Home built body jig for 68 442

[Alberta442]

I am building a jig for my 68 convertible body. I have stripped the car and have placed door braces. I kind of want to run rectangular tubing under the rockers from the front body mount bracket to the brackets in the trunk. This would cause me to miss the body bracket by the rocker panels but I feel it would support the car better. The other problem would be that I may have to replace the passenger rocker. I have to replace the floor and have already purchased a complete one peice floor with all of the braces already in place. If I run along the rockers it may impede the accesibility of the rocker if it reqires replacement. Any suggestions?

[gearheads78]

You are a brave man doing this on a convertible. I would brace the hell out of the inside of that thing. Make it look like a jungle gym. Bolt the new floor to the frame you will be using. Would not hurt to get the frame to a frame guy and make sure its 100% straight before you start. Lower the body down over the new floor and weld everything up. Also make sure any 1/4 or major panel replacement is done while the car is sitting on the suspension. Once everything is all welded up then you can put the body on the roticery.

Here is a good link to see what you are getting yourself into.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2483466

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by Alberta442

I am building a jig for my 68 convertible body. I have stripped the car and have placed door braces. I kind of want to run rectangular tubing under the rockers from the front body mount bracket to the brackets in the trunk. This would cause me to miss the body bracket by the rocker panels but I feel it would support the car better. The other problem would be that I may have to replace the passenger rocker. I have to replace the floor and have already purchased a complete one peice floor with all of the braces already in place. If I run along the rockers it may impede the accesibility of the rocker if it reqires replacement. Any suggestions?

Most of the convertible bracing I've seen has been tubing cross braces welded into the interior. Do a good job of triangulation and you should be fine. When the body is done, cut the tubes out and grind the welds.

[J-(Chicago)]

This may sound asinine, but if a car bends from settling on a floor or horses or something, won't it eventually bend back once returned to its proper frame? Unless the car is rotted to hell I don't understand how bad it can really get being a solid piece of pinch welded steel.
I am interested in horror stories if any of you have them.

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by J-(Chicago)

This may sound asinine, but if a car bends from settling on a floor or horses or something, won't it eventually bend back once returned to its proper frame? Unless the car is rotted to hell I don't understand how bad it can really get being a solid piece of pinch welded steel.
I am interested in horror stories if any of you have them.

If a major component like a floor is welded in while a body is twisted it will stay twisted. Its that much worse on a convertible. I full floor with requires cutting the car in half. See the link above thats for a hard top. Now imagine the same without a top