Why was the body installed if we knew it had to be removed at a later date?
Good question. If you'll remember, the car was purchased disassembled. We didn't know how the body was shimmed, how the doors fit, what modifications were done over the last 48 years, and we didn't know how all the repairs we have made might affect the fit of other adjoining pieces. So, instead of painting the body and finding out later there were issues, we decided to verify fit first. We installed the body, fit the doors, headlights, hood, radiator support, bumpers, and the gas tank to mention a few. We fixed body lines, filled extra screw holes and repaired our repairs (like the passenger A pillar to door interference). We got to drive the car and we made a list of things that need to be fixed or replaced on the rolling chassis (remember the white board?). Installing the body and assembling the major components was a good idea but now it's time to dis-assemble and remove the body. Lets get started.
These items weren't thrown on the table. I set them there nicely and I intend to store them properly.
All the body bolts were removed and the body straps were hooked up.
That little $65 12 volt Harbor Freight winch worked just fine.
Radiator hoses, master brake cylinder, clutch rods and throttle lines had to be removed from under the hood.
The chassis was rolled out from under the body then the tall body dolly was put in its place.
The rolling chassis was put on the trailer then it was off to the car wash for a well needed cleaning.
We might not work on the chassis for a few weeks so it was covered up to protect it from the elements.
Now it's time to prepare the body for paint. This will require making all the final fiberglass repairs, removing most of the existing primer, adding Bondo where needed, applying fresh primer, applying glazing compound, then guide coating and block sanding. This will be long tedious work so be patient.
Expect the body to become less attractive over the next few weeks as we sand through the primer. Don't worry though. The *Ugly Duckling Project transformation should be soon.
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