54 chevy. body off.

So i pulled the frame out from under my chevy this morning. it is sitting solid on 6x6x8s and cinderblocks. I'm planning on trying to get some work done on it before if goes back on the frame. My question is this: what should i, should i not do while its off the frame? i.e. opening doors? cutting out floorboards? quarter panel patches? dent removal? Anything i might not think of to while its off that i should?

 

hey hey you can do all those thing , no problemo...chopping a car requires bracing and such, however your ok doing the other things . floor board repair is easier now as you can get underneath and its all easier because the body is elevated. any other questions just ask, and remember to wear eye protection...mac

 

I thought about doing that to my 54 also...Shouldn't it be braced if you're gonna cut up the floors to replace them?

 

thanks choptop thats what i wanted to hear. no plans of chopping it in the near future. as much as i want to i know it will end with a trip to the s****per. as far as what belair said about bracing? im planning on cutting out the front right floorpan, and maybe the left. should i do somthing about bracing it if i cut both out? just one?

 

If your cutting the floor out in any big section brace it. The body will move! Any heat what so ever makes stuff move. So to be safe brace it. Very very small areas you can probably get away with.

 

What Cal said... any big areas....brace, in doubt? brace...heat? brace.

look at it this way, it'll cost you maybe just a few bucks from the s**** guy to buy some suitable bracing material (free if you have a friend thats an electrical contractor, I use 1.5" electrical conduit and triangulate the **** outta it....free + a little time, see my build thread for what you can do with bracing inna short amount of time)

I'd rather take the time to brace then have severe mal-alignment issues later....

finally, I'd do one side at a time, take base line measurements prior to cutting, (first ensuring your body is level and plumb on all your planes) and take measurements throughout the process.

Am I ****? yes.... do I have to cut stuff back apart to make it fit after the fact....very very rarely.