<VV> Restoration - DIY is $atisfying (and a hello)

[Mark Durham]

For me, doing the DIY work is half the fun. Yes, I enjoy taking my 62 coupe
out for drives, because its fun to drive and the car gets lots of attention.
But I am a tinkerer at heart and enjoy working on the car as well. My
current venture is upgrading to EFI and DIS. I have purchased most of the
parts and am starting with the DIS setup by adding a Harmonic balancer to
this 62 102 HP coupe. This requires a change in rear engine mount to the 64
style, and replacement mount bracket, so while I'm doing engine mounts I
also got the two transmission mounts, also from 1962, so the engine will be
sitting on all new mounts. The Harmonic will be drilled to trigger a VR
sensor for the Distributorless ignition system prior to mounting to the car.

I'm also modifying two carbs to throttle bodies, which will hold two high
pressure fuel injectors per side.

I like to sit in my easy chair in the evenings and do the technical thought
processes, check out wiring diagrams, and order parts. This winter when I
can no longer work outside, I will be assembling wiring diagrams, etc.

Karl, welcome to the forum.

Mark Durham




On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 5:22 AM, Karl Haakonsen <cityhawk at pobox.com> wrote:

>
> I've been following this discussion with great interest and decided
> to jump in with my first post as a Virtual Vairs member.
>
> It's great to see such a lively, active email list of Corvair
> enthusiasts. As to the subject in discussion, like most things, I see
> both sides of the argument.
>
> Many years ago, I lived on a farm and had a fully-equipped shop with air
> compressor, paint setup, all manner of welders at my disposal. My last
> refurbishment (I couldn't call it a restoration) was a 1963 Chevy pickup
> truck that I did a fair amount of welding of sheet metal to repair
> rusted body parts and built a 283 engine from parts complete with
> Corvette high compression heads with the finned valve covers to boot.
> This was done in 1982 when I was about 20 years old.
>
> I currently live in the city with a short driveway (that has yet to be
> paved, but I hope to do that this fall), no garage or special equipment.
> I have a baby at home and another on the way, along with a full-time job
> as a nurse whereby I work nights and days in the same week to minimize
> childcare costs (e.g. my time is very limited).
>
> As such, there is a fair amount of work that I've decided that I just
> won't be able to do.
>
> I have had the car (1966 Monza convertible, 110/PG) for 20 years and it
> has been sitting in the dirt driveway, all this time -- I buy Clark's
> good car covers every few years when the old ones got too ratty. I
> bought the car near the end of my first marriage, then the marriage
> ended and the car became less relevant in my life. 20 years later, I am
> remarried with the aforementioned child and pending child, more settled
> in my life and have decided to finally take the project on while there
> is still enough car left to restore.
>
> The body is pretty rough, but I've seen worse. When I last checked, the
> basics were sound... most of the rust is from standing around rather
> than from road salt. The front and rear corners of the front fenders
> (especially the right one), the lower half of the left rear quarter
> panel (probably from the battery) which the previous owner patched with
> a Clark's fiberglass lower quarter panel, and some indeterminate damage
> to the right quarter panel since it has bondo on it. I did not store the
> engine properly when it last ran in 1993, so it is no-doubt seized up by
> now and needing overhaul.
>
> I intend to do the engine work myself (though will send the parts out
> for machining since I do not have the tools for that). I plan to do the
> gross body work (cutting out and patching the rusted areas, sandblasting
> paint and rust off of the car.... probably do the POR 15 treatement of
> the undercarriage. But I plan to send the car someplace to do the finish
> body work and the paint job since I don't have the garage to do it in (I
> plan to put up one of those canopy-tent style temporary garages to do
> the work and will do the engine work in my basement).
>
> I will get the satisfaction of doing a major part of the work myself,
> while saving the money from having all of it done elsewhere... but I
> lack the tools, the place and the time to do everything myself.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Karl (in Boston)
>
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