I'm looking to repair a few of the body mount holes now that my frame has been blasted. I have the washer repair kit from OPGI and I was curious as to how to weld them in. Do I need to cut/drill out all existing/bad holes and place them flush with the frame and weld them in? Or could I weld the washer right on top of the existing body mount holes and with every hole having a washer on it, it should, theoretically, be level? Also, there appears to be a crack in the frame. What's the best way to repair this? I guess this is part of the fun in getting the frame blasted, you get to see and deal with all the problems.
I would (and did ) place them flush, because that looks tidy. But I suppose you couldn't tell the difference if you place them on top.
yeah, I'm gonna get some pics this weekend. frame is at the girlfriend's house, briefly saw the crack but didn't take any pics.
The only problem with putting them on top is where the 2 pieces overlap. There will be a space between them where water/condensation will get trapped between the 2 pieces. The last thing you need is water getting trapped in that area, especially once you tighten up the bolt and lower rubber seal against the bottom of the frame. The reason that area rotted out in the first place was because water got trapped there. Duane
I would skip buying the washer kit. Buy the right thickness metal, a hole saw and make them.. shouldn't take more than a half an hour.
Sounds good. Looks like I'll be welding them flush with the frame. I did pick up a few hole saw bits and I actually picked up the washer repair kits from OPGI. We'll see how it goes this weekend. Idea is to get the few holes replaced and then get some primer on it and a few coats of paint on it. Any other areas I should weld up while I am at it? I'll also get a pick of the crack and post it up, see if I can get any ideas on how to fix it.
You might want to check into what is required to fix the crack before you spend any time welding the holes up. If the crack cannot be fixed correctly, then there is no sense in putting labor in it if it needs replaced. Duane
Found the crack. Let me know what you guys think and if i can repair with tig welding, the best way to attack it.
That looks like area behind A-arm. , For me that would be an issue. Since the frame is seperated from body, I could see myself repairing that.. Some rectangle plates on both sides tying into the pivt point of a-arm. Ibuilt some for rear kickup of convert frame. Actually had threded tube to bolt onto inner plate then tightened and tacked.Just backyard repair, but as a welder. The metal should fit close as possible. Lots of flexing was going on there. My everyday car has rotted out at lower frame right behind fender jamb/ body mount. I have patch made to tie onto side of frame and bolt into access hole on side. Do both sides using one pattern then reverse for other side.
@mikethegoon Any chance you have any pics of the repair you're talking about? You don't think just welding the crack will suffice? Or given it's location I should weld some plates onto the frame itself for extra protection/support?
Naw I regret removal of the plates. A crack in the floorpan directly under the seats appeared+ and showed the metal bending back and forth. I remember now it was made of stainless steel- for working it recycling yard at the time it was everywhere. Last I seen of the car it was uponblocks and convert top was off.
I don’t like the location of that crack. It’s between the firewall body mounts and the engine cradle. A friend of mine had a crack like that on his Chevelle. It was welded from a previous owner but did not have much strength. When we took the front clip off to restore the car, we had the body supported on jack stands. When I let off the floor jack that was under the engine cradle the frame rail on the one side dropped about an inch, but the other side dropped about 4-5 inches. At that point we started looking for another frame. Duane
If i go the route of looking for a replacement frame, what years for an A body frame an i looking for? I'm headed up to Carlisle swap meet next week, and Hershey the week after, might be a good opportunity to find one.
Any of the Buick 68-72 2-door frames will work. The 68 frames are different but you can still make them fit. The 69 frames are slightly different over the rear wheels but that’s it. If you don’t care about the small difference over the rear wheels, then I would suggest using a 69-72 frame. The same year Chevelle’s will work, as would the Pontiac’s. I think the Olds Fastbacks are different, but not sure. Coupe frames are cheap. There are probably quite a few guys on this board that can help you out. Duane
@Duane Thanks for the info. yeah, i'm not overly concerned with the small differences, this thing aint going back to concours and I aint trying to win any trophies, just want to cruise around it in and run it down the strip every now and then. If anyone can point me in the direction of a good frame, i dont mind getting it blasted and painted, obviously no cracks and body mount holes good (or completely restored frame would be nice), I'd appreciate the assistance. I'm in the Northern Virginia area and can pick up in the general area. Thanks for all the input.
If you post a thread here in the “parts wanted” section you will find your frame. Just let them know you are looking for a 69-72 2-door Coupe frame, and put your location there as well. Duane
