Body removal from chassis

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adam3059

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Hi Im after some knowledge of whats the best/easiest way to remove an A body from the chassis. It looks to be a lot of spot welds holding it onto the chassis rails?? The body im removing is of a dodge dart equivalent in Australia.
Just hoping someone on here has done it an can lend some tips before tackle it.
Cheers

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These cars are a "unibody" construction which means that the sheet metal body forms the structure and not a full length frame. So a "body off restoration" on these cars means that you remove all of the front suspension and "K" frame, and in the back you will remove the rear end and suspension. The remaining body is then attached to a "rotisserie" for restoration. The suspension components are restored and re-attached to the body. Good luck. Is there a Triumph or Norton hiding in that garage?
 
Another cost saving process that didn't help the strength of the muscle cars. The camaro's were worse when front end was bolted to floor pan, not welded like Mopars. The only cars with a full frame were the Chevelle's.
 
Why what? The above posts tell it like it was back in the day. SAVE MONEY and don't care about anything else. The change from the 70-71 side marker lights saved .50 per car, by going to the ugly sticking out 72 and up side marker lights.
 
tonysrt said:
Why what? The above posts tell it like it was back in the day. SAVE MONEY and don't care about anything else. The change from the 70-71 side marker lights saved .50 per car, by going to the ugly sticking out 72 and up side marker lights.
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Changed many a car to different model - year - combination my copper car is a 74 Scamp with 69 Valiant front clip 71 dart rear bumper etc made a 71 demon out of a Duster on and on just wondering why asking about taking body off the unibody sub frame
 
Funny that this came up. Recall reading a few years ago how I think it was Petty who separated one of his uni body cars and raised it slightly to alter the angle of the body for a more aerodynamic effect. I'm not sure if it worked or if NASCAR used templates to check angles back then.
 
dodge71demon said:
Changed many a car to different model - year - combination my copper car is a 74 Scamp with 69 Valiant front clip 71 dart rear bumper etc made a 71 demon out of a Duster on and on just wondering why asking about taking body off the unibody sub frame
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Hey dodge71demon, the reason for the body removal of the body is I need to strengthen my chassis in Australia to put a gen 3 into it. I have a chassis already done a engineered but its a convertible body (some people ruined good coupes) so for $500 i can get the chassis and swap my coupe body into it. Otherwise to get my chassis strengthened and engineered will be $3-4k.. so I'm just seeing if anyone has tackled removing all the spot welds an transfering. Cheers
 
I've seen, as many I'm sure have, this done using complete chassis systems that roll on there own. The easiest way, is to add frame connectors. Not sure why you'd need to swap the chassis to put a 5.3 (LS engine) into it. Frame connectors and a good 8 point will make that thing rock solid.

What is the "convertible" based on? Can you just put the roof back on? By the way, removing the roof doesn't make it a true convertible even if you have the correct top. The verts have extra structure added in the rockers in the form of a "C" channel beam.

EDIT: Just realized he said Gen 3, as in Gen 3 HEMI. My kids have been talking Gen 3 LS's... ugh... Still, doesn't warrant a full chassis change.
 
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adam3059 said:
Hey dodge71demon, the reason for the body removal of the body is I need to strengthen my chassis in Australia to put a gen 3 into it. I have a chassis already done a engineered but its a convertible body (some people ruined good coupes) so for $500 i can get the chassis and swap my coupe body into it. Otherwise to get my chassis strengthened and engineered will be $3-4k.. so I'm just seeing if anyone has tackled removing all the spot welds an transfering. Cheers
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interesting also considering the gen 3 please keep us posted
 
I would guess there's over one thousand spot welds you would have the drill/saw out. They run the length of the car along the frame, from the radiator support along the inner fenders under the front floor boards crossing at the trans support, then pickup again at the rear floor board and run up under the rear seat over the rear tires crossing over between rear shock mounts and all the way back to the rear valance. The rocker panels have spot welds running their entire length which include the front and rear door posts and where the cross member connects, some are difficult to get to with out removing the floor pan. The body attaches to the outer side while the floor pan attaches to the inner side. The outer front seat supports also attach at the rockers. Most of the frame is two rows running the length of the support. Before reattaching the frame you have to repair all the holes that were created during the removal process so depending how deep you punched the hole saw through both layers of metal frame and floor you will need to fill in the holes and what didn't cut through will need to be ground smooth.

Edit: I enjoyed "almost" every minute of it


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I am really confused by the OPs reasoning. Is the non convertible chassie he has rusted out? That's the only reason I can find to replace sheet metal frame rails etc.

As for streighining, is it going to be a full race car?

You could add stiffining plates etc.

You could cut the bottom of the frame sections off and form a frame to slide inside the sides of the remaining rails.
 
adam3059 said:
Hey dodge71demon, the reason for the body removal of the body is I need to strengthen my chassis in Australia to put a gen 3 into it. I have a chassis already done a engineered but its a convertible body (some people ruined good coupes) so for $500 i can get the chassis and swap my coupe body into it. Otherwise to get my chassis strengthened and engineered will be $3-4k.. so I'm just seeing if anyone has tackled removing all the spot welds an transfering. Cheers
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If you don't value the hours of work it will take to remove the the "frame" from the body then it is cost effective. If you value your time at $20/hour then you may come ahead, if you value your time at $50/hour then you will have wasted lots of money. Buying something for cheap then putting many more hours changing things over by using your labor to do that is usually not cost effective...
 
dodge71demon said:
Changed many a car to different model - year - combination my copper car is a 74 Scamp with 69 Valiant front clip 71 dart rear bumper etc made a 71 demon out of a Duster on and on just wondering why asking about taking body off the unibody sub frame
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Everyone is so tense.
 
Things that make you go hmmm. Whatcha want to do that for. US tool makes a fairly inexpensive kit to sure up the chassis
 
Around 1995 I bought a wrecked 67 Dart GT that had 11K miles on it and proceeded to cut it apart with a spot weld cutter to see how the body went together. It took me six weeks working on it 2 hours a day after work and 10 hours a day on weekends. That should tell you how many spot welds there are! Plus the dozens of Eastwood spot weld cutters I bought and went through. If only I would have known about the Rotabroach cutter then...
 
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I want to see pictures of the frame of the donor car. From what I have seen people usually reinforce the body shell and then cut out the floor pans leaving the rocker panels in place. Then metal is welded in to construct a new frame.

Like this barracuda
 
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I'm Aussie land you cannot modify a vehicle without having an engineering report done and having the government approve the plans and inspect the vehicle. That's what I was told years ago.

I would think finding some local Mopar guys would give him a good start.
 
tonysrt said:
Another cost saving process that didn't help the strength of the muscle cars. The camaro's were worse when front end was bolted to floor pan, not welded like Mopars. The only cars with a full frame were the Chevelle's.
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And all the other GM A bodies and mid size Torino/Cyclones from '72 on...
 
Murray said:
These cars are a "unibody" construction which means that the sheet metal body forms the structure and not a full length frame. So a "body off restoration" on these cars means that you remove all of the front suspension and "K" frame, and in the back you will remove the rear end and suspension. The remaining body is then attached to a "rotisserie" for restoration. The suspension components are restored and re-attached to the body. Good luck. Is there a Triumph or Norton hiding in that garage?
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Cheers Murray, yes there is a 1998 Triumph Daytona 955i

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Dana67Dart said:
I am really confused by the OPs reasoning. Is the non convertible chassie he has rusted out? That's the only reason I can find to replace sheet metal frame rails etc.

As for streighining, is it going to be a full race car?

You could add stiffining plates etc.

You could cut the bottom of the frame sections off and form a frame to slide inside the sides of the remaining rails.
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Hey dana67 the reasoning is here in our nanna state of Australia we can not put modern motors in pre 1990s cars unless major structural changes are done. I was refused by the government body to carry out my build, they require full chassis to meet engineers requirements. So my 2 options are using this other chassis already done and engineered or have my chassis converted to full chassis to engineers requirements.

These rules have only been changed 18 months ago an make it harder. New rules for pre 1990s cars are 180hp per tonne so I have a 6.1lt hemi gen 3 ( not LS ) to go in it. Just seeing how difficult a body swap would be prior to purchasing the other chassis.
Both chassis are solid an no rust.
I hope that cleared it up

Cheers
 
Krooser said:
I'm Aussie land you cannot modify a vehicle without having an engineering report done and having the government approve the plans and inspect the vehicle. That's what I was told years ago.

I would think finding some local Mopar guys would give him a good start.
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Hey krooser
That is correct, to be legal or to get registered we need modification permits and engineers certificate for all modifications. To be registered it will need to past vehicle inspectors.
Where I live there is only one B body with a 6.1lt hemi in it an its non approved but registered with his old 360 motor as he didn't have to be inspected.

Since the hemi gen3 swaps are bigger in the USA I thought of trying here

Cheers
 
adam3059 said:
Hey dana67 the reasoning is here in our nanna state of Australia we can not put modern motors in pre 1990s cars unless major structural changes are done. I was refused by the government body to carry out my build, they require full chassis to meet engineers requirements. So my 2 options are using this other chassis already done and engineered or have my chassis converted to full chassis to engineers requirements.

These rules have only been changed 18 months ago an make it harder. New rules for pre 1990s cars are 180hp per tonne so I have a 6.1lt hemi gen 3 ( not LS ) to go in it. Just seeing how difficult a body swap would be prior to purchasing the other chassis.
Both chassis are solid an no rust.
I hope that cleared it up

Cheers
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Good Lord thank you for that! When you said gen 3 my mind was on MoPar. Then someone defined it as an LS. Where that came from only they would know. I've been waiting for you to correct that silly notion. Again thanks.
 
A56 said:
Good Lord thank you for that! When you said gen 3 my mind was on MoPar. Then someone defined it as an LS. Where that came from only they would know. I've been waiting for you to correct that silly notion. Again thanks.
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I assumed being a A body (mopar) chat room it would've been assumed a hemi but I now know I have to be clearer just incase
 
adam3059 said:
I hope that cleared it up
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WOW looks like you all need to vote out your government and get some people in there that have a clue.

So it is ok for you to buy a car and do a vin swap?

The vin on mopars is on the chassie not the "frame"

So this other car has a standard frame (like a truck) already under it?

Photos would be very helpfull
 
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