Kevin's 1976 C3 Widebody Corvette Project Video 1 

I hope previous owners of these cars see these videos.

I enjoy watching your videos and are glad that a young man like you loves to work on old cars. I am 69 years old and have a '54 Chevy Bel Air that I like to fix things on. I've had quite a few old cars since I was 20 years old. My 1st was a '47 Pontiac 2- Door Fastback in 1971. Keep up the good work! Vinny C.

Love your show Ben. You try to show respect for every Corvette that you work on. They are truly classic cars, and your knowledge and attention to detail is just wonderful. Putting them back together accurately is just a pleasure to watch. In many cases, you make them better than they were originally because of today’s parts technologies. The improvements that you make on the inside is amazing.

I'll take the contrary opinion. I like the car. (Not the Bubbaness that was done to it). Probably just because I grew up building all the MPC wide-body Corvette model kits and seeing all the street machines at shows and sometimes driving around. Part of my childhood. Once this car is fixed, it has a lot of potential. I'd have bought it and still would if I found something similar. Looking forward to the rest of this series!

Awesome Videos Ben! You really know my FIRST LOVE, Better than I 😂🤣😁 "The Chevrolet Corvette" !!! 🤩 My uncle owned a 69 when I was a kid, and I would beg him to take me out for a spin in it every time he came to visit. I just loved every second I was able to spend in that car. I ALWAYS thought these cars were the Sexiest of Them All and Really Something Special !!! From their GREAT LOOKS, their HEALTHY ROAR, and THAT FEELING of being pinned back in your seat when accelerating fast. Love All These Cars... Old and New. It's truly the All American Sportscar. You have restored my faith that I might be able to own one these great sportscar one day. Keep up the great work Preserving and Giving these Lovely Beast all TLC they need from becoming extinct. Thank You !!!

NICE VIDEO. GLAD YOU ARE FIXING EVERYTHING RIGHT. TAKE CARE.

Reminds me of the feature car in the movie 'Corvette Summer'

Just wow! So many things the previous owner didn’t do correctly. Glad you have so much experience to see how far to go to straighten it out. Keep pumping out those videos!!! We love seeing before and after fixes.

Hi Ben, as an old corvette guy I love your video's and having personally met bubba on many occasions while working to fix his work arounds I can feel your pain. but keep up the good work

My god the bubbaness is next level, like you said he must have just chucked his parts bin at it

I appreciate how you bring cars back to be reliable and fun again..looking forward to more videos...

I was considering a wide body being an upgrade. Change my mind...THANK YOU!!!

Let's take a moment and thank Bubba for endless hours of entertainment and yes, job security! 😛

Love it man! We have to meet up sometime so you can review mine.

Hey I was behind u in the Orange corvette on May 11 2019 in maple valley

Great job on the videos Ben, I look forward to each next one.

You should make a video called Bubba's greatest works of art!

Ben, I would not believe it unless I seen your video on those Trans. lines. I laughed so hard, I think I hurt myself! I'm an Old Geezer so I have to be careful that (I don't blow a gasket) Looking forward to the follow-up videos.

The Bubbaness Is Strong With This One

This is the most Bubba-fied thing I’ve ever seen! 😱

On the plus side, Bubba cleaned out his "Misc. Fittings" coffee can fixing this one!

Luv that Daytona Turbo hood.

Those gaskets are manifold gaskets, and I've been told they work very well. Haven't tried it though.

I happen to like the wood grain but then again I am 67 yrs young!

I love your meticulous nature when it comes to cars. you do it the right way. I also love the whole bubba thing you have been doing from the start. I don't think I mentioned that in some of my comments. I always look forward to your video's even one's that some people may find boring like the starter video. I know you're a busy guy, but please try and post more... and like more... and more... yes it's true I live vicariously through your video's. Love Chop Stick and Noodle, and I see your wife is with child, tell her she looks beautiful. Pregnant women have such a glow, she's adorable. Best of luck to you both and soon to be a third. Blessings!!!

The funny thing about all the Bubba on this car is that the cost for the correct parts would have far outweighed (in a positive direction) the time it took to bubba-hack this stuff the way it was. especially that core support "fix" and those trans cooler lines.

Those transmission lines were a work of art and I hope you hang them up on display in your garage! My brother's shop works on a lot of c3 era corvettes since a lot of shops don't want to touch them because they don't know how to work on older carbureted engines. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the c3, even though my feet barely fit in the footwells. The only thing this wide body project is missing is a stupid big supercharger sticking out the hood and blocking half the driver's line of sight... I kinda hope it gets one!

I remember the IMSA look well from the '70s, it was popular for a time. You saw it on everything, and on the covers of magazines. It disappeared as fast as it appeared.

Tight work Ben, I understand it’s a pain fixing others foolishness, but it will be well worth it. Keep it up man 👍🏾

I really don't understand what people are thinking when they do these things!!! Remember.....keep em Up-N-Runnin.

Wow. I’ve never seen a bigger mess on a Corvette. Oh, and the dogs just wanted to say that they could have done a better job.

I'm amazed how these cars find you!

Back in the 60s we used to call them "hammer mechanics",

That car is a perfect illustration of why I prefer the Cadillac, or even the Olds ... 8-)

Bubba has take a lot of time for searching and installing bubba parts (little credit for him) its art LOL

I've often commented that C3's seem to hacked up more than almost any other...its weird. I think they went hugely cheap in the 80's because of the mid-70's low-performance image, at a time before the aftermarket Corvette parts houses really came online, so you got guys who really couldn't afford the cars doing whatever to keep them running and with questionable mods, and then the cars just sat when they were chopped up beyond the owner's capabilities. So yea, as one other commented, this car had the PO dump his coffee can of odd parts all over it.The current owner, and the car, will be happy to have all this sorted out.

Beautiful.

That whole car is Bubba. But I know it will be cool when you hand it back to Kevin.

Bubba stokes again

the dogs have what they wanted by in the vid too:)

Yep, uncle Bubba really made a hash of things. Luckily it’s now in the safe hands of CorvetteBen.

KInda answered the overall bubba-ness with the transmission lines observations you made. Joints, these hacks musta been high

A proper throttle/ trans kickdown cable bracket is needed. Can't wait to see the rest of the rigged ride! What is considered "repairs", like this car has, is the direct result of young, dumb, wanna-be racers, not being supervised. That fuel/trans line, starter wiring and exhaust was a bad fire about to happen. Used car-lot "sold as is" window sticker should have made this a heck of a deal for purchase price.

Google Greenwood C3 Corvette. It was a thing back in the 70s.

Looks like a bunch of new parts on the car, but that 'Greenwood' body kit(or something) is ugly as sin. That said, like you lamented Ben, any Corvette is good. Looking forward to this series. Great vlog as always my friend.

TheCorvetteBen: That is one thing I like about you. You do things the RIGHT way! Instead of "Good enough for who it's for" like my dad taught me. :-( I had to unlearn alot of things. Also, didn't Corvettes have std equipment power steering in '76?

I see alot of interest in widebody C3 Corvette's laterly ... I've noticed several WTB posts 🛠

Looks like Billy Joe Jim Bob worked on the Vette.

Seems like the engine was swapped from a vehicle with a standard small block. (The water neck, the water pump, the pulleys, the lack of the special Corvette alternator bracket) I went through this with my Dad's '77 that the previous owner had swapped in a 350 from a 68 truck - apparently because it was a four bolt main motor. All the accessories had to be changed to the Corvette specific items to get anything to fit properly. The water pump pulley was the hardest for me to source at the time (late 80's). Would be simpler with the internet these days. Good to see it getting sorted to fit properly in the C3.

Looks cool

Corvette from Mexico We fit it you drive it

Excellent video

Has potential... 🛠

It's Bubbalicious! but seriously, someone needs to put out a contract hit on this Bubba guy...

You just have to wonder how bubba drive this car..

Dam! That Buba sure gets around.

It is in good hands now 😊 but please film when u drive it with the new exhaust 😊😁

The water pump looks like a high volume one I bought from Pep Boys once and later returned because it was an incorrect long neck version that they sent me. From the looks of it whoever had it before spent all the money on cosmetics instead of functionality, anything mechanical in that car should be suspect.

The god of bubbaness must have worked on that vette. LOL

This is actually pretty funny. Never seen anything like this. I think Dumb and Dumber worked on this together.

Holy crap I saw this car on craigslist for months, I think it was good value for the kit, it was listed at 6500-5500 or so. Holy crap this is so cool, was wondering what this car looked like up close.

Man you do GREAT work. I am sure you get a lot of customers from them watching your videos.I think Kevin's has Greenwood Wide Body kit on it. I am working on a 1976 (GREAT vid of the vega steering wheel change). Can you do a video of installing a distributor and setting the timing? Thanks in advance. Keep up the GREAT work!

I am so glad to see you being a C3 surgeon on this car,l wish we could get a title list on these cars so you could trace the (state/prov) history on them. I feel so lucky knowing the shop history on my wife’s 79 Corvette since she had it since new.I really feel some on your projects you had to deal with were project cars flipped from flipper to flipper going downhill.If you don’t mind could you video the engine pad so we can see what the birth of the block was? My race motors birth were late Chevy trucks but my wife’s 79 Vette was pure 79 Vette matched to her car.Great catch on the water pump but l think you already knew that 😉..PS: l love your Fur Babies ...

One Word......WOW

Ddint snip the tails of the zip ties. This guy isnt a Buba, hes a psychopath.

I have never gotten a cheap header to seal without cutting the flange into two or three

Don't the original place for the trans cooler lines run along the engine, next to where the oil pan bolts on? With the mess that was there, it's a wonder the trans fluid flowed threw them.

Im sure bubba was confident in his ability to repair brakes too... Be careful.

I love that bubba is not exactly your friend...

Great videos. Working on my own 71 previous owned by Bubba(s). Have a rusted core support and a drooping front clip. Have you ever shimmed the core support when replacing to adjust front clip height?

The Bubbaness is strong in this one. Ben will shape it up though.

How about more on the 1953 Oldsmobile? I know you gotta make your money though so you have to work on these junky Corvettes.

Wow, someone actually wanted that thing... Ugh-Lii. Where are the heater hoses?

Pretty sure that was a long water pump as used on the very old Corvettes

Yeah I'm old school I'm 50 years old the Y bodies kind of my thing I had a l 79 Corvette I had a Greenwood Daytona kit for it that I sold and always said I could replace it boys you know Greenwood Daytona kits don't come up often I do like this car though has potential I hope your buddy Kevin doesn't Band-Aid this thing

Hi Ben, just wandering if you have any info about the particular body kit used on Kevin's C3? Love your work, keep it up.

Looks like the water pump is a truck one , same with the pullys , It could be the motor is a swap from a truck but a 010 block ?? just a thought , if so check the bell housing bolts if worked on / wrench marks ? and if so check the converter bolts are tight , just a thought. Regards J

So, the basic shape is alright but if you're going widebody you have to commit. Get it all one color, no two tone crap. Get larger wheels with less meat on them, meat doesn't really work with widebody setups. Lower the car somewhat to fill out the wheel wells.

I kind of like the 1980s turbo bodykit that’s on it. With that said, this is a typical example of a car that was owned by someone who didn’t care to hop online and search for the correct parts, and just went for whatever was available locally. A lot of the “bubba work” as Ben appropriately calls it, would actually have been a lot more feasible to source the correct parts than go the “Home Depot” route, all those fittings, hoses and bits and bobs would likely add up to around $30, and for $10 more he could have gotten the correct part. All that “bubba wiring” is also just a typical example of something who just didn’t have a clue what to do, and didn’t care to research it. A lot of similar stuff was done to my Jeep when I got it..stereo was terribly installed, some aftermarket auxiliary lights were just tapped into the factory harness using household connectors and the whole front end wasn’t assembled correctly either, headlights were just dangling and the grill wasn’t mounted correctly either. Plus a ton of other small things throughout the Jeep, and for some reason he had tried to install blue LED lights in the interior which was terribly done as well. It’s really just one of those; “if you don’t know what you are doing, and don’t care to research / find out how to do it correctly, then just leave the car alone, and let the professionals do it instead”. I spend the first week of owning my Jeep; just undoing everything the previous owner had done and ordering the correct parts from different places online....all which totaled around $100, which is just a stupid amount to not just spend up front and have the job done right.

Wait until you see my 1970 Custom! Shoul have video up soon!

I do like the wide body kits, but you have to have the right offset on the wheels and what is on the car now do not work. Wider and more offset wheels are needed. Tire has to come to the edge of the fenderwell. Interior looks very nice and with paint it will be a great throw back to the 80s.

you're the best man... but i would not even have worked on that butchered up car. I would have told him get the hell out of here and take your junk with you! what a shame

I'm sure Bubba called it "Yankee Ingenuity".

This video funny, bubba!!

Thats a long style water pump, seems they grabbed one of an a or g-body car that normally came with the long ones, vette's should have had the short style pump

That is one Butt Ugly Vette !! Bubba must have been working overtime on this Vette disaster !! Kevin’s going to owe you big time for this work . Great Video ! How’s your Wife doing ?

Hi, Ben! I have that twin turbo hood but mine looks like it’s a bit better quality than that one. It has an enclosed area under those vents so that rain water doesn’t come through. I’m trying to put it on my 79 c3. I feel like it was designed for the earlier style round latch versus mine that has the pin that latches in. Any advice on how to covert it to accept that type of latch? Thanks

I think Keven should have started with a different car, but Ben can fix it!

The Corvette Ben shirts please! NO BUBBA

Lol. Damn you Kevin! What were you thinking...good job Ben.

The core support reminds me of road kill car's

This is one ugly corvette. I'm glad you are getting the mechanical part corrected. I would have passed on the purchase myself. I know, not your call either.

Why people paint stuff red!? that cracked me up. Love your channel Ben

You have to think...why would Bubba change the pulleys? I would bet a bucket oh home brew Bubba junked out the oem engine with the vett pulleys. then swaped in a v8 of some kind, thinking all chevys are the same he put on some chevy pulleys on....hey they fit.

This car is a partial street representation of American Corvette History. The famous kick ass John Greenwood Corvette widebodies that raced in IMSA and Sebing, Daytona & Le Mans in the 1970's representing American horse power 482 cu in chevy BB with Lucas fuel injection. A Greenwood widebody held the overall all-time highest official speed ever recorded by any car at Daytona: 236 MPH. I've included a VIDEO of one of his cars..........ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4RM_fCs-IP0.html.

I,m with you on the Mickey Mouse work as I call. If your going to do something do it the right way. I like your style. There is 1 way to do things And that is the right way.👌

That should be as good a lesson as there is for never buying something sigh unseen.

I like your channel as much as I hate this car. Looking forward to more videos! (Not this car though..........Ugh....) Keep up the good work!

What was the header side pipes, used?

Looks like BaBa had a ball wow looking at those trans lines is the trans ok?