I'm about to start into repairing my frame. Going to do both sides, purchased the 23" repair sections, gussets, and body mounts. Before I start, can anyone recall or link to anyone who may have more pictures of them doing this?

The most helpful I've found so far are the two posts by eastltd
1. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1576039014-post6.html
2. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1572289123-post4.html

I'd thought I should have been able to find a "how-to" but they're either buried and I'm not looking hard enough... or, and maybe more likely, previous corvette owners in this situation just kind of found themselves with their frame cut in half, panicked, repaired it, and didn't have time to make a how-to book!

Anyway, should be a fun event. Just looking for any other picture posts with any tips to help me out!

 

When I did mine, I welded long lengths of 3x3 angle iron to the good sections of the side rail in several spots. Then welded the kick ups to extensions to these side angle irons. You need two extensions on each side to the angle iron to rigidely hold the kickups in place.

In the picture you attached, he has only placed feet from the kick ups to the ground. I didn't think it is enough to make sure that the kick ups will be dislocated once the side rails are cut up. The kick ups could move in too many directions as well as twist when the side rails are cut. And if somebody or something hits the frame and moves it and you only have a few legs supporting it, you are in big trouble.

The dimensions of the frame that are available are very sparce and the dimension that are there are not enough to locate the kickups by measurement alone. The Corvette shops that do this have spent many thousands on a welding jig. I had a look at one of them in one of the corvette vendors and I wasn't impressed with the welding jig. The had a frame on it and the frame rocked on the jig big time.

Also, if you weld the angle iron so that it is at the same height as the frame rails, you will be sure that the new sections of side rails that you are putting in will be aligned and not dog legged, sagging or twisting. The angle iron give you a baseline to work with when you install the new side rail sections.

You need heavy angle iron to make sure that the angle iron will not sag once the kickups are separated and the angle iron takes the weight.

I might be the only guy to do this effort but I know that the kickups didn't move on me. If you do a forum search you will find most guys do this job without any support.

 

So far the only thing on my restoration I had someone else tackle. Mostly due to me not having a welder at the time or ever having welded before....which I've sense fixed.


SO...this may not be much help other than the pictures since I didn't do the welding.
No patch pieces were bought, he just got the rusty middle section out and welded in a fresh piece.

Cost me only $350

 

Thanks for the replies. Pictures are worth a thousand words. The guy at work always does great work on stuff I design so I trust he'll do a good job on the frame. Even in everyday work he takes care to account for movement due to weld heat. Plus, we have plenty of stock tube, angle, etc for bracing; L6x6 x 1/2"
I posted some pictures in my body-off thread of what I'm starting with, link in my signature.