Body Kit: To Slice, or Not To Slice
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Body Kit: To Slice, or Not To Slice Expand / Collapse
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Posted 4/28/2011 5:54:08 PM
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Last Login: 10/17/2022 1:15:19 AM
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After reading through almost all of the build questions, I realize there's a critical decision I need to make about the body kit.

Do I slice the front half from the back half, or leave the body in tact but remove a section so that the engine can be accessed from above.

I'd love to hear from both camps. A discussion about the pros and cons of each approach.

I'm thinking if you just cut out a smaller "hood" section, you maintain a lot of the structural integrity of the body. The downside is it limits access.

If you cut the body in half, is it hard to line them up? More difficult to deal with keeping the front half secured when driving?
Post #83627
Posted 4/29/2011 1:45:29 AM


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I'm in the camp of no cut....But its lonely over here...Lol  The reason for me was flexing of the body and hood. I just didn't see a ton of advantages to cutting the body other than staying original. And staying original is pretty important to a lot of guys. The body on my 89 comes completely off and I can take the chassis to a garage and have it worked on. That was pretty important to me. When I get time to complete the car I can really trick out the suspension and engine without the attention the 89 body gets or worst having the body damaged.

I will eventually cut a hood access....BWD

Post #83628
Posted 4/29/2011 3:16:32 AM
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Interesting. The idea of a fully removable body did not occur to me. Very interesting indeed.
Post #83629
Posted 4/29/2011 5:54:35 AM


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Last Login: 12/22/2020 2:14:32 PM
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Dave that is a really good idea and A time saver. Is there any way to hoist the body off in A uniform fashion that would allow A one man operation with out A struggle or to much stress on the body?
Post #83630
Posted 4/29/2011 1:32:13 PM
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I've gotta believe that if the body only weighs a couple hundred pounds, a simple hoist system attached to some ceiling crossbeams in the garage would do it. I guess clearance is the only issue. Worst case, you have a few friends come over and lift it off.

Hrm. The more I think about it, the more appealing this is. I REALLY like it because one of my fears is having to take it to an outside mechanic for work. But with the skin off, that's not a problem. It also eliminates a LOT Of engineering hassles around getting the front end seated properly, and staying i place.

Please keep the suggestions coming. This has been a very fruitful thread so far.
Post #83632
Posted 5/1/2011 5:40:16 AM


DH was once A mail order bride...............

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Last Login: 12/22/2020 2:14:32 PM
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IF you put bracing underneath the hood you could use the gun door holes and put bracing back by the rear hatch that would give you A stability triangle that should be hidden and make for a strong hold and less stress.
Post #83646
Posted 6/20/2011 7:11:33 PM


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Just seems to me that it would be a LOT easier to work on stuff in the front if the car was split and the front removed. Hard to access all of the areas through a "hood" opening.

Ron

"Never rub another man's rhubarb"

www.89Batmobile.com

Post #83928
Posted 6/20/2011 11:08:22 PM


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Sorry did not see the question Nitro. But yeah my 89 body weighs about 450 lbs. An even easier way to do it is using my hydraulic car lift.Straps through the wheel wells. I will never take my 89 to a garage again. Just too much risk.

The one issue Jack had was when cutting the body at the hood the body twisted and it was hard to realign. even after mounting the 89 to the chassis the canopy wouldn't fit tightly. theres just a lot of flexing since the body is so large.

after I got my 89 body mounted to the chassis and drove the car around the block i had some wires laying on the exhaust so when I shut the engine off there was smoke coming off the engine. I grabbed my fire extinguisher and waited. Luckily the smoke slowed down but that convinced me I needed an engine acess...dave

Post #83931
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