I used 4x4, jack stands, cinder blocks, and two large jacks. Strip the car first and take your time marking items as they come off. Write a master list of where you put items or groups of items. i.e.: under the bed, the shed, the attic, etc.
Raise the car as high as you can go. I used cinder blocks and two foot square pieces of ?" plywood to place the jack stands and jack on to get as much clearance as possible. You need almost four feet to get the frame to roll out on tires. Remove the body bolts with an impact gun. The two in the trunk were so rusted I air chiseled them out. Support the body inside the frame, old tires, 55 gal drums, cinder blocks, anything. Drop the frame, then you now need to support the body on the outside of the frame. I used four stacks of cinder blocks and two 4x4. Roll the frame out. Now you need to stabilize the body. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Thomas Ringlein Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 12:25 AM To: 'The Chevelle Mailing List' Subject: [Chevelle-list] Body off Frame How-To? I know, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. Hopefully we won't get any on this topic. I know the classic "A-body" cars we love have some problems that need to be addressed occasionally on cars that have not been apart in 30-plus years. One of those happens to be the frame - notably, the frame mounts that are prone to rusting. I want to inspect my frame for rust, and in the process, put some POR-15 on it to prevent it rusting for the next 30 years or so. I plan to pull the car apart starting in January, but I don't have any high dollar tools or access to a local shop. Is there an easy way (or not too incredibly hard way) to pull the body in my garage? Can I use an engine hoist to lift the front, support it on some concrete blocks and a 4x4, do the same with the back, and roll the frame out from underneath it? Without buying some special tools and/or shop time, I am not sure of any other way. Any local guys know a place that can help me with this endeavor? My body shop of choice will only work on the body when it is on the frame. The ideal situation would be a good body guy that would work on the body while it was on a rotisserie so I could have 6-8 months to work on the chassis. There are at least a few guys here that have done this - what did you do? Now if I can only prevent the "if you give a mouse a cookie" routine... T.J. Ringlein 72 Chevelle in shambles (but it still runs and drives) Clovis, California
