Projects '62 Corvette Gasser project barn find

Next, I started on the roll cage. It took a lot of figuring out to decide what I wanted to do and still be able to fit in the car. I decided to sacrifice a little shoulder room and make the cage small enough to allow me to lift the body off of the frame. Here's a couple of pictures.
I also cleaned /oiled the front wheels.
That's all for now, I'll try to keep up on this thread a little better.

 

I'm definitely going with a dual rear brake set up for that exact reason. Thanks for mentioning that.

 

Looking good for sure. Glad to see you are putting in some quality time. Keep up the good work. There can never be enough old Vette drag cars.

 

I'm located in S.E. Wisconsin. I plan on running at the Meltdown Drags, and also run with a local group called the Midwest Gassers.

 

The steering column was sold years ago (according to the original owner), but the original frame numbers are stamped and correct. The car is titled in my name, so I don't have any worries there. I still have his title from 1965 that DMV sent me back when I titled it in my name.
The rear crossbar is close to the original seat opening in the decklid. I'll post a picture with the decklid in position to put it in perspective.
I'm going to have to add additional tubing to make up a floor structure. That will be going in as I finish up the cage. They definitely chopped a bunch out of it.

 

Good stuff-keep it up. Sent you a PM.

 

Here's a couple pictures Willy showing the crossbar and door bars. I would have liked to have moved the main hoop rearward, but the hard top drops down too much and I'd loose precious headroom. It should work ok, but it's going to be tight.

 

It looks tight but that is the way they are unless you are jockey size (which of course you are not). Look at some of the old pics and guys stuffed themselves inside-I cannot figure how how they even shifted. Your setup looks fine to me and you are right about the headroom and the way the top slopes rearward. The crossbar looks close to where the rear bulkhead sits I believe (as you know the seat curved over the leading edge of the bulkhead anyways). At your height you have to consider the mainhoop and the relation to your helmet. In my avatar car I originally hit the main hoop with my helmet on occasion and had my upholsterer make me a padded tube and covered it with leather and snaps so it could be easily installed over the helmet area of the mainhoop. Works great and tech guys have commented on it in a favorable way. I will take a pic if and when you would like.

 

See them better like this.The original photos are HUGE that is why they don't show up in your post.

 

Sorry for the slow response Willy. The door bars shouldn't have a problem passin tech. Swing out door bars are allowed if you follow the rules in the NHRA rulebook. I made my clevises, but there are several companies that make them. Here's one example :
https://www.cachassisworks.com/p-27...d-dual-blade-eyebolt-set-1-58-x-083-tube.aspx
There are also some that wrap around the tube that are less expensive.
I'll try to get some pictures of the front attachment, but it's not complete yet. I still have to add some more bracing/tubes.

 

Here's a few more pictures.

 

Thanks for the pictures Willy. Good idea on the rear crossmember. I'll replace it with something beefy.

 

Swing out door bars will pass. They are alot nicer than those ugly wrap around ones.

 

Its nice to see my dad's covette getting rebuilt. Looking forward to seeing it all done and running. I remember always going to my grandmas and crawling under the cover and snooping around until i heard my dad say get out of there your going to get hurt. Lol.

 

Welcome Kris! If you ever want to check the car out, I'm in Kenosha county, west of the interstate.

 

Here you go sir. You can actually just hover over your picture as it sits on Photobucket with your mouse arrow ..... then right click your mouse and pick COPY IMAGE. Then go to your post right click again and pick PASTE. That's the easy way, using your already hosted pictures.

Nice pic' by the way.

 

Thank you! I'll stop on by sometime.

 

I'm really hoping you start building on Wednesday! Joe

 

Looking good for who? I can't follow the elction here at work. What's going on?

Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Check your conversations.

 

@WillyB You need to grow the hell up. You have ruined the original posters thread, and now your snivelling about you post. If you had half a brain you could figure it out. Hit the delete post button in the lower right. If I had the power I would delete you from the forum.......

 

Another person took my picture and made it full size.
I can't delete it.

 

Sorry for the slow response /posts. I've been busy building, but I'll try to get this thread up to date.

I removed the stock shock mounting crossmember, and replaced it with a 1 5/8" tube through both sides of the frame rails. Then I installed a anti-roll bar to this tube.

Then, I decided to replace the ladder bars that were on the car with something stronger. The original bars were made out of 1" .058 wall Chromoly tubing with welded in hollow aircraft clevises on the axle end. The front of the bars were attached to the bottom of the frame with one bolt mounted in single shear. I built a new set out of 1 1/8" .093 wall chromoly with 3/4" heim joints on both ends.

 

Next, I made new mounts for the front of the bars, so they would now be mounted in double shear. I mounted these brackets to the outside of the frame and used 2" square tubing as a lower mount/ crossmember. I'll post some more pictures tomorrow. I have a lot of updates to do on this thread, it's going to take me a while to get it caught up to where I am now.

 

Baldi good stuff. Build threads are always good even if we have to be satisfied with a little bit at a time. Your work looks to be top notch which will pay off in the end of course. I look at a number of cars that make me shake my head at times and it is refreshing to see quality workmanship-especially when it is a 62 Vette.

 

Here's a few more shots of ladder bar mounts.
These are the original mounts that were welded on the bottom of the frame. I don't think they would have lasted very long before they failed.

 

Here's the replacement mounts I made.

 

I used 3/4 and 1" chromoly tubing for the floor structure. I also made up some firewall structure and incorporated a steel mid plate.
I also added some 1/2" tubing to beef up the underside of the body where the windshield and front fenders mount. There was so much cut out, I needed to beef it up.

 

I made a removable transmission crossmember and a couple of driveshaft hoops. I also made a removable driveshaft tunnel out of. 050"chromoly sheets. I feel a little safer with the driveshaft enclosed considering where it's at.