LennyB Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Three or four years ago I picked up a number of project kits I had won through an online estate auction. I think I won four different lots each consisting of about eight kits each. Naturally there were things in the lot I wanted and things I didn't. Everything in these lots were from the 60's, so nice vintage stuff. A good portion of it was Corvette kits. Not E.J. Korvette, but Chevy Corvette. Now I'm not a big Vette person, I've built a few. Nothing newer then the 25th anniversary kit, the white version, not the silver. But in this lot of stuff was one thing that peaked my interest. The previous owner has attempted to fuse a 1962 SMP Corvette with an MPC 1964 Corvette. They gave up on the build and the reason was obvious. The two half's did not match up properly and one side of the body was shorter then the other. As many of us do when they buy a lot of stuff is they keep what they want and sell off what they don't. Most of the Corvette stuff was sold off (and yes, it paid for everything I bought) but I saved the 62/64 body as well as the SMP bits to flesh out a complete car. The grill, bumpers, interior, etc.. I also saved the chassis parts from an MPC 1956/57 Corvette. This was an early release from MPC and was quite detailed for it's time. I started working on straightening out the body by cutting it apart and adding a spacer on the one side to make the sides equal in length. That was right after I bought the kits but I only got so far and put the bits into a box and it sat. Until now. This is the basis of what I'm working with. 64 Vette nose and 62 rear. Interior from 62 SMP and chassis from MPC 56/57. I always liked the SMP kit with it's opening trunk. While the interior seems to fit nicely into the body that only lasted until I slid the chassis underneath. I was hoping to save the trunk area of the 62 but that was not to be. Here I stripped the paint off everything, and to my surprise found the chassis was a later issue (brown styrene), so I could begin mock-up The interior tub from the 62 is actually much deeper then the 56/57 There is actually a 1/4" below the bottom of the door panel in the 62 and this makes the chassis sit too low. So we start cutting. Then we have to make a floor for the open chassis frame rails. We will also have to loose the trunk area from the 62 and so the inside of the chassis will have to become the trunk. This means filling in the top of the unfinished rear wheel wells. Now we need to add a tunnel for passage of the driveshaft. I went through my parts boxes but couldn't find anything suitable. Then I remembered finding a pen under the seat of my new to me 1:1 vehicle I bought two weeks ago. I think that will do fine. Tunnel by paper-mate. Also need to add to the back of the chassis so we can fit the whole spare tire. No donuts for this vette. At this point we shall leave the bits to dry and call it a night. Comments, questions and remarks welcome. ? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Interesting project, and nice work. This should make for a good looking Vette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maindrian Pace Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 That actually works! Never in a million years would I have come up with such a combination, but it's cool that someone did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted August 31 Author Share Posted August 31 Thanks guys. I can’t take credit for the mashup but I just couldn’t let it go to waste. Hopefully I can do it justice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Very interesting project. Where did you make the cuts in the body to combine these together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted August 31 Author Share Posted August 31 2 hours ago, TarheelRick said: Very interesting project. Where did you make the cuts in the body to combine these together? Essentially the nose and the top of the front fenders behind the wheel opening including the base of the cowl are from the 64. So a cut was made from the top of the front wheel opening straight back and then over to the cowl. In this shot you can see a shim I added to make the body straight and the length equal on both sides. Also needed to add a small shim to widen the 64 nose a bit to match the width of the 62 body. I should probably reinforce the joints from behind just for good measure. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 Thanks for the explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 The '64 front end on the '62 body actually looks like something that could have been. Like your pen idea for the drive shaft hump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 1 Author Share Posted September 1 1 hour ago, espo said: Like your pen idea for the drive shaft hump. Desperate times call for desperate measures.? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenmojr Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 What a cool idea. As an owner of a C1 since 1983, I'm very interested in this thread. I am also keen to find out if he uses the C1's suspension (king pins in front and solid axle in rear) over the more modern C2s (ball joints in front and IRS in rear)? One thing that is a pain with 1953 to 1962 Vettes, is greasing the front end every 5,000 miles as required by the maintenance manual. There are 18 grease fittings on the front end. I greased mine earlier this summer. What a messy job. Thank God my grease gun is air driven. Someday, I would like to purchase one of those Mustang II bolt in front suspensions. Sadly Corvette Central no longer carries the Jim Meyer kit for C1s. I believe Jim Meyer went out of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 2 Author Share Posted September 2 5 minutes ago, Kenmojr said: What a cool idea. As an owner of a C1 since 1983, I'm very interested in this thread. I am also keen to find out if he uses the C1's suspension (king pins in front and solid axle in rear) over the more modern C2s (ball joints in front and IRS in rear)? One thing that is a pain with 1953 to 1962 Vettes, is greasing the front end every 5,000 miles as required by the maintenance manual. There are 18 grease fittings on the front end. I greased mine earlier this summer. What a messy job. Thank God my grease gun is air driven. Someday, I would like to purchase one of those Mustang II bolt in front suspensions. Sadly Corvette Central no longer carries the Jim Meyer kit for C1s. I believe Jim Meyer went out of business. I've been on the fence as to what to do about the suspension. I have everything to go the C1 route as that already goes with the chassis I have. But I've been looking thru my parts boxes to see what type of upgrades I could do as well. I do have a lot of Mustang II's in the attic. Hmmm. I was thinking of doing an LS swap for this so it would probably make more sense to upgrade the underpinnings as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenmojr Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 I think your model would be of interest to the members of the Corvette Forum https://www.corvetteforum.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott8950 Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 This kinda build is probably my favorite type of builds. Great work repairing the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 2 Author Share Posted September 2 11 hours ago, Kenmojr said: I think your model would be of interest to the members of the Corvette Forum https://www.corvetteforum.com/ I may have to share it there when I'm done. 1 hour ago, Scott8950 said: This kinda build is probably my favorite type of builds. Great work repairing the body. Yes, mine too. I seem to keep going down these rabbit holes rather then find something easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 Worked a bit more on the body. For some reason the lower door seam on both sides was buggered up. Filled the seam with styrene goop so I can later re-scribe it. Also wanted to add back the trim around the front sculpture as I want to do a two-tone and will chrome the trim. Laid down some .030 half round on the passenger side. Only had enough half round to do the one side, so will have to wait for some more to come in so I can do the other side.? But I should have listened to myself earlier about re-enforcing the seams. As I was re-scribing the door bottoms the drivers side seam came apart.? So while the vision below might remind you of Edward Scissorhands, what you are actually looking at it is backers being glued in place to firm up this 60 year old body. I'm talking about the car, not me.? And so we wait for the glue to dry and reinforcements to arrive. See ya later.?♂️ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 On 9/2/2024 at 10:28 AM, LennyB said: I may have to share it there when I'm done. Yes, mine too. I seem to keep going down these rabbit holes rather then find something easy. If you found something easy, Len, you'd find a way to to turn it into another '41 Plymouth woody. ? By the way, it might be time for some new clothes pins. ? Very cool project, Len. Gotta watch this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 14 hours ago, customline said: By the way, it might be time for some new clothes pins. ? I have newer clothes pins but wifey won't let me use them. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 9 minutes ago, LennyB said: I have newer clothes pins but wifey won't let me use them. ? They're all alike ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 4 hours ago, customline said: They're all alike ?. No dear, he’s talking about clothes pins being all alike, he’s not talking about you. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 55 minutes ago, LennyB said: No dear, he’s talking about clothes pins being all alike, he’s not talking about you. ? Thanks, Lenny, good save ☺️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 (edited) 13 hours ago, LennyB said: No dear, he’s talking about clothes pins being all alike, he’s not talking about you. ? Actually, the new ones are wimpy. It’s like a Ranger vs F350….they’re both trucks.? I don’t know anything about how new wives measure up.? Edited September 5 by NOBLNG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 Oh…and nice work grafting these bodies together Len.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 (edited) 2 hours ago, NOBLNG said: Actually, the new ones are wimpy. It’s like a Ranger vs F350….they’re both trucks.? I don’t know anything about how new wives measure up.? Well....let's see...OK, my personal transportation includes an old Ranger and I can vouch for its tenacity and endurance and although it's clear coat is deteriorating, sadly, the old Ranger is still like a twenty-mule-team. As far as new wife/ old wife....the jury is still out. ? "Crazy" manifests in different ways. 1 hour ago, NOBLNG said: Oh…and nice work grafting these bodies together Len.? Agreed. David seems to be on the cutting edge here. ? Uh oh, we're doing it again ? Edited September 5 by customline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 5 Author Share Posted September 5 You want wimpy, how about these? Do you like the pretty colors? Knowing my luck I would glue them to one of my kits? And I'm staying away from that cutting edge, had an x-acto roll off the work bench the other night. Amazing how they always stick straight into the floor. Lucky for me it "missed by that much". Jim, you know how that usually goes. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyB Posted September 6 Author Share Posted September 6 Since I have them out might as well use them. There is n LS engine hidden in there somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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