The third-generation Corvette has long been my favorite body style, as you just can’t deny the beautifully sculpted fenders, especially from behind the wheel. And the ’78 Pace Car is one of the top C3 designs, with that two-tone paint job and other special touches. It’s enthusiasts like John G. who warm our hearts with rescues like this. If you need a review of John’s restoration or missed an episode, here are the links: part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five. Each episode is a quick 5-10 minute read with lots of cool pictures, and you won’t be disappointed watching the transformation.
By the way, soak it in because this is the last episode before the finale!
When we last left off, John had completed rescuing the body and paint from decades of neglect. Here is a quick before and after so you can see how far he’s come.
Now, on to today’s projects. First, with the Pace Car decal kit on the way, John tackles some interior projects, and remarks,
“I decided to pull the dash and center console to clean some things up. Took all the duct work out and soaked it in purple power, followed by a pressure washing. Diagnosed the window switches not working, and installed all LED bulbs in the cluster while it’s out. Also running all new speaker wiring front to back.
Pulling the dash also allowed me to check out all the vacuum lines for the HVAC, and lubricate all the moving parts for the system… It was a mess, but everything is in tact and not a spec of rust in the birdcage!”
Great news about the birdcage, and oh boy, what a bee’s nest. A quick nod to John for the nerve and patience necessary to dig into a project like this. And he is going to need lots of patience, as he continues to tear into the interior and comments,
“Things have escalated slightly. I wanted to replace the rear window trim clips, but they were covered and buried in window sealant and rtv. Instead of fighting with them, I removed the rear window to clean everything up. I’ll also be tinting the glass while it’s out. I also have the interior pretty much gutted, and have been sound deadening everything.”
If you’re like me, the first thing I thought was, how many clips did John break taking that window out? Well, he has an answer and says, “A few of them were broken, and the rest were no longer springy enough to hold the trim. I bought reproduction ones, but they’re metal instead of the original plastic type. They’ll work fine though.”
This is a good spot to take a breather, as next week will be the big finale! John’s going to wrap up the interior work, get the Pace Car decals on, tidy up a few other items, and then give us a walk-around video! Thanks for joining me and John on this transformation. We have an active community on our Facebook page, I would love to see you there! Douglas B.
