I need some advice on which steps come first in the reassembling of my body onto the chassis. The car is a 1971 roadster, which I bought in many pieces, with the body already taken off the frame, which was rotted beyond repair. I have completed a 1973 chassis restoration, but am somewhat confused in the next logical step for my situation. Body is a roadster and currently sets on a dolly, with no doors. It needs a rear birdcage channel repair where cage rests on frame on passenger side rear corner. Needs a few glass repairs from cowl back. Windshield frame is good, however, there is a substantial rotted section on the lower passenger side windshield cowl area that I am going to have to drop the front clip and firewall to repair, . I planned to effect the rear channel repair, paint stripping and clip removal, while the body is still on the dolley. The doors were already off the car and hinges not marked, before removal, when I got the car. Once these steps were taken, and the tub prepared, I was going to set it back onto the chassis, and try to assemble the doors and the front clip from that point. Is it possible to do that way? Any info is appreciated. One more question about mounting tub to chassis. Body is a 1971, frame 1973. I have decided to use the 1973 poly mounts. Do these mounts still require shims like the 1971, if so, how? Any info is appreciated.

 

IMHO, you would be better off with the stock '73 type rubber body mount bushings. They will isolate the NVH, and absorb more frame flex, better than poly.
You will have to shim them to get the rear edges of the doors to line up nicely with the body.
But first you have to address all your birdcage issues.
Good luck, buddy. That's a bunch of work in front of you. I did mine last year. Whew.

 

the convertible body will need reinforcements in the door area(from hinge to striker) before you lift it. your best bet may be to set the doors before you drop the body. also, once you remove the front clip, you'll lose all orientation between the frame, front clip and rear clip. also, add one or two extra shims in the #2 area-thats the only shim area that you can't reach once the body is down.
i would set the doors, drop the body and shim as needed, and then remove the front clip and make all the repairs. then you can lift the body if needed in order to repair the rocker channels and you know everything will fit.

 

Hi ww,
I'll speak to the shim aspect.
I believe I'd put 3 shims on each mount and then place the body. That way you can add or SUBTRACT shims as necessary to obtain the gaps you want.
I've seen very few pictures of chassis with mounts with 0 shims or more than 5/6 shims.
Remember the shims were added before the chassis ever met the body that it would hold; the shims brought the mount height to a certain tolerance and weren't used to adjust the gaps at St. Louis. Restorers use the shims to adjust the mount height based on the gaps we see. Just backwards of what St. Louis did.
Good Luck!!!
Regards,
Alan

 

what type of shims are used with the 1973 type mounting hardware. Photos would help.

 

Hi ww,
I believe the same body mount shim was used from 63 through 82.
Regards,
Alan

I love trivia...
the frame was upside down when it was fixed to the jig to measure the body mounts. The worker wrote the shim count numbers UPSIDE DOWN so when the frame was flipped at the start of the the chassis line the numbers were correct for the worker placing the shims.