Will it ever end? Short story and free advise

[bbcmudtruck]

I'm doing a complete frame off build of a 69 shorty. I've completely replaced every single suspension component in the rear so far with ECE parts mostly. New trailing arms, drop member, shocks, shock re-locators, springs, spring cups, track bar, grade 8 bolts/washers/lock washers/nuts etc. While I was taking everything apart to cut the frame for weld in C-notches, I noticed a little frame rot under the pan hard bar bracket. So I pulled the rear cross members and cut the rot out. Both sides of the frame had rot under the shock cross member. I have another frame to harvest replacement metal from, so I cut out what I needed with a cut off wheel and patched them in. So I'm pretty close to finishing up the rear (after over 50 hours of labor this summer) and decided to pull the old manual trans cross member out today. Since I'm putting a th 400 with a gear vendors over drive unit in, I went ahead and bought a new trans cross member from ECE as well. I'll be damned if the frame wasn't rotting under that cross member when I finally got it out! I got lucky I guess and it was only a small patch on the driver side. None the less, I have to cut it out and patch a new piece in there as well. The lesson here is to check under the cross members before sending your frame off to be blasted and painted! Its a pretty decent chore to grind and cut all the dang factory rivets, however its completely worth it. I am going to make some temporary cross members out of square tube and bolt them in place for sand blasting and paint. I will have my cross members blasted and painted separately so that the shop can blast and paint all the hard to reach places. Unless anyone else has a better idea?

[Tom Vogel]

You are doing the right thing.

[special-K]

Sounds like restoration to me . All kinds of surprised can lay in waiting. Be thorough and do it right...like you're doing. You never know going in what you'll know coming out. The best you can do is closely inspect potential problem areas and evaluate before moving on. But, as I said before, there can always be surprises once into it

[bbcmudtruck]

I did expect some problems as well as problem solving, however I didn't expect to put 70+ man hours into just the frame jeez! I can't imagine how long the cab is going to take me... I cheated a little and bought a complete aftermarket bed though. Does it take the avg joe this long to get a frame up to snuff?

[68shortwide]

Usually longer for avg jos. You're bookin right along lok

[67ChevyRedneck]

Its always a lot cheaper and a billion times faster to buy them turn-key... But then where's the fun in that?

I would have tossed the frame... I don't have that kind of patience or the skills to repair something that important. Kudos for getting it done!

[bbcmudtruck]

Well I appreciate the encouragement fellas. I suppose I should post a picture of the progress. Everyone likes pictures right!

[68shortwide]

Correct.