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If you need a well built complete frame, I'd check with David Howard in Easton, PA
His avatar is Allvettes4Me.
He has done 10 frames I think at last count.
Great on detail.
He is in Hawaii right now on vacation for another 2 wks but I see him on Facebook.
He might check in here.
The man is honest as the day is long and his work is impeccable.
Good luck with your car......hope it works out.
Dennis
You have no emotional attachment to the car, let it go. All those guys saying you can fix it for $1000, how many would fix it for you for $1000. I think the $10-12 estimate is very realistic, given all the work and new parts that will need to be sourced and installed. It's light if the birdcage needs to be replaced as well.
I wouldn't buy a Vette from the snow belt. I'm old enough to remember when these cars were nothing special and got left outside and driven in salt and snow.
Wouldn't it be nice if people bought and built a 69 Corvette because they want to own a beautiful 69 Corvette that is in excellent condition to drive, RATHER than worrying about how much they could sell it for. If you wanted a 69 Corvette, you have a 69 Corvette, and once you repair the frame, you still have a 69 Corvette, but nows its good for the long haul. You can enjoy it, drive it, and be happy about it. Every time I read about this "resale value" issue, I think people are missing the point.
Exactly.
The car is really nice. Just fix the beast and get on with it. I bet that 75% on this forum are upside down in their vette whether they want to admit it or not.
Bill, I received your PM and have replied to it as well I'll help if I can. Sorry I am not at home or I'd be responding much quicker. Currently in Maui.
David Howard
AllVettes4Me
If you can locate a nice 69-72 frame, auto or manual, and verify it is straight and not twisted, you can build a nice replacement for your car. I always replace fuel and brake lines, always, when I have the body off of the car. Having a restoration shop do this work will be expensive, and not necessary, in my opinion. Even using your existing parts, the labor alone will be expensive. I use body shops for work I cannot do myself, like serious fiberglass work and paint. Moving your engine, transmission, differential, etc. from one roller to another doesn't require, in my opinion, that level of skill and cost. Make sure you get a written detailed estimate of cost before proceeding with any shop. If they cannot give you an estimate find another shop. Ask them what their hourly billing rate or if they bill by the job.
You will get a lot of opinions here on the CF and most people mean well even if they have never done this type of work previously.
I'm not in this as a business, I do it as a hobby, and I enjoy building the rolling chassis for the Corvettes. I'd love to see your frame and discuss it with you before you sink $10-$12 into it, that seems excessive and uneccesary.
I didn't catch your location but if I can help I am willing.
David Howard
I just got some good news from Ron. The damage to the birdcage is limited to the driver side door jamb area where it joins the rocker channel. The front joints, windshield pillars and header all look good and the passenger side opposite the driver side damage also looks good. He said he'll only need to remove one panel to get at and fix the affected birdcage area and join it to the new frame.
He also suggested, as others predicted above, doing things like replacing the brake and fuel lines while the body is lifted. He's preparing a proposal for me that should provide high confidence in the resulting estimate.
So it's still a kick in the pants but it's a survivable one and I will get to keep a Corvette I felt lucky to find. Plus, I'll know the repair work was done professionally by an expert and I'll have the documentation to provide to the next caretaker down the line when that time comes.
This is good news for you. You'll feel better knowing everything was done correctly and you won't hesitate taking it anywhere either. You'll also have a great story to tell for the next several years.
I'd love to see your frame and discuss it with you before you sink $10-$12 into it, that seems excessive and uneccesary.
I didn't catch your location but if I can help I am willing.
David Howard
David, I am in Central MA. Here are some pictures of the area that started the whole thing. The rocker channel basically looks the same as the second picture.
Hi C,
The 3rd photo indicates that some 'work' has been done to the frame in the past by the addition of some steel plates.
The rust problems have now continued beyond those plates.
This probably means that repairing the existing frame is fruitless, so another frame is likely the wise course of action.
I would advise caution in deciding just what frame you choose to use as a replacement.
Regards,
Alan
I agree with John, he was posting while I was typing!
The rust problems have now continued beyond those plates.
This probably means that repairing the existing frame is fruitless, so another frame is likely the wise course of action.
I would advise caution in deciding just what frame you choose to use as a replacement.
Regards,
Alan
We're definitely going with a replacement frame. I've exchanged messages with David Howard about a frame, but I also plan to put the restoration shop on the hook for validating the quality and condition of the frame before I buy it.
not trying to be an @ss here, but did you not look under the car before you bought it? Picture 3 should have been pretty obvious.
I saw the pics of your car, and it looked good. this should be a lesson for everyone that you NEED to get under the car and inspect the frame before you buy.
not trying to be an @ss here, but did you not look under the car before you bought it? Picture 3 should have been pretty obvious.
Maybe it would help if you knew that picture #3 is showing the back of the frame rail in an area I couldn't see when I crawled under the car. I'm no expert but I'm not a complete idiot.
Even with the car up on a lift, you can't see the area in the picture unless your head is roughly under the center of the car and you're looking up with a good light. With the wheel on and the trailing arms in place, it's next to impossible to see.
An expert who knows these cars intimately probably would have caught it. I didn't. Mea Culpa.
I don't know about anyone else but I ran outside to look under my car when I saw this. It is scary to think how easy it is to miss something like this.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope you get it fixed soon and get back to enjoying it!
Maybe it would help if you knew that picture #3 is showing the back of the frame rail in an area I couldn't see when I crawled under the car. I'm no expert but I'm not a complete idiot.
Even with the car up on a lift, you can't see the area in the picture unless your head is roughly under the center of the car and you're looking up with a good light. With the wheel on and the trailing arms in place, it's next to impossible to see.
An expert who knows these cars intimately probably would have caught it. I didn't. Mea Culpa.
Everyone is a monday morning quarterback. I bought an 80 that the top of the frame was rotted. You couldn't see it unless you had x ray vision. Crap happens. I would keep the car and get it done. Good luck with it.
i bought a 67 GTO. The guy put quarter skins over the old quarters. Left the rotted part on. He filled it in in the trunk. You would never catch it. He also did the same with the floors. They were filled and undercoated. You couldn't tell the difference.
09-06-2017, 06:04 PM
