[Entropy11]

The last I checked the available options for aftermarket core supports was lack-luster. I believe you had to cut it and change the angle?
Anyways, reading that in the past combined with my own cheapness/stubbornness has led me to rehab mine.

Of course mine is rotted out where the insulators mount, not too surprising. I noticed nobody reproduced the reinforcements that double up the thickness at the insulator mount and then wrap up the side of the core sides.

First pic is a core support for reference that was in an ad on eBay I think (crazy $$$ if you ask me considering the mount areas need rehab as it sits). It shows the area I’m working on. Second one is the replacement reinforcement piece I made up real quick after work today using the flattened out original as a template. Bead-rolled the ridges into it to try to pass it off as OE… lol

Edit: I had a handful of pics to show the removal of the rotted area and the replacement piece welded back in, but I can’t deal with how my pics on this site end up rotated at random angles when I post them!

[dataway]

Super nice patch piece there. The beads look great.

There is a site called, https://sendcutsend.com/ just hand a friend use them for some parts, super quick, and incredibly affordable. WAY cheaper than Emachineshop.com that I have been using for years.

Anyway ... if a person comes up with a good template for a patch like that and does a simple 2D CAD drawing for it ... places like this can reproduce them for very little, think $10-15 each. This shop doesn't do bending, beading etc. I don't think.

Frankly I was amazed when I uploaded a few of my CAD files to their site and got a quote.

BTW ... having modified a repop core support to fit correctly .. you are WAY better off using an OEM core and fixing it .... WAY better off.

[Greg Reid]

I think that piece that you made up looks awesome.

[Entropy11]

Thanks for the kind words guys, I appreciate it. I’m really hoping I can sort these pieces out and also be able to help others restore their old core supports once I finalize the pieces.

Tonight was nothing but frustration. I thought I had the proper bend angle across the piece and radius for the bend sorted out but it didn’t happen. The piece has to bend 90° in the xy-plane and also offset in the yz-plane to account for the forward lean angle, that part doesn’t appear too complex. Long story short, I’ve been forming my test pieces incorrectly by using a cylindrical form. It actually should be formed over a cone shaped form. Now to create a cone form with the correct angle. Lol.

The bend looks so simple but is far from it!

Oh btw- thanks for the links Dataway. I might have to go that route. I have everything to setup my plasma table currently except the space. I might try to shrink it down to something that can fit in the corner of the garage if I get some free time. It would be nice to quickly run off 4 of these at a time on a small table. Good to have the options you listed already at my fingertips, I’ll get the piece into a CAD file when I get a minute. Thanks!

[dataway]

Dealt with the exact same issue when I fixed my repop support .. had to make a compound bend for those pieces to correct the angle of the support. I just made a sharp bend rather than your nice radiused bends.

Those pieces are the exact reason the repop supports are so bad, those are what determines the angle of the BASE of the support, which determines the lean angle of the entire thing. Somewhere around between 9 and 10 degrees.

Within the next couple of months I'll be finding out if my work did the trick as I fit the fenders for the first time. Looks good so far mounted on the frame but who knows what other problems with this repop piece are waiting to attack.

[Entropy11]

Haha sounds like you know exactly what I’m talking about. I was going to give up yesterday and just make a pattern of the vertical and horizontal runs, find the hard angle where they meet, and then lay that flat out to make a template to cut the new ones from.

The more I thought about it I started to think that the compound bend and those reinforcing beads in the metal are really trying to address a structural support concern more than a simple reinforcement or small gusset. It could possibly be it was either stronger, cheaper, faster to assemble, or an aid in assembly where the piece I’m making helps align or stabilize the vertical part of the core support while they spot weld it. I’m really thinking this could have some bearing as the piece also has the lower 90° bend where a portion of the piece wraps around the horizontal portion of the core support sitting transverse to the frame rails.

Anyways… I just found an old pipe reamer on my work truck that has a perfect looking cone shape. I had no idea why I’d ever keep it on the truck and not swap it for a new one but now I’m grateful I kept it. I’ll post any progress I make with it!

[dataway]

Here is how I solved the problem on that particular curved piece on the repop. Looked better after it was ground down and painted ... but I didn't have to remake the whole piece at least. I did have to remake the right angle braces on the back side of that column.

I've got about 100 pictures of all the crap I had to do to the repop. After I drilled out all the spot welds to the base and tilted the support it of course mis-aligned all kinds of other stuff that had to be corrected.

AND .. I think they are still selling these very same supports. The average Joe I think just loosens up the support bushings until it will tilt enough to bolt the fenders on and just kind of jams and hammers everything into place.

[Entropy11]

Looks good Dataway. That wedge shape welded in there is a perfect fix. It’s a shame people have to do that to a reproduction part that isn’t cheap!

Well, got home today and went right to work. I did a few trial bends around my new cone shaped form on a 22ga test piece I’ve been using to test out different bends. A few tries later and I gave it a go on my good piece. It only took a few restless nights thinking about that bend in my sleep and it’s finally good to go. I just need to weld the top side of my filler piece below the new brace I made, smooth it out, then plug weld it in where it belongs.

Does anybody know if the stamped number in the brace was a partial VIN? I swear I have a pic saved somewhere, but I did have to trash that area of the brace to remove the spot welds initially. My actual core support I have is in storage across town (it was in worse condition than this one) and I always forget to check it when I’m there.

Next issue will be a topic I think I started once before… How do I locate the holes in the bottom of the new “restored” core support? Both sides of the core support will have new metal as well as new braces welded in place. I had nothing to go off of as the ones I had you could practically fit your fist through the existing holes. Maybe find the centerline of the holes in the frame rails, mark them out and then just split the difference measuring out from the vertical supports of the core? I’m guessing the hole is centered front/back on the support? Can’t see why they’d offset it.

[dataway]

Wow that's a great looking part ... you should sell those.

Yep I'd just base it on the frame horn holes. The bushings used in that location have a LOT of room for adjustment. If the repop can be trusted .. yes they seem to be just centered on the bottom rail. Those bushings don't have a step in them if I remember correctly .. so all kinds of room for things to flop around and move left, right, forwards and back before they are tightened.

[OG68]

No VIN.
It appears to be the part number.

[OG68]

Heres a measurement photo. Let me know if you need more detail

[Entropy11]

Thanks OG, that gives me a great start. I really appreciate the pic, it takes so much of the guesswork out! Ok, was wondering if maybe just a part number if not a partial VIN. Not sure where I got that in my head.

Thanks Data, I appreciate that. It’s rare that I’m ever 100% happy with any part I fab but I’m giving myself a solid 99% on this one and I’m more than happy with that! I really do want to and plan to come up with a couple sets if people need them. It would be great to help some people out and also keep some old core supports out of the scrap pile. Thanks for the info too. I kept assuming the mounts/insulators were stepped and pretty much set in place. Knowing I have some adjustment, along with OG’s measurements, I should be in good shape. Thanks again.

[OG68]

Close up photo

[dataway]

Entropy, correction .. the mounts are stepped but the stepped portion only engages the core support, not the frame. Then the whole support can slide around on the frame for adjustment .. that's why it uses that huge square washer/nut to cover the large hole in the frame for adjustment.

[Entropy11]

Thanks for the additional info guys.

OG- I used your measurements then measured center to center from those marks on my core support and came up within less than 1/4” difference between that and measuring center to center of the holes in the frame itself. Looks like this issue is resolved easily with your info, thank you!

Data, thanks for the info and detail in your pic. Of course the insulators I bought didn’t happen to include the washers. Go figure.
Your added info is great. The restoration guide shows the washers/shims listed as “.120 Thick”. I guess the only one that would be critical as far as alignment would be the one between the frame and the core. That’s really splitting hairs though I guess, but cool to see the thickness detail pointed out in the guide. The part you mentioned about the holes being larger for adjustability totally makes sense to me now. I was worried all these holes had to be so spot-on to have proper hood/fender/bumper alignment, but now I have some leeway. Thanks.

Do you guys happen to have any pics of the lower mount brackets and insulators for the radiator by any chance? I’m hoping I have those still attached to my old core support in storage across town. I might have to get creative if I don’t have them. I’m seeing pretty bad reviews for the reproductions available.

[OG68]

Heres a photo or two of the brackets. Four row core. The left and right brackets are the same.

I'll dig out the insulators tomorrow AM

[dataway]

I had really bad luck trying to find four core insulators that actually fit. Tried about three different sources .. nothing appeared to fit anywhere as well as OEM. I ended up modifying the lowers .. basically just carving them up some, and used two old OEM insulators up top. Seems like a pretty simple part, no idea why they can't get them right.

Makes a person want to get a 3D printer for this kind of stuff.

[dataway]

Did a test fit today of the driver side fender to check my core support mods. Seems close enough so far .. as in the fender bolts on, radiator is vertical. Slight gap on one of the core support to fender bolts ... that could be due to the where the support mounts are located on the frame right now. Will need to loosen up the core support mounts and see what happens.

Will post pics to update my long core support mod thread sometime soon.

However ... who knows until hood, bumper and valance is all bolted on and I try to get gaps acceptable.

[Entropy11]

Sounds like you’re in good shape. Your progress is inspiring!

I finished welding in my repair area on the driver side insulator/mount location tonight. It was a little more involved because the piece I removed/replaced wrapped around the edge 90° and I wanted to do it in one piece bent on the brake. If I can get two other little tabs repaired tomorrow and prep it for primer, I may be able to have it on by next weekend. It’ll start to get exciting after that as it’ll start looking like a car again.

My suction cup things came in last week (the ones you recommended) so I can pull the rear window tomorrow and make wrapping up the headliner easier. That window was only sitting in place when I got the car so it had to come out anyways. After the headliner I can get the new carpet in and then install the interior door panels. Debating on ordering a reproduction console and lid this week. I see they have one listed in a “vinyl” finish instead of the usual plastic only reproduction. I just wish I could find review of it before I spend the $$$.

[dataway]

I have a console lid coming from Legendary ... but it won't ship until my rear seat covers are done ... probably June. Will be black that I have to paint I'm sure.

Hey, on those suction cups .. when you lock them down ... press on each cup individually and lock the lever ... using the handle to push both of them down doesn't seem to work great .. just not enough force to compress them properly.