Brothers

[sammons]

I had told my brother that for the last 15yrs the 58, after more than a half tank, i would smell gas inside. Couple days ago he pulled the hard top off to unload the rest of the spare parts on top of the convertible top. He pulled the gas tank fiberglass cover off to check things out. He found fuel stains around the fuel sending unit and the rubber filler neck tube. That would be it!. He pulled the tank to clean things up, pulled out the fuel sending unit, gasket was toast. He callef and ask if the tank gauge read accurate, told him it never went past 3/4 tank when full.  Sent me a pic of it, i can't believe it worked at all. The tank has been emty for 10yrs, so it might have finished rusting since then. He got the tank cleaned up and boiled out and straps repainted, waiting on new fuel sending unit and fill hose. He also is waiting on new wheel cylinders.

[sammons]

Brother got a little more done on the '58. Got the conv top well painted, under the wheel wells. Got the tank back in, and added a little history, (as we know it), letter from drag racing in the 60s to the previous owner up and pics to tape on top of gas tank before he put the cover back on. Said somebody someday would find it interesting.

Been shopping for tires, radial equivalent to the old Scat Track F70 front and G60 rear tires that were on the mag wheels. Hard to locate a decent looking 14" white letter tire to match without breaking the bank.

[sammons]

He had a heck of a time getting the seat frames out, the adjuster slides were froze up and he was having a tough time getting the rear bolts out. Got all cleaned up and painted.

Got the seat cushions cleaned up well. We put them on in 1980, they are holding out good.

[Rattiac]

My 32 has been leaking around the sending unit also. I only fill it halfway.  When I send it to a metal guy for the lower belt line to get fixed,  I'll pull the tank.
Yesterday I did start the 32. Pulled the choke and fired right up once fuel hit the carb. 😎
That 54 convertible got picked up.  I tried to tell him where a hardtop was but he said it was worth 20k more as a convertible.
I reminded him yeah in another state.  Utah car's aren't worth anything here.

[TFoch]

Cool stuff on the Vette Sammons!

[sammons]

Rattiac, glad you got the 32 fired back up. Brother said he sealed the inside of the tank after he had it cleaned out.

Ya, funny how some area's are so much more expensive on cars, while some are really low.

Tom, i agree! I knew he couldn't stand everthing not working right and dirty. Didn't think it would be long before he got on it.😁  He wants to rebuild the complete front suspension but said it looked like around $2 grand in parts, so that'll have to wait. At least its not loose, just all dryed out and cracked on the rubber parts.

He's still chasing leaks, said pan gasket was leaking too. Gonna wait on painting the engine till all thats fixed. Lol, long list of stuff🙂

[sammons]

Brother got the old 1960s ridged traction bar mounts ground off the frame. Also got the brackets for the tow hitch ground off.

Wrong wheel cyls came in, right ones should be there in a day or two. Brake shoes weren't too bad, but because he was there anyway he ordered a new set all the way around. Gaining😁

[sammons]

Brother was tearing into the front brakes today.
Can anyone tell us what this is? It was on the right front only, under the seal cap. Some kind of anti rattle thingy or... ?

[sammons]

Brother found it on a net search. He must have used a differemt wording than i was.
It's was optional for radio equipped Vettes from 1956 thru 62
Static collector, first i've heard of/seen that. I knew about all the ectra grounds and capasitors on everything.

He broke it cleaning/straightning it out, but solderd it back together🙂  May just be one of those snake oil thingys, but it might help radio static?😁

[sammons]

Brother got brakes done just in time to get it outside for X-mas pics with 5 outta 6 of his grand kids piled in with him😁

Got it back in for gaskets, pulled the pan off and found evidence of #7 rod damage to pan from the original 283 letting go. The engine was blowed before my dad's buddy bought the car and then he swapped in the 327 engine short block from a wrecked 65 Chevelle before dad bought it in 1974. Still laugh at the $1,400 that dad gave for it. Probably decent money back then.

Any way, hes got it cleaned up and is going to straighten it out.

Add***** curiousity got me. I googled money value for 1974 vs 2025. That $1400 would be $9200 today, still cheap.
I looked up 58 Vette value in 1974, it said  no engine, trans as low as $350 vs running average shape, a few thousand.

[sammons]

Brother is going good on the rattle can overhaul. Got all the gaskets replaced, starter and generator gone thru. Painted and will reasseble the rest maybe today.

Dad would really be smiling about the outcome🙂

[sixball]

Yes. Dad is smiling. Good work Bro!

[TFoch]

Looking great!  Yes Dad would be proud!

[Essex_29]

That?s one sweet ride!
The engine looks great, especially from below ~grins~
I really like the look of the ?58 through ?62 Corvettes.

[sammons]

Checking the intermittent no run, (let off key in start position it dies), brother found some fubar taped up wires at ignition switch. Still have to put in a new switch as it never locks even when key is in lock and key removed. Got the wires fixed and noticed that Temp gauge was on full peg hot, all the time, key on or off. 

Apperently he bumped gauge and the needle moved. Investigated that, it wasn't hooked up, just one wire and it was on the wrong post. So all these years it floated around on the cold side and nobody noticed. I told him it never got hot but, guess i didn't notice it never was on zero when first started.
He pulled the gauge and it had one of the two coils burnt up. Checked wires and a ground wire wasn't hooked up to speedo cluster, but the wire going to sending unit, (unhooked) had been tied to it🙄, and had been reversed with the power feed on the gauge. No wonder it burnt up. Got that mess fixed, and sent gauge in to get coils rewound and gauge calibrated. In the mean time i told him there was a spare gauge in all those parts. Found it, wrong year probably 1960-62 vette, but it worked.

On to the gap between the turn indicator housing to steering wheel hub big gap. Figured how to adjust that which led to why turn signals weren't canceling, down the next rabbit hole😁 finally got all that cleaned up and the housing and hub repainted.

Removed the upright console lid to repaint it. Found an oil change card on the inside of it,  Lol  from my Mobil days. Told him thats my writing, 5/09/76 at 30016 miles 49.5yrs ago. I said surely the oil had been changed in 7000 miles. He said it sure was dirty.