I looked at a number of 58 to 61, some 62,s in the parking area and on the show field in carlisle. What I noticed is that a lot of them had the front fenders bowing out, just above the center line of the front wheel. I am installing a new semershiems front clip and I wonder if some people are doing something wrong in the installiation? Is this comon and is there something I can do to prevent it from happening? Or did they make improper repairs to the fenders? I don't believe that is the case, because I saw too many, maybe 2 out of every 3 you could notice the bowing. Please anyone with experience offer any suggestions?
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
This is a real common problem, and is largely due to deterioration of the rad support mounting. It allows the nose to droop, and the place where you see the hump is about where the fender looses support from the firewall and inner fenders. You can raise the radiator support mount, and make a lot of this hump go away, but once a fender takes a set, it is pretty tough to get it all back out. as to a new front clip, as long as you adjust the front mount correctly, it should never be a problem.
Regards, John McGraw -
Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
The 58-61 front end have a solid horizontal bonding strip that ends in the center of the wheel well and then another curved bonding strip overlaps. It is not the strongest joint and can flex or fracture with even minor damage. The fix is to replace the forward bonding strip and be sure the nose pressure points at the radiator support, frame and firewall are at equlilbrium.
The 62 bonding strip is one piece and quite hefty. If the fender bows on a 62 look for pressure from damaged radiator support or frame. If damage was repaired and the broken or fracture bonding strip not replaced it will probably bow.
For the 58 to 61 bonding strip junction someone years ago came out with an overlapping 'third' backing/bonding patch that perfectly fit over the stock junction.
If you lift up on the headlight opening the bow goes away, that tells you to look carefully for misaligned fiberglass to metal. Fix the glass after proper alignment.
Don't force the glass to mate with the metal support points when hanging a new nose.Comment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
Bill
I had this very problem on my 59.. 30 years ago on an original car..the details in the other posts will confirm the front end weakness.
At the time I had mine fixed in St.Louis by Frank Frumar and it came out perfect.
I would think an experienced shop today could make the same repair without going to a repro front end.
JoeComment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
When you say deteriation of the radiator support, do you mean the support is rusting or the fiberglass it is bolted to is deteriating. The rad. support only has 4 bolts of which I can see hold up the front end. The rad. support has 1 place on the frame that is the only place you can adjust the height of the front end?Comment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
John is quite RIGHT and understands how to mount and use SHIMS which few do, I've done glasses on body fit and explained why some one should NOT worry about removing their body and keeping track of the old shims. As John also said you can remove a lot of the fender stress in a original un-removed body by adding more shims. The old rubber will have deterioration and be compressed with age.
Kits that are sold for the radiator shims and rear area are not always the correct amount to relieve the stress. The simple thing to understand or see in your mind is that the Corvette front and rear shims determine weather doors, windshield post , soft top and hard top latch's FIT and work proper and so on.
I've yet to see any one do an article on body fit for C1's .
That is what I try to tell people when I see poor fiting doors, windshields,hard top and so on.
I've yet to see any one do an article on body fit for C1's .
But it usually fall on deaf ears if the Corvette has already been restored.Comment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
Bill,
Roy is correct. Very few people truly appreciate how to shim a body on a C1.
If you look at the layout of the fenders on 58-62, you will notice that the inner fenders are solidly braced to the firewall and form a triangle that ends right where you see the bulge start. It is absolutely impossible for the fender to drop behind this point because of the triangulation of the inner fender to the firewall, but the nose can droop forward of this point very easily. The only possible cause for this is the front body mount at the rad support is too low. This can be from the rubber pads deteriorating, the rad support rusting, bent frame or a misguided restoration attempt. Many people will just put the mount and shims in under the rad support with litle regard for proper body alignment. As Roy says, nobody should ever be worried about pulling the body off a C1, as they are really pretty easy to re-shim if you use a little common sense. I do not even count the old shims anymore when I pull a body. I would rather make my own alignment decisions rather than relying on what was correct 50 years ago!
These old bodies are real stiff, but can be forced into incorrect positions by someone who does not understand the process. The door gaps, windshield fit, decklid fit, fender alignment and hood alingment are all affected by the use of body shims. Too many people just use shims without regard for proper body panel fit.
I always start by shimming the center of the body tub to a flat and level position, and then increase or decrease the front and rear shims to obtain proper panel gaps or fender alignment
Regards, John McGrawComment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
Does anyone have pictures of this? I'd love to see the difference between a drooping car and a non-drooping car. Thanks.
-DaveComment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
I have shims on e-bay telling people what and how they work to correct soft top and trunk lid fit. Doubt that any one will buy them. From the beginning of NCRS I may be one of few that ever held a class on it, yet I hear so many ask about fitting this or that. Local NCRS chapters should hold classes besides talking about the same thing over and over. I had the thought of explaining about the 55 to 56 Radiator shielding here by starting to ask questions of members knowledge and the response was ? So I dropped that idea This forum I thought would be a great way to hold a class , so many people like john's knowledge of certain facts that he would share if asked to explain it in detail Q&A class. So many Corvettes are now being restored from pieces or coming back from being original to top flight with people missing or not knowing how to use shims to correct body and frame parts. I guess a million dollar paint job is all that matters even on the frame plus any paint over spraying.
Ok now that I've up set more people ( I'm to blunt for many members) I'll go back to the "Corvette forum" on C1's.Comment
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Re: 58 to 62, Front fiberglass droping?? Carlisle?
Well John! I see every one must know how shims work and no further discussion is needed on this subject, just repair the body to make things fit.Comment
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