About to tackle a proper restoration on a 1965 Mistral 3.7 coupe and need some advice from anyone whoever “been there before.” The car is complete and sound, but has been sitting for 30 years. The car was stripped to the aluminum decades ago for a repaint but the body was not removed from the car. The fenders were a bit wavy and special aluminum based filler was used to smooth things out and has held up well. The burning questions is whether to remove the body from the frame, have everything stripped, restored and reassembled, or attempt a comprehensive frame on restoration. The body doesn’t appear to be simply bolted on. The fender aluminum appears to be folded over the engine compartment rails. The car is relatively rust free but does have some frame damage that needs attention. So, just how much more work is required to remove the body and is it possible to do a proper restoration with it attached?
