Dave's 1968 Corvette Restoration

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'68 Vette Gets a New Lease on Life!

Source: Dave Hagen
30 Nov 99

Dave's ol' 1968 was tired and deserved restoration, and had since he put 'er in storage in '89!! So, with the Log Cabin is in the finishing stages, we shifted our attention to the Vette project.

We have all the original components and will perform an authentic "body-off" restoration from the ground up. You can get a glimpse of the authentication of this vehicle by moving on to this descriptive page:

Authentification of Vehicle & Components

You'll see photos on these pages of the ol' car in it's prime and the laborious but rewarding work of restoration.

Restoration of Chassis & Engine

Restoration of Body & Final Re-Assembly

I realize that the Steve Lavigne and the Bill Schroeder 'Mr. Goodwrench' warranties have expired for the restoration that they provided in years past. But I hope to leverage their expertise to complete the full restoration this time around.

That Was Then:

Vette after 1972 Restoration. Mechanical Expertise by Steve Lavigne and Body Work by Vince Mezzenga. She was nearly ready to show when I shipped off to Italy. Since my return I've neglected her to the point where a 2nd restoration is well deserved.

Separate Body from Chassis:

Vette separation for restoration. Jeff & I separated the body from the frame, hung the body from the garage ceiling, removed the frame and lowered the body onto our trailer. Each will be repaired separately, then rejoined for the final restoration.

Recondition Chassis:

Vette after 2003 Restoration of Chassis & Drive Train. After disassembly, the frame and each chassis part was media blasted and de-rusted via alkaline electrolysis immersion. Restoration Expertise by Kirby McLaughlin. After metal restoration, all items were then powder coated. The Drive Train components were re- conditioned and re-installed. Preparation of the body for the body-drop is now underway.

Restore Underbody & Drop Body Onto Chassis:

Vette after 2004 Body Drop. All ignition, instrumentation, cooling, brake and gas are re-installed. Engine tuning will be first, then brakes followed by all mechanical, electrical and radiation adjustments before cosmetic work will begin on the body.

Restore & Paint Body:

Vette during 2005 Body Restoration. Fiberglass body has been rebuilt & reinforced from underside, surface has been filled and sanded then triple-primed, blocked and cured. Next stop: Paint Booth.

This Is Now:

Vette after final assembly, the last stop on a full body restoration. Some attention is still required in clutch & transmission adjustment, but car is now ready for a long life as a nostalgic cruise on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

 Window Sticker   Lavigne Recreation of Gas Tank Sticker

 Engine Before               After Schroeder '89 Rebuild

 Jeff the Body Lifter         One Project in Worse Shape

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