1970 Chevy Chevelle Malibu Project - Goodmark Industries Sheetmetal

1970 Chevy Chevelle Malibu Project Robert Neumann Rendering

Artist Robert Neumann gave us this rendering of what our Project XS Chevelle will eventually look like, with the usual minor changes expected as the build progresses. Check out more of Neumann's work at www.hubgarage.com, then look up Saltchop's Garage. Hard to imagine we'll end up with this from our rust-bucket!

Artist Robert Neumann gave us this rendering of what our Project XS Chevelle will eventual

Gentleman, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability nowadays to rescue perhaps the world's rustiest Chevelle convertible. Fortunately, this particular rebuild won't cost $6 million, thanks to the folks at Goodmark Industries and the hard working team at Jim Barber's Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists (C.A.R.S. Inc.).

A few years ago, the demand for replacement body panels for '70 Chevelles/Malibus started increasing as the popularity of the cars for restorations and restomod projects shot skyward. With the supply of NOS and donor parts dwindling, the only option was to start stamping brand-new sheetmetal.

Goodmark was founded in 1991, and for almost 20 years its inventory and offerings of new sheetmetal for a variety of American cars and trucks has grown by leaps and bounds to keep pace with demand and necessity. That's a great thing for us, as we're practically throwing the Goodmark catalog at our rusty Chevelle. North Carolina-based C.A.R.S. Inc. has been in business since 1999, when Founder/Owner Jim Barber left Eaton Corporation to get into the lucrative restoration business. C.A.R.S. Inc. can take just about any clapped-out old car and turn it into a gem. And in the case of our Chevelle, we're really going to put those skills to the test. It redefines the term "clapped-out." C.A.R.S. Inc. is also the builder of the '69 Camaro COPO and Yenko recreation series. For more on its services, check out its website: www.classicautomotiverestoration.com.

This particular ragtop was built in the Baltimore assembly plant and sold new in Wisconsin, where it spent a good part of its life and then ended up in Massachusetts. Those are two states where salted winter roads and a few fender benders accounted for most of the reasons this convertible is in such cancerous, sorry shape. Some might ask why we're even bothering to save this heap, and there are two good answers to that question. One, we wanted to show everyone in Bow Tie land how even the most rotten, beat-up automobile can be saved thanks to the aftermarket. Two, Chevelle/Malibu convertibles are tough to come by, and currently the aftermarket doesn't make the convertible top hardware and other related equipment. So, any convertible with all its equipment intact is worth saving, no matter what the condition.

Follow along as Barber and his crew start tearing the A-body apart, surveying the damage, and begin cutting out the cancer-stricken metal and replacing it with fresh steel from Goodmark. We'll go ahead and warn you: Some of these pictures aren't pretty, but they do show how even the worst Chevelle can be saved from the scrap heap.

Here are the major pieces from Goodmark that we'll be replacing on the Chevelle. There are a few small odds and ends that aren't pictured, but from this photo you get the general idea of how much we’ll be replacing. All this sheetmetal is brand new and based off original parts for accuracy.
Here are the major pieces from Goodmark that we'll be replacing on the Chevelle. There are
Hiding in this box is a Chevelle, sort of. All Goodmark sheetmetal comes wrapped, boxed, and protected against damage from shipping and storage. Another advantage of this new sheetmetal is it uses modern steel alloys that have more resistance against corrosion than the original sheetmetal.
Hiding in this box is a Chevelle, sort of. All Goodmark sheetmetal comes wrapped, boxed, a
Going over the car, there was evidence it had been through two major collisions in the right rear quarter (one of which is obvious here). The crash damage went through to the trunk latch area, so one of the hits was pretty hard. We'll be replacing this whole quarter-panel area, along with the inner and outer wheel houses. One of the first things C.A.R.S. Inc. does before starting a new project is to go over the vehicle from top to bottom, make a list of potential problem areas, parts needed, parts missing, and lay out a plan of attack for the rebuild.
Going over the car, there was evidence it had been through two major collisions in the rig

The front end of our Malibu has taken a beating over the years, too. Nothing from the front clip is going to be reused, as we'll be building a whole new front with nothing but Goodmark-supplied sheetmetal and grille-related parts.
The front end of our Malibu has taken a beating over the years, too. Nothing from the fron
The interior pretty much matched the outside of the car. Our Malibu is a factory Cranberry Red/white vinyl, bucket seat/console shift car, but the original seats disappeared at some point in its life, replaced with some slime green buckets from an Olds A-body. Plans call for the slush box to be ditched in favor of a five- or six-speed gear jammer.
The interior pretty much matched the outside of the car. Our Malibu is a factory Cranberry
From here you can see the beating the passenger side has taken over the years, and all the sheetmetal we'll be replacing. Oddly enough, the car still wears much of its original paint on the outside, minus the areas where crash damage was repaired.
From here you can see the beating the passenger side has taken over the years, and all the

With the seats and carpet stripped out, we got a good look at the horrific shape of the floor. The top showed signs of a duct tape repair at some point, but this repair didn't stop water from leaking through into the interior, soaking into the carpet and the floorpans. Also, the car had been sitting outside since the late '80s under a tarp, which contributed to the moisture damage by not letting the interior breathe and dry out.
With the seats and carpet stripped out, we got a good look at the horrific shape of the fl
What little was left of the trunk exposed another problem with the car—frame rot. The rear trunk pan had completely rusted away from the body mounts, contributing to the Chevelle's poor structural integrity. Outside of the new trunk pan and inner wheel houses, some other surgery and donor parts will be needed to restore this area.
What little was left of the trunk exposed another problem with the car—frame rot. The rear
The Chevelle's build tag with VIN number was still on the door, so we carefully used a razor blade to peel it off and preserve it. Even though it will become a hard-core restomod, the original factory data plates, stickers, and tags will be preserved so we'll always know the car's history and origins. This tag also told us the ragtop was built in February 1970.
The Chevelle's build tag with VIN number was still on the door, so we carefully used a raz

Even though it looks bad, thanks to Goodmark and a little luck, it can be fixed. While rust had attacked most of the floor pan, the convertible-specific floor braces were OK. These braces aren't reproduced by the aftermarket, so if your's are rusted beyond repair, new ones will have to be fabricated. Not an impossible task, but it requires some extra work and metal fabrication skills.
Even though it looks bad, thanks to Goodmark and a little luck, it can be fixed. While rus
Before cutting any metal out, C.A.R.S. Inc. Owner/Founder Jim Barber goes over a vehicle and checks the door gaps, function, panel fitment, and other body areas that tell the story on its structural integrity. On a very rusty car like our Chevelle, cutting out even a seemingly small and insignificant piece of metal can cause the structure to shift dramatically, and create headaches down the road for future panel replacement.
Before cutting any metal out, C.A.R.S. Inc. Owner/Founder Jim Barber goes over a vehicle a
Because of the extensive body and frame rot, the panel and door gaps were way off. The top was practically welded in place, and structurally keeping the car from sagging any further. Before any metal replacement work started, the panels had to be lined up, and the doors gaps set properly, so we could be sure the new sheetmetal would be installed right. Using a pair of floor jacks on each side, and with the car supported on jackstands underneath its suspension, we gently applied lift to the frame to get everything lined back up properly.
Because of the extensive body and frame rot, the panel and door gaps were way off. The top

Water collecting because of accumulated debris at the bottoms of the front fenders caused rust at the bottom of the cowl, and looking here we knew there would be some trouble when we pulled the front clip off.
Water collecting because of accumulated debris at the bottoms of the front fenders caused
With all the panels aligned, and everything still supported by jacks, we went ahead and removed the front clip. Because the mounting bolts were so rusted, we didn't even bother trying to remove them. Tommy Barber whipped out the Sawzall and performed emergency surgery to separate the front fenders from the cowl area (being careful he didn't cut into the cowl itself). Note the cascade of rust and debris coming from the fender as he cuts!
With all the panels aligned, and everything still supported by jacks, we went ahead and re
With everything free and all the wires cut, the front clip was removed as one piece and tossed on the junk pile outside. Nothing here was reusable, and Goodmark supplied us with all the parts to build a new front clip.
With everything free and all the wires cut, the front clip was removed as one piece and to

With the clip gone, we got a good look at the Chevelle's original 2-bbl 350. From the looks of things, nothing had been touched since the car left the factory, with it still wearing the original valve covers with part of a Tonawanda sticker still on one. Future motivation will come from the 572 big-block with Inglese injection we did a story on in the March '10 issue ("Classic Look Fuel Injection With an EZ Flavor"). A factory A/C car, the compressor was long gone, but the bracket was still in place.
With the clip gone, we got a good look at the Chevelle's original 2-bbl 350. From the look
With the front clip removed, we got a good look at the bottom of the cowl area, and it was as bad as we feared. Between tree debris, dirt, and some nesting material from rodents, the drain for this area was plugged up and trapping water that eventually ate its way out of the cowl. Part of this area will be replaced with Goodmark sheetmetal, while the rest will have to be fabricated.
With the front clip removed, we got a good look at the bottom of the cowl area, and it was
Because C.A.R.S. Inc. is a certified restoration shop, it is permitted by law to remove VIN plates and cowl tags so work can be performed. Here Jim Barber has pulled off the Chevelle's trim tag so it wouldn't get lost or damaged during the body's restoration.
Because C.A.R.S. Inc. is a certified restoration shop, it is permitted by law to remove VI

Despite the other parts of the car that were junk, the factory dash pad was in great shape—go figure. These pieces are of value to restorers who need solid units to replace cracked and broken ones. Adding to the pad's value was the fact this was a factory stereo speaker car, so it had certain tabs and brackets that are hard to come by in good shape. This piece would be good swap meet or eBay fodder to recoup some project money for buying other needed parts.
Despite the other parts of the car that were junk, the factory dash pad was in great shape
With the dashboard and instrument cluster removed, we got a good look at the windshield area of the cowl, and made room for more work to be done in the interior.
With the dashboard and instrument cluster removed, we got a good look at the windshield ar
For someone restoring a '70 Malibu with a messed up dash and gauge cluster, this piece would also be of high value, especially since it's a factory stereo speaker dash. We'll be installing a Chevelle cluster and dash into the car later when it's time to start rebuilding the interior.
For someone restoring a '70 Malibu with a messed up dash and gauge cluster, this piece wou

We found some serious damage at the base of the windshield. Again, this is fixable, but will require some fabrication work since there aren't any replacement patch/replacement panels available for this area of the car.
We found some serious damage at the base of the windshield. Again, this is fixable, but wi
To help support the body when metal was removed and maintain the proper panel alignments we set up earlier, Tommy started welding in a "reinforcement support cage" to solid parts of the car. When all parts of the cage are welded together and attached to the body, we'll be able to cut out any sheetmetal without fear of a panel or part of the substructure shifting and throwing the alignment off.
To help support the body when metal was removed and maintain the proper panel alignments w
Here's the finished support cage, welded in and supporting the body's outer structure that the floor was incapable of when the body came off the frame. Once it was welded in place, we noted that the stress on the convertible top frame was relieved and we could actually release the latches at the windshield and take the top frame loose. We removed the support jacks from the frame and the doors and panels stayed in place.
Here's the finished support cage, welded in and supporting the body's outer structure that

Using a two-post lift, we literally pulled the body off the frame because some of the body bolts were so rusted in, the mounting tabs pulled free from the body from also being extremely corroded. With the body off, we saw how badly rust had eaten away at the frame underneath the passenger compartment from the top leaking and the winters in Wisconsin and Massachusetts. There were huge holes eaten through, and in one spot a body mount actually ripped out of the frame when the two parts were separated. We've got a brand-new Art Morrison chassis on the way for the Chevelle, and we'll be covering the build of that in a later issue of Super Chevy.
Using a two-post lift, we literally pulled the body off the frame because some of the body
With the body off the frame, Jim took his knife blade and started probing areas of the body to see how deep the corrosion was, and which areas would need to be replaced. Some parts of the car were OK, while the knife punched right through others.
With the body off the frame, Jim took his knife blade and started probing areas of the bod
With everything set, Tommy broke out the torch and started cutting away the old floor, being careful to avoid damaging the convertible floor braces we mentioned earlier and ruining them.
With everything set, Tommy broke out the torch and started cutting away the old floor, bei

Here's what's left of the original floor next to the new Goodmark floor, so you get an idea of how much metal had literally rusted away, and why the Chevelle's structural integrity was not good. The new Goodmark floor comes as one unit (you can also purchase separate area pieces depending upon what you need) and includes the factory floor braces already welded in, so you don't have to worry about transferring your old ones, or making new ones to replace rotted ones, like in our case.
Here's what's left of the original floor next to the new Goodmark floor, so you get an ide
A little known fact is that GM used galvanized steel for the inner and outer rockers on the '70 Chevelles and Malibus, along with other cars. This gave them extra protection against corrosion, and it's why the outer rockers on our car were just fine and only needed some clean up. The inner rockers had rusted just enough though to need replacing, as you can see here where a floor brace attaches to the inner rocker. Since Goodmark sent us new inner rocker pieces, this was not a problem.
A little known fact is that GM used galvanized steel for the inner and outer rockers on th
To get an idea of how to go about replacing the inner rocker, Jim compares the new Goodmark piece to the factory one. After some examination, we had to step back and figure out how to put everything together since the floor pan attaches to the inner rocker.
To get an idea of how to go about replacing the inner rocker, Jim compares the new Goodmar

With everything figured out, Tommy goes to work with the air chisel breaking loose the factory spot welds so we could remove the inner rocker, and at the same time protect the convertible reinforcement floor brace seen just above the chisel.
With everything figured out, Tommy goes to work with the air chisel breaking loose the fac
With the welds broken, the inner rocker popped right out, and we got a chance to see what the inside of the outer rocker looked like.
With the welds broken, the inner rocker popped right out, and we got a chance to see what
While the car sat over the years, rodents had taken up residence in the rockers, as evidenced by this lovely mouse nest. Despite this, the outer rocker was in great shape, and didn't need to be replaced thanks to it being galvanized steel. We wish GM would've used the same steel for the rest of the car.
While the car sat over the years, rodents had taken up residence in the rockers, as eviden

After welding in some pieces of box steel tubing to help support the rocker structure while the new floor and inner rocker was installed, the whole area was painted with special zinc primer that protected the rocker and steel supports from rust, neutralized any surface corrosion on the rocker itself, but still gave us a great welding surface for the new inner rocker because of the zinc content. You don't want to use a product like Por-15 here because it'll hamper welding the new inner rocker. The paint is readily available at automotive paint shops and catalog dealers like Eastwood.
After welding in some pieces of box steel tubing to help support the rocker structure whil
With everything all set, the new floor pan/inner rocker structure is slid into place for alignment and spot welding. Because of the way Chevrolet built these cars at the factory, and the condition of the body, we had to install the new sheetmetal this way to make sure everything was lined up structurally and would support the body correctly when we started to replace other body parts. In our next installment, we'll be tackling the repair work on the toe boards, cowl, and windshield area.
With everything all set, the new floor pan/inner rocker structure is slid into place for a

SOURCES
Goodmark Industries 625 Old Norcross Road Suite E Lawrenceville GA 30045 877-477-3577 www.goodmarkindustries.com	Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists Inc. 8235 Nautical Point Drive Belews Creek NC 27009 336-595-3900 www.classicautomotiverestoration .com