Question: How Difficult is it to Remove C2 Body?

[hokie04]

I have a 64 vette and have noticed that the body bushings are basically gone. The metal gas line and brake lines appear to be original and in need of replacement. The frame appears solid but I would like to take it down to metal and paint back with rust treatment and undercoat. All of this with out a lift seems impossible. I only have a two bay garage with 9 foot ceiling. I thought of removing the body but don't want to take on more than a novice can do. What are your thoughts and experiences?

 

[LVMYVT76]

We used to raise the body up by having guys just lift it, and then put 4x4's across barrels to hold it up!

 

[Bill Wilhelm]

Hokie04, You can do it, but before starting this project have an honest talk with yourself about how far you are willing to go. One thing WILL lead to another and before you know it you can be in over your head. Another thing, A Corvette requires one garage space when assembled, but four when apart. Unless you have storage close by for parts/body/frame you can be overwhelmed by the number of jobs (let alone money) required.
Before you decide to do this make a list of the jobs needing to be done, figure out a cost for this work then multiply by 2.5 If you still want to do this, go for it! Restoring a Corvette is frustrating and very rewarding. Good luck! Bill

 

[67HEAVEN]

It's not that hard to remove, but Bill made some excellent points. Consider what he said carefully.

 

[hokie04]

I think you said enough that I don't want to go there. Is there a way to change the body mount bushings easily? And how about the metal fuel and brake lines can they be accessed using a lift? I just found today that someone had cut the old brake line from front to rear and just ran a new brake line beside it. Looking at the lines just laying under the car they seem to disappear between the frame and the fiberglas bottom.

 

[PD2]

The brake line on my '63 gave up the ghost some years ago. When looking under the body, you are right - the brake line rides on top of the frame between the body pan or bottom and the frame. For me, I could barely get my middle finger up there to feel it and then it gave little to no room for you to work on it.

I took my Vette to a classic car restorer and somehow he created some tool that allowed him to unclip the old brake line and clip in new brake line without having to remove the body. I have NO clue how he did it nor what the final tool looked like - all I know is that he did it without removing the body. He'd be a fool not to figure out how to mass create, market and sell that tool now.

It can be done, but by someone of this caliber.

PD2

 

[hokie04]

Does anyone out there have experience replacing the either the body bushings, or the front to rear steel brake and gas lines with the body on???:confused

 

[67HEAVEN]

Does anyone out there have experience replacing the either the body bushings, or the front to rear steel brake and gas lines with the body on???:confused

I did all those with the body off, but I can offer this information. The gas line goes through a hole in the rear frame kick-up (at the rear passenger wheelwell) and runs inside the upper rear frame rail. It would be impossible to replace with the body on, so you'd have to find another route.

If you look closely, you can see the gas line entering the frame rail just to the left of the word DANGER. How ironic.

The ease of replacing the body mounts depends on their condition. Most of the bolts and nuts are rusted together as one, after all these years, and will require heat and/or breaking the bolts to get them off.

Good luck with your project.

 

[bossvette]

I have replaced both brake and fuel lines on a C-3; they are similar, I won't tell you that they will pass a NCRS judging but they work. its a tight fit at the back where they go over the frame rail but it can be done.

Consider doing both jobs at the same time raise the body off the frame 2-4 inches block it up and replace all your lines and bushings. While the body is raised you can get most of the rust off the frame and coat it with POR-15 or Eastwoods rust encapsulator or converter

A co-worker of mine back halved a 69 in a two car garage without a lift by raising the body off the frame and blocking it up.

 

[hokie04]

This is great information! I still hope there are others out there that either have found a trick tool or way to replace the lines without removing the body. I know that if I start to remove the body I will end up breaking every rusty bolt and this will become a nightmare. But if that is what I have to do then so be it. The gas line looks like it will break any moment.

 

[LVMYVT76]

I replaced the brake lines on my 76 without raising the body, but they may be routed differently than the older cars, nothing went thru the frame like the pictures above show.

 

[hokie04]

By the time they built your car they must have finally gotten smart. I can't believe they would run the lines on top of the frame rail and then set the body on top of it. It sounds like I might be able to get to the brake line but the gas line sounds like I am going to have to block up the body. If I go that far I might as well remove the body and do a mini restoration while I am doing it.

 

[magicv8]

Since you will raise the body:

It is not uncommon for the support plate/bracket for the rearmost body mount to be badly rusted, but the rubber mount hides the damage from view with the body on. Any repairs require welding.

Look at the clearance from the underside of the floor to the top of the trans and to the trans crossmember (with passengers in the seat). It is possible to add washers/shims to raise the old sagging body when installing new mounts. Don't overdo it though, or the bumper brackets will need bending to realign to the new body position. I went for it and realigned to 3/8" added shims.

Stainless fuel lines are ok, but the standard brake lines are easier to seal.

Look carefully at your fuel tank for rust - inside and out

 

[hokie04]

To take the body off the body from the frame what needs to be disconnected: Body mounts, any wiring from body to frame mounted parts, seats?, seat belts?, gas tank line, bumpers, steering coupling, overflow coolant tank hose, heater hoses, console boot asm, antenna wire, basically anything that goes through the firewall to engine or frame (gauge wiring and lines, clutch, brake, gas pedal linkages), master cyl line. I am sure I have missed a lot. How long did it take you?

 

[JohnZ]

To take the body off the body from the frame what needs to be disconnected:

Here's a midyear body lift checklist:

http://www.corvetterepair.com/tech_tips.htm

 

[hokie04]

Thank you for the link! This gives me everthing I need.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Thank you for the link! This gives me everthing I need.

Not quite. Since all of these projects get waaaay deeper when they go body-off, and end up taking twice as much time and three times more money than planned, you'll also need:

- at least a double bay garage (more if you aren't well organized) otfl
- plenty more tools than you imagined you'd need
- body dolly
- cooperative wife
- children who can remember what their father looks like ;squint:
- deep pockets hnoes
- spending every weekend and evening for a year or two in the garage ;help
- a direct line to JohnZ's Michigan bunker
- did I mention more money? :W



Good luck and have fun. And, yes, the minute the body comes off, it always goes deep.