© Restoration Guide

Body Disassembly

Overcome the urge to dig right in and start unbolting pieces, get organized up front. Have a general plan of attack for the day. If today’s task is to disassemble the front sheet metal have a place in mind to store the hood, the fenders, bumper, radiator support, etc. beforehand. These larger items can be difficult to store due to their size and keeping them out of the way once removed can be a challenge. Protect them from warpage; do not lay fenders on their sides as they tend to ‘flatten out’ over time. I buy the cheap $25 body panel stands and set them on there. Take care that your hood and other body panels are not sitting on a wet or damp garage floor as this will only add to your rust issues. Take care of the hood corners.

Large plastic dairy crates are great for larger heavy items but tend to gather dust when stored for a time. Heavy duty boxes will help with dust issues but you cannot see what is inside the box - be sure to label it clearly. I find that those large plastic totes are the best all around and are not that expensive. I then tag them with pieces of tape and separate them by, “body, interior, chassis, engine”, etc. This makes it much easier when it comes time to reassemble car as you grab only the tote and its parts for the area you are currently working on. The clear plastic baggies can be used for the smaller items like nuts, bolts, alignment shims, etc. Be sure to note which side (driver side vs. passenger side) with items like fender alignment shims. Assuming the body panels were hanging nicely on the car when you disassemble it, I like making a shim map showing the location of the shims and what overall thickness was present in that area. This will give you a starting point come assembly time.

With camera, baggies, and a marker in hand, it is time to get started. Unless you have a dozen friends and a camera crew filming everything, do not expect to have your car stripped in an afternoon like you will often see on television. Take your time during disassembly, photographing the steps, marking and bagging the trim pieces, screws, bolt/nuts, etc. as you go.

© Chevelle Restoration
Often you'll find yourself in some possibly uncomfortable positions such a lying on your back while removing the steering column. The seats have been removed to help a bit and the carpet is still in place for at least some cushioning. Expect to get dirty, so wear clothing appropriate for the day's tasks.

If you are (un)lucky with a 1970 Arlington-built Chevelle you may find the remnants of the build sheet. Arlington is notorious for someone leaving a copy under the matting on the driver's side footwell. Sadly, over time the sheets are often destroyed beyond saving. If you do find one in fairly good condition, be sure to photograph and document its location.

Removal Methods

There are two ways to attack a restoration depending on your skills, space, access to specialty equipment, or just your preference. Is the body going to removed from the chassis? Some prefer to do body work with the body on the chassis, some prefer to remove the body as quickly as possible and either put it on a rotisserie, donor frame or just lift the body and support it with 55-gallon drums and 4x4s for support.

© Chevelle Restoration
This ‘rolling chassis’ is in final prep stages to remove the body. On this particular car the engine and transmission have been removed prior to removing the body. As long as all physical connections between the body and the drive line have been disconnected, it is simply a matter of choice whether to remove the engine and/or transmission beforehand.

Two Heavy Duty Bumper Jacks Lift

© Chevelle Restoration
Since this is a convertible body, extra bracing should be temporarily welded at critical stress points of the body to keep the body from bending during removal. This needs to be done before the body is removed from the frame. Once removed the body can be attached to a rotisserie jig for easy access.

One way to lift the body off the chassis is with a 2-post lift, a pair of large end jacks or even an engine hoist or two. The interior should be gutted along with all wiring removed and tagged, mechanical attachments such as steering linkage, engine/transmission/rear end attachments, etc. Heavy duty bumper jacks are used here to lift the body from the frame, but any safe method you have available will work.

© Chevelle Restoration
A convertible body once it properly braced and off the frame. This illustrates the amount of materials that should be removed from the body and interior components before the body is removed from the frame. Everything you can remove from the interior prior to lifting the body off is less you have to deal with once it is off.

If you are restoring a convertible, special attention should be made to brace the body to keep it from flexing. The bare interior area shows that all seating, carpeting, wiring, dash, glass, etc. should be removed before the body is lifted from the frame. Everything you can remove from the interior prior to lifting the body off the frame is less that you have to deal with once the body is off and on a rotisserie.

Two-Post Lift

© Chevelle Restoration
Not the most preferred method as this puts additional strain on whatever sheet metal the lift is attached to. It is always a good idea to have a rotisserie jig or some stand ready to support the body once you roll the chassis out from underneath. Sometimes you just have to do what you can and use the tools available to you at the time.

© Chevelle Restoration
If you are on a tight budget one storage solution for the body is homemade saw horses. This alternative works pretty well, is inexpensive to build and still gives you access to so do some cleanup work. If you need to replace much sheet metal or something like replace quarter panels this may not be a viable solution for obvious reasons.