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Purchased - May 2025
Photographed - Dec 2025
1973 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
May 2025 - Dec. 2025
Boston, MA
From May through December 2025, I restored and upgraded a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray as a personal engineering project. The car was running when I bought it, but only just. I approached the build the same way I approach technical systems: understand what’s failing, prioritize what matters, and fix things in a way that makes the whole system more reliable and usable.
Nearly all work was completed curbside in Boston while living out of a tiny apartment, where I stored all tools, spare parts, and components in a very limited space. For the exhaust system only, I rented time on a professional lift, but performed the design, installation, and debugging myself.
The focus throughout was safety, reliability, and hands-on ownership of the work, with deliberate tradeoffs between cost, performance, and learning.
Braking System
Braking System
The braking system was one of the first priorities. I replaced pads and rotors on all four corners and worked through worn components that caused inconsistent braking behavior. The goal was predictable, confidence-inspiring stopping suitable for daily city use.
Engine & Cooling System
Engine & Cooling System
The car struggled with cooling stability and couldn’t be trusted for longer drives. I replaced the radiator, refreshed engine fluids, and installed new spark plugs to stabilize operation, eliminating overheating issues.
Electrical Systems
Electrical Systems
Aging wiring and poor grounding caused intermittent electrical issues. I tracked down faulty grounds, degraded connections, and unreliable routing typical of a 50-year-old vehicle, rebuilding portions of the electrical system for improved reliability.
Exhaust System
Exhaust System
The original exhaust system leaked badly and filled the cabin with fumes. I replaced the entire system from headers to mufflers, installing new hugger headers, Flowmaster 40 mufflers, and a fully custom exhaust cutout setup. I designed and installed the system myself, using a rented lift solely for access. Sealing and routing issues were corrected while giving the car the sound and character it was always meant to have.
Interior
Interior
The interior was worn and mismatched when purchased. I removed and replaced carpeting, trim, and interior components to create a clean, cohesive, and usable cabin while preserving the car’s vintage character.
Exterior
Exterior
A professional paint job would have exceeded the value of the car, so I handled the exterior restoration myself. I prepped and repainted the car curbside using high-quality spray paint, dramatically improving the car’s appearance while protecting the body.
Customization
Customization
As a creative electrical side project, I designed and installed a custom multi-tone horn system capable of playing different sound effects, adding personality without compromising reliability or safety.
Scope and outcome
Scope and outcome
Excluding the exhaust system, total investment remained around $1,000. The majority of the transformation came from research, troubleshooting, and hands-on execution rather than outsourcing.
What began as a barely functional classic became a reliable, expressive car through systematic mechanical work, electrical debugging, and persistence—demonstrating how I apply engineering thinking under real constraints, even outside traditional workspaces.
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