2000_LS1

Well, it's a long story...I met a girl who's father had been taken by cancer last December. I started going to her Mother's house helping her move back in with her mother so she wouldn't be alone. Out back were two old shops, looking they would barely stand. One day I noticed her uncle, her dad's brother, going to one of the shops and didn't think much about it. On a leter date, my girlfriend and her mother had gone to pick up some pizza, her uncle was walking down going towards the shop. I figured I would go and see what he was up to and see if I couldn't help. I knew he was remodeling his house and figured he was cutting some flooring for the house. I walked in the shop and saw a '68 Corvette 427 BBC convertible in 80% original condition with all the parts needed to restore it laying around in boxes and on shelves. He was working on the car, putting the carpet in, gathering the seats to take to the uphostelry shop, and putting the gauges in. The motor would run but it backfired every now and again through carb at idle. We got to talking and he asked about how my car was coming, and he wanted to "show me something". So we walked out to the next shop, there sat a '68 T-top coupe. The car has a 327 that her uncle said was a High Output from the factory. It was on a rack, homemade, with the undercarriage out, no rearend, the motor was sitting in the corner looking like it needed alot of attention. I scrambled around going through the boxes and shelves and found the Undercarriage looking like it had been freshly painted, new glass for the whole car, new trim, new gauges, new seats, new carpet, new everything almost. Her uncle said that her dad had always dreamt of having this car so the family could take it out for a drive and show it off. Her uncle proceeded to tell me that there were about $30,000 worth of parts and labor laying around in the shop. From the frame being powdercoated to the new seats I would believe it. The body had been prepped for paint, looking like he still had a few areas to go over again. So the car is red with body filler here and there, an old air compressor sat in the corner with an air sander connected to the hose on the shelf so I assume the body is what he was working on. Her uncle said, "I'll give you this car as a wedding gift because I really don't want to do his project. He has about everything you need to finish it. You'll need to get a paint job, the motor rebuilt, put the undercarriage together, the rearend is in the other shop, it has been powdercoated and had new gears installed. All of the interior is here, you'll need a new wiring harness, the rats have chewed the one he bought." He went on to say "I want this car to stay in the family, and giving to his daughter and husband would be what he wanted, especially since I have more than I can handle right now with the convertible." I asked how long this project had been going on. He said they both bought the cars in '78. Started woring on them in '82, a little here and there. They went in steps and helped each other out. Some of the time they would go for 3-4 years without touching them. I was just astounded at the time and money they had invested but also confused about why the projects weren't further along than they were but her father had been sick for 3-4 years before he passed.

I would like to put an lsx into it but at the same time I don't want to alter the original plans that her dad and uncle had planned. Just curious what you guys would do. What are your comments, suggestions? The swap wouldn't be hard at all but is this selfish? My girlfriend was told about the incident by her Uncle, she says do what I want. She wants to see it run and be able to drive and ride in it. Kind of a "This-Do-In-Remembrance-Of-Me" deal I guess. I don't know how it is to lose a father, mine hasn't passed yet but I'm sure it will a very very hard stage in life. I don't know how I would respond if the situation were reversed. I haven't been anywhere close to that situation.

What do you think?
What would you do?

By the way, we are setting a wedding date for January or Febuary of 2006.

Christos

id toss a ls7 in there to keep the displacement original, but updated, would be quite cool.

Anything you take off, keep please.

2000_LS1

Haven't thought of that, that would be sweet, but expensive.

nuzee

iTrader: (2)

Before I bought my Z28, I rescued a 79 Vette from the junkyard heaven. That project taught me alot and turned out to be a fulfilling experience. Anyway, I have an appreciation for a well built C3 Vette.

If it were me in your circumstance, I would use everything that has been collected and put the big block back in. Those chrome bumper years are highly sought after. Save the LS1 conversion for a rubber bumper/ small block model that you won't think twice about taking out to the track. Finish the man's vision and make the family proud.

T-hawk

iTrader: (9)

Here's the deal. If you are planning on having this car as a rolling tribute to somebody else, then you really need to do it as they would have done it. If you are simply taking the project off their hands (but also keeping it in the family) then how you build it is entirely up to you. Since you didn't know her father, and likely your girl doesn't have any specific technical memories of the car as it would have been originally, you shouldn't really feel any need to not "modify" the car... but that said, you seem like you feel guilty for thinking about it. I totally understand the lure of putting the late model drivetrain in it (I have similar plans), but if you're just going to build a cruiser, then the original engine with some interal (and invisible) updates will be more than enough for this car. If the car is a numbers matching car, then just build it back to all original and hold onto it, since it will be worth more anyway.

Also remember that you are getting most of the stuff to build the car, hence a pretty low cash outlay for such a sweet ride that will be worth way more than you have in it. But if you start changing everything, then you lose that and the cost of doing what you want to do will definately be higher than you will estimate (always is). I also remember that an LS1 is not as straight forward a swap as it might seem into a C3.

If you wouldn't like it restored to original, then what's the point of having it, since you're kind of commited to keeping it. Ultimately, once its your car, its yours to do as you like.

Just one man's opinion....

2000_LS1

I feel guilty, in a sense, about taking the car either way. I would think that his brother, her uncle, has a right to it way before I do. But on the other hand, I would like for her, my girlfriend and his daughter, to have access to it over anyone else except his wife, my girlfriend's mother, and brother my girlfriend's uncle.

I should in no way be entitled the car in my opinion. He is very persistant about it. The car we are talking about though is the 327 not the 427. An ls7 would be cool but the 327 HO would be worth more. The 427 is her uncle's car. It is a convertible. The 327 is a t-top car, with a 4 speed I think I was told. I haven't had alot of time with the car, just 2-3 days so far. I will get some pics of it next time I go there and post 'em up.

The only reason I would take the car is for my gf's experience. She loves the car, she loves cars period. That is how we met. She doesn't know much but she appreciate's cars in general. Although she drives an Accord for gas miliage.

More than likely, I will put the 327 in it. Keep it stock and give it to her mother, my future mother-in-law, and we, my gf and I, will get it back at a later date. I think that my gf's mother should be able to enjoy it while she can. My gf and I are alot younger so chances are we would be able to enjoy it at a later date, not looking forward to the day by any means, but it seems like this would be the "politically correct" thing to do. Plus she would probably drive it around 10-15 times and give it back because she won't like the way it rides and drives. Not her type of car by any means.