This post covers 1963 Corvette chassis restoration and assembly.  We have moved onto chassis assembly on our 1963 Split Window Corvette.  Our frame had been disassembled and sent off to blasting.  after receiving it back, we have started assembling it.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member

Here is the differential cross member after restoration.  it is ready for the bushings to be installed.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushings

Using the Shop Press, the bushings are pressed into the cross member.  After pressing the bushings in there are a set of tangs on the opposite side that are bent over to help prevent the bushing from falling out.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushing Bolts Wrong Finish

Here is the new hardware for the cross member bushings along side the old hardware.  You’ll notice that the new hardware is zinc while the old hardware is black oxide.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushing Bolts Removing Zinc

The zinc plating on the new hardware is removed with sulfuric acid.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushing Bolts Bare Steel

Here you can see all the zinc plating removed.  Now they need to become black oxide.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushing Bolts Black Oxide Treatment

The hardware is placed into a metal blackening solution that converts the outer layer of iron to black oxide

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member Bushing Bolts Correct Finish

Here are the bolts refinished.

1963 Corvette Differential Cross Member

The differential cross member installed.

1963 Corvette Frame Stencil

We have stenciled on the frame part number.  Here is an interesting little bit of info about the frame stencil.  From the factory the frame part number was applied using a paint roller and a stencil.  The stencil kit from Quanta comes with a card board stencil and a spray can of stencil paint.  Applying it with the spray can you get a haze around the stencil that would have never occurred from rolling the stencil paint on.  We use a vinyl stencil that prevents any over-spray, but this does give a very crisp outline of the numbers which was unlikely from the factory.

1963 Corvette Long Fuel Line

We installed the long fuel line with the anti-rattle grommet in the frame.

1963 Corvette Long Fuel Line

Here the fuel line is clamped to the frame with zinc clips and recessed hex head bolts and zinc clamps just like the factory.

1963 Corvette Fuel Sending Unit

Here is the fuel sending unit from the fuel tank.  It is in fairly rough condition.

1963 Corvette Fuel Sending Unit

The fuel has eaten the insulation on the wire  that goes to the potentiometer.  We are going to look at a reproduction and see how close it is to original.  We may have to rebuild our original if the repop is no good.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Stencil

We have stenciled the fuel tank with its original part number.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Anti-Vibration Strips

A quick comparison from a previous restoration.  These are the fuel tank anti-vibrations strips.  The piece in front is an original.  The strips in the back a reproductions.  Notice how much thicker the original is compared to the reproduction.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Anti-Vibration Strips

We use a dense paper board strip to make our anti vibration strips.  We saturate them with black paint to make them water proof and look just like original strips.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Anti-Vibration Strips

Here you can see the layout of the strips on the tanks.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Strap Bolts

This is the reproduction hardware for the fuel tanks straps.  They are fine minus one small detail.  Originals have a tapered tip for ease of starting the nut.  To correct this we grind the tip into a taper then re-plate the tip with zinc.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank Straps

Here is the strap installed.

1963 Corvette Fuel Tank

The Fuel Tank installed on the frame.