keith72

After a couple of weeks crawling around our 72 coupe and checking things out, I'm considering removing the body off the frame. (We had planned to just recondition as a daily driver, but am thinking we might as well go ahead and start from frame up... I've got 2 years before my son is 16, may as well do it right the first time.) I have the complete interior including dash, heater box, etc. out already. The doors and hood are off and the windshield is out, and we are planning to install a crate motor, rebuilt transmission and new exhaust.

So, any tips or lessons learned would be appreciated. I've ordered the assembly and GM shop manuals. I just read a post where someone took 11 guys to lift the body off??? I don't think I have 11 friends. :)

Anyway, my fear is that I will take something apart when I don't need to. Or, I will tear something up that causes a lot of work or expense. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your help.

67HEAVEN

You'll get lots of help from people here, Keith.

Check out my earlier thread, especially the part further down which talks about the building of a body dolly.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=151651

Good luck!

tom75

I had 6, 200+ pounders guys lift my 75 coupe including me and it was heavy as hell. I had several other guys standing by incase we couldnt hold it buy but we pulled it off. We had all our hands on the birdcages rocker rails, we were shoulder to shoulder, thats probably why it seemed so heavy. I was afraid to have anyone lift by using the wheel wells. My doors were still on, yours should be a lot lighter with all the stuff you removed. I found the book by lindsay porter to be helpfull "chevrolet corvette restoration guide".
And of course this forum was very helpfull. I also would were gloves next time. Goodluck tom75 :chevy

Chris@VetteFinders

Yep gloves is a good idea. I had about 8 people but not everyone could find a place to hold. It was heavy for us because my group was not the strongest bunch of guys.

The only thing I would say not to screw with is your wiring. No need to touch that unless there is a problem with yours.

The best tip I can give. Take pictures of complex things you disassemble and use plastic ziploc bags and label them with permanent marker for everything you remove. I thought I could remember where things went. Yeah, right.

paso

Have no fear. After loosening everything I lifted the body off the frame with a 1 1/2 ton chain hoist attatched to straps hooked under the body all by myself. lifted high enough to roll frame out and push body dolly in lowered the body on the dolly.

slide

I lifted my body with two chain hoist, used one with straps just in front of the doors and one with straps just behind the doors, I also used an engine lift (cherry picker) to stablelize the nose. The problem with my body was the bonding strips were broken free where the fenders meet the body shell, thats why I had to use the engine lift to stableize the nose.

JK80

I agree with Rhys the best advise would be to take a lot of pictures also bag and label any parts you remove you won't regret it.
-jk80-

Nomad78SA

After all is said and done, I wish I just went out and bought a C-5 and drove it for the last 1 1/2 years compared to all I have spent so far doing the frame off. Go ahead and flame me. OK, how about this. Wish I had a C-5 and put my C-3 body on it for some old class that never goes out of style. Yea, thats it!
As you go through it, put all the bolts back in the slots they came from to help keep them where you need them. You will have stuff everywhere after some period of time. Do put stuff in plastic bags and mark them. Make notes in you AIM manual for you will use it all the time. Your memory will fail you when you need it. 6 of us lifted mine with the interior out and no doors. Take a ton of pics overall of the part and mostly how it connects and with what bolts. Keep your pictures divided up on which part of the project they are from or you will sort through everyone each time you need to see something.
I lacked room to keep everything apart so it became a pile. Have a couple of benches or tables set up so you can leave a part you are working on alone until you get everything to finish it. i made copies of the aim to go with each project I was working on.
This forum supplied me with the best real time info that anyone could ever need.
Neil in Tenn