Darrel Walker writes:
>Well, I am at a major decision point in the restoration of my 66 TR4A.
>I have removed all of the body panels that unbolt (bonnet and boot lid,
>doors, wings). I also have removed all of the interior, and the enigne
>and tranny are soon to follow.
>
>So now I am asking myself, should I pull the body off, or stop now and
>begin reconstruction?
With all that you have done already, there really isn't
that much left to removing the tub section. Weight
wise, 4 men can lift it without much trouble at all.
The tub section can be set down on its side or upside
down without crushing anything. That gives excellent
access to areas that are not otherwise easy to clean up
and repaint. Also, with the tub section off, a great deal
of frame mechanical work becomes really simple in terms
of access (eg. removal, painting and reinstallation
of shocks, rear end, engine and transmission and
drivetrain, brake lines, front and rear suspension, and
more.
>On the plus side for removing the body:
>
> There will never be a better time
> Chance to check out the frame and underside of the body
> Just for the fun of it
True, true and true.
>On the minus side:
>
> Probably a hell of a lot of work
Overall, the better access may save time in the long
run as opposed to working on aspects of the restoration
that would otherwise require laying under the vehicle
or protracted removal/installation of sub components
because access to numerous nuts/bolts/etc. isn't
as good as it would be with the body off the frame.
>So, does anyone have any horror stories or tips for this kind of thing?
>Any other pluses or minuses? How should I lift the body, engine hoist,
>several strong friends? Do I need to fabricate some supports across the
>door openings since they have been removed?
Supports across the door opening is NOT needed unless
the inner sills are rotted out, in which case you have
major work involved in terms of replacing the inner
sills, realignment of the body and body panels, etc.
-----------
And I heard him exclaim as he drove out
of sight, TRIUMPHANT Christmas to all,
and to all a good night.
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Bill Sohl || email
Bellcore, Morristown, NJ || UUCP bcr!taichi!whs70
(Bell Communications Research) || or
201-829-2879 Weekdays || Internet whs70@taichi.cc.bellcore.com
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