Hank,
Here is the story of my 71- LS5

I was working on a farm in June 1979 (my senior year in high school), when the farmer's son brought home a blue corvette, I remember it well, although I was more interested in chasing girls at the time than cars! I got a ride in it and thought it was neat. 11 years later I ran into the farmer at a local park and asked him if his son still had the vette. He replied, "Yes,it won't start anymore and he wants to sell it, Do you want to look at it?" I said I would stop by the next day. Over the years I had become alot more interested in cars and was very excited that night. I really didn't remember much about the car, I knew it was a convertible but that was about it. We went the next day and there it was, covered in cornhusks, dust, etc.sitting right next to manure spreader in a corn crib. The first thing I saw was it was a 454, I thought WOW! It had a hard top on it. We opened the driver's door and there was a ton of junk, mouse terds and dust inside.
Opened the hood and saw it had air, Another WOW! My friend that went along got in the car and started reading the vin and I checked on the block, matched, ok, then we looked at the odometer and it read 34312, Holy Sh*t was screamed. My friend opened the glove box and he started yelling, Look at all the paperwork!!, Low and behold , the protecto plate, build sheet, window sticker, original temporary tag, and other paperwork were in there. My friend and looked at each other with big grins on our face. We confirmed the mileage was original, it had been setting there about 8 years. I agreed on a price and that was history. The next day we took a trailer to bring it home.

What a mess! The mice had done a number on the interior wiring over the years, but the only other thing that had to be replaced in the interior besides the wiring was carpet, center parking brake console, and the steering wheel(it looked like they chewed it up)The other interior parts were mint! Thank god for the hardtop being on the car.

We changed plug wires, spark plugs, oil, put fresh gas in it and primed the cylinders and guess what, It started right up!

The years sitting in the corn crib took its toll on the chrome parts, So it was off to Carlisle, Spent alot of money getting it right, but it was worth it. Drove the car for about a year and then it was off to get it painted Oct 1991, The car was stripped to bare fiberglass, with every seem being redone,I also sent the front bumper out to be rechromed. I got the car back in May 1992, after a new soft top, it was ready. It is 12 years since the paint job and it still shines like the day I got it back. There is about 43000 miles on the car now. I still go to some shows (With a 4 and 6 year old it gets tough) but enjoy telling the story to people at shows. It was featured in Vette Magazine in Oct 1993, Has been in 2 calendars, Featured in Corvette Milestones book, Corvette Classic The first 30 years book, in this book you get to see me inside the front cover doing what I enjoy most about the car, DRIVING IT!! I also had the pleasure of talking to the original owner (from KY)

I hope I wasn't too long winded , Take care

what a great story. I still have the book in my "collection". will look for you tonight when I get home. thanks,
Hank

Great story. Thanks. I have also enjoyed "Corvette Weekend Projects" by John Pfanstiehl.

look at the books advertised at your right if you haven't hid them.

Tom very nice......
A friend received two copies of the restore & modify book for Xmas. I bought one from him a month ago and really admired the car on the cover.
I've been Vetting for 25 years(1975 coupe) and really enjoy this book and glad to have it in my collection.
nice story. great car
graham

Tom, that's a great story. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it.

Thanks for all the kind words.

Ken, Are you coming to Corvettes at Carlisle this year?
I would love to meet C3VR's official technical Guru. I will be there Friday and Saturday with my car.

Sorry to say, I won't be there. Budget and time are the only things holding me back. I'll make it someday.

Great story, great car.

Must be a quiet stretch of road since you are parked on the wrong side of the street with no one in the vette.... that would worry me.

wadda you mean, wrong side of the road. Look like the correct side to me! Great story, I wish I could find something like that!. Did the previous owner know what it was really worth?