Frame-off restoration

[kuzz1]

Need advice on frame-off restoration of '59 Silverhawk. Can you advice me on the best & cheapest way to do a full frame restoration.

[Nelsen Motorsports]

Just make sure you keep all the parts in marked bags and the body just lifts straight off when you unbolt it.


Alex Nelsen, 15 year old Studebaker nut.
1954 Champion Coupe
Lizella, GA

[woodysrods]

Make sure you have the right equipment, take lots and lots of digital pictures, label everything, keep all fasteners, take more pictures, restore pieces as you take them off, etc. etc. or call a professional restoration shop.
Good Luck
&
Good Roads
Brian

Brian Woods
woodysrods@shaw.ca
1946 M Series (Shop Truck)

[RareBird]

I'd like to add a thought about the digital pitcures. Do yourself a favor and start a photobucket account and place ALL your pics on it. I made mistake of putting photos on my computer without a backup, and you guessed it - it crashed [xx(][xx(] - lost all of them.



Packardbakerly,
J.D.

[Nelsen Motorsports]

Also, for a frame off restoration you need abou 3 times the space of the car to make this work easily, I at one time had my car on cinder blocks with the frame which rolled out underneath, then at another time I had it bolted to the ceiling via a bendpak lift. When the lift was up the body and frame were married and when the lift was down they came apart, my car had been through many divorces...[)][8D][}].


The first lift-off, the frame would roll under the body.




As seen here this exclusive cieling (by fault of bad measurment and the luck of an attic right above) made way for some great redneck engineering.




Alex Nelsen, 15 year old Studebaker nut.
1954 Champion Coupe
Lizella, GA

[dean pearson]

Alex,

Thats a pretty cool set up you have.

Dean.

[woodysrods]

Now you have seen what not to do.[}] Concrete blocks, paint cans , stacks of 2x4's these are all on the No No list when it is time to take your body off. Do yourself a favor and find a friend that has built a "GOOD" roticery and borrow or rent it or offer to store it at your house for a few months. Most of the work needed to be done on a frame off restoration is so streamlined with a "GOOD" roticery. Scraping undercoat, sandblasting, rust repairs, patch panels, seam sealing, rockguarding, and final painting, epoxy or body paint.
If you have to build a roticery, build a GOOD" one and call it practice for the rest of your project and then rent or lend it to the friends that don't have one to rent to you. Next build a proper body lift..... you will use it over and over again thru out the project. Easy to make, and real nice to have![] Dropping your car body once can cost you more than all the great tools you will ever have! this is to say that you avoided personal injury and time of work from the first mishap.[xx(]
Good Roads
Brian

Brian Woods
woodysrods@shaw.ca
1946 M Series (Shop Truck)

[woodysrods]

PS. You can scrape, blast, primer, paint and final assemble your chassis on the roticery too. If you have a "GOOD" one.
Good roads
Brian

Brian Woods
woodysrods@shaw.ca
1946 M Series (Shop Truck)

[jasontaub9]

Wow!! major safety violation. don't bolt your car to the cieling please. a roticery is the way to go. If you can't afford one than use tall jackstands and 4x4's wide enough to clear the wheels and roll the frame out from under the body.Don't use cinder blocks they shatter.

[StudeMichael]

The best & cheapest way to do a full frame restoration?

Isn't that a contradiction of terms?

[StudeDave57]

quote:Originally posted by StudeMichael

The best & cheapest way to do a full frame restoration?

Isn't that a contradiction of terms?

YES!!!! [:0] [)]


StudeDave '57 [8D]

[candbstudebakers]

Full restoration = deep pockets= done right

Candbstudebakers
Castro Valley,
California

[StudeDave57]

quote:Originally posted by candbstudebakers

Full restoration = deep pockets= done right
Candbstudebakers

That would depend on the 'shop' doin' the work, wouldn't it [?] [?] [?]


StudeDave '57 [8D]

[Pat Dilling]

Kuzz,

First welcome to the forum! The cheapest way depends a lot on your own experience, abilities, shop space, and shop equipment. Are you planning to do the work yourself or are you farming out some or all of the work? As others have said, a frame off restoration takes many hours of work. If you are paying shop rate labor hours for a significant portion of it, you need a fat bank account. One of my favorite quotes came from a car owner who was just complimented on his car's straight body and paint job. He was asked what he used to get the body so straight. His answer was "Hundred dollar bills!" If there are portions of the task that you will farm out, then shop around both on price and reputation. Ask about quality of work and how timely it was done. Put what will be done and for how much in writing. Also specify what is to be done if unexpected damage is found. Learn who all the vendors are for new and used parts. Something like this is a major undertaking, also realize that it is a money losing deal. If you decide to sell, you will almost certainly not get your money back. Give us more details on your plans and the knowledge bank here can give you better advice.
Good luck on your project.
Pat

Pat Dilling
Olivehurst, CA
Custom '53 Starlight aka Stu Cool
'54 Conestoga Future Project

LS1 Engine Swap Journal: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...ournalid=33611

[Flashback]

ALL the above advice is great, and pictures and documentation, and bagging, labeling, can't be stressed enough. I will add one real
important thing. Plan on twice as long as you plan on

Is this my next project?


Will I live long enough?