Body Removal
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Body Removal
Hello, i am hoping that you guys may be able to help me. My buddy has an 80 with T-tops and he has noticed his frame is rusted/cracked. He just bought a house so he has a place & the time to take the car apart to fix it. The car is in VERY good shape so he was hoping to just lift the body off, fix the frame & put it back together. What we are wondering is it possible to remove the body without taking everything out of it ? dismantle as little as possible lift it, fix it, drop it back down & then go cruising. Is ther some sort of hoist we can hook/build into the garage ceiling to lift it off ?
Thanks for any help/advice
Steve.
Thanks for any help/advice
Steve.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 13,911
Likes: 101
From: Manassas VA
NoVa Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '14
I helped take a body off an 1980 and I'm going to take the body off my 1980 in a few weeks.
We left the interior in the car, removed the bumpers, disconnected the steering, shifter, cables in engine bay that go into the firewall, gas tank filler, body mount bolts... that's all I can think of now.
Make sure to support the whole body. The front can break off as you lift the body off.
We lifted the body off with 6 people. We had two other people looking under the body to see what needed to disconnected as we lifted. It was a long process of lifting, disconnecting, and lifting again....
We left the interior in the car, removed the bumpers, disconnected the steering, shifter, cables in engine bay that go into the firewall, gas tank filler, body mount bolts... that's all I can think of now.
Make sure to support the whole body. The front can break off as you lift the body off.
We lifted the body off with 6 people. We had two other people looking under the body to see what needed to disconnected as we lifted. It was a long process of lifting, disconnecting, and lifting again....
Last edited by Bluewasp; Apr 26, 2005 at 01:26 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 3
From: belle plaine ks
seat bolts
Depending on what year it is, doesn't one of the rear seat bolts have access through the frame? I don't know if the nut grips the frame or not, but I believe I would look into that before I started lifting.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Tampa Bay Florida
I lifted a 68 vert...
Mine had a wire cable connecting the body to the frame right above the drive shaft and in front of the differential ( near the seat belt bolt locations ). It was covered in grease and hard to find.
Mine had a wire cable connecting the body to the frame right above the drive shaft and in front of the differential ( near the seat belt bolt locations ). It was covered in grease and hard to find.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
If the frame is that bad you guys should look very carefully at the birdcage when the body is off. Windshield frame, rocker channels, body mounts, floor pans are a few of the areas that might be in as bad shape as the frame. Anything can be fixed given enough time and $ but the cruising part might be delayed by a few years.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 13,911
Likes: 101
From: Manassas VA
NoVa Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '14
Originally Posted by cannonfl
I lifted a 68 vert...
Mine had a wire cable connecting the body to the frame right above the drive shaft and in front of the differential ( near the seat belt bolt locations ). It was covered in grease and hard to find.
Mine had a wire cable connecting the body to the frame right above the drive shaft and in front of the differential ( near the seat belt bolt locations ). It was covered in grease and hard to find.
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Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham AL
Here's my blog on my frame off restoration. Check the notes for January to see how to get the body off and how I did it. I went the hoist and frame approach.
http://77vette.blogspot.com/
http://77vette.blogspot.com/
