Yeah, we'll see if I need to do something like coilovers. Every Corvette panel I've removed has weighed next to nothing other than the back hatch/glass. Meanwhile, every Mopar panel weighs... well.... way more....
Bastardized 1959 "Coronet" build
- Thread starter wetskier2000
- Start date
Justin Plant
Well-Known Member
My best friend has an 07 vette. It handles like it's bolted to the ground, I would imagine your center of gravity is much higher now. In the end, it doesn't matter. Still damn cool.
65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
I am enjoying watching your build, quite the project
Picked up a couple fenders in much better shape than the ones I had as well as a pretty decent 300 grille...
Three thumbs WAY UP for Albert's Used Auto Parts in Thomaston, CT. Great to deal with, fair prices, a relatively small yard but chock full of 50s and 60s detroit iron.
Three thumbs WAY UP for Albert's Used Auto Parts in Thomaston, CT. Great to deal with, fair prices, a relatively small yard but chock full of 50s and 60s detroit iron.
300rag
It's Not Going to Shift Itself
That will let you cut and fit with the existing ones so that you can "one and done" with the new ones.
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
AMAZING!
Ed Zachary... s'matter of fact even though I was cutting the left fender in many iterations to leave as much fender as possible while allowing the car to steer, when I transferred my cardboard template to the right fender it just didn't come out right. The rot on the left fender made way more droop that I thought and when I cut the right one that is pretty solid, it didn't look right. Now I get another chance...
patrick66
Old Man with a Hat
I have to say, I've seen similar builds laying a vintage bod on a newer chassis, but mostly pickups. I'm honestly diggin' this build!
Not much happening recently... 300 grille shined up pretty nicely, one small crack in it but I think I can hide or disguise that enough to run the piece as is. New fenders and grille mostly bolted on and cardboard template applied to right fender.... Maybe cutting this weekend... (my garage time gets pretty short during the summer as it competes with other activities)
Cut the fenders again. Very happy with the forward contour now, less happy with the upper rear contour. I suspect I'll live with it since welding a small piece back in to soften that angle will make it difficult to add back the flare.
Teaser pic with grille and headlight trim in place... Next it goes outside again once the freakin rain in New England stops for a moment...
Teaser pic with grille and headlight trim in place... Next it goes outside again once the freakin rain in New England stops for a moment...
I decided to make sure the doors open before deciding on final fender placement and cutting. Good thing I did... I learned that modern doors ala 1998 corvette turn their leading edge IN but 50s vintage do not. The 59 Coronet doors have the hinge point much closer to the leading edge of the door than the 1998. I scratched several body parts wondering what I might do to solve this... I took a hammer to the 90 degree flange on the trailing edge of the fender and changed that 90 to about a 45 and it worked! The door opens now swinging it's leading edge into the inner fender area.
As an added bonus, the latest alignment might allow the hood install without cutting a hole..
As an added bonus, the latest alignment might allow the hood install without cutting a hole..
A little progress yesterday. Got the right door skin just about ready to weld the 2 halfs together... For some reason yet to be determined, the Corvette window glass clears the 1959 sheet metal better on the right door than the left. I suspect just a little different curve along the top from one to the other....
patrick66
Old Man with a Hat
The "Corovetler"or the "Chryvetnet"! Such a cool build.
Anyone removed a dash or the cowl panel from a similar car? Are both all spot welded in??
Right door finally trimmed and tacked together... Began on fender leg that needed to be shortened to align with Corvette rocker panel..
Made a small piece to fill the gap left by the Corvette front fender and to transition to the Chrysler fender. Next I'll slice that body line on the Chrysler fender back a couple inches and flatten that area to meet the new piece. Should work...
James.Z
New Member
Damn that's fine work
A little progress on the left fender and door. Alignment getting better. Fender trimmed at the bottom and mocked up. Filler piece like the other side next. 2 minor surprises today. The flange on bottom of left door was too low. Pretty easy fix, knock it back straight and rebend it in the brake. I had to crimp it onto the Corvette door structure to know where the fender should bolt on. Then I notice that while the bottom of the door (the newly bent seam) is straight, the corvette rocker is not.. It's curved inward front to back. I'll noodle this a bit, but current thought is cut the FG rocker and make it straight to match the door. Door matches quite well lower front corner and lower rear corner.
pics...
pics...
3C's & a D?
Senior Member
Dang those curvy Corvettes! Is it safe to assume that rocker is fiberglass? And I have to ask, what are your plans for the roof?
yup, fiberglass rocker. Should be pretty easy to slice it and shove the middle section out. I have a ton of FG work in my future anyway with other fixes and making the door structure fit the skins in a few places...
My hope for the roof is putting the 1959 roof back on chopped about 6" and integrating that into the Corvette halo bar as well as keeping the Corvette targa top. Not exactly sure how I'll do all that yet...
My hope for the roof is putting the 1959 roof back on chopped about 6" and integrating that into the Corvette halo bar as well as keeping the Corvette targa top. Not exactly sure how I'll do all that yet...
