Tips for removing the body

[HardRocker]

Please let me know any tips for removing the body. I’m considering welding in more roll cage protection and would like to at least lift the body up for clearance. The front hood is already off the car.

I’m sure doors, hatch, and windshield need to come out. Is it a good idea to lift with a hoist from my rafters? Where to best support the body? Or do it old school with extra help and store it on a buck?

Thanks for the help.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

My advice would be to remove it completely vs just lifting it up a little. We've removed and installed the body on these cars lots and lots of times now (32 different GTM's thru the shop). You can pretty easily do this with 2 people, but it's easier with 3. Put one person on each side of the body and if you have a 3rd, put them at the rear. Grab the body with one hand inside the rear wheel arch and the other hand reach down under the door opening and start pulling the bottom flange of the body outward. Do not pull the sides of the body out any farther than absolutely necessary to clear the chassis to prevent from cracking the body. The first thing that the body needs to clear is the door striker brackets on the chassis......the body needs to be pulled out far enough to clear those striker brackets so that you can move it rearward to clear the door hinges. Once it clears those striker brackets and the door hinges, it's all cake from there...just a matter of lifting it upwards and backwards and off to somewhere to set it down. Again, just be sure that while you're carrying it and lifting it, don't allow the sides of the body to be pulled apart any farther than absolutely necessary. Of course, make sure you have all of your aluminum close-out panels removed (rear wheel well close outs, close outs below the door hinges, above the footwells, wiper box, etc.)

[HardRocker]

Thanks Shane.