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I've been away from this site for a while, but I thought a few of you may be interested in my experience putting a mid year car back together-
In 1998, I took the body off of my '63 coupe. It had been sitting in a dry garage since November of 1970, but had had about 100,000 miles of year round New Jersey use. Everything underneath was a nice uniform shade of rust. When I pulled the body off, I dutifully placed all the shims in plastic bags, marked with the locations. I wound up taking the chassis down to the bare frame, had it derusted, yada, yada, yada. I also had a welding repair to the lower left side just before the kick up. After a few years, it was time to set the body back on the frame. I got all new shims and placed them exactly as the old ones had come off. Next, I lifted the body off the dolly, rolled the chassis back under it and lowered the body back on and started a few of the bolts. OK. To get under the car to snug everything up, I jacked it up and placed four jack stands under the four jacking points. All of the mounts under the door and at the cowel were fine, but when I went to the rear, the body was about 3/8 off the shims!! That scared the hell out of me. How could it be so off? I didn't have the radiator mount in, so I didn't know what had happened at the front. Anyway, I put the cover back on and walked away from it for a year and a half. When I finally decided to get back on the car, I figured I'd put it back on it's wheels. Slid the jack under the front crossmember and started to pump it up. The front of the chassis must have come up about a half an inch before the body started to lift! The weight of the engine up front and the rear end in the back had caused the frame to sag at the ends. I rejacked the rear of the frame at the differential and this time it was much better. Same thing at the front. Turns out that the original shim placement was right.
It amazes me how flexible these frames are. It's also amazing rigid the bodys are. Mine sat for several years on a dolly without front or rear support and the doors never gave trouble closing.
Hope this may allay somebody elses fears about this operation.
In 1998, I took the body off of my '63 coupe. It had been sitting in a dry garage since November of 1970, but had had about 100,000 miles of year round New Jersey use. Everything underneath was a nice uniform shade of rust. When I pulled the body off, I dutifully placed all the shims in plastic bags, marked with the locations. I wound up taking the chassis down to the bare frame, had it derusted, yada, yada, yada. I also had a welding repair to the lower left side just before the kick up. After a few years, it was time to set the body back on the frame. I got all new shims and placed them exactly as the old ones had come off. Next, I lifted the body off the dolly, rolled the chassis back under it and lowered the body back on and started a few of the bolts. OK. To get under the car to snug everything up, I jacked it up and placed four jack stands under the four jacking points. All of the mounts under the door and at the cowel were fine, but when I went to the rear, the body was about 3/8 off the shims!! That scared the hell out of me. How could it be so off? I didn't have the radiator mount in, so I didn't know what had happened at the front. Anyway, I put the cover back on and walked away from it for a year and a half. When I finally decided to get back on the car, I figured I'd put it back on it's wheels. Slid the jack under the front crossmember and started to pump it up. The front of the chassis must have come up about a half an inch before the body started to lift! The weight of the engine up front and the rear end in the back had caused the frame to sag at the ends. I rejacked the rear of the frame at the differential and this time it was much better. Same thing at the front. Turns out that the original shim placement was right.
It amazes me how flexible these frames are. It's also amazing rigid the bodys are. Mine sat for several years on a dolly without front or rear support and the doors never gave trouble closing.
Hope this may allay somebody elses fears about this operation.
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