MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Body removal

Within the next few weeks I'll be taking my 75 Tr6 body off its frame to do some
welding/repair to the frame. I've read all of the "offical" available literature in my manuals
related to this topic. Are there any shortcuts or do's and don't that would come from
people out there who has already done a "body off" on their Tr6.
Any comments or help would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Aivars Berzins
Aivars Berzins

I am just about to do the same thing myself! This is how i am doing it.

I have stripped the body down to its minimum and braced the A & B posts. I have a hard top which has also been fitted to add prevent body distortion. All bolts to frame (chasis) have been removed and the car is sitting up high on axle stands. I have wedged blocks of wood in between the frame and body work. This has enabled me to slide in a box metal sections near the rear differential bridge and at the front near the turrets. It is my intention to support the metal box sections and then lower, the old frame leaving the bodywork in place. I then propose cleaning the underside and then (with the help of a few strong lads) lifting the body onto my new rolling chasis!

I dont profess to be an expert (i have never done this before!) but i do think i have taken the necessary precautions. If you or anybody else thinks i should be using a different method then please advise soon as 'operation final lift' is likely to be next weekend!
Neil

I restored my TR250 several years ago. I constructed a mock frame from 4X4 cedar the length of the frame (cedar doesn't warp) and 2x4 cross frames fit nicely into the floor mounts. You will need to use packing at the front and rear frame supports. If you have a set of large casters it would be a bonus.
I also used two block and tackles to lift the body off with. Using the seat belt bolt holes on the rear and the front rad support. Allowing the chassic to roll out and the mock frame to roll under.
Phil Law

Just a word to the wise !!!!

Brace the body between the door jams..

You would obviously take the doors off the car because they would make it lighter but any convertable with no frame and no doors turns into a collapsable fold-a-way car that once done costs $$$ to fix.

Mine did this and I assumed that it was since the floor boards look like someone blew them apart with a 12 guage (rust can do neat things)..

But after talking to a few people a perfectly good car can fold in half.

Just put a brace at the top of the door. About where you would rest your elbow when driving and give it a couple of tack welds.

It should be strong enough..

Brent Wilson
1972 TR6
bwilson@mgl.ca
Brent Wilson

Aivars,
I supported the top of the doors, and lifted the body off of the frame with a pair of come-alongs. The come- alongs were chained to the rafters of my garage, and tied to the body with strong rope. I supported the garage rafters with an extra 2x4 horizontally and vertically. I was able to lift the body slowly, roll the chasis away, and lower the body back down onto wooden carpenter horses. I did make a wooden support frame before setting the car on the horses. It was a one man job, and worked out quite well.
Unfortunately I came to the conclusion that my body was too far gone. I have a beautifully restored chasis in my garage, that I would like to see used.
My location is too far from you to make that practical.
I do recommend purchasing the repair sections instead of trying to fabricate them.
Good luck,
John H. in Minneapolis.
John Haeg

I left the doors on the car. It was heavy as hell but you know for sure that nothing can possibly happen to it.

If you have a few friends that can give you a hand, then do that. The body was the only part of my ground up that I needed help with. Everything else was done by me. Right now I am waiting for my body to come home from the body shop and then I will install it on the frame.

So my 2 cents worth is that if you plan on removing the body, do it with care.

Patrick
Patrick Bitton

Thanks for all of the excellent information!

Although, I haven't even started my "body off" project, all of your insights will be of great help.
Since I am fearful of bringing down my garage rafters, I may resort to jacking up the body or getting some friends to help lift the body off of the chassis.

Thanks again for all of your input!


Aivars


Aivars Berzins

Aivars,
If you are only looking to work on the frame the best way is to pull the body. I know folks that do frame "welding" with the body on but I really can not understand how you can get good welds by guessing! Cutting the floor pans out is not a very good idea because the car will always look bad from the bottom. It's only about a four hour job to pull the body if you have air tools. Leave the doors on and put a nylon stap between them holding them tightly closed. Then all you need is to go out and borrow or rent an engine hoist! I do this all the time using four nylon adjustable straps, two from the top seat belt mounts on the rear wheel arches and two from the bonnet hinge mounts (make a cheap bracket). Using a hoist you do not need friends!!! You have the ability to slowly lift the body while watching all around for hang up problems. The hoist lifts it high enough to place it on saw horses etc. Fully extended the hoist will normally lift about 1000 lbs which is much more than the body. The hoist works very well for putting the body back on because you can spen all the time you need lining things up without someone else loosing grip! Again, no friends needed!!!

Steve
Steve

This thread was discussed between 11/10/2000 and 08/11/2000

Triumph TR6 index