ok guys, i think i'm coming to my first couple major projects.... i took a bunch of pics today, so i hope they help.

anyway, to begin, check this out...



who'da thought there was nice chrome under all that orange paint? i'll be stripping the other valve cover pretty soon and have all the bolts/wingnuts shined up real nice...

on to the questions....

1) how do these calipers/rotors look and what can be done to make them better? should i be looking to buy full replacements cause of the rust? or can they be cleaned/rebuilt?



2) what's this chain doing bolted to the frame there?



3) what goes in here? it's in the front left side of the engine compartment, below the alternator and goes into whatever pulley that is.



4) what on earth is this? looks like a tomato can. i think that tube coming out of it is part of the vaccum system, but i'm not sure.



5) is this bad? what can i do about it? this is the worst spot on the whole frame. there is surface rust on the rest of the frame, but this is pretty bad. i have other pics where it looks like something dragged along the bottom left side of the car....any safety concerns/restoration ideas?



6) finally, the big kahuna..... the brace under the car where the center seat belt receptors bolt to has been rusted away. i got a new one, but noticed this little driveshaft is it? is in the way. is it possible to unhook the connection to the transmission and slide the old piece/new piece in/out?



THANKS GUYS!!!!! maybe i should have broken this up, but i was on a roll....

 

I am VERY concerned about your frame. This is not a safe car to drive and needs a body off restoration and perhaps a frame swap. The birdcage will also likely be bad, based on the amount of rust I see. Is this on the road?

Not sure about the calipers, surface rust alone is not necessarily bad. Are they leaking or seized?

It looks like someone installed a home made vacuum tank for your headlights. Trace the hoses to see of they go into the headlight relays/actuators.

The chain was likely used to bolt down the engine, in effect making the engine mounts solid.

 

no, it's not on the road right now, just jacked up in the driveway. i want to get it somewhere that i can start really beginning a body-off project...i don't suppose there's any way to patch a frame? and i removed all the trim inside and the upper part of the birdcage looks great....the mounting pillars are rusted out though i think from looking in the kick panels

 

I think the chain was for the anchor. The frame is in rough shape

Underneath the alternator is the power steering pump. So power steering fluid would go in there. Taking out a drive shaft is not that hard, just MAKE SURE YOU MARK the shaft and the yokes to make sure you put it back in exactly the same way.

 

1 - calipers/rotors look to be in usable condition. As stated
above, surface rust is not a good indicator. If it ain't broke ...
On a good note, the upper ball joint has been replaced and the
control arm bushings look to be OK.

2 - yeah - probably to hold the engine down due to a bad motor mount. If not bolted to the engine, then probably fixed.

3 - power steering fluid

4 - I think that is the stock vacuum reserve tank for later C3s.

5 - That is VERY bad - beyond safe bad. They sell repair
sections for that area, but I feel your frame rot goes much
further. Maybe have a welding shop look and see if they think it
is repairable. Might be easier to find a used frame.

6 - Drive shaft disconnects at the rear. Really long extensions
and an air ratchet make the removal easier.


I wish #5 wasn't there. You need to forget EVERYTHING else
and concentrate on the frame. Fixing the other items may be a waste of time.


Good Luck

 

The way the frame looks in the pic, the car is not safe and needs major frame repair. If the frame was to let loose at this area then the trailing arm is going bye-bye.

All the other concerns can be handled with minor repairs or replacement parts.

 

you have very serious issues with that frame. you will need to do a frame off and repair the frame or repl. it. the chain was probaly used as a safety device in case of motor mount failure. the question about what is this below the alt. it is your power steering pump. you will have the chance to repl. that bracket when you pull the body off. it looks like the rust is very bad and it looks like it is it the diff. crossmember it is going to very hard,expensive and time comuseming to repair. depending on what you have in the car,mechinacal abilitys, and year of car you need to think about if this car is worth saveing or not. i had rust something simular to yours and done the repair work myself but it is not easy or fast and can be very fustrating.you can look at my pics. and see a little of what is required to repair a frame that is bad. just my 2 cents worth. wilson

 

Rotted frames CAN be fixed, but there come a point that it is easier
and cheaper to just replace it. When I started my body-off, I was
intent to repair both the rotted frame and birdcage. The more I dug
in, the worse it looked. Finally, I face reality and started searching
for a solution. A local guy contacted me on the forum here. He offered
up a 70 rolling chassis and rear body clip with good birdcage for $1200.

I still needed to repair the rear corners - like where yours are gone.
This is a common area for these frames to rot.

From the sound of your birdcage, it might be repairable. Redwingvette
replaced his rocker channels (lower part of BC). However, your
frame is about as bad as I have seen on a rolling car. Seriously, consider
buying a used frame. I have seen decent ones sell on Ebay for a few hundred.

Check out ZIP (C1-C3 Parts on the left side menu - near top).
they have the frame repair sections, but you will need other portions
fabricated by the welder. It will be costly to repair it.

My old website may be of use to you ... it illustrates vette body and frame rot.

http://webpages.charter.net/davekimtysam/

 

I really do not wish to spoil your Christmas but you asked the questions. That frame section is a safety hazard. Several years ago a well-known fellow in this community (an accomplished classical musician) did a power shift while showing his C3 car to a friend. The trailing arm separated from the frame, he lost control of the car, and hit a tree. He died but his friend survived. Rust was the culprit. There are frame sections that can be grafted in there but I would advise a thorough mechanical inspection by a licensed technician before you go much further. Sorry to be so negative at this time of year!

 

Not too negative, Paul, if these comments keep him around for NEXT Christmas.
So, I guess I missed that horror story. By community, you mean CF ?
What was his username ?

 

The chain is part of a GM dealer fix for a recall over motor mount failure. Rather than replacing the mout, GM dealers wrapped a chain throug the mount so the engine could not jump up if the mount broke. The early mounts did not interlock like the current units, so if the rubber seperated the engine could torque up and jam the throttle.

 

That was well over a decade ago. He was a musician in Canada's National Orchestra. Long before Corvetteforum. I have been driving these cars too long and know the "bad stuff."



I was shopping with the Wife today and the front end of a Honda Accord collapsed in front of us in a supermarket parking lot. The driver's wheel just went out at 45 degrees. I have seen this before and too many times. It can get scary knowing these cars are on the road.

 

I noticed from your unposted pics that you have the rear wheels on blocks. You need several jack stands along that frame before getting under it.

 

My '77 has the same "tomato can" and chain yours does. Chain was through the mount when I replaced the stock ones. I will end on a positive note............since it's Christmas and all. REALLY COOL AIR CLEANER!

 

Your major problem is your frame rust ! The ideal solution is to take the body off - I did a 'body on' resto and I regret that I left it on.

This area of the frame is the worst water, salt, dirt and dust and rust collector on the entire car....the good news is that everything else should be in better shape.

Don't worry too much - it can be fixed, just take the body off and start removing the rusted metal ... then decide if you want to have it welded at a shop or by somebody you know or if you want to get a used frame....

I have my own welder (portable) - in case you're close to Orlando...

 

That looks worse than mine did from below, when I got the body off this is what it looked like


Steve

 

Is there a way to find out why there is so much rust on this car? Was it sitting in water for a while before someone tried to clean it up? Would that explain why the rotors and calipers look rusty too, or is it just that the frame has a different metal makeup that is more susceptible to rust.

And what is up with the paint on the carburetor? I have actually never seen someone try to paint a carb before. Chrome yes, but not paint. That is probably the least of the worries at this point. The frame rust should be the highest priority.

kdf

 

i don't know why, but whoever had this before me just spray painted the whole engine orange from the top. the underside of all the carb pieces and valve covers isn't even painted at all.....very lazy. anyway, i'l'l be taking the orange paint off the carb too when i get to it. i don't know why it's so rusty...i know it was a northern car for a long time (judging by the amount of candian money i found when i got the seats out), so that might have something to do with it. i'm going to try to get a cheap storage place where i can get some serious work done to get down to the frame....we shall see what becomes of it all....

 

Not to sound too Neg, BUT, you need to address the frame and Birdcage Rot before you go any further with repairs. Don't throw good money at bad money so to speak. Happy Holidays

 

This thread is like watching a blood & gore movie