The frame prior to powdercoat. Now rust free….and race ready!

Since it’s been a while since my last update on the Chevelle build I thought I’d take a little time to document what has happened since I last wrote about it. In my last installments I’ve documented that:

Today’s post will be mainly a photo documentary, as the pictures really tell the tale. As Jeff Allison examined the frame he didn’t like what he saw. Since the goal for this build is to use the car heavily on the autocross Jeff wanted to be sure that the frame was solid enough to handle the duty, and he was not too happy about the rust and thin metal in certain sections of the frame. It ended up taking more time and effort than initially anticipated, but the end result is going to be spectacularly strong….and will also allow the use of a larger rear tire WITHOUT having to modify any suspension pickup points!

Since it was our goal to simply bolt the Detroit Speed suspension on, the process described below was was the best route to go to allow the larger tire use. If you’re considering DSE suspension for you Chevelle, this was a completely optional step that we chose to take and is by no means necessary for a bolt-on situation.

Jeff test fit the new DSE suspenion prior to beginning work. He was thrilled that the instructions detailed every step – it was literally a bolt-on deal!

Jeff began by making sure that the frame was square corner to corner, and he then boxed the frame rails in as a convertible or El Camino chassis would have been. He replaced a majority of the metal in the front horns due to rust and some thin metal and also strengthened the area where the A-arms bolt on. He cut the center section of front cross-member and replaced it with tubing to add further strength and to make additional room for the LS swap that will happen sometime in the future.

After that he went to work on the rear of the frame and notched the outside of the rails where the wheels would be to accommodate a 295/35/18 tire. To strengthen the area that was notched he added internal boxing, plated the outside, and then added in triangulation barts to keep everything square. He also replaced all of the external frame body mounts with new ones! The end result of the process will be a frame that was far stronger than it was when new, and one that can stand up to the rigors of daily driving and weekend warrior use!

I’ll post a follow-up update soon to show what the frame looks like after poweder coat has been completed. For questions about the process please contact Jeff Allison at Allison Customs. Jeff will also be on next week’s podcast show (Episode 94) to give a full update!

-Robert Kibbe

The center section under the oil pan – prior to removal.
More rust repair. The frame was loaded with thin and shot areas. This is a shot of the underside of the passenger front horn being replaced. The frame is upside down on a rotisserie.
The rount bars are the future home of the transmission crossmember. They also add additional strength to the frame.
The notched rear frame section. This added roughly an inch of additional tire clearance.
The rear rails are now tied together with additional trangulation via these three bars.

TheMuscleCarPlace.com | Muscle Cars for Sale

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *