Doug's 1976 C3 Corvette Project Part 1: Brakes & Valve Cover Gaskets

Doug brought his car in because it needed brakes. Someone had done brakes in the past but it had sat too long. Enjoy part one of getting Doug to drive his car for the first time!
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[@AutoAuctionRebuilds]

Just did brakes on my C3 today. Great video.

[@jameypayne6748]

Bubbafied stickers on the tires,

[@datto240z]

Tell Doug to take off all that goodyear shit.

[@ozzstars_cars]

Ben that will be the best stopping '76 Vette in America! Haha. Nice job with the repair! -Glen

[@TheCitizenWarrior]

Ben, I really enjoy your videos and they help me a lot with my c3 (77), sure appreciate you.

[@billwilmington8284]

Never can go wrong with a C3 video from Ben!

[@rothguardpeterson1660]

I really like your videos on fixing C-3 vetts. So far I have fixed, the headlights, the window, and the horn relay. The other repairs, like the door spring , the heater core, I had to figure out myself.. After seeing what the brakes will do,,, I need to drive it more. I've only put 171 miles on it in the last year.

[@philspaces7213]

How has no one commented on the goofyear tires?

[@angelaviles7728]

Nice work I also have to redo all mine on my 76 lol wen I purchased it I drove it home with no brakes lol crazy rite lol

[@KC-tn8ls]

This kid is a great mechanic!!!

[@tomlewis3658]

Thanks for that tip at 11:04 - using a Dremel to cut a slot into the broken-off valve cover bolt. I will remember this one, and might well need to do it some day.

[@ghostcar]

Excellent show sir.

[@vettekid3326]

I had a friend from years ago that had a 1965 Stingray that living in the mid west would drive it on nice days in the summer only. Sitting up on blocks the rest of the time the front calipers would get stuck and go bad about every two years from lack of use from getting rust rings in the piston bores which when the brakes were used would tear up the seals and cause them to leak. He finally bought stainless steel calipers which solved the problem of not driving the car. While that will keep the car looking nice is very hard on mechanical components that depend on use to be periodically lubed like oil seals to last. Same thing holds true for axle seals and transmission seals and engine seals that dry up and get hard.

[@michaelcook768]

A friend of mine had a 77. I drove it quite often and did a complete radio replacement...including speakers. DAMN, what a pain. It was a Kenwood unit...sounded nice!

[@ed41546]

couldnt u take a screw driver flat head n tak weld it n thn take it out ..ive done that a few times

[@micksterboone4517]

I've had Lonestars on my '71 for five years and agree that they are worth the money. Didn't have much luck rebuilding the originals, and what a pita that was.

[@jlletaw1954]

Good job getting that bolt out

[@johnschutt9187]

Always glad to see that you've posted another video. Thanks for doing so!

[@capecodcuda]

Clean looking '76

[@gclsarnia]

When you're installing a master cylinder, screw the lines in by hand before bolting the master cylinder down. Makes it lots easier to not cross thread the lines.

Nice Vette! I love it.

[@michaela7845]

Where are you located and are you still working on cars? Thanks

[@gosportjamie]

Don't use the double spanner/wrench trick on a ratchet spanner/wrench, you'll over-the ratchet mechanism and cause it to fail out. Always break nuts and bolts loose with a conventional tool, you'll save yourself a lot of money in broken tools...

[@martinjordan3994]

A lot of tools now are lifetime warranty so if they break you can just go get a new one for free.. Not all are this way of course but if you are in a pinch this trick does work. :)

[@johnmccallum9542]

If you get a set of stubby left hand drill bits ( YES IT IS A REAL THING ) you can centre punch and drill that small stud out , being left handed that will help to let it thread out with out needing and easy out as it is 1/4 20 small stud or broken headed bolt.

[@jimmydeen58]

Great Video.. Nice Vette..

[@AutoMotoCha9L]

My 81 C3 needs brake work as well.

[@godwillhunting2]

I had the same exact car.. same color. I graduated high school in 1976... went to the local Chevy dealer to check out a vette... think they were 10k.. no go. 10 years later I had the money and bought a very low mileage one.. same year for ... $9500.... lol... kept the car for 10 years... and in 1986 I sold the car, still with low miles for ... you guessed it... 10 k.... hahaha.

[@hardlyworkin3603]

Would have liked to see you install one wheel of all the new brakes parts from Lone Star. To see what the finished product looks like. Got nothing but time when watching your videos. The more info the better.

[@dannynoel993]

Not a good idea to break nuts loose with the ratcheting end on the wrench.

[@ciso5765]

Where are you located?

[@karenterranova9007]

Congratulations to you and your wife ,you have a beautiful baby.

[@TheDutchTexan]

C3 Vette! Too bad the tires rub, IMHO there is no issue with some nice fat rubber just as long as it works without chewing up the car!

[@pappabob29]

Have had lots of trouble with those repro handles. Even the "good" ones. When you try to get the door panel off and the little tool you slide in under the handle WILL NOT release the spring clip. ;o(

[@cjc979]

GOODYEAR GOODYEAR GOODYEAR GOODYEAR everywhere!

[@GETUPANDGO]

Shame those tires rub, because they definitely look good

[@aboutmyfathersbusiness8324]

Bought all new calipers for my 76. Stops on a dime. Rear wheels I have 285's with 1/4 inch spacer. Looks bad a^&*. I just cant go back to bicycle tires.

[@kavinskysmith4094]

Doesnt suprise me with that door handle, Jay Leno had a guy in for a bit about all about carburetors, and he had full rebuild kits for them as they dont do the jets nor the floats right, as their pretty much like Chinese toys, they look good but upon closer inspection the bits that matter are all wrong and made out of potmetal, also good call with the dremel tool I was thinking drill a hole in the center and then see if you can get it out that way, like use that as a way to unscrew it, never even occurred to me to notch it and use that as a way to get it out with a screw driver.

[@sergiopodesta]

The tyre size for this car is 225-70-15

[@ssan3257]

What happened to the 1953 Oldsmobile project?

[@USCG.Brennan]

After replacing all soft brake lines, calipers and master cylinder on my '82 and then bleeding it all well, my brake pedal is still going all the way to the floor. Another Corvette guy says to make sure the back of the car is up higher than the front when bleeding the brakes because of the angle of the master cylinder in relation to the rest of the car (being at an angle mounted on the power brake unit). I haven't tried that yet, but do you agree or not?

[@waynetanner1749]

It’s unacceptable to put cheap crappy dysfunctional chinese parts on an American icon Corvette. Thanks for advising quality parts including brake calipers.

[@chrisdillon7704]

What happened to the olds???

[@Shane-Singleton]

Probably just waiting for Ben to get a few customer jobs out of the way first.

[@jimburig7064]

It's ancient history now and can't be rewritten, but I never could understand why they designated the '68-'82 Vettes C-3 when they were on the same chassis as the rightfully designated C-2 Vettes.

[@kentsimon2152]

Whats the best way to prep the Valve cover mounting surface on the heads? The iron heads on my c4 have a very porous surface.

[@racerxnk]

Did someone put Goodyear stickers on the tires? Good looking car though.

[@Robnapier]

Can you mention what size those tires are in the next video? Front and back. Want to avoid the same issue. Thanks!

[@brucebasil4164]

Did you sell the Oldsmobile?

[@michaelcook768]

She had a 76 Trans Am 455 4 speed. She should have kept it though.

[@bradleyfurer7847]

Question: I have a 76...sometime in the past someone removed the factory spark plug wire chrome covers and didn’t put them back ... are they necessary?

[@slvrktman7824]

Not chrome...Stainless steel.

[@tamerakel]

Niiiiiccce!!

[@carl_marks1626]

That will be a nice car once the ridiculous oversized wheels are swapped out.

[@jimburig7064]

The problems encountered here comes down to bad quality parts.

[@danwesterberg3956]

If I paid the shipping ,would you send me the old calipers?

[@TheCorvetteBen]

Yep [e-mail]

[@danwesterberg3956]

@@TheCorvetteBen I sent an email,thanks

[@MegaKencam]

So fake tire lettering is a thing? Not just fake but HUGE fake lettering? OK...