Well...its been awhile since I last posted...been working lots...both at work and on the car. Most of the work I have been doing has had to do with getting the body ready to take off the frame. Well...I'm there...minus the main steering shaft (more on that later)...its ready. I managed to get all the body mounts out...or cut off...or broke...but all that really matters is that the body is loose. I can physically lift it off the frame...now to get help lifting the body off and set on the rolling dolly I made. Other work I have done has been busy work...removing stuck hardware...removing rusty screws...getting everything off of it. All the glass is out...about 90% of the outside paint has been striped and its ready to go. The only thing holding me back from taking the body off the car (besides getting a couple of people to help) is the main steering shaft. I discovered through some research and a very helpful rebuild website that the easiest method to removing the steering is to take the whole steering box out. Easier said than done of course. I found the bolts that held the box to the frame...buried and caked in grease and was able to get them out. Next...removing the Pitman Arm. I figured the hard part would be getting the 25 mm nut off the shaft. I let it soak for about a week and amazingly it came right off! Next up...taking the Pitman Arm off the shaft that its connected to coming out of the steering box. Easy right...wrong...it won't budge! I figure its most likely rusted on...so it is now soaking in penetrating fluid...and hopefully by tomorrow I can get it apart and the steering completely off. I also removed the transmission cover which I figured would make it easier to lift over the shifter. So hopefully my next post will have the body off the frame...and sand flying from the sandblaster I got for my birthday to start the frame. Still a long ways to go...but progress is definitely being made!
