[C2] Body to Frame Alignment Question
09-12-2018, 09:40 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Body to Frame Alignment Question
Bear with me as this was my first time restoring a C2.
Here we go...
I took the body off the frame before taking to body shop.
I built a support out of square tubing that was bolted to firewall and then to radiator support to keep the nose supported.
I purchased a body cart from jegs and it was on cart the entire time before, during and after the body shop.
While the body was at the bodyshop, I had the frame blasted and painted.
Got the body back from Bodyshop and everything looked good.
Before I put the body back on the frame, I assembled everything I could on the frame...gas tank, suspension, steering, motor, trans, rear end etc..
I installed the body on the frame using a 2 post lift. I used the body mount kit from paragon and used the exact same hardware, spacers and bushings per the install guide and post on here.
After assembling the rest of the car, I noticed some stress marks on top of both fenders where they meet the cowl. Over time they started getting worse. Also, I noticed the right side fender grill starting to show stress lines.
Is there a fix for this or does this just happen because of it being a fiberglass body? Did the painter not use enough flex in the paint? Do I have an alignment issue, if so how do I check?
I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again before I take it back to the body shop.
I can post photos if needed.
Thanks!
Here we go...
I took the body off the frame before taking to body shop.
I built a support out of square tubing that was bolted to firewall and then to radiator support to keep the nose supported.
I purchased a body cart from jegs and it was on cart the entire time before, during and after the body shop.
While the body was at the bodyshop, I had the frame blasted and painted.
Got the body back from Bodyshop and everything looked good.
Before I put the body back on the frame, I assembled everything I could on the frame...gas tank, suspension, steering, motor, trans, rear end etc..
I installed the body on the frame using a 2 post lift. I used the body mount kit from paragon and used the exact same hardware, spacers and bushings per the install guide and post on here.
After assembling the rest of the car, I noticed some stress marks on top of both fenders where they meet the cowl. Over time they started getting worse. Also, I noticed the right side fender grill starting to show stress lines.
Is there a fix for this or does this just happen because of it being a fiberglass body? Did the painter not use enough flex in the paint? Do I have an alignment issue, if so how do I check?
I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again before I take it back to the body shop.
I can post photos if needed.
Thanks!
09-12-2018, 10:51 PM
#2
Safety Car
Bear with me as this was my first time restoring a C2.
Here we go...
I took the body off the frame before taking to body shop.
I built a support out of square tubing that was bolted to firewall and then to radiator support to keep the nose supported.
I purchased a body cart from jegs and it was on cart the entire time before, during and after the body shop.
While the body was at the bodyshop, I had the frame blasted and painted.
Got the body back from Bodyshop and everything looked good.
Before I put the body back on the frame, I assembled everything I could on the frame...gas tank, suspension, steering, motor, trans, rear end etc..
I installed the body on the frame using a 2 post lift. I used the body mount kit from paragon and used the exact same hardware, spacers and bushings per the install guide and post on here.
After assembling the rest of the car, I noticed some stress marks on top of both fenders where they meet the cowl. Over time they started getting worse. Also, I noticed the right side fender grill starting to show stress lines.
Is there a fix for this or does this just happen because of it being a fiberglass body? Did the painter not use enough flex in the paint? Do I have an alignment issue, if so how do I check?
I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again before I take it back to the body shop.
I can post photos if needed.
Thanks!
Here we go...
I took the body off the frame before taking to body shop.
I built a support out of square tubing that was bolted to firewall and then to radiator support to keep the nose supported.
I purchased a body cart from jegs and it was on cart the entire time before, during and after the body shop.
While the body was at the bodyshop, I had the frame blasted and painted.
Got the body back from Bodyshop and everything looked good.
Before I put the body back on the frame, I assembled everything I could on the frame...gas tank, suspension, steering, motor, trans, rear end etc..
I installed the body on the frame using a 2 post lift. I used the body mount kit from paragon and used the exact same hardware, spacers and bushings per the install guide and post on here.
After assembling the rest of the car, I noticed some stress marks on top of both fenders where they meet the cowl. Over time they started getting worse. Also, I noticed the right side fender grill starting to show stress lines.
Is there a fix for this or does this just happen because of it being a fiberglass body? Did the painter not use enough flex in the paint? Do I have an alignment issue, if so how do I check?
I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again before I take it back to the body shop.
I can post photos if needed.
Thanks!
09-13-2018, 04:14 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
some pictures would help. My first thought is that if stress cracks show up that soon after coming back from a body shop, those cracks must have been there already before the body went to the body shop. And were fixed with not much more than some filler. Just a first guess, don't want to put a cheap blame on that shop. On your side, the cart I made had the nose supported by the cart itself, not through the firewall 
09-13-2018, 07:46 AM
#5
Race Director
My first thought is that you do not have enough shims at the radiator support. As you know the nose/front fenders on these things are pretty flexible and droop off of the chassis. You need enough shims at the front frame horns to pick up the weight of the front end and the droop. Otherwise the upper surfaces of the fenders will be in a tension situation (potential stress cracks) and the lower fenders can be in a compression state, also creating surface irregularities due to buckling/waviness. I wish there were a precise way to figure out how many shims are needed at the radiator support but short of the original GM equipment that measured the frame and mounts and determined shimming - it doesn't really exist for restorers. You kind of have to just lift on the front end by hand to take the stress off of he upper fenders, firewall area and pack the space with shims - keep your fingers crossed.
It's also possible some of this is residual from when the body was on the cart if the nose was not supported in some way and just took it's time showing up.
My 2 cents
It's also possible some of this is residual from when the body was on the cart if the nose was not supported in some way and just took it's time showing up.
My 2 cents
09-13-2018, 11:23 AM
#6
Drifting
Thread Starter
yep i was thinking it has to do with radiator support mounts, but wasn't sure. I'll see if i can get any more shims in that area to release any stress on the fenders. Thanks!
09-13-2018, 12:19 PM
#7
Race Director
You probably aren't going to like this - but to insert more shims you will need to loosen all the bumper mounts up front and loosen the headlight support rods at the grill to free up the nose. That will mean some re-aligning of the nose and bumpers when finished.
09-13-2018, 12:33 PM
#8
Drifting
Thread Starter
yep i was afraid of that..one thing i forgot to say is i noticed when putting front bumpers on i couldn't get them to align 100%, so this might be the cause of that issue as well. thanks
10-16-2018, 10:04 PM
#10
Drifting
Thread Starter
10-16-2018, 11:13 PM
#11
Safety Car
That looks nice. Can you show pics of the stress marks? With the front unsupported here, once on the frame, did it get "pushed up" by the frame? I could see it drooping here and not being "up" as it might be on the frame.
10-17-2018, 09:21 PM
#12
Drifting
Thread Starter
thought this would of held it. I’ll try to post some pics of the stress marks, thanks!
10-17-2018, 10:45 PM
#14
Drifting
Thread Starter
10-17-2018, 11:22 PM
#16
Drifting
Thread Starter