The Complete Corvette Restoration & Technical Guide Vol. 1 1953-1962

The Complete Corvette Restoration & Technical Guide is rather like a mystery book, and can almost be recommended to aficionados of that genre regardless of their interest in Corvettes or even cars. To write this book, author Noland Adams had to become something of a Sherlock Holmes.

He begins with the elementary: how the Corvette was assembled on the production line, how the body was put together; he explains "blackout" and just what parts were painted what colors and why; he details the running changes in the Corvette and the updating procedures in the AIM.

He gives us the clues leading to his deduction that all early Corvette frames were painted before assembly, and carefully notes why early in 1955 there must have been an interference problem between the Corvette's prop shaft and its transmission gearcase. He probes the two different air cleaners for '58-'60 which were the same size and looked the same—but weren't the same—and explains why you can use a '56 or '57 air cleaner on a '55 but not vice versa.

He warns the Corvette owner to be wary of rebuilt master cylinders for brakes of '53-'55 cars, and tells why the fuel pump arrangement on many restored '54s is askew. He solves the knotty problem of authenticating the heads of '61 and '62 engines and deduces the three gas cap variations, and what happened in the radiator surge tank.

He's got the scoop—all sources checked out—that the hydraulic power-assisted folding top was standard on early 1956 Corvettes, and he sets the record straight about some commonly accepted but incorrect engines and horsepower ratings for that model year. He advices how to disguise the replacement rebound strap for the '60-'62 rear suspension so that it looks perfect—and works—on a '53-'59. He takes us into the "doghouse," the plenum, and other, mysterious chambers in that arcanum called fuel injection.

He gives us secrets of how to get the young Corvette to smile correctly, setting those thirteen grille teeth in order—and the changes that came when the teeth were extracted as the Corvette got older.

He's solved the Emblem Engima: how many there were, where they were put, when they were changed, when they were gold, when they were silver, and when they were not there. He's uncovered the engineering rationale for the relocation of the windshield washer system's foot pump in late '55. If it hadn't been moved, a driver might have washed his car's windshield every time he shifted gears.

Now a standard reference work, the Restoration Guide has been thoroughly updated with additions and clarifications based on continued research. In addition, it includes a supplement filled with newly compiled production charts for 1956-1962 Corvettes.

Table of Contents

Preface
Author's Introduction
Corvette 1953 to 1955: Text | Footnotes | Addenda
Corvette 1956 to 1957: Text | Footnotes | Addenda
Corvette 1958 to 1960: Text | Footnotes | Addenda
Corvette 1961 to 1962: Text | Footnotes | Addenda
Corvette 1953 to 1962: Supplementary Section
Index
Photo Credits
Supplement to the First Edition

This is the ultimate Corvette reference book for restoring, buying, selling, rebuilding, competing and judging, as well as ensuring the authenticity of your investment in America's favorite sports car, be it for pleasure, profit or sport. For the enthusiast, amateur or professional desiring to learn everything—every detail, every nuance which made one Corvette different from another at model-year changeover, at mid-model, early model-year production, late model-year production—it is the absolute authority.

For the first time, here is the history of what happened to the Corvette that was produced for a decade. Its engine. Its chassis. Its body. From Powerglide to Positraction to Power Team combinations. From ignition shielding to hose clamps to identification labels. From windshield wipers to door latch controls to taillight assemblies. No car has ever been taken apart so completely as has the Corvette in this ook. And no other book has so adroitly provided counsel on how to put it back together again. Correctly! Authentically!