1962 Vettemous Reserectous
 

Greetings Men (or any other gender/life form present)

With the 507 well under way, an additional garage port and shop extension to build, and a Mercedes 280SL coming in shortly, with all this free time I decided to take in a 1962 Vette that needs a mechanical restoration to get back on the road. This is for a friend's Boss's widow and this is her husband's car.

Being a Mopar guy, I know a lot about Corvettes so this should be an easy undertaking.:bs: It's an original car and I'm planning on keeping it that way:wink:

One can see there's lots of untouched things on it....

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The original Vortec V8 is still in place. This is the rare super low rise intake. So low no carburetor can be seen! Original long tube headers still have the factory rust on them as well. I know!! What.... Are the chances?!

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Factory 25F option code, Enhanced Moon-Ride Gravity Detractorators", are still in place on the front springs too! Uber rare for this year. I believe a one year option only, but I'll let the Tim & Tim show confirm that.

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So as I dive into this I'll update post haste. No time frame on this to get done but we all know how that goes with my other builds.

Enjoy the pics!

Cheers
Dave

I don't know how you multitask like that, Dave. I can barely handle one project at a time.

If you really are deprived of enough projects, my offer to bring my Chevelle down for interior paint is still on the table... I could stay around and do the sanding. Then help handle one end of fenders to run thru the English wheel, pound nails on additions, sweep floors....damn near anything to stay out of frozen WI for a month...:laugh: Oh, that's right, all that would only take you a few days. I'd have to find another excuse not to go home right away.

Nice car! Seems like every old car I've ever bought has had a set of those Enhanced Moon-Ride Gravity Detractorators.

Option code 25f was mandatory with the RPO579 big brake. This was the precursor to coil over shocks for trackside adjustability in spring rates. The NCRS guys will be stalking you by EOD:dunno:

I knew I could count on Team Tim!! I'll be looking to yous guys when the demolition starts! I guess I should probably order and assembly manual. Pffllppppp... Who needs that?:hmmm::biggthumpup:

Mitch, you know there's no shortage of projects down here either! But it's more entertaining to see you work on yours rather than you work on mine!! Pick up those paint guns and get a spraying! Ok, well, maybe wait until it warms up a little. Nothing like Clearcicles flying out of your gun when trying to lay down the funk!:tongue:

This should be fun since it's all mechanical. No dreaded bodywork.

Cheers
Dave

Looking at the spring picture, there is a piece of metal that looks like something was welded to the frame and then cut off. What is that?

Mark,

I was looking at that too and don’t know the answer. I’m going to get it on jack stands today and get a good look at things. There’s some tow hook damage on the lower front crossmember that will need to be addressed. The rare factory option MD521 (mud dauber) seems to have been a favorite addition to this car in the strangest places!:thumbsdown:

Cheers
Dave

Reserectous Continuous! :biggthumpup: Exhaust is out, engine stripped down a bit and I found out this is a ZZ1 crate motor. Very clean inside, so that's a bonus for the owner that the engine should not need to be rebuilt hopefully.
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All new wiring is here (minutes the dash harness... Good job Ecklers!:rolleyes2:) and I'll be detailing up the motor and installing some new parts this week. Radiator gets dropped off and pressure tested this week.

The tach on the car signals a high HP car. With the original motor gone, any other way to tell if this is anything other than a low horsepower car?

Cheers
Dave

Engine is coming together. I used adapters to mount the non-center bolt valve covers. The car has the correct 62 340 horse intake and dual point distributor, along with the higher redline tach. I think the original 327 is on the barn where the car was and waiting on numbers to verify. Center rear section doesn't decode to a 62 Corvette though.
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More to come!

Cheers
Dave

^ that valve cover adapter is beautious! slick.

Dave,

If this distributor turns out to be junk, I have an NOS 1962 Dual Point in the original box if you need it. Let me know,

Bill

Thanks, Bill. Looks to have all new fresh internals and was running on this motor about ten years ago or so, supposedly. Thanks for the heads up!:biggthumpup:

Cheers
Dave

What trans and rear?

I love a 62!!!

Black with red gut!!!

Really like this car!!!

Ryan W31

PS: can you post a picture, hood and trunk closed 3/4 front and 3/4 rear? It’s so pretty!!!!!!!!

What are you going to be using for breathers Dave?

Looks great so far!!

Will do, Ryan!

Tim, just the stock breather tube on the intake. They do make an adapter to drill a PCV in the side of one of the covers, but I don’t plan on doing that.

Parts availability is a pain! Ugh!

Cheers
Dave

Here you go Ryan!:biggthumpup:

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So a good day tearing into the old Vette. I'm replacing the main harness with a new one and it seems to me that things were thrown together under here haphazardly. I think this car was apart at some point but don't know the history on it. :no: But based on things in seeing not hooked up and routing of the harness, I think it definitely has something going on. But up first is more mechanics: brakes!

One often wonders what's happened to these cars over the years. And looking at the sway bar, one has to really ask, "What the....???:hmmm:"
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So any idea what that could be? Welded ends, some sort of bracket welded then cut off the spring perch. I was thinking maybe they did that for a make shift tow bar or something. Weird.

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Even with all the destruction, I still found two factory markings! Yellow blop on the steering outer tie rod stud and one on the pitman arm. Neat to see. Front end will be converted to disks for safety and all new parts in the rears, so it should stop nicely!
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So the rear axle I know was swapped. At least the center section was. This car has all the traits of a 340 car, but missing a couple so I figured the rear axle would be a good clue to add to the evidence. But sadly, the code "AB607" doesn't decode to a 62 Vette. Also, the carrier number is there, but no date. So what's the deal with that..... Tim!?:dunno:

It's moving forward! Hope to be starting it next month if I ever get the darn harness in!!

Cheers
Dave

Picture of the axle info.....

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And it's the car that pays you to restore it!!:confused2:

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Heck... That's twenty-five centaroonis right there. Now, if I can only get it out of there!:eek2:

Cheers
Dave

What a gem!!!

Looks like a lot of fun!!!

Thanks for the update.

Will it be a body off?

Ryan W31

Oh, heck no. Just mechanics ala’ Napa68 style!:tongue:

The owner just wants to drive safely and enjoy the car without going broke. Can you do that with these things?!?:hmmm:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

I will answer with as many eloquent soliloquies as possible.

No

Ryan W31

PS: show the owner this picture and see if his/her pupils dilate.

Dave, does the rear have a thin or thick font 'P' for Posi? Thin font is known to be Corvette application.

Be careful with the valve cover adapters. We tried to get them to work on the ZZ4 350 crate motor in our '69 Z28 and all they did was leak.

Dan

Dan,

No P anywhere that I can see. Im pretty sure based on the pad stamp it’s just from a passenger car. It’s open for sure…not a posi. I was talking to a fellow member who commented on the same thing, but after chatting, realized it might not be the adapters fault but the lack of crankcase ventilation. Older engines had that road draft tube along with the front breather. But this engine, a ZZ1 crate, won’t have the rear tube so I’m almost thinking I will need the PCV and breather ports installed on these covers to equalize pressure. These are just repops, so no biggie to make the mod and the covers are baffled for the modification option.

Thoughts :dunno::dunno::dunno:

Cheers
Dave

----I can't remember the year, Dave, (maybe 65/66) but there is an oil filler tube for the front of the intake with provisions for a screw in PCV valve. I believe it might work for your project.

----Looked it up. 1965 Chrome oil fill tube, GM part # 3888362 1965 350hp. Found one a Tracy's Performance, but other Corvette parts places may have them as well. The valve itself may be harder to find. Perhaps one of our esteemed members has one. I used to have 4 or 5 but I think they are gone. I'll check when I get back out to the cave later on today...Bill S

I've got the correct PCV valve I can send you for that fill tube if you decide to go that route just give me your address and it's yours. Let me know.
Bill

----Thanks, Bill! I felt like someone would pop up with one. It saved me probably an hour of fruitless looking as I'm pretty sure I sold all of mine....Bill S

Hmmm…thanks, guys!:worship: No idea about this. I’ll go that route. Might help the issues with the venting.

PM sent!

Cheers
Dave

PCV is on the way Dave!

Bill

----Dave,,,Completely forgot the cap. Found it also at Tracys for $6.00. Seems super cheap, but it's on E-bay for that amount. E-bay # is 393410763290. Thay will complete things!.....Bill S

Awesome! Thanks Bill, and you too other Bill!! You guys rock!:worship:

Cheers
Dave

This Chevelle tube is a bit taller that the Vette tube, but this is what you're shooting for Dave. Without the smog stuff of course.

Got it, thanks for the pic! All parts are headed this way:biggthumpup:

Thanks for the help, guys.

Cheers
Dave

STD….er, PTP..CSP…PVC…….PCV received Bill!:3gears::biggthumpup:

Thank you! :biggthumpup:

Cheers
Dave

Rear brakes done along with front disks installed. This "kit' required every hole to be elongated or redrilled along with each bracket needing a small notch to fit the spindles. Not only that, one ear by the brake hose connection needed to be shaved down. It's a good kit, just not completely bolt in no matter how it's advertised! Oh, and instructions? Zero for the master cylinder and just two sheets for the disks with a profile diagram that really doesn't tell you much on how the bracket goes on.

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But they're on! Exhaust is here along with some other parts to go on next week!

Cheers
Dave

Sounds like a CPP kit...:rolleyes2:

Greetings men!

It's been a productive three months and the 62 Corvette is back on the road as of yesterday!:burnout:

Sorry for not updating sooner as it seems in my now advanced age of 49 I'm become forgetful of things. Also, a little slower at getting stuff done. But fear not! Here's your update and over the next few months they'll bean update to the 507 as well!:naughty:

So how'd it all go down? Welp, all new wiring, front disk brake kit, lots of everything else replaced, radiator, hoses, converted to Pertronix and bypassed the resistor internally so it looks stock, I installed an underdash Rain Gear wiper system and left the motor on the firewall so that looks stocl too (I know, I'm that stupid), and finally, ZZ1 crate motor purrs nicely with no leaks dressed as the stock 340hp engine! It all come together last week.:laugh: One issue I had was bleeding the brakes and the stupid shuttle valve in the proportioning valve kept engaging and blocking the fluid to the front brakes. Ugh. Never, ever had that happen before so that was a YouTubious Searcherratti exercise figuring out why fluid wasn't coming out. So lesson learned, you don't know everything! OK, well now I do.. That was the one thing I was missing:bs::p

Up next, possibly a 66 Nassau Blue Coupe survivor with Air, disks, ps, telescoping wheel from the same owner for some work. I'm happy to say I'm pretty intimately familiar with these later C1s. They'll be no awards won with this one and there's still some fine tuning to do. Not sure if I'll do the shielding on the wires or not. She just wanted a safe driver and think she got it. The car came to me thrown together with lots of parts missing (clutch linkage, throttle linkage, many things underhood gone) and not being a Corvette guy, was a little challenging. But fun stuff and now I want one!:scholar:

I started on it late January and it's back on the road. Couple last minute things to finish, then it's back to the other next month. Woohoo!!

Cheers
Dave

Nice work! Good to see you posting, Dave.

For a guy who has A12 in his screen name.......you sure are looking like a Corvette guy:beers:

Well done Dave!

YouTubious Searcherratti!! THATS THE BEST!!

It looks great, Dave.