Ok, I am starting my retoration to a 59' Vette that is not original. I am not sure if I want to use the existing frame or go with aftermarket. Existing frame is very very solid though.

And I was thinking of cutting the windshield surround. But if I do that a convertable top would no londer be usefull. I love the look, but if it rains, obviously there's a problem.

Confused

 

I like street shop chassis works frame

 

Use a C4 Suspension and you'll have a sweet ride....
You're correct, if you chop the windshield and it will be stictly a roadster, not a convertible. I'm sure others will pipe in to help you make a decision. Sam

 

...well there are several very good frame choices out there. You will have to do some research and compare them all. I chose a Corvette Correction Chassis because it has no X member and will hold any engine transmission combo...easy exhaust rouiting etc.. It also uses a C4 suspension that is unmodified...no coil over shocks etc, sprung just like factory and uses the factory unmodified axle shafts.

It's a tough choice though..Street Shops is another one I liked, SRIII another. You gotta get into it and make your own educated choice...Personal taste makes the difference .

Like I said there are several top notch choices...

 

I kept my frame on my 60 and went with Jim Myers front and rear....Ford 9" in the rear....there is over 1200 photos of my car here http://public.fotki.com/htmiata/1960_corvette/

from this



to this

 

So firstgear, your very happy with keeping your original frame?

Ok guys, chime in on the windshield. Any one modify it so it's no longer a convertable. Love to hear opinions on it. I love the chopped look, but if I get caught in the rain I'm screwed.

 

[QUOTE=cli59vette;1573395112]So firstgear, your very happy with keeping your original frame?

...hind sight being 20/20 I was wondering the same thing Herb. No question about the finished product being one "fine" automobile...stunning as a matter of fact!

But after tallying up the expense and considering the many hours of labor...would go that route again on the same project? I would be curious to know if the expense wouldn't be similar to an after market set up...since you have knowledge of both. (I noted that you decided to use an after market frame on your midyear project...)

Regarding chopping the windshield....bad mistake in my view. I like something you can leave town in...and if you ever decided to sell it... the non practical aspect would limit your potential buyers, imho.

Stan

 

[QUOTE=cli59vette;1573395112]So firstgear, your very happy with keeping your original frame?

[QUOTE]

yes, I like the stance I can get with it......

 

 

I sent my frame to Newman Creations in California. Set it up for C4 suspension. He will set up your mounts ofr any engine/trans combination. I went with an LS1/AT.

They did an outstanding job.

 

[QUOTE=Stan's Customs;1573396507]that was my first car project I ever did......and after talking to a few people about an aftermarket chassis I decided I might be in over my head. Actually my car didn't start out to be the finished product that you see. It was actually going to be a beater to just beat on....in fact I wasnt even going to do the 9" rear end in the start but decided that the crummy rear end I had in there wasn't going to do the job so I swapped out to a nodular iron 9".

It was after the body shop got going on the body and it was turning out way too good that I got caught up in the build and next thing I knew, I was upgrading the intake to the EFI that you see now. I had already bought a new Edelbrock manifold and new Holly carb as well as a distributor. I ended up selling all of those at a loss

First, I don't think you can get the profile my car has with an aftermarket chassis. Perhaps if you have air bags, but I don't think you can run as low as my '60 runs to the ground. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen any.

Second, if you run aftermarket chassis you tend to be limited on wheel selection since you need to accomodate the appropriate offset or back spacing. There are some exceptions, but for the most part the cars tend to have C5 or C6 wheels on them with really no lip or dish on them. Nothing against those style wheels, but I wanted something with some dish to it. I would have had to have gone deeper with the tub on my car and that would have meant giving up the soft top. You can get new rear fenders that offer some ability to get wider but I thikn they only add 1.5 inches in width or something like that. For a C1 you need to think through what you want to do and how you want to do it. None of which I did at the start. Like you said 20/20 is pretty good now on that car. There are things I would have done differently and things I wouldn't have. In the end I think I would still go with the stock frame but I would have "upgraded" more of what was done, ie....smoothed all welds on the frame, chromed the rear end and 4 links (they got powder coated) as well a few other things....


The C2 I am doing, that is a different fish. For one thing it is a coupe so I can tub the rear to get wider tires under the stock fenders and not impact a soft top. Second, I was able to get wheels that had a dish or lip to them for the rear. the front was another story, virtually no dish but I am ok with that.

I paid extra to get the chassis modified to lower it 1" over where the stock chassis are done. I wanted low to ground and this was one way to get there.

I am going much slower on this car, upgrading all along the path, for instance my 1/2 shafts are carbon fiber and the rar end is a Dana 44. I have the block, crank, pistons, heads in the garage for an LS7 (I started to have it built and when the market fell out last year I slowed WAY down and have the parts in the garage to go back to the shop to get it finished later this year). I got the intake last month all complete and ready to go on the completed engine, it is a sight to see! I have been stock piling parts as the plan is to build the car up and get everything where it needs to be, then tear it back down and get the body work and painting as well as chrome work to follow. The building it up part was something I didnt do before, but in this case, most everything will go together and then be taken back apart.

They are different kinds of projects and in the end, the C2 will be 15-20% more money. For me with it my first project, the approach on the '60 was something I was comfortable with. The C2, I am jumping in all the way, head first without looking........

 

..I really like the dish on your wheels too Herb...and that is for sure one of the issues with the C4 stuff. I finally found some nice wheels for a C4 (old school look) and found a way to make it look stock with 15" wheels and hubcaps if I want to. Haven't decided for sure yet... You can get Billy's chassis down pretty low too ...or as low as I would want for the amount of driving I plan to do with it.

....I came within an Ace of building a stock frame myself...in fact bought a near perfect complete frame down close to Billy Dawson in Seguine, Texas. I went by Billy's place dragging it on a trailer and changed my mind before I ever got home to Fort Worth (150 miles away).

I had planned a McGyver front suspension set up and something similar to what you did on the rear. (I may still do my other '61 like that yet...gasser style though.)

Anyway.. yours turned out "really nice". Congratulations! I know how hard you worked on it! I was just curious if you would go that route again, given the opportunity. It was a really difficult decision for me...

Best regards...Stan

 

Here's an expensive suggestion. Since the windshield assembly is completely bolt-on,see if you can find another one and "chop" the lesser of the two. At least this way, you won't suffer a complete "loss" of the soft-top assembly. And you'll just feel good knowing you could easily convert back.

As for the rain...how about chopping a hard-top?