[jkolb]

First, thanks for all of your replies.

The body came off easily and the frame looked good - the previous owner had painted it gloss black. I took it to my powder coater for sand blasting prior to reinforcement. A few days later I got a call from him saying I needed to come look at the frame.

Ever seen Bondo on a frame? Yep, the PFO had covered ragged welds with Bondo and molded to appear flat and good. Pretty good work, but it certainly doesn't belong on a frame. Some patches on the front uprights - don't know if it was rust or collision damage, but the really weird thing was there appears to be major damage in the middle of the frame, almost like the frame had twisted and been cut apart and welded back together.

The guy was good - didn't try to change the obvious areas where I could check thickness. This is not the first challenge I have had with this car, and it is a good example of buyer beware. At this point, however, I have so much invested in engine, suspension, etc., that I have replaced that I need to go the next step and replace the frame. I am going to start a new thread as I search for a frame.

Thanx again.

Jerry