Getting the Corvette Chassis in Shape for Big Power! (Mistakes Were Made)

[@rotax636nut5]

This is/was a real life restoration and much more helpful than those 'Power Nation' type no expense spared resto's, well done and thank you

[@Friedbrain11]

POR15 is a great product. I know of several Corvairs that got POR15 treatment inside and out and they still are in like new condition after many years. That's a testament to POR15 value. No rust and easy to maintain...sweet!

[@RobertWalters-n4r]

I love your attitude. Very positive. World needs more of that too! Well done.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Hey thanks! And thanks for watcing!

[@billyburris9672]

Thanks for the great review and compliments on the job we did for you. Please contact us at Kinley-Burris blasting for all your blasting needs. It was a pleasure working with you.

[@WilliamKiene]

When you have a chassis blasted or dipped do it when you have the least amount of humidity and get a primer on it, ASAP. In California, it would be in August but in the South, it would be in the Winter. Frame-off is the best way to build a car. I just realized this guy is a very famous racing engine builder........cool. I subscribed and so should you.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

You are absolutely right. Choosing the correct season would definitely be wise. Thanks for watching!

[@MrCrazyking81]

I don't know how I got subscribed to you but I am glad I am subscribed to you you are making some great content keep up the awesome work!

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks for the compliment! And thanks for watching!

[@DennisMurphey]

Appreciate the video I need to go back and see all of them then catch up. I wanted to do this since 1965. But never had the space or time. No retired maybe too damned old to start a restoration like it. You are doing it just like a regular guy would. I like that approach. Helps for more folks that are in the same spot. You take care thanks again, Dennis in Virginia

[@Ecosse57]

you did better by that frame than gm did originally. came out nice! maybe use some of the eastwood inside frame rust convert/protection while the car is apart too.

[@paulthompson1654]

Use rust prevention spray wax inside chassis rail . The key is to use a long wand with a round circle spray pattern . Aerosol or bulk cartridge [with shop air ].

[@rotax636nut5]

I have my own blast cabinet and I have to say there is no better prep for paint than a glass media blasted metal surface, you definitely took the right road there friend

[@tedzehnder961]

I did what you are doing on my 73 . Lucky for me, I worked in a machine shop and had access to a bead blaster machine that was automatic with a rotissorie. What ever fit in the cabinet doors got blasted.I bought a welder and learned to weld on my frame! Had to grind a lot at the beginning but the welds got better the more I had at it. I wish smart phones were around in the nineties when I worked on mine.

[@vincentenk4449]

TELL IT TO DA UNION!!!! Gotta just LOVE that UAW quallity!

[@st.k.4528]

Previous owner of my car welded metal angle on the each side of the frame in the length of the all straight part of the frame. Think metal and it doesn't look too bad. It didn't stop the rusting process from inside so I think to do what you did and strip it back to see how it looks now. Thanks for detailed video and idea that I might be able so safe my frame instead of buying used rusty one from other car.

[@ryanroberts3742]

So I'm looking at buying my own 80 Vette and super happy to watch an actual clean up and build of one of these so I get to see some of the problems I can look forward too. Enjoying the series!

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Hey, thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@joeymccullough2716]

When you were painting the frame, I was yelling “Catch the Runs, dammit!” 🤣😂🤣

[@Turningwrenchs]

The few vetts i did we tig a few tube crossmenbers 1 1/4 also 45degrees in the back corners 1 1/2 .What a great improvement

[@dadfood3504]

I love spotting your little dog in these videos

[@Ecosse57]

same here!

[@scottbell7699]

I found the same poor welds on my 77. Did the same as you and fully welded the frame. And yes, it's easy to get carried away and weld more than you mean too in one spot before moving, but my frame was fine, and I'm sure yours is too. All my mounting points (motor, body, tranny, trailing arms and suspension) matched back up. I also added some gussets to the frame that I think you already have from factory. Not sure what year but GM put out a service notice diy to add these extra gussets to stiffen frame flex on "track cars". Those upper control arms came out nice, but I'd sell them to someone who needs them for a purebred original car. They probably wont give you enough adjustment for a good alignment later on. Enjoying the build so far.

[@lukeallen811]

I built a 69 Cutlass and had the the frame blasted and powder coated. Highly recommended!!

[@DennisMurphey]

I just saw Mid Year Mitch welding in a bunch of gussets on a Frame and he said the factory welds on the later frame were crap. He also rewelded all the stich welds and he added all these gussets that really looked good for increasing strength. I now my old 64, 79 and 81 all creaked. Frame came out nice. D

[@chrishale7763]

I GOT A FRIEND WITH A 70 MODEL CHEVELLE AND YES THE WELDS WERE THE SAME AS ON YOUR CORVETTE

[@klonidier]

Hey my man. I believe in ‘79 (as you mentioned when that frame was built) Corvette was made in St. Louis. For whatever reason, quality control wasn’t the best there. When production moved to Bowling Green KY (where it still is today) the quality improved considerably.

[@Ep1cPvP]

73 Nova and I did mine the hard way unfortunately, wish I could've media blasted it. Getting inside the subframe with a stiff wire brush glued to a piece of wood to reach all the way through was a pain. About the welds, mine are also bad, but with not nearly as much slag outside of the welds as are on your particular frame. Must've been a Friday chassis

[@josephnubile1970]

you are doing so well, cant wait to see it go back together.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks!

[@jesseison-bowman3964]

Sweet. I did something really similar. Had my F250 frame media blasted then I used foam rollers to put some black paint on it that is designed for outdoor metal items like metal guard rails etc. I found it on ebay. It was called super modified enamel or something like that and it is ridiculously tough.

[@stevedishmon1599]

Very nice. I am doing the same thing right now to my 79 vette. Using the POR15 too. But, am not doing a body off though. I am completely rebuilding my suspension as well. Since I have the engine and trans. out. Also I am in North Carolina too. Nice video.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks! And good luck with your build!

[@Kevin_747]

Interesting project. I used POR 15 on the chassis of my '41 International PU build 10 years ago. It still looks good when you crawl under it and look. I have a C4 that needs the same love as your C3. Professional sandblasting is worth the money. It uncovers all the sins and you can get right to work on the metal restoration.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thats good to hear about your results with POR15. Thanks for watching!

[@robbaxter2786]

Awesome! We had a mobile blaster do some work at the asphalt plant I worked at. Kept their number and had them do my T/A frame in my car port. Saved a ton of time!

[@robbaxter2786]

Oh ya, and the welds on that frame were pretty sad! I dressed a few up.

[@americafirst9699]

Got a 71 and I'm having a heck of a time removing the body mounts.

[@mrmaddog69]

yep my 79 looked just like that, I even found an old can inside the frame :(

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Wow!

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

I had a 80 Malibu, and the chassis looked like the front half was welded by Ray Charles, and the rear of the car looked like it was welded by someone in the midst of a seizure. There was a good 6" where the weld was next to (but did not touch) the joint it was intended to bond together. I have had vehicles in the past where welding the chassis made some difference, but never to the extent as that Malibu- it was a huge difference (I also added some strengthening at th same time, so it wasn't ALL the poor factory welds) in the 60' time almost 2 tenths with no other changes.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks for the info!

[@joequashnock1552]

The weld quality on my ‘76 was just as bad. Lots of old MIG wires sticking out, splatter, and overall crap. Luckily for me, my frame doesn’t have the extent of rust damage you faced. I also did a full POR15 treatment. (BTW: Thanks for pronouncing it ‘P-O-R’ rather than ‘por’.😃👍🏻)

[@shoominati23]

A good upgrade is C5 uprights in the front - I hear they are pretty much a bolt in. A friend roadraces a C3 and he says the best thing you can do is stiffen up the rear suspension as much as you can with thick metal leafs and high rate springs to stop it dancing around

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks! Gotta research the old Google on that one. Thanks for watching!

[@riverrat4631]

I just bought a 82 model off a buddy. It’s a low mileage car 42,000. The motor was bad from setting and he had it totally rebuilt. But it has that dumb cross-fire fuel injection and the first year for a 4 speed automatic transmission. My buddy was sick of trying to make the new engine run with the cross -fire system and gave up. This was the first year the Vettes was built at the Bowling Green Kentucky plant. This car spent its life in Kentucky and owned by a little old lady, true story. My buddy bought it 6-7years ago with a bad engine because the fuel system screwed up and filled the block with gas and washed down the cylinder walls. He had a shop rebuild the engine. I’m buying the car very cheap for a garage kept corvette. It’s red with T-tops also. It’s been setting in his dirty shop. I know this is an anniversary year car with low miles and very little to know rust. But I’m pulling the engine and transmission. Stripping the interior. Welding in a full cage. Putting trick flow heads 2:02-1:60 valves. Aluminum intake, 750 carb. Nasty cam shaft. Long travel front suspension with adjustable shock. Installing a new TKX 5speed. Aluminum race seats. I’m going to cut out everything to lose weight. This car weighed 3500lb factory in 82. My goal is to get it around 2800-2900lbs is possible. Lightweight drag star 4in wide wheels in front. A 10-12in wide wheel in rear. A set of 26x10:50 drag slicks on the back. I’m going to install a nitrous express plate with spray bar under the carb. This car was only rated at 200hp in 1982. With the heads, cam, intake, and a 150 or 200 shot of nitrous I believe I can make 500hp. By putting it on a diet and using the 5 speed to help the 60 foot times I believe I can make this old Vette break into the 11 seconds in the 1/4 mile. 500hp and under 3,000lbs it should break the 12 second make for sure. I really think it will go 11’s. Plus it will be a cool street car with some drag radials for the street. 🇺🇸🦅🏁 Great videos. I’m learning what’s ahead of me minus the rust. The Corvette purist will hate me for making a low mileage anniversary car a drag queen. But it’s going to be fun. Plus fast for a C3 on the street. Most late C3’s was Turds.

[@russelljdj]

I love these videos! Having owned 3 C3s, one learned early that Quality Control in St. Louis at the Corvette factory was very poor, and that's being kind.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks for watching!

[@baronoflivonia.3512]

I have a 78 and chassis has same type of welding. i used Inline Tube, for ss brake lines, fit perfect. I went BBC for engine choice with a Turbo 350 from Joels on Joy in Detroit area.

[@CrankAddict]

My '72 vette had better welds. Also, when I restored my '76 trans am, I sprayed POR15 on the subframe. Use the recommended reducer and a respirator is mandatory. I sprayed inside the frame the best I could, but then followed it up with an undercoating specifically for inside the frame painting.

[@beyond_the_infinite2098]

8:30 Nice job! My 77 Vette had incredibly poor build quality including poor welding. I did same and sand blasted my frame and suspension myself in my garage. Had a friend who builds custom cars MIG weld much of the frame with gusset plates around the front suspension pick ups. He did a beautiful job. I primed and spray painted the frame polyurethane gloss black. Another friend nickel and chrome plated my suspension for free. Good friends.

[@robertbass974]

My 74 had booger welds all over the frame! After grinding,welding and sandblasting I had it powder coated.

[@vmaxer001]

Yep, feel your pain. My 69 Camaro, bought straight off the Dealer by my step-mother in 69, had bunches of welding rods all over the place and a punched in wheelhouse on the pass rear side either done at the factory or the dealer. The more I stripped, the more crap I found.

[@ronaldwarren5220]

Living the dream there brother. I wish I would have done this to my 81 that had been made into a convertible. Yes - convertible. I did a 355 to the engine, used speed parts and had a nice runner. I sold her at a Mecum auction to have funds to buy a new house. My arthritis and age has made it so I can no longer perform work like this though. Oh well, my old Eldorado is easier to drive and I have a mechanic who does any work I need. Miss the fun though.

[@jon-christiankaczor5384]

I worked at gm in Tonawanda and I would say that it is safe to say someone was being trained as a welder on that chassis

[@ThePaulv12]

Re the welding don't be too hard on yourself. Filling gaps like this is part of it esp when welding this gauge steel. In my view the single piece is preferred and you made the correct choice. I worked for 7 years in a shop doing almost nothing but chassis rust repairs on classic Mopars. Having a proper chassis to weld on like you do was something of dreams. Unibody cars are another thing entirely. You want to have seen some of the chassis rails I was forced to rebuild before some of this stuff was readily available off the shelf like it is today. Watching this brought it all back. I drive big rigs for a living now LOL. My son's a welder (almost qualified) except he welds earth moving equipment size stuff and weld prep and execution is far far more important than throwing a couple of patches on rail LOL. You did good! BTW, Stitch welding is to stop cracks from running. Also, what works really well for drilling out rivets are double ended lathe centering bits in an air drill. Those bits are even better than spot weld drills even on spot welds as they only just grind the minimum metal away whereas idiot spot weld bit make a great big hole. With a bit of practice you can even use lathe centering bits and the MIG to imitate factory spot welds after painting.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks for the kind words. And respect to your son -- one of my favorite KZbin channels is Cutting Edge Engineering Australia, and the guy specializes in heavy equipment repair. It's fascinating, and I've watched way too may of those videos when I should have been working. Thanks for watching!

[@ThePaulv12]

@@TheHorsepowerMonster Yeah Curtis does some amazing stuff. I like This Old Tony, seen him?

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

@@ThePaulv12 Haven't heard of that one. Will look him up.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@TheHorsepowerMonster He's awesome. The gear cutting vid is a good one. He has a dry sense of humour and his vids have a certain style and high production values while remaining light hearted and entertaining. His mini lathe vid is another good one and will show what a vile contraption those things are in his inimitable style. A lot of people who watch Cutting Edge Engineering Australia whatch This Old Tony. Similar depth of knowledge and skill I guess.

[@merr6267]

Hah, factory welds. My 1980 Jeep CJ frame was very similar when I blasted it almost 20 years ago. Bad enough that my patch welds looked better, and I was a self-taught 19 year old with a borrowed welder. Haha. Good stuff.

[@johnw3996]

VERY VERY GOOD JOB AND YOUR WELDING IS BETTER THAN // GMs // GOOD JOB john nz

[@pattygq]

Mine's a '76 and there's parts of the stick welding left over like yours.

[@songdog2191]

My 1981 Corvette welds look the same as yours.

[@treydavis886]

Love the series! I’m doing the same project now

[@exploranator]

The nice thing about a perimeter frame is that any weight (in the form of extra-thick metal) that you add is LOW on the car, and will help lower the center of gravity! Also, if you have some kinda-thick steel, why not angle the edges of both the frame and the patch piece to enable easier trimming to size, and to make for a better weld surface that you could, in theory, TIG-weld in place? I guess you could use super-duper-thin wire and do a really dainty weld with MIG, but I have not done much welding, so I dunno. Also, how about using an airless sprayer to more-rapidly coat the entire outside?

[@williamwhite9977]

Thank you this is helping me with mine

[@thedrivewayC3]

Nice video and process. I’m working on a 71 right now and appreciate the tips!

[@Ed-lb2sm]

The Eastwood company has a product called After blast.... it comes in a gallon bottle and you spray it on newly blasted steel and it coats and keeps rust from forming....I am doing a frame off on a 73 stingray Cheers !!!!!

[@Ed-lb2sm]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpnZYaeHptKVnpI

[@Mr34blazer]

The frame on my GN had the same crappy welds.

[@travislandsman]

I like your restoration, much like us poor folks can afford to do

[@MEANSTREETAUTO454]

You should see Jeep CJ 7 welds ! Getting that frame blasted was the way to go !

[@thomasbailey9605]

great idea.....C3. Inexpensive. and fun to drive.

[@johnd5805]

A real backyard restoration which is great. Gives me encouragement because this is how I would have to do it. That is the ugliest factory welds and connections we've ever seen.

[@stevemolek5239]

Yes, I have a 1979 Corvette and I replaced my bushings on my cross member. Yes the welds were terrible. GM didn't care

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Yeah, I'm learning my chassis isn't the only one. Thanks for watching!

[@robdedgar]

So jealous. My next step is taking my body off of my frame and this video makes it feel more overwhelming, lol

[@robertreavley7145]

Loved the video bud! Was a great change although the engine builds are awesome! This episode was too!! I’ve always used Bill Hurshe’s Miracle paint. Same kind of stuff. Using moisture to cure! It cost me $120 per quart in England! So I got 4 quarts for $85 imported!! Gonna have to try that POR15 as it’s cheaper than miracle paint! And many people swear by it!So much of American goods like oils paints and Milwaukee goods cost far to much here that’s if you can get them! That old saying springs to mind! “God bless America” 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 Looking forward to seeing the next video bud! Thanks!!!

[@bcbloc02]

So how do you protect the insides to keep that box frame from rusting from the inside out?

[@jacknimble1]

Eastwood makes an internal frame coating spray with a long hose that you can reach inside. It is not a miracle fix but better than nothing.

[@RickOregon]

looks like the welds you will find on any manufacture chassis even today.

[@maya00795]

Too good...... I subscribed to you from earlier but could not watch due to lack of time.. superb dude 😎

[@sammyemerson6081]

Wow!! I have learned so much from your videos!!!

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@jackweta]

ladder frame should flex nicely diagonally

[@JoeLahaina]

Informative and smart, learned a great deal. Thanks!

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks for watching!

[@timeash5723]

Great job.

[@sogood4u489]

I don't know if you decided on an engine yet but based on the channel I'm expecting something cool and big power. Might I suggest an 8.1 big block Raylar engineering makes a beautiful stack injection intake and standard big block headers will bolt right up.

[@nathangerard8465]

Good job, turned out really well.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks!

[@davidstandish4767]

I got a 1977 and boy oh boy the frame welds look like a blind kindergarten did them!!😂

[@gizzmo5952]

Their right, I've seen alot worse condition. I got a 62 that's in the same condition roughly. I'm going tubular chassic for it, and installing a complete C7 drive train. LS 7, and 6 speed transaxle, with a supercharger and aftermarket stand alone ecm system. But I got to finish up the 81 for the ol'lady first.

[@texan2560]

Man those welds look like stuff I saw coming out of the soviet union on motorcycles like the ural. Probably drunk soviets.

[@LynxStarAuto]

That frame looked like the bean counters themselves got to welding it 😂

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Ha!

[@travis9740]

Yes wire from welds everywhere.

[@ArealUSAone]

Thanks for the video, looks good .

[@richardmikoley7234]

My best friend right out of high school,got a job in NJ .They assembled Mustangs. His job was welding motor mounts.He was far from a welder.When he came home from his shift,he couldn’t bend his hands.The assembly was not meant to last forever.Do it quick,do as many as you can,and quality didn’t matter.They had a program,that if you were an employee,they would. Put extra welds etc in a car you purchased.Say what you want about robots,but they are far superior then over worked humans.

[@crawford323]

Are you planning on costing the inside of the frame? I am somewhat familiar with steel tube aircraft fuselage framing and lanolin was used to protect from rust.

[@richwahneEXPERTSmadeEasy]

Do you have any idea how much the body weighed when you pulled if off with the forklift?

[@6556cody]

Yes my 68 uni body had horrible welds from the factory.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

That's what I'm hearing. Still blows my mind, though. Thanks!

[@mikeeaton9822]

Looks amazing

[@mikebroszczak5767]

Nice job

[@americanormuscle2321]

71, 72 Chevelle frames and a 1970 C10 frame I've seen the same things on frame welds.

[@hangonsnoop]

I know that this is a ridiculous comment, but I have to say that you have an adorable little dog. Edit: Those control arms look really good.

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks! My kids have two little dogs. This one loves to be outside and follows me wherever I go. The other has dedicated herself to being a house dog, so she will probably never show up in a video!

[@sjd7188]

Although somewhat worse quality wise these welds are consistent with what ive seen on my 65 GTO and other gm abodies

[@Mark-um7ey]

The welding job is typical, they always look like Ray Charles with a hangover was their best welder. Never understood it. Full perimeter welding is what Chevrolet recommended for competition use as a first step for chassis preparation.

[@968porsche9]

I like media blasting. Just checking though.. is glass not made from sand?? Same stuff.

[@irabel01]

Yep. On my 1969 the welds were that sloppy and worse. Was shocking the first time I saw it.

[@kiiiisu]

brilliant video cheers!

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks!

[@markgardiner1767]

Terrific footage 👌👌

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@jamesbowers3540]

Yes my 81 frame was the same way. Sorry welds every where

[@itilaman]

I blasted a chassis for my friend once and I said the same thing. Looking at all of the ones I’ve seen they all have horrible weld quality! What part of Charlotte are you in I live in lincolnton would love to come see this car!

[@robertmayer2071]

wow i cant beleive a frame from n carolina looks like that

[@joshuahollobaugh7382]

one thing you should do is coat the inside of the frame, they make tools to do that.

[@johnmeoff]

my dad was a welder at GM he would look at some of my welding and ask did you throw the weld at it

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Ha! There's nothing like dad insults

[@johnsmith-qz4bv]

great video ......looking good

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Hey thanks!

[@hickeyskustomresto]

Yup. Bad welds. Typical corvette. Good thing there's so many

[@markflowers1953]

All I can say is wow that's some really piss poor welding and it's absolutely unbelievable that it passed quality control. I'm actually about 90 percent complete with a frame off restoration of a 73 Corvette and the welds on my frame are a hundred times better than what I am seeing in your video. At least you took the time to correct the problems with yours. Keep up the great work I look forward to seeing your next video

[@reubenmosman9466]

Love the channel man. . .

[@TheHorsepowerMonster]

Thanks very much!

[@Turbo496Vette]

My ‘77 frame welds were just as sloppy. Think they used a car battery and coat hanger for wire.

[@bobqzzi]

Love this channel