Do I need a new one?

[SublimeSixpack]

Answer to Was your car orange.

General Lee, The Dukes.

Yep, you got it.

 

[Brandy]

If the geometry on the k-frame is good, and the reinforcements and welds are good, those gouges can be repaired. My 73 K-frame was caved in on the center of the structure about 3/8 of an inch deep and I had an expert welder cut out the center section, heat it and pound it back into shape and weld it back in so its straight. I had a lot of slag on mine, that's pretty normal, but I ground it off and sanded a few spots before it went to get blasted and powder coated.

I am mostly concerned with two areas. The center bottom seems to be concave and the engine mounts a little twisted out of line with each other. I realize the 440 has the engine mounts offset front to back. I mean, I unbolted it from the car and that went fine so I suppose it will bolt back up. I'm wondering if the engine will though. HA! I just had an idea! I'll spin the 440 I have sitting on an engine stand upside down and bolt the K frame up to it.....should work? Right?.....

 

[conv67bdere]

Ghost . . . you're not going to believe this . . . ( well, maybe you will . . . )

But I've go the K-frame from my 67 Belvedere that I won't be using . . .

( you just might end up with more parts from my car on your car then I've got original parts on MY car ! ! ! - - - LMAO )

 

[Brandy]

Ghost . . . you're not going to believe this . . . ( well, maybe you will . . . )

But I've go the K-frame from my 67 Belvedere that I won't be using . . .

( you just might end up with more parts from my car on your car then I've got original parts on MY car ! ! ! - - - LMAO )

Too funny! is it in good shape?

 

[Brandy]

Mine looks like someone went 4 wheeling with it....

 

[conv67bdere]

Too funny! is it in good shape?

Yes it is . . . very good shape . . .

Pics . . . top side . . .

Bottom side . . .

I had "thought about" doing some mods to it to remove extra metal and lighten it up . . . never got around to it . . .

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

You will be surprised how thin the "K" metal is! Not as pretty as DVW,but funcional

 

[Brandy]

Yes it is . . . very good shape . . .

Pics . . . top side . . .

View attachment 553243

Bottom side . . .

View attachment 553244

I had "thought about" doing some mods to it to remove extra metal and lighten it up . . . never got around to it . . .

Well if nothing else it straighterer than mine is...

 

[Brandy]

You will be surprised how thin the "K" metal is! Not as pretty as DVW,but funcional

View attachment 553255 View attachment 553256 View attachment 553257 View attachment 553258 View attachment 553259 View attachment 553260 View attachment 553261

That's to accommodate a deep pan?

 

[Brandy]

I got an e mail back from firm feel saying the K frames where almost never straight and that they would stand up to pretty hard pounding. He said weld up the seams and edges all around and box in the steering box mount and it should hold up fine. He said if the scratches and gouges bother me then fill them in and make it pretty. Or, send it to them to place on their jig for $450 bucks.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

That's to accommodate a deep pan?

Yes,and now I can get to the front oil pan bolts with a short socket with an extension,,,and saved a few pounds,but that's another thread in another galaxy

 

[Brandy]

So then cutting that much out still leaves it strong enough? Seems counterintuitive..

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

So then cutting that much out still leaves it strong enough? Seems counterintuitive..

Beside boxing the cut,I also ran some enforcement.

 

[Brandy]

Nice! Very creative!

 

[dvw]

Looks like you did a lot of wacking and body filler on yours!

Not as much filler as you would think.
Doug

 

[khryslerkid]

View attachment 553293 View attachment 553294
Not as much filler as you would think.
Doug

I remember you posting that k-frame before with the modifications. Nice work.

The factory workmanship was a little crude on most of them. They were stick welded or maybe a flux core wire. I found plenty of slag/flux on mine and splatter.

 

[khryslerkid]

The center bottom seems to be concave and the engine mounts a little twisted out of line with each other.

You can see in conv67bdere's first pic that the mounts do sit crooked on the frame. Those engines are really off centered and at an angle.

 

[Brandy]

You will be surprised how thin the "K" metal is! Not as pretty as DVW,but funcional

View attachment 553255 View attachment 553256 View attachment 553257 View attachment 553258 View attachment 553259 View attachment 553260 View attachment 553261

Isn't like 12 gauge metal?

 

[oldbee]

LOL, all that “boxing in” adds a lot of strength to the originals. How they look doesn’t bother me much, I saw way thinned&worse looking on brand new GM’s in 70-80’s. One buddy slipped & cut a tendon by his thumb to elbow on a sharp edge at frt frame in the 80’s.