The restoration process revealed that the car was assembled on July 12, 1959, and upon close investigation the car still had its original starter motor, generator, fuel pump, and carburetor—all of which were restored to like-new condition. The frame was disassembled into 50 pieces, then dipped, cleaned, and painted by a family friend.
Another friend and Corvette expert provided all the engine work, while at the same time the body was stripped, soda blasted, and repainted. No breaks or stress cracks to be seen here. It became a true family affair for Jerry and Mark, and eventually Mark’s cousin Mike became an integral third member of the team.
Speaking to the originality of this car, very few reproduction parts were used in the restoration process. If it had to be replaced, a new-old-stock part was at the top of the list…no matter how hard to find. This became a real issue when sourcing a carpet, which had a—gasp—15 month delay after the Belgian company stopped making it. Those original nuts and bolts they saved? They were blasted with glass beading, refinished, and plated in cadmium and black phosphate.