71 parked for 16 years

You might want to buy a running one instead. Some of these shops will charge you enough to buy a nice running car.

There are a couple I have seen that really get ripped on Corvette Forum, but I think they are on the south side, so you are safe away from them.

After 16 years, I see the following:

1. Brakes - it goes without saying. the easiest is to unbolt the old calipers, trade for SS sleeved calipers. 0 +/- most places and they will take you about 2 to 3 hours to do.

1. Carb - it is probably filled with dried crud and varnish. kit for a Q-Jet, an hour to take it apart, let it soak overnight in solution, an hour to put it back together and on the car. Shop will hit you for 0 to 0 for that. The usual problem is the well plugs leaking. Many web sites cover it. Search "Q-Jet rebuild". Basically, you can re-peen them with a small hammer and punch, then epoxy over them to seal.

2. Interior - moldy. Unless it was in the middle of the desert, it probably is. Only real cure is remove the moldy carpet and replace. Seats might clean with a bucket of half & half water and bleach and a day or two of soaking up sunlight. Pick a hot sunny day, pull the top/tops off, and let it soak up some rays until the sun goes down. I do this when I wash them out. Park them in the back yard, put the tops about 10 am once the sun is high, and close them up about 7. Carpet will run about 0 and a full Saturday afternoon. Shop will hit you for 00 easily.

1. Restarting the engine - go see the "restart ..79" thread down below, or before, or however your reader works.

Then the rest depends on what shape the car is in.

Paint, most need a painter and have to figure $4000 to $10,000 with most averaging around $6000 recently.

Chrome - a couple of chrome shops have told me it is cheaper and better to buy new or in stock rechromed bumpers than to have yours chromed. So unless you have a local chrome shop, you might think about that. This is a bit of work, and can take a day or so to remove and replace.

Rust - this can be a killer. You cold have a rusted frame, brake lines, and so on. If that is the case, it is really easiest to remove the body and get in there right. If a shop does it, you can begin seeing $10,000 real fast for them to pull the body and do any work.

If it is more intense, and you are after a restoration, you can figure $20,000 minimum with few parts and not rare parts. $30,000 seems like a more common number these days and again, parts. If your '71 is something special, rare, or in really bad shape, figure a restoration could get to $50,000 before you know it.

I know you may want to do the shop for many reasons, but I've never have been big on shops. And even less after a guy on Corvette Forum with a '65 coupe was charged $665 by MSI (Motor Sports I???) in Sacramento to remove the bolt and bushing from one trailing arm.

Flat rate on that is 1 hour so it should have been $95 plus the $10 bushing cost.

The best bet you could have is join a local Corvette club, and find someone who privately does work like this on the side.

Tom, thanks for the advice...checking the local corvette clubs is a good idea.

the car has been garaged the entire time, interior and paint is in excellent shape. Some pitted chrome but that's ok for now. I expect the main issues are (as you said) brakes, carb. Probably master cylinder (I restarted the engine about 10 yrs ago and had no brake pedal at all, but has not leaked a single drop of fluid). Tires probably aren't round anymore.

Differential gasket has failed, it leaks. Turbo400 has a small leak at rear. Most anything with a gasket will be suspect. I'm not looking to 'restore', just get it drivable again. I've put kits in the Q-jet before, but never had the knack to get it running well.

I may end up doing the simple things myself, like the brakes. I wanted to check a couple shops and see what it may take for them to handle some of the things I don't want to hassle with like the rear end and transmission.

On the other hand, my first teen driver is about to get their license, I may want to wait another 10 years until all the kids are out of the house ;>)

Bill, I don't think it will be that bad. All major systems had been restored in the few years before I stopped driving it. Are you saying all systems need major overhaul every 16 years? After restarting the engine, I see major work for brakes, trans, rear end, probably a/c. Weatherstripping should be ok. Suspension may not be ready for the dragstrip but should do for touring around the neighborhood on nice weekends.

-pak