Reminded me of the day I picked up the 72 from the transport. Mixed emotions of excitement and anticipation. Got in the car and drove it around the block. Tried to get out of the driver’s door but it wasn’t functional. I think my first message to this forum was how to get the door open. Still carry that large flat blade screwdriver for emergencies. With the help of the brain trust of the great folks on this forum, I dare to say their won’t be anything you can’t take on with your Vette and not expect to win. Good luck and welcome to a very cool club.

 

Hello Wade,
I will post pics in the next few days. I have pics of the nose without the grill when I was doing my front end. I powder coated every bracket in the nose of my car. Those pics are on a laptop that does not connect to the net so I can’t upload those pics right now but I’ll get them in a few days.

If you can, post some pics of your cars nose area, straight on, grill level. It will be easier for me to tell you what brackets are missing, if anything. You should have the big U shaped bracket that connects to the removable front crossmember and which the center of the bumper connects to. That will give lots of support. If it’s there, that’s good. It will slow the drooping but there is still lots of weight for the front end glass of these cars. The frame extensions connect to the end of the bumpers. Those give lots of support. Some of the grill brackets connect from top to bottom in the grill opening. There is also one that goes from the radiator to the center of the bumper. The header bar has brackets on the ends that are supportive but there is no reason they should be out unless the prior owner was restoring everything under the nose. Remember, the header bar also holds up the headlight assemblies and they are heavy. Without all the proper support all that weight pulls the nose glass down in addition to the weight of the fiberglass itself.

I am sure the radiator support is there and that helps keep everything in place but the nose will still droop even with that piece in place if other parts are removed.

 

Thanks!!
I'll get the pics this weekend. I am going to pull the hood off to see why he was going to pull the core support. I have a new one that came with the car.

supposedly all the parts are in the boxes to put everything back together. I hope that's true.

Wade

 

The radiator supports rust out along the bottom section that faces the front of the car.

 

Congratulations!

Always exciting to get a new project.

 

How great a feeling is that first picture of your car in your own garage?!?!?
I bet you went out there several times during that first night just to check that you weren't dreaming!!
Good luck on your future fun!