I wonder if there is any documentation available on removing the front clip of a midyear? I did a search in two of the archives for - front clip - and chose all terms but I only got about 100 hits and most related to wire clips this or front this, that, or the other. I'll assume that people have asked this same question before and probably got some good answers. I just need to know where to find those answers. I have to remove mine to replace the birdcage pieces that span the lower windshield as well as the corner pieces. Since I have some damage/sloppy repair on both front wheel wells (and the birdcage issue) I'm gonna remove front clip and replace it. Or, if someone wants to put their own answer into a thread... I'd greatly appreciate it. Feel free to be as verbose as you want. The more the better!
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Re: 67 front clip removal
It is easy if you do not want to save the front end. It is almost impossible if you do. I uses a air chisel, my hands and a pair of gloves. After removing things like wires, lower windshield mouldings, radiator support bolts, rocker mouldings etc. I grab the fenders near the bottom and give a big jerk. The air chisel inserted between the panel and the bonding strip is useful in getting it started. It only takes a few minutes. -
Re: 67 front clip removal *NM*
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Re: 67 front clip removal
bob. wayne's method is the quickest if you don't intend to reuse the front clip. Lots less skin irritating fiberglass particles floating around the shop also. just be certain the chisel is BETWEEN the top surround and the bonding strips/cowl. By the way, if you need someone to bond the front clip together before installing the front clip on your cowl, Wayne Woble has a jig to do so. he's a well experienced craftsman. good luck, mikeComment
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Re: 67 front clip removal
I don't intend to reuse clip - too much work from the removal will likely damaged i - plus mine has several areas needing repair anyway. I'm inexperienced in the use of an "air chisel" - but I can get one and I have a large compressor. I'm not sure where you are refering to when you say "between the top surround and the bonding strips/cowl. It all seems to be so smooth, etc. Maybe I'm looking in wrong area. Is this shown somewhere in AIM? Or has there ever been an article in Vette, Corvette Fever, NCRS Driveline, etc, outlining this? It sounds easy but I want to avoid as many pitfalls as possible. I've already NOT avoided getting myself into a car with birdcage issues. But, that's what I've got - and I've been lucky to locate a birdcage that has some very solid pieces I need. Could you explain in a little more detail where I will be using the air chisel and how. I don't want to damage even one square millimeter of cowl if possible - I've already got enough metal amage to repair/replace in the birdcage piece! Again, any help would be infinitely appreciated.Comment
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Re: 67 front clip removal
Just .... grab the fender and ... jerk it upward? Okay, sounds easy enough. Where do I put this air chisel? I'm inexperienced with this but I can probably handle it. Everything along front of cowl/surround seems so smooth - I don't really see a seam. Do you just kind of... push the air chisel in and let it break apart the two pieces? And then lift it up, etc, working back and forth with hands/chisel until you've gone all the way across? Where exactly do you put the chisel? And what of the fenders? Aren't they attached to the A-pillar in a couple of places? Do you use chisel there - or are those areas pretty well hidden and that is where the initial jerk upward you talked about is done to get everything going? Chicken or egg - chisel or hands - which one goes first? Thanks for the initial response. Any further comments would still be greatly appreciated. I realize I can't put a new clip back on - but it seems to me I could remove clip, do the birdcage work and then pass car onto paint/body man experienced in vettes.Comment
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Re: 67 front clip removal
Robert; The Noland Adams big book has some very good pictures of these front ends and related parts, as well as the bird cage and cowl bond panels. It also shows cars being assembled and you can see where to dig.
The paint can be removed from the door jam area after you remove the doors and what you are looking for is the thin layer of darker material in between the outer panel and the cowl panels which will be a lighter grey color. you can use a putty knife (the kind with the metal blade that goes all the way through) and starting at the bottom of the fender at the door jam just drive it into the dark stuff. Try to stay to one side of the dark stuf or the other, not right in the middle. Once it starts to pop loose you can get a larger wedge under it until it has a big enough gap to get your hands under to pull like Wayne said.
The grinding method is mesy and painful later that night but works well and causes less damage to other parts underneath. What you do here is grind through the outer panel at the bond points. once you see the dark material just move on to the next part of the bulkhead until all area's are through. In order to know where to grind you can look behind, put a light behind (after outer paint removal), or simply pull or pry on the panel with your hands or a screwdriver and watch the panel move; Grind where it will not move. Another way is to tap on the panel and grind in the solid sounding area's; since the holow sound is open panel grinding here would be a waste.
You will still have to remove alot more cowl and rocker panels to get to the rust depending on where it is so this is only the begining. Plese specify which area's you need to get at on your cage. DavidComment
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Re: 67 front clip removal
David has described the process rather well, but since you are unsure of exactly how the thing is put together, you could approach things a little differently. Use a saws-all and cut the whole front off just ahead of the coul on about the line of the battery tray. Look under the fenders and you will see where. Dont cut any of the sub structure, just the fender panels. It will be easy then to get under side and get the chisel under the panels between the sub structure and the panels. A picture is worth a thousand words, so look at Nolands book or other works that show the body being assembled. Just reverse that process.Comment
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Re: 67 front clip removal
Eckler's has an excellent book and videotape. Both show step by step panel replacement.Comment
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