Just left my friend Joe's garage. He's working on a local car, mint, mint, mint 64 Vette coupe. Or so we thought. Owner wanted some clean-up on the bottom side. The car is in the air on a 4 post hoist. After less than an hour we found numerous patches on the frame, all around the area just ahead of the rear axle. Two pieces in particular were really bad. Steel plate, cut with a torch & epoxied in place. Seam sealer made it all look nice. Common area for these cars but the repair job was outright robbery. What started as a simple detail job is now a body -off frame repair.
That is so typical and the scenario has been experienced countless times by so many. After working on several rust belt cars, I think it was about 10 years ago after working on a rust free car that I vowed to never buy a rust belt car again.... Ever. It drastically increases the cost of a restoration and if you are doing it yourself the misery is endless trying to get rusty items apart and replaced or restored. The cost to repair rust "properly" is higher than many anticipate and I've seen many projects die from the cost and/or intimidation of the project. For anyone considering a project car: If I can't find a dry climate car in the model I'm looking for I don't buy it. Paying $1000 to have a car shipped from AZ or CA to say, the north east, is a teeny-tiny price to pay to get a rust free car. That shipping fee for a rust free car will be recouped many times over during the restoration and goes a long way towards keeping the project moving in the right direction.
Steve, Almost sounds like the 1 by 3's and 2 by 4's that our mutual friend Billy A talks about finding under a '57 Chev.You had to take the car to a carpenter to get it fixed!!I'm sure you must have heard the stories. Rod
Hi Steve, Is the Vett owned by Dr. Craig and if it is it was owned by a pilot for the Irving family and sat in the grass next to the hanger at the airport for several years and restored by Richard Forester 20 years ago.
Not sure of the owner on this car, didn't ask. Pretty sure it isn't Dr. Craig as I always get asked about being a member of the family. We haven't met. Our common ancestors were brothers, however, 5 of them landed in Chamcook about 1820. Joe always insists on repairing a car properly. He considered cutting the bottom of the frame sections & working from the inside of the frame rails out. Heat & access was an issue with the body on or loosened enough to get a 2X4 under it. The more he looked the more he found & eventually changed his mind. Another Vette he's just finishing was worse, '66 coupe being prepped for a full resto. Tried to get the car off the ground & the whole rear frame section wanted to stay on the floor. Everytime I crawl under my Skylark I just shake my head & feel lucky. Car is from Texas, I took it apart for the resto using not much more than a socket set.
