Initial Condition and Diagnostic Overview
The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window was brought in as a non-running vehicle with a locked front wheel. Upon inspection, the fuel line was found unplugged and the fuel in the tank was of poor quality. The engine lacked a choke and vacuum, and the carburetor was gummed up. Additional diagnostics revealed that the brakes were locked up, specifically due to issues with the emergency brake (E-brake). The E-brake cable was broken, and the front pads and related hardware were in poor condition. To address these issues, the brakes were unlocked, brake drums were pulled, pads were adjusted, and a spare was installed.
Front and Rear Brake Work
The car was placed on a lift to begin inspection of the rear brakes. The trailing arm was found to be very rusty and required replacement. The process involved removing the spare and its bracket and bolts, the filler neck, and the bracket for the fuel tank. The exhaust was cut to facilitate fuel tank removal, and most bolts were cut out due to rust. A thorough diagnostic of all suspension parts was performed.
On the driver side rear brakes, the rear drum brakes, shoes, and hardware were removed, along with shocks, the leaf spring, and the axle. The trailing arms were cut in half to remove them, and bolts were cut off to remove the remaining components. Leaf springs, rear control arms, shocks, and bearings were all removed and cleaned.
Suspension and Differential Restoration
The differential, driveshaft, and cross member were removed from the vehicle. The differential was degreased and cleaned, with the rear bump stops, E-brake cable and bracket, and rear rubber brake lines also removed. The differential and rear axles were cleaned, primed, and painted. The control arm bracket was removed, and the rear axles were cleaned and painted.

Front End Disassembly and Treatment
All front drum brakes and hardware were removed, as were the sway bar links and passenger side shocks. The passenger side lower control arm, ball joint, and coil spring were taken out. On the driver’s side, the shock, lower control arm, ball joint, coil spring, and sway bar were removed. All parts were sandblasted as needed.
Both sides of the front end were disassembled, including removal of the upper control arm bumper, driver and passenger tie rods, pitman arm, upper control arm, rear bumpers, and upper ball joints. Rust treatment was applied to the rear, and surface metal was cleaned and painted.
The front of the vehicle was cleaned and treated for rust, with painting completed underneath the rear and front sections. The spare tire carrier tub and lid were cleaned and painted or undercoated, along with the drum, spring, and brake plate. The exhaust pipe was removed, and trailing arms were disassembled.
Fuel System, Rear Axle, and Hub Assembly
Bearings were removed from the rear hub assembly, and an inventory was made of all delivered parts. The fuel sending unit was installed, support beam sandblasted and painted, and support beam undercoated. Hub parts were cleaned and degreased, filler neck gasket installed, and the filler neck, tank straps, hardware, tank, and tank support beam were all installed.
Fuel tank straps were installed to the support beam, along with the gas tank overflow ring, overflow hose, and fuel line with new clamps. The sending unit was wired in, new parts inventoried, and trailing arms installed on both sides. Brake plates, trailing arm shims, rear bearing and hubs were cleaned and painted. Suspension parts were cleaned and sandblasted.
Parts were organized and ordered as required. The spring and front hub were painted, pitman arm and engine bay cleaned, and all brake lines removed. Brake drums and E-brake handle were painted and rebuilt with a new cable. The E-brake assembly was cleaned and painted, differential cover and fluid removed, and the differential gear inspected (no chips or cracks found, fluid dark but no metal observed).
The fuel line from rail to carburetor was attached, oil pressure gauge reconnected, fan belt attached, and distributor vacuum line installed, get car started and run.
E-brake cable installation began, and a transmission leak was identified and cleaned. Sandblasting of parts continued.
The parking brake bracket and hardware, parking brake handle bracket, parking brake lever, parking brake line brackets, parking brake level spring, and inner and outer races

on rear hub were installed. The pitman arm was cleaned, transmission bracket removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. The sway bar was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled, and the rear shock top bolt was installed.
Tie rods and steering brackets were disassembled, steering piston sandblasted, steering brackets and rods painted, inside front hubs cleaned and grease removed, and races installed on front hubs. Transmission bracket was cleaned and painted. Universal joints (U-joints) were removed from drive shaft and half shafts, cleaned, and the joint areas painted. Valve covers were removed, cleaned, sanded, painted, and reinstalled. The engine was cleaned and touched up.
The driver side valve cover was installed, new radiator hose clamps put in place, and the engine bay and steering box cleaned. Steering box fluid was checked and the box painted, with touch-ups performed in the engine bay using black paint. The fan and pulley were cleaned and painted, exhaust headers cleaned and painted, all brackets addressed, heater core clamps removed, cracked heater hoses replaced, and heater core clamps replaced. The oil pan and headers were cleaned.
The passenger side valve cover was installed. The master cylinder was bench bled, cleaned, and painted. Heater core hoses and clamps were replaced, and a bracket for the coolant reservoir fabricated and installed. The PVC hose was installed, and the coolant reservoir mounted with two large clamps. Heater core T was removed, alternator wiring cleaned and painted, air cleaner bolt fabricated and installed, PVC hose installed, alternator wiring wrapped, and transmission and steering mounts cleaned.
The brake junction was cleaned and polished, front brake function and junction installed, brake lines run from the junction to master cylinder and to all wheel positions. Master cylinder lines were installed out of the way of the steering box. Rubber brake lines were sealed, fluid leaks checked, brackets installed, spindle load bearings greased, and new fittings installed where necessary.
Suspension Overhaul:
Old control arm bushings were removed from all four control arms, and new bushings installed. Both lower control arm bump stops were replaced, and new upper and lower ball joints installed on both upper and lower arms. The idler arm was removed for ongoing work.

New inner and outer tie rod ends were assembled with adjustment sleeves and locking collars, and hardware for control arms cleaned. Upper and lower control arms were installed on both driver and passenger sides, with spindles, springs, and sway bar links reassembled.
Hardware for the rear differential was cleaned, threads chased, and the differential cross frame member installed. The rear differential was mounted in the car, lower control arms attached to differential mounting brackets, rear hub assemblies installed on rear swing arms, and rear shocks mounted. The idler arm was removed and replaced, arms from the steering box to idler arm installed, tie rods attached to the steering arm, transmission mount installed to chassis, pending a new rubber mount.
Rear suspension was assembled, new rear spring installed, and brake parts painted matte black. Pre-load was set on rear hub assemblies on both sides, with bearings and seals installed. E-brake lever was cleaned, rear brake shoes and self-adjuster installed, E-brake cable fitted to rear wheel backing plates, and several brake components cleaned. U-joints were located and ordered.
Rear spring rubber support donuts, washers, nuts, and cotter pins were installed. Brake hardware was fitted on front and rear, rubber brake hoses installed, new brake shoes fitted, automatic adjusters installed, front bearing seals, bearings, hubs, spindles, washers, nuts, and cotter pins fitted. The driver’s side half shaft and drums were installed all around, and E-brake hardware installed front to rear.
Final Mechanical and Cosmetic Work:
U-joints were installed in both half shafts, drive shafts mounted, transmission mount installed with bolts, wheels fitted with lugs, and drive shaft straps secured with nuts and lock washers. Rear toe bar bolts and nuts were tightened, and work commenced on the cooling system. The coolant T connector was researched and ordered.
Rear brake lines and hose clips were fabricated and installed. Brakes were bled and drum brakes adjusted on all four wheels. Tires and wheels were removed from rims, rims cleaned and sandblasted, and wheels prepared for gloss black paint. Five tires were mounted.
Additional work included installation of half shaft U-joint, flange, half shaft, shock, spring hardware, coolant T, idle adjustment, tires, and new lug nuts. The alternator was removed, cleaned, painted, and reinstalled, as were the fan, water pump pulley, water pump, and water pump gasket. Hoses were installed, brakes bled, and shocks tightened.
Rear axles were adjusted, tires removed, drums adjusted, coolant system filled and bled, and differential filled with 1 quart of 80W-90 fluid.
The exterior of the car was washed, front and rear bumpers polished, window chrome polished, wheel hubs disassembled, polished, reassembled, and installed. String alignment was performed, rods tightened and adjusted, front plate holder painted, and front and rear emblems cleaned, polished, and painted. Windows were cleaned.
Electrical and Exhaust Work:
Headlights were tested, gas cover installed, headlight switch removed and rebuilt, parking lights tested, headlight plugs rewired, interior cleaned and vacuumed, emblems installed, headlight dimmer removed, windshield wipers ordered, and wiper switch tested.
Blinkers were tested and rewired as needed, with three out of four rear blinkers functioning. Rear blinkers were cleaned, with ongoing diagnostics for non-functioning headlights. The headlight switch and dimmer were installed, with further diagnosis at the firewall connector. Connector was cleaned, intermediate headlight issue pending further diagnosis.
Spare tire holder bucket was installed, spare tire fitted, spare tire bolt rethreaded and installed, front low beam (left side) replaced, firewall plug removed and sanded, contact grease added, ongoing high beam diagnostics. Passenger headlight installed, chrome bumpers cleaned, antenna installed, new headlight bezel screws ordered.
Bumpers were cleaned with steel wool and chrome polished. The exhaust system was fitted and mocked up for trimming and cutting, flange adapters and muffler hangers ordered, header to muffler pipes fabricated, and exhaust organized pending hangers. Welding of the exhaust was begun and completed, muffler hangers and mufflers installed, exhaust shield cut to fit and installed.
Radiator breather hose was removed, tapped and drilled, breather fitting and hose installed.
Final Adjustments and Completion
The battery was replaced, brakes checked, and E-brake adjustment noted as needed.