Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

[David R.]

I took my 1961 body off the frame with the doors, trunk lid and deck lid in place. The body is supported with four by fours at the front and back frame mounts. I also supported the back of the car at the wheel wells and the very back of the car. The front is supported at the wheel wells and very front as well. I want to take the doors, trunk lid and deck lid off to strip the paint and refurbish the glass and door mechanisms,should I wait until I drop the body back down on the frame or will it be OK to take them off now? Thanks for any advice on this matter.

[Bill W.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

You can take them off now just make sure the body is supported .

[Donald H.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

I'm by far no expert, but here is a picture of what I did to add rigidity at the door openings.

Body supports at doors.jpg

[Mike M.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

dave: take don's advice.mike

[Roger W.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

Simple and very functional.

[David R.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

Don, I like the door supports, they are simple to make and look like they will do the job. I am curious, what does the straps in the picture do and how do you have them run? I'm guessing you added them for additional support or do they just hold your body on the dolly. I have my body on four by four's supported by six by six's and it is stationary, I'm not planning on moving it until I get the fame back under it.

[Donald H.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

I put some 3/8" I bolts into the two body mounts that are in the rear trunk area, then attached the straps to the I bolts and to the radiator core support. As you can see in the attached picture, my dolly only supported the body at the four outer body mounts that are at the rear and front of the doors. I didn't build any additional support for the nose or rear. I used the straps for just a little support front to back. But I don't think they did much. I left the body on the dolly until I have finished restoring the chassis, then dropped it back onto the chassis and went to my painter for final body work and paint.

The only thing I would change is I did not have my engine and trans on the chassis when I dropped the body back on. I installed the engine and transmission as a complete assembly into the freshly painted car. Its possible, but if I were doing it again, I would not do it that way.

Don
Body Dolley.jpg

[David R.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

Don thanks for the clarification, my plan is to have the engine, transmission and exhaust system installed on the chassis before I drop the body back on. I added support to the front and back of the car at the wheel wells and under both ends of the car

[Richard M.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

The triangular cross section of the fiberglass rocker panel assembly of the '56 to '62's is very strong. Internal rocker panel reinforcements used from '58 to late '59 were made from aluminum and could likely last forever if not subjected to corrosive elements. However, the late '59 to '62 reinforcements were made of steel. Latched doors, by design, have no ability to prevent horizontal spreading of the front & rear clips.

St Louis used a "hook" fixture at the sides under the rockers to lift the entire body assembly with windshield, doors, trunk, interior, etc installed on the car at body drop. That's quite heavy. There were no added front or rear straps used either. There are a few good pictures of that in Noland's Restoration book.

You can see a sample condition of your steel rocker reinforcements by looking down inside the rockers through the rear body harness access holes under the left sill step, and the same holes on the right side. You'll have to remove carpet-sweep covers to see them. If the steel rocker panel reinforcements of your's are badly rusted, then you may want to add the supports between the doors as suggested.

If there is no rust, IMO, I wouldn't feel the need for the added task of supporting the door openings, nor using front or rear straps which can add more risk of paint damage on body drop. Below is a lift and later drop of a '59. I used straps under the rockers with 2x4's along them for the lift. Straps will interfere with transmission if installed. Engine/trans was out for lift. I used just the 4 lift arms under flat 2x4's under the rocker corners for the drop. The body didn't flex whatsoever when raised from the dolly for the body drop.

Rich

Lift
59_2.jpg P2030072.jpg

Drop
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[Bill M.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

i used cable an turn buckles

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

I'm by far no expert, but here is a picture of what I did to add rigidity at the door openings.[ATTACH=CONFIG]49776[/ATTACH]

This is the way to do it. If you only support the 4 corners the center will flex because between the doors is the weakest part of the body. I also support the center of the nose.

[Richard M.]

Re: Taking doors, trunk lid and deck lid off body when not on frame.

Kenneth,

That is fact on the 1963 to 1982 cars. Just the opposite on the 1958 to 1962 cars. Between the doors is their strongest area due the the design of the body rocker panels. The nose of the C1 cars is also inherently strong due to the method of attachment of the inner skirts to full length angle brackets to the firewall. The C2 cars have no inner skirt support directly to the firewall like with the C1's.

P5280007.jpg P6030008.jpg P6030009.jpg

Rich