1st thing to go, if equipped, Side Pipes. Had them on the 66 Coupe, Never again!! (Still have "Bald legs from it & being bit by Ed Lowther's Cobra @ Nelson Ledges when I was in my teens) The problem is not with the seating position, Seats can be "adjusted", just ride quality of the older Vettes. Yes, they are Fun, but, I'm not in my 20s anymore & feel it. 66 Sb. Convert W/Ac is Just what I'd want & the Colors are Great. Glide would be the only hold back. Have a 327 W/Glide in my Marina Blue W/Blue & White 66 SS Impala Conv. that I am restoring now. Contemplating a TH350 or 2004R conversion. (Have the 2004R in the garage) Have the Frame & "Bird Cage" checked for Rot. ("Vettes don't Rust." BULL!!!!!!) If You open the Doors with the top down & they Don't want to close, (both at 1 time) Run don't Walk, away. Look at the area just behind the door on the Frame for Any "Repairs" ( Looked at 1 that was repaired with A/C Tape & body filler to hide the rot for a Legal battle 2 years ago, 65 396 bought @ Collector auction. Fed car Back to Seller, "Non Disclosure, Bad Frame") Have it checked over & if it passes, Enjoy the Heck out of it. JR
I love c-2 corvettes ! Great cars, lots of fun and really easy to maintain. I've owned my "65 for 25 years and it still makes me smile.. Stay away from NCRS cars (and people) have it checked out (birdcage and frame in particular ), buy it and enjoy it! C-3's are fun , C2's are a riot! C6's are great cars and very reasonably priced... Welcome to the Corvette community, we're not all bad! Regards Frank..
Well, I did it. I met with a restorer today in Tampa. Seems there are a group of great guys who have been doing this for years--like 40--and are all about this brand. They "know" like Duane "knows," if you get my point. AND, they DO. There were 5 in the shop that I saw, and Gary, who is helping me, has 2 or 3 places he keeps stuff...and house he doesn't use that is full of PARTS! Crazy. Anyway, I drove a red '66 in Sarasota and it was just too rough for me...high price (65K) and nice, but needed about 5K worth of fixing up to drive correctly. Clutch adjust, linkage adjust or replace, etc. Nice underneath--all new--but not really for me. When I got to the resto shop, I drove the Nassau Blue/White '66 and was sold. It drove like a new car, and it is a survivor in the true sense. Not perfect, thank goodness, but can be driven daily just like a REAL CAR! Color reminds me of the Buick blue/white cars, which are beautiful. I kind of wanted white, but could not afford it. I think the blue is a cooler looking car now that I have seen it in person. Getting a few things worked on before it comes over to this side of the state, but should be here in a month or less. I am excited, and now will sell all my Buick parts. A board member has spoken to me about a bulk buy, and if he can do it I will work with him. If not, I will post lists here for Board members to have the next shot. Not a whole lot, but a few nice pieces, like an NOS Electron black top, pads, glass, etc., and like that. Anyway, I will try to post a picture when it arrives here. Not sure how, but I will figure it out. A new chapter begins... Cheers!
Will do--by the way, my rescue cat is named Smokey Robinson...I love it as he is one of my all time favorites. The car is rare--only 15% in '66 had factory A/C, so...it has P/S but I need P/B so Gary is going to throw it on there for me. He has so many parts lying around we found them in about 10 minutes! It also has 2 expensive (these days) options. The knock-off wheels go for at least $3000.00 each on ebay, and it has a hardtop, which is another $3000 plus shipping, so...I have about $20K in basic value in take-offs. It was too good to pass up! I will post when I get the car; thanks for the good wishes. My fingers (and toes) are crossed. Cheers, Richard
Richard, congrats on your new purchase! These are really fun cars and are pretty easy to work on. I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised that, unlike our Buicks, parts for these cars are readily available. In fact, you can pretty much build a new C2 from catalog parts, with a few exceptions. The guy that works on mine is big in the local Corvette club and does excellent work, ranging from minor stuff to full body off restos. He’s made quite a name for himself and has shipped cars to Australia, Europe, and all over the country. His opinion of mid-year removable hardtops is that they don’t fit that well, they leak, and, if you’re serious about convertibles, only take up space in your garage or shop! My ‘65 is also Nassau blue/white interior. Best combination they made! Enjoy!
