Questions on removing 40 coupe body from frame

[busmania]

I am close to removing the body off of the frame. I’m sure I could find 4-5 people to help me but that’s not really in the cards. I’m looking at ways to do it myself. I am thinking some 4x4 lumber through the doors with a tow strap wrapped around each side connected to a chain hoist. Or am I better off going through the front and back windows?

Do I need to weld braces inside at all? Can I leave the doors on? My doors close so nice and I have no reason to take them off so I’d rather not.

Any other tips? Thanks y’all!

Oh, due to space limitations I will have to store the body hanging over the frame when I’m not working on it. Any issues you see with this? When I work on the frame I’ll wheel it out (on dollies) and then when done push it back under the suspended body.

[Ken/Alabama]

What I’ve done is once the body has all the bolts removed is to raise the body high enough at the cowl to slide a 4x4 between the cowl and frame and rest each end on Jack stands. Then do the same at the rear and lower the frame out from underneath the body. On a coupe there’s no need for bracing it’s pretty rigid. Open car is a different story.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Ken/Alabama

What I’ve done is once the body has all the bolts removed is to raise the body high enough at the cowl to slide a 4x4 between the cowl and frame and rest each end on Jack stands. Then do the same at the rear and lower the frame out from underneath the body. On a coupe there’s no need for bracing it’s pretty rigid. Open car is a different story.

There should be no reason to BRACE a coupe body. It doesn't get much simpler than the method BELOW. I would open the doors as little as necessary and lift with whatever wooden structure you decide on, lifting against folded towels for padding, inside the upper, rear of each door opening. Use the 'swing' of the doors in attempting to balance the weight, front to rear. You could also remove trunk lid as one more means of accomplishing acceptable balance.

Coop

[19Fordy]

My experience has been: Leave the doors on and closed when removing the body. If you remove the doors you will have to realign them which may prove to be a problem you don't need. You don't have to brace the insides, assuming that the floors are solid and not rusted out around the A pillars and other areas where the floors are welded to the body shell. Also, don't remove the trunk lid. Take photos of where the body mounts go. Here's raising the body an inch at a time- the hard way -back in the day renting an 8x20 storage unit for $65 per month.

[Ken/Alabama]

This is back when I removed or maybe replacing the body from my 39 Zephyr.

[Karl Wescott]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

If the body is in good structural condition (floor and sill intact and attached to cowl and quarters) then you likely do not need to brace. If you have structural issues than take the time to brace.


IMHO the doors and deck lid should be off. Less weight to deal with from both a personal safety aspect and avoiding damaging the body or the doors. I have seen too many doors distorted by lifting the body through the window opening.


If you can remove the steering column life will be much easier, lower amount of lift needed and no "snaking" the body around the column.


Ken/Alabama is a nice setup... if the column is removed.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Karl Wescott

If the body is in good structural condition (floor and sill intact and attached to cowl and quarters) then you likely do not need to brace. If you have structural issues than take the time to brace.


IMHO the doors and deck lid should be off. Less weight to deal with from both a personal safety aspect and avoiding damaging the body or the doors. I have seen too many doors distorted by lifting the body through the window opening.


If you can remove the steering column life will be much easier, lower amount of lift needed and no "snaking" the body around the column.


Ken/Alabama is a nice setup... if the column is removed.

I agree with Karl. Take the doors off. Take the trunk lid off.
Heck, if you are planning on doing body and paint, you'll need this stuff off anyway.
I'm not as strong as I once was but between myself a friend, we can lift a coupe body and carry it to the rotisserie. Not as quickly as we used to, but yes, two guys can (still) do it around here.

[busmania]

Thanks y’all. I don’t plan on painting…yet. I love the patina (shoot Me) that it has. There are no structural issues. The only rust is on the lower rear quarter area and not structural at all. Floors are solid.

My plan is to remove the body and clean up the frame and re
Paint/replace everything I can that needs replacing. Then I’ll treat all of the underside of the body and body panels and then put it all back together.

Appreciate the advice so far.

[rockfla]

Take the doors OFF.....we lifted our 33 Four Door mistakenly with the doors on, IT sprung the hinges!!!! They "WERE" a perfect fit and shutting doors, NOT so much now!! We did use the 4 X 4 through the door openings and used like 1/2 or 5/8 all thread rod through the outer edges up to and through the rafters of our garage, then used the nut and washer and tightened them up on the rod to lift it off the frame!!!! That was many years ago and much less resources ago... AND A lot less disposable income ago.

[alchemy]

I would never lift a body off with a sling holding the doors. The tops of your doors are not structural.

Somebody will post a pic of how the Ford assembly line did it, but they won't show all the of fixtures that prevented the doors from getting sprung.

[rockfla]

SO many reasons to "remove" all you can from the body as Kube and others advised, just from the stand point of IF there was a failure and it falls how much are you SAVING from potential damage no matter how you decide to lift it. Anther reason I bought my gantry crane and dual 1 ton hoists. ALL to better and safely lift what I need with me being the only one doing it!!!!

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by rockfla

Take the doors OFF.....we lifted our 33 Four Door mistakenly with the doors on, IT sprung the hinges!!!! They "WERE" a perfect fit and shutting doors, NOT so much now!! We did use the 4 X 4 through the door openings.

Since the OP was so adamant about not removing the doors, plus describing how well they fit, is the reason I suggested leaving the doors OPEN with folded bath towels in the door openings to pad the wooden cross pieces.

Coop

.

[Ol' Ron]

Love this forum, learn sumpin every day!!
Gramps

[busmania]

Well, here we go. I started by reinforcing my garage trusses with 2x4's and 2x6's and then put a 4x4 across a 6' span of 3 trusses. I then hung a chain around the 4x4 and then my chain hoist. From there, I used a wide 4" strap around the body through the quarter windows to distribute the load a little. I figured this area was one of the strongest areas for what I was going for. While lifting the body off, I went slow and just a few inches at a time carefully checking that no damage was being done. The tow strap I used is 30 feet long and wrapped around 3 times perfectly and connected with a bow shackle to the chain hoist. The body is perfectly balanced with doors and trunk on.

I’m posting these photos for anyone that has the same question later on down the road. Was pretty easy to get the body off by myself. I won’t leave it hanging when not working on it and I won’t work under it while it's hanging but it should be easy enough to work on the body and frame separately with my limited space.

DF09868F-791B-4F08-8FDE-F410D9BC582C.jpg

CA656D6D-58AF-4D04-BCC2-C5EC48302DA6.jpg

531BCA22-DFF1-4C24-AF1D-B56767A008B7.jpg

4C29C464-B6B3-4F1C-BE32-F436E71C194A.jpg

CD35B5F3-8773-446D-A92E-C2CAE12C1C39.jpg

[Mart]

Nicely done! You're lucky to have enough headroom to be able to do that. You put a lot of thought into it and it came out well. Well done!

[kurt v]

now make a dolly and set the body on it that way you can move it just like the frame.

[corvette8n]

Great start to the project.

[busmania]

Originally Posted by kurt v

now make a dolly and set the body on it that way you can move it just like the frame.

Yep. I’m working out something dolly’esque that I can attach yet still roll the frame out from under it to work on. My idea will also allow me to tilt the body up so that I can prep the underside of the body without crawling on my back to do it. A mini rotisserie sort of.

[rockfla]

This exact issue is why I broke down and bought a gantry crane and hoist's for my shop. Trying to round up a crew to help and coordinate a time etc etc is a major PITA.......I want to do what I "need" to do WHEN I "want" to do it, not when is convenient for 4 other people. I have less than $1500 invested, a little scrounging for materials for a couple of modifications and some sweat equity. I have used it once since I got it, and its the best money I have spent and gives such great flexibility and even greater ability to accomplish ALL I need to on the old cars and the tasks that face us day to day AND the GREATEST part of it all IS it is all done "SAFELY" with no hurt back's or damage to property!!!!!

[V8COOPMAN]

.

Man, that balance worked-out slick, and suits your intended purpose perfectly. Ya done GOOD!

CONGRATULATIONS ON POSTING YOUR PICTURES! ALL OF THE REGULAR WHINERS ON THIS FORUM who continue to complain about THEIR inability to grasp the process of posting pictures here on the Ford Barn should note that as late as October 27th, NEW MEMBER "busmania" noted that he didn't understand the process of posting pictures yet. Our REGULAR WHINERS here should take note that our new Ford Barner obviously took the bull by the horns without complaining, figured out the process, and is most-definitely posting pictures like a madman! Double-GOOD on you "busmania", and welcome to the 'Barn!

Coop