Welding the Frame

This weekend was spent working on the frame which to be honest was something I was both avoiding due to the complexity and eager to finally finish. Finishing this part of the build really puts me on the other side of the project where things can finally start going back together.

The picture below shows the frame that originally came from a 1966 Oldsmobile with the shell of on the frame.  As you can see the frame "horns" (the area from the front of the A-Arm) they have a contour outwards where the Chevelle frame is straight.  

The first step in the process was to strip the frame down.  The rear was quite easy, just four bolts that hold the control arms on was required in the rear. The front as was a bit more work but it easier since I didn't have to worry about saving any of the hardware this time.  In all it took about 3 hours to get the entire frame stripped down to the point where i could start working on the frame horns.

The picture below shows the frame after I cut off the Oldsmobile frame horns and then the Chevelle ones leaning on the frame.  When I cut the frame horns off there was a lot of material from the firewall and carpet from some of the previous owners (i.e. mice), they were completely full of stuffing.

The next step as A LOT of grinding and fitting.  I spent probably 5-6 hours trimming both the frame and the Chevelle horns, which took most of the day on Saturday.  However, it's critical to make sure that you do take your time doing this to make sure you get a nice fit.   It's hard to tell from the pictures below but the end result was much better than I expected.  I ended up taking some sand bags out and putting them on the frame to ensure that things didn't move during welding.

Here's the view from the bottom of the frame during welding.  Once I was able to finish welding the sections back together I went back and added a few gussets to help provide some strength where there were larger gaps after putting things back together.

The picture below shows the end result which I thing came out quite well.   Something worth noting is that since the frame came from a Oldsmobile the actual dimensions from the Chevelle forum I found didn't match exactly based on the alignment holes.  However, overall everything appears to measure correctly.

The next step is to bolt the body back to the frame and then assemble the front end of the vehicle to make sure that everything fits correctly.  After that is completed I'll then take it apart again and do the final welding of the body shell as well as box the frame.

I have 3 more days of work this week then the remainder of the year for vacation time so I'll be able to make plenty of progress the remainder of 2011.