How to best disect the body and where?

[hoffman912]

OK so this weekend I will begin cutting the body up (gruesome eh?) and dismantling into useable parts.

Does anyone have any pictures or guides on where to cut to save the most important sections? IE, the roof vs the rear section below the rear window up into the rear pillar (i know these two areas can be useful to some -how to cut this and separate the two with out taking away the usefulness of one or the other?)

same with the front cowl and front window area.. and then into the dash area.. and the rear section where the bumper mounts to and the area across the back where the decals go onto.. and the rear quarters.

i know i want to save as many areas for future use as possible, but not sure where to cut for maximized usability..


thanks in advance,

Harry

[hoffman912]

Bump...

no one knows how to cut different sections into the chasis for maximum usage?

[merbesfield]

I guess it would sort of depend on what piece someone needed and how the we're planning on repairing the rust/damage to their car. I would try to look in some parts manual to see where the factory lines are. For the rear qtrs I cut mine at the factory line by chiseling (per the factory manual) along the drip rail. I would then drill out the spot welds along the door post so you could get the qtr whole. This of course assumes the qtr is worth the considerable effort it takes to do this. Also be aware that there is a lot of lead so wear breathing protection when cutting. The rear crossmember is special also to SWB cars. With new package trays available i'm not sure that is worth the effort. You may want to look at my thread where I did my qtrs. hope this helps a little.

[Mr9146]

Harry, it's best to cut only when needed. However, if you're looking for ease of storage I'd say cut the front tub directly in front or directly behind the shock tower. The rear should be cut only after the wheel arches/quarters are removed. At that point cut an inch or so below the opening of the engine compartment below the back window (does that even make sense?). That'll leave you with three pieces.

If you're dealing with a coupe cut through the the A, B and C pillars about an inch to two inches above the cowel/door/winow to get a usable roof section. Then you can cut the floor in half from door to door and have two more usable sections (front cowel/dash area and rear seat tub/parcel shelf). If you're cutting a Targa then skip the roof cut and leave the windshield area intact.

Make sure you have EVERYTHING out of the tunnel ... brake lines, all the cables, throttle rod, shift rod, harness, speedo cable ... before halving the car.

That should net you the most usable broad cuts.

"Some die so that others may live..."