Figured I'd start this post here and I can update as it goes on... and on and on and on.

Background:
1995 - Car was given to me by my great Aunt when I was 10 - she was the original owner.. drove to the bank, grocery store, back home - had 13,000 miles on it in 1995
2002 - Wrecked - clipped and run off the road into a palm tree - parked in a storage yard underneath an oak tree
2010 - Ressurected - finally got enough money to start and make it happen

 

got the new frame cleaned up
pulled the body (made do with what was available)
married the parts
all 1 car!

Im sure somebody will freak out and how we moved the pieces around - but this is a frame off on a budget lol

Also - got the motor running before the engine transplant

Fired up on the 3rd try (after getting the wiring right - wont run from the key for some reason) and idles smooth as a baby's butt after about 10 min to warm up - not bad for a motor that hasn't been run since 2002!!

 

Welcome to the site, looks like you have a great project there with a nice story to go with it. Good Luck with your low budget frame off.

 

Good luck welcome and thanks for not crushing it!!

 

X2
13K miles in '95.
OMG

 

Wow - impressive! I did not know you could lift the body by the roof without bowing it!
Too bad on the wreck - it was cherry before.
So I assume that the wreck damaged the frame?

 

Nice work, JL! I really like your technique.
Did you figure out the body's balance point by trial and error, or did you just get lucky?

Take a look at the third pic in the first post for an answer to that question, Rob .

- Eric

 

Yea, that was the reason I assumed. However, I figured the control arms or those fragile bolts would have gave before the frame did. I guess all 3 of those could have happened too.
Glad it was repaired right with a new frame.

 

compliment to the car and the story you wrote.
so it's a family car

 

Yea, Cool story. The pictures really tell it. You've done a ton of work and its looking good.

Welcome to CO. Good luck.

 

Thanks guys really appreciate it - and I kinda got lucky on the lift point - but was mainly trial and error - the frame buckler pretty bad from the impact - i don't think i took any pictures before i cut up the old frame (talk about bringin a tear to the eye) but the driveline was twisted just a bit and the frame actually crumpled just behind the drivers side body mount.

The body lift you have to use some high quality 4x4's lol - the first we used on the bottom snapped clear in half on the first lift - partially due to the steering arm being bent and not lifting out of place - had to cut it off.

I'll see if I can find a few more pictures too

Regret that wreck everyday of my life lol - doing what I can to correct it tho!

 

Things are shaping up nicely. That was a real nice car, I am glad to see you are giving life back to her.

 

Hey whatever works! As long as you can safely get the body on and off that's all that matters!

It was a nice looking car, and with some effort will be again. I'm not fond of green, but I do like the shade you've got on yours. John

 

Ya Im looking forward to it for sure - will be posting updates as things get done

Luckily I've got a good buddy who is almost as excited to do it as I am.