I think I'll work on the car this weekend

[jaybee]

Guys, I'm not as amazingly productive as some of you are but just keep plodding along.  I'm pretty methodical and that probably slows me down, as well as having limited garage time.  I have my front "shocks" in but still need to do the rears.  They won't take long.  The fronts were easy, just a flat piece of strap iron with a hole in the center for some allthread and at the sides to bolt into the original shock mounts.  I want to make sure this thing is good and level and I have a thorough assessment of the door fit and such before I start cutting.  Here's what I've done.
-First, measure from the floor to the axle centerline to make sure that dimension is the same side to side on each end of the car.  Shims under my cribbing took care of that.
-Pull the suspension down to my anticipated ride height, making sure it's as equal as possible side for side
-Sight it with a laser level at points that are matched on both sides to assess the need to shim for unevenness in the floor

The front is right where I want it now.  Once I finish my rear "shocks" I'll pull it down to ride height and check everything once again.

At the moment I've noticed that the right door has lost the even gaps it had before.  We'll see what it looks like at ride height though, as there's a spring issue.  The right side is equipped with a full spring pack while the left has main leaf only.  This means that with the front springs immobilized and way more spring rate in the right rear all the weight is being carried on the left front and right rear.  Should turn left like crazy now but for my purposes it could use a little less wedge.    I can actually pick the right front up off the cribbing because it rocks back onto the left rear.

I think that's why the right door now is tight at the top front, wide at the top rear.  We'll see how it goes when everything is level but nothing a bit more shim under the hinges can't fix.

[enjenjo]

I think you are on the right track. It's amazing how much the body can move when weakened by rust.

[jaybee]

I think you are on the right track. It's amazing how much the body can move when weakened by rust.

You're right about that.  I've never played with a car that had this much rust.  I don't think the difference in spring packs will make a difference once I get it locked in at ride height.  At that point the springs will all be preloaded like a coil over that's topped out with too much preload.

Once I start cutting I'll leave as much floor as possible in place until I get inner and outer rockers in.  I may even do all the work on one side before starting the other, thinking that having full structure on one side will help keep the other in place.

[Digger]

Once you get all of your gaps where you want them you should tack weld tubing from side to side and in the door jambs to make the car rigid and maintain gaps before you cut any floor or rockers.

[enjenjo]

Once you get all of your gaps where you want them you should tack weld tubing from side to side and in the door jambs to make the car rigid and maintain gaps before you cut any floor or rockers.

What he said. On the 69 Mustang I did last year, I did that, used about 40 ft of tubing. Then removed the whole floor, rails, firewall and all. Put it back together and the doors fit perfectly. There is no time wasted building a jig, but you can waste hours and hours if you don't.

[jaybee]

Yeah, I'll definitely do some bracing as well.  Can't have things moving around as soon as I start to cut away what little support is left.

[jaybee]

The difference in spring packs is a little more difficult than expected and it's been difficult to get the car evenly compressed and close to ride height on the rear end.  Eventually I put a block over the rear axle on the left side and pulled down against it to give it some firmness.

I knew just by looking that these frames wouldn't have a huge amount of stiffness.  They have a massive crossmember under the front of the engine, then nothing except a C channel at the very back.  With the rockers virtually gone every time I change the spring preload the rear it immediately moves the frame rails and telegraphs into the body.  No wonder so many shops build on a frame jig.

[jaybee]

Updating, I have the frame leveled and have had time to evaluate the body.  Shooting a laser level across the lower tailgate hinges the body is virtually level at that point.  A bubble level also looks good at the top of the tailgate and center of the drip rail.

The front of the body is a completely different story.  This car looks like it had a floor shifter cut through the trans tunnel and not sealed well.  Water leaked into the driver side floors and they're in bad shape.  As a result that portion of the car is about 1" lower over the frame than the curb side.  

How do I go about getting everything back up and into position before I cut apart what little is still holding it together?  It just doesn't seem adequate to brace the existing structure if it's out of place.  I was planning to do the passenger side rockers and floors first, but that's the stronger side.  Should I instead do the driver side first so the whole thing doesn't collapse like wet cardboard?

[enjenjo]

Jack the body to where it belongs, and weld some braces in place to hold it there. then cut away the bad parts and replace them.

Here is how I did a Mustang some time back  http://www.roddingroundtable.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9427&highlight=mustang

[Digger]

Do the doors fit ok? If they do-don't do any jacking until you weld in your braces.

[jaybee]

Thanks for the advice.  I remember that Mustang project.  I enjoyed reading it the first time and it's a good example for this time.  Yes, the doors fit properly as well as opening and closing easily.  They don't have the sort of totally uniform gaps that you see on a really good car these days, but they weren't that way when they came off the line in 1957, either.  Each gap is nearly uniform within itself though, instead of being really wide at one end and tight at the other.  I appreciate the advice to not jack anything until it's all braced, that could lead to a REAL mess.

[jaybee]

I've spent a lot of time in the pondering chair on this one, trying to figure out where I can possibly jack that won't collapse from the pressure, sit in the way of the work, or perhaps not even exist because it needs to be cut away.  I think I have the solution.

Building a well-braced sawhorse with a wide top that is the right height and length to bridge the the rocker would appear to be the solution.  Inside the car I can cut away the floor to set the horse down onto the ground.  I'll weld a step to the bottom of my lower door bar to provide a level spot, then lift with a screw jack.

Once I get it up and level then I can start to assess where everything needs to go, what I need to do about crossmembers and the like.  I decided long ago to build my own floors for this car because the floors, inner rockers, and all the associated braces are shot and would cost well north of $1000 for the parts.  There's enough left to pattern replacements after, though, and that's what I'll do.  After all, the factory had engineers for a reason and I'm too old to get caught stealing signs.  

[phat46]

Finally time to get back in the shop. I had my daughters Topaz sitting on one side of the shop and my '46 Chevy on the other side. the other two bays are for dailies. Some critters came by yesterday and bought the  Topaz so now I have a bay back. I had to move my '46 "bobber" truck back into that bay but there is enough room to put my frame table in front of it and start working on my single seater project. But, You might know, I haven't had any side work all winter, but starting tomorrow we have a drywall/painting job to start. At least it will add a little cash for the project. Feels good to out in the shop again, I haven't turned on the heat, it was in the high twenties today so no need for it just cleaning up out there for a couple hours, but I'll need some heat when I start on the single seater, there goes the gas bill!!!!  

[UGLY OLDS]

Jay ...After seeing all the work you are doing to the body ,(Good Job by the way!) , I am SOOOOO  happy we talked you out of the "plywood" wheels ..   There is no way they would have held up to the  moving / jacking / twisting that car is going through....


Bob.........