First off - Congrats to Lily! Our first female owner Car of the Month! You know all know the saying"Badass Toys are not just for boys!" - The story of this 68' Corvette Stingray is the story of a little girl's dream. When Lily was 13 years old, one day she saw this knock out car that made her jaw drop. It was the Stingray body and ever since then, Lily has been dreaming about that gorgeous Corvette, never thinking she would ever own one.
Fast forward to late November 2002, Lily's husband (EMC member Greg and previous Car of the Month feature) just happened to see this red Stingray on Nassau Blvd in someone's driveway with a for sale sign in the window. They made a u-turn and looked at the car. Even though the engine did not run and the interior was very rough, the body was intact and presentable. After looking it over and negotiating, Lily's dream came true on November 26, 2002 thanks to her husband.
It wasn't all smooth cruising from there on. Lily had her dream, but now she could not yet drive it. It would actually take 7 1/2 years for Lily to actually take her first drive in her Vette. They started by checking the engine over. Lily and Greg discovered that the carburetor was incorrectly hooked up and the fuel line was plumbed directly into the pvc port and was just pumping raw fuel into the intake manifold. They corrected this and pulled the spark plugs with fuel just pouring out of the cylinders. Once they dried the cylinders and sprayed some DW40 in, they installed fresh plugs and the engine fired to life. Obstacle 2 would now appear: Once warmed up, the oil pressure dropped to nothing. Pulling the intake manifold revealed a few completely flattened cam lobes. They assumed the worn metal circulated through the engine taking out the bearings. It was apparent: a rebuild was in the cards.
After the rebuild, they encountered the same "no oil pressure when hot" situation. No amount of looking into it solved this problem. The engine was pulled out again and this time, the block was disgarded and a used 4 bolt main block was obtained. The old block (not numbers matching anyway) was kindly dumped at the local scrap yard.
This engine block would get the full works. Competent machine work, Aluminum Edelbrock heads and Intake manifold, Comp Cams Hydraulic Magnum camshaft, Holley 750 Carb, Stainless shorty headers and full 2 1/2 custom exhaust system, Pump gas friendly 9.6:1 compression. It is a nice complement to the highway 3.08 rear gears for long trips anywhere they like to go.
At the time this rebuild was going on, the electrical system in the car was completely hacked up by previous "I don't know what to call them". The entire wiring system was removed and all exterior and engine bay wiring was completely overhauled with connectors soldered. Msd 6Al ignition box and distributor was wired into the harness at this time. All suspension and body bushings were completely replaced with the body being lifted off the frame for thorough access to everything. The gas tank and fuel lines as well were replaced. The suspension parts were all bead blasted and refinished before being reinstalled. New brakes, wheel bearings, and all u-joints were replaced at this time as well. The body was then lowered back onto the painted frame with new Urethane body bushings and fasteners.
The interior was thoroughly scuffed, prepped and redyed in black. New carpets complete the interior. The front seats are currently covered with seat covers, but have yet to be recovered with correct seat upholstry. A new paint job and the seats are the remaining projects in the near future.
June 2008 was the car's maiden voyage to Jones Beach, and Lily has been completely enjoying it ever since.
Fast forward to late November 2002, Lily's husband (EMC member Greg and previous Car of the Month feature) just happened to see this red Stingray on Nassau Blvd in someone's driveway with a for sale sign in the window. They made a u-turn and looked at the car. Even though the engine did not run and the interior was very rough, the body was intact and presentable. After looking it over and negotiating, Lily's dream came true on November 26, 2002 thanks to her husband.
It wasn't all smooth cruising from there on. Lily had her dream, but now she could not yet drive it. It would actually take 7 1/2 years for Lily to actually take her first drive in her Vette. They started by checking the engine over. Lily and Greg discovered that the carburetor was incorrectly hooked up and the fuel line was plumbed directly into the pvc port and was just pumping raw fuel into the intake manifold. They corrected this and pulled the spark plugs with fuel just pouring out of the cylinders. Once they dried the cylinders and sprayed some DW40 in, they installed fresh plugs and the engine fired to life. Obstacle 2 would now appear: Once warmed up, the oil pressure dropped to nothing. Pulling the intake manifold revealed a few completely flattened cam lobes. They assumed the worn metal circulated through the engine taking out the bearings. It was apparent: a rebuild was in the cards.
After the rebuild, they encountered the same "no oil pressure when hot" situation. No amount of looking into it solved this problem. The engine was pulled out again and this time, the block was disgarded and a used 4 bolt main block was obtained. The old block (not numbers matching anyway) was kindly dumped at the local scrap yard.
This engine block would get the full works. Competent machine work, Aluminum Edelbrock heads and Intake manifold, Comp Cams Hydraulic Magnum camshaft, Holley 750 Carb, Stainless shorty headers and full 2 1/2 custom exhaust system, Pump gas friendly 9.6:1 compression. It is a nice complement to the highway 3.08 rear gears for long trips anywhere they like to go.
At the time this rebuild was going on, the electrical system in the car was completely hacked up by previous "I don't know what to call them". The entire wiring system was removed and all exterior and engine bay wiring was completely overhauled with connectors soldered. Msd 6Al ignition box and distributor was wired into the harness at this time. All suspension and body bushings were completely replaced with the body being lifted off the frame for thorough access to everything. The gas tank and fuel lines as well were replaced. The suspension parts were all bead blasted and refinished before being reinstalled. New brakes, wheel bearings, and all u-joints were replaced at this time as well. The body was then lowered back onto the painted frame with new Urethane body bushings and fasteners.
The interior was thoroughly scuffed, prepped and redyed in black. New carpets complete the interior. The front seats are currently covered with seat covers, but have yet to be recovered with correct seat upholstry. A new paint job and the seats are the remaining projects in the near future.
June 2008 was the car's maiden voyage to Jones Beach, and Lily has been completely enjoying it ever since.
Lily is every car guys dream wife! Aside from her having her own set of wheels, she loves the meets and Track Rentals and gets involved in EMC when she can. Lily's Stingray actually ran at EMC's 1st Annual Track Rental as well. A super sweet girl with passion for her Stingray that some car guys don't even have for their own rides. She is a great girl to have around and one of the First Ladies of EMC. Our guess is beautiful cars match their owners! To speak to Lily today, go to our Members Section - AngelsStingray.
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