'59 White Corvette, A Gentle Restoration

[partsguy]

It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full water bottle, we're wearing sun glasses, and we're riding a 1959 Schwinn. HIT IT!

With a list of techniques to try on the frame, fork, and guard, most of my parts lined up, and a goal to have him done by mid spring, now is the time for another build thread. I don't think anyone has done a build thread on a white Corvette, so I'll be the first. Hopefully, this will be helpful in documentation for anyone else whose ride needs TLC.

This bike will taken out for a ride along the beautiful trails of Mammoth Cave National Park, and finished with a photo in front of the nearby Corvette Museum. Fitting, isn't it?

Before:

 

[partsguy]

I first tested a little bit of No. 7 on the paint, before taking it to the basement:

Fast-forward a few months, it's finally on the new stand:

 

[partsguy]

The tear down, and yes, my beautiful girlfriend was there to watch me pick new parts at Indy

Looking ahead, to the future...

The rear fender will be replaced. This stainless fender has way too many dents and scuffs for me to fix.

The headlight rattled, and I had to find out why:

I like this original speedometer, hopefully it can be fixed and made to function again. The inner cable is gone, gauge lens is smashed:

 

[rollfaster]

Is that the original CV Italian headlight?

 

[island schwinn]

Is that the original CV Italian headlight?

it looks to be correct.I have the same one on my white vette.

 

[partsguy]

Is that the original CV Italian headlight?

It was....it is junk!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Scribble]

This is gonna turn out super cool, Schwinn's always clean up.

 

[partsguy]

Here are the rear fenders, the replacement one came off a Corvette without caliper brakes, notice how it doesn't have the little bracket? The braces also are not as nice. I will combine these two fenders, so I can re-use the fender braces and bracket from the original. Now, where can I get correct Schwinn-size rivets? Replacement on the right, old one on the left.

Cutting off the old one was fun, lots of metal sparks!! Yeah, I need new bottom rear fender hardware now!

Almost there...

 

[partsguy]

I am waiting to continue this project until I have a reasonably warm, dry weekend. The paint work and detailing has to be done outside. It can be very messy work!

For the time being, I will continue gathering parts, specifically a correct, original shifter cable and linkage, and get started on the wheels. Wheels are painstaking, the most time-consuming part of any build except for chrome or paint.

 

[Freqman1]

Have you considered an OA bath for that? V/r Shawn