Rookie's First Restoration Attempt...

[stinger12]

DOn't forget to put a vent in that hole just behind the bell- it'll squirt juice all over when it gets hot. Looks the same as a rear end vent- press in white plastic thing with a green cap.

Hey Tim!

I don't remember pulling any vents out of any holes during the tear-down. You got any pics?

 

[RJ80]

[URL="ht]]"]http://www.concealcarry.net/swap/images/350trans.jpg[/URL]

 

[TimAT]

RJ, I couldn't get your link to work..

Stinger, try this..

http://www.bulkpart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=2&Product_Code=44490

 

[stinger12]

I did the first test fit with the inner fenders and core support today.



















Its getting closer.

 

[stinger12]

When I put the body on the frame, the first thing I did was level the ground. I marked 4 spots on the floor, where each tire would sit. I used a line level and string to make each point level. You may have noticed that the left side of the car has a board underneath the front and back tires. I made sure the rim/tire height to ground was the same on my old tires at the time. I set the car back on these 4 points with all thread front and rear in the suspension, with the car at ride height. The frame was level to the new four points on the ground.

The reason this all matters is because I am now able to use a "levelled" 4 foot level on the ground to measure various points on the car. Granted this is not a 100% perfect system, its pretty damn close. Throughout the entire rebuild I have been taking measurements to either a levelled level, or to the 4 points the tires are sitting on, and it has been working awesome. Here is an example. I needed to get the fender lip on the flares exactly the same distance to the ground on both sides. So I measured to the newly shimmed points the tires were sitting on, and they are both dead on, both in looks, and on the measuring tape.

I scrubbed all the panels with scotchbrite/thinner, then with soap/water, before I started any of this. My god did that take a LONG ASS time. I was beat by the end of the day from that "little" project. This removes all the mold release from the gelcoat.

Anyways, I "levelled" a level and measured from the hood reinforcements to the top of the level. I made adjustments to the rad support until they were equal side to side - this way the front end and hood will sit dead level. Mike said to take lots of measurements.







I lost one of the rad support brackets, so I had to fab one up...



Hood hinges mounted. I sandblasted and painted these a while back.





Inner fender reinforcements riveted back into place. I powder coated these a while ago. Man am I anal:crazy:





Then I had to repair the rad support to header bar rod. The stud busted off the end of the rod, and I had to weld a new stud to the end, and reshape it. I sandblasted it and painted it with cast blast. Anything to save me money!





Test fitting the inner fender splash shields. These were also sandblasted and powdercoated a while back.





And, this is the most satisfying part of all of this work. Look how nice the fender matches the door contour now! The back of the door matches the doglegs perfect too. Remember how Mike told me to twist the doors? Well, the images speak for themselves...





I still have a ton of fitting to do, but at least I am getting somewhere.

 

[stinger12]

Hood bolted in place. You wouldn't believe how much work it took to get the hood to line up like it is right now...and I am nowhere near being done fitting it. Mike, thanks for all the help yesterday:thumbs:

 

[Sar Skipper]

Those flares look unfreaking believable!

18 huh?

You've done a hell of a fine job!

 

[stinger12]

Those flares look unfreaking believable!

18 huh?

You've done a hell of a fine job!

I'm turning 21 this august!

 

[stinger12]

Markus, The peak in the center of the surround is high. Mike wants me to finish fitting the rest of the front end and all the other parts. When everything is done, I am going to cut the header bar right in the center, about half way through it with my grinder. Then I am going to jump on the surround to make it match the hood. Once everything lines up perfect, I will weld the header bar back up. Its the only way to get everything perfect. You have to figure that I am practically building the front end all from aftermarket parts - something is bound not to fit right.

I put another 3 hours in today before work. Its almost perfect now. Mike said I am almost done fitting the front end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out how symmetrical everything is.

Left Side


Right Side



Here is a measurement from where the front of the inner fender ends, to the front of the fender. It was damn near identical on both sides, while everything was relaxed with no screws. That's how perfect I fit this front end.

Left Side



Right Side



Valance clamped in place



Finally, a hood to be proud of - A PERFECT MATCH



Fenders screwed in place...





Mike, you're a friggen god! THANK YOU

 

[stinger12]

Jeremy, eight basketballs?!

Yeah I KNOW!

I keep telling my parents that we need to throw stuff away...but nooooo, its not my garage they say:lol: I am very thankful that they are cooperating with me taking over the man cave.

Got a lot accomplished this afternoon. I think I am ready to bond the inner fenders to the outer fenders on the sides now:hurray:

















Me, happy as can be!

 

[Mr.Kiss]

Hey Jeremy ... that hood looks awsome ... way better than when we were scratching our heads for hours on end, last friday in your garage ... boy you have mad tallent ... i can't wait until you get some paint on that thing... The only problem with coming over to try to help you with that is that it makes me think about all the inperfections mine has ... mine is a piece of crap compared to yours now ....:crap:

 

[stinger12]

Hey Jeremy ... that hood looks awsome ... way better than when we were scratching our heads for hours on end, last friday in your garage ... boy you have mad tallent ... i can't wait until you get some paint on that thing... The only problem with coming over to try to help you with that is that it makes me think about all the inperfections mine has ... mine is a piece of crap compared to yours now ....:crap:

I had a long talk with Mike after you left. He explained everything to me step by step to make it easier, and I eventually got it done.

I don't know why you would think that yours is a piece of crap compared to mine...mine might look pretty, but I don't have the upgrades you have on your vette. Plus...you actually get to drive yours!

 

[stinger12]

Stayed up all night and FINALLY finished bonding the inner fenders in place. I did this with the front end still on the car...it was a pain, but I didn't want to mess up the alignment of the panels (if I had pulled the front end off and flipped it upside down). Sanding these areas with the clip on was a bitch, Make sure you sand the areas before you put the front end on (prep for bonding)...it will save you a ton aggravation and bloody knuckles.

























I am very happy that they are done and out of the way...now I gotta work on fitting the front end to the bonding strips on the firewall so I don't need 1/2'' of adhesive to fill up the gaps. I'll post more on that later. Once that is finished, the front end gets pulled off. I bond the firewall in place, all of the bonding strips are bonded in permanent, then I finally get to glue to nose on.

 

[stinger12]

The point on the center of the surround was too high in comparison to the hood. Mike wanted me to cut the header bar, then step on the surround to bend it, and then reweld it. It worked, but I still came up about a 1/4'' too high in comparison to the hood. It also popped the the header bar loose from the bottom of the fiberglass. The only way to fix it properly now was to remove the header bar completely, reshape the metal, level the surround using weights, and then rebond it back into place.

The problem...



Header bar removed from the fiberglass...







I cut it in half, and bent the bar into shape, and rewelded it. I put 4 beads on the inside of the bar, where you cannot see them. I welded the outside of the bar and smoothed it out.



I then reshaped the fiberglass using weights, my body, and a heat gun, until it perfectly matched the hood.



I test fitted the bar one last time befrore bonding, reshaping it little by little till there was a little gap between it and the fiberglass.







I put two thick coats of paint on the inside of the bar for extra rust protection, then glued it into place. Done! Thes pics are from when I was done fitting it...couldn't find any after I bonded it in place...but it turned out exactly like the pictures show.







This little project sucked big time.



The rest of the hood will be fixed with bodywork, fiberglass and lots of sanding. The better you fit your panels, the less bodywork they need - I fit it the best I physically could get it. I think it turned out awesome. And, like always, I need to thank Mike for his help on this!

 

[Mr.Kiss]

hey Jeremy whats up no powder coat on the heater bar before you glued it back on .... your slipping buddy .... or are you just getting to excited .... haha

 

[Mr.Kiss]

sorry i ment to say header bar instead of heater bar ... was a long day at work ... haha

 

[stinger12]

hey Jeremy whats up no powder coat on the heater bar before you glued it back on .... your slipping buddy .... or are you just getting to excited .... haha

The reason I did not powder coat it was because the entire bottom of the front end will be painted with epoxy. I want it too look like its part of the surround...so it blends in. That and because it was too big to fit in my oven and sandblast cabinet. Later Terry:zzz:

 

[stinger12]

I finally had a chance to roll the car outside to see how everything looked from a distance (after fixing the drip rail in place, and redoing the entire header bar). Still have a lot of fitting to do.

 

[stinger12]

I started working on fitting the front bumper.



I will be getting rid of the "bumperettes". The whole mouth is going to get cut open, and I will be installing a custom grill when the time comes. The bumper is also getting glassed in.

 

[MYBAD79]

Looks really good with the bumper in place. :thumbs: