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Howdy,
I shared some of this info in my intro post, but I thought I'd start a "build thread" in case anyone wants to keep up with whats going on. I bought the car in the early 80's, I drove it daily for a few years then every now and then for several years and then other interests took over and it hasnt been driven since 98. It has been stored in the dry but even at that it is ready to be completely rebuilt. Dont be disappointed if it is a slow process, as I have other interest and a job.
Tom Last state inspection. Be rolling it around on dollies for 20 yrs. Cleaned up and sitting on the ground. Original upholstery, a few salvagable parts. Ready, set, GO. Everyone says first step is get it stopping, up on lift starting on brakes.
Was kinda planning a frame off job but from what I'm seeing so far I may just clean and paint the things i take off, a-arms, trailing arms, sway bars, etc the clean and paint frame best i can with body still on. The body mounts and birdcage look good from what im seeing.
Tom
Im stumped, i inspected my birdcage last night and took some pictures to show, i tried several times today the same way i have been uploading pics with no luck, went back and read the sticky on uploading pics tried again tonight, wound up with about 50 duplicates in my photo album but still none on the reply i was trying to post. Looks like gonna be more trouble to document the process than to actually do the work.
Tom
From the pics that made it here , that cage looks great.
I too have had trouble posting some times, it's almost like the site is bogged down . I try a couple hours later and usually it's working ok again.
Absolutely , only take the body off if you really really have too.
Bazza77, A buddy is building a 76 coupe and his body mounts was rotten so he is doing a frame off. After seeing what a job he has gotten into, I was hoping to dodge it. My body is shifted on the frame so I been loosening the body mounts to align it. I been soaking all the bolts with wd40, got all but the rear bolts loose and took the bumpers off today and think since Im this far I may try to lift the body enough to change front to rear brake line and maybe clean the frame up some.
Tom
Never heard of a body shifting on a frame before, you know the captured nut up inside the rear compartment (#4) mounts, is just a cage that's rivited to the fibreglass so if you force it too hard it will break free and just spin.
It really sounds and looks like a good solid foundation for a restoration .
As for your friends 76 , I know what he is going through as I have cut rust from a 69 coupe and the car and I both survived the ordeal !
I have personally looked at Toms Vette. In my opinion it is one of the best examples of a unrestored C3 I have seen. Wish I had this platform to work with, Tom is fortunate to own it. I'am looking forward to watching the progress and taking a ride in it one day. Not to many 68 verts out there with no rust anywhere.
Those mounts look great. If you are replacing the rear brake line, you might as well look at doing the fuel lines too. I've done the rear brake line with the body on, but haven't figured out how to do the fuel lines with the body on without piecing it together. I'm not sure a few inches if a few inches of body lift will help, but worth looking at IMO.
I was messing around in the shop last night, not even close to paint and body but had to know how much trouble it was going to be to get old flaking paint off. I stuck a plastic scraper under a place it was peeling and it started coming off in peices a big as your hand in some spots. Dont think its gonna be to bad, withing an hour or so I had almost all the rear half stripped. I will post some pics soon as the admin's get this photo pasting thing figured out.
Tom
What's the trick to getting the trim on top of the windshield frame off, i think i have all the screws out. The side was stuck on with some sorta sealer, I'm thinking same with the top .
Thought my bird cage was going to be rust free, couldn't have been that lucky, gonna dig out some of the windshield rubber tomorrow and see how bad it is.
Tom, the end caps on the top of the windshield have very small screws in the front under or very near the glass. You need to remove the glass to get the end caps off. You can try to unscrew them with the glass in but you need to know yo may but the windshield. Vey wise to remove that trim to inspect the windshield frame. You Don't want what I had.
68 Ragtop Build
