Restorations

We have restored more than fifty cars in the last twenty years, from a 1912 Buick to a 1926 Durant to one of the faux Ferraris from the movie Forest Bueller’s Day Off.  Those cars were all done for clients who started with us with a Corvette.  We have restored virtually every model year Corvette from 1953 to 1982.  Every one of these projects starts with a budget, an estimate and a schedule, but it is always a voyage of discovery.  When the body comes off the car and everything has been removed, only then can you really know what you are up against.  It is our job to meet the client’s expectations in cost, time and quality.  At any one time most of the cars we have in our shop are from clients for whom we have restored cars in the past, so we must be doing a pretty good job of meeting that criteria.

Right now, because of the recent seismic change in the market, we are not doing as many total frame off restorations as we have in the past.  Most of our work now is on resto rods, because it is often a better investment for our clients.

Here are some shots of frame off restorations in process:

After sandblasting, we completely weld the frame, filling in the gaps between factory welds and fixing the inevitable cracks as we go along.  If you were to hit a stock frame with a ball peen hammer, it often sounds like you hit a graham cracker.

When the frame is fully welded, that same hammer blow sounds like you have rung a bell.  The additional welding obviously makes the frame much stiffer and the ride and handling much better.

Restoration Projects

LS and LT Conversions

Between a normal restoration and a resto rod, the Corvette owner has an option to replace their original engine with a new GM e-rod engine and transmission.  GM Performance Parts now offers what they call Connect and Cruise, which is one part number LS and LT engine and transmission packages that can be retrofitted into a stock frame C1-C3 Corvette.  You can specify either manual or automatic transmissions, and from 430 to 650 horsepower.  The engines come with a 50,000 mile GM warranty, they make way more power than the stock engines and weigh a lot less.  It is a pretty compelling option, but it is not quite that simple, and it is not inexpensive.

The engines and automatic transmissions come with computers, but they are not exactly plug and play, as the one part number engine does not include a starter or an accessory drive which includes the air conditioner compressor, alternator, power steering pump, etc.  And, once everything is installed there is a 100 mile learning period during which the computer programs itself as to how the engine should respond to throttle input, etc.  We have found it beneficial to insert an additional step of manually reprograming the computer in order to successfully marry the computer and its engine to its new car.

When Chevrolet first introduced their LS e-rod crate engines for the aftermarket industry, the head of GM Performance Parts, Dr. Jamie Myer called and asked us to install one of their LS engines in a Grand Sport and take it to Las Vegas for their introduction at the SEMA Show.  Dr. Myers went on to serve as a board member of SEMA and become the President of the Performance and Racing Industry trade show and media company.  The LS e-rod engine program went on to become the wave of the future and the basis of a virtual reincarnation of classic Corvettes.

It is our considered opinion that putting that much horsepower in a 60 plus year old car without a complete chassis restoration is not the best idea, but we do it when asked.