Do I need to reinforce the frame? 67' A body, SC&C stage 2 chassis

[Nicks67GTO]

Hey guys. I just found out my stock cali frame is damaged beyond repair from a collision that happened 20+ years ago before i got the car and it wasn't correctly fixed. In fact it was completely butchered and ruined essentially. The car wont turn full left, sit level, bent rear arm etc.

Anyhow ill be changing frames on this car. I have a 67' GTO Montana, rust free frame ill be swapping out under it in the spring. This winter I was going to do a little work to it before I powder coat it. I intend to run an SC&C stage 2 chassis with the SPC lowers and bilstein shocks and some UMI control arm braces. Ill be steering with a 12:1 Jeep box. This will be a street car that I take to auto x events for good fun and maybe a run or two own the 1/4 for a good time but nothign overly competitive. Its primarily a street car im going to beat on. My question is this. Im looking at a kit from ABC to box the frame or i might just fab up some plate steel and do it myself. Reguardless of how i go about it.... Is this a good idea or is it money wasted? Is there any downside to this?

Here is the kit.... http://abcperformance.net/frame%20boxing%20kit.html

[Amatouring]

Since you are replacing the frame anyway, this is a no brainer. Boxing the frame and adding well engineered stiffening components will make a big difference in how the car rides and drives especially in agressive driving. Making sure the fuel and brake lines and exhaust pipes routes aren't blocked is the only tricky part. With a decently designed kit, that shouldn't be a real problem.

[rallystyle]

i would say its not a bad idea to do it before you have it powder coated. check out
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391311

the abc performance kit
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150937797496440.409683.250752546439&type=3
there is also the HPI customs kit
http://www.hpicustoms.com/products.html

both look like good kits and will help your suspension do there job and not the frame.

[raustinss]

Galvinize the frame then paint in...powder doesn't get all inside the cross members also keep a eye out for a convertible chassis..they're factory boxed or a elcamino...station Wagon frame same thing but they need to be shortened the fit your car..good luck

[65_LS1_T56]

Hey guys. I just found out my stock cali frame is damaged beyond repair from a collision that happened 20+ years ago before i got the car and it wasn't correctly fixed. In fact it was completely butchered and ruined essentially. The car wont turn full left, sit level, bent rear arm etc.

Anyhow ill be changing frames on this car. I have a 67' GTO Montana, rust free frame ill be swapping out under it in the spring. This winter I was going to do a little work to it before I powder coat it. I intend to run an SC&C stage 2 chassis with the SPC lowers and bilstein shocks and some UMI control arm braces. Ill be steering with a 12:1 Jeep box. This will be a street car that I take to auto x events for good fun and maybe a run or two own the 1/4 for a good time but nothign overly competitive. Its primarily a street car im going to beat on. My question is this. Im looking at a kit from ABC to box the frame or i might just fab up some plate steel and do it myself. Reguardless of how i go about it.... Is this a good idea or is it money wasted? Is there any downside to this?

Here is the kit.... http://abcperformance.net/frame%20boxing%20kit.html

Well worth it in my opinion. I've boxed my center section, notched and reinforced the rear axle area and rewelded some of the factory seams. Now it's hard to get the chassis to sit solidly on four jack stands if they are not all the exact right height. Even with the motor and trans mission in the chassis, the before and after are really amazing.
One word: besure you measure the two frames (stock and the gto) behind the rear axle back to the rear bumper. I believe the Pontiacs, Buick, and Olds are longer back there ~3" or so. Elco's and wagons used the longer frames in the Chevy's. Just check it our before you powdercoat!

[MonzaRacer]

Biggest thing is when boxing is to make sure you have it sitting level and solid on same height points and make sure its true as in x measuring and across measuring. watched a guy do one OUTof car and it was wraped beyond belief when done. SO he took it to frame shop, they pulled it all back, had to cut some plates in middle THEN reweld them but it got back pretty straight.
Another friend had to shime all the body mounts as some where sitting high. His method for attaching was threaded rod in body holes, then stuck the mounts to the car with weatherstrip adhesive and the ndropped it down slowly. wierd just how much body was flexed. when he got finished he only really had to shim one fender much at all and that a pillar/firewall HAD been damaged and repaired previously. He also invested in the heavy brake lube from my old shop supplied by Mighty, then mixed it up with lots of powdered graphite from local hardware store.
VERY slick stuff.
He now has very stiff car AND it doesnt pop or crack or squeak at all and amazingly the doors mounted right up. Oh yeah on little trick he DID dream up is all the body mount holes have pipe between the frame, ie all his bolts ARE longer and are not inside the frame but actually sitting in little pockets he made for them.
He can check them periodically and his frame is sealed up inside, no water goes through it. his air ride set up, uses an air drier, the inside is selaed up tight with paint or epoxy of some sort.
AND his frame acts like an airtank for air ride.
Odd yes but his trunk is filled with air compressor, stereo, fuel cell, battery, spare tires(two different eco spares as he swapped in ABS from a Silverado when installing his LSx.
Just some ideas. I had pics of the way he did the longer pipes and bolts he even had an engineer help him come up with proper torque specs for longer mounting bolts.
But the way he reinforced the bolt mounting was fix all rust, then he tigged in pipe and washers as spreaders on body side. on the outside his pipe sits flush with frame, and the bolt head is below frame level ie in its own pocket (he had stepped it inside then welded the washers in solid) and ran another washer under bolt head and sealed it with clear silicone. He needed to lift body after getting a bunch of stuff mounted. loosened all the bolts (and he made sure they could be looseened later without having to come completely out, lifted body up an did what was needed.worked really well
All his lines used bulk head type fittings, all his inserts for brake lines etc were sealed units not open in back and he tigged them in.
Beautiful frame nad he did it all while living up north somewhere where there was lot of snow and ice. And he worked for a company that had lots of metal scrap and they would also sell raw steel cheaper.
Guess its just HOW anal you all want to be.
Good luck

[coolwelder62]

I have used the ABC Performance chassis kit.Everything fit perfect.Work great.