[GtoFM]

It appears the factory used alignment holes between the #1 & 2 RH body bolts. There also is a smaller hole at the #4 RH body bolt. Is that also for adjusting body alignment?

Any advice before pulling the body to make it less difficult when putting it back together, such as drilling additional guide holes?

The plan is to have the body dipped and e-coated.

TIA

[OG68]

May be a third at the rear bumper crossmember drivers side.

[GtoFM]

Thanks OG, that's the first place I looked, but nothing on the '64. I saw the pic but they must have started in '66. What year is your frame?

[OG68]

1968

[rohrt]

I'm very interested in this topic as well. My convertible frame is a mess. Its not lined up with the body and shows signs of being bent. I'm hoping to separate the frame from the body, get it back in spec and joined back together.

Are the 64-66 Frames exactly the same? I swiped these pics from the GTO forum. What manual did these come from?

[Keith Seymore]

Without double checking: I think they are in the regular ol' Chassis Shop Manual.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by OG68

May be a third at the rear bumper crossmember drivers side.

I think in the photo he is shooting up through the mount itself.

My recollection is that is what we did on pickups.

Here, too (Chevrolet Flint Assembly).


K

[GtoFM]

rohrt, those pics came from Pontiac GTO 1964-1972 Restoration Guide, Zararine & Roberts.. The 1964 TEMPEST CHASSIS SHOP MANUAL has the same info. A third manual, the 1964 GTO CHASSIS SHOP MANUAL, is the Tempest manual with the GTO supplement.

[Keith Seymore]

Passenger cars are pretty forgiving, I would say, because the “long” wheelbase de-sensitizes any error.

I might be alone on this but I would set the body on, make sure the distance from the fender lip to the rear tire is the same side to side*, and snug it down.

*assuming the rear axle is centered in the frame rails

This is in comparison to pickup trucks, which can get messed up. A regular cab is so short that it can get rotated off to one side. The hood attaches to the cab, which means now the hood is shooting off at an angle compared to the frame.

In order to get the hood gap to the top of the fenders to look right you have to push the radiator support off to that same side.

You can tell if this is the case because the gap between the bumper (which is attached to the frame directly) and the front of the fenders will be different from side to side.

I base this on the experience of building both Blazer/Suburbans and pickups at the same plant. Flint Line 2 was Blazer/Suburban; Flint Line 1 was pickups. It was an issue on Line 1 but I don't recall it being an issue on Line 2.

K

[GtoFM]

These manuals.

[GtoFM]

Thanks Keith, I had measured from the frame to the pinch weld at the bottom of the quarter panels. Off 1/4”, bump it 1/8” left and it’s centered, BUT you bring up an excellent point. The bumper is mounted to the frame so it comes into the fitment equation. Will ck front to back measurements before removing the body.

[Cardo]

GTOFM is absolutely correct. I noticed those when i was restoring my 65. I've worked in automotive assembly for over 30 years, and knew exactly what those holes were for the first time i saw them. The factory only has about 30 seconds to get that body aligned and dopped. It makes aligning the body a cinch!

[GtoFM]

Cardo, thanks for confirming.

[242177P]

Originally Posted by GtoFM

... BUT you bring up an excellent point. The bumper is mounted to the frame so it comes into the fitment equation.

I recall reading about some of the adjustments Quality Control guys made at the end of the assembly line. Bumper wasn't quite right, a couple of whacks with a big piece of lumber (covered with carpet on one end) did the trick? I suspect even brand new bumpers must've had some variation to them.

[Scarebird]

concur. Same as Cardo using a drift pin I was able to do this myself with a lift.

[mrennie]

I used the alignment holes in frame and body when I put my 70 back together. Found some pin dimensions on the Chevelle site and turned them up to size on a lathe, although a drift punch would work fine.

Once together, everything was square, but the body was definitely not centered over the frame...it had something like 3/4" clearance on the driver side and 1 3/4" on the passenger side. This may not matter much on stock builds but when I mocked up my 255/60-15 tires on the car (also has rear discs), there would have been a chance of tire rub on the drivers side so I shifted the body over until the rocker to frame gap was equal on both sides.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 242177P

I recall reading about some of the adjustments Quality Control guys made at the end of the assembly line. Bumper wasn't quite right, a couple of whacks with a big piece of lumber (covered with carpet on one end) did the trick? I suspect even brand new bumpers must've had some variation to them.

Yep.

Rubber hammers and 2x4s, too.

K

[72pontiac]

Found this the other day