# 1969 GTO Body Alignment - Floor Replacement



## 451stroker (Sep 16, 2012)

I have a 1969 GTO that I'm in the process of replacing the entire floor. I have the car body hanging from my garage ceiling using chain hoists. I welded braces across the top and bottom of each door opening, and then 2 diagonal braces. I cut the rocker panels off, and nothing seemed to move.

Yesterday, while I was working on removing floor remnants, I jacked the back of the car higher in the air. At one point, I noticed that the body looked very twisted. Sure enough, the front cowl to rear body section alignment is now completely off. Something moved or flexed and I can't see what it is. I guess I did not brace it adequately.

Where do I go from here? Do I need to purchase or build some kind of body alignment table or jig? Is there a manual that has body dimension specs in it that a shop would use? My car body is effectively two separate pieces now, and I need to be able to weld a new floor and rocker panel section in and know that everything is in alignment.

Thanks!


----------



## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Got photos?

Bear


----------



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

I would suggest you purchase new body bushings and place the body back on the frame. Leave the body attached to the frame while replacing sheet metal.


----------



## 451stroker (Sep 16, 2012)

I'll try to get some photos up today. The reason I had the car off the frame is because I had completely cut out what remained of the original floor, including the body to frame mounts. With the new floor in place on the frame, hopefully I'll be able to massage everything back into place.

I'm sure there has to be some kind of body or chassis manual that provides measuring points and dimensions. A manual like a collision shop would use when straightening a car on a frame machine.


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

The dimensions you need should be in the Resto Manual (P. Zazzarine)....What Randy said makes perfect sense....place the body on the frame you are using....layout the floors and tack them in place. Go from there.....Eric


----------



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

After you tack weld the body braces in place the body should be more stable, for the best results I would suggest plug welding all of the body braces, floor and trunk pans. The floor and trunk pan overlapping can be hidden by using a seam sealer, all metal or metal-2-metal filler. To get the best and strongest results use a flanging tool with a hole punch.


----------

