Just picked up a 70 yesterday and am wanting to remove the body so I can clean up the frame and underside. The car was just recently painted a year ago. Is this not a good idea? Will the paint be subjected to cracking or a lot of stress? Is it also necessary to bolt braces in to reduce flexing?

Got a ton of info from the search, but everyone was lifting a body that hasn't been painted.

If it is a coupe or sedan, no problem. If it is a convertible than the doors may hit something when the body is off.

But to tell you the truth, I would be removing the doors anyway.

But there is no problem at all as long as common sense is used.

I was planning on removing the front clip as a unit, and was probably going to leave the doors on. That could change though. Any more input it appreciated!

I am just thinking about weight. I ALWAYS remove as much stuff as possilble when I am pulling anything.

I don't understand at work when one of the guys is pulling a bed off a truck and leaves the tailgate. The darn thing weighs about 50 or 60 pounds on a late model truck. It comes off with no bolts, just remove it and set it aside.

Same with removing the body. The doors and decklid come off so easy, just remove them. The seats too, those buckets are heavy. Remove them and you will have a heck of a lot less chance of damaging something, or getting hurt.

Definatly going to strip down the interior except for the dash. If I remove the doors will I have to put in some angle bracing to make sure the body doesn't flex too much? Like this:

http://webpages.charter.net/65chevelle/photogal/tbraceldh.jpg

Thats something I wasn't planning on doing, and I don't have a welder at home either.

Not with a coupe or sedan, not in the least bit. To tell you the truth, I have done converts and not did any bracing. If you use common sense when lifting and don't do it all from one end or set it on jack stands all the way at the ends of the body and then store an engine in side or something smile.gif

With a coupe or sedan, heck, store the engine, it is not going to move.

Unless it is VERY rusted of course, then all bets are off.

Sounds good...thats exactly what I needed to know! I apreciate all the help. This will be my first body off resto and I'm really looking forward to it.