All,

I've hit a very serious crossroads and I'd like your input being experienced C3 restorers. I think I already know the answer but I'll lay out the scenario anyways. With the wiring largely completed and the interior starting to be put back together, I've run the car several times which led to an obvious fuel leak right at the fuel pump. I followed the advice on the forums and was finally nearing the end of the fuel pump replacement when I started trying to replace the lower radiator hose I had removed in order to remove the old pump. It was becoming quite the bear so I started looking for alternative routes which mostly means taking out the radiator and or the core support. Of course upon looking around, I find a pretty extreme amount of rust on the core support. There's essentially nothing holding the lower portion of the radiator. THat's not good, but core supports are replaceable without too much issue. Here's the real issue I found while looking around the core support etc:

Passenger side frame from directly underneath



Passenger side frame from wheel well in towards the engine bay. The engine bay side is bowed with the interior piece ben back on itself



Driver's side frame

Driver's side frame

The best shot I can give of where the frame damage exists


Just for clarity, the last shot is the best angle I can find to relay where the damage appears to exist.

What I'd like to know is this frame damage enough to be pulling down the front clip of the vehicle. Secondly, is this damage repairable if I were to pursue pulling the body off the frame and pursuing a body-off restoration? The reason I'm asking about if this damage is enough to pull the front clip forward:


Evidence that, among other things, the part of the front clip that meets the cowl here is being pulled away from the cowl bonding strip. further supporting my suspicions is that the passenger side where the frame appears almost collapsed is much further separated from the cowl bonding strip while the driver's side is not nearly as advanced.

I appreciate your attention in this matter, this will definitely be feeding a lengthy discussion with the wife

 

This looks very repairable. But I would be inspecting the rest of the frame very closely for rust and further damage. As per your passenger side front clip pulling away. mine and many others have always looked this way.

 

The front clip is really not that much directly supported by the frame, but by the rad support, bolted to the crossmember, bolted to brackets, bolted to the frame...
I don't think the gap in front of the door has anything to do with any frame damage. Mine looked the same, and as I didn't want to remove the whole front clip, I just cut the 10-15" of the top corner of the fender, closed the gap, and re-attached the corner again.

 

IMO, the damage is minor, and where it is at could be just left alone. Nothing further is going to deteriorate. or get worse...and whatever impact the car had on, it did its damage. However, you need to be sure there is no other damage. The frame "might" be tweaked???? And if so, you may have alignment issues......but again I say "might". Its very possible the small damage in the photos is isolated strictly there, and if so, I see no reason to worry about it. As for the fender alignment / gap......may not even be related to it,....or maybe it was. At this point, all you can do is fix that. OR.......if this really is going to bother you, then, its time for a body off and full repair. That is really more up to what you are "up for". Its a time consuming and expensive endeavor, but it can be very rewarding, and it was for me. If you don't want to go that far,....then just learn to live with it. When I look at the pictures, I see rusted part and bad paint.......so for me,. it would be time for a restoration......but that's me. I like the work.

 

hammer it back an weld it. Thats just a shipping anchor hole someone must have used either as an anchor or to pull it onto a car hauler. It may have been damaged from the factory. I know there was a similar thing with a guy here who was the original owner and had never had his car towed. It was factory damage. That is nothing to be concerned with at all.....if it was a rust hole then ya, maybe depending on its location. As long as its not in an area of major support or strength

Similiarly, There is a guy that I met at a car show last year that asked me to check out a car that was a garage rescue and was at the show to be sold. Previous owner had passed, the family was having a friend prep the car and brought it to get it out in the public. No Accidents, always garaged. That car was pristine, all original 76 or so, until you opened the hood. For some reason the radiator support had rusted through at the bottom center...weird but replaceable like yours. NO explaination as to why it rotted out....You should be good to go with a new support like you said

 

the rad support holds the whole front of the nose as said. but in reality, the rad support holds the fiberglass inner fenders. THEY hold the nose. and they get tweaked, cracked, mount holes egg shaped... my 75 is similar to yours. bought it as a light total. hit sideways on the right front pushing both of those frame horns to the left. using a porta power i pulled the horns straight but my body alignment is not perfect. one good eyeball for your nose is a straight edge on the front tires going up to the fender opening. this will tell you if the nose is off to one side by comparing the 2 sides.

 

Here Ya go: Measure the dimensions at the areas in question. For your peace-of-mind..........

Measure C as your starting point. Write down the measurement.
Measure lower A....write down the measurement.
Measure upper A...write down the measurement.
Measure lower E...write down the measurement.
Measure upper E... write down the measurement.
Measure B lower...write down the measurement.
Measure B upper...write down the measurement.

Level the frame with the garage floor:
Measure D at passenger side...write down the measurement.
Measure D at driver side...write down the measurement.


POST THE MEASUREMENTS FOR MEMBERS TO SEE.