Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide 1970-1972. Dale McIntosh
or just your preference. Is the body going to be removed from the chassis? Some prefer to do bodywork with the body on the chassis, and some prefer to remove the body as quickly as possible and either put it on a rotisserie or a donor frame, or just lift the body and support it with 55-gallon drums and 4×4s for support.
Two-Post Lift
One way to lift the body off the chassis is with a two-post lift, a pair of large end jacks, or even an engine hoist or two.
It is always a good idea to temporarily weld in some square tube bracing if you are taking the body off the chassis. This is especially important on a convertible, as the body will flex and make your assembly that much more difficult.
Hoist
Another way is to use an engine hoist and lift the front and rear of the car. From there you can transfer onto a jigging cart, a donor rolling frame, the 55-gallon drum/4×4 method, or simply homemade sawhorses.
Since this is a convertible body, extra bracing should be temporarily welded at critical stress points of the body to keep it from bending during removal. This needs to be done before the body is removed from the frame. Once removed, the body can be attached to a rotisserie jig for easy access.
This convertible body, properly braced and off the frame, illustrates the amount of materials that should be removed from the body and interior components before the body is removed from the frame. Everything you can remove from the interior prior to lifting the body off is less that you have to deal with once it is off.
This is one of the preferred methods of lifting a body off a frame because it is quick and easy. It is always a good idea to have a rotisserie jig or some stand ready to support the body once you roll the chassis out from underneath. Sometimes you just have to do what you can and use the tools available to you at the time.
If you are on a tight budget, one storage solution for the body is homemade sawhorses. This alternative works pretty well, is inexpensive to build, and still gives you access to do some cleanup work. If you need to replace sheet metal or quarter panels, this may not be a viable solution for obvious reasons. (Photo Courtesy Bill Garcia)
Disassembly
If you are planning to remove the body from the frame, leave the doors on the car for now. They will add rigidity to the body when it is lifted from the frame.
Whether you plan on removing the engine now or later is up to you. The engine and driveline could be left in place and removed once the body is lifted from the chassis. I remove every body I restore from their respective frames, mount them on a cart or a straight donor frame, and send them over to my body shop. In the case of the do-it-yourself restorer, you may want to leave the body on its frame while you do all the bodywork and panel replacement or welding, as this will ensure the body does not move or flex while off the frame. If not, when you try mounting the body back onto the frame you may find things not lining up. When completed, or at the very least when in primer, you can then remove the body and restore the rolling chassis.
This rolling chassis is in final prep stages to remove the body. On this particular car, the engine and transmission have been removed prior to removing the body. As long as all physical connections between the body and the driveline have been disconnected, it is simply a matter of choice whether to remove the engine and/or transmission beforehand.
At this early stage of disassembly, all front sheet metal has been removed, cooling and engine oil drained, radiator support removed, and all wiring disconnected and removed that would hinder removing the body. Note in this instance the windshield and rear window have been removed before taking the body off the frame. Do whatever works for you.
Set the engine and transmission aside for now. Put the engine on a stand, tape and seal up all of the openings, and leave it for now. There is no sense in rebuilding the engine and having it gather dust in your shop/garage while you are doing body or chassis work. It will be a while before you are ready to fire it up and get it running properly. If there are some hard-to-find items missing such as the A.I.R. system, correct intake or exhaust manifolds, carburetor, distributor, or brackets/braces/pulleys, now would be the time to start the search for those pieces. Until then, hold off until you are close to putting the engine and transmission back in the chassis.
The same goes for the transmission. If you have made notes on what needs to be repaired or replaced, leave it alone until it comes close to reassembly time.
CHAPTER 4
CHASSIS, SUSPENSION, AND BRAKE WORK
The chassis is usually one of the dirtiest and most worn-out parts of the restoration you will encounter due to the fact that it is mostly out of sight and therefore neglected. The undercarriage is usually in very bad shape with pitting, many bent areas due to previous wrecks or hastily put floor jacks, welds showing ill-gotten repairs, oily residue, and cracked or worn-out bushings, just to name a few of the problems. All of these issues will have to be addressed on a restoration.
Chassis Disassembly
To what length you decide to take it will be up to you, taking into account whether the car will be a daily driver or a trailer queen. It will also depend on how much time and money you are willing to spend on that part of the restoration. Many people will not put much emphasis on the chassis due to it being unseen, while others will expect the same attention to detail on the chassis as will go into the body. Regardless of your intentions, keep a notebook and pen handy and make notes of your findings and, more importantly, document which parts will need to be found or purchased as you remove the defective part from the car.
Cleaning and Inspecting the Frame
The body has likely been removed prior to this task, so this will leave the chassis fully exposed for you to now start your inspection and restoration. It is highly recommended you begin with a good pressure wash to get as much of the oily film, road grime, and remaining residue removed from the car before you begin the teardown.
Before you begin to pressure wash the frame, look for any factory tags or decals and document them. Keep in mind that all of the removed grime will have to go somewhere, and it is illegal in most residential areas for these types of contaminants to go down the storm drain in the streets. You may want to drag it to the local self-wash car wash, as they generally have catch tanks designed for this runoff, and they are legal.
One of the most neglected parts of your Chevelle is the frame, and it will require a lot of work to bring it back to its original condition. Make sure to fully document its state with photographs before you disassemble the frame.
Make special note of items such as the frame motor mount with regard to how the bolts are oriented. Some plants installed them with the bolt head on the top side, while others installed them with the nuts and lock washers on the top (shown).
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