So it began today and I’d call it a productive day since the shell is in the bay behind the frame. I pulled the good frame outta the bad body first because I figured It’d be nice to pressure wash, sand blast, and POR-15 it all before I put the good shell back on it. When I started this afternoon the car was a shell with no nose (bumper and header panel), engine, Trans or driveshaft. My goal was to at least strip the car of all the good parts, get the front end apart, and spray the body bolts so they would come out easier.
First I unbolted the inner fenders, outer fenders, and wheel wells as one piece and I think that saved me a couple hours if I were to try to pull them out individually. There were three bolts up front that held on to the radiator support, two next to the hood hinge, one under the fender going straight up and two more that required an extension and the door to be open. These last two are between the door and the fender. Once all those bolts were removed their where two or three in the area of the charcoal canister/Battery. Finally there is one in the wheel well towards the rear center of the wheel well. With them off to the side I didn’t like how the radiator support was swaying in the breeze so that was next. Surprisingly both bolts came out easy but the mounts are pretty bad like I figured so going to be calling Kirban soon. With that off to the side I decided to take off the doors. The shell had power locks and windows so those wires had to be dealt with. There is a black rubber seal that goes between the body and the door that houses the wires and plugs. Two screws out and two plugs unclipped and the doors are ready to come off. I found the easiest way to do this is to close the door completely and take five of the six bolts out, leaving an easy exposed bolt for last. Then get someone to help you because these doors are heavy as hell. Slowly take the last bolt out and have them hold up the front part of the door. Once the bolt is out, open the door and it’s off.
Next, I decided to remove the wiring. This section may be different for your car because this car never had a motor in it but I installed all the wires to where I thought they should be. I started in the engine bay with the main junction box. This is located below the wiper motor. I think it’s a 6mm bolt in the center of everything and one that’s out the plugs actually push out of the clip. Now the headlight wiring harness was out and also the main engine harness was too. Next came the computer wires. This is located on the other side of the engine compartment at the bottom of the firewall. If the wheel wells were in you would never know it’s there. These wires have a bracket with two small screws that hold it close to the firewall. Once these are out, go in the car and remove the kick panels and unplug the computer. Now you can pull the wires through the firewall and be done with that. Then I went into the car. I previously put an 87 GN wiring harness into the regal dash and wasn’t about to send a perfectly good, uncut harness to the scrap yard so that had to come out. Once all the wires are separated your almost there.
Then I disconnected the brake lines at the master cylinder and wrapped a rag around the master cylinder just so it all didn’t leak out all over the place. Then I put the car up on the lift and figured it’d be easier to cut the rubber fuel lines that go from the metal lines from the tank to the metal lines on the frame rails. They were dry rotted anyway so no need to be careful with something that’s getting replaced anyway. With that disconnected the only thing left are the body bolts. Also the E-brake cable has to be disconnected. There is a clip that is behind the driver side kick panel that has to be removed to pull the cable out. Once the cables disconnected pull it through the body and that will stay with the frame.
(Just realized if your car has bumper fillers you need to pull the bumpers off or else you’ll break them separating the body. Your best bet is to pull the bumper fillers off the car just to make sure they don’t break)
After spraying the bolts down with PB blaster I went around and hit them with an air gun and they all came right out except for the driver side one behind the wheel. It ended up spinning and when I looked up it rusted out and came out. Once all the body bushings out I centered the body on the lift, not the car. Since our cars frame goes right along the edge of the car here is where you have to take your time and triple check everything. I put the arms of the lift on the pinch weld making sure when it went up it wouldn’t catch the frame. Make sure where ever your lifting the body, the points are as far forward and back as possible to make it less tippy. Slowly lift the body and make sure there’s nothing else connected to it. Once the body’s off I rolled the frame out of the way and “Removed the body”
...Any questions let me know, Ill keep this as up to date as possible but I can only work on it on weekends. If anybody wants to see something specific I can post a pic of it.
Oh and thanks for all the followers too:biggrin:
First I unbolted the inner fenders, outer fenders, and wheel wells as one piece and I think that saved me a couple hours if I were to try to pull them out individually. There were three bolts up front that held on to the radiator support, two next to the hood hinge, one under the fender going straight up and two more that required an extension and the door to be open. These last two are between the door and the fender. Once all those bolts were removed their where two or three in the area of the charcoal canister/Battery. Finally there is one in the wheel well towards the rear center of the wheel well. With them off to the side I didn’t like how the radiator support was swaying in the breeze so that was next. Surprisingly both bolts came out easy but the mounts are pretty bad like I figured so going to be calling Kirban soon. With that off to the side I decided to take off the doors. The shell had power locks and windows so those wires had to be dealt with. There is a black rubber seal that goes between the body and the door that houses the wires and plugs. Two screws out and two plugs unclipped and the doors are ready to come off. I found the easiest way to do this is to close the door completely and take five of the six bolts out, leaving an easy exposed bolt for last. Then get someone to help you because these doors are heavy as hell. Slowly take the last bolt out and have them hold up the front part of the door. Once the bolt is out, open the door and it’s off.
Next, I decided to remove the wiring. This section may be different for your car because this car never had a motor in it but I installed all the wires to where I thought they should be. I started in the engine bay with the main junction box. This is located below the wiper motor. I think it’s a 6mm bolt in the center of everything and one that’s out the plugs actually push out of the clip. Now the headlight wiring harness was out and also the main engine harness was too. Next came the computer wires. This is located on the other side of the engine compartment at the bottom of the firewall. If the wheel wells were in you would never know it’s there. These wires have a bracket with two small screws that hold it close to the firewall. Once these are out, go in the car and remove the kick panels and unplug the computer. Now you can pull the wires through the firewall and be done with that. Then I went into the car. I previously put an 87 GN wiring harness into the regal dash and wasn’t about to send a perfectly good, uncut harness to the scrap yard so that had to come out. Once all the wires are separated your almost there.
Then I disconnected the brake lines at the master cylinder and wrapped a rag around the master cylinder just so it all didn’t leak out all over the place. Then I put the car up on the lift and figured it’d be easier to cut the rubber fuel lines that go from the metal lines from the tank to the metal lines on the frame rails. They were dry rotted anyway so no need to be careful with something that’s getting replaced anyway. With that disconnected the only thing left are the body bolts. Also the E-brake cable has to be disconnected. There is a clip that is behind the driver side kick panel that has to be removed to pull the cable out. Once the cables disconnected pull it through the body and that will stay with the frame.
(Just realized if your car has bumper fillers you need to pull the bumpers off or else you’ll break them separating the body. Your best bet is to pull the bumper fillers off the car just to make sure they don’t break)
After spraying the bolts down with PB blaster I went around and hit them with an air gun and they all came right out except for the driver side one behind the wheel. It ended up spinning and when I looked up it rusted out and came out. Once all the body bushings out I centered the body on the lift, not the car. Since our cars frame goes right along the edge of the car here is where you have to take your time and triple check everything. I put the arms of the lift on the pinch weld making sure when it went up it wouldn’t catch the frame. Make sure where ever your lifting the body, the points are as far forward and back as possible to make it less tippy. Slowly lift the body and make sure there’s nothing else connected to it. Once the body’s off I rolled the frame out of the way and “Removed the body”
...Any questions let me know, Ill keep this as up to date as possible but I can only work on it on weekends. If anybody wants to see something specific I can post a pic of it.Oh and thanks for all the followers too:biggrin:
The car was loaded on to the trialer right from the lift and is ready for the scrap yard. If anybody needs metal for anything let me know or else its all going to the yard
. Interior floor is completely rhino-lined to take the noise away and also if it keeps truck beds from rusting I figure if for what ever reason the carpet gets wet the floor will stay perfect. Once the motor, and trans are in, only thing left if hooking it up and reassembly.
