Hot Rods 54 Corvette Gasser Barn-find(kinda)

it will soon be time to update the avatar photo
Then I will need to update the wallpaper on my laptop

 

Realy cool find. Good luck with it!

 

Sometimes the stories of these old cars are just as cool and sometimes cooler than the car themselves! Joe

 

Too cool. Another vote for nice paint and five spokes.

 

GREAT! score.......will be fun to watch this one come together...

 

Great score! It seems like too much of a coincidence, but I knew of another 53-54 Corvette in Illinois with a 430 Lincoln that was street driven daily back around 63.

 

Since the exterior of the 54 is "done" I began by removing all the gauges from the dash for testing and clean up. As I disassembled the small gauges I noticed the water temp gauge was originally mechanical and the capillary tube had been cut. Also the fuel gauge was burned up. These cars were 6 volt so i guess that makes sense. The amp gauge was good,it doesn't care about volts. And the oil gauge is mechanical. I looked at my junk pile and found that a 56 chevy car fuel gauge is basically the same except for the face so after switching the guts around I had a functioning fuel gauge. The temp gauge looked to be the same deal and after switching the faces over I discovered the 56 chev gauge is 1/4 inch deeper and wouldn't fit in the housing, crap ,it looked great ! Hop on ebay and buy an original for 100 bucks and all is good. All the chrome and lens cleaned up nicely. I pulled the sender out of the fuel tank and made sure the gauge read correctly and tested the temp gauge on the bench with a pan of hot water. Temp gauges on old Corvettes are notorious for reading wrong due to the replacement senders being calibrated wrong,often reading 30 degrees hot. While I had the gauges out I pressure washed the under dash area. Sure makes it nicer when you're laying under there putting stuff back in and you don't have dust and crap falling in your face. Changed out the steering wheel to, the deep dish wheels don't allow any chest room . Plus it was broken up pretty badly.

 

I've always been more of a late 50's and mid year Vette fan...but that thing just plain reeks COOL to me! Very antious to see your plan and progress.

 

Always cool to find the history of a "found" car. Makes it mean so much more

 

The more I work on this 54 the better I like it. This thing hasn't had power in it since 1968 and after I got the gauges back in it I hooked up a battery and started to test the electrical system. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the lights and turn signals worked except the right front headlight low beam was burned out and the dash lights wouldn't light. After a little fiddling I started turning the headlight switch dash light dimmer back and forth and soon the dash lights began working. Just a little corrosion on the rheostat . The horns, wipers, heater courtesy lights all work! I thought after all these years every thing would have to come apart and be cleaned to get good connections. When I was under the dash working I saw this sticker on the heater box. Pretty cool I thought.

 

Admit it you were sitting in the car making motor noises weren't you

 

SCORE! I got a free hardtop from a friend. Of course the factory didn't offer these so this one is an aftermarket one and therefore virtually worthless to a restorer. I really don't care for the look of the convertible top, looks like a Conestoga Wagon to me. But this thing, I love it. And it's the right color and matching condition. Coincidentally, in the trunk of my car there were a pair of rear windows for one of these tops, one clear and one red so it had a top like this at one time. I think there's a good chance this is the top off my car. I'm really considering the red back window to match the scoop. I did have to perform a little surgery to the top to get it to fit better.

 

Very cool. Love that dash, looks like it cleaned up well...

 

What a great find. I'd say get it going in the condition it's in, have some fun, drive tue resto guys crazy, maybe even take it to Bloomington Gold as a survivor. It can come apart for paint later on.

 

That's like hitting a mega lotto jackpot, I'd wake up & think....... Is this real & venture out to gaze upon it & think yep. The stars must've been aligned for it to find you. Keep us posted on its clean up & revival. I bet it was hard to conceal ones excitement when hammering out that deal! A sincere congrats on a real time machine..... Flux

 

Sometimes (just sometimes), when I read these resurrection threads...I'm struck with the sense that a car found the right dude to bring it back to life. This is one of those sometimes, based on how things continue to fall into place. Congrats! Hope you get to take the dude who had it in the early 60's for a ride in it, soon.

Gotta56forme/Scott

 

Very nice find. Enjoy your new project.

 

I would have been!!

Glad your keeping it "as is". The car rocks has too much cool history to change.

 

WOW, congrats!!!

 

Here's a shot of the seats and door panels. Not to bad looking for 62 years old. Of course the seats feel like they're upholstered with heavy cardboard they're so stiff. Don't know how long they will last before cracking apart. I'll have to be gentle with them.

 

Apply saddle soap several times to get them to soften up. Don't get in a rush. It will probably take several coats over a few weeks to make them supple again.

My great aunt had a white '54 Corvette with the same hardtop. Same car? Probably not, but it sure could be. Great score. And I'm glad to see you're keeping a small block in it.

 

I`m along for this ride.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I can see going with a SBC and manual trans for cost containment, but that car just begs for something like an Olds Rocket and Hydro Stick. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I was at the winter nationals in 66 (decal you found).
Do not remember that car there.
I did know a guy who drag raced a 54 ( he bought it new)
He ran a Pon. overhead camer in it.
I at one time had a 54 , with a Devon body.
What a dumb ass to let that one get away
Great find , good on you ,replacing the rag top.

 

OK,OK , I know you're all wanting to see a picture of the car with wheels and tires on it. Here ya go. This is the stance minus a inch or so in the front for engine weight, that I'm shooting for. I think It's HOT! Can't wait to pull this into a car show and see the reactions. The car is ready for a powertrain now. The electrical , fuel system , brakes, exterior(except back window) are all done. Just need some go. White plastic Bad Ass!

 

THAT IS EXTREMELY COOL

 

Amen, BIG improvement.

 

It's looking great, it car a long way in a short time. You should give the old owner a ride once you have it running well. Also I always enjoy looking in the background of the pictures that you post to see the projects that you have waiting for parts to piece them together.

 

What Kind of wheels are those?

 

That is a very cool looking '54 Corvette. I'm a shiny paint kind of guy when it applies to Corvette's. But I have to say this 1954 just looks right! I'll be watching this build progress.