71 rebuild

wabco40 · October 26, 2010, 01:19:49 PM

The doors, T-tops, headlight covers and rear filler panel blocked and finished with 800 wet.

Painted and cleared.
The rear filler panel in the picture is an Ecklers replacement with the shaped ends to fill in the exhaust cutouts.
The quality of the part was crap. It was to narrow for the chrome number plate molding to fit and there where large gaps at each end. I ended up cutting it in half and then re-glassing it about 1/8" wider. It now fits good.

wabco40 · October 26, 2010, 01:46:49 PM

Some of the smaller parts painted and cleared.

demonx · October 26, 2010, 02:22:44 PM

Quote from: wabco40I seperated the hinges for painting and reassembled with new pins and bushes.

Did you change the springs on the hinges? Also make sure you remember to lube up the spring rollers so they don't lock. I just used some spray lithium grease.

I've heard stories of old door springs snapping and tearing a hole out of the door skin with the explosive pressure.

If you haven't, for the sake of a few bucks its a good investment.

wabco40 · October 26, 2010, 02:38:13 PM

Quote from: demonx link=topic=7864.msg1045938114#msg1045938114
Quote from: wabco40I seperated the hinges for painting and reassembled with new pins and bushes.

Did you change the springs on the hinges? Also make sure you remember to lube up the spring rollers so they don't lock. I just used some spray lithium grease.

I've heard stories of old door springs snapping and tearing a hole out of the door skin with the explosive pressure.

If you haven't, for the sake of a few bucks its a good investment.

Thanks demonx. Both springs are also new. I acturally had one missing from when I got the car so order two new springs with the pins/bushes.
I was going to remove them to paint the hinges but figured I would scratch the paint to much putting them back on.

Jethro · October 26, 2010, 07:08:28 PM

I not it's not a yellow:bannana: but I realy Love that BLUE Buddy, looks so SMICK:pepper:

wabco40 · October 27, 2010, 05:54:36 PM

Quote from: Jethro link=topic=7864.msg1045938117#msg1045938117I not it's not a yellow:bannana: but I realy Love that BLUE Buddy, looks so SMICK:pepper:

No its certainly not yellow.

I was thinging about smoothing the firewall out and painting that and the inner fenders body colour before bonding the front clip back on, but figured it might be a bit to much blue on the car. I ended up painting them satin black.

I have got a slight leak on the recon power steering pump so I am going to use that as an excuse to pull the engine (thats what my wife thinks anyway) and paint the short block and bellhousing blue from its current chevy orange. Also got some GMP style rocker covers that I will paint body colour but keep the raised Chevrolet logo aluminum. I am hoping this will look ok.

Making more dust

Prepping for paint

Ready for a few primer touch ups from its final sanding prior to painting.

wabco40 · October 28, 2010, 04:30:12 PM

Its finally painted.

Putting it back on wheels. I used some old 15" tyres on the rallies for moving the car around during prep and paint.

Jethro · October 30, 2010, 09:03:06 AM

Looks SMICK wabco40 :ado: :ado: :ado: :ado:

demonx · October 30, 2010, 09:07:26 AM

Hell yeah - that looks so nice.

What wheels will be going on the finished product?

wabco40 · October 30, 2010, 03:17:27 PM

Quote from: Jethro link=topic=7864.msg1045938145#msg1045938145Looks SMICK wabco40 :ado::ado::ado::ado:

Thanks Jethro

wabco40 · October 30, 2010, 03:32:42 PM

Quote from: demonx link=topic=7864.msg1045938146#msg1045938146Hell yeah - that looks so nice.

What wheels will be going on the finished product?

Thanks demonx.

I've got 2 two sets of wheels, both sets are TT11's. I reckon they suit the chrome bumper C3's.

I've got old school look 15x8 (4"bs) with BF Goodrich TA 255/60/15.

I also have the retro look with 17x8 (4" bs) with Nitto 245/45/17 for the front and 18x9.5 (5.25" bs) with Nitto 275/40/18 for the rear.

I would have liked to have gone wider on the rear but didn't want to fit flares and also wanted to keep the tyres contained in the fenders.

demonx · October 30, 2010, 05:17:23 PM

They'll suit it well.

I had TTII's on mine for a while, 18X8 all round. Next time I'll go 17 front and 18 rear.

wabco40 · November 02, 2010, 08:36:28 AM

Quote from: demonx link=topic=7864.msg1045938150#msg1045938150They'll suit it well.

I had TTII's on mine for a while, 18X8 all round. Next time I'll go 17 front and 18 rear.

I went with the 17/18 as I like the staggered look of Gunther's 68 (from corvetteforum).
I am in the process of relocating the park brake brackets to the top of the trailing arm, its something I should have done when I rebuilt them. Also have a slightly shorter rear spring comming from VBP.

Camo · November 03, 2010, 11:43:12 AM

Hi guys

We have split this thread so that the topic about the wheels and sizes etc is now in it's own thread and the rebuild can continue here.

CLICK ME for the new thread.

Kind Regards
Admin

mick · November 05, 2010, 08:30:47 AM

Some nice neat work going on there wabco40

Mick

wabco40 · November 05, 2010, 02:32:08 PM

Quote from: mick link=topic=7864.msg1045938218#msg1045938218Some nice neat work going on there wabco40

Mick

Thanks Mick,

Its just taking me a long time.
I imported the car in May 2004 and started doing a frame on rebuild not long after that.
I soon realized that to do the job properly would mean stripping the car back to nothing and starting from there.
I guess thats what happens when you buy a 40 year old car, the deeper you look the more you see!!!
Brad.

wabco40 · November 14, 2010, 07:06:41 PM

I have relocated the park brake bracket to the top of the trailing arms. I have also fitted a 1/2" (per side) shorter rear spring. With this set up I've got about 1/4" clearance between the end of the spring and rim and about the same clearance between the tyre and the front area of the frame kick up.
I am using 5.25" back space rims and 275 tyres, with this it keeps the wheels inside the guards.
I could of maybe gone 285 tyres with 5.0" back space rims but the tyres would be sitting right on the fender lip.

I still need the lower the rear of the car but that will have to wait until the car is fully assembled (bumpers, interior etc).

demonx · November 14, 2010, 07:44:52 PM

Are they stock or offset trailing arms?

wabco40 · November 14, 2010, 08:24:18 PM

Quote from: demonx link=topic=7864.msg1045938302#msg1045938302Are they stock or offset trailing arms?

There stock trailing arms. Offsets are not required when using larger diameter rims. The stock arms only require relocating the park brake bracket away from the sides. However I think I would be pushing for room to fit a rear sway bar.
There are double offset trailing arms available that bring the link bolt mounts inboard slightly. That would be better when using a shortened spring and should also allow clearance for a sway bar. I am still considering this option!!!

Jethro · November 14, 2010, 08:56:18 PM

Quote from: wabco40 link=topic=7864.msg1045938300#msg1045938300I have relocated the park brake bracket to the top of the trailing arms. I have also fitted a 1/2" (per side) shorter rear spring. With this set up I've got about 1/4" clearance between the end of the spring and rim and about the same clearance between the tyre and the front area of the frame kick up.
ket.com/albums/ff391/wabco40/IMG_3805.jpg[/IMG]

Hey Wabco, no replacement for perfection and I reckon you've got that looks a treat, buddy:luv::luv::luv::luv::luv: