Repairing body mount holes on the subframe 1968 Firebird

Inspecting and repairing Rusty subframe for a 1968 Firebird, rear body mounts rusted through and how to make repair panels plus free templates to repair yours.
Love what you see? Want to get your own Gotta save them birds goodies? Buy apparel here
Check out our KZbin store or this link my-store-cf6b8e.creator-sprin...
See More videos kzbin.info...
Our address for shipping goodies or send us stickers for our collection on the wall.
Jon Forehan VVG
6870 west Washington street
Indianapolis IN 46241
Questions, comments, or want to say hi?
Contact us at [e-mail]
#Pontiac #Firebird #restoration

[@russclewley6945]

Thanks John for sending me a copy. Going to do my subframe next week. Video to follow. R & D Customs KZbin!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Anytime! Good luck

[@jimsteig9653]

Nice, I like you went with the extra piece of metal underneath like the factory instead of one thick piece. Your attention to detail is great. Looking forward to the next one.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I do like spending a little more time to make it look closer to original. I like to leave you guessing what has Been done vs original.

[@perrywe1]

very 2 laye nice repair. I did not replace the the inner layer in my subframe repair, actually i did not recognize it had two layers. thanks for sharing.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

No worries a single layer welded in solid is sufficient. The repair pieces you buy are single layer. I just like the look of the two layers and it’s a fairly simple repair.

[@fretsman68]

That should last a few more years, nicely done-

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Thanks! I think so too.

[@woodrowdelozier1]

I definitely could use the templates. ❤️

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I have a copy and can mail or email to you. Check the video description for my email address and send me you address from that.

[@woodrowdelozier1]

@VVG Firebird Restoration Station ok thank you

[@phoenixblack1220]

Excellent work! Can’t tell you how many I have seen that have been rusted out with the subframe held to the body by threads.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I have seen quite few myself, so bad I don’t know how they didn’t fall apart

[@RandDCustoms2]

Nicely done Jon. I have to do the same fix on mine!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

It’s a super common repair most of these old birds rusted here, and several ways it can be done. I like the look of it’s never been touched and original when done.

[@leegreen2163]

Thanks for showing us how it is done!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Appreciate you letting us know just the same. Thanks

[@bradvarsho1286]

Those templates would be awesome

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I can send them to an email address

[@bradvarsho1286]

@@VinylVillageGarage I was wondering if you sent them and I missed it. Thank you

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Hard telling. I have sent many out, send me another email to send it to

[@bradvarsho1286]

Thank you

[@anthonysantiago1999]

Great job on the subframe repairs. Love it.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Thanks. It’s less expensive then the patches and looks good too.

[@tomwinkle1597]

The white paint may have been all he had handy. I hate rust and have been guilty of painting over rust to not have to look at it. I had a few cans of blue and hid the rusty drivetrain on my KW. Some say it looks good and others thought I was crazy. Looks better to me than rust.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I agree rust is bad and don’t want to see it. plus your car do whatever you want make it yours, I will say whatever kind of white paint it was it is super durable and hard to strip. wish I knew what brand it was

[@tomwinkle1597]

@@VinylVillageGarage may be latex house paint..lol a torch will bubble it right up if it is. Had a friend that used it on trailers cause it was cheap .

[@VinylVillageGarage]

May very well be, all I know is it doesn’t sand blast off very Good.

[@davidyingling6204]

Another job nicely done! I've noticed on mine, the sub-frame is rusted bad where the core supports mount. Going to be fun making those holes when I replace that metal.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

the front holes rusting out is a bit more rare for me, I have only seen that once in all the cars have repaired, crazy how these cars all rust in different ways.

[@firstgenerationgarage2803]

WoW brother that came out great really looks like a original great job

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Thanks friend, and I will be seeing you soon.

[@shaggyscarshop]

Great video. I got really lucky with my subframe. Other than lots of surface rust and road grime mixed with oil to clean off, I didnt have much fixing to do on mine. Great tips for my next bird I find. keep up the great work.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

You are one lucky guy!! Every bird i have done needed some kind of repair to the body mount holes. Hopefully you are just as lucky next time

[@BearGrils55]

Awesome! Thanks for doing what you do!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

More then happy too, trying to save as many birds possible is the name of the game. The more of us in the know the better

[@BearGrils55]

Unfortunately when I repaired mine, I bought the plates and welded them on top of the frame rail. Luckily it’s disassembled and I can redo it the correct way.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

@@BearGrils55 those panels work ok plus they can also be cut down to fit like what I did too. The most important part is that location of the smaller 5/8 inch holes at the firewall mounts. They need to be as close as possible to the original location if not dead on. The bigger holes you have some fudge room as for location error. Good luck and keep it fun.

[@Testasspeedshop9997]

Have seen a lot of subframes do that separate like that. the frame will start to bend right where the mount goes when they go bad also. Guess because the cushioning in the mount is gone just beats the frame.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Crazy how they rust. I am visiting Luis right now too playing cars.

[@Testasspeedshop9997]

@@VinylVillageGarage he said you where coming to drop the engine in. Hope you a good trip.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Thanks, he has a lot planned should be a good time

[@chuckeecheese162]

If you put a fender washer between the pilot and the hole saw it won’t try to break your wrist. 🍻 nice work.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Really didn’t know that trick. Really can’t Alford the broken wrist reward. Thanks for the tip!

[@chuckeecheese162]

@@VinylVillageGarage no sweat. The carbides from Ideal and Greenlee are less prone to dig, especially with the centering bit. If they lose a tooth they’ll still twist you up tho lol. Love the channel.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I am going to be honest with you this was the first time I used a hole saw for this procedure sad part it’s the second one I bought lost the first one🤦‍♂️. I normally use my plasma cutter but I wanted to prove it can be done with what we consider basic available tools non need to spend crazy money on your tools for a build. Appreciate the love for the channel too makes it worth while to keep On keepin on.

[@yafois988]

I there a spec drawing , possibly some jigs-fixtures, to known how or where to measure the frame for trueness straight alignment?

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Yes, there is a page in the service manual that has measure points described and measurements for the subframe and body.

[@yafois988]

@@VinylVillageGarage Have you ever went thru the frame section to straighten a twisted or sagging frame? That would be an interesting video to see a demonstration how to correct a frame and general issues these have.

[@allanlugo8095]

Hello from NY...yes please send me the template..i need it real bad

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I will need an email address, if you don’t want it posted on here find me on facebook and i can send them to you there as well.

[@thomasshaw5564]

Enjoy watching your channel and it has giving us lots of knowledge to help restore our 68 firebird convertible. If it's not a problem I would like some templates for my frame. All four of mine need repaired. Thomas Shaw 2152 Hackberry ave Shenandoah ia 51601 Thanks for all the great information 👍

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Thanks, will do! They are in the mail

[@Maverick54]

Hey Jon I could definitely use a set of those templates if its not too much trouble. when I had my subframe off the car 25 years ago i had a friend make me a set of large plate washers to sandwich around my rotted out frame holes lol. hey I was a teenager and just wanted to get it back on the road 😛👍. this will be one of my first projects when I take my car apart. 4162 W 226TH ST Fairview Park, OH 44126

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Not a problem they are on their way!

[@Maverick54]

@@VinylVillageGarage awesome! thank you Jon!

[@Maverick54]

@@VinylVillageGarage got the templates you sent ! thanks again Brother👍

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Good deal

[@burntclutches]

Great instructions as usual - one question did you use standard or metric adjustable wrenches? 😉

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Lol. Well mine are special one side is metric and flip it over for SAE 🤣

[@detroitdieselmax3275]

Hey Jon, the bird is coming along! Im interested in the templates you made. I have the exact same situation on my 67. Thanks for the help, it will make it easier! Jayson Durecka 11754 Airport Rd Waynesboro PA, 17268. Thanks again!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

More then happy to help you save another bird. I will send you a copy as soon as I return home. Oddly enough heading to PA after work today to visit family and friends and returning Monday.

[@detroitdieselmax3275]

Awesome! Thank you for the help and dedication to these cars and your viewers, your videos and info provide guidance to help understand some of the things that stump us car guys from time to time and thats invaluable. Thanks again!

[@detroitdieselmax3275]

Got the template in the mail today and some bonus stickers! Thanks for the help!

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Awesome! Not a problem!

[@milwaukeemusclecarresurrec5995]

“Happy little birds”😂 keep on trucking!! #bobross

[@tjs_welding_and_fabrication]

Send me a pic of the template please. I can do a trace in inkscape and cnc plasma cut them out. Great vids. Following along.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I can see what I can do. Send me an email address to mine it’s listed on the video description

[@tjs_welding_and_fabrication]

@@VinylVillageGarage sent

[@user-kn9sx1nr2s]

Doing a 67 hardtop and just dropped the suffrage. Rear holes not to bad but fronts need some tlc. If it would be possible to get your templates that would be great. Thanks, Dennis

[@user-kn9sx1nr2s]

Hey John, do you need an email or street address

[@VinylVillageGarage]

yes an address would be helpful. I need to find the templates. I changed jobs since then and moved toolboxes. at the moment I can’t recall where I put them

[@user-kn9sx1nr2s]

Did you receive my address? Sent 3+ weeks ago and again this week.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

@@user-kn9sx1nr2s I don’t see it in my email box. But I have had a lot of issues with it sending and receiving email. I did find my templates and also scanned them so i can email them just the same

[@davidbisnette7673]

Another great video , did you use 16 ga or 14 ga for the patches

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I used 1/8” plate for the frame.

[@lancelabik5756]

Hey Jon. Great video. I know this is a bit old so hopefully you are still getting messages for this one. My rear holes on the subframe both need repair. How do you insure that the new holes are exactly lined up or drilled in the exact spot/measurement and not off by a little bit? I could use the templates if you still have them and it's not too much trouble. Thanks for any thoughts here.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I still have copies I can mail to you. I have it scanned as well that it can be emailed too. The holes are roughly centered side to side of the rail. Front to back and f you line up the template with the angled edge then drill your hole it hasn’t failed me yet. Cool part is you have like a 1/4” of tolerance on these rear holes. If it’s not perfectly located n the original spot it’s ok. To me the only holes that must be precise is the small 1/2” holes at the firewall mounts. Then they only need to be precise if you use them as alignment holes for subframe installation

[@travissharp5235]

I have a 1967 Firebird I am restoring from frame up, and I have the issue with the rusted out mount holes. I would like to have a copy of the templates you have if possible.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

I do have copies, I just need an address to ship to. I have a email link in the video description you can contact me at.

[@dpin6072]

What size metal is the subframe? Not sure my 120V mig welder is powerful enough for this weld? Manual claims it can weld up to 1/4, thinking 3/16 is more accurate.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Frame material varies 1/8-3/16” 120v is a bit weak for frame work in my opinion. I am sure people will say different but it’s the frame so it need to be solid to me. I tried 25 years ago to weld a truck frame with a 120v and it did not hold. I know a lot has changed since then but I am Still not a fan of the idea

[@dpin6072]

@@VinylVillageGarage Eastwood has a new180 dual voltage mig welder. Anyone have any good feedback on this?

[@VinylVillageGarage]

@@dpin6072 I am interested in this answer, I have a Eastwood 175 and absolutely love it, but it’s like 15-20 years old and when it dies I see myself replacing it with Eastwood mig 180 unless someone has had a bad experience with one.

[@AdamRhoads]

My son and I are going to have to do the same repair on our project. I could use the template for the rear holes. If it’s not too much trouble could I get a set. I’m in Indy M-F if it’s easier for me to pick them up?

[@VinylVillageGarage]

That’s cool a family project is an excellent way to make memories. I work in Avon I have a copy of that template here with me. How close to Avon are you.

[@AdamRhoads]

@@VinylVillageGarage I work in Plainfield. I go to lunch at 11am. I can run over to Avon to pick them up. Thanks for all the informative videos. They have already been a big help.

[@saltyburrito1688]

Is there anyway you could email me a set of these diagrams? I am working on a full resto on my 68... my mounting holes arent as bad as yours however they are larger than 1 1/2 inch. They all measure out to 1 3/4

[@saltyburrito1688]

I love your series btw

[@VinylVillageGarage]

Yes I have it scanned on my computer. Just need an email addres

[@saltyburrito1688]

@VinylVillageGarage I sent you an email youtube wouldn't let me post my email publicly

[@williamsolon4659]

I'm India thinking after millions of burnouts the torque an corrosives passenger side should wear out or yourdoin something wrong in your burnouts over the life time of the f body signed break down an walk you scream at guy in other lane as you hang a fender on em thru the light s on a double break out.

[@VinylVillageGarage]

exactly!