Right now the body of my 1968 Convertible is setting on the frame. All of the body mount bolts have been removed. I've removed the bumpers, the seat belt/frame attachments, etc. I'm pretty sure it's free to be lifted. The engine/transmission is out and the brake lines and front steering rag joint is disconnected.

Actually, I only want to lift the body a few inches. This is to allow me to conveniently replace the old front to back brake line with a new stainless steel line. If I get the frame up in the air I also might want to replace the gas lines. And of course, the gas tank looks like it'd be easier to remove with a few inches of extra free space on top. Since I don't really have a rust problem, a few inches will allow me to repaint all of the frame. It looks like I can have all of the advantages of a frame off restoration by just lifting the body a few inches - perhaps just 6 inches.

My Question: Once I lift the body, how much of a worry is it to get it back on the frame. When I lower it, all of the body mount holes need to match up exactly. I imagine that most people do a body off project with slings to suspend the body. I imagine with the body suspended, you can easily push the body back and forth to get the holes to line up. However, I'll be lifting and lowering the body with jacks. If the body shifts on the jack stands, I imagine I'll be in trouble trying to move the body even a 1/16 of an inch. The body seems amazingly heavy. I've already given it some forceful prods and it doesn't move. With a lot muscle power I can lift the rear body a little off of the #4 mount. If I don't lower the body exactly, I think I'm going to be in trouble.

Has anyone jacked the body up a few inches and lowered it?---Any particular techniques?

Currently, plans are to use extra long bolts in the mounting holes and lift the body up to the maximum length of the added bolts. This way when I lower the body, it should be forced back into the original position.

PS: I had a lot of problems with a #4 mounting bolt. #4 is the frame atachment you can see in the rear wheel well. It's on the frame just past the differential crossmember. The bolt head is exposed, but the nut is inside the body and is constrained by a nut catcher to keep it from turning when you turn the bolt head. One of these bolts was free spinning, meaning that the nutcatcher on the inside had broke loose. I later found out that it had for sure. For one thing it's only riveted with aluminum rivets so any force will shear these rivets. I cut the bolt head off and later retrieved the rest. Sure enough the nutcatcher rivets were sheared. Why didn't the nut turn? It was cross threaded!!!. It appears that when it was first installed at the factory, it was crossthreaded but with the magic of assembly line power tools, it went on OK! All of the other bolts were easy to remove. I'm lucky with a So. Cal car that has very little rust - mostly surface corrision.

 

Perhaps you can buy or borrow a set of 4 wheel dollies. Put each of the four wheels on one of these and you can move the chassis any direction you want. Harbor freight tools sells a pair for $39. I use these when I store my car in the winter. I pull the car in, jack it up and slip the dollies under the wheels, and push the car to the side. They are money well spent IMO. The body is not hard to lower back in to place...just a little nerve racking making sure that everything is lined up so no crunched fiberglass.

 

Thanks....but the frame is on jackstands also! The entire rear suspension is currently out of the car. I think I may just put bolts, 6 inches longer than the body to frame attachment bolts, between the body and frame and just lift it 6 inches. I still have some concern that it won't be exactly in the same position when I lower it. The end of the steering column now exactly matches up to the steering box shaft. I imagine I'll have to realign the steering column. There are also alighnment holes between the frame and body cage used at the factory. The holes are for alignment pins. I'll have to find out more about these!