Removing body from frame

[CJHenderson]

I'm getting ready to start the restoration of my Pagoda and am wondering about removing the body from frame. How many bolts are there holding the two together?

[georgem]

Hmmm, not sure you are thinking about a Pagoda - the "frame" is integral to the body shell - the front guards, bonnet, boot and doors can be unbolted but that's it. Anything else and you have to get the oxy torch out.

[Benz Dr.]

There is a front sub frame you can remove but this is a unit body car so it's a one piece.

[CJHenderson]

Thanks for that information. Will approach this differently then planned. I'll strip what I can, pull the engine & transmission and anything else that I can then send the car out for sand blasting since a have several areas of corrosion on the floor boards and trunk & engine compartment. This is going to be fun.

[georgem]

Yes, I should have mentioned that the front suspension (sub frame) comes off in one piece and of course the rear axle/suspension - THEN its unbolting, unscrewing etc etc. If you haven`t done a restoration before, don`t forget to take a squillion pictures and bag and tag everything that comes off.

Good luck,  keep smiling and have no hesitation in asking the  group anything you like re the resto - no matter how trivial it seems to you.

[Benz Dr.]

I would give some extra thought to sand blasting the car. At any rate, don't do the aluminium parts unless it's just the edges of the doors. You can really warp aluminium with too much pressure.


 

[johnk]

One of the previous posts to this sight of a beautiful and complete restoration showed the underside, engine bay and all of the edges of the sheet metal being media blasted, leaving the centers of all panels alone for chemical stripping. Using paint remover in the centers only should be a fairly quick job. That's at least how I hope to do mine this fall. I will be meeting with two local media blasters before I start and hoping that either the water mixture or dry-ice media will remove what I need without leaving media in all of the nooks and cranny's.