The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs removing the body

I have read a few post about the bed inside my panel being put on the chassis and then the body put on it. I have taken everything out and off the front, all doors, taken off the rear fenders, all bumpers ect and a few bolts that hold the back of the panel to the rear cross sill. Yesterday I took about half the mounting bolts loose. As soon as I deal with the other -3 or 4 mounting bolts and steering column I will hopefully be ready to set the body off. My QUESTION is do I need or have to take the floor out or loose or can I just wait until I get the body up and then take the wood off of it. I have a feeling that the factory attached the wood to the body then set it on the chassis?? Who has done this body off resto and can give me some tips before I tear up more to be fixed. I was also thinking I could leave the wood attached to help sturdy it during sand blasting? I want to do it ONCE and to it RIGHT. This project is a killer!(rough)

I recently took the body off my 54 panel. It was very easy just to remove those 10 (I think) bolts and lift it up. My floor was pretty good so I did not have to remove it or replace any wood. The floor wood is attached to cross members that are attached to the body, not the frame. It seems to me that it would be a lot easier to remove the floor after the body is off the frame so you don't have frame parts in the way. Good luck.
Off the subject... I saw a 50's something panel express being towed today, presumably to to be restored. It was in good shape and very exciting to see.

Thanks Ted54, I got all the bolts out tonight except for one at the back and the two bolts holding the gas tank straps to the wood. I will weld some washers to the top fo those three Monday and either take the nuts off or wring them into. I really want to get the chassis blasted,painted etc by next Spring with the body sitting back on it. Spring is a ways off but I can't sit around and "take all day". Anyone else got any "do's" or "don't do" please chim in. I need all the help on this one I can get! Whew.

ac
i removed my body and then cut the ply wood in half to remove it after i had it secure on a body dolly.i will take a pic of that it was very simple and has worked well for me. i was not so lucky as to have good floor wood, but am in the process of fixing that.
tom

Don't forget to detach the "E" brake rod.

When I removed my body I ran 4X4's along the length and bolted them down through the body/frame holes. This gave me rails I could jack under and move around without messing up the bottom edges of the body. I was lucky and had access to a fork lift. I made extensions for the forks and moved the body easily. When it came time to sandblast I was able to lift it on to tall jacks and walk under it to blast and paint. I blasted everthing including a light blast on the wood. I primed the steel under the body with an etching primer and a urathane primer, then painted with an industrial black enamel. I didn't worry about over spray of the primer on the wood and painted the wood under the body with the same industrial enamel.
Taking the body off the frame is really no big deal as long as you consider what you are going to do with it and how you are going to move it around once it's off. You may spend more time and engineeering building a dolly or some other device to make you work more successful.
While mine was all apart I figured I would go ahead and install a Heidts IFS Mustang II with a manual rack and pinion. I am building a daily driver.
You mentioned your gas tank straps being screwed into the wood. I don't know if that was the way it was done on some trucks or not but it sure seems dangerous having all that gasoline and weight suspended by a couple of 5/8" wood screws. Mine bolts into two steel cross members. I would recommend getting the factory fabrication manual for these trucks. It has been very helpful to me on this rebuild.

I made the assumption that the gas tank straps were screwed into the wood floor with wood screws, which doesn't make any sense. If through bolts were used with washers that is probably just fine.

Teds54, thanks to you and others for the advice. I should surely get it off by this coming weekend. The body is in pretty bad shape needing inside and outer cowl panels and other spots. Looks like I may even have to replace at least the left floorboard. I had planned to put crossmembers side to side on the panel with a block spacer to protect the edges but I kind of like your idea. The wood has got to come out. Its just to bad. I have a good bit of wooodworking equipment so that is no sweat. The gas tank is bolted to the chassis on one side but the other side is secured though the floor with the "body type" bolts with big washers. I am almost positive this is a very original panel. I noticed the plywood is Oak but not sure if that was the original type. (At least it looked like Oak last night!) Oh, I now have an assembly manual and will be spending some time in the chair with it. I bit off just about more than I can chew on this project but don't they all seem that way. I wouldn't know how to act if I got a driver to fix up!! Thanks again and I'm sure you guys will be hearing more along the way.

Visit my Suburban link below if you want some visuals of my Suburban body being removed. Plus pics of the dolly I built for it!

Like the bikes lot, but the sub project is great. I like the way you do things. Nice shop. Good pictorial. I'm just finishing a like project, but can't post here. My 50 sub is next on my hit list. Jon

Thanks!!

will check the your site MN, I think its something like what I am going to do if I remember from the last time I look at it...As of now the blasting may be a month or two. Right now I am ordering brake shoes and everything else I can get while I can get my discount where I work partime delivering parts!!! I"m just putting them on the shelf! In the meantime I need to start studying the assembly manual I now have....if it is really some help?!

Good Thread! I have my Burb body on jack stands w/2x4s and need to make a dolly so I can move it from the house garage to the shop. I like MNSmith's dolly idea, think I will go with four 8" rubber tires so I can move across the gravel (snow) driveway. Hope to have rolling chassis done by summer then start body work. I too have to do the wood floor replacement. I plan to remove all of the under floor bracing and cut down the middle and replace with 2 pieces.

I see pics here and there of guys picking up pickup cabs by running the arm of a motor hoist in a door opening and lifting up on a bar going across the cab. I wonder if this would work on a burb body if you used 2 hoists, one across the door openings and one in through the back??? Any thoughts???

Keep up the good work Burbers
Buddy

That's how I picked mine. One strap through the doors, the other through the rear windows. Nice wide slings as to not deform anything.

NO FAIR!, you had that Big A?? overhead thing!
Project is looking great, I like them bikes too!

Buddy

Buddy, yes it can be done, BUT, you must change the front wheels of the eng lift from fixed to caster style so you can move then in the same direction if needed..

I just got done doing this. I had a lot of trouble because this is my first resto and I had no idea how to go about it. I do have a project journal that keeps track of my work, although I've slacked off on keeping it updated. Take a look, I took lots of pictures to go with the explenations. The journal is overly thorough, but I'm mainly keeping it for myself so I can keep a record of the restoration. And good luck with your project!

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php?action=view&journalid=43515

hey MN, is that a repro fuel tank?

Nope. Stock.