Body On Frame Could use all the help as Possible.
#1
Melting Slicks
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Body On Frame Could use all the help as Possible.
Finally position the body of my 62 resto mod on a corvette correction frame ( very nice Frame ) . For the last 10 months I have been building the chassis and repairing all the structural damage underneath the body and finally got to the point of installing it on the chassis for the first time.
I purchase this car all taken apart so I have no shim information, front clip was just sitting on the chassis in pieces and upper firewall with crappy repairs and in two pieces. The front end is being replaced as well as the upper firewall.
I need advise on how to process from here. I'm thinking I should first shim the body and fit the door, then go to the upper firewall follow by the front clip. Any advise on the process would be appreciated. AIM really doesn't take you through it. Any help before I start cutting, bending, and reinventing the wheel would be great
I purchase this car all taken apart so I have no shim information, front clip was just sitting on the chassis in pieces and upper firewall with crappy repairs and in two pieces. The front end is being replaced as well as the upper firewall.
I need advise on how to process from here. I'm thinking I should first shim the body and fit the door, then go to the upper firewall follow by the front clip. Any advise on the process would be appreciated. AIM really doesn't take you through it. Any help before I start cutting, bending, and reinventing the wheel would be great
Last edited by Dale002; 07-24-2014 at 01:08 AM.
#3
Melting Slicks
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Billy sells a set of neoprene rubber mounts in two different thickness and are use as shims. I'm looking for help with the process of shimming the body to the chassis, door alignment and so fourth. What is the sequence? Beside having to do those two things, I also have to install an upper firewall and a front clip. What's the best order to do these things and the best way to do them?
#4
Safety Car
I wouldn't worry too much about getting a correct "shim" on the body at this point. Put the body on the frame, with an even amount of shims on each pad. I usually use about 1/2" of shim stock. . Don't worry about the inboard mount points, as they are for floor support only, and have no bearing on how straight the car is. Install the doors, and align the back edge, and the bottom of the door to the body. Once the door is "square" in the opening (bottom and rear of door), then do all of your bodywork, install the nose, etc. Make sure that when you install the front end, that you have the radiator support in place, and shimmed off of the front of the frame.
Mike Coletta
Mike Coletta
#5
Safety Car
When I was working on my '59 I needed to use thicker than normal shims, so I used 1/8" thru 1/2" plywood shims to mock everything up until I got all the clearances correct. Then I made the correct thickness shims out of a aluminum stock with a piece of rubber roofing material on the top of each shim.
Charles
Charles
#6
Melting Slicks
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I wouldn't worry too much about getting a correct "shim" on the body at this point. Put the body on the frame, with an even amount of shims on each pad. I usually use about 1/2" of shim stock. . Don't worry about the inboard mount points, as they are for floor support only, and have no bearing on how straight the car is. Install the doors, and align the back edge, and the bottom of the door to the body. Once the door is "square" in the opening (bottom and rear of door), then do all of your bodywork, install the nose, etc. Make sure that when you install the front end, that you have the radiator support in place, and shimmed off of the front of the frame.
Mike Coletta
Mike Coletta
#7
Safety Car
Do you have the radiator support in and shimmed at the front? Is the body sitting flat on top of the shims at each of the six locations from the cowl back? Dimension between the kick up and the body in the rear fender wells should be pretty even. Can you push down on the body and make the gap go away? Did you check to make sure that an old shim is not stuck to the bottom of the body? Look at each mount point and make sure that the body is sitting flat on top of your half inch shims.
Mike Coletta
Mike Coletta
#8
Melting Slicks
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Do you have the radiator support in and shimmed at the front? Is the body sitting flat on top of the shims at each of the six locations from the cowl back? Dimension between the kick up and the body in the rear fender wells should be pretty even. Can you push down on the body and make the gap go away? Did you check to make sure that an old shim is not stuck to the bottom of the body? Look at each mount point and make sure that the body is sitting flat on top of your half inch shims.
Mike Coletta
Mike Coletta
When I installed the 1/2 shims on the six points. I still have the 1/2 gap on the pass rear cabin mount, but I now have more clearance on the drivers side kick up but even a wider gap on the pass side.
I can push down on it and I can tighten it down flush with the shims..
Body flexes that far. However, the aft body is still high on the pass. rear. I was thinking maybe I need to remove some shims from the pass rear mount or add to the drivers rear mount. Maybe both! The upper rear door gap, that is usually adjusted by shimming the rear mounts are right on the money right now.
Last edited by Dale002; 07-30-2014 at 11:16 AM.
#9
Melting Slicks
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When I was working on my '59 I needed to use thicker than normal shims, so I used 1/8" thru 1/2" plywood shims to mock everything up until I got all the clearances correct. Then I made the correct thickness shims out of a aluminum stock with a piece of rubber roofing material on the top of each shim.
Charles
Charles
#10
Melting Slicks
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Do you have the radiator support in and shimmed at the front? Is the body sitting flat on top of the shims at each of the six locations from the cowl back? Dimension between the kick up and the body in the rear fender wells should be pretty even. Can you push down on the body and make the gap go away? Did you check to make sure that an old shim is not stuck to the bottom of the body? Look at each mount point and make sure that the body is sitting flat on top of your half inch shims.
Mike Coletta
Mike Coletta
Last edited by Dale002; 08-01-2014 at 10:41 PM.