Opinions needed for restoration

[Red Lehr]

I got under my 64 Comet today to see how much rust there was and the following pics are what I saw. Is this car going to be worth the trouble to restore with all the rust I see ?? It looks like part of the main frame has a hole in it also.. Need your pro opinions.If you rotate some of the pics, they get bigger ,took pics on my phone.(I tried to post the pics so they came up on the post,but still can't get it done.)
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Thanks,
Red

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... e943ca.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 57b58e.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 84b7d3.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 4a50a8.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... aae5c6.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 06abbe.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 38dc50.jpg
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... 578bd9.jpg

This is the tag on the rear end
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p63 ... d798db.jpg
Thanks again.......

[fairlaniac]

Red, that stinks! I read the posts from the seller and he described it much nicer. Mine has similar rust on the rear frame rails and trunk. That's why I'm going 4 link/back half. Yours is still better than mine and I think I can fix mine! You should be ok. By the time we both get done, we'll be experts!

[Red Lehr]

Thanks Doug, I thought it looked like more than just surface rust as described. onward and upward !!!

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

Needs COMPLETE floor pans,the big issue is the frame rail/rails being rusted out!!! Floors are available,frame rails are not,you will need a donor c64-65 Comet for those!!May be time for and after market subframe connectors and rear frame sections and BIG wheels and tires!!!! ROY.

[Groover]

Is this car going to be worth the trouble to restore with all the rust I see ??

Red,

The only correct answer to THAT question on THIS forum is "yes", assuming you're up for the work. And Roy, pish, posh, on the "donor car". Let's get out some hand tools and bend some new hat rails for underneath, right

Seriously though, it does look like a lot of work and the frame rails may be the biggest challenge. The rear quarters are unobtanium so you'll either have to cut up another perfectly good car or fab your own.

There is a company that makes complete frame replacement for these:
http://autoweldchassis.com/spec.ivnu

Floor pans will be easy after that.

A few good threads if you want to study up are Poboy's and Lou's (it'll make you cry).

Nothin' but time and money, right?

[Lou's Comet]

Seen people fix a lot worse, depends on how comfortable you are with some fabricating and welding. But definitely do able.
I used a cheap bead roller from summit and made my floors. The rails aren't that hard to form.

I would think it is worth saving

Lou

[Red Lehr]

Seen people fix a lot worse, depends on how comfortable you are with some fabricating and welding. But definitely do able.
I used a cheap bead roller from summit and made my floors. The rails aren't that hard to form.

I would think it is worth saving

Lou

Thanks Lou, We're gonna give it all we got !!

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

It would help if we knew peoples skills at fab work BEFORE we try to answer questions like that,a lot of people can and or would repair that Comet,many CAN NOT!! I must have missed the week in school on mind reading,surf must have been good that week!! ROY.

[barrys65cyclone]

I have to say the 1 64 Cyclone I parted was not as bad.

[Red Lehr]

Dumb question...... I want to mini tub the 64 Caliente and I've seen how some of you guys have moved the main frame rails in 5 or 6 inches. My question is, do you have to put the body of the car on a rotisserie or can it be done from under the car ?
Thanks,
Red

[poboyjo65]

I did it on big jack stands but it wasnt fun. I would have bought a rotisserie but was afraid I didnt have enuf headroom in my shop. it would have went a lot faster & I wouldn't have ate as much dirt & rust,not to mention what got in my eyes & ears, ok ,I mentioned it . I put donor rails on then cut off the old rails afterwards. It's a lot of work but it is a lot no matter how you do it . the good thing about doing it on jackstands was it was level the whole time ,I used a transit to level it & did not move it until all the floors were in & everything.

[CALIFORNIA CALIENTE]

RED;you want the WHOLE car solidly supported,not sure a rotissery would support the center section!! Like most guys stated,when we did mine it was solidly supported by stands with the car LEVEL on the stands!!Some people go for welding braces inside the car to keep it from sagging or twisting!! ROY.

[Lou's Comet]

Dumb question...... I want to mini tub the 64 Caliente and I've seen how some of you guys have moved the main frame rails in 5 or 6 inches. My question is, do you have to put the body of the car on a rotisserie or can it be done from under the car ?
Thanks,
Red

I did mine on a rotisserie, couldn't,t imagine doing them on the floor. Couple things tho. My car was just a shell so there was like no weight. I did make braces for the door openings. They were bolt on. I bolted braces to upper hinge holes on front door post (a pillar) and bolted to where the door striker bolts. The rotisserie mounts bolted to the rails into the same holes as front and rear bumper brackets used.

If you are taking your car down to the shell or very close to it I would get a rotisserie !
No over head welding, cutting, drilling, sanding, grinding, etc. etc. when you can work on the underneath of your car just like working on a hood or fender is makes the whole job much more enjoyable. Plus better lighting when you can flip the car. I know a couple people that bought rotisserie's to do their cars and then sold them when they were done. They sell used pretty easy for 6-700 bucks. So if you bought one for 1,000 or little more you would lose roughly 400??

Or if you could find a used one then sell it when you were done you could pretty much come out even!

IMHO well worth it. Plus once you are done with the floors WAY easy to paint them

If you leaving a lot on the car, such as engine, trans or glass. I would not do the rotisserie. I would think the extra weight may twist the car.

No matter which way you do it check your car for squareness first, before you do anything! Then check it again when you get it on rotisserie or stands to make sure nothing changed. I checked mine on the floor and then after it was on rotisserie and nothing changed.

I cut a lot out of mine while it was mounted on rotisserie and checked the car for squareness a lot and I mean A LOT !!

It stayed true nothing moved or twisted unless I wanted it to. Also took a lot of other measurements before, during and after. Like rails from side to side, front, middle and back. Spring mounts, shock mounts and just about anything I could measure.

I took pictures like this once car was mounted, and had them blown up to 8x10's and wrote all my measurements down on them.



Couple pictures of how much I cut out and car never twisted or distorted.





Lou

[pro64]

hey red its time to tub that thing out put some fats in the back, and skinnies in the front.........I would nt put it on a rotisserie.block the car up level about 24 inches of the ground,weld some cross braces in it ,and start cutting. u could probably have local steel shop make you some repair panels for the frame rails.and ur going to need a complete floor, get yourself a good welder,

[Groover]

Hey Red,

http://www.cometcentral.com/forum/viewt ... 751#p49213

If this is still available, you get a rotisserie and a parts car