1936 7-pass body removal

There are probably other better ways but here is how I did mine. I believe the ’36 body structure configuration is basically the same as the ’35 but widened and some added reinforcement. I built a truss out of 2×4’s and supported the body at the firewall via the threaded sockets that the radiator support bars screw into. At the back I supported it via the rear door hinge screws.

One of the worries was that the only longitudinal support holding the bottom of the body in position when it is off the frame is the large hardwood rail along the floor. That is made from multiple pieces finger jointed together and even if they look okay the old cassein glue might have lost its adhesion. On mine the worrisome joint was in the rear door area and there was some rot and the finger joint was probably bad. I drilled a small vertical hole down through the finger joint, dammed up around the joint with plastic and caulking then poured epoxy down into the joint. I then added metal doubler plates to the side of the joint screwed across the joint before I lifted the body. I had the same issue with my ’36 Packard but its bottom wood rails were completely toast and I replaced those with all new ash in situ before removing the body with a similar wooden truss. The Packard was done without a handy 4 post lift using bottle jacks and jack stands.

The picture is probably confusing. There is an outer truss attached to an inner truss structure with castors. The outer truss was fixed and high enough that the frame would clear the body  after dropping the frame away from it. After the frame was rolled out the lift went back up to support the inner truss on the castors and the outer truss was disaasembled to drop the body down.