Chapter 11 Body
Contents
Body repair - major damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Body repair - minor damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Body - maintenance . . . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . _ _ _ _ _ . _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ . _ _ . . 2
Bumpers - removal and installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Center console - removal and installation . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Door latch, lock cylinder and handles -removal, installation
andadjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Door - removal, installation and adjustment . . . . . _ . _ . _ _ . _ . . _ . 13
Door trim panel - removal and installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Door window and regulator - removal and installation . . . . . _ . _ _ 16
Front fender - removal and installation . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1 General information
These models feature a separate boxed steel frame and body. Certain
components are particularly vulnerable to accident damage and can be
unbolted and repaired or replaced. Among these parts are the body mold-
ings, doors, bumpers, hood, tailgate and all glass.
Only general body maintenance practices and body panel repair pro-
cedures within the scope of the do-it-yourselferare included in this Chap-
ter.
2 Body-maintenance
1 The condition of your vehicle’s body is very important, because the
resale value depends a great deal on it. It’s much more difficult to repair a
neglected or damaged body than it is to repair mechanical components.
The hidden areas of the body, such as the wheel wells, the frame and the
engine compartment, are equally important, although they don’t require
as frequent attention as the rest of the body.
2 Onceayear,orevery12,000miles,it’sagoodideato havetheunder-
General information .................................... 1
Hinges and locks - maintenance .......................... 7
Hood - removal, installation and adjustment ................. 9
Instrument cluster bezel and trim panels - removal
and installation ...................................... 18
Outside mirror - removal and installation ..................... 17
Radiator grille - removal and installation .................... IO
Rear cargo door - removal, installation and adjustment ........ 14
Upholstery and carpets - maintenance ..................... 4
Vinyl trim -maintenance ................................ 3
Windshield and fixed glass - replacement ................... 8
side of the body steam cleaned. All traces of dirt and oil will be removed
and the area can then be inspected carefully for rust, damaged brake
lines, frayed electrical wires, damaged cables and other problems. The
front suspension components should be greased after completion of this
job.
3 At the same time, clean the engine and the engine compartment with
a steam cleaner or water soluble degreaser.
4 The wheel wells should be given close attention, since undercoating
can peel away and stones and dirt thrown up by the tires can cause the
paint to chip and flake, allowing rust to set in. If rust is found, clean down to
the bare metal and apply an anti-rust paint.
5 The body should be washed about once aweek. Wet the vehicle thor-
oughlytosoften thedirt, then wash itdownwithasoftspongeandplentyof
clean soapy water. If the surplus dirt is not washed off very carefully, it can
wear down the paint.
6 Spots of tar or asphalt thrown up from the road should be removed
with a cloth soaked in solvent.
7 Once every six months, wax the body and chrome trim. If a chrome
cleaner is used to remove rust from any of the vehicle’s plated parts, re-
member that the cleaner also removes part of the chrome, so use it spar-
ingly.
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