Chris Petris - How to Restore Your Corvette: 1963-1967

CarTech

CarTech, Inc.

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www.cartechbooks.com

2012 by Chris Petris

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Edit by Paul Johnson

Layout by Monica Seiberlich

ISBN 978-1-61325-100-3

Item No. SA273

Title Page:

For a complete and thorough restoration, the body needs to be separated from the chassis. Keep an eye on the rear fenders as the body rises because they tend to come very close to the rearmost body mount stanchions. Look frequently to make sure there are no wires, cables, or hoses that should have been disconnected.

Back Cover Photos

Top Left:

Now the front end with the inner fenders installed can be set in place. The side fenders need to be pulled outward to go around the cowl at the doors. You need to plan out the procedures before the adhesive is mixed. There is no backing off now; the front end must be placed back in the same position it was fitted in as soon as possible.

Top Right:

The cylinder heads have seventeen 5/8-inch bolts on each side. The outer cylinder head bolts can be difficult to get a socket onto fully. These special Snap-On sockets help get into the tight spots. Use a short 5/8-inch socket and extension in lieu of the special socket. The cylinder heads have dowels to hold them in place until you are ready to remove them.

Middle Left:

Applying an even coat at the corners and edges is very critical. The spray gun can be adjusted to limit material flow and fan pattern to avoid puddles of base coat. Pay careful attention at enclosed areas because the paint may spray back at you. Usually the spray back also ends up with sags.

Middle Right:

Slip the bearing on after first gear, and then install the blocker ring. We apply heat to the bearing to prevent the use of the hammer, but you may have to give the bearing a little help with a small hammer and punch to get it in place.

Bottom Left:

This front disc brake assembly is in need of a complete reconditioning. The rotor will be replaced and the caliper will be disassembled and new seals and components will be installed.

Bottom Right:

Each front floorboard carpet section is installed after Thermo-Tec and jute insulation is installed. This is where you have to be extra careful and ensure the carpet is fully seated into the floorboard recesses. If the carpeting is not sitting tightly to the floorboard when trimming it can end up too short at the console.

CONTENTS

Chris Petris owns Petris Enterprises, a Corvette restoration and repair shop. He gravitated toward the Corvette service industry after spending many years involved in drag racing, restoring, and modifying Chevrolets. His involvement with Corvettes began at Greenwood Corvettes where he performed tuning and built performance transmissions and differentials. Eventually, he went on to manage Ecklers Corvette Service Center, and during that time Paul Zazarine, editor of Corvette Fever magazine, asked if he would provide tech material for the magazine. Later on, Petris own tech articles and tech columns were published in Corvette Fever and Corvette Enthusiast magazines.

Chris has been presenting seminars at Bloomington Gold, Mid America Fun Fest, and Corvettes at Carlisle for several years. He also provides tech material and annual seminars for the National Corvette Owners Association. Chris is a SEMA member and avid motorsports fan who enjoys driving his own collection of early Chevrolets and Corvettes as often as possible.

Many thanks go out to the Corvette community for working with me through the book. Sometimes things just seem to fall in place without even trying. For instance, Jerry and Scott Kohn of Corvette Central had been talking about possibly restoring a 1963 Corvette split-window coupe. The conversation took place just a few weeks before I was approached about writing this 1963-1967 restoration book. The timing was right and having an iconic 1963 split-window as the lead restoration Corvette could not have been scripted better.

Many thanks go to Jerry Kohn, Scott Kohn, and Mike Coleman at Corvette Central. Jerry spent countless hours discussing the project and helping to find the right parts. Scott kept the parts coming while Mike, Corvette Centrals shop guru, helped with many of the date-coded and stamping photos.

John Ferguson of Market Street Performance deserves a special thanks for allowing me to photograph the entire engine component machining process at his shop. The majority of the restoration took place in our shop with the exception of the bodywork and painting.

Seth Wood, owner of Luckys Customs, spent many hours making the 1963 look good while I took notes and photographed the process.

Many other Corvette suppliers listed in the source guide deserve credit for the fine components they provided.

Writing this book has been quite a ride from beginning to end. I was fortunate enough to have the support and help of family so this project could be completed. In the final analysis, I think I have created a unique, instructional, and immensely helpful guide for restoring a Midyear Corvette, and I hope you agree.

The project started out strong, then my wife, who has been by my side through many of my 40-plus years in the automotive industry, suffered a medical issue. Our daughters, Stacy and Stephanie, stepped in and helped us get through that rough time. I also got a dose of just how hard my wife works to keep up with everything around the business and household. I was able to write a good portion of the text while she convalesced and it made me realize just how much my family means to me. The tough part was trying to keep our Corvette restoration shop going while shuttling back and forth from writing to our business/family matters. Somehow as a family we made it. Many heartfelt thanks go to my daughters who have backed me in all the automotive endeavors I have pursued.