Body drop C1, Any suggestions?

[studiog]

Getting ready to drop the primered body of my 61 onto it's chassis. I have decided to mount the body before paint so I can fine tune all my fits especially the doors without worrying about any flexing. I will also check all nuts and bolts on the chassis one more time while I still have easy access to those parts. I have heard of restorers covering the chassis with thin poly and then just peeling it off after painting. Any pointers on shimming at the mounts also appreciated. Thanks for your comments.
Gary

 

[Fuelie]

Getting ready to drop the primered body of my 61 onto it's chassis. I have decided to mount the body before paint so I can fine tune all my fits especially the doors without worrying about any flexing. I will also check all nuts and bolts on the chassis one more time while I still have easy access to those parts. I have heard of restorers covering the chassis with thin poly and then just peeling it off after painting. Any pointers on shimming at the mounts also appreciated. Thanks for your comments.
Gary

Hi Studiog,

I did a '69 vette a few years ago that came to me in boxes and on two trailers. After I completed the chassis, I wrapped the completed frame and suspension in plastic and taped it all closed. Then with the body installed over this package I performed all the necessary body work and paint. When all complete, I slit the plastic cocoon from under the car and removed it all to reveal a nice clean frame.

Sorry about the shimming aspect. My memory is not clear as to what I had to do with the solid axle cars that I have restored. seems to me that I just put the same combination of mounts and shims back as were originally there.

Hope this helps,
Brian

 

[67HEAVEN]

These two posts are a great example of how the C1 / C2 combination in this forum works well.

If I hadn't decided to paint the underside of the body, I'd have used the plastic method as well.

 

[61 Silver]

Body Drop

Hi! Studiog



It is good to here that you are close to dropping the body on your 61. It won't be long before we have another 61 on the road. Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your 61. I counted, bagged and labeled all shims per mount when removing the body from the frame. I replaced the old shims with new ones and install the same as was removed. I had to add and subtract shims per mount to align the bodylines to my liking. I have heard about using a shrink-wrap on the frame prior to body drop but I have never tried this method. If you choose this method please keep us posted on your results. The only hang ups that I had when dropping the body was the shifting lever and the oil pressure line. I should have removed the line. I also wished I would have check the side clearance of the shifter lever to the shift counsel prior to bolting down the body. I am not sure how much play there is with the body to frame, but my shifter has always been tight to the right side, even prior to body lift and it wares the boot.



Good Luck,



Ray

 

[IH2LOSE]

Gary

How luckey you are to be getting so close to paint.(Actually I know it has nothing to do with luck it has to do with personal sacrifice and hard work). I had always thought my car was going to be painted on my body dolly but it seems its now all be doing done on the frame.

We have these rolls of plastic material (like you use to wrap up food) at work our shipping department uses it to shrink wrap things when they are being shipped.I wonder if you could take off your tires and set the frame up on jack stands and then shrink wrap the entire frame then set the car back on the frame to paint it then after your done cut the wrapping off.

Good luck Nothing like a final coat of paint to show you there is light at the end of the tunnel

 

[IH2LOSE]

These two posts are a great example of how the C1 / C2 combination in this forum works well.

From a C1 owner I could not imagine it any other way.

 

[studiog]

Fuelie: Glad to hear from someone who has actually "Cocooned" (I like that term) their frame successfully.
61 Silver: I wish I had done what you and Fuelie did... counted and bagged and identified my shims... what was I thinking. All I remember was rust and sand falling all over me as I removed the body. I guess I will figure it out and I will watch for the shifter problem.
By the way I wound up using a variation of your front hood edge to front panel repair. After mounting the hood I used masking tape around the front lip of the hood, (which had a clean shape and edge) wrapped from the underside to the top side around the entire front edge and extending around both front corners. I then used a razor blade to cut the tape just over the top edge and peeled the tape off the top so the tape is only on the bottom of the lip and up the edge. I also taped the gap from underneath so the filler wouldn't fall through to the floor. I filled the gap, and the hood and the front panel became as one. I sanded till I was happy with the blending of the two panels. At this point I could see masking tape starting to show through around most of the front edge. I loosened the hood hinges and banged on the front of the hood edge with my fist and it cracked at the tape line. I was able to lift from the rear of the hood and pull it off tearing most of the tape off with it. I had a very clean edge and was able to use a caliper and scribe an 1/8" line on the body front panel that I sanded back to to give me an initial gap to work from. It looks very good. I still have some fine tuning to do. Thanks for that tip. How is your 63 SWC coming along?
67 Heaven: Seems allot of the C2 people were C1'ers in a past life.
Larry: Good point about removing the tires for a complete "cocoon" of the frame. Yes I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.