Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

Lost in the 60s · President

1957 Chev at work.

Back in Black · Active Member

You get to have all the fun.

Lost in the 60s · President

I removed the rear bumper and shackle mounts today. Not much left of the last 22" of frame. We were going to patch it but are now looking for a cut-off from down south to replace it.

Removed all the rest of the mounts off. Lots of patch work at the fronts too.

Then I pressed the right spring pocket up in the rail and welded it in.

Then I made a patch for the outer rail.

gearlube · Active Member

We need more specs on the setup dude. And where and when we can race it !!

Lost in the 60s · President

gearlube wrote:
We need more specs on the setup dude. And where and when we can race it !!

This thing is a toilet !!! He claims he's building a 600 hp E85 SBC for it. The frame will hold when I'm done but the body will most likely blow off at mid-track. All but a couple of the mounts are rusted away and the floor is a patchwork quilt...

John D · 2K+ Club

Not to cut your own throat, but isn't this thing really becoming a candidate for a pre-fab frame swap??

Lost in the 60s · President

John D wrote:
Not to cut your own throat, but isn't this thing really becoming a candidate for a pre-fab frame swap??

The car isn't worth that and the owner knows it. He doesn't want to sink a lot of money in it but needs the frame repaired to handle the 383 he's' installing. He was in today to see the frame work so far and seemed stunned that the entire inner rockers and all floor supports were missing... He was a little discouraged but I am too far into the frame modification to stop now. He may not do the mini-tubs, as we don't know if there is enough metal left in the floor and wheel wells to weld the tubs too.

We ordered a rear frame cut-off out of AZ today that will be here next week. I will just cut off the back 2 ft and replace it all.

Lost in the 60s · President

Yesterday, I finished the right front spring pocket/frame repair.

The opening for the bolt holes has flanges folded back against the new pocket and welded too, for strength.

Then I cut out the frame for the left pocket and tacked that in. The rust hole on the left was larger than the right and I'm going to try to make the patch all one piece. Not gonna be easy bending 9" of 12 gauge steel around the rod for a matching bend.

gearlube · Active Member

Mitch your becoming the Jesse James of the group. Some mad skills dude!!

As Stan can testify, one always seems to find more issues as you dig or cut deeper.

Lost in the 60s · President

I'm supposed to mini-tub it too. Tomorrow I'll see if there is anything to weld the tubs too. I looked at the wheel houses and floor/supports/body mounts a little Tuesday and there isn't much left to work with. Could be some interesting pics tomorrow.

John D · 2K+ Club

The way this thing is looking, you'll get it all patched up... the owner will install his snotty 383... and the "weakest link" theory will prevail. The car will pretzel/wad itself up AROUND all of the work you've done!!

Lost in the 60s · President

Been quite a while since I updated this.

Finished the left patch...

Moved on to the mid body mount.

I took pics of the left wheel tub I installed while waiting for a donor frame but I lost that camera...

I got the donor frame this week and for got my new camera Monday, when I installed the right side. These are the same process for the left.

The left donor crossmember was rusted too thin at the rail with a large deformation from rust scale.

I cut the welds and removed it.

The original crossmember was better, so I removed it and put it back with the new rail.

Cleaned the rail quick in the blast cabinet and gave it a bath in rust converter.

The spring relocation kit has the rear shackle bracket on top of the rail. Welding it on was a lot easier on the table than in the car. The 2 brackets that sit on the rail were welded uneven and it rocked. I had to grind them so it would sit flat.

The rear crossmember was cut in half for shipping and it worked out when I had to replace the left side anyway. Here is the match up before welding.

I forgot to take pics of the actual install of the rail and cutting out for and install of the c-notch...

This is the area ahead of the notch that was still rusty. I cut it out and made a patch from the section I cut out for the notch.

Today, I temporarily installed the springs and axle to check fit.

I then went to mock up the upper shock mount. The directions that came with it show it being installed EASILY on a rolling chassis, sans body. It is supposed to be at the top of the rail. Yeah right, it hit the old shock mounts on the body.

After another couple hours of scraping undercoating, marking, cutting, fitting, and drilling, it is in.

Lost in the 60s · President

Still working on this "car".

Scrapped the undercoating out of the right wheel well and found 3 patches pop riveted in.

Lots of rust on this side too.

After I got the wheel well out I found an old mouse nest.

Also got a behind the scene look at this dandy bondo job...

After fitting the tub and tacking it in, I hand fabricated this filler panel on a bead roller. The fender was rusted away where it is supposed to follow the tub to the top.

The left side had needed an even larger patch because of rust.

The door pillar was MIA too.

After I dug all the bondo and sealer out of the floor, there wasn't much left there either.

I made a panel to attach a pillar repair to and hold the floor to the tub.

Then I fabbed up a filler panel that would attach the tub to the pillar and floor.

Not easy to see in the pic but it had to follow the contour of the tub, pillar and twist all at the same time.

Once I had a pillar, I needed to fab up an angle to tie the inside quarter panel to the tub. I started with a flat piece of sheet and put a 90° bend on the brake.

Then I got to try out my new AMERICAN made stretcher to curve the piece to follow the tub.

All shaped and trimmed to fit.

All welded in and ground down, ready for seam sealer tomorrow.

John D · 2K+ Club

You Da Man...!

I hope this wasn't a "bid" job... T&M all the way pal!

Lost in the 60s · President

John D wrote:
You Da Man...!

I hope this wasn't a "bid" job... T&M all the way pal!

I believe the frame repair and modification was on a quote but the tubs are T&M...

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

Jeez. It probably would have been easier just to backhalf that thing.. Nice work though.. Must be a bitch to try and weld good metal to that old polluted crap.

Lost in the 60s · President

Tony Hoffer wrote:
Jeez. It probably would have been easier just to backhalf that thing.. Nice work though.. Must be a bitch to try and weld good metal to that old polluted crap.

It was a bitch. There was undercoating on the bottom too and it would seep up thru the weld and contaminate it. The fumes got rather noxious a few times too and I had to stop and get fresh air in the shop.

Tim H · Mega Poster

Mitch your work is very impressive. What a rust bucket.

Lost in the 60s · President

Tim H wrote:
Mitch your work is very impressive. What a rust bucket.

Thanks Tim.

You know the saying about polishing a t**d...

Lost in the 60s · President

I finished this up last week. The owner wanted everything painted black and it doesn't photograph well.

67ss · 1K+ Club

All that work and he puts the stock rear end back in it. That won't last long with a motor that makes any kind horsepower. But your work looks amazing.

-- Edited by 67ss on Tuesday 18th of February 2014 03:34:22 PM