Quick background info... I bought this aborted project about 4 years ago already disassembled and I've recently put the body on for the first time since I've owned it. I had the support in when I was putting the body on but the front wouldn't seat right so I pulled it out and the body went right down on the frame. I'm using the factory style aluminum body mounts with only one shim as the AIM showed. I do not have the body bolts tightened down as i had to do a little lifting of the front already to get the bumper extensions in and secured. My current problem is that the radiator support is bottoming out on the front frame horns where the AIM shows they attach. However, the radiator support sits about 3/4 of an inch higher than the holes that the bolts go through to attach it. Do I need to shim the front body mounts up that much? Should I do a little "careful lifting" of the nose and see if I can get the holes to line up? Prior to me buying this project, the body sat on the ground for who knows how long with 4 x 4's under the floor section of the body with no support for the nose. Would the nose "sag" down over a period of time? I'm perplexed!!! I have some pictures of what I've run into below. Thanks in advance for the help.

PS: The mount is "leaned" forward a little bit just to show the relation to the holes... oh yeah... it's a 68 coupe.

 

Is the front clip original, or has it been replaced? How do the door-clip gaps look? The nose very well may have sagged, but if it did the gaps would be uneven. If it has sagged, a little gentle persuasion might do.

 

OK... a quick update... My buddy just dropped by for a few so we both grabbed a fender and gently lifted. The holes lined up without much effort. I didn't put any bolts in because I don't want to screw this up... So it WILL move enough to line up. But then, do I need to shim the front body mounts as well? We held a door up before we did anything and the gaps look pretty good for just eyeballing it without it being on door hinges. And to answer the question above, it is the original clip... kinda! The right fender is a replacement. Must have been damaged in it's earlier life. Decent looking repair, not a lot of Bubba evidence anywhere around the repair area. And the shop I got it from stated that it was all together when they got it and disassembled it. So, I'll just stand by for a while and wait to hear from the forum on what they think. Thanks again!!!

 

Hi Jason,just came in and saw your post. I would put the doors on with just an upper and lower bolt. You don't need them all. Also, how much shimming. Preferably less then a 1/4 inch would be okay. You can also leave the frame extensions loose so you can attach the core support and raise the clip until the bolt holes line up and then see what the shim distance is. I had 3/4 pieces of wood laying around at first. If you put the doors on look at your seams don't need the shims in the doors just yet. Another side bar is that the hood has clearance the up and down of the clip can affect hitting the air cleaner so have that handy also
Hope this helps.
R

 

YES...the front clip can 'sag'. You will be able to watch the fender at the 12 'o'clock position move out when it is down....and when you lift up on the front clip...the fender lip will go inwards. This is normal. 12 'o'clock position of the wheel opening is ..obviously ..all the way at the top of the wheel well lip.

I have recently been through this issue of getting front clip mounted and adjusted with 'rvzio'. Your shimming of the body MAY change....and then again...may not. Will have to wait for your feedback before any other comments can be made or given.

Are you a convertible or a coupe??????

STUPID QUESTION: You car is on the ground....tires aired up and all that and NOT on jack stands...correct???

If it was in my shop. I would bolt the radiator support to the inner skirts. The access what is going on.

When installing the doors for checking gaps and 'what have you'. Put ALL 8 bolts in place....then tighten up 2 in the upper and 2 in the lower and you want to tighten these bolts in each hinge catty-cornered with one another. by tightening two bolts int eh upper hinge and lower hinge...the hinge will rest flat against the door hinge mounting surface and not cause you to ahve a problem later when you actually tighten all 8 bolts. DO NOT ask me how I know this! Actually...during door gap checking and repair....I tighten ALL 8 bolts....just to be on the safe side.

But the reason you want all 8 bolts in the hinge going to the door is you can adjust a door where you can actually NOT be able to install the remaining bolts if you only install 2 bolts.bolts. SO...it is ALWAYS wise to put all 8 bolts in and tighten them from there.

DUB

 

Thanks for all the help gentlemen. And DUB, You nailed it with the 12 o'clock fender talk. That's where the bowed front came from. I always thought I was going to have to fix the goofy looking fender arc before paint, but once the front was lifted up enough to bolt everything together, the fender arc radius looks normal now.

 

Glad that it all worked out for you, what's next.
R

 

Do you know if the 68 radiator support is the new reproduction one from Corvette Central?
The support looks like brand new. Lou.

 

Lou, it's the original. Had it blasted then I primed it and rattle canned it with the Krylon 1613 satin black.

 

It is in beautiful shape! I worked at MTD Cleveland, Ohio plant (Modern Tool & Die) in maintenance, for 34 years, until they closed it in 2007, and had to retire early.
I started in September, 1974. We made Corvette parts. We made all of the metal radiator supports from 1960-1982. We never made a "service part" 68 radiator support in all of those years. We also made the C-3 outer front bumper braces (dog leg) and the two ribbed panels in the bird cage, behind the seats. We also made a lot of C-4 parts. Lou.

 

I have been told the radiator support is one of the most rust prone parts on a c3. Is that because of inferior metal, location, etc? My 78 is in beautiful shape except for a rusted lower radiator support.

 

If you look at it's installation, the bottom provides a trough to hold water that is splashed up through the lower chin openings. That is why they rust. Even washing the car can trap water there. Lou.

 

Too bad you couldn't get your hands on those dies!!!!! You would be a millionaire!!!!

Russ

 

For the information of all 68 owners, Corvette Central has spent the time and the money to reproduce three different versions of the 68 ONLY radiator support. Lou.

 

I found three of the four pieces to make the 68 radiator support at work, a couple of months before they closed my plant. I called Coffman Corvette in Mansfield, Ohio when I lived in Cleveland (Parma), Ohio.
I talked to them and they were suppose to come up in my area, but they never called me back. I was trying to get them to make 68 radiator supports.
They make 63-67, 69-81 Corvette radiator supports with the GM dies. Lou.

 

And for you nubies, the 68 Corvette radiator support, and radiator size, was the biggest snaffu that they made in launching the 68's.
The same wonderful engineers that gave us the 68 only wiper motor wiring by breaking the ground wire, instead of the hot wire, could not figure out that the new 68 Corvette was the first GM car that was a bottom breather. Air does NOT flow through the front grilles with the headlights down, and if they are up, the rubber stone guard blocks all air flow also and if you are in a state like Ohio that requires a front license plate, no air flows in through the center grill, either.
The 68 radiator support is identical in size and construction to the 63-67 Corvettes, except for the shape of the outer sides to conform to the new body.
63-67 Corvettes have a huge grill to let air into the radiator. Lou.

 

About two years before they closed my plant, GM told us to destroy all of their old, not used dies. I knew that the 68 radiator support dies and the two ribbed bird cage panels behind the seats dies were going to be gone. I found out later that we had also made a BB C-3 smog pump bracket, stamped with the round circle, and MTD letters inside. Lou.

 

Glad to see you got it figured out. I had a similar fitment issue with the radiator support in my 68. I found out that the frame was not a 68 so I had to buy a new radiator support from Coffman's. Got it installed and now everything fits together perfectly. Makes it really interesting when you think you've got it figured out and end up having to stop and fix it before you can move on to the next part of your project. Not complaining, just a little rant. I'm done.