Removing the body
Why you should remove the body and how to do it in one piece
Iprefer to remove the Defender body in one largely complete assembly. The alternative is to dismantle it piece by piece which, although more time consuming, may be the only option if suitable lifting gear is not available or if you are carrying out a detailed restoration of every body panel.
Removing the body in one piece is faster, with less chance of introducing additional problems and costs. For example, the seals between the roof and side panels are probably fine but, once you separate these panels, they will almost certainly need to be reassembled with new seals.
Common reasons for removing the body include renewing or repairing the chassis, carrying out work on the body (footwells can be repaired in situ, but the repair can be more thorough with the body lifted), or big changes to the drivetrain, replacing rusted body cross members or underseat storage and battery compartments. In this case, we’re replacing the chassis with a new heavy-duty one from Richards Chassis Ltd, to give the Land Rover a new lease of life, get it through an MOT test and preserve a cherished family friend.