Not all G Body frames are the same

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69hurstolds

Geezer
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Jan 2, 2006
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Bigger hole...so it's lighter weight. Another selling point. :)
 
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beststeak

n00b
Aug 30, 2021
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The chassis builder will not tell me exactly why the oval hole is significant other than the HOLE ITSELF has nothing to do with it other than it is an identifying mark that make the frame different. Knowing what I know about dirt track racing, I can only assume it has something to do with roll centers and how the suspension reacts on the track

Or, human nature being what it is, builder noticed a difference and is charging a premium for the perceived "good" frames.
No he wants ME to provide the frame. Not charging extra at all. Same price no matter what frame I bring him. He just knows what I need to be what he considers the best frame from the metric years
 

Ribbedroof

Comic Book Super Hero
Supporting Member
Jan 4, 2009
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makes no sense to me that there is a significant advantage to one design, yet he won't disclose it. Not like G frames are everywhere anymore and somebody is going to hoard them all. Hell, I've got a mint one I couldn't get anybody interested in....so it sits in the weeds
 

grandamman

G-Body Guru
Nov 7, 2005
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up in the hills
I'm all about continued learning. I'm not done yet. Maybe there is an atvantage that we (here) aren't aware of, and quite frankly most don't care since it dosen't affect what we do with these cars.
Personally, I think it is dependent on which vendor manufactured the frame for GM. They each had thier own jig and methods of moving the frame through the process and shipping.
The builder may just like the larger hole for ease of access for something.....
 

Tiggeru4

n00b
Sep 9, 2021
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So i have a 78 monte and got a 83 regal frame for it..I keep hearing the frame rails that go to front bumper are longer on the monte..so can I extend with spacers or something for the difference of the bumper
 

Turbo Zach

Comic Book Super Hero
Sep 8, 2015
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So i have a 78 monte and got a 83 regal frame for it..I keep hearing the frame rails that go to front bumper are longer on the monte..so can I extend with spacers or something for the difference of the bumper
I would like to know this too. The 78 Monte frame is definitely different. Our Monte's did not use the bumper shocks. They used a nylon bumper with a honey comb deal behind it.
 
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superbon54

G-Body Guru
Apr 15, 2014
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Wisco
There are different length frames. My Malibu has an 84 regal frame under it and I had to cut a little length off the front. There is a hole right behind the front bumper shock mounts. It was circular on the Malibu frame and oval (before surgery) on the regal frame.
 

CopperNick

Comic Book Super Hero
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Feb 20, 2018
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You guys almost have me inspired enough to go look at the frame under my 85; almost. Reason I am not is that it is the original frame to that car but it would be interesting from a historical perspective to check and see if those holes are oval ro round.

I do remember the front and rear bumpers on my 78 having some kind of foam? or plastic honeycomb insert between the cover and the aluminum spine. I know I still have those parts; they are sitting on top of the goat locker (My storage locker for POL and other flammables) tucked into the southeast corner of the shop) I also have the frame brackets, or their corpses, sitting beside my trash can next to the garden dooe. Them, I had to rebuild at least once because the square tube section that slid inside the frame horns rotted out completely at least once, as I recall. What has me stumped here is why the shape of an access, or assembly, or datum point or hole for measuring straightness or squareness, would dictate the quality of a frame?

Curious enough, it would seem, that I actually stirred my stumps and took a short walk out to the shop. And the answer is.................................
Round Hole. About an inch or slightly larger in diameter, located in the outer frame wall immediately beside the bracket for the lower control arm for the rear end. Second one shows up a foot or two farther along and part way up the kick-up over the rear end. No pictures of what existed under my 78. Too much effort put into trying to prolong its existence and none into documenting the effort.



Nick
 

ttype

Greasemonkey
Jan 30, 2017
239
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Brockville, Ontario.
Oblong hole'd frame chunk was a cutout from an 81 olds cutlass calais that my friend turned into a steam roller... and a pic of the frame in the 83 ttype. Maybe(?) It has something to do wit the bracketing change due to the 200-4r's introduction, necessitating a different chassis mid rail?

I cut the rear cradle out of that frame in order to set up a jig to install 4 link brackets on non gbody rear diffs.

R.

P.s.. not exactly a scientific analysis, just a bit of fuel for the debate. My buddy almost cried when i cut up that frame for this... of note as well, there were jounce bars on that car, as well as crossbracing rods bolted into the rear seat framework.
 

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ttype

Greasemonkey
Jan 30, 2017
239
223
43
Brockville, Ontario.
"Metric" cars came out for '82 no? Hence A/G body cutoff ??

Please correct my thinking if it is needed.

maybe those frames get a different weld procedure, Like a re-route rail for the cars assembled wit the extra body mount bolts, or maybe even... a different metallurgy in the hydroformed suspension link frame bracket...🤔 hmmm, does anyone have a car that could've been ordered with a manual trans?

For all the rust belt guys... have you ever wondered why you see some cars with good frames and rotted bodies, where other cars had great bodies, and rotted frames?

The 2 guys i work with who came from Oshawa, might remember some of those details... one of them was pretty handy with programming back then, right up until the last truck rolled out...

Well, if i run into him before he retires again, ill ask him about that, after a good wind down involving rhum and an open fire of course🤪.

Stay busy folksies,

R.

P.s.. speaking of salts and brines... i am reducing the amount of bonded gumbo and scale to minimize the adherance factors of said nasty ionic/cationic metal munchers. Paint and clear for the wire wheeled parts, and open gear grease for those "hard ta reach" areas. Wand washing the undercarriage isnt such a chore after all this. Even good paint on one side should get steel to last 4x longer than when left untreated.

Dad used to say the best hotrods today were the P's.O.S. that couldn't keep oil in the pans or the gear boxes... just sayin'.
 

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