Restoration Ideas?

[turbo39151]

I've recently picked up an 87 T as a project. It is affectionately called the "bucket"-- rust bucket...

Anyway, it's not so horrible but I figure that if I'm going to slap a nice paintjob on it I want to do it right.

I'm thinking about doing a frame-off. Never done one before. Can anyone give me some pointers as to:
1. how much time it takes to pull the frame?
2. what exactly is involved?
3. prices to clean (blast) and coat or paint the frame?
4. where I can buy replacement hard lines as most of the old lines are corroded?
I've seen some pics of board member's frames and they look great. Just want to know what I'm getting myself into...


Oh yeah and recommendations for a local SoCal (San Diego) shop that could handle this project without me having to sell my soul...

 

[tom h]

can only comment on #4.

http://www.inlinetube.com/ makes excellent hard line replacements. I'd certainly recommend stainless, as it will last decades.

For some reason, Inline's "normal" SS tubing uses plated steel nuts, but for about $5 extra per tube they will use stainless nuts, too -- recommended.

When reassembling the lines, apply antiseize compound sparingly (eg, permatex nickel or copper based) on the threaded portion of fittings, and never worry about frozen tube fittings again.

Classic Tube also makes hard line replacements, many like Classic; I've been happy with, and have stayed with Inline.

 

[turbo39151]

thanks for the info Tom. This is the kind of stuff I was looking for and the prices are good too!

 

[urhstry]

After pulling my engine, i dropped the frame myself in about one day and I had no idea what I was doing. One rachet and a bunch of sockets. oh yeah, and jack stands. I have found that there is so much rust and metal and pockets and gunk everywhere that I just bought a medium sized blast cabinet and went to town. For what you would spend on getting parts blasted you could buy the cabinet three times. And of course if this is your only project, you could sell the cabinet afterwards.

And if it were me (because it once was) I'd powdercoat everything. Check out my pics....

 

[turbo39151]

I have questions for you. I'll shoot you a pm in a second..

 

[turbo39151]

Can anyone walk me through how exactly one would remove the frame from the body? If I have the car on stands, it's on the frame. Where are the spots that I would use to place stands on the body so that I could easily pull off the frame and roll it out from under the suspended body.

Sounds like a real PITA but then, I haven't tried it yet!

If anybody has how to advice and how to pics that would be very helpful. I saw URHSTRY's pics and they look good but they don't explain exactly how it was all done...

 

[Loosenut]

Can anyone walk me through how exactly one would remove the frame from the body? If I have the car on stands, it's on the frame. Where are the spots that I would use to place stands on the body so that I could easily pull off the frame and roll it out from under the suspended body.

Sounds like a real PITA but then, I haven't tried it yet!

If anybody has how to advice and how to pics that would be very helpful. I saw URHSTRY's pics and they look good but they don't explain exactly how it was all done...

Take a look at my pics from when we did my frame off. We did it the low-tech way with a floor jack, some jack stands, some 4x4's and what ever I had in my garage to hold the body high enough for the rear to roll out. We (only 2 of us) had it out, powerwashed and painted in 1 day.

http://community.webshots.com/user/xxmarvinx


Andy

 

[turbo39151]

All I can Say is WOW!~

How long did that take start to finish?

I'm thinking about doing the same thing. I like to do my own wrenching if possible but your project has already made me tired

Besides the engine rebuild, what was your approximate cash outlay on this project? (ie: paint, body, etc) if you don't mind my asking...

Also, what did you paint the frame with? And was the removal through install in one day or just the removal and paint? I anticipate problems (as they usually occur, most ofteen with these cars than my others... ) so I just want to have an idea.

One last thing, are there any items that you would recommend changing upgrading etc, while the frame is out (ie: body busings, hard lines, brake lines, etc.?)

Thanks again for posting the pics, they are a great help!

 

[urhstry]

If you are going to do it, you might as well do everything while it's accessible. New brake lines would be great but at the same time, if yours isn't rusted or kinked, I'd just polish or paint them and save some cash. Body mounts are a definite. Polys seems to transfer vibration so I went with the GM rubber ones.
For the frame paint, I'd use POR-15 or some sort of rust inhibitor. Again, I powdercoated everything... a nice option if its available close to you.
After the frame is painted, it's just a matter of bolting it up square and hooking everything up. It shouldn't take you that long but its dependant on how much time you spend on it each day. OH, and label all your bolts.

And the best place to hold up the body to remove the frame is on the pinchwelds under the doors. You can also stabilize the frame by putting a high jackstand under the back of the body in the area of the gas fill. Once the frame is dropped, I'd still stabilize the frame in the air with 2 4x4's like Loosenut did. I did the same thing. Shoot us some more questions if you have them. Good luck!

 

[Loosenut]

All I can Say is WOW!~

How long did that take start to finish?

I'm thinking about doing the same thing. I like to do my own wrenching if possible but your project has already made me tired

Besides the engine rebuild, what was your approximate cash outlay on this project? (ie: paint, body, etc) if you don't mind my asking...

Also, what did you paint the frame with? And was the removal through install in one day or just the removal and paint? I anticipate problems (as they usually occur, most ofteen with these cars than my others... ) so I just want to have an idea.

One last thing, are there any items that you would recommend changing upgrading etc, while the frame is out (ie: body busings, hard lines, brake lines, etc.?)

Thanks again for posting the pics, they are a great help!

You will need to replace the body bushings for sure. Im sure your car like all the others are missing a few. I choose to go with the poly mounts because I wanted a little tighter ride. When I had it apart I replaced everything. All the suspension, brakes, bushings, steering.

My car was a southern car and was for the most part rust free. I was able to reuse all the fuel and brake lines on the car. I did replace the trans lines.

As far as the $$$, its really hard to say. My car needed almost no body work. There was a little rust under the pass side t-top and a dime size hole on the pass door. If you strip it down as far as I did you will need to replace all the weather strip and seals. Mine is a t-top and I used all GM parts so it cost a ton!

The frame was painted with a cheap paint from the hardware store and came out good. I think it was rustoleum thats brush on, not spray. 3


HTH
Andy

 

[turbo39151]

I'm working on the 87 T right now. Just odds and ends. It's a good 20 footer for now and I actually enjoy driving it like it is becuase I'm not worried about the paint or it getting stolen. hahaha

My 86 Gn is another story altogether. She doesn't hardly come out of the garage and when we go out, it's nerve racking because I don't want to get dings, etc, or have the possibility of her getting stolen.

Anyway, the T has a lot of surface rust on the frame and some of the body pans. Most of the bad stuff looks like it came off of the "Atocha" (shipwreck) - and would most likely need to be replaced. For instance I went to replcae the fuel filter and the bracket that holds it is literaly coming apart, so I figure that I'll replace small rusty pieces like that.

I wanted to start a list of things that I want to change or upgrade along with the pricing as well as a list of tools for the job so that I won't be in the middle of the job and find that I need a special tool (as happens on every job on this car )

For instance I know that the weather strip will need to be replaced. I can get from Kirban for about $600 (all GM stuff- I know it's pricey but it fits, did it on my 86 gn), or I can buy from Postons for about half the price. (some Gm and some aftermarket)

I can get OE body bushings from Postons for about $150 for all of them and about $99 per set of hard lines. (don't know what I'll need yet...)

Then there's all the bushings for the control arms that I might as well change ( don't know what all is invovled so I don't yet have a price.)

Braided brake lines (Goodridge $99...)

As you can see this stuff adds up quick. That's why I have so many questions. If I continue on this path I know it won't be cheap but it'll be alot cheaper than paying someone to do it for me. So I want to do it right and do it once.

If you guys can think of any other things I might need or that you changed or wish you had changed, please let me know. Also, if you can recal quantities of materials used, like 3 cans of POR or whatever. I always seem to run out or have way too much...

Anyway, you get the idea...

TIA