased.JPG
    Last edited by BamaNomad; 09-11-2021 at 06:03 AM.

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    If others on this forum are interested in following the corvette build progress, ok by me too.

    Any comments?

  3. #3
    Administrator 567chevys's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TrifiveRichard View Post
    If others on this forum are interested in following the corvette build progress, ok by me too.

    Any comments?
    Yes Please do


    Thanks Sid

    1955 2 DR Post
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    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Sue wanted to drive/enjoy it for awhile before we began ripping it apart, so she did... up until it stranded her one day while driving thru town! At that point (June 2018), she and Richard decided it was 'time' to begin disassembly and after a few days it looked like this...
    DSC02192 (Copy).JPG
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    Another day or so of stripping more parts and it was nearly ready for a 'degreasing'...
    DSC02202 (Copy).JPG
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    Last edited by BamaNomad; 09-10-2021 at 02:28 PM.

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    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    No, not a low budget build but neither was their '56 HT!

    Here are photos of the new LT1 engine and 6spd transmission (Connect n Cruise package) that they ordered.
    IMG_0490.jpg
    IMG_0493.jpg

    And lest I gave you the impression that Richard wtih a little help from me did all that earlier work, here's a photo of Sue getting involved in disassembly (removing steering column)... and she got a little dirty too, yet could still smile at the camera!

    PS. She chose the engine and 6-speed Tremec trans as well, and she drives one daily, as she loves to row thru the gears manually!~


    IMG_0491.jpg
    Last edited by BamaNomad; 09-12-2021 at 08:54 PM.

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    The smile doesen't even look fake. That's a good sign that your help isn't going to simply walk away.
    Are you going to chuck the plastic covering on that engine (some claim that such trim pieces trap heat) or does the plumbing underneath look almost as ugly as that on my former Audi turbo-Diesel of which I ended up chucking the plastic?:
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    My personal opinion is that the '59 and '60 models are the 'best' of the first generation Corvettes (in spite of the fact that the '62 got the 327 engine)..

    Beginning with the '58 models, they got a little wider on the inside and had more space and legroom for a larger person. The '58 has some undesirable features like the 'rub-board' hood which holds water/dirt and is non-functional and totally unnecessary. The '58 also has the 'trunk irons', again which are totally non-functional, unnecessary weight and cost to rechrome.
    The '61/'62 models, while they got the 'ducktail' rear clip, which is OK to even a nice feature, they also 'lost' the teeth grill making the '60 the last model with the toothed grill.

    1959 and 1960 models are almost identical with the only difference being the direction of the seams on the seat upholstery, and one can always swap in a '62 or later 327 ci engine..

    Of course Sue's '59 is getting a 500 hp engine and 6 spd transmission which is even BETTER... but I've cautioned her that she must be very careful 'using' that much horsepower in such a lightweight and short wheelbase car! (they can swap ends with you very quickly in this situation!)..
    Last edited by BamaNomad; 09-14-2021 at 07:17 AM.

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    Registered Member carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)'s Avatar
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    so cool, nice progress.-------->you know what's coming!!!!!!!!!!!! what you do after lunch?
    ARMY NAM VET, very proud!

    56 210 4dr

    drive and enjoy them while you work on them, life is to short.

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    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    We completed the disassembly and then applied some degreaser to the greasy/nasty parts and then pressure washed the body to prepare it for stripping the old paint..

    DSC02203 (Copy).JPG
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    DSC02212 (Copy).JPG
    DSC02216 (Copy).JPG

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    Registered Member BamaNomad's Avatar
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    Stripping the old paint...

    After assessing the fiberglass and seeing some old (not so good) repairs to the front clip, Richard and Sue decided they wanted to replace some/most of the front clip, but the rear portion mostly seemed good, so we first chemically stripped the top layers of paint and got it nearly down to the fiberglass, then they had a local 'bead blasting' (or soda blasting?) company to come and strip the remainder of the paint off the rear clip..

    DSC02255 (Copy).JPG
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    Richard had already ordered the needed fiberglass parts from Sermersheim's Fiberglass. Sermersheim has changed names (https://scorvette.com/) as a result of the original founder/owner passing away, but they have done the best and most correct fiberglass parts for early corvettes for many many years, using the correct formulation and press molding the parts just as Chevy did in the 50's. Richard and Sue knew they wanted the best fiberglass people doing the fiberglass work, so they had the parts shipped to Masterworks Automotive (http://www.mwauto.com/aboutus.php) in Madison Heights, MI as they would be taking the car there for the fiberglass work.
    Last edited by BamaNomad; 09-11-2021 at 06:29 AM.

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