72 coupe Project pics

[AGVI]

Wow.. Thats rusty allright..


You deserve a for bringing this one back from the yard.. :cool


-Stefan

I agree

 

[MichelP]

Thanks AGVI.

Ok last night I finally found some time to play with the rear end! (the old frame's rear end).
Started with this

Everything was pretty seized in rust so for the past couples of weeks I sprayed somre lubricant and some of the bolts came out easy. I started with them first.

The diff and crossmember came out easy.

I left the wheels because it was easyer to handle.

Then I separated the crossmember from the diff. Had to heat the bolts first.

Then took the half shalts and the spring assembly. I had to cut the spring bolts since I dont think I'll ever reuse them anyway. Dont you think that would be a good pic for a suspension dealer?
" If your suspension looks that way... you need us!"

Couldn't get the lower shock mounts so I left the struts bars there.

This trailing arm is in a bad shape, not sure it's good anymore.

Next,I'll take off the brake calipers and leave the trail arm assembly as it is. I'll get to it later.

 

[MichelP]

Ok well since I've been running a lot more between here and Chicago lately I didn't have much time to work on the car. Today I had a few hours. I had to return the welding machine to my friend so I cant work on the frame gussets. I'll probably buy myself a mig welder after the hollidays. I already have a 220v in the garage for it and I need a welder. Anyway, instead I started to dismantle the engine bay. Took everything out, the wiper door assembly, the wiper motor, the heater box ect.

With the wiper door and its assembly out of the way I could see a bit more of the birdcage and again it looks good. The only thing left there is the wipers.

I have more pics but I cant upload them in the village photos thing. Runnin out of space I think I'll look into it later.

Next I found a way to make a jig to flip the body on its side. That way I'll have a better access to underneat of the car and I'll start the cleanup sanding and prep for the underbody paint. I plan to use some kind of coating used in pick up boxes. lineX or something like that. Pretty tuff stuff.

 

[zachh]

WOW, thats one sick vette! Good Luck nursing 'er back to shape!
Happy Holidays
zachh

 

[MichelP]

WOW, thats one sick vette! Good Luck nursing 'er back to shape!
Happy Holidays
zachh

Thanks man! she was sick allright but on the right track now.
It's only a matter of putting everything back together, the worse is now behind.
Happy hollidays to you too.

 

[bossvette]

I have more pics but I cant upload them in the village photos thing. Runnin out of space I think I'll look into it later.

.

Cool project, I too use Village photos: I have a plan "D" pay account more storage then I'll use for 7 bucks a month; with the free accounts you fill them up real quick

 

[zachh]

Thanks man! she was sick allright but on the right track now.
It's only a matter of putting everything back together, the worse is now behind.
Happy hollidays to you too.

Taking it apart is usually somewhat hard.....
Putting it back together is even harder.....
Good times to be had.....
zachh

 

[B17Crew]

This is an AWESOME thread, can’t wait to see more!

B17Crew

 

[MichelP]

Taking it apart is usually somewhat hard.....
Putting it back together is even harder.....
Good times to be had.....
zachh

Yeah I know Zachh, I've been thinking a lot about this project and for a long time, I dont rush things. Got a lot of good friends, hotrodder, mechanics around me so if I'm not sure about reassembling anything I wont even start without help. I want to rebuild it and have a reliable and safe car to play with afterwards. I also dont care how much time it takes to do it.

 

[GTR1999]

Wow, I give you credit. With a frame that bad and all the other work I would have parted it out- and I rebuild everything on them!
How are you going to build the differential and rear suspension?

 

[MichelP]

Wow, I give you credit. With a frame that bad and all the other work I would have parted it out- and I rebuild everything on them!
How are you going to build the differential and rear suspension?

Actualy it looks worse than it is. The birdcage is in excellent shape and nothing is missing in the body. After dismantling a good clean up and repaint the parts will take care of it. For the frame, I knew it was in bad shape but again after dismantling it apart it's repairable.
The car came with a complete freshly rebuilted rolling frame. Suspension, diff, steering and trailing arms, brakes calipers and rotors, all new or fresly rebuilted also all the rubber bushings were new. I just took everything apart because I didn't trust the way it was reassembled and the paint on the frame was peeling off and after some posts reading on the subject, I wanted to reinforce it.
The new diff looks good but I'll probably take it appart to check if everything was rebuilded allright. I know the old one has 3.08 gears but dont know what's in the new one. The trans is original so she'll be taken appart also and rebuilded. I dont know yet if I'll do that. I saw some threads I think they were from you and I'm tempted to give it a try LOL.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Michel,

This is a great project. Congratulations on your good work and determination.

 

[MichelP]

Michel,

This is a great project. Congratulations on your good work and determination.

Thank you sir! By the way, after we bought the house and finaly I had a garage to play with. I wouldn't want to blame you for all of this, but after visiting your rebuild site numerous times I got the idea to start looking for a vette. Timing was right because the same week that I started to talk more seriously about looking for one I saw the add and if it wasn't enough...the car was about 2 miles from my house!
Great inspiration, thanks!
Man that pic of your front end is wicked! Is the color solid red and the orange is a reflection?

 

[67HEAVEN]

Man that pic of your front end is wicked! Is the color solid red and the orange is a reflection?

That's correct, Michel. It's red. The camera does weird things with the colour from certain angles.

 

[zachh]

Nothins better than a vintage vette with hooker sidepipes!
zachh

 

[chevy6673]

Nothins better than a vintage vette with hooker sidepipes!
zachh

all i see is the 427 emblem on the hood thats vintage

 

[GTR1999]

The new diff looks good but I'll probably take it appart to check if everything was rebuilded allright. I know the old one has 3.08 gears but dont know what's in the new one. The trans is original so she'll be taken appart also and rebuilded. I dont know yet if I'll do that. I saw some threads I think they were from you and I'm tempted to give it a try LOL.

Well if you need help let me know, I'll give some things to look at if you the cover off the diff or Muncie. Good luck,
Gary

 

[MichelP]

Thanks Gary I'll get to you before I open those things for sure. Been following a lot of threads you did about the tranny and diffs and there shouldn't be any problems doing it right. I'll definitely need all the help I can find LOL.
Right now I didn't work much on the car lately because I changed run and been doing a lot of miles all over the states and that means a lot of time away from home. But after the hollidays things will get to normal and I'll be able to work more on the project.
Mean while I keep planning a lot of " while I'm at it" Things. LOL
Thanks again.

 

[MichelP]

How's some update on my 72?
First since I dont have a welder I rented one, a friend of mine came along and gave me a crash course .
I made a bunch of gussets for the front end and we started to weld.

The welds on the frame were not too good so most of them were rewelded.


This is the finished underside of the frame


The frame was then flipped and I cut some more plates to box the front frame horns

We did also the diff front holder


The area that was scary was the rear diff holder. There was almost no welds it was only tackwelded. Scary to know that the entire rear end is sitting on those we rewelded them


the next day I lifted the body and test fitted it on the new frame. A bit more work but it was worthed it since the front diff holder did not clear the battery box



So I had to cut them and make them clear


Whle we were at it we added some plates in different places. Where the rear clip joint the frame for example

So Thats it for the gussets.
I'll have a bit mor weldings to do but I'll get to that later. We ran out of sheilding gas and everything was closed for the hollidays.

Now that the body is sitting on the new frame I can align and install the jeep steering box.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Nice looking welds. You are a fast leaner. Nobody can ever say that GM wasted welding materials, that's for sure.