New member questions about 77 just bought

[Tom77]

Hello! I just bought a 1977 Stingray and I don't know very much about these cars. Me and my son are going to restore it and any suggestions and help would be appreciated. thanks!

[vetteonr]

Hi Tom77, and welcome to the world of corvette ownership. The first thing I would do is get a corvette restoration book or a shop manual at any good book store. Read about your car and the uniqueness of the C3. I'm sure a lot of questions will come to mind, and this is a good place to ask them. Remember, the only bad question is the one that's not asked. Good luck.

[mike beaulieu]

Hi Tom, I just got my "77" last June. I've already put $2000. into mine. I went for an alignment and found I needed trailing arms and upper A-frame bushings. you have to remember it's a 28 year old vehicle, it's going to need work...and nothing is cheap !!! I feel as long as it runs well I'm going to enjoy it.

[fatherlarry]

Welcome aboard Tom,

The answers that our two members have given you are very sound advice. Here's some additional advice that may help you....join a local Covette club and talk to the members about what you plan on doing. These people have probably experience much of what you are about to and the Corvette community loves to help each other out. Tell them which way you want to go...stock...semi stock...or custom. Remember, a stock Corvette will always bring you better resale value, in most cases. Good luck and feel free to come back with any questions, whether mechanical or auto body.;bt

Also, contact Mike Kotze, our forum technician. I see that you are from PA, and he is located in Bethlehem PA. He specializes in older Corvettes. His prices are reasonable, and he is a very fair and honest guy, besides being a great technican. You can call him at (610) 867-4829. Tell him you are a member of FatherLarry's Corvette Shop and I'm sure he'll treat you well.

[Tom77]

Thanks for the welcome and the advise. This car is a project for my son and I to work on together and I think it will be a lot of fun. I know what you mean about the expense! The frame is bad in several places and I found a good used one. At $1000,00 I know it was a good price but that's still a lot of money. I did get a guarentee on being straight so I feel a little better about that. Thanks again for the welcome and I'll keep you posted about the progress.