Engine to Shop

Finally took the engine in to be rebuilt.

Cleaned up the flywheel cover and the clutch "fork" today.

Got and old wheel, painted it Chevy orange/red and using as a reel for the air hose.

My mother-in-law gave me some money for Father's day and I got a bead blaster and a compressor.

Cleaned up the thermostat housing and the valve covers.

Actually starting to work on the car

Today I pulled all the plugs and put Marvel Mystery oil into the cylinders.

I'm going to let it sit a day or two and see if I can get it to turn over by hand.

I hope, I hope, I hope.

My Dad's Cars

My dad always had cool cars.

I remember a green 53 Chevy convertible with a louvered hood. Nobody else's dad had a car with louvers.

This was replaced by a black 56 Buick convertible.

This was replaced by a black 58 Corvette convertible. It had a hardtop, the base engine and a 3 speed. He used the chrome spears on the trunk as his radio antenna.

In 1962 he replaced the 58 with a black 62. It too had the hardtop, but it had the 340 hp engine and the 4 speed. Since I was his only child, I always assumed he would leave it to me.

Wrong!

I remember a Woody Allen bit in which he'd show the audience a pocket watch and say "My father....on his deathbed....sold me this watch."

When my father passed away in 1983, I purchased the Corvette from my stepmother. I paid her $10,000 and paid for his funeral.

I used it as my daily driver for several years. In 86, it began to make a noise when the clutch was released. I pulled the trans. At some point in there, my wife's station wagon went through our wooden garage door and pushed the Corvette, which was on jack stands, several feet.

There's a small crack in the right rear fender.

My goal this summer is to get it running. I'd love to be able to drive it to Bonneville this August.