The purpose of the jouney is not to arrive. Niel Peart
I'll never be a great explorer or adventurer. Many great people have already "been there and done that." That said, there are still a great many places and adventures that stir my soul. My motorcycle takes me to those kinds of places, in Idaho and well beyond. As I've travelled and made close friends all accross the land, many have asked me to share this magic. I hope you enjoy what I'm able to post.
@@NormanSilver Hi Norm-yes, lots of nothin’ for sure. For me, that’s what makes it great. In the Yukon and AK now, still traveling on my bike and still experiencing a whole bunch of nothing for hundreds and hundreds of miles. Thank you for your fire service. Seriously. My daughter works fires as well and I couldn’t be more proud of her. 👍
@@NormanSilver Wow! Okay, that was a while ago and a touch before my time (I’m 63). Still, thanks for your work! Did you stay doing fire work for your career?
So many new replacement part sites. To name a few: -Corvette America -Ecklers Corvette -Corvette Central Lots of others. What kind of parts are you looking for?
Hi John, love the job you did on your restoration! I’m finishing up an engine swap on my 74 and ran into the same hood clearance issue with my air cleaner. I’m hoping to use the same oval air cleaner that you did. Would you be able to advise if it’s a 15 inch or 12 inch length, and 3 inches of depth or 2 inches? Thank you!
Very well done! I am highly impressed being a trained car mechanic myself. I found your video because I want to try such a restauration (I like the 76 version) myself. Unfortunately in Switzerland there are not so many such cars around and if there is one it is very expensive!
Heinz, thank you for the comment! It really makes me happy that these cars have such an international following. They were america’s top performance automobile in their day, but what makes them special now is simply their timeless styling and simplicity. That contributes to me, with my limited mechanical abilities, to be able to do what I did. 😃 I’m actually a little surprised that they are relatively expensive in Europe. Here, Corvettes from the mid to late 70s are relatively inexpensive compared to other years. It’s not impossible to find a a 75 or 76 in drivable condition for $5000 to $6000 US. So, maybe after you restore your first one there’s a new business opportunity for you to import vintage Corvettes to Switzerland! By the way, I don’t know accessible parts are where you live, but there are numerous online sources in America for reproduction parts. Happy to share my experience with you if needed. I’m glad we had a chance to meet, and wish you the best with your restoration! Sincerely, John
@@johnhgarrett Many thanks for you kind words. It is the style of the care which always made me dreaming about owning one. Such a care in driveable conditions is between 20 and 50k$ over here depending on the overal conditions. Also safety and evironmental regulations are very strict here (altought a bit less for older cars). On top very high gas prices (about 2$ per liter oder 8$ per gallon). So, either i import one as you suggested or pay the price. Importing requires me to have it inspected on site and making it road legal might be cumbersome as well. However I don't know yet HOW cumbersome it is for older cars. Also I need to sort out infrastructure first. I have no doubt that I can do a restauration from a skill point of view, however, as I am out of car business since a long time I am missing a proper workshop/garage large enought to work on it. I guess i am in a similar situation as you when you started - millions of questions which need to be sorted out. If you don't mind, I sent you a short e-mail message to connect and would be happy to have a few chats with you.
Awesome job! What you say about these old cars is so true. I recently got my childhood car 1976 Trans Am and got made fun of for "not knowing anything". So, far I've rewired the entire car and replaced the factory Heat/AC. One step at a time!
That’s awesome! I was in the same boat-but taking time, labeling, tagging, basically just being careful-we can figure this stuff out! Love the old Tran Ams! Hard to believe these are almost 50 years old!
@@johnhgarrett Mostly red interior; the seats were ordered white with split white and red door panels. I sold it to buy a wedding ring for my wife in '79. I still have the girl 45 years this summer. It was a good trade.
Professor..should nickname this beauty..the Vandal..in homage to U of Idaho..bravo..bet you shared some tears and smiles with this road warrior..fantastic story..
You know, that’s a great question! I certainly could have, but I didn’t! So while I was waiting for the transmission, I painted the engine. The trans was about three weeks delayed and when it finally arrived I guess I just went ahead and installed it without thinking about it. I have had others question why I painted it at all. At the end of the day, this was my first build and lots of things I might do differently next time. 😃
John, thank you for the memories this was the time of classic vehicles a time of no computerization vehicles. Back then we was still rolling down the widows and electrical windows was the new thing. What a awesome job you did in the Stingray. I no longer see them anymore what a car. What a great restoration job my friend. ✌️🏾🫶🏽🙏🏾
Super Insperational Video. Makes me remember when I saw my first corvette featured in the 60's (Route 66) and fell in love. Well I am a fortunate man because I received mine (79 Vette) from my wife & daughter on my 50th bday 17 years ago.... Yes sir, Dreams do Come True. Enjoy your Vette!
Thanks Joe! So funny, I started watching Route 66 AFTER I fell in love with Vettes. No, I honestly think my first exposure was a ‘58 vette that was the eternal project of a young man in my home town. I saw it in his driveway for years in various states of disassembly, always wearing a coat of black primer. I remember it even driving the homecoming queen onto the football field in that condition. Despite all of that, it was still the coolest car! My love for C3s I think is due to growing up in an Air Force town. We had an F4 Wing at our base and so many of those young pilots cycled over to Vietnam. Before they shipped out, I think they all bought new Corvettes. I got to know some of these guys and thought they were the greatest guys ever. Fell in love with the car right there!
You know what's even funnier? My tag is an Air Force Tag! Since my wife & daughter know I also love aviation, it was the closest theme they could find when they got me the car & the tag. I also Love the C1's (58-60) model but the shark has that special flair that no other car has.@@johnhgarrett
Great video I have a 72 4 speed Elkhart Green with Tan Interior. It had its first paint job in January 2024. I am 76 and love this car so much fun to drive. Loved the vedio!
I love C3 corvettes. I fell in love with them when me and my dad restored a project 1975. He bought it when I was in elementary. We started working on it when I was in middle school. We we’re done my sophomore year of highschool, When we were finished, he tossed me the keys and said congratulations son. 🥹
Hi GT! So many places.... Some of the big ones were: Eckers, Corvette America, Southern Car Parts, BluePrint Engines, Corvette Central, Top Flight Automotive, etc. Is there something in particular you're interested in where I sourced? John
Yeah, set covers and steering wheel mount parts. Just found out myy steering wheel is not OEM and the wheel hits the dash so i want to fix that.@@johnhgarrett
Hi Mid! I honestly try not to think about that too much. It’s a 76 and will prob never be worth what I have in it. That said, I’m also down significantly from what I paid for my Ram pickup a couple years ago. But, crossing my fingers that someday, as a Classic Vette, it just might come back up. So far, about 19k, not counting labor.
The car looks great!!!. I have a 1970, mostly original C3 that needs work to get it back up to what I want. I'm trying to keep it original while making it tolerable to drive. It's a money pit.. I figure it's going to cost about $20,000 to get there. Minimum. I have a truck as well... but it isn't nearly as much fun to drive. HaHa. @@johnhgarrett
Another thing. When we get to this age, spending money becomes relative. Do what makes you happy. You earned it. I just spent more on a guitar than most cars I have purchased. I think your 76 will only appreciate in value. And if it doesn't, it's still really cool.!!! @@johnhgarrett
Bumped into your video by chance. Wow. I've never been in such lockstep and agreement, I think we are about the same age and lived in the same era to have the exact same thoughts. Kudos brother, enjoy the fruits of your labor. BTW white is the only color for any vette of any year.❤❤
Oh man! Thank you for this! I’d like to think we like this era of Corvette, not because we’re getting old, but because we were raised right and have great taste! 😂 Super glad we crossed paths! Thanks for watching! Check back once in while-given enough time I’ll make another video! lol!
Yeah great car!! " the lines the courves" and don't forget the six figure amount to do a good restoration!!! and that's only a " ballpark " figure!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This was beautiful and made me think of my grandparents. Almost brought tears to my eyes with the music in the background. I gotta subscribe to your channel.
Thank you so much Jeffri! And greetings from Idaho! Today is our Thanks Giving holiday in the US. It is a time to reflect on what we are thankful for. My silly video has been viewed by people all over the world. Many like you drop me a note, complimenting my project. I am so appreciative to hear from wonderful people like you from all over the world that take time to tell me hello. Thank you Jeffri! You made my day! Cheers my friend!
Great video!! The C3 design is and always will be timeless. Awesome job done on the restoration. Have a 71 LS5 4 spd coupe that I had a frame on done 11 years ago.
I have a 1975 convertible 4-speed with 49000 miles on it. I am about to start the restoration to factory specs. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about the undertaking.
Ken, I get it! Factory specs is a slightly different ball game than what I did. In my case, a 76 is arguably the lowest valued C3 out there. It was the lowest HP Vette in the history of Vettes, including the straight 6 in the early C1s. I couldn’t fathom how maintaining matching numbers would mean anything to the value of my car. But, there is a lot of good reference material out there. I can’t recommend the Factory Assembly Manual enough. I think I got the version for my car off Amazon, I bet they have it for 75 as well. I also watched hours of RU-vid for some detailed “how to” help when I got stuck. You got this!
What a beautiful piece of art you have restored. The classiest cars ever made. I wish I could see this in person. Great job. Take care and enjoy your blessing!
I have a 74 454 4 speed with a/c i inherited from my brother n law. It has been a show car from the beginning. Completely original. I feel ya im in awww everytime i walk into my building on my property. I have 3 vettes but the c3 is to me a last of the real big blocks. True big blocks. My 2010 and 2013 are ok but the 74 is a true vette
Hi Tom, I like all Vettes, but I have a soft spot for the early ones, too. The C3 is such an iconic shape and design, it stands out among them all. But that’s just me. So glad your brother left his 74 to you. Obviously he knew you’d be the caretaker it deserves. Cheers my friend!
Ahh John, this brings back fond memories . I have owned in my life time 36 Corvettes starting with a 1958---to my 2011 Grand Sport. I have loved each car ( with the exception of my 1984 ) . Best of luck with your 76, it's a beauty!
