Should I disassemble the engine first to see if there are cracks or warping before major body work commence.
I thought about having the engine rebored and heads checked while working on the body. If the engine and heads are redone. How should they be stored for later later assembly?
My plan is for a 3-5 year project.
This is an all numbers matching 72 Nova SS.
Quarter panels and taillight panel replacement is first on the list for body work.
Would you tear down the engine and have it checked out or just wait?

Sarge

I would say if the body is solid , build the engine first

I would rather drive around a patina car with a good engine than a pretty paint job with a turd under the hood leaking all over my new paint

unless you've done several...
from personal experience I would say it can be prudent to start with the low cost time consuming parts of the project and defer spending big $ until its clear you're really going to stick it out and finish. I had a 67 mustang project for a decade or more, eventually sold unfinished.
But if you're confident you'll really get it done do it in whatever order you want.

Engine goes in after all body/paint work...including engine bay. That means engine is not needed till the end. If you are hiring the engine machining out, nothing wrong with having work on it started while you are still working on the body.

To me they’re simultaneous if you’re looking for progress. I just spent the last 2.5 years restoring a matching numbers 73 Z28 RS. YOU WILL GET OVERWHELMED working on just the body or just the engine. I found that being able to bounce back and forth helped to keep me sane, but that might just be how I’m wired.

Starting on a 65 Chevelle

Did I say...it would be faah cheaper to buy one....all done ????

I've been in this Body Business for 50 years ...Staahted in 1976.

So..I know a little.

You are going to be so upside down in that car...your gonnah wish you listened.

Plus your not going to drive it or go to cruise nights for 5 years...

At least.

You have been warned...lol

Gunnleg the Camaro is beautiful.

Don't see many vinyl tops anymore. Love the look, miss seeing them.

Dang Gunnleg, that is a beautiful camaro. Can't wait to see the 65 finished. Keep us posted or at least me.

Sarge

You cant drive a beautiful car with no engine, but you can make an ugly car fast. Get the engine done and get it back in, so you can drive it around and have fun. If and when the engine needs to come back out for body work, it takes maybe 2-3 hrs to pull the engine, which won't add hardly any extra cost compared to what you'll pay for body work.
Cars are meant to drive, so get it running and driving and have fun.

You can go buy one, but it ain’t got your DNA running through it. I DO agree that you can save $$$ though.

Raghorn67 - thank you. Brought her back to how she rolled off the factory floor. Vinyl top wasn’t as bad as I expected, having never done one. The headliner was WAY worse.

Thank you SGT.C

Nessey, I could have bought a turn key. But I've wouldn't have known what was done and if it was done properly.
But, I did listen. But with your help. And you have been a big help. It will hopefully come together easier.

Sarge

OP, is that a 350, 327, or?

350, 4 barrel. My plan is to bore .030 over. Nothing radical. Built to work on pump gas. Im not into racing. Want it to idle smooth. But with enough ponies to bypass its own shadow.

Sarge

If you can afford it, restore it yourself. Much more satisfaction than just buying one...gives you the true feel of ownership

Nessy is right. You can buy one already done that the owner has lost interest in and save a bunch of money, but then again, anybody can buy one.
There is something special about being able to tell someone that you built it.
For me, building my trucks from the ground up is therapy. It has gotten me through many years without seasonal depression for the past 20 years.
I am on my fourth and counting '47-'53 Chevrolet pickup truck.

The question is if you find something major are you going to junk the car?

I think this is your answer.

Don't remember that color.

Is that the color on the VIN tag ??

Curious....what is the paint code ?.

Looks good !