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Been there, done that. 20+ years ago.
Unless you have been doing fiberglass for years, find a reputable shop that knows Corvettes and have them do the job. If you want to learn body work, you can help them out. Be a go-fer, sand filler, sand primer, wet-sand paint, etc.
Do not let anyone talk you into a cheapo "one piece" front. You need a jig assembled front end.
IIRC, there are 2 companies making them, Corvette Image in Oregon (I believe) and Sermersheim Corvette in Indiana.
Just incase you do want to go the cheap route, I know of a used one piece front end off of a '66 Corvette. It is in Seattle and the guy is asking $600 for it.
Wow, that's pretty close to the damage we've got. How much did you pay to have it fixed?
Corvettekent
I'll tell my dad see what he thinks, do you know if it's a jig made piece or a one piece? I'm assuming it's a one piece because of the price. ... What condition is it in?
Last edited by Brad-SixTsix; 11-20-2014 at 07:14 PM.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Between the wreck, and all the other problems you list, I believe the car is beyond all hope. Move on and get something else, and I will come over and haul that old thing away free of charge.
Originally Posted by TCracingCA
In the 1960's and 70's, you crunched a fender, it was a smart move to walk around in the middle of traffic and make sure that you found every piece of glass that you could. I am sure some guys have found some real interesting repairs and probably thought, what the Heck? But that is what you did back in the day! God help you if you were crunched on the freeway, dodging cars to get your pieces would not have been fun. It definitely is a dead art from of fiberglass puzzle piecing them back together!
Boy, that's the truth. The local Corvette guy used to advertise "Two things to do if you have an accident. 1) Save all the pieces 2) Call Jim _____ at 225-____. And the guy sure knew his stuff - resin and chopped fibers, a few days in the barn, and it was amazing what rolled out looking as good as new. The guy was a craftsman and knew his Vettes inside and out.
As for the choices between which front end to get, go for the jig.
Last year my '72 needed a nose job after it was wrecked.
I wasn't prepared to repair the car, so I opted for the one piece front clip.
It looks good, but not great. One thing that really is beyond annoying is the fitment. It is not so much the doors, or anything else (yet..as I am still rebuilding the car) as it is the hood. The stock hood does not fit properly and the one piece is not 100 % identical to a factory front clip. One example is the channel or lip on the sides of the fenders. The originals were wider, and the ones found on my new front clip is much narrower. The hood hinges are a pain. Because of the width difference, the factory hinges don't fit and part of the hinge is not even mounted. Literally I had to bend the crap out of them to get the hood to "fit" and I would hardly call it a "fit." I was advised not to get the one piece by people on the CF and at JB's, after seeing it now, I sure wish I listened. Money is tight, always is. I am afraid that it is going to cost me more to screw with everything on my car to try and make this POS front clip "work".....than if I had just bought the jigged front clip.
Because the front clips are 100% similar in appearances, but 100% different in fitment, to get factory fitments, EVERYTHING has to be altered to fit the one piece front end. With that said, it is a nice clip, but it still sucks. The backside is rough and raw fiberglass.
The Corvette shop I took it to has been around since the early '70s. JB's Corvette Shop in Dallas, Texas. Back in '99 or 2000, my mom rear ended my dad in his '60. They fixed the car almost better than factory. So I knew who to turn to when it came time to fix Orange Crush (the '72).
It is going to cost a lot of money. NO need to sugar coat BS, it is downright expensive. The shop is realllllllyyyyyyyy fair on prices, but it is the costs of parts that does your budget in. IF I hadn't of had such an emotional attachment to my '72, I would have sold it and moved on to another Vette. It was my dad's and when I turned 15 he gave it to me. Have owned it ever since. Original paint, spare tire, POP, papers, everything.
I spent a minimum of $10,000 for body work, paint, new clip, etc. I did the disassembly there at their shop, and they are willing to work on pricing with you.
This is in one of their warehouses. That's the '53 on the right.
Here is my '72 and some of what I am talking about. While the bodies are different, the frames are essentially the same from '63-'82, and the concept is the same.
Original paint...yes..it really was that nice. 49,000 miles.
Door gaps and T-Tops were close to 1 inch in areas on the driver side. During the impact, it shifted things.
The entire front clip had cracks, fractures, and chips. I was advised that JB's could save it, but it needed to come off and be rebuilt. They said that I needed to buy a Jigged front clip as it would be cheaper in price by the time that the labor costs for my original front clip were totaled up. I was not listening and chose to listen to my wallet, who knows nothing on what is best for my Orange Crush. DON'T CHEAP OUT and buy the one piece. It sounds like a deal, and in some ways it is, but once the dust settles...you realize you made the wrong call. I am writing this to help you and anyone in the future who checks this out. It is too late to change front clips again. So I am stuck with what I have.
In the pictures, the damage looks less worse than it was.
Here Orange Crush is getting fixed.
Here I was adjusting the fitment of the T-Tops...a MAJOR PITA!
This is after paint. I had not yet adjusted the fitments on the T-Tops. Look closely and you'll see it. SMH.
As you can see, the fitment of the door and front clip are actually...uniform at .25 inch all around. Again, that is not my big issues with the front clip.
Another annoying factor is that the spacing given for parts, or the mounting areas are not correct.
Check this fitment out. Now all of the issues I am mentioning, are noticeable up close. Not a big deal going down the road or half way around the parking lot.
As you can see, it looks pretty, and without a doubt, Orange Crush IS beautiful....however she is not flawless.It is going to eventually get resolved one way or another, but the price for the jigged front clip comes at a higher price and is virtually risk free (including headache free ...I said virtually ) where as the one piece is cheaper in every way and it comes with the risk that it does not fit. JB's worked my front clip to their best ability and it still falls short of factory expectations. If a pro - team like JB's struggles to make a one piece work, not many amateurs would either. One thing you don't want to cheap out on is body and paint work.
I am SORRY this is SO long, but I really wish I listened to my warnings. It IS too late for me, but it is NOT too late to prevent others from falling into the trap I fell into. I could have simply stated the 1 liner of buy the Jigged, and you would have read it....but would you have remembered it? I think not...I hope this helps.
IF you decide that the one piece is your only option, well, a wrecked C2 is worse than a restored C2 with a few flaws. Main thing is getting the car back on the road safely. My front clip is nice, it really is, but it is easy to tell that despite how nice it is, it clearly was not the nicest. I don't mind it really all of that much, but IMO, the hood gaps is the last straw. It sticks out, and no matter how hard I try I can't nail decent looking gaps.
Well best of luck, and keep us posted on this car.
Brandon
This is the best I have gotten, look close and you'll see the gaps are not straight. Also the gap on the passenger side is about 1/8th and the driver side is greater than 1/4th inch. It is a never ending headache. Also the windshield is new.
Last edited by Brandons72vette; 11-21-2014 at 03:54 AM.
Between the wreck, and all the other problems you list, I believe the car is beyond all hope. Move on and get something else, and I will come over and haul that old thing away free of charge.
Boy, that's the truth. The local Corvette guy used to advertise "Two things to do if you have an accident. 1) Save all the pieces 2) Call Jim _____ at 225-____. And the guy sure knew his stuff - resin and chopped fibers, a few days in the barn, and it was amazing what rolled out looking as good as new. The guy was a craftsman and knew his Vettes inside and out.
Uhm! My Father's name was Jim and we lived at 212.......,, we worked on Surfboards with fiberglass alot,but I don't think I lived in a barn!
What was up with driving it around in front of gas monkey?
Originally Posted by Brandons72vette
As for the choices between which front end to get, go for the jig.
Last year my '72 needed a nose job after it was wrecked.
Well best of luck, and keep us posted on this car.
Brandon
I will use a Texas appropriate analogy, but I would think that would be like waving red in front of a bull! were you trying to cause it to get sold, driving it back and forth?? How many passes did you make? It looks like a nice car!
I will use a Texas appropriate analogy, but I would think that would be like waving red in front of a bull! were you trying to cause it to get sold, driving it back and forth?? How many passes did you make? It looks like a nice car!
Oh the Vette shop is right there by Gas Monkey. I stopped in and had a few, great Texas sized burgers, just a fun place to eat. My waiter had a Z06 C5 and while I waited, he went out and did some drifts/powerslides and donuts. It was great. Been there a few times. I have met the guys, Jordan is a Vette fan. He has a bunch. He has every generation including a '53. He built an aluminum intake for his C7. Nice, down to earth guy. Now I own a 1970 428 CJ Mustang, and I love the car. However it is never going to be a Vette. Jordan despises Mustangs, and Ford in general. Richard on the other hand loves Ford, and despises Vettes. So based on my feelings towards Vettes...and the lack of feelings Richard has for them...I like Jordan the best. Jordan and Tom have broken away and are on another show. I have their phone numbers. Anyways, if you are ever in Dallas, Texas you ought to stop by the GMG bar and grill. Pretty sweet. They also have one located in the D terminal at DFW!
Last edited by Brandons72vette; 11-21-2014 at 04:11 AM.
Thanks for the great explanation and pictures!
That really cleared things up on which clip to get.
I'm glad I found this forum because honestly I would have went the cheap route not knowing what you have shown. Funny because I've done the cheap thing many times, and more often than not it ends up costing me more time, money, and frustration. You think I would have learned by now. I can tell you one thing, after seeing your pictures and reading your story I know this is one area where cheap won't save me. Thank you
Last edited by Brad-SixTsix; 11-21-2014 at 04:20 AM.
Thanks for the great explanation and pictures!
That really cleared things up on which clip to get.
I'm glad I found this forum because honestly I would have went the cheap route not knowing what you have shown. Funny because I've done the cheap thing many times, and more often than not it ends up costing me more time, money, and frustration. You think I would have learned by now. I can tell you one thing, after seeing your pictures and reading your story I know this is one area where cheap won't save me. Thank you
I forgot to add that the head light spacing is also terrible. The gaps for my side egg crate grill is too small for the actual grill and JB's already worked it over pretty good. It made me smile reading your response. I really wish I had someone explain to me WHY I "needed" the jigged front clip. I was told in several "1-liners" to buy the Jigged, and in person I was advised to buy it but one thing I failed to understand was why I needed it. I haven't been able to put the rest of the car back together yet as the front clip is still fighting me. The front bumper mounts and where the holes are couldn't have been further away. I learned my lesson, and I am now sharing my lesson!
Well I am a pilot, and I've got a departure tomorrow morning so I am calling it a night!
Pilot huh?
I've been an aircraft mechanic (A&P) for the last ten years. Worked on everything from helicopters to regional jets to the F22 and now the F35 as a government employee. Definitely a good field to be in.
Thanks again for the pictures and explanation. Have a safe flight
...Well...it realistically will cost more as the suspension, brakes, electrical, frame, tires, etc all need work most likely.
Your right about that. Dad told me just the other day he can't even leave the battery connected overnight.... by morning it will be completely dead. If only I had the time and money. ... My dream for that car:
-SRIII chassis
-LS2
-305/18 wheels
-fire red paint
- lots of other unrealistically expensive stuff
I'm all about modern tech with classic looks.
Listen to these folks about the front end and definitely don't cheap out. That was a helluva low-speed collision. And I heard the saying for about 40 decades now as, "...fits like socks on a chicken". Just a new twist on an old adage...
Who might that be? I happen to be in that profession.
Pretty sure it is forum member Chuck Gongloff; retired to Florida from a dental career in/around Baltimore. Big time car guy and a hoot to be around... I'm gonna see him tomorrow at a local NCRS meet.
So, can someone tell me the difference between a jig made front end and a the other made front end? I am seeing a huge difference in price on eckers & corvette image, $1300 vs $5000 for the jig front end.
See post #3 above, that is how the Ecklers front end will fit. Save yourself a lot of time, money and labor and buy a jig front end.
BTW the rest of the mods you listed are no big deal to reverse. Less than a $1000 will put a 4-speed back in that car.
Sounds like a great father-son project, just jump in there and get busy. The rewards and time spent in the garage with your father will be priceless.
Brad, I am in the throes of replacing my front clip, rear quarter and other misc fiberglass repairs - see my thread. I'm no expert but the help on this forum and others in my local area is exceptional. I chose to go with the jig assembled clip from CI and it is working out well, not perfect but real close. One guy that has done a ton of this work reminded me that these cars were never perfect and highly inconsistent from car to car (as to gaps, etc). Your avatar doesn't show where you are but if you are close to Dallas, I can help. If not we can talk on the phone, just let me know and I'll share what I'm learning. Slalomfiend
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Originally Posted by TCracingCA
Uhm! My Father's name was Jim and we lived at 212.......,, we worked on Surfboards with fiberglass alot,but I don't think I lived in a barn!
LOL, no surfboards there. It was out almost into the country near Rochester NY area in the 1960's and 1970's. The shop started out as a barn altho the guy did eventually add on a very nice shop building.
Today, driving by the location it's strip malls and I can't even tell exactly where the shop was.
11-20-2014, 04:55 PM
) where as the one piece is cheaper in every way and it comes with the risk that it does not fit. JB's worked my front clip to their best ability and it still falls short of factory expectations. If a pro - team like JB's struggles to make a one piece work, not many amateurs would either. One thing you don't want to cheap out on is body and paint work. 
