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Body Drop day

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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 12:27 AM
  #1  
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Default Body Drop day

Well finally after about 15 months of skinned knuckles, foul language and late nights I finally reached the stage of putting the body back on the chassis
I still have a ways to go before its on the road but it was a great milestone for me in the restoration.

Here it was at the beginning of my "frame Replacement" project


This morning before the drop


hoist away! I put some green masking tape on the body where the mounts were so my helpers could line them up to the frame mounts






Lots of eyes are great to watch for fiberglass contact!


Almost there!


The Helpers Say It's Beer Time!!


Now time to hook up a pile of stuff! Sure nice to see it in one piece again, feel like i'm making progress now!
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 12:30 AM
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Looking good!!
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 05:01 AM
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Well done. I'm looking forward to the day when I can drop my body back onto the chassis. Some time before July, I hope.
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 09:04 AM
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Congratulations Howard, well done

Will you be on the road by spring?
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 09:13 AM
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Will you be on the road by spring?
Hoping to have it on the road for 3rd week of April to attend the Spring Thaw car show we have.
Guess it will mean some pretty late nights ahead, sure glad the wife understands i'm determined to get it on the road
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 09:26 AM
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It has to make you feel good to get this far along and have a good bunch of guys to help. More pics and progress reports, please!
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 09:34 AM
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very nice!!!
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 10:39 AM
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Great job, and good luck with the rest of the project. One question, why didn't you use the original exhaust tips, was it the new mufflers had the tips welded in place. Please don't think I'm picking at your hard work, thats not my intent, just wondering.
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 11:05 AM
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One question, why didn't you use the original exhaust tips, was it the new mufflers had the tips welded in place. Please don't think I'm picking at your hard work, thats not my intent, just wondering.
No worries
I went with the 2.5" Corvette Central exhaust pipes and Magnaflow mufflers. they only had the mufflers with the L pipe welded on listed for 68-72 and not the 73, So I went with the 72 mufflers, hangers and exhaust tips.
On this day the exhaust system is clamped in place with the header collectors welded on but the clamps are just finger tight. I wanted to wait to have the body on before I put the tips on and torqued everything down, just to make sure the tips fit "Just Right"
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by hwcoop
No worries
I went with the 2.5" Corvette Central exhaust pipes and Magnaflow mufflers. they only had the mufflers with the L pipe welded on listed for 68-72 and not the 73, So I went with the 72 mufflers, hangers and exhaust tips.
On this day the exhaust system is clamped in place with the header collectors welded on but the clamps are just finger tight. I wanted to wait to have the body on before I put the tips on and torqued everything down, just to make sure the tips fit "Just Right"
Thanks for the reply, that makes perfect sense. I know on our 72 with the same style of tips, I had them re-chromed finding OEM tips was a lost cause for me.
Again great job, looking forward to more pictures on your progress.
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 06:30 PM
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Great Job Looking Good
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Old Feb 18, 2008 | 06:32 PM
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COOP,
Great pictures. Love the BIG smiles. Noticed all the books on the shelf in the next to last picture. That's what it takes for me to figure out how to do things. Carry On!!!
Regards,
Alan
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Old Feb 20, 2008 | 08:40 AM
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Noticed all the books on the shelf in the next to last picture. That's what it takes for me to figure out how to do things. Carry On!!!


My wife doesn't like all my car magazines in the house so I built some shelves out in the garage. I have performed most maintenance on our drivers for 30+ years so the library is a very handy reference tool to have. These days a PC is a big asset in the garage as well
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Old Feb 20, 2008 | 10:52 PM
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Looking good!
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Old Feb 20, 2008 | 10:58 PM
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Very Nice. You should feel very good about your progress...it's all downhill now
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Old Feb 20, 2008 | 11:37 PM
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Congrats on the milestone!
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Old Feb 21, 2008 | 07:37 AM
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Great job!
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Old Feb 21, 2008 | 07:40 AM
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That looks like a lot of fun! Tell me, was the interior still in place? Where is the steering disconnected?
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Old Feb 21, 2008 | 08:31 AM
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That looks like a lot of fun! Tell me, was the interior still in place? Where is the steering disconnected?
That part was fun, afterwards not so much!, I had replaced the frame, body mount nuts and rocker channels so I needed to install shims from scratch. But doors close nice and the gaps....well its a Vette!, I will fine tune those in the paint phase.

I removed the seats, T-Tops, kick panels and the rear half of the console (to gain access to shifter boot etc) I left all the dash, door panels, carpeting in place.
Phase 2 of the project for next winter will be paint & Interior when it will all come out

I disconnected the steering at the rag joint and just slid the coupling back on the shaft for clearence.
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