Re: [Chrysler300] 57-58 300 frame restoration

["rob kern" <robkern@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello 300'ly to all!
    Many welds were redone on Mopsy when we got into the disk brake 
conversion at all 4 corners and replaced all the suspension componentry to 
withstand the driving pressures that will be exerted on a C driven like a 
modern vehicle.  The interesting thing was the amount of shimming and frame 
torquing that existed from the factory.  We could not get the car to track 
straight until we removed the front bumper to line up the hood with the 
lower grill surround to alleviate the congenital "underbite".  The frame 
sprung out about 1/2 inch when they jacked the front bumper off.  My 
mechanic was perceptive enough to then take it to the alignment shop where 
they could easily align the front end to specs and have her drive like she 
was on rails.  We bent the bumper brackets and reworked them to refit the 
bumper after shimming the hood hinges out from the firewall 3/4 of an inch 
and built up the leading edge of the cowl to make the hood fit correctly. 
Two weeks work and a lot of $$$ and frustration but it was what made this 
vehicle such a swell driver now.  DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER TONIGHT AT THE 
BEST WESTERN TO GET THE REDUCED CLUB LODGING RATE IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO 
COME TO LAWTON IN 3 WEEKS!!   ROB KERN----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wayne Graefen" <wgraefen@xxxxxxx>
To: "Intl 300" <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Marv Raguse" 
<MJRaguse@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 12:23 PM
Subject: [Chrysler300] 57-58 300 frame restoration


> Was A.O. Smith the manufacturer of our '57-8 frames?  I have never found 
> out for sure who supplied them.  If so, they aren't very impressively 
> welded.  Amateurish at best.  Yes, if you don't like the looks of ANY weld 
> on your frame, I see no reason at all not to lay down a quality weld in 
> the area.  I don't however believe it necessary to plate in the open area. 
> It would make no sense to base a restoration on a frame with any 
> questionable welds.  Restoration shops reweld anything they don't like the 
> looks of.
>
> Kiekhaefer apparently requested the "stitch weld" area of the front frames 
> of his 300Cs to be full welded, such as on my Road America C.  Also the 
> front and rear cross members were boxed.  The shock tube area is also 
> re-welded.
>
> In talking with CK's chief welder, he said they had to do extensive 
> welding on the '55-56 frames to hold them together BEFORE they went out on 
> the track.  This was true even when they started changing out the hardtop 
> frames for convertible frames for the '56 race season.  Yes, my Kiekhaefer 
> 300C hardtop is factory built on a convertible frame!
>
> Wayne
>
>
> 7. 57-58 300 frame restoration
>    Posted by: "mjraguse@xxxxxxx" mjraguse@xxxxxxx
>    Date: Tue Sep 5, 2006 8:24 pm (PDT)
>
> While restoring the frame on a body off restoration has anyone ever welded 
> up
> the front shock mounts?  The quality of the welds holding the shock tube 
> is
> less than robust and I am tempted to not only improve the quality of the 
> weld
> to the tube but maybe close up the frame opening around the tube..Any 
> opinions?
>
> Marv Raguse
>
> 57 300
> 58 300
> 57 Fury
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
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>
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> 



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