WTB: C3 frame.

rtj

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Nov 5, 2011
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WTB: C3 frame.

Edit: Feb 2015 found one and bought it. Thanks.
 
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I haven't talked to him for a while, but I assume that Gary Gruhala is still in business in DeSoto, MO. He used to work for the Corvette plant in St. Louis, and usually has good parts available.
 
I haven't talked to him for a while, but I assume that Gary Gruhala is still in business in DeSoto, MO. He used to work for the Corvette plant in St. Louis, and usually has good parts available.

Been a few years since seeing his name mentioned.....glad to hear he still around.....!!
 
WTB: C3 frame. I'm willing to drive a bit. I'm in NE Ohio, western PA region.

I had no idea you moved...... haven't seen you at Starbucks for a while, should have known something's up.... :crap:

Yeah, close to two years. I have three acres and had a nice shop built. I bought the rear fiberglass off a chrome bumper car and plan to rebuild my bubba convertible with a new frame and moly cage.
 
WTB: C3 frame. I'm willing to drive a bit. I'm in NE Ohio, western PA region.

I bought a new frame in the early 1980's and it was shipped by motor freight. I bought a new crate engine about 6 years ago and it was shipped by motor freight. Not a big deal for either the frame or the engine. Not too expensive. A frame weighs a little less than 300 pounds. For shipping, it's weight is not that important..it's the large shape that will determine the shipping charge. From my experience years ago, you don't have to pay to have a frame boxed or crated..they just ship it as is. Can't remember dollar numbers, but the shipping costs were nothing remarkable.

For a good quality used frame, I'd recommend a salvage yard in the Southwest US. This minimizes the chances of getting a rusted frame from salt water winter areas. I quickly learned to not buy salvage parts from mid-west and eastern US salvage yards because of rust. J&D Corvette's in Bellflower, Ca would be a good contact point for a Southern California frame. Google J&D Corvettes. Sometimes in the future, I'll have a very nice 1970 frame for sale, but not now.
 
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It's important to state what year of a C3 frame you need. The 68 frame was a little different than subsequent frames...particularly for the frame extensions that were used to mount the front chrome bumper. I think the 69, 70, 71, and 72 frames are the same. The 73 frame was slightly different than previous years with respect to the front bumper mounting. GM sold the 73 frame as a replacement for the 68 to 73 C3's. A body shop could easily make the minor mods to get a 73 frame to work with the 68-72 chrome bumpers. For 74 and beyond you need someone with more expertise than me to state the frame differences.

There's a website that has all the frame differences....haven't been there for a while, I think it's something like corvettefaq.com.
 
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WTB: C3 frame. I'm willing to drive a bit. I'm in NE Ohio, western PA region.

I bought a new frame in the early 1980's and it was shipped by motor freight. I bought a new crate engine about 6 years ago and it was shipped by motor freight. Not a big deal for either the frame or the engine. Not too expensive. A frame weighs a little less than 300 pounds. For shipping, it's weight is just irrelevant..it's the large shape that will determine the shipping charge. From my experience years ago, you don't have to pay to have a frame boxed or crated..they just ship it as is. Can't remember dollar numbers, but the shipping costs were nothing remarkable. I recommend just having a nice frame shipped by motor freight. If you want to personally pick up a frame and move it, you're going to have to deal with a physically large object. Two men can easily move a C3 frame. One person can easily move it from here to there by rolling it over and over. Get a little appliance dolley with 4 caster wheels, balance the frame on it ...and away you go..you can scoot the frame around very easily.

For a good quality used frame, I'd recommend a salvage yard in the Southwest US. This minimizes the chances of getting a rusted frame from salt water winter areas. I quickly learned to not buy salvage parts from mid-west and eastern US salvage yards because of rust. J&D Corvette's in Bellflower, Ca would be a good contact point for a Southern California frame. Google J&D Corvettes. Sometimes in the future, I'll have a very nice 1970 frame for sale, but not now.
 
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It's important to state what year of a C3 frame you need. The 68 frame was a little different than subsequent frames...particularly for the frame extensions that were used to mount the front chrome bumper. I think the 69, 70, 71, and 72 frames are the same. The 73 frame was slightly different than previous years with respect to the front bumper mounting. GM sold the 73 frame as a replacement for the 68 to 73 C3's. A body shop could easily make the minor mods to get a 73 frame to work with the 68-72 chrome bumpers. For 74 and beyond you need someone with more expertise than me to state the frame differences.

There's a website that has all the frame differences....haven't been there for a while, I think it's something like corvettefaq.com.

Should be pretty much the same from 74-80 or 81, when the aluminum differential was introduced.
 
It's important to state what year of a C3 frame you need. The 68 frame was a little different than subsequent frames...particularly for the frame extensions that were used to mount the front chrome bumper. I think the 69, 70, 71, and 72 frames are the same. The 73 frame was slightly different than previous years with respect to the front bumper mounting. GM sold the 73 frame as a replacement for the 68 to 73 C3's. A body shop could easily make the minor mods to get a 73 frame to work with the 68-72 chrome bumpers. For 74 and beyond you need someone with more expertise than me to state the frame differences.

There's a website that has all the frame differences....haven't been there for a while, I think it's something like corvettefaq.com.

Should be pretty much the same from 74-80 or 81, when the aluminum differential was introduced.

The convertible rear is from a chrome bumper car. My car is a 75, and I'll look for early front fenders. So I'd take any frame for the right price.

Thanks for the lead in Cali, but I will wait a while before buying sight unseen.
 
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Found a 68. It looks pretty good for the price.
 
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