frame deviation ?

[Yves Thaens]

Hi,

I have a question about the frame of my 79.

For reasons I'm not going into, I need to change the body on this car with that of another 79. The latter one has got a perfect undamaged body.

I had the shimcombination for the original chassis on which the new body has got to come. I've read that they shimmed the chassis in the factory to the correct dimensions (not for the body), so normally everything should be OK...

To make sure however I levelled the chassis both on the front and back tips, according to the height from a known datumline under the car and measured all the bodymount locations (with shims on them) to that datumline.
All left side bodymountpositions seemed to be low, with the nr 1 at appr. 0,59 " low compared to the right (nr 2). Rest is more or less the same.
I looks as if the left side rail is sitting higher than the right one (when i level the bodymountlocations out), especially in the front right tip of the chassis.
I know the original body had a front end changed + right door + right rear quarter panel, so probably she got hit in the side from the front on backwards.

Is this deviation caused by a hit wheel (twisted frame)? Or am I looking at something which is not correct from the factory.

BTW : left side there were more shims (1-4-6-2 compared to right 0-3-3-2thickones = 14 mm !!)

I'm considering having it corrected, but I need to know for sure that nothing was like that from the factory.

Also : I checked the other 79, and this car also had the body on the left side a tad lower...

Thanks for any input.

Yves Thaens
Belgium

[William C.]

Re: frame deviation ?

While the body is off, you need to have the frame checked for proper dimensioning. A frame shop that repairs cars in your area should be able to do the job. If they don't have the reference specs, email me and I will send them to you.