BS or not?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
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BS or not?
Last year I saw a '70 for sale by the side of the road. I checked it out, it looked OK, but the frame was patched with steel diamond plate by the trailing arms. Instant turnoff for me & never bothered with it...
A few days ago I see an ad for a '70 bigblock for 10k. I just spoke to the guy and asked about the frame. I asked about frame damage, rust issues, etc...He told me it was reinforced by the trailing arms to handle the extra power of the engine (which is a rebuilt, bored out 454). It turns out this was the same car I looked at last year.
So my question to my fellow forum members is...Has anybody here ever reinforced their frame to handle 450+ HP (as it states in the ad)???
Is this something that would need to be done? Or is this
A few days ago I see an ad for a '70 bigblock for 10k. I just spoke to the guy and asked about the frame. I asked about frame damage, rust issues, etc...He told me it was reinforced by the trailing arms to handle the extra power of the engine (which is a rebuilt, bored out 454). It turns out this was the same car I looked at last year.
So my question to my fellow forum members is...Has anybody here ever reinforced their frame to handle 450+ HP (as it states in the ad)???
Is this something that would need to be done? Or is this
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Lockport NY
I'd say BS. The trailing arm pockets on a corvette frame would be far from the weak link in a car's ability to handle 450+ HP. Almost certainly that was a rust repair. However many,many C3's have been repaired at this spot, and are fine cars. I would not rule out owning such a car if the birdcage and rest of the frame are good.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,143
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From: San Diego California
Originally Posted by JAH70
I'd say BS. The trailing arm pockets on a corvette frame would be far from the weak link in a car's ability to handle 450+ HP. Almost certainly that was a rust repair. However many,many C3's have been repaired at this spot, and are fine cars. I would not rule out owning such a car if the birdcage and rest of the frame are good.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
HMMMM a 70 BB for 10K. Heres what I would do. First squeeze the price to maybe 8-9K ONLY IF the birdacege is good. You know about the frame issue so write it off for now. If the rest of the car is OK then get the car.
Then look around for a rolling chassis or a bare frame. Get it checked out, straightened/reinforced/ stripped and painted/powdercoated. Build up the chassis as much as you can whilst you are still driving the car with the bad chassis (as long as it is safe).
Then when you are ready to swap it over pull off the body and do the driveline rebuild/swap. The new chassis will take time and money but you won't have all the pressure if you can still drive the car around in the mean time. If it takes you a couple of years so be it. It just gives you more time to get eveything all sorted prior to the body swap.
Good luck. Any pics of the car?
Then look around for a rolling chassis or a bare frame. Get it checked out, straightened/reinforced/ stripped and painted/powdercoated. Build up the chassis as much as you can whilst you are still driving the car with the bad chassis (as long as it is safe).
Then when you are ready to swap it over pull off the body and do the driveline rebuild/swap. The new chassis will take time and money but you won't have all the pressure if you can still drive the car around in the mean time. If it takes you a couple of years so be it. It just gives you more time to get eveything all sorted prior to the body swap.
Good luck. Any pics of the car?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
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What turns me off is I think this guy lied about the rust repair & tried to pass it off as a structural improvement.
I may go check this one out this weekend. Since I'm not hot for this & know it would end up being a frameoff resto I'd only offer 5k (and only if the birdcage is fine).
Other details on the car, new exhaust, it's an auto, its red & the paint is shot. From what I remember it looked good from 10 feet last year.
I'd love to turn this into an evil anti-NCRS bigblock monster!
I may go check this one out this weekend. Since I'm not hot for this & know it would end up being a frameoff resto I'd only offer 5k (and only if the birdcage is fine).
Other details on the car, new exhaust, it's an auto, its red & the paint is shot. From what I remember it looked good from 10 feet last year.
I'd love to turn this into an evil anti-NCRS bigblock monster!
