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My 74 coupe ...

8K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  jackcasa 
#1 ·
Our ’74 coupe was a Pro-stock drag car in the 70’s. The body was trashed (it hit the guard rail from front to back) on a run and re-bodied in ’79 the frame and suspension was fine. A friend of mine, actually my parts supplier to my shop, bought it and wanted to fix it up for his honeymoon as a surprise for his bride, so he asked me to help.

It was missing the engine and transmission, so we went on a search for a good four bolt truck 350 to build (remember this was in 1980 and engines were pretty easy to find). We found the engine, I had a rebuildable THM350 core at the shop I gave him as a wedding present, soooo we had our power train. Dale started working on the interior with front carpet, and a console, the interior wasn’t really all that bad while I started on the engine/transmission. I designed the cam/intake/head combination with a competition cam, an Eldelbrock intake, and a pair of camel hump heads (I forget the specs now) which was pretty much top of the line at the time. Dale took the block, had the machining and balancing done and then assembled the engine while I built the street/strip tranny for him, as that was my expertise as well as engines and electrical/fuel injection. Dale put it all back together at his home shop, painted it, and went on his honeymoon. When he returned from the honeymoon, he came by the shop one day in 1981 and asked if I wanted the vette. I was really not a vette guy, but I talked it over with my wife and we decided to ask what he wanted for it. The funny part of this story is that he was in dire need of a farm tractor, and I had a late 70’s Ford 2000 35 hp two-wheel drive tractor that I was no longer using. I offered to trade him straight across, the tractor for the vette, and he agreed! I still laugh about that, because I was concerned as to how to sell the tractor (I am in a small town) as there is not a big demand for farm tractors.

The old gal had about 20000 miles on her then and was pretty quick for the era. Laura and I have driven her for 70000 fun miles since then. She went into storage for a few years in the early nineties and then we rebuilt the interior and gave her a new paint job. The front and rear urethane bumpers finally went to hell a few years ago so we replace them and repainted her again in Mulsane blue. I will never get rid of this car. It has been part of our “family” since 1981, and it would seem funny not having her around. The engine is pretty tired now and I am really struggling with whether putting a stroker into her or rebuilding her again. The 350 is at .030 now so I may have to go to .060 and the potential hot spots. Well see.

All I can say is that I have totally enjoyed every min. we have owned this old gal, even when she would break on us from time to time! :laughing:

I will write up the story on my ‘vert in a few days! :thumbsup:

Then (about 1982):


Now (2005 Vettes on the Rockies):
 
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#13 ·
The horns on the vette was my father in laws idea they were actually a birthday present for one of my racing friends. He had bought a new Cadillac and I bought them for his hood .... :laughing:

My FIL thought that would make a good picture :crazy: . He never liked the car (which is probably why I kept it ... :laughing: )

We have driven her practically coast to coast on a couple of occasions. She has always been a sweet ride for us. I really did a lot of body work on the last paint job. Beefed up the front attach points on the front bumper and used glass for the front and rear bumper.

Here is the interior stripped ready for insulation and carpet. I don't like the way it came out, and I will re-do this job again very soon. We put new door panels, carpet, center console. I need to replace (and have) a new gauge bezel and I want to get Al Knoch to rebuild the seats. I don't have any picts of the interior finished because I am not happy with it. It is always something right? :laughing:

You will notice this was 2005 just before VOTR.

 
#10 ·
:agree: that pic really captures what was going on in that era.:thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
Great Story and a cool ride.
 
#14 ·
My Love Affair with Corvettes

It was Thanksgiving weekend of 1953. My family and I went to Phoenix to visit our cousins. The father, Claude Quebedeaux, owned Quebedeaux Chevrolet at 750 Van Buren, as I remember. On Saturday he asked me and his son, four years my junior, to go to the dealership with him as he wanted to show us something. As we pulled into the lot there, just inside the service bay, sat a 1953 - one of the 300 built that model run - Polo white Corvette. I was speechless! After circling the car a couple of times I asked if I may sit behind the wheel. He said yes and, after I was seated, handed me the key saying "Be back in two hours!" So, off we went, through Scottsdale - just a crossroads with a couple of shops, then - and Paradise Valley and back into Phoenix. I was smitten by the "Corvette bug!" It wasn't until 1959, after graduating college, that I was able to afford a used Corvette, a Venetian red '56. That led to a Jewel blue '61, then a Honduras maroon '62, a '65 Nassau blue L75 coupe, a '98 Nassau blue coupe, an '05 mag. red coupe and, finally, my latest, a '10 JSB Grand Sport.
I think, in honor of the late Dale Pearman, my vanity plate will be "VAROOOM," if available. So, Thirty-years of Corvettes!
 
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