'76 Stingray Cut and Flared

[dulcich]

Here are some progress pics of my '76 Corvette. Stripped it last week, and now about ready for first primer coat. Skimmed quite a bit of the body to get it much straighter than it ever was new. Added 'glass front and rear bumpers and removed all the crash bumper equipement - result is much lighter than the earlier chrome bumper cars. Front is a 76 repop cap that I shaved the bumper guards off, and then custom built ('glass) the lower center valance and recessed plate mount. Rear is a '80 style with kick-up spoiler. Fitted up a L-88 hood; Paint is Planet Color Chumma Orange. Planning on Hooker sidepipes, and of course a new engine/trans.

Wasn't in bad shape to begin with, nearly perfect boby.


L88 Hood fitted temporarily.


After chem-stripping, which took off the paint but not the primer, the car was hand wet-sanded with #220 to bare.


Rear; most body work done.


Front; nearly ready to start taping for primer.

[henny496]

Re: '76 Stingray

You will be amazed of how it will look just with a coat of primer one colour. It looks like you are doing a good job
I am not sure how your hinges are for the doors but after mine where on, I cam up with the idea that I should of drilled a small hole .125 or .187 in dia, two places on each hinge and through the inside of the door
That way aligning them after it is painted makes it much easier

[Freiburger]

Re: '76 Stingray

No wonder you never answer the phone! I'm jealous. Been wanting a Vette ever since you got that one. Not sure I would have smoothed the body seams on the tail, though.

[dulcich]

Re: '76 Stingray

Hinges are shot, going to replace all 4. Spent all day today on the hinge boxes and jambs; these cars are usually pretty messy in there with the seam sealer and bonding putty. Cleaned all that up, carved the excess dope out and will re-seamseal after epoxy primer in there. Debating whether to remove the door side impact braces. Come to think about it, there is nothing to debate.
-dulcich

[Scott Liggett]

Re: '76 Stingray

Nice work. My friend and co-worker could use your talent on his 78 since his neighbor backed into his door and put a nice big crack in it.

[PYSCHOWard]

Re: '76 Stingray

Nice work,i like the Spray pattern check,that makes it a REAL shop.

[dulcich]

Re: '76 Stingray

good observation, pyscho; you know what you are looking at.

[DrJsPerformance]

Re: '76 Stingray

dulcich It look great. I'm waiting for the picture with the fuzzy dice! and the side pipes!

[dulcich]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

Thanks, Bryce. Neg on the dice, but the sidepipes are a definate.

Shot the car with primer today, used Sherwin Williams NP75 which is an epoxy surfacer. I used a urethane reducer instead of the CA compliant solvent in the mix, and went with quite a slow temperature range on the reducer for the ambient conditions. The result is that the surfacer flowed nearly like a topcoat, with a fairly smooth surface and the edges melted in nicely. This makes the primer job much more effective, since if the primer goes on rough, half the sanding time is wasted effort just to take the texture out of it. Shot three medium coats with a convetional gun, actually a cheap copy of a Binks Model 7.




Front fender detail. Spending the time and doing the filler work here really pays off, since the car doesn't need to be caked with primer and blocked to death to get it straight. This is right off the primer gun



Rear View. Same shows here, nearly arrow straingt before any blocking begins. The smoothness of the primer can be seen here, and one of the keys is the mix.



Jamb and rear quarter detail. Spent the time to get the jambs and hinge boxes really clean, and knocked all the rough seam sealer out. Will get some new seam sealer next, a little neater than the factory job this time. Freiburger, I like the seamless look of the rear spoiler/bumper cap; not a big fan of the factory rubber bumper seam.



Front view. The front fiberglass bumper was pretty heavily re-worked to get the plate recessed in the center, which meant building the center lower valance which is straight across between the bumper guards at the bottom. Note the shaved bumper guards, which stick out quite a bit on this year Corvette


More later

[Scott Liggett]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

If you are planning on using those Hooker Header sidepipes bring a lot of patience or have things lying around to throw when you need to swear. I once helped a friend install those on his 69, once...

[Freiburger]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

Man, looks really great. Can't wait to see color.

How do you blend the hard fiberglass to the soft bumper without eventually getting a crack at the seam? Is there like flexible filler or something?

BTW, you will be jealous of my new Trans Am. You'll be converted. Four-speed and everything.

[dulcich]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

DF, The bumpers are hard 'glass repops of the flexible ones. I wanted the rigid 'glass just so I could blend the caps in, and also the stock urethane ones depend on all the understructure of the crash bumbers to hold them in shape. With the hard bumpers I was able to get rid of all that stuff, shaving about 140lbs.

The T/A sounds cool, especially since it is a 4-speed.

RDrv; Thanks for the warning, but I'll tough it out when the time comes; probably will have to do it alone.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

Don't forget to wear socks once you get the side pipes on. Your ankles will thank you.

[DrJsPerformance]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

Front view. The front fiberglass bumper was pretty heavily re-worked to get the plate recessed in the center, which meant building the center lower valance which is straight across between the bumper guards at the bottom. Note the shaved bumper guards, which stick out quite a bit on this year Corvette


More later

The custom grill looks great Dulicich I'm impressed!! I'm thinking the Vettes angular facial features will slice through the air like a hot knife through butter.

[50mercfan]

Re: '76 Stingray (updated)

love the front end treatment! chevy should have done that way. where did you get those hard bumpers? i guess they would take car of the warpage problem too? when i get mine painted i may switch to those.