I can tell that it's cut at the bottom but I can't tell if it's the corners that are cut or the side pieces. Can you tell which is cut, or if it's both?

 

Very detailed thread OP.

 

Thanks!!!

Current focus is pulling the body and getting it onto a dolly to start removing the front clip and firewall.

I ordered the parts to build the dolly based on the @Alan 71 design and the parts to build a wood gantry to lift it. I'm playing hookie on Friday and hope to get both built that day, and maybe get the body lifted off by the end of the weekend.

 

My favorite thing to do: Sitting here, drinking coffee, making dumb posts about waiting for Home Depot to deliver my supplies on a Friday morning...

 

Materials are here, time to start building!! Lift first...

 

Got a ton done today. First I built this to lift the body off the frame:



Then I built the dolly for the body:


They're both "built", but not completely done. They're just assembled with screws at this point, and I'll be adding carriage bolts to really lock it all together. I ordered bolts, but not the right size washers and nuts. Hoping to get those tomorrow and be done completely.

Once both of them are ready, I'm hoping to get a chance to try to lift the body off this weekend.

 

Fancy woodworking my man! That is a lot for one day. Any way to add x bracing at the top, or would that get in the way of the body coming off? Either way, what you’ve done looks good!

Can’t imagine how nerve wracked I’d be doing that. I know plenty have done so succesfully, but I’d still be skeered.

 

Remember when you lift the body the rear body hangs under the frame....

 

I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for, hope these pics help:

 

Thanks! Do you mean across the very top? There really isn't a lot of stress on the corners, since I use joist hangers at each corner and for the beam. Also, doubling up the beam made it a lot more solid. The only way it feels like it wants to move is laterally, if you lean against it the top wants to sway a bit.

Thanks for the heads up. I've already had the front bumper supports off so I know the front is good, I hadn't checked out the back yet beyond taking off the bumper. Though I have already dropped the gas tank, so that should make it a bit easier. I installed 2 chain hoists, so I'm hoping that gives me more front to back control.

I was trying to see if the bottom of the vertical posts had been cut off, but I can't tell. TBH, at $200 it should still cheaper than buying 2 upper corners and a new top piece depending on shipping costs so I'll probably take it. I'll PM to figure out shipping costs and payment.

 

A ton of good progress over the weekend and today. First I got all of the body mount bolts removed, some required more persuading than others. Half came out easily, some had to be cut out. Both sides #4 mount spun loose from their cage bolts.



The lift points worked perfect, as did the straps wrapped around 4x4s to give a bit more lateral control.


I'd decided to have two chain hoists to give more control front to rear, which proved VERY helpful. We were lifting fine until the rear end came up off the ground. Fortunately I had help who found the emergency brake cable hadn't been properly disconnected.



In the end it worked very well, and the body is nicely raised up in the air. I wanted it a bit higher for the next couple of things.


The frame is in a LOT better condition than I feared. We worked well into dinner, so I haven't gone over it too closely, but I haven't seen anything too scary yet.


Next steps: Remove front clip, remove firewall, inspect damage to birdcage.

SUPER excited to have passed that milestone, now I feel like the real work can start.

 

Congratulations! Well I guess my thoughts/concerns about the x braces were a moot point. Man, you don't mess around. Love seeing this kinda stuff, when someone really gets to it and gets it done! Bravo!
I would LOVE to have such access to everything in that last pic. I'm ocd and would go over every centimeter as if I was going to be judged. Maybe one day I will go there with mine. The fact that you have opened all of that up tells me we are in for a really nice "after" series of your restoration. Man, you gotta be super excited.

 

Yeah, we ended up knocking it out last night even though the plan was to do it this weekend. I had a friend over with some of his project vehicle parts using my blasting cabinet, and I was pulling the last body mounting bolts while he was doing that. When we finished pretty much at the same time, he wanted to try to pull the body and I'm not one to say no to free hands!

I considered those X braces, figuring we'd get the body an inch up in the air then see how it felt. Not only was it rock solid, but due to my forgetting the emergency brake cable the whole back end came an inch off the ground and the gantry didn't even groan or creak under the strain!

Oh, I'm planning the same level of detail but mine is more a matter of necessity than anything. I have significant rust in the windshield that goes a bit down to the door pillars so I worried that there could be bad spots in the frame. It was a big relief to see it looking the way it does but I still have to really check it out and flip it over to see the state of the bottom.

I've just about finished blasting all the parts I have off right now, so the plan over the winter is to completely disassemble the rolling chassis and blast/POR all those parts over the winter. I want to be blasting and POR15 the frame early next spring once the weather breaks and then start reassembling the (already blasted and POR'd) frame parts.

We're 1 year into a 3 year restomod, and keeping up with the schedule so far!

 

I took a Friday off and knocked some things out. First I documented where the fuel and brake lines are fun across the frame by taking a couple of minute iPhone videos where I talked myself through it. I want to completely strip down the frame and replace much of it, and I figured the best way to save myself grief was to do that. After that I completely removed all of the lines for both and removed all 4 calipers. I'm hoping to blast and paint the calipers and put in a replacement seal kit. I'll post the status on those separately.

After that I decided to test out a storage idea I had. I saw some gladiator nets while looking around, so I bought the 7' x 13' one they have for trailer beds, and attached it under my dolly. It works very well for holding the large items like my doors, radiator mount, hood, etc...




Next I pulled the doors. I was solo, but it was pretty simple after using some webbing hanging off my lifting frame. All the bolts came out well without even soaking them, so I have hope that the rust isn't that bad. I made sure to document the spacers that came out for each hinge as I removed them.



Last was the big deal of the day:



Removing the front clip was both easier and more frustrating than I thought it would be. Getting the seams started in the door gap was a huge PITA, but once I got going it was just a matter of working the painters tool, chisels, and wedges. It was a bit scary a couple of times, but overall not that horrific.

Now I have to find somewhere to put it...


Tomorrow I hope to get the firewall off...

 

Kind of impressed by what you get done in a day!
Where to put the front clip? I heard they make great roof ornaments come Christmas!
I think I’m more space limited than you.

 

Good work! How's that bird cage look now that you have the front clip off?

 

I don't think any of us ever have "enough room".
I considered trying to put it up on the top of the gantry, but that would get in the way of the lights. Plus, I didn't think ahead an now the gantry is already interfering with the garage door going up. I plan to put in a high lift set of tracks, but that's not a priority right now.

I'll take a couple more pictures today, but the short answer is that the door pillars look better than I feared. I still can't see as much of the corners as I want because the firewall is in the way. I'm hoping to get that off today.

 

Amazing thread.
I just discovered it and read through it.
You are doing awesome work.
I was right where you are this time last year.
My body has been in paint jail since last November and I dropped the rolling chassis off with the painter in June.
I hope to get it home this month, soon!!!

 

Hey, thanks! It's good to know there's light at the end of the tunnel!
A year for paint?!?!? Why so long in paint jail?

Hit another major milestone today, firewall removed. Definitely frustrating and more work than removing the clip, though I suspect it's due to the the fact that there's a lot of hidden rivets and not a lot of videos to review for help.



Both lower windshield corners are about as bad as I suspected, though the door pillars seem pretty good. I'm a bit worried about the bottom of that passenger side though, so both door sills are probably coming off next.




The good news is that the inside didn't look too bad. The inside lower corners aren't bad at all, and the supports look pretty good. The insides of the pillars themselves seem to only have a bit of surface rust.





The rocker covers may come out tomorrow, or I may take a break. I'm starting to feel like disassembly is nearing the end, or at least the hardest parts are done. Fingers crossed...

 

I decided to take a break and catch up on some of the blasting that had been building up. Just a couple of before and after pics, since it's been a while...







I've got the second big batch ready to be sprayed with Fast Etch. The last batch is up on the shelf, and I haven't seen a speck of new rust on any of it, so I'm sold. I don't know if they'll stay that way through the winter though, since I've been keeping an eye out on FB marketplace for a cheap used oven...



The To Do pile is getting smaller again...


But I think I know a decent "small task" that I may tackle next...