Project - Ashes to ...?
 

My project started whopping 10 years ago driving home from a cruise night.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKF9.jpg

I'll try to document the whole project from ashes to ...? on this topic, it's been a long journey, a real battle if you will, but it's finally almost finished so I decided to make a topic about the build. Helps me remember all the stuff that's been done to it.

Later.

Jay

Ouch!!!

Man that sucks. Sorry for your loss

Ok, let's continue with the story. So, due to a bad fuel line the car caught fire and it burned down to the ground. After the FD left the scene the sight wasn't very uplifting....

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKPp.jpg

This will be interesting as my car was within seconds of looking like yours due to a fuel line failure. I was very fortunate thanks to passer-by's willing and prepared to assist.

Glad to see you're making a comeback! :thumbsup:

That brakes my heart!

I can't think of a car more deserving of the name Phoenix.

I can't even tell what kind of car it is. Holy batman!

I returned to the sad scene the following morning. A pile of ashes was there to remind you about what had happened the night before.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKrY.jpg

While I was standing there by the highway I had time to think about what I was going to do next. Of course there was insurance company involved, so I had to wait to their settlement before I could make any final decisions.

So, what car is/was it? It is a 1963 Corvette roadster that I'd bought just few months prior to the fire. It is a car that I remember really well from the mid 90's, because the guy who had it, lived next door to us and fully customized (made it a lot uglier :) ) back then and installed a then-new LT1 and automatic transmission, did a full frame off resto on it.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKry.jpg

Even though it was ugly as hell, I thought it had the right bones to start with, rust free frame and birdcage, EFI, AC etc... I had a plan to turn it into a restomod back in 2004. I bought new set of bumpers for it along with the original headlights etc. So the plan was to keep the LT1, maybe spice it up a little and turn the exterior back to more stock looking, make it handle better with new suspension, brakes and steering. But the fire changed the plans some what...

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKrl.jpg

After we got to agreement with the insurance company I decided to go ahead and start it all over again. So all the previous plans went out the window, along with the badly damaged LT1. :headspin:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKrT.jpg

The interior had been restored by the previous owner, not much was left of the Autometer gauges or the newly done seats.
:D

You are a brave man to take on redoing that!! So how long ago did the fire happen?

It happened 10 years ago... This has been a real struggle to get done. I've done few other cars during this time. I've lost motivation more times that I could count. :lostmarbles: But like I said in the first post, I'm finally getting there, spirit is high again. :knock:

So, after I got the car back in the shop I had to remove the body, or what was left of it, off the frame so I could start the rebuild.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKqI.jpg

Since there was not much to lift of the frame, I used my engine picker to remove the bbq'd body.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKqG.jpg

Just looking back, I can't believe what a mess my shop was back then... :hapdance:

Yeah my heart almost STOPPED too!


LOL

Kudos to you for restoring it back. I wouldn't have done that! Looks like way too much work.

Back in 04 I was lucky to have two of my good friends with Mid Year Vettes doing frame offs on their cars at the same time as I was so we teamed up and did a lot of work together. Everything seemed to go smooth and fast back then... Boy was I wrong. :smiley_smack:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YKbv.jpg

That's my frame under the pile and that's my birdcage on top. :)

After getting the frame and birdcage checked for trueness I had them blasted so I could start working on them.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6D.jpg

The birdcage and frame turned out to be 100% rust free, so pretty good starting point.

Just welding the birdcage properly made it a lot more rigid than stock, but I want to get rid of that flimsy z-cross bar. Here's how I fabricated a new one.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK60.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6t.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6x.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6v.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6o.jpg

Pedal mount.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6U.jpg

Welded in place. Nice thing about this project is I finally got to learn to weld, I'm still learning, so forgive me the beads. :bigun2:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK6m.jpg

Cross bar done. :headspin:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YK69.jpg

Another first for me was the use of paint gun, here's my birdcage painted with epoxy. :hairpullout:

After getting the birdcage done it was time to tackle the frame. All the stock spot welds were taken down and new welds went on all around. Tons of gussets were added to the critical places such as A-arm and engine mounts, crossbar, frame rails etc. Should be a lot more rigid now.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aV.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aU.jpg

One real modification I did was the Guldstrand 5-link rear suspension. This required the trailing arm pockets to be widened to accept the upper trailing arms.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aX.jpg

Stock trailing arm pocket looked like this. You can also see that the shock mounts will be relocated to inboard to get the clearance for coil overs.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aD.jpg

First test fitting to see how much room the Guldstand set up would require.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7at.jpg

The lower trailing arms needed new mounting tabs, so I decided to make a new backing plate for the mounts.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7ax.jpg

Tabs spot welded in.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7az.jpg

Here you can see the lines showing how much I needed to cut out...

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7ad.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7a4.jpg

No turning back now.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aL.jpg

Patching up that nasty hole. Here you can see how much wider the trailing arm pockets need to be.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7aE.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7ac.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7a7.jpg

And finally all smoothed out. Now there's enough room for suspension travel.

Thanks for looking.

So the Guldstrand 5-link was now fitted and seemed to work. This should really help to correct the original GM design flaws. With the coil overs it will be very adjustable.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7tc.jpg

So it was time to start working on badly burned body. Only thing worth saving was the tail section, but I wasn't going for the NCRS standards so I decided to take it off and turn it into something more comfortable.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7tK.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7t7.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7tR.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7tN.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7t5.jpg

Anybody want to guess what's it going to be?

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xa.jpg

Installed original bumpers and tail lights.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xl.jpg

Made a frame for it, had to convert it to a solid axle. Well you got to give up some performance for the looks...

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xA.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xO.jpg

Getting the leather upholstery ready.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xj.jpg

Bodywork.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xB.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7x8.jpg

Test fitting everything before paint.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7xT.jpg

Now it sits in my garage, it's nice unit to sit on and houses 2 6-packs under the seat and has cup holders...

That's sweet!

Man talk about bringing back the dead. I'm anxious to see more updates.

After the frame and birdcage were done it was time to start working on the body panels.
http://kuvaton.com/k/Y74Y.jpg

I got these 2 big boxes to start with, just like a 1:24 scale model cars, it needed to be glued together somehow.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y74y.jpg

So after the fire I wasn't too keen on restoring the car to original style, so I decided to build a Grand Sport roadster out of it.

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y7w5.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/Y74a.jpg

It all starts with floor pan and then the firewall that comes in two separate piece.

More to come...:hello:

What a project! The G/S will be awesome. Glad you have turned the misfortune into a positive.

GS roadsters are cool! I'm going to enjoy watching this come together. Good luck!

There are few companies that make GS replica bodies but only one which allows you to use stock style frame and bird cage. The local rules and regulations over this side of the pond say that I can't use an aftermarket tubular frame on a street car, so I was stuck using my stock frame and working with it.

So my body came from MAI = Mid America Industries and their body attaches to the stock bird cage just like stock. I've seen few GS replicas build by some other companies and they don't have any inner body support structure and I can tell you some of them have been pretty flimsy just standing still, I can't believe how they will shake rattle and roll at high speed...

Getting the body from MAI was a 2-year battle, because GM was trying to shut down all the GS replica makers at the time. Luckily I finally got mine. Here' are early mock up shots.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YROk.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YROG.jpg

Even though these body panels are press molded and should fit a stock C2 bird cage relatively easy, it was a far cry, none of the panels fit right of way. Every single panel and piece needed work, some more than others. But just seeing that thing shape up gave me a new boost of hope. :weld:

Thanks for looking.:popcorn2:

Where's "this side of the pond"???



I love mid year 'Vettes....


Even if you had a factory GM panel -- it wouldn't fit either... they never do.



What's your color scheme?? Blue/white typical GS??

Awesome build! And I love the couch. Tell us more. :popcorn2:

Your a brave man to tackle such a challenging project. The Guldstrand 5 link looks very interesting. What are your plans for power?

East side ;)

Yeah the fit of stock panels is sometimes piss poor, but this kit was even bigger hurdle. MAI makes their panels 1/3 thickness of the original panels, so they are not as sturdy as stock but they are a lot lighter. :)

I've got the new hot cam LS3 with upgraded T56 in the car, more about the installation later. :computer:

Holy crap! I didn't know you were in Finland. That makes the build so much cooler do to the logistics of it all.

Some more body work pictures. The crucial part about this kind of build is to get all the measurements to be 100% correct, so you don't end up with having few inches longer door on the other side or one corner high up in the air.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDZ.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDL.jpg

When the major body panels were glued on, it was time to start working on the doors. My original doors went up in flames and it was quite a task to get new doors. From where I bought the body kit I also got the outer door panels, which had separate top part for some reason. I couldn't find the door bodies anywhere other than Mongoose, who also manufactures GS replicas. I took the chance and ordered their door bodies and hoped that they would work.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDF.jpg

After some massaging I was able to get the new door body to work. I used stock locking mechanisms, just left the locks and inside opening mechanisms out. I have no side windows, so I can just grab the outside handle for exit.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDr.jpg

The front end was sticking out way too much, so more cutting was needed. Like everything else in this kind of build everything needs to be custom made... :headspin:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDq.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDb.jpg

After a lot of work the contour on the outer panel was mimicking the inner panel. YOu can see some of the cuts under there, a lot of work, dusty work. :disgusted:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDE.jpg

Getting there, slowly but surely.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRDe.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRD6.jpg

I wanted to keep the firewall as smooth as possible. Due to the low windscreen I won't be needing wipers and there for no wiper motor, I decided to use that space to house the ECU.

Thanks for tuning in, will update this shortly.

Getting the doors to fit was a real pain in the butt, but also one of the most rewarding.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLI.jpg

Early mock ups.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLk.jpg

Everything prepped for some resin and fiberclass.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLG.jpg

Working with this stuff isn't always so tidy. :lol:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLu.jpg

Good way to get the gaps just right is to bond the door panel to the body and the make the gaps just the way you like them.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRL2.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLS.jpg

Getting there... :shakehead: :rolleyes:

The original Grand Sports had a trunk with no floor, but a spare tire carrier for the endurance races, which required a spare tire.

I'm not planning on using a spare, but I was planning on using all the spare room to make a usable trunk for this car. I think I managed to get pretty decent size space for some traveling essentials i.e. tooth brush and wallet. :thumbsup:

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLi.jpg

The body kit came with some sort of pieces for this, but I only ended up using the bit which directs the air out from the rear air holes (that didn't sound right... ;) )

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLg.jpg

The whole transmission tunnel was raised and widened for a T56 first and then I made this slot for the handbrake handle to live in.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YRLX.jpg:cheers:

Finally after all the dusty fiberglass work was done it was time to finally start the assembly. I blasted the frame again and had it powdercoated along with all the suspension stuff. I've done always black frames in my builds, but this time I wanted to do something different.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNy0.jpg

This is always the fun part, when you have a nice clean frame and tons of new parts that need to go on it. These cars are so simple to put together that you can get a lot done in a day.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNyt.jpg

Front end stuff going in. JMRP tubular A-arms, Home made rack n pinion, custom ordered sway bars and QA1 coil overs, I ended up using only the bare shells of the shock as everything inside was custom made to work better in this car. The guy who does all my shocks is responsible for a lot WRC cars shocks, so if they can jump 100ft in those cars and come down and keep pounding on through the stages, the shocks really need to work well. I plan to keep this car on the ground but still it has made a huge difference in my previous builds, just to tune the shocks.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNyx.jpg

T56 required the cross member to be modified.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNyC.jpg

Custom made gas tank, it was also relocated from the rear of the car to the center to get even better balance. Capacity is also almost doubled compared to stock tank.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNyU.jpg

More about the assembly later... :walkingdog:

Looking good
 

Can't wait to see this one come together

Wow, that's dedication to that car. I like the couch too!

X2...you might be more fanatical than some of those F-body owners that start with those roach coaches we see on here. :wow: :D

With this mid '60 Vette Jay...no problem bein' Groovy. ;)

Thanks fellas for the :thumbsup:

As seen above, the rear suspension is based on Dick Guldstrand/Bob Riley 5-link set up, which is a vast improvement over the stock trailing arm set up. I have also a custom 6 link in development for this, so I can substitute the half shafts as upper trailing arms. But first I want to drive it with the 5-link only.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNI0.jpg

http://www.guldstrand.com/scripts/pr...?idproduct=138

Custom ordered sway bar and custom tailored rear coil overs should also play a role in the cars handling.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNIt.jpg

Mid Year vettes have a removable rear exhaust panel, so when you want to remove the body off the frame, you just unbolt that piece and you can lift the body straight up. With the GS's that part is molded into the body and they had shorter tubular frames, so that wasn't a problem. But since I'm using stock frame and fixed rear panel I had to cut my frame and make a removable section for future body offs :) .

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNIx.jpg

Rear suspension not done at this point, but you'll get the picture.
:cheers:

Nice!!! Can't wait see the end of this.

Couple of you asked for more pics of the couch.

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNki.jpg

http://kuvaton.com/k/YNkg.jpg

So that's the only part of the body that survived the fire... :cool: