Zip customer Mike Pitts from Manasass, VA, shares the story of his 1976 Corvette Coupe, a restoration that was 30 years in the making:
Growing up with a single mom who worked three jobs to provide for us meant that money was always tight. The only way I could afford the car of my dreams was to work exceptionally hard for it. Finally, in 1994, when I was in my early twenties and serving in the United States Air Force stationed in Nevada, I was able to purchase my very own 1976 Corvette coupe. This Corvette, with its iconic white exterior and black interior, was more than just a car to me; it symbolized achievement and perseverance. I still remember driving it home with tears of joy in my eyes, finally realizing my dream of owning a premier American sports car.
I drove the Corvette for two years, but when I received military orders to be stationed overseas, I had to put my beloved car in an enclosed trailer. For the next 30 years, it bounced between several trailers and storage facilities as I continued my military career around the world, including five combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last year, in 2024, I finally gave my Corvette the frame restoration it deserved. The first company I contacted was Zip Corvette, as I had been admiring their parts catalogs for years and eagerly anticipating this moment. When I called Zip, Amy George, a member of Zip’s sales team, answered the phone. She was not just a sales representative; she became a friend and provided exceptional support throughout my Corvette restoration journey. Thanks to companies like Zip and the fantastic people they employ, I felt confident and encouraged to take on my Corvette project.
The pictures I’ve included offer a glimpse into the time and effort that went into bringing my Corvette to its current state. Like many Corvette owners, my car suffered from severe “Birdcage” rot, particularly around the upper and lower windshield structure and the front body mounts on the rocker channels. With parts purchased from several donor Corvettes and multiple replacement components from Zip Corvette, my birdcage is now better and stronger than it was when it rolled off the assembly line almost fifty years ago.
It’s important to remember that these Corvettes were hand-built, so the welds are not perfect, different-sized bolts were used from previous models, and even the assembly manuals have incorrect information. Additionally, “rolling production changes” were made in real-time as these cars rolled down the assembly line. Restoration projects for these cars can quickly become some of the largest problem-solving challenges people will ever face in their lifetime.
Remarkably, all the restoration work—except for sandblasting and engine rebuilding—was completed in my two-car garage! You don’t need a massive workspace to restore a Corvette; you need determination and perseverance to make it happen.
Was all this effort worth it? In my case, absolutely! These Corvettes deserve to be saved. You can’t beat the iconic “coke bottle” shape of these cars!
Now that the body is finally back on the frame, I am working hard to finish the car before its 50th birthday in September of this year. Yes, it was born in 1975, just in time for the upcoming milestone.
Once again, I can’t thank the staff at Zip Corvette enough for their friendly support, especially Amy. I hope my story inspires others to never give up on an old, rusty “fiberglass” car because no electric car will ever match this type of cool factor!
Progress 2/24/2025
My Corvette briefly left my workshop under its own power after 30 years! There is no cooling system in the car yet, so the full road test will have to be done in the coming months!
