I'm seriously considering doing a frame-off resto on my new toy ('64 Skylark Spt. coupe) because it's in better shape than most of the '64s I've had over the years. I say considering because it'll tie up my garage bay all winter if I do and I'll have to scrape windows in the morning which I really don't want to do. *sigh* Decisions, decisions... But I also know it's a fantastic time to take care of everything which I'm sure will need to be done anyway. Brakes, mounts, bushings, front end parts, etc. and it's also a great time to blast and paint the frame as well as check it for any potential problems. I dunno... I guess my main question is huow hard is it to remove the body mount bolts on these? I've never done that before but I have done almost everything else to my first '64.
Removing the body mount bolts is the easy part. I've done 4 now and the last was the worst. The bolts seem to come out quite easily even though they've been in there for more than 40 years. You will have 5 on each side. Two under the firewall, 1 under the door (approx), one behind the axle attached to the trunk brace and one at the rear. For the first time in 4 I had a bolt break off. So I had to drill it out and tap new threads. No big deal. The hardest part is raising the body off the frame high enough so you can roll the frame out. I have a rotisserie so it is quite easy to clean and scrape the under side and make any necessary repairs. You are right about making it easy to clean and replace everything with the frame out. I have all of the equipment to do the work so it really doesn't take a lot of time to complete the task as long as you have all of the parts ready to go. You will have to spend the first day removing the fenders, grille, hood, etc. You should be able to have the frame out and stripped of all the suspension and engine and transmission in another day. Then it's just a matter of cleaning and replacing any worn parts. And on our cars, most everything is worn! Removing the body from the frame is a daunting task at best, but worth it when you see the finished product.
