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Thanks @@Ron-hj1or! You know exactly what I’m talking about! Thanks for watching!

@@vicerrico773 Thank you Vic! I appreciate this!

@@Edith.Keeler Thank you Gary! Really appreciate that!

@@mickfortune3844 Checking in on you Mick. Did you take delivery? Are you officially an owner now? 😃

Morning John No I did not receive my new baby, the weather over here in the UK is quite cold, we had snow 2weeks ago and unfortunately temperature here as been - 4/7 degrees since so we have had a lot of Ice build ups. Graham wouldn’t take the beast out, said it was bad enough in the rain. To be honest it wasn’t a bad thing, gave me chance to sort my private area out, plus I have had heating installed in two of my shops this week, and the heating engineers have been all over the place installing pipes etc. 😩😩😩 We are on for Saturday 10:00am my 14 year old grandson is dying for a ride in it, so going to take him to a local motorcycle cafe then may be coast depending on weather.

@@mickfortune3844 Please give me a shout when you finally have her! I want to be the first to welcome you to the club!

@@michaelgibson3011 thank you Michael!

@@johnhgarrett I just hope you enjoy it and drive it every chance like I do with my cars. I'll die with what I have. Great production.

@@michaelgibson3011 Michael, it’s only the blasted winters that stop me. 😵‍💫 In central Idaho this past week it’s been below zero most mornings, and low double digits for a high. Snow everywhere. Can’t wait for the big thaw in a couple of months! Thanks again for the great comments. I had never done a project like this before…not really. Looking forward to doing another. I have a ‘61 F100 Ford unibody (bed and cab connected). Been in the family since new. That’s going to be next. 😃 I will have to learn bodywork for this one! Cheers!

Hi Mick! Happy New Year! Congrats on your acquisition! I’m strictly an amateur but happy to help anyway I can! 😃

@ thanks John I don’t think I’ll be doing too much in 2025 maybe just enjoy a few rides in it, I have a few projects on at the moment plus I am very busy with my business. Thank you very much for a positive reply, although I have admired Corvettes for many years, I know very little about them, I’m YouTubing all the time now trying to get familiar with the general mechanics, it all seems pretty primitive. Just a beast of a car 😂😂😂

@@mickfortune3844 Mick, if you don’t have it already, I highly recommend getting a copy of the “Factory Assembly Manual” for your year of car. It’s available on Amazon and was critical to my build.

Thanks so much! 😃

@@stevemeeks8455 Thanks Steve! And congrats on the purchase of your 75! Hope you put a video together so I can follow along!

Hi Jaysen! Thank you and congrats on your 73! Sorry, don't really have a longer version but I did create 8 earlier VLOGS that in retrospect are pretty bad, but you can get an idea of all the other work I did. My focus started with the interior of the car. It wasn't destroyed but didn't have the new car look I was going for. You also don't realize how much heat and road noise you get through the firewall and floor, so I researched the best solutions to all that--and cleaned everything. It had 45 years of filth. You saw the motor and trans work. Believe it or not, there is a good amount of TH-cam content out there for step-by-step guidance. Some of the creators I followed: Corvette Ben, Corvette Hop, 76 Corvette (he might go by C3 Corvette now) and a few others. I'm sure you already have some favorites! Oh, if you haven't already, go on Amazon and order the Factory Assembly Manual. Not sure if they have your year but C3's are pretty similar. It has exploded illustrations of all assemblies in the car which I found really helpful. I also picked up the Corvette Little Black Book for useless stats and production figures, just for fun. : ) I still have the body to contend with. Will do paint at some point but not in the budget now. Old cars....they are NEVER done! Best of luck! John

Thanks Robert!

@@pistolpete6114: sincerely, thank you but my talent isnt much. I am a guy that replaces parts-not a guy that fixes or rebuilds. I feel like I got lucky with what I was working with. Still lots left to do. Your car sounds amazing! We have to appreciate and consider prior generations and influences! I almost hate to think of you painting over it as it’s relevant in the context of time! Best of luck with your decision!

@@theloudamerican2193 lol! I’m in McCall! Love your neck of the woods!

Hi MT! Thanks for the comment! Will absolutely do something where I can share the exhaust note. It sounds pretty good, but not obnoxious. When when I had the new exhaust system put on, we originally only put a pair of high flow mufflers on it. It was a little loud for my taste, especially at 40 or 50 miles an hour the sound droned in your ears. They took it back and we added a pair of small resonators which left a really nice note, not too loud, not too soft. 700 R 💠 transmission with overdrive has been great! I replaced the stock turbo hydromatic 350 and the difference is really noticeable. First gear is lower with the 700R4, so it is definitely more snappy at the light. Gears 2&3 appear similar to the old TH350, but 4th gear is a game changer for freeway/highway driving. If I remember correctly, with the old tranny, I was running 3000 to 3500 RPM at about 60 to 65 miles an hour. Now it’s 70 MPH, I think I’m turning around 2000 RPM. The positives with this is the mileage you can obtain on the highway. Still not great, but I think I’m hitting around 18-19 when I keep my foot out of it. I was getting only around 15-16 MPG with the old power train and had much less performance. I do find that I do not shift into overdrive until I’m physically on the highway. This is because even on a 40 mile an hour street, it wants to shift into overdrive when you’re not accelerating. You’re barely idling at that speed, and if you want to step on it for any reason, The transmission has to downshift before you get any performance. So, , around town and sometimes even on the highway for limited stretches, I don’t shift and overdrive-because the first three gears are where all the fun is!

@@johnhgarrett Sounds awesome the C3 is like the best looking car!

: Thanks Richard! Wasn’t taking it that way! Glad you enjoyed the video!

@@Blackwidowtt2000 Now that’s a great story! Congratulations! So was your trip to the US to specifically find one to import to Australia? I can’t imagine the difficulty in doin that! That’s a whole new level of challenge that makes my experience look like a walk in the park! I’m really enjoying mine but I still am faced with some realities-even with the additional horsepower and other updates I’ve made, it’s still 50-60 year-old engineering and technology. So while it turns heads every time I drive it, the occasional suburban Mom in her minivan can deliver a real blow to my ego when she launches at a green light. I’ve learned to just let her go…. 😂 Thank you so much for the compliments! I hope you post your journey with it! Would LOVE to watch along!

@@aintmanyofusleft after removing the original motor, the underpinnings of the car were largely unchanged from the pre-1972 models. Same suspension, brakes, steering, exhaust routing, chassis, and interior. Except for styling (rubber versus chrome bumpers) I think my car compares well-if not better-than an early Vette.

@@irabel01 absolutely! Thanks for watching! 😃

@@jamesbradford8574 yes, you’re not the first to mention this to me. It all had to do with my confidence with this level of work. I’ve never done an A/T to manual conversion so took the safer route. It’s still fun and I’m really enjoying my time with her. 😃

@@boneseyyl1060 thanks Bonesey…. I’m loving it! 👍

@@TA_Freak thank you JR. I don’t think I could ever tune, let alone restore C6-or any modern car-even after doing my C3. There is something I don’t get about cars after ECUs were introduced. I’m just not that smart! lol

@@John-j2u9e lol! I had to rewatch to see it! But yes, I asked the right guy. Roy is a God with all things that go fast. He is a retired veteran that builds and races drag-bikes!

Yes! 🍻 But it’s really not set up for that and I’m an old guy. 😎 I’m still running the factory differential with super tall gears. With overdrive, it feels like it’s idling at 70.

@@johnhgarrett I had a 67 Firebird 400, 4spd manual, 3.08 gears and would lay rubber. It came with an automatic trans that went out, but it would lay rubber also. I was in my 20's....Reach back :)

@@rosstempletonogskaterI love it. If we only had the means back then that we do now.

​@johnhgarrett years ago, I knew a guy that got a 70 Chevelle Malibu that had the optional 300HP 350 sbc and automatic. Bench seat and column gear selector, p/b, p/s, and a/c. A nice car. It was gear really high. Like 2.90 gears in the back. This was a freeway flyer car. Plenty of usable horse power but cruised at low rpm. 3rd to 2nd passing kickdown and that quadrajet was louder than the exhaust. Lol. But that's the difference between brute force power and usable power. The latter is much more fun to drive. As I've gotten older, I realize that more. As a kid, it was all about making as much power as possible.

@@mindeloman I live in a rural area where all of the highways that reach me are winding mountain roads. Not many opportunities to pass when you need to, so the on-the-fly acceleration you’re talking about comes in handy once in a while! I’m running resonators + mufflers so it’s relatively quiet (but throaty) and the four barrel howls when you step into it. It’s not a racer, but boy it’s fun!

Thanks Joe! I love my car….but damn, I know id love a convertible! . Everybody touts the chrome bumper cars, but I honestly think the lines of a 75 convertible are the most classy of all. Don’t get rid of her!

@@johnhgarrett Till death do we part!

Thank you! ❤️

Thank you Mark! I’ve really tried to do it right. Although I’ve said it’s done, it’s really not. There are parts of the car I never touched and little things I keep finding. Just need time. 😃

@@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. 👍

@@johnhgarrett I worked on the Chugach in '57 and '58. Lived in Spennard.

@@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?

@@7477corvettes they are so much fun! Thanks for watching!

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?

Glad you enjoyed it!

Hi Charley! Congrats on your project! I’m not at home right now but will be back on Tuesday. I’ll get some measurements for you then.

@@johnhgarrett Thank you, John. Have a wonderful Father’s Day.

Hi Jim, I do. She is a lot of fun to drive. : )

Hi John! Are you asking how much I have invested in the car?

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.

Thanks Heinz, I will be watching for your email! Cheers!

​@@johnhgarrett In fact, you should already have it.

Heinz, I never received an email from you. Try Johnharrisongarrett@gmail.com

Thanks Daniel!

Right?! 😃

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!

Thank you Jo!

Hi Sig! Thank you!

Thanks, David! Was yours a Firethorn red interior as well?

@@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.

Thank you Rich! I love the nickname! Thanks for watching as well!

Thanks Gringo. I agree 100%!

Thank you!

Thanks Justin! I’m going to do more as soon as the weather changes! Still have snow on the ground where I’m at!

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. 😃

@@johnhgarrett I thought maybe you needed to have the transmission in the up in the air to paint fully around it.

Thank you! I really appreciate that you liked it! My dream!

@@johnhgarrett I loved it and how you did it the right way no cutting corners. 👌🏾

Awesome, thank you! 👍

Thank you Jorge! I really appreciate this! 😃

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