On paper it may seem like the easiest part of restoring your classic muscle car but looks can be very deceiving and not everyone knows how to carefully tear down a car, especially the chassis and undercar. This is why we don’t recommend taking on this project blind and winging it.
In this article, we will take you through how to tear down the chassis and undercar for your classic muscle car restoration.
To start with, you need to know exactly what the right tools for the job are. The process of taking a car apart needs some standard automotive tools like the combination wrenches-the one that has one end having the shape of an open claw and the other end looking like a gear. The other tools include; socket drivers and socket sets in 3 sizes including ¼, 3/8 and ½. The purpose of the bigger socket is to simplify the process driving out the big chassis bolts which might have been stuck. The socket and bar will do the hard task of breaking loose the big bolts which the bearings that are in the ratchet handle could not do.
For fitting the brass and several different hammers from very small ones to sledges you are going to need tools like the flat and Phillips head crosscut screwdrivers, flare wrenches and razor cutters. For other parts of the task you are going to need a few hammers which have plastic heads or soft brass.
At times, you will have to move parts which are heavy and it is important to know what tools to use to get the job done. If you have a floor jack you can use it however you will also need body dollies and car skates. It is good to know that the tire and wheels should stay on the car for the longest time possible during the process however it would not be necessary if you are doing a body off frame type job. For that, you can use the easy-access system which can help you to lower your vehicle onto the rear and front easy-access unit.
Another thing you should know is that before you tear down any car you should be able to see the fasteners which hold your vehicle together and use the correct tools to remove them from the car. For cleaning you can use a plastic tarp, spread it under your car and thoroughly clean with wire brushes, scrapers, oil removers or anything else which might be helpful to do the cleaning.
The next step is to drain the fluids. Even if the car has been sitting for years it still may have some oil, gas or antifreeze. Make sure to wear eye protection and use gloves to play it safe.
Now it’s time to take the car apart. It’s important to document everything, usually by taking pictures with your phone, this way you have a reference when building everything up again. We recommend starting from the front end and working your way towards the rear. It’s also important to keep everything organized. You can use plastic bags which you can mark, buckets, but whatever you do keep it organized so that you don’t have to rely on memory when rebuilding.
If this looks like a project that may be too much for you to handle then contact us today for a consultation and quote at (561) 729-0911.
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