S1 body-off lift
Discussion
The big step of dismantling for restoration finally happened yesterday evening. The body is off the chassis. I took the approach of inviting a bunch of fellow car club members round and we did it in 10 minutes.
To give credit, I had searched this forum and come up with (1) a checklist of things to disconnect first and (2) the technique for the lift. That all worked perfectly so a big thank you to all who have posted your experiences on here. In the same spirit I'll add a series of pictures to this thread and (if I can figure out how) a video showing the final lift.
To give credit, I had searched this forum and come up with (1) a checklist of things to disconnect first and (2) the technique for the lift. That all worked perfectly so a big thank you to all who have posted your experiences on here. In the same spirit I'll add a series of pictures to this thread and (if I can figure out how) a video showing the final lift.
The starting point was that I'd already removed the bonnet, boot and doors, nearly all the interior, and engine bay ancillaries such as radiator, fuel injection unit, plenum chamber, brake servo and clutch master cylinder. It should be possible to leave quite a few of these attached but I was going to remove them anyway so it made sense to get them out of the way first.
The wiring loom remains attached to the body, except for the battery to starter motor cable. The fuel system up to the filter/metering unit and the hydraulic pipes for brakes and clutch remain attached to the chassis. So all the connections across that body/chassis divide need to be detached. Most are fairly obvious under the bonnet but the hidden or less obvious ones are:
- reverse light switch, connector is accessible through the holes in tunnel when console has been removed.
- rubber gaiter around gearstick, not just the leather trim gaiter on the console
- fuel pump wiring, connector is under left rear wheel arch or nearby bits of chassis
- fuel level sender, remove wires from terminals on end of tank under left rear wheel arch
- fuel filler needs both lower and upper hoses freeing by loosening the jubilee clips. I then cut through the lower one with a Stanley knife, after which I could wriggle the pipe free from the upper hose. Then I sealed the open neck of the tank with plastic tied on with wire, to avoid filling the garage with petrol vapour.
Other people have referred to sealant around the fuel filler and an earth strap there, but these weren't on my car. It's an early 1988 build so maybe they were added later.
And then there are the interior items: body bolts in the corners of the seat/footwells (also two in the boot floor), seat belts, and the handbrake. Two of the body bolts at the rear outside corners face backwards, the rest face downwards.
The wiring loom remains attached to the body, except for the battery to starter motor cable. The fuel system up to the filter/metering unit and the hydraulic pipes for brakes and clutch remain attached to the chassis. So all the connections across that body/chassis divide need to be detached. Most are fairly obvious under the bonnet but the hidden or less obvious ones are:
- reverse light switch, connector is accessible through the holes in tunnel when console has been removed.
- rubber gaiter around gearstick, not just the leather trim gaiter on the console
- fuel pump wiring, connector is under left rear wheel arch or nearby bits of chassis
- fuel level sender, remove wires from terminals on end of tank under left rear wheel arch
- fuel filler needs both lower and upper hoses freeing by loosening the jubilee clips. I then cut through the lower one with a Stanley knife, after which I could wriggle the pipe free from the upper hose. Then I sealed the open neck of the tank with plastic tied on with wire, to avoid filling the garage with petrol vapour.
Other people have referred to sealant around the fuel filler and an earth strap there, but these weren't on my car. It's an early 1988 build so maybe they were added later.
And then there are the interior items: body bolts in the corners of the seat/footwells (also two in the boot floor), seat belts, and the handbrake. Two of the body bolts at the rear outside corners face backwards, the rest face downwards.
With the brakes disconnected wheel chocks were used to keep the car, and later the chassis, in place. The steering was last to be disconnected as I needed that to position the car with space either side on the drive. I'd undone the upper UJ previously to ensure it was freed off and then reconnected it with the bolts not fully tightened so it was quick release.
The video linked below shows the final separation. At the point where it starts we'd already lifted the back and slid a 3x3 timber beam between the top of the chassis rails and bottom of the rear shelf. This made subsequent lifting much easier and supported the body more evenly. The rope was to stop it sliding backwards when the body was at a steeper angle. The back is heavier than the front hence more people there.
The boot area can flex up and down rather a lot once it is off the chassis support. The roof is up to minimise upwards flexing during the lift, but after putting the body down there was about a 10mm gap at the front of the Targa panels due to the boot sagging. I've put some wood blocks underneath to support the boot whilst it's "parked".
https://youtu.be/VjSe9avyrQ4
The video linked below shows the final separation. At the point where it starts we'd already lifted the back and slid a 3x3 timber beam between the top of the chassis rails and bottom of the rear shelf. This made subsequent lifting much easier and supported the body more evenly. The rope was to stop it sliding backwards when the body was at a steeper angle. The back is heavier than the front hence more people there.
The boot area can flex up and down rather a lot once it is off the chassis support. The roof is up to minimise upwards flexing during the lift, but after putting the body down there was about a 10mm gap at the front of the Targa panels due to the boot sagging. I've put some wood blocks underneath to support the boot whilst it's "parked".
https://youtu.be/VjSe9avyrQ4
Depending how bad the chassis is you may not need/want to take the body completely off ?
https://www.andrewc.org.uk/tvrgit/bodylift.html
If it is coming off
http://www.tvrs3series.co.uk/html/my_body_lift.htm...
Unfortunately this forum is very quiet these days, like it or not, the fact is far more owners are active on the Facebook group. Regardless of that there is a wealth of past knowledge, experience and information to be found here on PH with a bit of searching ( and a few diehards still posting )
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tvrsseries
https://www.andrewc.org.uk/tvrgit/bodylift.html
If it is coming off
http://www.tvrs3series.co.uk/html/my_body_lift.htm...
Unfortunately this forum is very quiet these days, like it or not, the fact is far more owners are active on the Facebook group. Regardless of that there is a wealth of past knowledge, experience and information to be found here on PH with a bit of searching ( and a few diehards still posting )
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tvrsseries
Edited by phillpot on Monday 1st April 11:33
Retrotune said:
Hi Simon
I have recently purchased an S1 that needs chassis work outriggers are vanishing.
Just wondered how you were getting on and if you have any updates or photos of work
Hopefully will be lifting the body of in the next few weeks
I am based stone staffs
Regards j
Hello JI have recently purchased an S1 that needs chassis work outriggers are vanishing.
Just wondered how you were getting on and if you have any updates or photos of work
Hopefully will be lifting the body of in the next few weeks
I am based stone staffs
Regards j
Glad you found it helpful. It is quiet on here as Mike says, but I find it a far more useful repository of information than Facebook, which always seems very transient to me.
The work on my S1 has progressed slowly, entirely due to me, since the body lift. I took everything off the chassis and initially thought it was OK and wouldn't need much doing. However when I stripped the muck, waxoyl and powder coating off it wasn't so good. The n/s outrigger had been replaced quite a few years ago with the body still on and that was fine, but the o/s outrigger and both body mounting brackets (in front of rear wheels) had rusted through in places. That's beyond my very limited welding ability so I've had it professionally repaired and recoated.
That work was just finished on Thursday and I should get it back in the next week I hope. And then the even bigger job begins - putting it all back together again! I'll post some before & after photos of the chassis when I've got it back.
Simon
phillpot said:
Depending how bad the chassis is you may not need/want to take the body completely off ?
https://www.andrewc.org.uk/tvrgit/bodylift.html
If it is coming off
http://www.tvrs3series.co.uk/html/my_body_lift.htm...
Unfortunately this forum is very quiet these days, like it or not, the fact is far more owners are active on the Facebook group. Regardless of that there is a wealth of past knowledge, experience and information to be found here on PH with a bit of searching ( and a few diehards still posting )
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tvrsseries
Hi Mikehttps://www.andrewc.org.uk/tvrgit/bodylift.html
If it is coming off
http://www.tvrs3series.co.uk/html/my_body_lift.htm...
Unfortunately this forum is very quiet these days, like it or not, the fact is far more owners are active on the Facebook group. Regardless of that there is a wealth of past knowledge, experience and information to be found here on PH with a bit of searching ( and a few diehards still posting )
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tvrsseries
Edited by phillpot on Monday 1st April 11:33
Thanks for the information
I do think I would be happier doing a full lift
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