Hello everyone,just signed up on the forum today. Just purchased a 1968 but it is all disassembled. Frame has been redone with new bushings up front. Rear end is not done, but it is a rolling chassis. Have all parts except engine,trans,drive shaft and left front fender and splash guard. Odometer in box shows 73,000. how do I determine which engine came in the car. I found a four spd shifter boot and plate in one box and it matched the four holes on the floor.
And my next question iswhat is my first step in putting this thing back together.I was thinking of putting the brakes on first then having the inside sand blasted and painted, then the engine,trans,drive axle gas tank etc, then exterior pant while the doors, fenders andglassareoff, then installing allthe interior and theninstalling doors, fenders etc.This will be my firstbasket case so I hopeI'm going in the right direction.It will be a driver.

 

Sounds like yo have your work cut out for you, fear not!!! Their are plenty of people here to help. You plan sounds solid as far as sequence goes. And the engine.... You should have a plate on the cowl, that will give you SOME info as far as trim goes. The most you would get from that is if it was a V6 or V8, there are some other RPO codes on there that will help ID some OEM equipment. It would be best to get the protect-o-plate or build sheet to truly know what it came with. If there is an RPO code on the cowl tag that indicates if it was an SS, RS or Z28 we could go from there. What are your plans for a motor? I have a 327 (5.4L V8) from the 60's that I am selling soon...

 

Dont worry mon, we all have our work cut out for us.

 

Is the cowl tag the one on the firewall ? I have a 350 out of a 1972 corvette that has been rebuilt. It has a 350 auto attached to it, so I'll probably install it as is. I bought it about eight years ago with intent on installing it in something...so I guess the time has come. Do you know anything about a place named MetalRehab in Florida ?

 

Yes, the tag is on the fire wall, or "cowl".If the fire wall is what its called from the inside, the cowl is what its called from the outside. Never heard of them, Sorry.

 

Welcome to the forum!

Just remember to install the finders and front clip last -

I caught hell trying to install the heater blower with the frontright finder on.
Its imposible! School of hard knocks...

Good luck with your project. Keep us posted and send pic's

 

Thanks for the tip...Now the work begins

 

take pics of the progress

 

rodd,
These days, it's called media blasting, not sand blasting and it'll set you back $800-1000 here in California. Take a look at my new project, I had to tear it down as well before I put it back together. It's a long road....
youtube.com search: lowBUDGETgarage (all one word)

Hope I can help.

Oh, and one other thing. If you're going to do any graphics on the car or metallic paint, you'll need all the metal back on the car. It's great to shoot the jambs and window pockets, but to maintain a consistent look, put it back together. Unless of course you're a pro painter... then you know what to do.

 

I'm leaning toward soda blasting, they say it is less destructive to the metal surface. I will perform the mechanical work but will leave the painting to the experts. Thanks for the info.