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First Body and frame split. Thoughts on "least damage"

1K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  Deuce 
#1 ·
O.K. now that I've got your attention, here' the scoop. Since I had hoped to get really cracking on my '78 Monte this year, I'm figuring I better learn this stuff now, instead of later. Last year, I bought a parts donor car so I could use it's frame and rear quarter panel (mine was repaired--just not how I'd really like it). My car's frame was twisted and is possibly diamonded (??). Anway, I know I'll need to use the floor from the donor car for the left side floor pan in mine. I have pretty limited space, but am working on making more room. My garage is getting closer and closer to being finished, and by fall, I should be ready to really push on my car.

The questions I have right now that I'd like input on are:


*Can I "safely" remove the body from the donor car after I gut it's interior and remove the doors? I'm using my car's manual window parts in the place of the donor's power windows, but with the donor car's doors. Since I plan on using part of the floor section and most of the quarter panel, I'd like to be as "least likely" to damage that metal due to body flex as possibe.

*Can I separate my car's body from the bad frame (after I strip the car from windshield base forward), but leave the interior intact? My thought in doing it this way is for some space savings. Two bodies in one "bay" will be close for a while, but I really see no other way to do this while I prep the new frame (which will be worked on while sitting on the trailer--again for space savings, and also to keep the Mrs. and the neighbors happy).

*Should the floor and quarter panel replacement be done before the body is lifted off the old frame? Should I put the body on the "new" frame to do the work, and then remove it again later when I go to get it powder coated? Back to the issue of structural rigidity, and a bit of body re-alignment as well.

I think I can do this work, never tried it before, but I'm willing to learn if there's willing teachers out there. Just slow and steady progress. Now I get the feeling that some would recommend starting with a better car, but this one is mine, and there's zero chance of any other car taking it's place. I realize that I may find a ton of hidden damage, but damaged steel can be straightened, or reformed to be corrected again.


In a while, Chet.
 
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#2 ·
Chet
I'm Not exactly sure what your are trying to accomplish

I can tell you are cramped for space.

Leeme tell ya .If your not "set up for it" then its gonna task a lot more of everything that you can imagine.

E V E R Y T H I N G Time Money Parts ...

you might look into getting something to put your parts into while you do the grunt work. a shed a van your living room .... A PODS unit? :confused:
Or do like I do & screw the Neighbors When I'm Done I 'll clean up the mess :p

I'm never done LOL

The best thing to do right now is to write stuff down & try to get a Out line ?procedure list going {Do it in your head 1st & then write it down, then do it.}

Lemme know if you want some help
I'll Do what I can

{hop in my leer jet & show you!!}

Well I crack myself up thats all that matters

R :thumbup:
 
#3 ·
For what you are doing, you really need one car in two bays, not two cars in one bay.

You want to do your body work on the good frame. Doing it on a twisted frame will result in a twisted body. I would put the good body car in the bay. Strip it down until you would have to cut metal to get anything else off it. Like Rob said, rent a POD or a storage unit. Buy a shed and put it in your back yard. Bum space from friends. I brought home a pickup load of pallets discarded at work, tore them apart, and put a floor in the attic of my garage. Stored most of a 57 Chevy there.
Do the same thing on the donor car (outside I would guess). Then, once you are sure everything is disconnected, raise the bodies and block them. Swap the frames. With floor pan and quarter work, I wouldn't prep the frame at this point. Get the body work done and then pull the frame back out. If you have everything out of and off the car body, and it is structurally sound, and you support it well, you won't do any damage. Check your rocker panels inside and out very carefully. If they have rust damage, you may end up with two halves of a Monte. If in doubt, weld 1" square tubing to the inside rear quarter running to and welded to the kick panel. One top and one bottom with a diagonal in between them. My 41 actually had pretty bad rockers, but I didn't put braces in and it lifted fine.
 
#4 ·
Rob, I was actually thinking about getting a loan to build it from you, but, Iwas kinda looking forward to a 305 SBC nightstand.....



Anyways, I agree that I've got a tough go ahead of me, space-wise. The majority of body stuff will be stored in my basement, as will the smaller (as in less than 100lbs) stuff from the chassis. Really small stuff will end up in my garage attic. I will be doing the actual body-frame swap over an extended vacation-induced weekend. Mostly by myself--I don't have very many car guy buddies who can spare the time, or regular buddies that I can trust to work on my car. Sucks, but what can you do?


It makes a lot of sense to swap my body onto the new frame to do the repairs, but should I leave the doors on or not? I'm a bit scared of excess body flex. Thanks for the input so far, guys.


In a while, Chet.
 
#5 ·
OK I am less with head up arse today sorry. :rolleyes:

Unless you have done this before & know the majority of the surprises ahead of you there will be trials & tribulations {cussing swearing & DOUBT why you got into this mess}

The main key is to not get into a rush , :nono: it takes time more so when you learn.

After you learn it you will pick up speed naturally. :welcome:

Then when you do it & do it right with out thinking then you've mastered it. :thumbup:

My best advise would be to definitely work with all the best parts.
{like redsdad said}
Concentrate on doing the Major body repair and then get it running ,driving & the bugs worked out .

Then take it apart & then squirt the paint
{the final step}
kinda ....they are never really done.




Here is some really good advise...
I will have to kill you after you read this :D
{ i will know} :welcome:

Boxes ,boxes & card board & a sharpie.

Get boxes that fit into boxes like oil boxes & Banana boxes.
like U haul boxes {but who wants to pay for it right?}

So when you take something apart ,you take the bolt & stick it into the cardboard & label it where it goes .I draw pictures on the cardboard & put each bolt into the proper place will make the re assembly a snap!

No guessing what freaking bolt when where!
if you like I will snap some pixs of how I do it .

Get working on your outline {on paper or PC}
the reason for this is what I call "Zooming".

You as I work alone .
Me by choice{ most of the time no one want to be near me & my sunny disposition :D }

Zooming in & out of the big picture the ability to do so is as much a tool as everything in your tool box.

Being able to look @ the front clip & zoom in on what it takes to remove the front clip .

Then zoom in some more to disassemble the fenders & headers panel from the radiator support .

Then to zoom in even more on the rot on the bottom of the fender what it takes to do the repair
Switching gears from mechanical to auto body
{because grease and oil Don't play well with paint.}
Then the ability to zoom out & reassemble it all again.

there is a lot more in between but you get the gist of what I'm saying?.


I look forward to seeing some pixs .



R :thumbup:
 
#6 ·
Rob, you and redsdad have offered tremendous advice. I thank you guys. That last bit of yours, though, is something I will more than likely revert back to many times during this build.


As far as organizing and the tear down, I've already stripped that '81 Regal (Donor car for a different frame) and my avatar car ('79 Monte), and learned that for me, those small parts organizers work the best. I label each divided section with masking tape. So far, so good. I've got a lot of stuff sorted out like door hinge bolts, and those brake/fuel line clips. I also cleaned them before putting them in the drawers.

I've got the outline down 100% in my head, and about 65% on paper so far. Struggled long and hard over which engine to use. Some parts I have will just be swapped from one to another. My '78 will lose it's factory fenders so I can use the parts car's (those have no rust--should cut bodywork in half)

I think I follow all the points you offered, and I appreciate all your input.

In a while, Chet.
 
#8 ·
Very funny Deuce! :thumbup: Mind if I park one of my cars at your place? Looks like you have plenty of room.....


Meanwhile, I'm prety sure I've convinced the Mrs. I need a set of 4 of those car skates. Sooner or later. Hopefully sooner....


In a while, Chet.
 
#10 ·
schnitz said:
Mind if I park one of my cars at your place? Looks like you have plenty of room.....

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure I've convinced the Mrs. I need a set of 4 of those car skates. Sooner or later. Hopefully sooner....
By the time I get all that stuff inside ... there is no room to work.

BUY the best wheel dollies you can ... the cheap ones at Northern Tools and Harbor Freight are almost useless. I got a set for a present ... :embarrass and I said I love them ( what else you going to tell the MRS ... she was trying ) but with just my 32 on them ... they are very difficult to move and I have a S M O O T H concrete floor.
 
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