DragonE

I was looking at this Vette for sale and saw what is in these photos. Can anyone tell me what would cause this and if it is this a major problem?










What would it take to repair something like this?
Is this a Vette Killer in the way of cost?

tyancey00

needs a frame repair. if you don't know what causes this then run. There are a bunch of nice ones out there. They are not cheap, but they are not cheap for a reason. Good stuff is never free.

DragonE

Thank you, the rest of this Vette looks to be "O.K.", a driver that needs some work. I just w.anted an Idea of what I would be in for

joewill

look under the car for frame rust. do not buy a 44 year old car without doing a detailed inspection of the underside.

those gaps equate to weakness in the entire structure.

tyancey00

2 ways to do it. You can Patch the frame and "make it work", or replace the frame and do a full frame off restoration. better be darn cheap. easier and cheaper to buy one already fixed.... Don't ask how i know this little lesson.

Learning_Curve

I was thinking it might just be collapsed body mounts, but didn't '68s use solid mounts?

DragonE

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll need to check that. A 68 is the one I have always wanted now that I am close to the point of getting one I'm doing a lot of reading. Learning about them is part of the fun of it all. Any suggestions recommendations or farther thoughts are most welcome.

mark6669

That frame is going to need major repairs or complete replacement fill in your profile so we know where you are and maybe a forum member can look at it for you. Lots of knowledge and experence here.
Mark

johnnyw

It'll buff right out I bet!!

johnnyw

As always it depends on the price.

jdp6000

My opinion the frame is rotted right out. You have damage to the body. The interior needs work. ETC.

I wouldn't pay much for that car if anything.

AdamMeh

Run. Run away from it and don't look back. There are no easy fixes for what you see there.

champs65

They do, but they are aluminum and can crumble apart over time after years of contact with steel.

My guess is that this car has bad #4 body mounts, but more likely causing the sag are bad #3 body mounts (right behind the doors). When this area rots away, there is even less there to support the body than the #4 mounts offer.

Anyway, even if the frame is OK its not an easy job to get in there and fix #3 mounts and rocker channels.

80Baby

C3 frames corrode just ahead of the rear wheels. It's a cancer that affects all year-round drivers in wet conditions. When I lifted my body, the frame was so badly rusted that I could poke my finger through the rocker channels of the frame - just ahead of the rear wheels. If my car had stayed on the road for a couple of more years, it too would have split in two.

I replaced my frame and it was not cheap! To have my replacement frame chemically stripped, with minor repairs to the #1 & #4 body mount brackets plus some extra welding to re-enforce some spot weld joints and then powder coated set me back over $6500.00. I was not pleased at the time, but in hindsight it was the proper path to take. The frame is the foundation of the car; you can't cheap out on it.

Redwing01

Exactly what I was thinking!!

John 65

Major problem? If you have to pay a shop to make the repairs, then yes, it is. If its a decent driver and could be bought at a silly cheap price and all it needs is a section of frame replaced, to the right buyer it could be a bargain. I would keep looking, lots of nice ones still around. Good luck.

gbvette62

The first problem with the car is that it's a 68 convertible.

All 68-75 convertibles are week in that area. They are all prone to flex in that area. Coupes don't suffer this problem, because the targa bar ties the car together, and prevents problems like that.

For 1970, Chevrolet added a male alignment pin to the door, and a female receiver to the lock pillar, to lessen this problem.

That said, there could be other problems going on with this car. It could be as serious as a rotted frame in the area of the lock pillar, or rusted out door sills. It could also be something as simple as some missing body mount shims.

As has been pointed out, it could also be a problem with the #4 body mounts. Because of their unprotected position behind the rear tires, they are often rusted out, on otherwise good frame.

This problem your seeing isn't limited to Corvettes. I've seen the same thing on many convertibles, from the 60's and 70's. It's not as common on earlier convertibles or full size cars, with their heavier frames, and it's even worse on unibodies, like Mustangs and Camaros.

I'm no fan of 68's. There are just too many odd ball and one year only parts on them. Also, as a first year model, they are no where near as well developed as later models. But if you have to have a 68, then make sure that you look this car over very carefully, before committing to it. If you don't know what to look for, or aren't sure where to look, find someone who is familiar with earlier Corvettes, to look at it for you. And pay someone if you have to, it could save you a lot of money in the long run.

Easy Mike

This car with this damage has popped up before.

I'm a 68 lover, but I would pass on this car.

GPGG70

My first thought when seeing the pictures was "Duke's of Hazzard"
Even if this car was free, it would be a ton of work, time and money to repair.
Let's say you did buy and fix the car. Now that you have documented this problem here on the forum for all of us to see the damage on this car, it will be very hard to resell if you did try to sell it.
Good Luck!

Leo23

Run, Forest, Run!!!!!!