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Old 11-12-2019, 11:09 AM
Lando Lando is offline
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Default Frame off reassembly

I'm looking for input from those that have done a frame off restoration. I'm curious about steps for re-assembly. What was your plan of attack for putting the body back on the frame? I'm at the stage where all my metal work is done and a majority of body work is finished. I have the body in epoxy primer. I figure I'm ready to put it back on the frame and start reassembly before I finish the body work. I have the frame repainted, rear is in and all springs and shocks are assembled, the front brakes and wheels are on. My original thought was to put engine and trans on the frame before I put the body on, however not sure now if it would be easier, since I don't have a lift, to wait and put body on first. What are some ideas, what order did you do it? Also, what about brake lines, fuel lines, etc., qhen to put those on? Thanks.
Kevin

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Old 11-12-2019, 12:54 PM
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Brake and fuel lines before the body is installed. Always easier to work from the top than from underneath.




If not using a lift, it would be easier to install the body without the engine. I used an engine hoist and a John Deere tractor to drop the body on mine. Not having the engine in the way I was able to move in closer to the firewall.
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Old 11-12-2019, 01:57 PM
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I'm about in the same spot with mine. I am assembling absolutely everything on the frame that I can before dropping the body. All lines, engine, trans, any wiring I can, I'll even have the core support and radiator in, exhaust done ... everything.

I'll probably be painting mine in pieces before it's dropped on the frame.

The less you have to crawl around under the car with the body on the better. Now that my chassis is a roller with tires and everything one it (engine goes in within a month) it's so very tempting to drop down the body so it looks like a car ... but I'm going to resist

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Old 11-13-2019, 09:29 AM
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The closest I have come to doing a frame-off is lifting the body far enough to slip a full trunk pan in..however... IF I was doing one I would do absolutely everything I needed to do that involved touching the frame (under the body) before I put the body back on.
After putting the body on, I would install the engine and everything I could in the engine compartment before putting the front clip in place.

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Old 11-13-2019, 06:21 PM
Lando Lando is offline
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That was my original plan, to have everything assembled on the frame. I'm getting caught up with thinking about it and I keep going back and forth on what to do. I guess my best bet would be to come up with concrete plan on how I'm going to get the body back on the frame. I am not repeating the circus that I went through taking it off. I have to admit it has been tempting me to get it back on the frame just to make it look like a car again. Although getting the engine and the trans on the frame and exhaust hooked up will also get the motivation up. How have some of you guys gone about taking off the rotisserie and back on the frame without a lift?

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Old 11-14-2019, 06:19 AM
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Whenever I get that deer in the headlights feeling I will focus on whatever little project I am doing at the moment, get that done, mark it off the mental list. If I'm still confused, I'll find another part of the car to work on and finish that ... before you know it things are getting done

Not sure what your working condition/space limitations are ... but worse case scenario .. cinder blocks, 4 x 4s, lumber shims, bottle jack. Build columns of cinder blocks in each corner of the body ( either side of rear wheel wells and by firewall body mounts), make it wide enough to roll the chassis under it, use it to take the weight off the rotisserie, inch by inch, one corner at a time. Then unbolt the rotisserie, remove it, roll the chassis under, inch by inch, corner by corner lower it as close as you can get it to the frame and still live room to pull the 4 x 4 cross supports out ... the last few inches you can probably rig something up with a floor jack.

The jacking and lowering can be done 1 1/2" at a time on each corner using a bottle or floor jack and some 4 x 4 "extensions" .... if going up, jack up 1 1/2" ... slide a lumber shim under the 4 x 4 cross support ( on top of the cinder block column) ... repeat on each corner till it's high enough .... do the reverse to lower it.

I built a weird body caddy with a metal frame work and trailer jacks in each corner to raise and lower the body.
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:48 AM
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I pulled the body off a week ago so am watching this thread carefully.
My though is to mimic the order of what the factory did for assembly.

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Old 11-14-2019, 12:22 PM
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Once the entire frame was ready for the body (that included, engine, transmission, brake and fuel lines routed - and extra line was left to run to master and fuel pump,) I wrapped everything with plastic wrap.

You can buy it a Home Depot by the roll (about 12 inches wide)

after the final body work was done, and the car was painted, I crawled underneath to carefully cut all the shrink wrap away. It was a pain, but it did keep the majority of all the body work dust and overspray off of everything.


something to consider...........

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Old 11-14-2019, 12:56 PM
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Good idea ... there are a few areas I'd like to keep clean till it's time.

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Old 11-14-2019, 04:21 PM
PurelyGTO68 PurelyGTO68 is offline
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I think the easiest method is to assemble the rolling chassis complete with drivetrain, suspension, fuel and brake lines etc. Then bolt the body to the frame at that point.

Sometimes you need to put the body on the frame for convenience reasons so you may not be able to follow the steps in your preferred order and that is okay too. At a minimum, you want the suspension and lines installed before the body is mounted. The engine and trans can be put in later without tremendous hassle so try not to worry too much about it. I have done it both ways and each way worked out well enough for me.

Good luck!

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Old 11-14-2019, 09:02 PM
tjs72lemans tjs72lemans is offline
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I jacked my car up and put on stands. Built a wood box frame under body and slid a flat steel bar under rear trunk area between frame and floor. I built three steel hurdles wide enough for frame to roll out under them. I jacked the wood box frame up to separate frame and body, slid middle and front hurdles under. Jacked rear up and slid rear hurdle under. Lowered frame with wheels to floor. Now the wood frame was loose underneath. Rolled body and wood box frame out to rear of car. Assembled in reverse. Worked well.

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Old 11-15-2019, 08:36 AM
Lando Lando is offline
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Sounds like I will be getting the rolling chassis ready with engine, trans, etc. Then I'll tackle the body reassembly. Makes the most sense. It also, keeps the ball rolling along and progress will be made on the project. I like the cinder block and 4 by 4 idea and was thinking along that line. I also have an idea about hoisting the front end of the body, and removing from the rotisserie. Leaving the rear on the rotisserie. Then with the chassis on wheel dolly's I could maneuver it in place, then lower down onto the frame. We'll see, whatever I do, I'll take some pictures and post into this thread. The biggest thing I've found with this project, is not staying motivated, it's keeping focused on one task at a time, and not getting overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. I didn't have a problem with that when I was replacing body panels and floor pans, cause I new that needed to be done first. Now I'm starting to get to the point where "Jesus I just want to get this thing done"! Time to order brake lines and fuel lines.

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Old 11-15-2019, 01:46 PM
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In regards to the brake lines, be careful how and who you order from. There are different versions in regards to disc or drum and different variations of each. I have non power drums and ordered mine through Summit and found that their supplier (Right Stuff) used Chevrolet brake lines for my application. For the 68 Chevelle the front crossmember brake lines are different between the BB and SB. Of course I got the wrong one. Inline Tube had what I needed.

Wrong one, Had to bend quite a bit to make it fit but it was to long and wouldn't fit under the mud guard.




Correct one. Almost perfect fit. Minor tweaking was required for the passenger side frame mount, Mud guard fit was perfect,



Expect to do some minor tweaking on all your lines. And use lots of masking tape on the frame to avoid scratching that new paint
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Last edited by OG68; 11-15-2019 at 01:53 PM.
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Old 11-17-2019, 11:58 AM
Lando Lando is offline
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Thanks for the info, I also had non power drums, but I changed to discs in the front. I assumed that the lines should be the same, am I correct? I am talking about the hard line that goes across the front crossmember.

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Old 11-17-2019, 05:43 PM
tjs72lemans tjs72lemans is offline
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They are different. They plumb into the caliper at a different area.

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Old 01-15-2020, 05:41 PM
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after working on the body and getting new floors in, this wooden cart allowed me to roll the body out of the 1 car garage and work on the chassis.
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Old 01-15-2020, 06:11 PM
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Sweet. I'm almost there myself.

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Old 01-15-2020, 11:49 PM
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it worked really well
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Old 01-16-2020, 08:01 AM
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Do you have a winch to pull it back into the garage on that hill

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Old 01-16-2020, 09:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tempest View Post
it worked really well
I’d chock those dolly wheels a little better than that.

I had my frame almost roll downhill into my backyard once when I was working by myself and didn’t get a block down behind a wheel

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