zohanisback Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hey guys. Looking at pulling the body off the "frame" so I can sandblast and reinforce the frame for a V8 swap. Is it possible to do this and do you guys know of any good pics or write-ups? The frames on these cars are a bit....lacking, and I wasn't even able to find anything that suggests they can be removed. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTHALOSISM Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 No such thing, these are "unibodies" so no frame off restoration can happen. Best way is the gut it to the shell and toss the shell on a rotisserie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zohanisback Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Then that is what shall happen. Yeah, that's my one and only problem with these vehicles, weak frame (and as I know now, can't take it off). But that's alright, I have big plans for it, so I'll tear her down anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonmreiss Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Yep I'm doing the same thing, just build a rotisserie from the harbor freight engine stands, there's a thread here about how. And get the bad dog frame rails Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zohanisback Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 That's a fantastic idea, actually. These cars are light enough for it. Gotta love the perks of joining car forms (I have an account for every make owned). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I put a 67 Chevy Crew Cab frame and cab on a rotisserie -- what does "light enough" have to do with anything? Use the same setup to do Camaro, Barracuda, Fury III... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zohanisback Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 I just don't trust Harbor Freight that much... My car should way less than 1800 lbs with the motor and tranny out, but 2+ tons on harbor freight quality stuff, IDK about that. But if you've done it with their stuff, good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dershum Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I just don't trust Harbor Freight that much... My car should way less than 1800 lbs with the motor and tranny out, but 2+ tons on harbor freight quality stuff, IDK about that. But if you've done it with their stuff, good for you! I've got the shell of my 71 torn down completely and "spitted" on a pair of 1,000 lb engine stands from harbor freight. No problems with it so far. All I did was cut the uprights in half and weld in about a foot of square tube on each upright to extend the "height" on it. Initially, I didn't have the stands connected other than by the body, but I'm adding a bar that connects the stands so that it's more stable. I'm a sucker for over-engineering and not having any wiggle when moving the stands around. Optionally, you can also add a couple of caster wheels in place of the rear wheels on the stands...it makes moving the car around on the stands MUCH easier if you're tight on space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zohanisback Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Dershum, Those pics are just what I need. Thanks for posting them! It's gonna make working on this car so much easier. haha, this has to be one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dershum Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Dershum, Those pics are just what I need. Thanks for posting them! It's gonna make working on this car so much easier. haha, this has to be one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen. Thanks, but I really can't take credit...a bunch of others have done similar things, I just did my own version of it. Check out the Welding forum...there's a bunch there, and the guys at Atlantic Z Car club have a whole tips section full of em. Atlatic Z Car Club Body Section on Rotisseries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zohanisback Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Oh sweet. There are some nice setups there. I'm actually pretty excited about this because I have a two car garage, but this will allow me to move the datsun into the middle and out of the way as I work on it and other cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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