First place to start on a restoration?

[YenkoChevelle69]

Hello I am about to start my very first resto. Besides the fact that my frame is bad. My 1969 Chevelle is a vynil top car from Conneticut. Thanks the the vynil top my filler panel is "crunchy" so I need one of them. Also it is rusty at the very bottom of the sail panels, Thus making the need for full quarters that much more great. Needs Inner and outer tubs, fenders, door skins, and nic nacs. It needs full floors, but under the rear seat seems to be ok. I purchased the toe panels and full driver and passenger floors already. I am going to try to get a picture of my trouble spot and post it later. It's the level part of the the trunk that butts up to the backseat divider. it has a couple holes. Is it ok to just patch that? Any suggestions would be wonderful. The replacement trunk pans do not go high enough. But what I would like to know is what panel do I cut first? do I replace the floors? or 1/4s first? or what? I figured that since alot of you folks on here have really rare and nice cars that you would know. Thanks in advance.

[COPO]

For Chevelle specific questions, you'll likely reach a much larger audience at this site: www.chevelles.com (http://www.chevelles.com) Good luck w/the resto.

[69rsss350]

My suggestion is to find a better candidate for resto. Maybe your car can be a donor for whatever is still good?

[jon rand]

If its that bad I would say find a western shell.I know how it is to try to fix a rotted out car beining from Ohio. It's alot of money ,work and in the end you have a patched up car that will never be worth what you have in it. If you just figure the cost for parts-New quarters 1,200,New floores and braces 600. Trunk floor 300, inner and outer tubs 500 and a doner car with a good frame 500 your looking atleast $3,100 thats if you can do all the work yourself. So forget about looking for a western shell, find a whole car and keep yours for parts. Thats just my opinion I have tried to fix a bunch of rotted stuff in my day and unless it's an SS - Z/28 or something rare its not worth it.Sometimes even then its not worth it. I just scraped a 67 396/375 chevelle because it was to far gone. I did though keep any salvagable part,might find a good body one day.

[YenkoChevelle69]

I am thinking very seriously about finding a rust free wester shell. And just transfer my interior and drive train over to it. How much would shipping be from Cali or AZ to Central Kentucky?

[NEATSS]

I had a chevelle rolling body shipped from So. Cal to So. Illinois and it cost me $750 two years ago.
Dave