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I'm looking to buy a 1971 LT1 but has a real bad rusted cross member frame. It"s bad on the driver side in about 8 inches the then solid. Can you cut out and purchase this frame piece anywhere. Thanks Rick
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Re: 1971 cross member rusted
Rick,
If you see one badly rusted area, chances are good that considerable more damage exists beyond visible inspection. Places like where the frame kicks up over the rear wheels, birdcage at the door sills or at the vertical connections, seat belt mounting brackets, etcetera. Several rules of thumb apply here but the first one I recommend that you consider is buy the best that you can afford. Avoid rust damaged vehicles if at all posible. I wish that I had However, if your skill level, budget, time frame and determination allows, then and only then, consider taking on a body off approach. This is the only way that you can assure yourself that all has been addressed, repaired or replaced as necessary. There are many here, and myself included, that will tell you there is no better way to know your car than to take her all apart, and rebuild piece by piece. You may think that I am over-emphasizing rust damage, but please believe me when I say that if you see something on a frame such as you described, you are in for a lot more than what you "see". America's Finest Corvettes in southern California (Ramone I think), Corvette Central, and a few other vendors offer components to total frames. The Driveline is a good source for such vendors as well. Good luck! -
Re: What he said
If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck..well you get the picture.
I will gaurantee you that if this portion of the frame is gone, other areas such as the kickups to crossmember welded area, frame side rails, and even the front crossmember that saddles under the engine will be either extreemly thin or just about through.
You can dump all kinds of $$$ into driveline components to get the beast back to mechanical fighting trim Rick, but it won't mean crap if a thirty plus year old weak frame can't take it.
Take a small hammer or Awl with you, and if the current owner doesn't mind, poke around all the lower surfaces of the frame. You should find out real quick if it's swiss cheese or not. You should hear a nice solid metal to metal "tap" if the frame is soild. Some times you can get your finger up into the tie down holes just enough to feel if there is significant scale rust buildup.
As far as the bird cage goes, it's tough to get to some of the blow out spots like the T-top frame and windshield lower corners, but these are the big dollar repair spots as well as the door pillars where they are spot welded to the sills at the lower hinge location.
Like Dave said, time, money and plenty of labor can cure any Corvette woe, so don't let the "I got's ta have it's" blind you to the real deal.
Good luck Rick, I hope it turns out Ok for you.
Regards,
ChuckComment
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Re: 1971 cross member rusted
All the frame pieces are available from several vendors. If you have a lot of damage I would consider replacing the whole frame. It is a very large undertaking to start to install a section here and there in a frame.
The car would have to be very cheap if it neaded all this work.Dick WhittingtonComment
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Re: 1971 cross member rusted
A recent issue of THE RESTORER had an article on how and where to examine a frame for rust damage.Comment
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which crossmember? *NM*
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