Here's an update. I have about 1/2 the frame cleaned and painted-quite a difference if I say so myself. This is very dirty work!

http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/21221b.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/c.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/13a.jpg
This rear crossmember was the worse part (I keep repeating this to myself-over & over).

Bill:

Great work! Keep it up! Your effort is well worth it. It looks like new.

I would suggest you buy or make some pads for your jack stands. As your efforts progress and you move them, they'll scratch the paint without pads.

Please send more pictures as your work progress'.

Elky77

Your frame looks good.and what kind of paint are you using is it base clear or por 15.

Your frame looks good.and what kind of paint are you using is it base clear or por 15.

Thanks.
It's POR-15, and looks like glass. I'm pretty impressed with the way it looks.

the frame looks like its wet?

look great keep up the good work. your doing a complete frame off?

where do you guys actually buy POR-15? ive looked at all my local shops and have not found this product and even asked around and no one has heard of it.

[quote="guru54"]where do you guys actually buy POR-15? ive looked at all my local shops and have not found this product and even asked around and no one has heard of it.[/quote

WWW.por15.com

Buy Smart, it ain't cheap, but it goes along way. I am personally on my third restoration using it. NOT A COMPLAINT YET!! One word of advise, buy the solvent. Don't use laquar thinner to thin it . The entire product line is incredible stuff.
Good Luck. 8-)

where do you guys actually buy POR-15?

I hope this isn't breaking any posting rules-Here's a guy on eBay selling it. The factory told him he cannot sell it any cheaper than the regular price (32.95/qt.) So he's selling it at that price with FREE SHIPPING. That's a good deal IMO. The shipping on POR-15 is ridiculous.

POR-15 on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33654&item=2471286723&rd=1)

Eldog

What did you think about the weld job the factory did on that frame? Pretty sloppy wasn't it?

The 5th generation is when GM started using automation and they were not very good at it.

Mine had wire still on it all over the joints. Long pieces too. I smoothed most of mine out with a offset 4" grinder. On the tops I didn't get carried away they'll never show anyway I just smoothed those enough to get rid if the wires and slag and create a good surface to hold a finish.

Have you noticed how flimsy the frame is in the center section? It really needs to be boxed there and some added crossmembers in place for good sturdy handeling. I didn't box mine but I have been considering adding two additional frame crossmembers and have considered really hard about boxing the frame's center.

Looking good Bill. How much POR did you use on the frame? I bought a gallon from Original Parts Group when they had a special running prior to xmas, it was $95.00. Got a gal. of metal ready along with it, I plan to do the same to my 74 as soon as the body is lifted off the frame.

Eldog
What did you think about the weld job the factory did on that frame? Pretty sloppy wasn't it?

Mine had wire still on it all over the joints. Long pieces too. I smoothed most of mine out with a offset 4" grinder.

Have you noticed how flimsy the frame is in the center section? It really needs to be boxed there and some added crossmembers in place for good sturdy handeling.


LMAO.....Yeah,"whiskers" on almost every weld. The welds aren't anything to stand back and admire, that's for sure. I too smoothed them out, and if they looked 'iffy', I just rewelded them.
The center of the frame is unbelieveably flimsy-almost scary. Most people would never notice this. I noticed it the first time I jacked the car up, and put jackstands under the frame-just about where the firewall would be. When I let the weight of the car down onto the stands, the front of the car must've sagged down a couple inches. Scared the #!%* out of me. I thought the frame was cracked!!
I've been seriously thinking about boxing the frame also. I'm lucky enough to live close to a metal-working yard that sells to the public. They have 1/8" x 4" x whatever length you need. Perfect.

Looking good Bill. How much POR did you use on the frame?

Thanks for the compliment.....it's appreciated. So far I've used about 1/2 of a quart. POR-15 goes a long way. The gallon should be more than enough. Be sure and follow their directions for sealing the can back up. No paint in the groove or on the lid, don't paint out of the can. They say you can't keep POR-15 for an extended period after opening the can, because it will 'set-up'. Well, the can I used was last opened 2 years ago. Good luck...BE SAFE!!

The first thing we did when we opened our gallon of POR15 was to transfer it into canning jars, being careful to keep the tops of the jars clean before putting on the lids. That has worked well, then we just paint out of the individual jars and discard them. At the cost of the paint, the jars are just a small addition. We haven't lost any of the paint yet.

Great advise, thanx! That stuff seems to go a long way for sure, and I plan on using it on my car trailer too.

I like the idea of transfering it into other containers, I might do that when I start working with it.

Bill, how did you pull the body and what did you set it up on? I've talked with several folks that have done it differently. I'm sorta a one man show with everything I'll be doing. Might be able to get a few neighbors over to lift if I have enough beer on hand :lol:

Thanx for the feedback
Lee

Caveman49:
I used jacks, jackstands, and 4x4's. I did it by myself, my wife was there in case something happened. Lift one end a little, then the other end-back and forth until the body is as high as you need. Whatever you do-you need to lift the rear of the body off the frame first, because those rear framehorns are so flimsy-you risk bending them if you lift the front of the body first and allow the rear of the frame to carry all of the body's weight.
These pix show the front of the body on the jackstands. The rear of the body is on a 4x4/jackstands under one of the bed's crossmembers.
I'll have to take a couple pix of how the rear of the body is being supported.

http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/frameoff5.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/frameoff2.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/elcamino/frameoff/websize/frameoff3.jpg

Thanx Bill, I appreciate the information, especially about lifting the rear portion first. Jackstands and 4x4s I have plenty of :)

I'm having a time with the body bolt under the driver door, the rubber bushing is smashed all around the bolt. Looks like something I may have to put some heat (torch) on. I dropped the gas tank the other night, that was fun, I forgot to empty it first. Now to get the gas out 8O Hate to waste that 93 octane!

Thanx again,
Lee