Well my 69 project is moving along thanks to all the help I got on here and hours of research! I truly appreciate it. I hopefully have everything removed that need to be removed and will go over it again for the 100th time before lifting.

I built Alan's design for the body-





Now before I remove the body some more questions. Since its a convertible I have my own set of problems. I see some people run a strap from the front radiator support, over the windshield, to the rear to support the front and rear from sagging. Where would you attach the rear to? It's only fiberglass left back there. I was going to make a pulley system directly above the rad support and as I slowly lift up I'll bring up the slack on the rope to the front crossmemember to keep it from sagging. I feel this way I'll be supporting it directly from above and not at an angle. Just concerned about the rear sagging....

I'm leaving the doors on and closed for rigidity. Good/bad?

The rear deck for the convertible. I was going to keep it closed again for body rigidity. Should I have it closed, open or remove it complete to lower weight???

Would soft top closed help any? Was going to leave it open.

I saw some posts about body removal saying to loosen the steering box bolts. I removed the steering column completely, do I need to loosen and or remove the steering box?

Thanks again for all the help and just like most of you were I'm real nervous and hope all goes smoothly!! First time for everything.

 

Hi Pm,
I'm glad to see your continuing progress.
With the steering column removed the steering box can remain in place.

I don't have a convertible but I've read enough about lifting convertible bodies to understand why leaving the doors in place until the body is on the dolly is a good precaution.

I've also seen folks make a 'bar' (a piece of angle iron) that fits in the space where the doors would be. It typically bolts in front to the hinge pillar where the upper hinge would be and in the rear to the hole where the striker would be.
It really ties the hinge pillar and lock pillar together in a serious way. I think that holds the body 'together' even more securely than than leaving the doors in place does.

This would take some metal fabricating skills but would certainly lend stability the body during the 'lift'.

Have you seen that in any of the 'lifting' info you've been looking at?

Regards,
Alan

 

Yes, I looked into the steel bars instead of the doors. Looks like it would take a bit of fabrication to attach to hinges and door striker. Since I am lifting the body with a two post lift I was originally going to run a piece of angle iron under the whole birdcage front to back on both sides to fully support it and clamp them to the pads on the lift but on my corvette there are three 'brackets' on each side that come down from the birdcage and block me from using one long piece. I noticed in other pictures these weren't there. They seem to be welded to the backside of the lower birdcage. Is this normal?

 

Hi Pm,
The 69 AIM shows those small brackets. They're referred to as 'clips' in the item description for them. UPC 1 Bolt/Weld, Sheet A-4. Item 3.

I'm not sure what they're for…. perhaps to help support the side exhaust insulators and shields?

I don't think 70+ birdcages have them. (I'm sure 71 birdcages don't.)

Regards,
Alan

 

Makes sense for the sidepipes but ruins my plans of using long piece of angle iron. Guess I'll lift it up by the edge of the lift pad.

 

YES..I have done it this way and I made steel fixture that transfers out more of the stress so when I connected my straps to the rear and brought it up to the eyelet of the body lifting straps ( because I do not generally take bodies off using a lift)....I can maintain the rear of the car. I do the front the same way. So I am not having any strap going over the windshield....but I have been present at people houses when they are lifting the body off using a lift and pay me to come help and make sure all is good.

I have also...like what Alan mentioned is taking the doors off and using a piece of metal that I can bolt to the door hinges that also bolt to where the door striker bolt is so the rear clip can not break.

It is helping you in some way...because IF you carefully look in on the latch when the door is shut and latched...you can see the amount of play that the door can allow the rear clip to move due to finger latch portion of your door latch is more than likely about 1/8" away from the backside of the head of the striker bolt...SO...figure out mentally...if the rear clip can sag ...how far will it sag until it stops against the striker bolt???

Leave it closed and the added weight is not that much. But you can remove it if you like.

I mark it and remove it due to the weight of it...and the battery also..seats etc.

I take off all parts that have significant weight that I can to aid in dropping the weight. Gear box bolts DO NOT need to be loosened. HAS no bearing on the body coming off.

DUB

 

Good luck! An exciting time and very nerve racking is right. Only advice I have is take it slow... couple inches at a time, stopping to check if a random hose/wire/etc was not disconnected. I used Alan's dolly plans too... worked great for me!

 

Well hit my first snag with the lift. The two post arms aren't short enough to catch the lift areas so I cant lift from the bottom. After some measuring I should have enough room lifting from above with straps to the lift arms. Only time will tell. If not I can remove the wheels and leave it on the rotors to gain some extra inches.

 

Hi Pm,
Well that's not very nice!
It sounds like you have an option though.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

 

Well got two friends over this morning and got the body lift done!!! No breaks, tears or rips! Got everything disconnected and body work cleared the frame. Front nose really didnt need the support rope but was nice to have. The only snag I hit was when it was sitting on the new body dolly mounts 1-3 all lined up and were the exact height but #4 was inline but short by a few inches?? I went by the plans 13 3/8" up. Oh well. I just added some extra 2x3's in there to make up the difference. Also there was plenty of room for 2x3 and probably 2x4 for #4 mount for extra strength. I will check dimensions later and update the plans for anyone else in the future.

 

Well its in the mid 90s for the next two days so I wont be doing much on the car and instead researching how to proceed.

With the body finally off I am looking at how to proceed and also what extra steps I should take to either the body or the frame while they are apart. I'm the type that likes to do it now while its easier even if it may not need it now but might in the future. Id rather spend a little money now to avoid headaches in the future!

My plan for the body is to:
1- clean up/degrease engine bay and body
2- paint engine bay
3- Apply heat and sound deadener
4- replace all wiring
5- upgrade to A/C
6- Install new battery cables to body

Now the best way to do it?

1- clean up/degrease engine bay and body
For this I was going to spray down the engine bay with engine degreaser or purple power degreaser and then either hose off or power wash. Good or bad idea? I'm just concenrned about the water getting trapped anywhere in the birdcage. Also before taking the body off I noticed a crack on the driver side floorboard about four inches long (the area right under the brake pedal.). I dont want to damage the old fiberglass any more. Plus I need to repair that. I assume just lay some fiberglass over it on top and bottom? Have to get some fiberglass books!

2. Paint engine bay
Looking at what paint to use to spray the engine bay. Semi-gloss or flat? Which type are guys using? I just want something that looks good and is durable.

3. Apply heat and sound deadener
I plan on putting a heat and sound deadener on the underside and top of the floors. I have been looking at it either paint on lizardskin or dynamat extreme. I'm worried about overspray on the lizardskin. Thoughts on anyone whose used either? I would do the underside now and the inside once the car is back on the frame.

4. Replace all wiring.
I have all the wiring that I disconnected labeled and just not sure the logical way to start/proceed. Should I just pull one bundle at a time? Like pull the whole engine bay and then install new harness. I figure I could do most of it except the dash and power windows, will do those when the car is on the frame.

5. Upgrade to A/C
Car originally didnt have A/C. After researching I think I'm going with the Vintage Air kit. With an open engine bay I would like to get most of it installed before dropping the body back on..

6. Install new battery cables.
Will Install the new cables to underside of tranny tunnel. The car has top mount cables in it now. Was considering side mount because it seems more direct the way the cables come up the battery box. Thoughts? My new battery has top and side mounts just so I could make up my mind later. What do you guys like better? The top mount seems to put an un natural bend in the top to reach the terminals.

Anything else I should check or do while the body is off? Any plugs or things that should be changed? While lifting the body those foam inserts where the firewall meets the fender fell out. Are they glued in? Look like they just keep debris out of that little cavity. Also is it okay to do the interior wiring, sound/heat deadener, etc in the interior with the body off? Right now its completely gutted. Just some small pieces of carpet/glue stuck on the floors that I need to scrape off. Or is better to wait until its back on the frame?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!!!

 

Congrats Pat! Good to meet you the other day.

Bill

 

It was good meeting you also Bill. Like we said you meet some great people on this forum all doing the same thing with thier corvette!

Pat

 

Hi Pm,
(2) The engine compartment and cowl area was originally painted using semi-flat paint.
Many people like Krylon #1613, John Deere Blitz Black, or SEM black.
'Flat' black is too difficult to maintain, and 'gloss' black shows off the imperfections in the fiberglass and other components that get painted.
(6) The original battery was a side terminal battery and thus had cables set up for side terminal mounting.
The were typically 2 small foam wedges between the frame and birdcage rail and 2 larger horse-shoe shaped foam seals on the frame rails.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan! That takes care of interior paint. I have the foam wedges and took pictures of them before the lift. Were they glued in or do they just 'sit' there?

 

Hi Pm,
On the wedges from my 71 there appears to be remnants of some sort of black adhesive.
I continue to be unclear just where exactly the wedge was placed.
Regards,
Alan

 

Here's pictures I took of the wedges before lifting the body.

 

Hi Pm,
Thanks VERY much for those photos.
Where they're placed seems to make sense.
Regards,
Alan

Did you see anything like these?
Typically just in front of the #2 body mounts on the main frame rails.


If you look carefully you can see one of them in place on the rail.

 

Yeah I had one on each side. They pulled off with the body. I guess the longer side went on the outside?

 

Hi Pm,
Yes, longer side on outside of rail.
Those are in really NICE condition. Often they were 'smashed' a little or 'twisted' as the body came down.
I believe their intent was to help control engine heat from flowing back along the birdcage rocker channel and toasting the driver's left foot.
Maybe also helped prevent road 'mush' from being thrown up into that space between the channel and frame rail.
Regards,
Alan