Since I am waiting on pause with the engine work. Which I am much more confidant in doing. Now it's time to really get some body work done. I need to know how to I guess break the bond on the front clip, and or know how to adjust it left to right and up and down. I pulled the front extension off, radiator support out. Was able to lift it about 6 inches from the front. Which solved most of the gap at the door to front end. Now I still have the left to right issue. I need to push it towards the passenger side about 1/2 to perhaps an inch. WON'T BUDGE!. Would removing the front body mounts help this adjustment issue? cause i removed the front driver side, got the mount all the way out, but it still has Absolutly no play. So I know someone has a site that shows their process of removing and fitting the front end. Any guidance would be very helpful. HELP DIRECT ME!!!!

 

Am I reading this right? You were able to move your nose 6" and it's still bonded to the cowl? Something is very wrong there. Are you sure it hasn't already broken loose from some of the bonding points?

 

First question, why???????? Has the front end been off the car and had one put on crooked? If you're picking it up and down on the front a good bit (6 inches would be a little hard to believe) it's probably flexing somewhere. they can flex between the rear of the inner skirts and cowl, or through the skirts if some of it has become unbonded. When you take the core support out, the front end is gonna sag somewhere for sure with nothing to support it. If you unbond to move it one way or the other, you'll end up with a big gap at the front of one door or either a tight one at the other. You can also screw up the hood fit if you're not careful. Unless it's somebody's botched repair that you're trying to fix I wouldn't do it. It's also likely that you're gonna cause some glass and paint damage, assuming the front end was put on halfway right. I've skinned several of em off with the priority of saving one side or the other (either the front end or all the bonding strips around the cowl. It seems like one or the other always gets hurt at least some. Only way I've ever known to break one loose is take the doors off and start betweem the bonding strip and panel with a rigid gasket scraper type tool and take your time. If it's a previous repair maybe you'll be lucky and the last people didn't put it on right. Don't forget that both surfaces where the bonding will occur need to be roughed with a 36 grit disc and use a proper adhesive. Fiberglass Evercoat makes excellent products. 880 is the part number for non SMC glass and I can't rember what the number is for the SMC type, but any good body shop supply house should either have it or be able to get it quick.


[Modified by Solidlifters, 6:15 PM 1/30/2003]

 

I believe the front half of the front was replaced. "little lines across the fenders". Anyways about 2 years ago I hit i nice rock while driving in the snow "god I was stupid". Well thats what sparked the whole upgrade of my vett. I took it to a frame shop and had them fix everything to make it perfect. It came out with the front end about 8 inches from the ground. And thats with a daytona 4 front end. I said that can't be right, so they showed me the measurments and it was right. They said someone put the body back on with a messed frame. So I thought it would be easier to just "shorten the springs" and it worked. But now I am wanting it right. some of the bond at the cowl is broken, but the strip across the top of the firewall is solid. Once it is loose, how much effort does it really take to line it back up. Is the bonding material fast setting? I have no choice but to remove it now. I am going to learn and will learn till I get it right. I can't afford to take it to a body shop, nor do I care to.

 

It sounds like someone did some very unprofessional repairs long before you got the car. Unfortunately some shops claim to know vettes, and really don't, and some people try do it yourself without being informed. You've come to the right place. The people you'll meet here are the best, and can generally answer any questions posted. First of all you have to ask yourself several questions. Do you trust the frame shop? Go to this link, and take some measurements yourself: http://www.corvettefaq.com/c3/C3FrameDim.jpg.
Second thing is do you want to stick with the custom nose? It's already been damaged, and you probably will not get it to line up without removing it completely, in which case you may want to consider a new one. Go to this thread that I posted a while back, and print the reply from Phils79. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=462618. Also the Ecklers book on fiberglass repair is pretty detailed on this subject. Gather all the info you can, decide your couse of action, and keep posting. No question is stupid, what that guy did to your car before IS stupid..

 

Your saying that some of the bonds are broken at the cowl. No doubt, if it
is lifting that high in the front without making ungodly cracking sounds.
If this is the case, you should be able to pull the fender outward - just in front
of the door (at the bottom). If the bond is broken, it will pull right out a few inches.
If not, then pulling outward slowly and cautiously can break these bonds in
a pretty clean manner. This is how I got the cowl bonds on my 75.
Now, the firewall strip across the top is tricky. I used a couple woodworking chisels
to work that bond and slowly split it along the length. Some folks make a cut
about 6-8 inches in and only split this much off - but that bar helps to maintain
the opening for the hood - so I'd try to keep it intact. Take your time, and
you can do it.

You may have to break the bonds to the corner mounting piece - shown
attached to the top in the bottom photo. My windshield frame was so rusted
that the rivets were only holding on to air.

Here's a few pics from my website:
NHvette.com




[Modified by NHvette, 1:26 PM 1/31/2003]

 

Okay, I pull the drivers door off, found part of the seam already cracked. I removed the rest of the bond. pulled the drivers side free. I then placed it back down and it set much closer to where it should be. The end point setteled back down to about 1/2 inch or so from the window beam. I still need to adjust the side to side. So tomarrow I am removing the passenger side. then I am tearing out all the wiring and will begin this the right way. I want to just have 1 loom through the whole car. Should have pictures posted tomarrow. I finally picked up some firewire.