The Poor Man's Corvette Chronicals [LONG]

You did a great job Dave. Looks fantastic! I'll be looking for more pictures on your website.

If I only had a garage some day it's tough working on the vette in the parking lot. It has to stay mobile. I have taking the seats out and in to 3min.
tom

I know how everyone feels!!!!! I own a 77 that has lost its clearcoat and it looks
like a piece of junk. I'm in Louisville if anyone knows of someone around here to
paint my car. One corvette body shop gave me an estimate of $3800.00. I don't have
that kind of money!!!!!

Do you have a garage? you could always try it your self. i hear it is all in the prep anyway? or you could prep it and then have someone else shoot it.

silver 80, no I don't have a garage. If I did, it would sure make it easier to work
on this car. The high temp. here today was 29, so its real hard to work on a car in
this weather. Come on summer!!!!!!!

madjaxs, hang in there, as the old saying goes....Where theres a will, etc,etc.
Do some more research, this is a good place to start. I have read numerous posts of DIY'ers who have painted thier Vettes with great results in a makeshift leanto. Guys like us need to be resouceful in finding ways to save a dollar and get the most bang for our bucks. I've had two 77's and both were great cars. The main thing is to keep up the maintenance on her and educate yourself on different painting techniques. You can do this, Good Luck and let us know of your progress.

Thanks for all the support!!!!! It is a great car and I'll do what ever it takes to
get "her" right. Trying to work a little "overtime" to help pay for this. A-little-
at-a-time.

Can I join the poormans club too? I put mine on Visa last summer and am going to be paying her off for quite a while. Makes it even harder to put new rubber on her when the Cards are max'd!

I got mine by accident also. I had just sold my Gold Wing and was looking at a new Lark Wheelchair for my retirement...LOL....I was crusing around and saw this unit in a guys driveway. $3,500 dollars later it was mine. Went and got the wife, said come see my new toy, she figure it would be junk for that price. She was impressed with my new treasure. Hope it came. We have been having a ball in it. She likes driving it as much as I do. I never had the spare money back when I was younger, married young, 5 kids, college, you know the routine. All left the roost and its wife and I now. Makes ya feel like a kid again, and at age 60 I can use that feeling. I really enjoy tinkering with it, and get a lot of enjoyment just doing that. I just put a new 454 in my motorhome. Had all I could do not to stuff that baby in the vette. Now thats a big block...The C-3's are fun cars. My son has a C-4, mint condition but it just don't have the style of the C-3's....Fact he is selling it and offered it to me but I like the Shark. Now if I could stuff my C-3 body on to his C-4 handling package that would be pretty sweet, but his is to nice to canabilize. There are a lot of C-3 around here in Connecticut. I get lots of goodies for it off of EBAY. If you shop around they are not to bad to keep on the road. Brakes and trailing arms seem to be the major money grabbers. I just did new half shaft bearings in it myself, pretty easy job. Also just did Cat back exhaust and shocks, also pretty easy. Mine runs a little hot so am removing the AC condensor in front of radiator and putting electric fan there with manual switch on it. AC I'll save along with compressor for another owner down the road. It will be 60 lbs lighter and run cooler. Everything else works on it now.
I might have blocked a few arrteries getting the vacum lines leak free but I did it. those lights almost flip it over now they come up so fast. Wipers I never use as I seldom take it out if its bad out.....Never have the T-tops on it...
Love the way they drive and it still gets looks and thumbs up...What more could a man want. Swampy

Great Story Swampy,
Everyone who responded to this thread is an inspiration to others such as ourselfs. Your vette may not be the fastest or prettiest and you make these little sacrifices to keep'em running, We are the ones that keep the American Dream Alive.
Here's to all the Poormen and Poorwomen Corvette owners Across the U.S. of A. and Beyond.
Joe V.