I guess I will update this thread as I go but it won't be a quick process...it also probably won't do much impressing with the talent here but I figured I'd log the progress anyway. So I bought this car back in December just before Christmas, kinda a present to myself. It has always been a dream car of mine. Well after the purchase I found out I needed surgery on my wrist so I spent the next 4 months in a cast and in surgery. Now that I am out of the cast I am in therapy and getting use of my arm back so I got outside and got a chance to really look at it and man what a mess. The PO cut the floors out of the car and welded a truck frame to the front clip of the cars frame. He was going to drag race the car. I was thinking of using the frame that's under it and was going to modify the floor and seats to work with it but seeeing what's under there just scares me. I have another car that is in rough shape but the frame will work. It needs a few repairs and this frames clip put on it. Is that a good idea? What can be done to make that a stong point where the two frames are spliced? I can't find another frame for a reasonable price or I would just start all over. I have found complete floor pans for the car so that will not be an issue. I suspect this is going to be a slow project as I have limited use of my right hand but as it gets stronger I should pick up steam. Anyway on to the pics. This is the truck frame that is under the car now. It's a real bummer as the floors that are there are pretty solid so the PO cut up seemingly good floors to do this to this car. Here is how he attached the front clip of the existing frame to the new truck frame...scary, huh? Here's the car in question, well worth saving but the frame is just a mess
What do I do about the rear seat area? That frame is way higher than the floor level. I have two kids and would like to be able to have them in the car when it's done.
Funny there are tons of folks trying to put that exact rear suspension in there car, and you want to rip it out.lol I see your concern, question is what do you want, which is easier and better, to reframe it or fix what you have, is it square? level, can you repair it? if you answer no then reframe it. I hope to put the exact set up in my 53. but just the arms not the whole frame. If you were making is a race car name it "BisQuick", and yes that ladder bar type rear suspension would work great in a race car. Godspeed MrC.
Well the suspension isn't the issue. It's the rest of the frame and the inabiity to have rear seats as it sits. I like that name too bad I'm not building a racer
If I am not mistaken that is an early 70's GM pickup rear suspension and rear frame in there. That is why there is no rear seat room. You're gonna need a car frame.
Put in a minivan seat & see where it sits, perhaps. How much higher is that area than the stock height? Either the frame or seat has to move, or the kids will just sit higher, which may be ok if they are not yet tall.
If looking at this project gives you the feeling you don't know where to start and don't have the ability to perform the work it would probably be wise to move on to something else. This is going to take a monumental amount of physical work, a sizable investment ($$$$$'s), not to mention the possibility of around one year in time from start to finish. All of this and there is also a very likely chance you'll end up with way more invested that you'll will ever be able to recover after all of the headaches, time and $$$$'s invested. Probably not what you wanetd to hear but reality is a *****!!! As for a name....................MONEY PIT Frank
Nope I'm not worried about the ability or level of the work. I'm just trying to get my ducks in a row and do the right thing so that I have a nice piece when it is done. @I drag that is what's there as stated above I have another frame that I can use it just needs some repair.
I really don't want to do it trashy I think my best course of action is to use the other frame This one is a real mess.
Ah **** it! it's in better shape then mine is. Hell all you need is floors and a frame. I wish my body was that solid. Put the body on a rotisserie and weld up that hole in the bottom and find a damn Xframe for it. I thought about doing a frame/floor/driveline swap with mine but came to the conclusion that a DYI vasectomy with rusty garden tools would be less painful.
Does your other frame still have a floor (or body)on it as well? I think 4 door cars will also have the same floor.
Yes but it is pretty rotted out. The floors and rockers are toast. There are a few spots on the frame that will need repair when I get that body off it. That car is a 62 2 door it's kinda funny everything from 10"-12" up is in good shape just the bottom is rotted. If someone needs a good roof I've got one.
I was reading your thread, I was hoping to avoid tons of rust repair and when I found this car I figured it was as good a starting place as any.
I like that.! I found another frame. I paid a bit for it but they are hard to find around here. There is a nasty rotten spot but I can fix that and it is light years ahead of the frame I have now [/IMG]
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