When building a car you’ll find that with every small success there’s usually also a set-back lurking around the corner. Unfortunately project BatBerry has now seen its first minor set-back 😦 After performing the final separation of the body from the chassis in preparation to go to the media blasters, we’ve found that the frame…

Tim Neil

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March 14, 2011

Rotted Steel = FAIL!

When building a car you’ll find that with every small success there’s usually also a set-back lurking around the corner. Unfortunately project BatBerry has now seen its first minor set-back 😦

After performing the final separation of the body from the chassis in preparation to go to the media blasters, we’ve found that the frame is in too poor condition to be used for the donor. There’s just way too much metal rot all over the chassis.

At least the engine/transmission and the wiring harness is still usable as a donor for the BatBerry 🙂

I’ll be heading to the shop to haul the engine & transmission to my place as soon as I can make arrangements. So off to Princess Auto I go to buy myself an engine hoist! I was hoping to put that purchase off for a while, but I’ve found that you just have to roll with the punches.

The search is now on for a new chassis for the BatBerry. Fortunately we have leads on 4-5 other cars that we’re going to check out. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to find one with a solid frame.

To be continued….

11 responses to “Rotted Steel = FAIL!”

Aidan

March 14, 2011

I hope you find a mint chassis soon!

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andrew murray

March 15, 2011

It’s amazing how much time you will save with a good frame

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DaveT

March 16, 2011

Huge problem with Chevys and Canada ran into similar issues when I was building my blazer.

Salt FTL.

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Wheels Have Arrived | Building the BatBerry

March 19, 2011

[…] Now I just need to track down some Mickey Thompson tires for these wheels before I try to fit the body to the frame… that is… after I find a frame that isn’t rotten […]

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Engine Clean-up Thoughts | Building the BatBerry

March 20, 2011

[…] I’ve been searching for a new rolling chassis for the BatBerry, I’ve been starting to think about how I might clean up the chevy small […]

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Brian McColgan

March 24, 2011

Why not build your own chassis? With a car of this nature, building your own would give you far more opportunities to establish mounting points (as required). The one downside of reusing an existing frame, is the body you utilize may not easily ‘mate up’ to the frame. I would also note you can buy pre-formed ‘frame rails’ for your chassis from places in Canada (Bear’s Performance) or the US (e.g. Art Morrison).

Check out the following book which may help provide some inspiration on the steps involved: http://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Coddingtons-How-Build-Chassis/dp/0879386266/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300997632&sr=1-9

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1. brcewane
  
  March 24, 2011
  
  It really comes down to cost.. I’d have to pay someone to build the frame. The caprice frame has been used multiple times for this build and is a great fit with people who have direct experience and feedback on how to make it work
  
  Reply
  1. Brian McColgan
    
    March 25, 2011
    
    Drop me an email if you need any help (note I am a fellow co-worker)! I can give you some help on the metal-working/fab side of things if need be. I have a Miller 210 and an oxy-acetelene torches (fine welding, not cutting) in my shop. I work cheap (beer usually does the tick, lol)!
    
    Don’t worry about the engine hoist wheels, I did exactly the same thing when I put mine together (still haven’t reversed the wheels yet). One of those things I just never get around to doing (always something else on the go).
    
    You will have to give me some secrets on how you got sponsorship for your project. That is pretty cool!
Andy

March 25, 2011

You could try looking for 9c1 police models that were used in a salt free state. That may help. Typically, those cars spent about their first year sitting waiting to get put into use, a year or two on the road, then about a year until someone bought them at auction. That at least reduces the “age” a bit if it was a salt free state.

Also, be cautious of anything that’s been parked on grass or soil for a while. That’s typically equally bad.

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1. brcewane
  
  March 25, 2011
  
  Yeah, I’ve been considering that route… it’s just a long drive from the southern states to Toronto, Canada Eh? 🙂
  
  I think the car I first tried was a combination of the two evils. Driven in an environment with road salt and then stored in a driving shed with a soil floor. Unfortunately the perfect storm 😦
  
  Reply
I Just Bought The New Donor!! | Building the BatBerry

May 15, 2011

[…] searching high and low, I finally have bought a good solid donor car for the BatBerry. Unlike the last donor car, this one has a good solid frame! It also has a more modern fuel injection system than the old […]

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