Words cannot do justice to the outstanding job done by Berkshire Custom Coatings on my '71 Chevelle frame. I rented a 15' Budget moving van this morning and drove 7 hours (round trip) to pick it up. For only $500 they fully sandblasted, then applied a gloss black powdercoat finish. This frame looks like a piece of artwork! I promise to post pictures to my '71 Pro Touring Chevelle site tomorrow, and add a reply to this post with links to a few pix. If anyone is interested in doing this to their Chevelle frame, GO FOR IT !!!

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Gregg Haskin
72 Chevelle SS
71 Pro Touring Chevelle
ZZ502 Crated RATs in both
TEAM CHEVELLE #726 ACES #4486
“What the heck are all these extra nuts & bolts for?”

My 72 Chevelle SS Restoration Website: www.72ChevelleSS.com (http://www.72ChevelleSS.com)

My 71 Chevelle Pro-Touring restoration website: www.71protouringchevelle.com (http://www.71ProTouringChevelle.com)

"It's almost like going to Heaven", was a quote a year or so ago on this site.

It actually is!

Ours was $1,100.00 including pickup and delivery, and this included every piece of suspension, rear end, radiator support, steering box, all 4 brake drums, sway bars, etc., everything.

We had to remove and reinstall everything, but it "WAS WORTH IT!"


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Team Members Forever #341

Richard, Judy, MAXX2

'69 Elke (Frame Off); GM HO 350/330-Mildly Ported Vortec Heads-Manley Severe Duty SS 2.02/1.60 Valves, Comp Cams Full Roller Package (Magnum)-Custom Grind CS 3315/3316 HR112-.510/.520 Lift, Edelbrock Air-Gap W/750 Performer Manual Choke-Performer 100 HP NOS, March Pulleys, 4L60 (Non Computer) W/Lokar Shifter, 12 Bolt Posi., Full Aluminum Bed With Full Tubs, Aluminum Firewall, Custom Aluminum Dash/Gauge Bezel.

I have to drive about 5 minutes to get to Berkshire Custom Coating.I had a couple brackets done there for nothing,a couple of my friends have worked there in the past and they hooked me up, they do GREAT work..

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69 300 dlx SS
67 Malibu Sport Coupe

As promised....here are a few pix!
www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-01.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-01.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-03.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-03.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-04.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-04.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-09.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/122003-09.JPG)

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Gregg Haskin
72 Chevelle SS
71 Pro Touring Chevelle
ZZ502 Crated RATs in both
TEAM CHEVELLE #726 ACES #4486
“What the heck are all these extra nuts & bolts for?”

My 72 Chevelle SS Restoration Website: www.72ChevelleSS.com (http://www.72ChevelleSS.com)

My 71 Chevelle Pro-Touring restoration website: www.71protouringchevelle.com (http://www.71ProTouringChevelle.com)

It looks great. I hope to do mine soon. There's a place south of Chicago that quoted me $450, and it's only a 20 minute drive. It looks like you have a nice engine collection in the back ground.

Very nice!

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Eric Taylor
Mr. E's Garage (http://www.geocities.com/L65chevelle/72chevellepage)
72 Malibu 350 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/ericsvellepic1.jpg)
68 SS396 basket case
"Prostreet may be alive, but someone PLEASE kill it!"

http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif

I've got my own powdercoater and the blasting equipment, but for that price its worth letting them have the headache with the blasting media and not to mention the oven you'd need to do a frame.

Joe

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The Chevelle Page (http://www.geocities.com/diels12000)

That looks absolutely awesome. All of the POR-15 guys around here should look at these pictures and they will see what it looks like when someone does things right. (man I'm sure I will hear about this one) http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

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Mat Ellison
Lincoln, Ne
70 SS 396 Chevelle
62 Impala Sport Coupe
2001 Grand Prix GT
Aces #2424

www.angelfire.com/amiga/elliboom (http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/elliboom)

All your base are belong to us

the frame looks great. congrats! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif but ELLI you dont know what your talking about. why would you post such a comment. it only shows your ignorance. sorry Gregg, that should be taken up in a different post. it looks great. hey, do me a favor, shine a light deep in one of the boxed sections as far as you can see and look at how far in the powder coating reaches. thanks

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I couldn't repair my brakes, so I made my horn louder.
Just let me apolagize for my spelling right now!
www.EINSTYN.com (http://www.EINSTYN.com) TC Gold#1460, VCEA (http://mywebpages.comcast.net/vcea/)#2, SCPC#44
68-72 Wagon resto & mod info, parts & sales.

Now now fellas....keep it civil! Here a few more pix. From what I could see, the tip of the powdercoating gun must have been inserted into several holes because the finish is also inside boxed areas. It's not as smooth & covered as the exterior portions, but it's in there somewhat.
www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-01.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-01.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-02.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-02.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-03.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-03.JPG)
www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-08.JPG (http://www.71protouringchevelle.com/012203-08.JPG)

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Gregg Haskin
72 Chevelle SS
71 Pro Touring Chevelle
ZZ502 Crated RATs in both
TEAM CHEVELLE #726 ACES #4486
“What the heck are all these extra nuts & bolts for?”

My 72 Chevelle SS Restoration Website: www.72ChevelleSS.com (http://www.72ChevelleSS.com)

My 71 Chevelle Pro-Touring restoration website: www.71protouringchevelle.com (http://www.71ProTouringChevelle.com)

LOOKS NICE!

on a side note, ill have to agree with Mat.

if everything is blasted and rust free theirs NO need for por-15.


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70 SS396 CHEVELLE
70.5 Z/28 RALLYSPORT
ACES#4390
some pics http://community.webshots.com/album/12590431pqkzKyilTC

[This message has been edited by DONNY (edited 01-22-2003).]

Frame looks great gregg,but i was wondering about the body,i've always heard to leave the body on frame (for support)when replacing floor pans,was there any problem when you reinstalled body to frame? Thanks,Jeff.

Donny, wrong wrong wrong. in a perfect world that would be correct. do you really think sandblasting gets all the rust out of the microscopice crevices? i will argue to the death over this one i guess. i dont know if it is because i feel compelled to speek the truth or is it a moral obligation to other chevelle enthusiasts or is it that i just cant stand to look the other way when i see misinformation?

Jeff70SS-

I haven't joined the two yet. The pictures of the frame were taken on Monday & today. The shell is mounted to my rotisserie, and when I start doing bodywork (full quarters, trunk repairs) it will be lowered onto stands so the center of the body is supported. Not sure how important it is to have the car still on the frame anyway....my '72 SS had MAJOR ROT, needing an entire floor system, trunk, and toe boards. My body/paint guy just had the shell supported on jackstands at the front & rear of the body. Everything came out perfect, doors shut great, and windows close correctly.

The bodywork on this car will be done at some time in the future. My plan is to complete the rolling chassis complete with ZZ502 engine, GW & Hotchkis suspension, 6-speed Richmond, Denny's shaft, Moser rear end, BAER brakes on all fours, Torq Thrust II's & BFG G-Force tires. I want to take the rolling chassis to my club shows, along side my completed '72 SS. I think it would be cool to let folks see a car with its body removed.

Now if only Global West would ship me my lower A-arms, I can get started! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

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Gregg Haskin
72 Chevelle SS
71 Pro Touring Chevelle
ZZ502 Crated RATs in both
TEAM CHEVELLE #726 ACES #4486
“What the heck are all these extra nuts & bolts for?”

My 72 Chevelle SS Restoration Website: www.72ChevelleSS.com (http://www.72ChevelleSS.com)

My 71 Chevelle Pro-Touring restoration website: www.71protouringchevelle.com (http://www.71ProTouringChevelle.com)

Great!I'm just starting my project after driving for a year i finally decided to get started on frame off to get the results i wanted.Your site has been a great help already ,thanks for your dedication and sharing it with others.

My ignorance, man I did't mean to hit a nerve with you FOFDYFO. I have been a big believer in powercoating frams and suspension pieces since I started in this hobby. And most of the time the price difference is not that great when compared to POR. I am just finishing up a chassis on my uncles 67 442 convertible, and we powdercoated everything from the frame to the suspension pieces to the rear end housing. And nothing will beat it's look and it's durability in my humble, ignorant opinion.

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Mat Ellison
Lincoln, Ne
70 SS 396 Chevelle
62 Impala Sport Coupe
2001 Grand Prix GT
Aces #2424

www.angelfire.com/amiga/elliboom (http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/elliboom)

All your base are belong to us

[This message has been edited by ELLI (edited 01-23-2003).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ELLI:
All of the POR-15 guys around here should look at these pictures and they will see what it looks like when someone does things right. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

that's what hit the nerve. your implying that if you use por-15 you are not doing it right. that is not true and some unknowing person is not going to know whats right or wrong. have you ever properly prepared a frame and used por-15? i have done both powder coating and por-15 frames. the por-15 you cn beat it literly with a hammer and it is fine, it seals all the rust, that sand blasting cant get out, from ever getting air and moisture which would allow the rusting process to continue. and my other main concern is, if you cut a powder coated frame open up in one of the suspension humps, the powder coating does not reach up there. hoses can be made to get por-15 in those areas. powder coating is great for new smooth steel, but 30 year old scally frames would last much longer with proper stripping , cleaning, preparing and spraying of por-15. i found a way around the problem of not being able to sandblast in the boxed sections of the frame, by getting it acid dipped and galvanized. not worring about originallity, it by far will out last my life. i did not mean ignorance in a bad or negative way. i meant it like naieve or unknowing to, its not your fault you just dont know the physical facts. so i do take umbrige to statements that can not be backed up by facts. sorry

by the way elli, i love the color of your car. it looks real good. sincerly. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Looks real good. I'm thinking about getting the same thing done to my 67.

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Looks fantastic, and I'll bet that it is very durable to boot! I wonder if the powder coat causes any problems with frame grounding?

weather powder coated or painted any grounding must have metal to metal contact. which means grinding under the grounding bolts. when i put fiber glass fenders on one of my cars i had to run a ground wire from the radiator support to the firewall to get anything to work. just like the lights in the front and back fiberglass bumpers.