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Finally Some Progress


Jeff

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I've been trying to work with several different welders and fabricators on my car over the last 6 months and something always comes up with the end result being no work done to the car. I cut a deal with a welder from a limousine fabrication facility and this guy is awesome.

 

My car was previously involved in a front end collision and the repairs were done very poorly. Once I disassembled the car we began to realize the only proper fix was to section part of the front clip. So the order of business is to section the front clip, new frame rails, sub frame connectors, roll bar install and patch two small areas in the floor pans. It's a lot of work and I guess that is why it scared so many people off.

 

The guy who is working on the car cut the clip off of my car, trimmed the new clip to fit and spot welded it in place in like 3 hours last night. :shock: Here is a picture of the progress and he's coming back tonight. We're going to bolt the fenders on, do some final trimming and get it fully welded. We should be working on frame rails this weekend. :2thumbs:

 

pass%20side.jpg

 

Scrap metal

pieces%20parts.jpg

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Wow! That is some nice work he is doing. Looks like you found one heck of a welder. Looks like you will have a nice finished product. If I were you buy the guy a case of his favorite beer. It's inexpensive and makes him feel appreciated, and keeps the good work coming. :-D

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It's been so long, I damn near forgot who you were :D:D

 

I know it's been a long time coming but luckly this guy is very fast. He's working on it right now and has the clip fully welded and ground smooth. It looks great and I can't be happier to finally get moving on the car again.

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Jeff....is that a LT1 sitting in the background?

Good eyes Tim, yes that is a LT-1 & T56 from a 96 Z28 waiting to be transplanted into the car.

 

Hey Jeff, I kinda figured something was up when you attempted to carry the front clip down from Jim's shop. He told me about it

I attempted to carry the front clip down from his mezzanine by myself and about killed myself in the process. Jim came around the corner in time to give me a hand and save the day. I was about two steps down the stair case when I realized it was a really bad idea and I was in trouble. I take it since you're talking to Jim that the Supra motor is in the works?

 

We are on schedule this weekend to work on the frame rails and if all goes as planned we will be complete with all of the welding before Christmas. Hopefully during my Christmas off time we will be able to trial fit the motor & transmission. I'll never make Reynolds but maybe some time in the near future.

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Guest 240hybrid

Looks really good...everything looks to line up just right and where its supposed to be. Finding a Limo fabricator is a good idea and I never thought about that. They know how to graft panels and parts in so that they look seamless and as if it has never been touched. Looks like a very nice project is in order. Working with fabricators or anyone for that fact where the job is out of your hands is a pain in the a$$ if you ask me. Glad its working out for you now though.

 

Chase

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  • 2 years later...

Well I thought I would resurrect this thread to mainly amuse myself at how long it has been since I worked on this damn car. :twak: I seem to go in spurts and literally hadn't touched the car in almost two years. We finished all of the structural & floor pan work in Decmeber 03 and then I trial fit the LT1 & T56 in January 04. That was the last time it was touched until December 17th of this year.

 

Well it went to the media blaster and every square inch was taken down to bare metal using a combination of plastic media first then aluminum oxide on the more stubborn areas. Here it is in the shop at work getting ready to be primed.

 

striped.jpg

 

Here it is with three coats of epoxy primer on the bottom and yes we gave up on the saw horses and used the forklift. :-D I left the rotisserie at home and didn't feel like going through all of the hassle to bring it to the shop.

 

bottom%20primed.jpg

 

Here it is with three coats of primer everywhere and the interior in color. It's 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette Electron Blue Metallic btw.

 

inside%20in%20color.jpg

 

It's currently at a weld shop having a couple of small rust holes fixed in the rockers and battery tray area. It's also getting the side marker lights filled in as well as almost every hole on the engine compartment inner fenders. I just checked on it and he is doing an awesome job. He will be done with it today so it will be home before the first of the year. The body work phase can now officially begin with one more trip on the rotisserie to seam seal and paint the underside. I'm going to try and keep on it this time as I don't want to break Pete Paraska's record. :icon52::-D

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