I bought this car long ago when I still lived in South Africa. It was an original export car. When I obtained it after many years of abuse, accident repair, modifications and general butchery and brought it to the states when I moved my family to Florida. While repair parts were not readily available in South Africa at that time, they did the best they could, which was not very good. When I decided it was time for good friend Ed Palmer to help me re-do the car, we decided on a frame-on repair. Yes, hindsight is 20-20 and we wish we had taken the body off! That being said, it was a long process of bodywork, paint, repairing or restoring everything that could be touched, re-upholstery, etc. There wasn’t a nut or bolt or wire that didn’t get touched. The car still has its original 427, detuned from its 10 sec, 12:1 compression days to a more streetable build. It now sports a Tremec 5 speed and hand built mandrel bent exhaust system and Vintage Air AC. The paint is a gorgeous 2005 Corvette blue. Tires are 225R60-15 front and 245R60-15 rears on American Racing Torque Thrust Ds. We had considered 17-18” rims but after many trial fits, decided on a classic rim and tire look. We think it speaks volumes. The headlight buckets had been removed after an early S.A. accident and replaced with rectangular lights down in the grill. Talk about fugly! We replaced them with a set of quads with an integral LED turn signal. Still fine tuning the grill. Plans are to drive it in the next Hot Rod Power Tour.
-Ash Waldorf
Melbourne Beach, FL
I want to install electric windshield wiper on my 33 Plymouth. What are my options
Hi Ash.. Corvette looks good are you done with this hotrod rebuild or do you have more cars out in the shed and ready to go on another? I've got a old rusty car that needs a rebuild but.....we'll see. I'm a motorcycle builder I like you have had to look and travel all over the place to get parts for my build but in the end the job gets done good luck on the next job.
Hey Ash Corvette looks good damn.....what a road that you and that old car have taken you got it back to the states and totally rebuilt it are you done or are you going into something else? I've got one of those old rusty cars that wants me to rebuild it but......we'll see, I build motorcycles I'm a guy like you that has to look and travel all over to get some of those parts that he needs good luck on the next rebuild...come on you're are not to tired to do another one.
Thanks for the mention! Didn't even know you were a member here!!
Hi Ash, a great story on a great effort in restoring your Corvette. It is a beauty! I will be moving to Texas from Italy soon and would like to take my 1965 Pontiac Bonneville with me. I would like to hear from you the challenges you faced in importing your Corvette in to the U.S. and registering it. Cheers! Anith (Italy)