Cali,68,L-79

Just thinking if I buy back the car, how much to rebuild it. Needs cost of a tubular frame that bolts up direct with little or no mods.

David

zwede

Never heard of anyone offering a bolt-in tubular frame. I guess you can have one custom made by someone like paul newman (no, not the actor. the other one) but I'm sure it would be very expensive.

However, you can find good stock frames for under $1k, so that would be my recommendation.

fauxrs

cali - there is a Corvette bone yard in Ramona - its close enough that a frame might be had with little to no shipping.
http://www.corvetteusa.com/

Pricing on 75-82 frames $ 1,200 to $1,600.


give them a call


[Modified by fauxrs, 5:29 PM 5/28/2003]

Twin_Turbo

I once saw a site that offered full cage tubular C3 frames that could either accept C4 or C5 suspension, do a search in google. It wasn't easy to find but it's somewhere out there (I lost all my bookmarks since in a crash).

It was around 3.000$ if I remember correctly.

87bob

There is a guy in the Quad Cities that builds a tube frame for mid years that takes the C4 running gear I'll bet he could do one for the C-3 as well. Let me know if your intrested I'll dig up his name. The Midyear frames look SWEET! :cheers:

74 vert

While at the Corvette Expo in Knoxville I ran into someone building these for C4's and C5's, SRIII Motorsports Inc, Custum Frames and Fabrication. At the time he was not building C3 frames, but I bet they might with interest. http://www.sriiimotorsports.com/pages/691638/index.htm :cool:

gdh

There is a place not far from me that builds them, but are $6500 cdn. I haven't seen one yet as he is sold out for months ahead, but my mechanic has one on order and he is very impressed with them. For $6500 cdn I would hope that it would make my dinner and clean my house as well.

Schmucker

Personally I would just make the whole thing myself out of chrome moly tubing. The thing is, you can't usually replace a frame with just tube, you'll need to do two tubes, one on top of the other, laddered. That will be strong enough to do a straight frame replacement. What is better is going with a full cage and all the links making up the cage take the place of the extra tube for the frame. Having a chassis shop do it will be expensive (especially on the west coast), but maybe not, you'll have to call them because there won't be much fabricating involved, just creation of the rails and mounts to factory specifications. Of course I would run extra crossmembers on it to stiffen it up more and also redo the rear end, moving in, making new compartment doors so it all looked stock, and moving the two frame rails in further to allow for a large tire but retain the IRS.

78Vette-SA

http://www.artmorrison.com

Really sorry about you Vette. It sure was sweet... :cry

LAvetteman

Now you talkin Cali!!!! That would kick ars. :yesnod: :thumbs:

Cali,68,L-79

You know brother after i got the police report and her name/ address/ work/ home phone number (hmmmmmmmmmmm) I thought about it. Why should I give up my love. I am a 17 year Navy Veteren and Vettes have been in our family since 66. Why should I let some 23 year old A-hole that just got off the banana boat deny my American right to own the American dream just becuase she boozed up over of a fight over whose got the "flyest FUBU WEAR"

SCREW HER AND HER FAMILY!! I'M STILL IN THE GAME BOYS!!!!


[Modified by Cali,77,L-82, 12:28 AM 5/29/2003]

Desertdawg

I knew you would come to your senses..... :party:


Why don't you look for another 77, and build one out of the two...
If not, the tubular frame would rock....

Glad to have you back. and keep us posted on your vertebrae trouble.. :thumbs:

groovyjay

That's the spirit! Here's a link that you might find interesting:

http://www.jamisoncustomcorvette.com

:cheers:

UKPaul

That's more like it :D

Cali,68,L-79

Lets see

$4600 in parts to also include reconditioned SB frame
$4000 in labor (threw that figure out there)
$4000 in paint/ labor

$12,600 for stated value insurance of $14.5K is %86.896 of insured value

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm?????????

fauxrs

Thats the Spirit :party:

Cor6996vette

Ok good to hear that you can buy back your car. I would look for an beat up 69 to 73 or even a conv. since you going to do frame off anyway with a straight frame of course clear tiltle , (only if you like these years) around here i can find 3k to 6k. there is a 69vert. missing parts for sell about 5k right now. You can get some money from the old parts too. If you buy a new frame and replace your car then you end up with a salvage tiltle , just my opinion. Good luck and sorry what happen.

81' Corvette Guy

Cali- I have always admired your car..more so your talent! I thank God that you and or yours were not seriously or worse yet..injured or incapacataited. You are truely an inspiration for the rest of us! You are the most important part of your dreams..yes, the destruction of that beautiful car was sad. But, it was YOU that put it all together and made it happen..don't forget that. My mom and dad raised us with many sayings..the most true of which I can always quote: There is your plan, and there is God's Plan, and your plan don't count! You are still with us for a reason..make us proud!!! If there is anything I can do..please ask. Thanks again for all the knowledge and the wonderful pics you have shared with all of us.

Look forward to seeing more soon and hearing again from you..God Bless You and take care!! Good luck with the "next" project..that is the spirit..hang in there!!!

Bye..Joe :blueangel: :flag

SnoDrgn

:cool: :thumbs:

WashingtonRacer

Hell yeah!! thats the ticket, don't let the dumb *&^D$ take your pride, she already took your vett!. it's time to bring her back to life. Like the million dollar man, you should bring her back as a integrated dream machine, more powerful and quick then ever before. TUBE Chassis is a must be the first with one. They have them out there, I have seen advertisments in vett mags.