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MG MGA - Removing Body from Frame.

I am starting to restore my MGA and I want to remove the body from the frame. My questions are..
1. Are all the bolts in captured nuts?
2. How many are there?
3. Any pitfalls I should be watchful for?
4. Are all the bolts easily found?

Thanks .... ( I must be insane to do this to a good running car, but paint and bodywork has to be right.)
C.R. Tyrell

1. No. Loose nuts at four corners of the body,
2. 31.
3. Yes. See #4.
4. All but 2, underneath aft of the B-posts

See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/rt103a.htm

Barney Gaylord

Removed the body from my A a few weeks ago. At the end of the day, it was easier than I had expected. The key for me was to methodically remove parts, knowing that if I just kept removing things that eventually Id have all the stuf off that was necessary to pull the body off. Barney's list and chart is a good starting point. You will see that hoses and stuff have to come off that you may not have thought of. When the time came, I had the car on a lift in my garage, and tied the body to the rafters. Then lowered the lift and it and the chassis came down. When the time comes to work on the body, Ill let it down.
Tom Going

Here is a pic.

Tom Going

Thanks. Clears that up. I am going to try and remove the body in one piece and put on a dolly so I don't have to bend down as much. I figured that they put the body on in one piece so it should be able to be removed in one piece.

Thanks a lot.
C.R. Tyrell

If your rockers (sills) are not in good shape, do not attempt to remove the body before fixing them.

If you can measure the frame to ensure that it is straight, it is the best jig you can have. Once the rockers are repaired and welded in place, you can remove and replace the body with impunity - it will still line up.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

AJ - the sills are good on this car, as are the "F" sections and I do have a jig to brace the body at the cockpit area. Unfortunately I do not have the WSM for this car, so I don't have the frame measurements....yet!
C.R. Tyrell

This thread was discussed between 16/12/2012 and 19/12/2012

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