Replacing the front frame

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Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
4,829
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Location
Pittsburgh, PA
My Car
1973 Mach 1 Q code 4 speed
1973 Chevelle 454 SS
2005 Magnum RT
2008 Colorado
Got the donor car home yesterday from Stricklands and was all exited to get it ready for the frame guy. After everything I went through with NCDMV about how to legally go about it, I now have a new dilema. I don't know where to make the cut!!! and can't get up with the frame man.

Turns out this thing is in great shape and now I'm not sure where to make the cut. I'm thinking right behind the orange strap at the seam. But looking at the entire rockers, Their pristene!!! Legally, I'm covered from the entire front frame. But if I just cut the back off I'm not so sure. Hell if I was able to get a title from the deceased I'd get another front frame and do them both. What say the group. Sure could use some input.

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Got the donor car home yesterday from Stricklands and was all exited to get it ready for the frame guy. After everything I went through with NCDOT about how to legally go about it, I now have a new dilema. I don't know where to make the cut!!! and can't get up with the frame man.

Turns out this thing is in great shape and now I'm not sure where to make the cut. I'm thinking right behind the orange strap at the seam. But looking at the entire rockers, Their pristene!!! Legally, I'm covered from the entire front frame. But if I just cut the back off I'm not so sure. Hell if I was able to get a title from the deceased I'd get another front frame and do them both. What say the group. Sure could use some input.
Are you guy's going to clip it ? (section at the windsheild post & across the floor) I HOPE NOT !!!!!!! Need to see a pic of the car that needs the donor parts & I can tell you better

 
Getting a title in North Carolina is not as hard as you might think. I hope you mean the DMV because I work for the NCDOT. You can go about it a couple of different ways. I just built a dune buggy out of a VW with no title and they just gave me a new title with new VIN. You have to fill out a mv55 form and then the dmv inspector will come to your house and inspect it and issue a new title. This is an ispection of numbers not a safty inspection.

 
I've been working with the officer at theft and inspection at Wilmington DMV. Did'nt mean to mess that up. This donor car is stripped. Including the dash. If you look at my previous post "VIN number question" You'll see what I went through.

Bottom line was remove the fender VIN from my car and keep it in the car for documentaion. 1.DO NOT WELD IT INTO THE NEW REPLACEMENT FRAME! 2. Document VIN of donor car on bill of sale which I did. Also had the officer run VIN to be sure that it wasn't stolen. Which it wasn't. Officer was a great help. But how far can I go and still have the same car?

 
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I've been working with the officer at theft and inspection at Wilmington DMV. Did'nt mean to mess that up. This donor car is stripped. Including the dash. If you look at my previous post "VIN number question" You'll see what I went through.

Bottom line was remove the fender VIN from my car and keep it in the car for documentaion. 1.DO NOT WELD IT INTO THE NEW REPLACEMENT FRAME! 2. Document VIN of donor car on bill of sale which I did. Also had him run VIN to be sure that it wasn't stolen. Which it wasn't. Officer was a great help. But how far can I go and still have the same car?
Well...on mine we left the roof. passenger /driver compartment & part of the right frt frame rail the rest is all new ..I only used the left front frame rail..shock towers..& rear apron to upper cowl brackets from a donor car which I bought years ago from a junk yard the rest is n.o.s. panels & aftermarket structural parts...I've been telling everyone all along the same thing about the shock tower apron vins DO NOT WELD IT INTO THE NEW REPLACEMENT FRAME. As long as you document everything with pictures & recipts you can go as far as you want

 
I'm going to call the DMV officer at Theft and Inspection. Since the alternate VIN is on the fender frame I would think I can do whatever. But I like to be strait up and down should my kids decide to sell it. I'm also thinking of trying to retitle the donor. i'd hate to take another Mach off the list that is in this good of shape. Maybe I'll order a Marti for the donor and see what it was.

 
I'm going to call the DMV officer at Theft and Inspection. Since the alternate VIN is on the fender frame I would think I can do whatever. But I like to be strait up and down should my kids decide to sell it. I'm also thinking of trying to retitle the donor. i'd hate to take another Mach off the list that is in this good of shape. Maybe I'll order a Marti for the donor and see what it was.
Per chance is the buck tag on the donor car? It is located (usually) directly behind the driver side headlight in the bucket area and attached to the radiator support. It there I can decode it and get you almost the same data that Marti will provide.

 
No. The radiator support and all is missing. I'm going to call Steve and see what he has on this. This is the way it was when I bought it. of couse I was looking for only a solid front frame, but for $800 I figured I couldn't go wrong.

3n33m53o15Z25S05R2b6383a5183824c810fe.jpg

 
This is how my donor front clip was grafted in. Mine needed both rails, all aprons, shock towers, etc. Pretty much everything from the cowl forward. Cowl was in good shape thank goodness.

1972 mustang after media1.JPG

1972 FENDERS 004.JPG

 
Qcode351mach was dead on :udaman:. Frame man said I would be CRAZY. (no news there)to attemp what I was considering. Told me the safest way to do this was the same way BKDunha did his. Then and only then when that is all together could I think of moving other parts.

This guy knows some stuff because he basically explained the same issue in the article Qcode351mach put in his reply post. Thanks for helping guys and protecting my Q from from of all people, ME. :p



Getting a title in North Carolina is not as hard as you might think. I hope you mean the DMV because I work for the NCDOT. You can go about it a couple of different ways. I just built a dune buggy out of a VW with no title and they just gave me a new title with new VIN. You have to fill out a mv55 form and then the dmv inspector will come to your house and inspect it and issue a new title. This is an ispection of numbers not a safty inspection.
When the frame guy and myself were discussing my options, he agreed that the donor car was probably the more solid of the 2.

Oldmountainfarm,

Maybe you can help me out with something.

The donor car has no dash hence no VIN tag. The only VIN I have is on the fender frame rails. Is that suffient to start the mv55 process and if so I'm assuming they would do something with the VIN on my dash since I would be using it in the other car. Any help would be appreciated. :goodpost:

 
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That's how I did mine - pretty much exactly how bkdunha did his: slide the whole front clip up under there with the torque boxes and frame rails, and attached the torque boxes to the rockers (along with the aprons) to the firewall - after tons of measuring.

I just wish I could've had the back half of mine stripped and 'blasted when that all happened as well. I also wish I would've insisted on getting my 'clip with the firewall and cowl from the donor car (which were in much better shape than mine). Oh well - live and learn, I suppose.

 
I'm throwing this out for memebers that don't have it. Frame guy was impressed when we started talking measurements and said that's what he goes by to do his work. Hope it may help a few out there that don't have it.

scan0001.pdf

 

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thank you very much for the diagram. i need to replace the front frame rails and engine aprons on my mach dont have a donor car though :(

 
I have a couple of sets of frame rails

Have a nice set of rails with shock towers too

[email protected]

Don


Also have the new aprons

and will be getting the short front frame rails back in soon

Item #STD1M121B

71-73 INNER FLOOR FRAME RAIL, RH

Inner front frame support patch panel, left hand. Price: $24.95

Item #ST125SL

71-73 INNER FRAME RAIL, FRONT LH

Inner front floor support, right hand. 29 inches.

 
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Damn Don now I thinking maybe 2 Q-codes instead of 1. You're going to get me killed!! :p
Just say one will be hers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make it a 3 way race

Mustang VS Chevelle VS the other Mustang

:D

 
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