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working on the 80 today, doing heads, cam , etc. noticed i have the dreaded crossmember cracks too. ones a weld that came loose. the others a hairline starting at the offending weld going straight over the top.
just wanted to share that its not just the older c3's. i will be welding it up before it gets worse and installing a spreader bar.
other things that i ran across. lower left a-arm has no bushings left in it. radiator support , or whatever its called, is eaten up on the bottom.
do you guys think i should just rebush the a-arm or get a replacement?
where can i get another radiator support , or should i call it a mount?
Radiator supports are available in all the major catalogs. Mine was wasted away on the bottom right, but the remaining three retainers seem to be holding everything in place. When I switch to an aluminum rad, I'll change the support at that time.
Ok - reality check ...
If you're gonna re-bush the A-arm, you're gonna do them all.
Buy a front end rebuild kit for about $170 - if you're short on cash and tall on DIY.
If skills are short and $$ is handy - let Van Steel rebuild them for you.
While they are out, you can seam weld the lower brackets to the
crossmember and maybe even a couple gussets. Look for the cracks that
start behind the front nut-block.
i will definately have to rebuild the front end. it would drive me nuts if i didn't.
if anyone has any pics of the reinforcing they did to their frames , id sure like to see them.
i was hoping this vette could just be a nice cruiser. just gonna give it around 400hp and fix up the interior. guess i have 2 corvette project cars instead. :rolleyes: