I have a new project that was whacked in the LH rear quarter some time ago, and poorly repaired back in the early 70s. At minimum, the rear LH rail of the frame and rear crossmember area will need to be straightened, and the panel behind the trunk floor will need to be repaired/replaced (where the two rear body mounts bolt to the frame). The tail panel and damaged LH quarter were also hacked off the car and a new quarter and tail panel were brazed over the remnants. Ugly stuff.

My question is: where do I start? I assume the frame should be repaired first. Can I strip the body off the frame and have the frame repaired without the additional support of the body holding it together?

Thanks,
Tony

Repair the frame first. The frame is the foundation of the car, start with the foundation.
Also repair the frame with the body attached.

Pics ?

Thanks Eric. How do I go about selecting a quality frame shop? I have zero experience in this field.

Ken, I'll take a few pics this weekend.

Here is a pic that kinda shows the rear damage (don't click on a full stomach). You can see the damage to the panel that attaches to the rear body bushings, and some of the frame damage is also evident.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2932021867_0974cbe522_b.jpg

Is a donor car in my future?

Rear crossmember shows damage but its a open channel C, will be easy to fix.

Dont see anything that jumps right out, the rear body panel looks in just be looking at how the bushing is cocked inward.

Do a search for the frame specs, all 68-72 have the same specs.
You can get a real close judge on how much frame damage you have just with a tape measure.
Start in the center section and X it out, you should have about a 5/16 tolerance.
The center section NEEDS TO CORRECT, if its off then the rest of the car will be off.

Then go to the back section of the frame and X it out.

Get the frame square first, once the frame is right you can pull on that rear panel.

Ask the shop if the techs are certified on the frame machine they own.
The most common frame rack is Chief, ask the manager if the techs are Chief certified.

Most of the shops I worked at had Car-o-liners, when I went to a shop that had Chief equipment I fought the machine as they are totally different animals.

Point being is that even enough I was car-o-liner certified, on the different machine I was not as confident and didnt fully understand how the machine works.

Also make sure you get a print out of the specs when finished.

Thanks Eric, I'll measure the frame tomorrow after work to see how far out it is. Appreciate the help.