Richard's Corvair

The Restoration of my 1960 Corvair

Starting on Body Work

Original right front

Stretching and straightening right front fender

Original left rear fender

Straightening of left rear fender

Cutting out rusty floors

Donor panels welded into front floor

Rust on door door channel

Welded floors

Starting windshield removal

Windshield out in one piece

Windshield frame

Windshield frame without rust

Month 2

The body work is progressing, although there is little to show in the way of finished, nice, body work. This first stage involves the basics. Cutting out rust and replacing sections with panels formed from left over panels of other cars, oil drums, and whatever is available.

The left front fender had a dent and rust. The basic part of the dent has been straightened out and the rust cut out, filling with new steel.

The the left rear fender is progressing. Here we see the before and after pictures from its original condition, and the current progress, showing the stretching and shrinking of the steel to obtain the correct basic form.

The floor has required a lot of cutting and replacing from donor cars and other sources. The sill trim was originally covering a lot of rust. This was all removed and re-welded to maintain body strength. When we finish from the inside we will turn the car on its side to patch and straighten the bottom of the floor.

The windshield had to be removed carefully to send to the glass plant 450 miles away to duplicate. Fortunately it came out in one piece. We will have to make a mold to copy it.

There is very little rust in the channel for the windshield, so that will help. I have all new weatherstripping to put the new windshield back with when the car is painted.

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