Drop It - Shawn removes the...
Drop It - Shawn removes the lower suspension.
At the rear of the car, we continued to fit, grind, and refit the rear fenders in preparation for final bonding. Once they are glued in place, that's it, there's no going back. So we spent as much time as necessary to ensure all our body lines flowed together. As the car will be traveling into different sections of the shop, we attached a special wheel dolly to the front spring pockets to allow easy movement of the car through the shop assembly line.
The car then headed to the sandblasting area, where the front of the chassis got sandblasted. In preparation of new paint and detail, we prepped and primed the firewall and front frame section. After sanding the primer, it was off to the spray booth where the rest of the car was bagged in plastic, and the front chassis and cowl got a fresh coat of black urethane paint. Any surface on the underside of the new front end that will be bonded to the car needed to be ground down with 24-grit sanding discs to remove any mold release and expose the fresh fiberglass. This is important to get a good bonding surface for the bond to really soak into the components and lock everything together.
Sandcastle - Sandblasting...
Sandcastle - Sandblasting the front chassis.
Then we did our first test fit of the front end. Since the original '64 core support would not fit the inner skirts of our new '67 front end, we needed a new core support. Coffman Manufacturing really stepped up to the plate and sent us one of their dead-on pieces for the pre-fit. At this point, we were just trying to get the basic shape of the car, and see what we needed to do to make everything fit and work. The door fit is crucial at this point because we don't want to have to come back later and try to fit the doors after the front end is bonded in place. We took all the extra time we needed to ensure the surround is square, including height, rake, and door and windshield gaps. Then the hood went on, and we got the latches in place. The hood fit is also crucial at this point, and since it has a bearing on proper alignment, it needs to fit properly now.
Once we felt good about the front end fit, it was time to put the car back on the sandblasting lift and remove all the components from the rest of the chassis. After pressure washing the fiberglass body pan, we protected the fiberglass from stray sand with a heavy paper wrap and sandblasted the entire exposed frame. After sanding the metal smooth with 80-grit sandpaper, we primed the chassis. We sanded the car again to prepare for the finish coat and then applied the black top coat to the entire underside. The bottom of this car needs to look as good as the top, and now it does.
Primed and Ready - Chassis...
Primed and Ready - Chassis and firewall is now primed.
The car needed to sit on the suspension to properly settle before we can do our final fit and gluing of all the body panels. We plugged in a temporary loaner drivetrain and quickly bolted the original rearend back in the car. The final drivetrain needs to be detailed as it is installed in the car so a loaner drivetrain helps with the settling of the car, but yet protects the final drivetrain from overspray and possible assembly accidents. It is important to have all major components in place prior to permanent body assembly.
There is still much to be done to make this C2 a reality since this car is being built from the ground up. Lots of time is now being devoted to parts acquisition and control with our suppliers. The bulk of our parts have arrived. JD Machine in Lake Havasu City is also close to delivering our 393 Maxi Mouse stroker motor for the car. The excitement continues to build and the Timber Wolf Speed Shop C2 is clearly taking shape, so stay tuned as we make this dream car a reality on the pages of Corvette Fever soon to be prowling the "taillight zone."
YOU COULD WIN THIS CAR, or one of five other classics at the Timber Wolf Speed Shop. Go to www.TWSPEEDSHOP.com for details.
No Purchase Necessary to enter or win in the Timber Wolf Speed Shop Promotion. For Official Rules and info on how to obtain a free code, visit www.TWSPEEDSHOP.com. Starts 12:01 a.m. CT 5/15/07 and ends 11:59 p.m. CT 11/1/07, or while supplies last. Open to legal residents of the contiguous 48 U.S. & D.C. (excluding VA & MA), 21-or-older, tobacco users, and for those with a valid U.S. driver's license. Void in VA, MA, and where prohibited.
Sponsor: Pinkerton Tobacco Co. LP.
 Chassis Black - It's amazing...  Chassis Black - It's amazing how much difference a little paint makes. |  Front Man - Prepping the new...  Front Man - Prepping the new front end. |  Testy Time - The first test...  Testy Time - The first test fit of the front end. |