Removing body?

boostinmalibu

Dragway Regular
Sep 13, 2005
756
0
16
joplin missouri
What's gonna be the easiest way to pull the body off the frame? I have some rust repair needing done on the frame along with finishing the frame notch and bracing. I'm pretty sure it's gonna be easier on me by pulling the body off
 

gstock8732

Dragway Regular
Jan 21, 2009
756
0
0
Jersey
It all depends on how bad the rust is and where. If the bolts come out easily. Ur good. But usually rusted and break. If so. There are nipples that protrude through the trunk. Two by the wheel wells and two by the taillights. Two underneath the rear seat. Rockers and firewall. Basically simple. Cut the top part off. Making the cage nuts accessible. Cut them off and it's free. Hard part maybe would be making it look as though u didn't cut a hole in the floor after it's done. If you've never seen a cage bolt. Easy one to see is the door striker. Remove rear side panels to access rear of striker. And you'll see the cage bolt. Btw. Unless tour fab skills are sick. It's gonna be a nightmare to notch and mini tub without separation. Best of luck to u.
 

boostinmalibu

Dragway Regular
Thread starter
Sep 13, 2005
756
0
16
joplin missouri
Ive already swapped the bushings for for billet ones so thats not a problem, my concern is getting the actual body off the frame without any damage

Whats the easiest/safest way to do it
 

gstock8732

Dragway Regular
Jan 21, 2009
756
0
0
Jersey
Long as you keep the doors in it while doing it you'll be fine. I used a long nose jack and a piece of lumber. Raised the back up. The the front. Slid thick lumber horizontally between body and frame. Then jacked up the wood to the height I needed. The safest and easiest would be a lift of course. But usually not many people have acess to one. It's not really dangerous I'd say. And I did mine half blasted. I'd gut the interior though if I was you. Less weight. If you really nervous about the whole ordeal. Get some square tubing and make an X brace from inside. Front driver firewal to rear pass quarter window area. But really don't need it.
 

81classic

Top Fueler
Jun 5, 2003
2,833
0
0
North Port, Fl
when I removed my body, I made some saw horses out of 4x4's. I placed one going across the front @ the firewall body mounts, and the other was placed just in front of the wheel wells sitting on the bracing in that area. The car sat like that for a couple years with no door, windows etc while I worked on it. Never had any problems.
As far as removing it I used a cherry picker and did front first, then back. I placed the body on 8' 4x4's sitting on jack stands to clear the frame initially, then placed on the saw horses
 

malibujames

Daily Driver
Jan 4, 2009
41
0
0
New Carlisle Ohio
ive took the body off mine before i just took out all the weight that i could and used 5 of my biggest friends to pull it off the worst part was a few bolts broke in the process
 

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