Body off the 57

[jdlafayette]

About a year and a half ago I asked about removing the body on my 2 dr htp. Shortly after I posted the question I found out I had cancer of the esophagus. I went through chemo, radiation and finally an operation. After getting back my health I worked on my Mustang and then finally back to my 57.
I just removed the frame and had it sandblasted. I built a frame from 2x4s for the front and used 2 come alongs to lift it by where the front body mounts go. On the rear I used an engine crane with a 4x4 to the 2 rear mounts by the wheel well.
I braced the door frames with angle. Just wanted to thank everyone and the suggestions worked great.
Tried to post pictures but had no luck. I will try again.   thanks, John

[Frankenstein57]

Great to have you back! Good luck with your health and projects, keep on posting, Mark

[57chero]

Glad to here everything is working out health wise and your project.

[RICH MUISE]

I had been wondering what happened to you. That's a scarry thing to have to go thru, I'm glad to hear it all worked out well. Welcome back.
Rich (I was the one brought up in Waltham and Acton)

[jdlafayette]

Thanks for the kind words. It's amazing how fast time does go by. That's an old expression but most old expressions are true!
My car is solid now and so I was able to safely lift it off the frame. It worked out great thanks to all the suggestions. I can see that trying to lift a hardtop body with a lot of floor and rocker rust would be a disaster. It would fall apart.
I tried several times to post pictures of my car but have had no luck even with the instructions in this site. I'll try again!
Thanks, John

[gasman826]

HEALTH!!!!  What can be said.......

Picture of my junk pile rotisserie.  It may be peices and parts but it does the job.

One caution.  One of my friends is doing a '55 Chevrolet.  When on a rotisserie, the quarters bow a little.  So even a tudor post body will flex.  I moved my Custom back to the frame so it is setting on the wheels to do the final blocking.  Just a thought.

[Ford Blue blood]

Gasman is correct!  Get the body back on the frame, bolted down and fit the doors before the final blocking.  I also like to do all major panel replacement before the body comes off.  Did I mention braces.....should use them even on a sedan.  Both hinged to the latch, across the body from the lower hinge to the opposite latch and from latch to latch.  Lots of messing but do it before you cut the first piece of sheet metal and your work (fit and finish) in the end will be reduced greatly!

[RICH MUISE]

Gasman....First let me say you do some great posts. I've really enjoyed your input and sense of humor on all the posts you've done, and your frequent posting has been great.
Great setup on your twirler...and I strongly second your comment on making sure the body is back on the frame before doing the final blocking. I will add to also make sure the body is positioned correctly and torqued to the factory specs before final blocking.
I like everything you're doing with your car....got a few questions. How did you do your final "attaching" when you blended your tailight housings and headlight eyebrow area (I'd like to see a closeup of those headlight  areas..stock eyebrows or custom work?). I really like that hood scoop. I noticed the 4 holes for the air/heat on the side panel..was that previously installed, or something you recently set-up? I'm still trying to decide on a final location for the aftermarket bulkhead.
Lastly..that's a nice solid looking car..looks like it's required really minimal work to get it there also with respect to replacement panels, etc. How long have you had the car?
Rich

[gasman826]

I'm glad that you took it the way it was meant.  Sometimes my attempt at humor can be a little 'dry' and PO some.

The eyebrows and taillight extensions are both stock.  They are both glued on with 3M panel adhesive.  Much of the factory stuff is being assembled this way and body repair facilities are using it as well.  I saw a demo with a pickup chained to a frame table.  The box side had collison damage.  They clamped the frame table arm to the box side and started pulling.  The box side sheet metal ripped before the glue joint failed!!!
So anyway, back to the extensions.  After glueing them in place, I ground out a little of the adhesive to make room for filler.  A thin layer of All Metal to make it water tight and a little filler to block.
My Dad bought this car new as a 'hold over' in '58 (a good deal).  On the farm, the car got little use.  When my older sister got her license...we escaped from the farm on great adventures.  Dad needed an engine for the truck.  Truck made money...car didn't.  From 1962, this car sat in my grandmothers barn.  My '69 Mach1 sat right next to it while I went to Vietnam.  About 15 years ago, my grandmother passed and the estate settled.  The '57 came home with me.  Never ending cycle of working on it...driving it...working on it...ever since.  Oh...since this was kind of a 'barn find',  the roof was soooo messed up from kids learning to drive, playing cowboys and indians, and the occasional bale of hay landing on it that I skinned the roof.  The roof is also glued on.  No welds.  No rusting.  No leaking.  No warped metal to hammer/dolly out.  The hood...that is a '65 Thunderbird hood skin on a '57 Ford hood frame.  The four holes in the right A pillar are for the HVAC hoses.  I brought them around the corner to hide them and the reciever dryer.  It is straight shot into the side a Vintage Air heater/evaporator box.  One of the goals of this tearbown is to clean up the firewall.  I got rid of the wiper motor, OEM heater, and all the OEM holes.  This is a pre tear down picture with the HVAC hoses.  Take care, Gary

[RICH MUISE]

Gary quote: "One of my friends is doing a 55 chevrolet"...I sure hope you're trying to get him to mend his ways. Sounds like he needs a little guidance in the right direction.
Rich

[gasman826]

My friend owns the shop.  He has a 'sugar daddy' that keeps buying high priced Chevys only to find that they are rust buckets or artillery range fodder.  He does the LS thing and Corvette this and that to everyone of them.  Ya, I'm jealous!!!  Wish I had that much money.

[rmk57]

Is there a set of Kasse Boss 9 heads in the future?