Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

So I have come this far... would you remove the body and paint the frame? or can i paint it with the body on?

The next step is wheel bearings, seals and shocks all around. Front end Sup rebuild. The Diff is leaking oil, so gasket and diff drive seal?

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IMHO I would leave the body on the car. Make sure all body panels are metal finished and prepped first. Yu may want to take off the doors and do those separately.

Take care in masking off the areas to separate the frame color from body color from two-tone color.

Best of luck

What is your final goal for the car when it is finally restored and how much do you want to spend (time, effort, and money)? To have a concourse car and time and money is not of concern then the body should come off.

However, with enough effort the body that is now exposed can be properly prep'd and painted. The final outcome should look very good and this is the path that I would follow.

Besides the body on/off painting question I would like to give you one piece of advice if I may.

One of the biggest issues discussed about the drivability of the 1940-41-42 120s and 160s is the shifter linkage.

Go to this thread and you'll see what I mean:
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6106&viewmode=flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=0

When I see the photo of your shift linkage exposed and open to the world to work on I would suggest that you contact Kanter and order these two parts #360425 R & 1st shifter lever and #360426 2nd & 3rd shifter lever. This is one of the weak links in shifting as these parts wear out and become misaligned causing the entire linkage system to lock up. If you feel confident your parts are in good working order, aligned properly, then you should be good to go.

Sorry about the thread jack.

It may be a thread jack but I second Roger's point.

As long as there is no major rust repair or body work that requires access to the underside of the car where the frame obscures and all the doors fit square and close well. Then leave it on the frame!

Take the body off, and you will have to come up with a dolly to move it around. The frame already has wheels on it already for moving it around! Also with the two separated, you have effectively double the amount of garage space needed. It amazing how much space a disassembled car takes up.

Dear PGS:

The main risk in removing the body is loss of alignment.

The shims are ordered and the factory was skilled enough to throw a set in place and bolt everything down.

Pulling the body will make your life a lot easier for the frame. Here is a trick from the old days: Restore the frame to get a running chassis. Then lay plastic over the frame and install the body. Now you can do all your paint work on the body and when you are done tear the plastic out from under.

If you are pulling the body in your garage, find a contractor with a forklift and buy a floor cart/ dolly to stow it on.

Hope this helps.

My goal is to have a very nice restored car I can drive anywhere. I think you are correct, I will proceed with the body on the frame. I have read other posts where shimming the body can be a bit of a nightmare.

Friday I will order the shift linkage parts from Kanter. Thanks so much for bring this issue to my attention! I would not have known about it.

The body is in such good condition. the floors are perfect - even in the trunk. the interior was completely gone, having spent 10 years in a barn. I hope to have all the mechanicals sorted out this summer. I'm sure I'll have many more questions!