No Going Back now. 70 LT-1

[jer]

That's going to be fun, fun, fun! You're asking about the tank......I had the exact same concern on my '66. It's tank cleaned up very nice and the inside looked great with a hint of corrosion in the neck but the tank was clean. I bought a new one after stewing on it. The new tank has the exact same embossed stamping and looks great. My car is halfway through the "complete" process and these same decisions have been attached to the brake rotors, rear spring, and brake calipers, which were upgraded to SS sometime in their lifetime. .... and I'm going torque thrusts, kyb shocks and considered hooker sidepipes but couldn't bring myself to cut the fenders. You're going to love this project.

[COPO]

Quite an ambitious undertaking with all the things you seem to have going on, but if you're up for it will be great to follow along.

[Lynn]

I was shocked to learn that all of the body mount bushings are solid aluminum. I learned that before removing the body, so at least I wasn't surprosed.

Using a mic, they don't seem to be the same sizes. But.... most of them are corroded and swollen.

Were they all the same size or was there some procedure to determine how thick if a bushing to use at each mount? Forgive me if this is in the Assembly Manual. I have one, but it is down at the shop right now. Too lazy to go look.

Also, because the body was not built by Fischer, the Assy Manual is about four times the size of the Camaro AIM!!!!

Next question: is it simply anathema to use hard rubber bushings instead of aluminum? Seems like the aluminum would contribute to squeaks and rattles. You know, the Opel GT of the 60s and the C3 were designed by the same guy. I am shocked every time I drive them back to back how much more solid the Opel feels than the Corvette. That is sad.

[LT1vette]

Were they all the same size or was there some procedure to determine how thick if a bushing to use at each mount? Forgive me if this is in the Assembly Manual. I have one, but it is down at the shop right now. Too lazy to go look.

Not an easy task you are getting yourself into. There are shims at each body mount. When you remove the body mount, DON"T lose the shims. Record and count each position. The same amount will have to go back in the same spot when you install the body back on the frame..

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by LT1vette

.

Not an easy task you are getting yourself into. There are shims at each body mount. When you remove the body mount, DON"T lose the shims.

Yup. Eyes wide open. I knew is would be a challenge.

All the shims are simply thick aluminum washers on this car.

All are corroded to some extent, with some being worse, and several are in pieces. When aluminum corrodes, it swells.

Most of them still have remnants of paper tape that I assume helped hold them in place.

The ones that aren't swollen all mic at .385. The rest; who knows.

[Oldss]

Lynn,
Would just the size and weight of the Corvette vs. the Opel alone make it feel that much more stiff?? Never driven an Opel, but the pic shows a big difference in size.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by Oldss

Lynn,
Would just the size and weight of the Corvette vs. the Opel alone make it feel that much more stiff?? Never driven an Opel, but the pic shows a big difference in size.

I am sure size has something to do with it. But the similarity is only in the skin. The Opel is unibody.

[Lynn]

I have them each marked. Some are incomplete.

When I hear "shims" I think of alignment shims. These are all like large thick washers; maybe 3/8 inch thick. Will post pics Sunday night. Have a work day at the Museum tomorrow.

[LT1vette]

They are washers, not ALL the same thickness sometimes.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by LT1vette

They are washers, not ALL the same thickness sometimes.

That is what I thought. I don't know how they determined what thickness went where. I am guessing the frames were pretty consistent but the bodies were not so consistent.

This frame has enough rust on it that I am not planning to repair it. I have a donor rust free frame that I have already stripped down. One little area needs attention, but zero rust. All the caged nuts (and the cages) are in great shape. Just need to chase threads.

Found this post on the Corvette forum (see post #5).
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...unt-shims.html