lifting the body off the frame for frame paint

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Coveted

G-Body Guru
Mar 23, 2008
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Sanborn, Ny 14132
I've got a 4000lbs crane.
I wanna know if theres a way I can lift the back half of my cutlass body off the frame, So I can roll the frame out, and sand it and seal, primer and paint it to prevent any future problems.
Ofcourse id dissasemble my entire suspension and paint that aswell.

Also the entire interior is already out of the car.
I just want to safely lift it so I dont twist the body and make it junk.
 

pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
29,270
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Kitchener, Ontario
sure if your willing to cut the body in half....otherwise you'll need to lift the complete body off the frame to roll it out
 

Coveted

G-Body Guru
Mar 23, 2008
624
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Sanborn, Ny 14132
pontiacgp said:
sure if your willing to cut the body in half....otherwise you'll need to lift the complete body off the frame to roll it out

Back half I meant from the firewall back.
like no fenders or hood ect.
 
Sep 1, 2006
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Tampa Bay Area
Well, it all depends on how structurally sound the body tub is to begin with. I have pulled the *ss end of the body of my car off the frame with a engine hoist, by chaining it through the loop the trunk latches to. I left the front 2 bolts installed as all I wanted to do was de-rust the frame back by the wheels, and replace the engine mounts and swap the fuel line. Now, I suppose you could do a variation of this by using a technique I had seen pictured in a book. They used 4 55 gallon steel drums, and some wood to put the tub of a 1966 GTO up high enough to roll the frame out from under it. You could use the technique I outlined to pull up the rear and put a beam through the wheel wells, and then lift the front up using a jack with wood under the floor, or another stable lifting point at the front of the car and the hoist or a chain fall. If you used a chain fall, you could use a chain connecting the lower corners somehow and then lift at the middle of the chain. Just remember: This is all just theory on my part as I have no idea how bad your car is, nor have I completely removed the body from the frame of my car. Now if you wanted to just lift it one side at a time, you could remove all the body bolts from one side, and lift the body from the frame a few inches to inspect one side at a time. Just remember that doing this does tend to open a Pandora's Box of issues, and you will need new body mount bushings after pulling it apart. The hardware will probably disintegrate, or be otherwise unusable. Mine was, and the car was 11 years old (this is 1996 or 97), rust free and from the south. Yours could need captive nut repairs as the cages may be rotted and will not hold their nuts. You could also twist the body tub, or crack the windshield if the car has lost structural integrity. To prevent this, you would need to brace the body by welding in steel supports to keep it square. A neighbor and I did this when we pulled the body off the pan of a 1966 VW Type 1 with extensive rust.
 

GP403

Administrator
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Feb 25, 2005
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Rolla, MO
well, alright, since we're talking about rusty old GTOs and such :D

back in the day we pulled the shell off a '70 GTO with a front end loader, some chain and some stout lumber by running it through the door openings, holding it up at the roof. Of course the shell was trash (rust central and rat nest HQ!!) so if it buckled we weren't going to be concerned :mrgreen: YMMV of course.

Probably not recommended.
 

Coveted

G-Body Guru
Mar 23, 2008
624
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Sanborn, Ny 14132
that build made me envious.

I will be doing the frame off now, even if my car isnt going to be a show piece, but just a rat rod.
I think ill be doing it next year tho.
Probably rebush the whole suspension, and body mounts while im at it.
 

hunter_alexander

Master Mechanic
Apr 29, 2008
298
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43
Erie Pa
Just Karter said:
that build made me envious.

I will be doing the frame off now, even if my car isnt going to be a show piece, but just a rat rod.
I think ill be doing it next year tho.
Probably rebush the whole suspension, and body mounts while im at it.

That was my thinking. I started with doing the underside, frame, body mount bushings suspension etc. then moved on to the other parts. One step at a time.

It still needs paint, but the hardest part is done. Drives like a new car. :)
 

oldsofb

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
Dec 7, 2007
1,368
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Maryland
I'm going throught the same thing right now. Check out the short vid on my page. It's a small clip of the larger movie but it gives you an idea of how I did it.

http://www.hutchhiperf.com/Store.html

I wanted to show you can pull the body with no help. I used pressure treated 6x6 to prop the body up and roll the frame out on casters.

I have heard of pulling the body with a hoist by using the seat belt attachment points on the floor (right rear to left front and RF to LR in an X fashion with chain and hooking to the center where they cross). Not sure if this will torque the body, but I have heard of it being done. I chose to support the body from the under side. Hope this helps some. Good luck!

Hutch
 
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