Removing A C3 Corvette Body And Tearing Apart The Chassis. Restoring An L71 427 1968 Corvette
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- čas přidán 25. 01. 2024
- Welcome to my CZcams channel. This channel is the home for all your vintage Mid-Year Corvette content. In today's video I did a ton of work. I finished separating the body from the chassis. I lifted the body off by myself and then stripped the chassis down to the bare frame rails. I also fixed some rust issues and took the engine to get checked out and the chassis powder coated. It was a busy few days but it was a blast to make a lot of progress! I hope you enjoy!
I just finished restoring a 1963 Corvette Split Window and I am starting another split window build but this time its a race car build. I will be making videos every Friday. I will be making videos on my 1963 Corvette Split Window, my dad's 1965 Corvette, my race car split window build, my friends 1960 Corvette, and other projects that I find along the way. Let me know what you think about the video. Enjoy!!
If you are interested in an official MYM hat or if you have any questions please send me an email to midyearmitch@gmail.com.
Check out my Instagram for some behind the scenes pics of my builds.
mid_year_mi...
Sit back and enjoy the show!
#IGotALotOfWorkToDo
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You are a pro at what you do. I've never even heard of a person that can disassemble a C2 and now a C3 Corvette, including removing the body from the frame, while recording it. I do hope that if you ever consider having your own shop that you get prople that share your passion for these wonderful cars. You are a machine, full speed ahead. You made it look so easy. Take care and take the night off.
Thanks Jim! It’s definitely a lot of work but it’s a blast. It was a lot of work but it was very rewarding.
Mitch. You are a truly skilled man. Please start a full time Corvette shop. Many of the old timers are retiring.
Thank you so much! Maybe one day haha. It would be fun but at this point I’m only one person. I would need a small army lol.
just awesome mitch! you go! thanks for doing this for us vetteheads and gearheads. Not everybody can do what you do.. you’re a talented buggah!
I appreciate that!
Dude finishes in a weekend what it would take me a year and a half to accomplish 😂
Damn son, you made it look easy!
Absolutley amazing videos and project skills in your videos that deserve many more views. C3 Corvettes are like the black sheep nowadays that you either love them or hate them. It's strange how I search for c3 stuff on CZcams and just find your channel 4 years after you started it. I was told by a pro builder that CZcams does limit car building video suggestions in it's algorithms to appease the climate changes politics. Unlike 90% of regular diy car guys, you have the only non professional business channel using commercial shop equipment and techniques obviously having the necessary time and money expenditures to accomplish this amazing level or craftsmanship. I also heard you said you have a Corvette shop near you for parts which is another level up reference for you apart from your dad and others. I subd' and look forward to more stuff in the future!👍
Thanks Mitch. One man can move a mountain, one rock at a time. Great Video!!
You got that right! That’s what it feels like haha
Reminds me of my 66 427. I did this exact thing to it 30 years ago. It's a very rewarding project and a lot of fun. The first thing I noticed when disassembling the car was how well built they are.
I don't consider myself a Corvette afficionado and yet I really enjoyed this video. Seeing the frame of this beauty was my favorite part. Just well done!
Right on! Thanks!
Hello Mitch! I hope You are doing great. I found You and your channel via Finnish daily newspaper last week . They have a clip on you. You are doing fantastic job and you put it nice in a video. I totally agree that You made it look so easy. I guess reason is cos You are PRO. Keep up the good work and I all ready looking forward next clip. Hope all the best, cheers from Finland br. Jari
No way that’s wild! Can you send me the article to my email?
Mid-yearmitch@gmail.com
I would love to read that article! That would be really cool to see it. That’s so cool to see where my audience is from. Thanks for tuning in and supporting the channel.
Nice work Mitch. Well done.
Thank you! Cheers!
Time to buy a peekup! From Rockford Illinois and please tell a bit of the backstory for us late lucys
Hehe I’ll need to get one or build one soon. What backstory do you want? On the car or on myself? I’ll be glad to add more of a background.
That Vette is definitely worth restoring. A lot of work I know I did same on my C3. Blasting, welding, gusset plates, suspension, engine, brakes. My wife so understanding the hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars I put into that car. But we know. It's worth it!
It sure is! It’s a ton of work but it’s definitely worth it. Thanks for watching!
Lucky man you are and hell yea it`s worth restoring these cars.
It is a shame to see how much that frame of the car got tore up by rust sitting in there, glad to see you doing right by her, this is going to be an incredible clean car by the time you're done with her I can tell.
Yeah it would have been nice to get to her sooner. But we will get her back up and running again soon.
Crossmember pad - some guys call it the sombreo mounts
great video as usual, thank you, this must be the part of rebuilding a car that sucks
I like this part the best ,it's the body work I hate .
Thanks for watching! I hate taking apart rusty stuff. But I hate drilling spot welds more haha. After doing a lot of birdcage work I don’t mind a change of pace and do some chassis and mechanical work.
Thanks for telling us about that corvette too!!
I just came back to tell you what a great job you're doing. First time watcher. Subscribed-All Notifications Bell
Great video. I did the same thing, but with a Lotus Europa. Surprisingly similar process. The problem is, that when that frame comes back, shiny like a Christmas present, you won't want to bolt anything dirty to it. That's when things slow down... electroplating every nut and bolt and washer! I am looking forward to the reassembly.
Nicely done.
Thanks!
I've done 3 of these! Time consuming but the end result was well worth the effort!
Great video - thanks for posting. It’s possible that the struts were bent by someone who tried to raise the car with a fork lift sometime in its past. I bought a ‘72 T-Top in the US and had it shipped to the UK. I have photos that showed that the car left the US with straight rods and the car arrived at my home with them bent. The car was a non-runner so I think someone in the shipping process wasn’t too careful when it came to moving it around…. keep on posting - can’t wait to see what you do next.
Thanks for watching! Anything is possible. People did crazy things back in the day. You never know what they did. I talked to someone and he said that’s how they adjusted the cars back in the day. So I’m not sure. Thanks for tuning in across the pond! My red car had its strut rods bent as well. So I’m not sure what the cause was.
Very interesting project. Keep up the good work. Thanks
Great work Mitch! You've got the patience and the talent needed to do this kind of work. It never ceases to amaze me when these cars turn up.
Thanks for watching! It’s a lot of work but I enjoy it.
@@MidYearMitch As someone whose restored a few muscle cars over the years I can vouch for that. If I didn't love it I'd never have done it.
Great episode Mitch, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it thanks!
Nice work Mitch! That is a lot of work in one day.
Yes it was! Thanks for tuning in Don!
Cool Video Mitch. I have a Black 1968 427 M21-4spd Vette T-top sitting in the back of my pole barn. This almost inspires me to dig into it but I won't quite yet.
Awesome job! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Hey there Mitch,
Very interesting video. Thanks for showing how it's done!
Good job not maiming yourself getting the springs out.
Curious, does the powdercoater de-rust and coat the inside of the frame tubes? I'm not sure how that would be done ... chemical dip?
Take care,
Dan
Thanks Dan! You’re the man. They blast the frame and spray it down before they coat it. You could have it acid dipped to treat the entire thing.
Just came across your channel with this Original C3 big block that caught my attention, I just saw an L88 go for 2.8 Million at Mecum's so your rebuild of this gem will value it up big time. My son has a 68 built 69 model bitsa that he's had for near on 9 years, It came from South Africa through New Zealand and then into Australia. I have done a fair bit of work on the drive train and suspension and want to swap out the 1970 LT-1 for a BBC one day and wish I could find out the cars history and especially it's actual factory specs it came with. I'll be sure to subscribe and keep up with your builds which you have a lot on. Cheers from Australia.
That’s so cool that people are seeing my videos all around the world. Oh wow that was an amazing car. I saw that one before the auction.
Oh wow that’s awesome! It’s cool to hear about cars on the other side of the world. Thanks for tuning in cheers!
Your not wasting any time 😎
That’s right! I’m trying to hustle! Haha
@gsmith207 , I can do it and have , but now to old and lazy .Not the birdcages ! I've said for years Mitch , if something won't budge , get a bigger hammer ,LOL
That’s right it takes a bigger hammer lol.
Just subscribed 😊
Thanks for subbing! That makes a big difference. Welcome aboard!
Those cars had a factory frame flaw. I replaced frames in 4 of those cars. One being a '68.
Mitch would appreciate if you could show where the chassis frame numbers are stamped, I have looked at where they are supposed to be on the left side of the frame at the section under where the drivers seat would be and the raised section above where the rear wheel would be and cannot find them on my sons C3. Cheers Brian.
I’m not sure if I can see the number on this chassis. You should be able to google the location. If I find it on the chassis I will point it out.
like # 53 !
👍
I’m curious how to level the body once you remove a body mount and replace with new mount. I’m assuming you keep trying shims until doors open and close well. Possibly shim different locations than the one you replace. 🤷🏼♂️
Hey Mitch. I know you try and get through alot of content on your posts.
But is there a chance we could also see the slower extended version.
You always have great tips and I don't want miss any detail.
I can try in some cases. I made a video on this topic so check that out if you have time. Thanks for the feedback!
Mitch - When you put new body mounts back on do you prefer rubber or poly?
There was an accident with the front of the car. Please, can I modify the chassis
You can let them outside they are plastic the rain won’t hurt them
Haha there is steel inside that you don’t want to rust out but the fiberglass is okay outside.
Are you going to sandblast the frame before pader coating ?
The powder coater blasts it before they coat it. It’s all part of their process. The frame definitely needs a good blasting lol.
Did you build the "H" brace to pick up the body or buy it? I'm interested in something like that for future projects. Thanks!
It’s actually a pickup truck bed lift fixture. It works perfectly for this type of job. This one was rated for around 2,000 lbs so it’s more than capable to lift up a Vette body.
Did you remove the rear bumper prior to lifting the body off?
I pulled my tank on my 74’ before I pulled the rear bumper. I couldn’t imagine trying to mount the rear bumper with the gas tank installed
Yes I removed all the bumpers and bumper brackets. Check out my prior videos on prepping the car for the body lift. I’m not sure what the best way to do the late C3’s. You might need to have the top screwed on and tighten the sides after the body goes on the chassis.
Great videos! Where did you get the H shape fixture to lift the body off, or did you make it?
Thanks I appreciate it! It’s actually a pickup truck bed lifting fixture. I purchased it from Auto Twirler. They said it was rated for like 2,000lbs. It works really well and it’s the perfect size for this job. I made a separate video on this lift fixture about 2 months ago. Check that one out for some more info! Hope that helps.
@@MidYearMitch Great, thank you for your response. I have gantry crane and this will perfectly.
@@MidYearMitch Hello Mitch, I looked for the video but did not see it. What would be the title?
1968, the body mounts were aluminum, thus, the frame was unique to that year only.
I didn’t know that. That’s pretty wild. It had rubber bushings when I took it apart so either early cars didn’t or someone changed these out.
@@MidYearMitch'68 Corvette roadsters had aluminum spacer mounts from the factory. Maybe some idiot switched to rubber to eliminate some of the vibrations and excess noise. Guaranteed that it didn't work.
Are you replacing all the frame components you didn't take to the powder coaters?
I will take those assemblies apart in a future video and they will get powder coated after that.
Mitch, as everyone says, great video. I am in the middle of removing the body from my C3 convertible (68 as well) and I’m jammed up. The rear support bolt on both sides spin but they don’t come out. It feels like there is a nut at the top spinning but I can’t get to it to try to put a wrench on that side. Any suggestions? Is the only option cutting the heads off the bolts?
Hey Brian thanks! Are you referring to the rear most body mount? That one has a cage nut in the body. That nut rusts to the bolt and when you try to remove it, it ruins the cage and allows it to free spin. I have used a saw to cut through the bolt from the wheel well in the past. Most cars have issues with that body mount to be honest. They are stubborn. I hope that helps!
Exactly, rear most bolts. I tried to cut the head off one and it left a sliver of the head (annoying) and the other just spins. What kind of saw did you use and did you go just above the head or in between the thick washers? I’m close to trying to drill it out as I’m not sure of other options. If I apply some lifting pressure with the straps not sure if that would make things worse or let the ratchet spin it out.
Got them off Mitch! Finally... In a "test lift" I got the back to come up completely and the front to make good progress but there is still either something connected in the front or my lifting 4x4 beam is too far back so it is leaning forward. Last owner loved his electrical tape around wires and zip ties so I'm hoping it will just be cutting those off and she'll be free. Thanks again
MItch, I just watched your video on why you only make short videos, which I don't really understand as restoring or repairing videos on C2 or C3 Corvettes are going to be brief in so much as these (At the time were semi simple automobiles ) they were the average person's american made sports cars. And even if you explain ever detail, it's going to get old for your viewers. Cars today are so tech heavy, that you in many instances need a 1 year automotive engineering course under your belt to even understand what each part does, and how it does whatever it does explained. Your working out of your 3 door garage, space is not something that is in abundance where you are. I'm your grandfathers age and I enjoy your videos, as I remember reading about Corvettes whenever one of the guys in my hooch got a Hot-Rod magazine in the mail, even if it was beat up, I was in Vietnam and anything different was a good distraction from the days work. But I think because most people don't realize the difference from a C2 to a C5 Corvette, they do much of the same things, but in very different ways. But no matter what, I personally enjoy your work and documentation of it is very satisfying and it is well done, thank you and please keep up the great work.
Thanks I appreciate the kind words!
Hello brother is this a numbers matching car? trans and engine? Thanks
The engine block was replaced in 1969 with a CE block. I’m not sure if it’s the original transmission I haven’t checked that yet. But the car is a documented factory 427 435 car.
Very cool So sounds like maybe a replacement under warranty crate engine then. It`s still killer.@@MidYearMitch
Yessir that’s what it sounds like. I’ll have to check the head castings to see if they are original. The intake and carbs are dated 68 so it may have been a bottom end issue.
About how much does the chassis weigh and how much does the body weigh?
I’m not sure I can weigh them in a future video.
I'm keen to know how long the work in this video took you in real life?
I see it says a few days in the description.
It was 3 days. Day 1 I removed the body mount bolts, pulled the body, and removed the engine and transmission. Day 2 I took the suspension off. Day 3 i rust repaired the frame and removed the rear end crossmember.
It was 3 action packed days haha.
Great work. Your organisation and tidiness is what I like and how I like to work as well. I'm jealous that you can just go to a local store and get special or even reproduction parts like that... and send the motor and body off as needed. Where I am, all those bits would have to be ordered from overseas. I think my dream of doing a C3 is not going to be happening heheh @@MidYearMitch
I had one except mine was yellow back in the day that engine is a pain to work on change plugs as its stuffed in so tight even with doug thorley headers and side pipes it was a pain that rear end is weak twisted axles all the time i would have gone with an aftermarket frame on this with modern drivetrain keep the engine and trans...even keep this frame and dip it and plate it if thats what happens..not this stuff
Take pictures
Was it just me or was most of the audio messed up?? I missed out on Mitch's knowledge about these cars....
Good call my video editor was messed up and the video was way too long.
There was an accident with the front of the car. Please, can the chassis/////Corvette chassis repair
who knew, mice stuff their nuts up the tail pipe of a rat?
Haha I see what you did there.
So why are you scraping this thing brah?
Say what? I’m not scraping anything. I’m mechanically restoring the car. It’s just going to get a little worse before it gets better.
@@MidYearMitch idk it really looks like it is getting scrapped & I know what I saw brah
Powder coating ? What about all the rot on the bottom of the frame rails? PS, don't tell us there wasn't any...
Yes powder coating. They blast it and coat it. I did what any good repair man does. I fixed it. There was a spot that was about 2x2 that I fixed. I didn’t record everything because I didn’t have time to. Why are you always so aggressive with your comments? Chill out man 😂
@@MidYearMitch You'll be getting a call from the powder coat shop after he blasts those rails into swiss cheese. Do the job right or don't do it at all.
@@hillarylevenworth8824I don’t think you realize how ridiculous you sound. There’s a glass half full or half empty perspective. And you just smash the glass because you don’t want to wash it 🤣 I’m glad you stopped by the shop and laid your eyes on the chassis. Oh wait you didn’t and you are just judging to judge. Checks out thanks ms lady.
@@MidYearMitch Just admit you're only putting lipstick on that pig and everything will be fine.
@@MidYearMitch - you’ve done an awesome job, where do you work out of ?
You restore cars, but you don’t own your own pick up ?
I know I know lol. I’ll get a shop truck soon.
Nice job, Mitch!
Thanks!