When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Restomod build dedicated to Dave Bart, long time club member and all around good guy
I bought this 1966 convertible almost 3 years ago already, with the intent to restomod it, pro touring style, since I'm really a street rod guy. Since then, my buddy Dave Bart has been fighting a losing battle with cancer. He's the kind of guy who's never met a stranger, was a founding member of the Lafayette Corvette Club about 40 some years ago, and has been a Corvette owner most of his life. Dave was hoping to see my car get done before his cancer gets the best of him, but I just can't get it done that fast. Therefore, I am dedicating this build to Dave Bart, and I am naming it "The Bartster", since I'm not all that creative and couldn't come up with anything better. This build will take several years, as I'm not retired yet. I plan to do it all, except finish bodywork and paint. I'll be thinking of Dave as I go along.
This is about as low as I can get the rear, and still be able to keep the folding top.<br/>
The front end had been crashed, so I cut it all off, which made it easier to smooth the firewall. I added a couple of inches of legroom for me in the process, since I need it for my long legs.
I made a form for the firewall bump out out of aluminum.
I built a new pedal mechanism to lower the pedals about 2", and then I could mount the master cylinders under the dash, for a clean look on the firewall, street rod style.
Here's the pedal assembly on the workbench.
Another shot of it. Yes, I know it will be a pain to change fluid with the master cylinders under the dash, but it won't be impossible.
The LR corner had been hit and repaired, so I added some glass to the seams, so hopefully it won't show through after paint.
This is the look I'm after, but about 2" lower. I plan to build my own frame with narrowed C5 suspension, drop in an LS with twin turbos and a 5 speed Tremec.
A touching tribute to your buddy. With that in mind I'm sure it will be great motivation for you in getting this project finished and on the road. Good luck going forward.
Anybody know what I'm doing wrong? I try to post pics from the downloads on my laptop, but it only works maybe 1 out of 10 times.
Well, it worked this time. This view shows 5 1/2" from the bottom of the rocker trim to ground. 18" wheels, 26.3" tall tires, P225/45/18, only 9.3" wide to fit under the stock wheel wells.
Here's Dave's obituary:
[I]David William Bart, a lifelong resident of Lafayette, died at 3:37pm on March 13, 2018, at home surrounded by his family.
He was born on February 19, 1945, in Lafayette, IN, to the late John S. Bart and Betty Ellen (Lynch) Bart.
He was a 1963 graduate of Jefferson High School and received an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science (Industrial Supervision) from Purdue University.
On November 4, 1967, he married the former Maureen E. Callahan in Lafayette. She survives.
He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1966 to 1972.
Dave worked at Duncan Electric from 1963 to 1972 and at Fireproof Garage as a salesperson from 1972-1973. He then worked as a receiving clerk and electrician at Eli Lilly and Company from 1973 until his retirement in 2000.
In his retirement he enjoyed working with one of his best friends, Dave Hurtt, restoring cars and working on houses. He enjoyed visiting with friends at Mary Lou Donuts in the mornings and his church retirees at Burger King. He was a wonderful son, husband, dad, brother, and uncle, and loved his family more than all else.
Dave was a lifelong member of the Lafayette Christian Reformed Church where he served many years on various committees, and as a Deacon, Elder, and Head Usher.
He enjoyed cars, especially Corvettes and muscle cars, and had been a member of the Lafayette Corvette Club since 1972. He enjoyed showing in and attending many classic car shows over the years.
Surviving with his wife of fifty years is their daughter, Lisa Marie Wheeler (husband Jason), granddaughter Bess Alexandria Wheeler, and brother, John Richard Bart (wife Cindy); he is also survived by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, his nieces and nephews, and his great and great-great nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind a plethora of close friends and neighbors who meant the world to him.
A lot of folks have been blessed by knowing Dave, including me. I know he'll be watching my build from heaven, and probably cruising in his Corvette as much as he wants to. We'll miss you, Dave.
Guys like you and the stories and memories these cars help bring to life are the reason I enjoy spending my time in this section of the forum! Enjoy the build and I ll enjoy following along.
More rear frame update, ran out of time last post.
So I got the 2 frame rails pretty much identical, which is quite a feat considering all the welding.
After I got the frame rails mocked in place and removed, I went back to the original C5 frame sections I got with the suspension from Dino's Corvette Salvage in MS. I built a jig to locate the upper control arm mounts on the new frame rails.
Then I welded the new frame rails in. I tacked in a big 4x6 piece of angel iron in front of the crossmember to keep the warpage to a minimum.
I added some angled 2x4x1/8" wall tubing to add strength.Those bottom cuts were pretty tricky, I forgot to take a pic of the cardboard I mocked up to make the cuts correctly the first time.
I wish I could say all my welds are this good, but I can't. Getting to the insides of the tabs was a little tough.
Moving farther back, I made this rear section for the gas tank. I bought a new EFI ready tank from Eckler's, it came direct from Tanks, Inc.
Here it is all braced up, ready for final welding. One of the most frustrating parts of metal fab is dealing with the warping that occurs when welding.
Here it is all finish welded, it stayed square & level.
Sticking with the C5 suspension theme, I ended up narrowing the front cradle 10". I tried 9, but that didn't leave much room to turn the wheels.
I cut some angle iron and bolted it to the spring mount bolts to hold the cradle together temporarily.
The front end came in from Corvette Image a couple of weeks ago, so I set it up on the car. I ordered it with the side panels not attached. It looks like I'll have to slice them to get a good fit. More on that later.
Hopefully, this is enough clearance.
These are 17x7 wheels with 4 1/2" of backset off my street rod. They don't have enough clearance for the C5 brake calipers, but they're good for figuring the setup. You can't really see it, but the tires are an inch off the frame table. That will give the car an inch of rake once it gets on the ground.
02-05-2018, 04:24 PM
Restomod build dedicated to Dave Bart, long time club member and all around good guy
