[timbergrove]

Just got a 65 GTO HardTop, frame off is almost frame off. Any tips on how to lift the body off of the frame using floor jacks and common tools, no lift. It is in a large garage on a concrete floor. I have two rusted body bolts to remove, then I am stumped on what to do next. Front fenders and doors, engine, trans, etc. are removed. Thanks for helping.

Bob

[timbergrove]

Just got a 65 GTO HardTop, frame off is almost frame off. Any tips on how to lift the body off of the frame using floor jacks and common tools, no lift. It is in a large garage on a concrete floor. I have two rusted body bolts to remove, then I am stumped on what to do next. Front fenders and doors, engine, trans, etc. are removed. Thanks for helping.

Bob

[khkiley1]

I put a 4x4 under the floor and jacked it up until the body cleared the frame. The floor should not buckle if there isn't any rust. Try putting it under the area that is reinforced for the seats.

Once the body was high enough I then stuck another 4x4 between the body and the frame from one side to the other. It will be resting on rocker panel. again if it is not rusted out it should be able to suppor the weight without buckling.

if you get one under the front and another under the back in front of the rear wheels the body should be balanced.

I removed a convertible body like this and didn't have the added weight of the roof to offset the weight of the trunk and the trunk didn't tip.

The springs will expand as the body is lifted so be prepared for the frame to lift also.

I had built what looked like huge jackstands with wheels on them, the top had a saddle to recieve the 4 x 4, once I had the two 4x4 under the front and in front of the rear tire, I humped up the 4 x 4 and slid the jackstand thing under the end of the 4 x 4 with my foot. NO TOO SAFE I ALMOST LOST THE WHOLE MESS BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE HELPING ME AT THE TIME!!!!.

Once I had all four "Jackstands" under the end of the 4x4's I rolled out the chassis and then bolted the jackstands together, left to right and front to rear into a chassis roller.

Make sure the when you raise the body you raise it high enough to clear the hump over the rear axle.

Or you can hump the thing off, two guys can lift a convertible body, so I think four should be able to handle the hardtop.

BE CAREFUL!!!!!! I ASSUME NO LIABILITY !!!

Kurt

[Old Man Taylor]

I did pretty much the same thing, but I used 2x6's as I thought they would be more stable and spread the load over the floor better.

[RayJ]

I used 2X6's also. Additionally, I built an elevated 4x4 frame on which the 2x6's rested. This allowed me to store the chassis under the body. I could roll the chassis out onto the driveway to work on it and store it under the body when I was done. That gave me more room for parts storage

[almeyer]

I use 4x4s and oil drums on each side to rest them on. Getting the body high enough to clear the rear chassis bump can be a pain. I have taken the wheels off the chassis and rolled it on the hubs. Having six guys just lift it off is the easiest but I have also done it with just two of us working the jack as mentioned. I recommend using at least 1 friend and more make the job much easier.