65 Coupe Body Drop

[Lawrence S.]

[Bill M.]

Re: 65 Coupe Body Drop

Lawerence did you keep track of the shims that you removed when the body came off ? Were you able to see this slashes on the frame by the mount when you cleaned up the frame. If so then 1 it is

[Mark M.]

Re: 65 Coupe Body Drop

Also check the core support which bears on a stack of shims that were originally tack welded to the frame front horns. The core support bolts to the inner fenders and through the shim packs on the frame. If the body is too low, the bolts to the inner fender my not line up as the core support is bearing on it's shims and the front end may be under a strain pushing it up. I like to set the final core support shims in after the other body bolts are tightened as not to pull down too much on the front end. Just enough shims in to support the core support firmly as it is a rigid mount. As Bill mentioned, original shims give a good starting point but they're not always ideal. Most C2s need a number of shims to even out level bearing, 0-7 1/16" shims.

[Lawrence S.]

[Joe R.]

Re: 65 Coupe Body Drop

Go back to Jimmy Gregg and he will lead you to the best solution! He has more experience than 99.999% of the people on this forum!

JR

[Lawrence S.]

Re: 65 Coupe Body Drop

Go back to Jimmy Gregg and he will lead you to the best solution! He has more experience than 99.999% of the people on this forum!

JR

Thanks Joe. Yea I always go to Jimmy before posting anything on the forum. I agree Jimmy knows more than most on this forum, but just wanted to get an idea on what others had experienced. Jimmy told me it is unusual, but if the shoe fits....

[Thomas N.]

Re: 65 Coupe Body Drop

Thanks guys.
The body was removed from the original chassis and installed on a modern frame and driven 600 miles since 2008. My friend Jimmy Gregg who owned the car restored the chassis to original condition along with the original 396. I don’t have the original shim count or marks on the frame.
The radiator support has not been installed yet.
Should I revisit the need for shims after the radiator support installation?


Thank you

Lawrence
I think you might have answered your own question. If you look at the assembly of the C2's, the frame after it was welded was placed in a jig to determine how far out of tolerance the welded assembly was, and shims were noted to address deficiencies in the frame during construction. If you used a modern day frame, that probably formed nicer, was welded up in a robust jig, and taken more care during construction, the need for a bunch of shims probably is not needed and supports what was required to get your body to fit onto the frame.