Body Removal

I have an old '65 that I have been slowly parting out. The body is pretty ruff but the pan appears to be in fair shape from what I can see. I want to pull the body off and scrap the body and save the pan.

Question is where all is it attached?

I know there are the bolts along the sides from the pan to the heat channels. I know there are 2 bolts by the rear suspension. What else is there?

Also what is the easiest way to get the steering column out. I know that has to come out as well.

39coupe wrote:
I know there are the bolts along the sides from the pan to the heat channels. I know there are 2 bolts by the rear suspension. What else is there?

Been a while since I looked, but on my 62 I think I had two bolts under the gas tank.

Also, under the gas tank (if it is still there), you will see the steering coupler. At the end of the steering column is a clamp with a bolt and nut. remove this bolt and undo the horn wire if it is still there. Once that bolt is out, get in the car and grab the steering wheel. Pull, wiggle, and cuss all at the same time and the column should break loose from the coupler. Pull the whole thing out and you are done. You can see the bolt and clamp toward the bottom of this picture.

There is also four bolts under the back seat. The two Eric is talking about are on the beam.

Getting there - thanks for the input. Found the 4 13mm bolts under the back seat. Also found 2 17mm bolts back there, not sure if they are holding the body down or not but I took them out also. Found 9 or 10 13mm bolts along the side holding the pan to the heat channels. Also 2 17mm bolts at the very front of the pan connecting to the heat channels. Next is pulling the gas tank and checking for the bolts Eric is talking about and the steering column. After that I get my son and we try to pull the body up off the pan.

This is fun, first time I've had to realy tear something apart in a long time.

other than the steering column I think I'm ready. The pulling and cursing isn't working to well though.

Sounds like you forgot to wiggle. If it just doesn't budge, you could always try and unbolt the two bolts that are going throught the coupler. Then you could try and remove the shaft and column all at once. Once the column tube is out of the firewall, you can possibly pivot the end of the steering shaft and get that extra metal peice through the whole in the firewall also. Never done it this way, but it "may" work. All depends on whether or not that end piece would fit through there

Ok - Eric's last suggestion did the trick. Very tight fit, the bracket at the end of the steering column doesn't want to fit through the hole in
the firewall too well. But it did come out, may have been the metal around the firewall hole a little, but not bad and I don't care about
this body anway.

Here is what I have accomplished today - sorry no before pics I am always bad about that.

i got a question...what was wrong with the body.did you ever trash it

skunk wrote:i got a question...what was wrong with the body.did you ever trash it

The body needed way more metal work and money than it was worth. It needs a rear clip, front clip, new fenders all the way around, passanger heater channel, both rear quarters behind the doors, big dent in the roof and the edges of the parcel tray in the back is toast.

Since the body was pulled it is a little worse as I had no gate large enough to get it into my back yard so my boys and I picked it up over the fence and as we did it got dropped on the concrete putting a couple of more creases in the top along the drip rail.