Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

[Juliet P.]

OK, I really want to do a full restoration on my '70 ragtop. I've been seriously flirting with the concept of pulling the engine out so I can properly detail the engine bay. Well dear husband plants some bug in my head about it being "so much easier without the body in the way."

OK, so then I start thinking body off restoration. Sure would make my frame work much easier to accomplish. OK, but then there's the storage issue of the body while I take my sweet old time doing all the resto work. I can't fit both in the garage, and we really can't leave the body in the driveway for an extended time, and there's not much flat yard storage room. So we're looking at storage rental ($-can't take my sweet old time anymore) or finding someone's barn.

Then I see a picture of a vette with the front clip removed, and I start wondering if the front clip might fit through the sliding glass doors into the basement. (Anyone try this before?) I can live with the nose in there for a few months. Afterall Greg had the '32 street rod body in the sunroom in Calif for a year once. And I still said yes when he asked me to marry him, little did I know that might come in handy as leverage....

I've got some muscle coming for vacation here (Bro & cousin & Dad) next month so it might be a good time with strong muscles around to get going on something here.

OK. Here are the questions.

1. Is it really worth the work to get the body off to do a complete restoration? How do you decide?

2. How hard is it to take the front clip off? Does it go back on easy or is there body work involved? IE, is it glued on and removable or damage guaranteed when removed?

3. Is it worth pulling the engine to detail the engine bay or should I do 1. or 2. above?

4. In a weekend and some weeknights manner, how long would you estimate restoration efforts for Body off, Front Clip off, or engine pull approaches to take?

One more week of classes and final exams and project reviews at work and then I get some Corvette PLAY time! YIPPEE!

------------------ ~Juliet ...overlooking Mill Creek on the Chesapeake Bay... Loaded Bridgehampton Blue on Blue '70 350/300Hp TH400 with a White Ragtop




Juliet's 1970 Corvette

[Chuck S.]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

Juliet,

I have been doing a frame-off restoration of my '70 coupe for, uh, years. Personally, I think you would be crazy to start such a project. If I had it to do over, I would keep fixing the warts and driving the car for all those years instead of having the car in boxes.

To pull the body, you literally have to disassemble the car; you have to gut the body to make it light enough to pull. From my experience, I would say if you plan carefully, your Corvette will only occupy twice as much space apart as it does assembled. Got a spare bedroom? Well, we don't; it has been filled for years with Corvette parts.

And about removing the front clip; it is removed by breaking the fiberglass bonds between the front fenders and the plenum/firewall. It would be tough to put it back and make it look right; this would be about a five wrench job, you know...very experienced with the right tools. I would not take it on if I had a choice.

Your car looks nice. Detail the engine compartment with the engine in the car by working carefully and masking everything. Drive it and enjoy the car. Just my humble opinion.

Chuck Sangerhausen

[Joe L.]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

Juliet-----

A few comments:

1) Personally, I DO NOT RECOMMEND removing the body from a Corvette for a "frame-off" restoration. In my opinion, this is risky business in the sense that the body of your car is now 30 years old and nowhere near as "supple" and "willowy" as it was originally. Also, it has taken a "set" to its particular orienatation to the frame. So, if you remove the body you stand a great chance of having problems created when you "remarry" it to the frame. Body cracking is the primary factor here. Also, I have heard many folks tell of stories regarding a DRAMATIC increase in body squeaks and "groans" during on-road operation after a "frame off". I would NEVER, EVER perform a "body off" restoration on ANY car that I owned. The only exception to this rule would be a case of a car that needed a new frame; in that case, you have to do what you have to do. For "trailer queen" type cars, "body offs" are fine, though.

2) I would also NOT RECOMMEND removal of the "front clip". Basically, this is for two reasons: the first reason is the same as that described in (1), above. The second reason is that this is not such a simple job and reattachment, INCLUDING PROPER REALIGNMENT OF EVERYTHING, can be frustrating, to say the least.

3) You can remove the engine from the engine bay in order to detail the engine bay and engine, for that matter. This is not very difficult with the proper equipment. You will be able to do a very decent job of restoring the engine bay and engine under these conditions. With the engine out, you can literally "climb into" the engine bay and go at it.

4) With respect to your last question, all I can tell you is that a "frame-off" is a MASSIVE undertaking and will consume an enormous amount of time. If you want to DRIVE the car again in the near or not-so-near future, don't even THINK about this option. An engine removal can be rather easily accomplished in one weekend and re-installation done in another. Thoroughly detailing the engine bay might require one to two weekends.

[Jim T.]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

To remove your engine and leave the transmission in the car you don't even have to unbolt the hood on a 70 Corvette. Then you will have all kind of room to clean and paint. Remove the control arms and have them bead blasted. Then new bushings and paint. But I didn't do this untill I had driven the car over 150K. Summer is coming and you could be enjoying your car a lot more driving it. You are young and have plenty of time to do this other stuff.

[Chuck G.]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

Hi Juliet. A body off is a massive undertaking. Removing the front clip on a glass car isn't like taking apart a 32 Ford, where you can unbolt a few fenders. On the other hand, it's a fairly simple job to pull the engine/transmission. I've done this on my 63 and have helped friends do the same. You can do an outstanding job detailing the motor, engine compartment, etc. I would recommend this IF you want to do it. Case in point...when I was doing some engine work on my 69, I struggled detailing everything. I had loaned my engine hoist to a friend. If it had been in the corner of the garage, that motor would have been on the floor. Much easier. One word of "caution"... a single project starts a cascade of others. Your "paint the motor" project will likely mushroom...been there, done that!! I'll be glad to help. How is Greg's motor dilemma going? Call me. Chuck

[Don]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

I would prefer any Corvette that was detailed over a "body off" restoration,unless the Corvette was so deteriorated that a body off was the only solution.A lot of people get a big kick saying their Corvette is a "body off restoration", but I get a big kick out of saying "look at the original masking tape holding down the body mounts"!It can only be mounted to the frame originally once,so it would seem that an originally mounted body-frame Corvette would be more sought after that a "body off" one even if its not perfect.Some may disagree but thats my opinion.On another note a NCRS friend of mine(now deceased)restored/detailed his 63 and you would swear he did a "body off" but he was just patient and detailed a section at a time and it looked as good as any "body off". Don #31753

[Dennis D.]

Re: Q: Pull the Body, front clip or Engine

juliet, when I restored my 70 ragtop ,I was luck to have a top flight restorer a mile away. After I had everything bolted to the car off, I thought about taking the body off as well. My restorer friend asked most of the same questions to me that you are asking. The main one, where to store the body properly. Not damaging during removal, and the proper "rig" for storage. Although I was only body mount bolts away from the removal, I didn't take it off. He said that the area's I couldn't restore were minimal,(and unseen)and the only thing I could not r&r was the fuel lines. I also knew how much space it took to store all the referbished parts until I started putting everything back together. Unless you want to blast the frame and maybe go for a top flight, I would leave the body on. I drive my car alot and didn't intend to have it judged.(although the #'s match) It would be interesting to see the judges reactions to my 1970, L-46 conv., Black with silver interior.(think this color combo rolled off the line just after the "split tail") Good luck, Dennis