Bally

My 1971 coupe needs new fuel and brake lines. The paint is very nice on the car, so my concern is that stress cracks or worse could occur with the paint if we lift the body the wrong way.

Lifting from overhead is not an option in our garage.

2 of us will be doing this job, and I think we need to raise the body up just enough to get the pre-bent lines in, I'd guess about 6 to 8 inches?

Everything's been disconnected and/or removed and the original mounts & bolts have been soaking with a penatrant (Kroil) for a couple of weeks.

Any advice on how to proceed at this point would be greatly appreciated.

(Thanks to those who answered a previous post on this subject where my wording was probably excessive; was hoping for more responses)

Thank you,

Bally

Alan 71

Hi Bally,
I lifted the body off the frame on my 71 by myself.
I used floor jacks, blocks of 6x6, and 'pads' made from 12"x12"x1" plywood.
I jacked at the flat area of the under body where the driver's and passenger's feet are, and also in a flat area of the compartment floor behind the seats.
3 jacks and 2 people should work well.
Regards,
Alan

Bally

Hello Alan 71,
Did you support the front end? How, if so.
The headlight buckets and radiator support are still in place, but everything else is off, so hoping front weight is not an issue. I would imagine it would still need some kind of support though?
Thanks Alan,
Bally

MotorHead

I replaced my entire brake line system with a pre-bent kit with the body on, not sure about the fuel lines though, they may be easier or harder than the brake lines

Bally

Hi Motorhead,
From what I have heard and read, it's impossible to install fuel lines without lifting the body.
Thanks though, and beautiful car!
Bally

Alan 71

Hi Bally,
I agree that the brake lines can be done with the body in place, but not fuel line, return line, or vapor line. Getting those up over the kick-up in the frame is the problem.
The front clip should not be a problem if it's still properly bonded at the cowl.
Regards,
Alan

mark6669

I have lifted many with a floor jack under the steel lip behind the rocker center of door opening you have to move the jack till it lifts level, have done 74 up cars much heavier front end with no stress problems. Right side needs to be up almost a foot to slide the line into the frame.
Mark

Bally

Thanks Mark,
Just wondering, do you lift both sides at the same time? Some have mentioned it's best to lift one side at a time so as to maintain body to frame alignment (although I can't imagine going up almost a foot doing only one side at a time), but others have said doing it like that may cause too much body flex and possibly crack the paint.
Bally

MotorHead

Is the Vette all or is it modified ? If modified I would look into braided flex lines. I too have an expensive paint job and would be worried, I remember one guy tried to transport a body that was in good shape about 600miles and the body was pretty much worthless after hitting a few bumps and potholes .

Bally

I'm trying to have as 'correct' a car as possible (within my slim budget), not that I have anything against modified cars at all.

I already purchased pre-bent lines, but if I get talked out of lifting the body, as some have tried to do and almost succeeded, I may say to hell with it and try the braided lines. Probably won't ever have the car judged anyhow...

If we did go that route, can they be threaded through the kick up area that makes installing the hard lines impossible? How are they affixed to the frame?

Thx,
Bally

mark6669

I go about 5-6'' at a time moving from one side to the other you can put jack stands under same lip at each end while you do the other side.
I always paint my cars first then pull body to do frame and underside of body. Have done 11 body off restorations in the last 18 years this way never had a single crack. My two restorods came off 3 times each.
Mark

Bally

Mark,

That's great to know.

Do you have any photos you could post on this process, where you placed the jacks, etc.?

Thanks again,
Bally

Bally

ttt

Alan 71

Hi Bally,
Here's a picture of my 71 being prepared to go back on the frame.
It's on a 2 post lift but the lift points would be similar in your case.
It's being lifted on the out-side flange of the rocker channel.
You'll want to be careful since you'll be using floor jacks, that the jacks don't want to move out from under the body.
Regards,
Alan

Bally

Thank you Alan,
For the very instructive photos.
Hope my rocker channels are in as good a shape as yours!
If anyone else has any photos of how they've done this job-the more the better.
Cheers,
Bally