'36 Ford- body remove from frame

[Scott/Mn]

I am in the process of restoring my '36 Ford, but doing it kind of backwards. A friend who has a body shop is retiring and closing, so he was nice enough to paint the car before he calls it quits. Now I would like to remove the body this winter to fix up the frame. I know this has been asked before but what is the best way to lift the body? Do I need to worry about the metal flexing and chipping the paint around the doors; my friend spent a lot of time on the door edges and jambs. Thanks Fordbarn in advance for your help. Scott

[Lawson Cox]

In your situation, I would not try and remove the body, but I would get down under it and scrape off the crud/dirt/rust etc and paint the frame with a brush, using a good grade of enamel paint. My 2¢.

[Lowdown40]

Of course you want to be as careful as possible but it can be done. You may want to get about 5 or 6 strong friends and just pick the body up rather than trying to lift it. You can hoist it through the door openings if you are really careful. use a large strap like the ones truckers use to tie loads down and a beam above the body. Pad the crap out of the door openings and lift. DON'T run the strap through the doors.

[39 STD]

Your best bet is just remove the doors & trunk before lifting.

[richard crow]

if you remove the body make sure you weld braces so your seams stay where there suposed to. even a coupe body will flex weld the braces inside the car where the welds wount be a proulbem when you remove the braces. a little work here can save a lot of work later

[ems customer service]

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the body will flex and move when off the frame, and it will flex alot!!!!!, it can be done, but it will not be fun, and your may be in for a lots shimming to get the doors & trunk to realigin. i would hoist it up the same way ford did hold it by the window frames.

[flatheadfan]

Scott/MN-

I will echo what was said earlier - DON'T remove the body. I have done this three times in the past and found that re-mounting the body and getting everything to fit and line-up right is vertually an impossibility. The only time I would consider body removal is when the frame was so bad it needed replacement. Anything short of that is a "non-starter" for me. (MHO)

Tom

[Royal Ryser]

Pay close attention to what Flatheadfan has to say. His is some of the best advice on the Barn.