70 firebird major rust repair & Rotissory questions

Show off your work! Anything from final results to full start-to-finish project journals.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:22 pm

Country:
Canada
PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 1:12 pm
Kind of curious about your plan?You need to change the rear rails right?What I would do Dennis is find a way to secure your car on the pinchweld area front and rear just like they do on a unibody frame rack.Once you have it secure the rocker area is the most important so you can now make a datum plane and take measurements (cross and height measurements) of your rear rails before you replace them.Do your sheet metal replacement first then put it on the rotiserrie.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:41 pm
Jayson m wrote:Kind of curious about your plan?You need to change the rear rails right?What I would do Dennis is find a way to secure your car on the pinchweld area front and rear just like they do on a unibody frame rack.Once you have it secure the rocker area is the most important so you can now make a datum plane and take measurements (cross and height measurements) of your rear rails before you replace them.Do your sheet metal replacement first then put it on the rotiserrie.




Thank you Jason
Your advice makes a lot of sense.
I'm not sure about the frame rails just yet waiting to see what the inside of them looks like, I will post pics of them tho.
The new Trunk floor with frame rails was like $1700 a lot more than I wanted to spend. (Were do you draw the line?)
http://www.classicindustries.com/firebi ... 14943.html

The floor pan I got was a whole pan though, Still waiting on Trunk drop offs for both sides right side is on back order. :realmad:
http://www.classicindustries.com/firebi ... /C340.html

I'm trying to keep to some sort of budget, Gave myself a budget of $3k for parts
To some that may seam like a fortune but in reality its just a drop in the bucket, $3000 doesn't go very far at all.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:22 pm

Country:
Canada
PostPosted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:28 pm
$1700 is pricey for sure but keep in mind patching up frame rails is not ideal or safe.IMO you might be better off contacting desert valley auto parts or talking to a guy on team chevelle whose handle is azchevs,he is in arizona that buys complete cars and parts them out.I bet he could either find you a shell in much better shape or the floor and rails that you need for much less.That is the route I would go,keep it safe .



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:12 am
Jayson
I never said anything about patching frame rails that I recall?

Some one at some time welded on both rear frame rails at some time in the cars life making exhaust hangers.
But I didn't see a reason to replace them for that? both areas are forward of of main hoop before the rear end about the size of a quarter. I feel very confident in my ability to Tig weld that up. And while the frame rails do have some surface rust on their exterior back at the tail panel, I was just gonna Blast that clean same with the inside of the frame rails UNLESS I run into major pitting on the inside of them then I may be looking for new frame rails. I can see inside them and Ya there is rust in their but most 40+ year old car doesn't? like I said earlier were do you draw the line?
If it were a Trans am ya I would pull all the stops out but its not so where do you draw the line?
This was & is literally a rusted out bare hulk a bare gutted out and destroyed dash was in the car it didnt even have a screw holding it in when I got the car speaking of witch thats another $500 part plus all the gages wiring harness ect all was and is gone.
The engine in it while date code correct is not even a running engine. again were do you draw the line?
This car should be scrap but dummy me........ :flatten:

I just want to do what I can the best I can with what I got without going broke doing it and make it look as good as I can and make it run like a Pontiac should run and move on to one of my other projects.

Just my opinion but their is more Value in UN-restored UN-molested cars than their is in restored cars.

Thank you for your advise & guidance as I do Value your opinion
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:22 pm

Country:
Canada
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:05 pm
Gee not sure where I got that idea ,thought you were changing the rear rails for some reason :knockout: Anyway you don't need to worry about making the car level or securing it in the pinchwelds for sheet metal replacement,keep it on the suspension and then throw it on the rottiserie when your done.I would take a survivor original paint car anyday myself over a restored car....



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 4:32 pm
Jayson
I wish I was replacing them, It would be good experience for me for the other car but If I can get away with it I'm gonna skip it this time. The 71 or as I call it the white fire bird I think I'm gonna have to do them on it. But if I do I wanna just go ahead and widen the rear wheel wells and move the frame rails in a bit for bigger tires and rims.

That other car is in a lot worse shape as far as rust is concerned in the rear maybe I posted pics of it and that's wear the idea of replacing the rear frame rails came from???? that car is in really bad shape as far as rust goes and that's the one I'm gonna keep at least for a while. I'm gonna put a .060 over 455 in it with Edelbrock round exhaust port heads on it and a 4 speed tranny and a 411 posi.

:twisted:
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:26 pm
Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:05 am
Image


Image


Image


Image


Image
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:42 am
The whole floor pan fits like a glove so far, the Trunk drop offs will work but need a little work to make em work.
The Patch panels for front & rear of wheel opening are complete junk to use as replacements in my opinion BUT they are good enough to cut a patch or two from if that's all you needed but in this case they were and are a complete waste of time and money.
This car needs real metal and REAL quarter panels for repairs just too much metal needs to be replaced.

I have a set of Rust free quarters, BUT I need to figure out Just how much I should actually replace of the original metal?
I am one who thinks LESS is more when it comes to welding in new metal.

Do you guys think I should just cut out JUST the rot OR go with as Big a piece as I can as far as replacing quarter skins and fixing the quarters?
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 431
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:22 pm

Country:
Canada
PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:33 am
Looks like its coming along nicely Dennis,I would agree with using whatever you need to patch the inners if they are not that bad.But when it comes to the quarter panels,if you have a pair of rust free ones I would install them complete for 2 reasons.
1.They will give you access to everything underneath them so you can sandblast and epoxy the inside structure to get rid of all the rust and scale.
2. They will be easier to finish with less body work and will give you a superior job,for the extra time it takes it will save you time in the end.Just my opinion.
PreviousNext

Return to Completed & In Progress Member Projects

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 74 guests