Postby Doc Hubler » Mon Dec 15, 2014 10:28 pm
It's a fair amount of work, but once you've done one, they go faster. When you say front end, I take it you mean the suspension. You have to be careful there. The torsion bars are loaded. Remove fenders and front grille. There is best way to take the engine out, then tranny/final drive and the axle half-shafts. We could give you details how to do it that might be easier than the service manual. It's easier as well if you remove the air handling box for heater/AC. I've seen people destroy the bellhousing on these by trying to yank the engine out improperly. Iv'e seen the air handler box smashed as well. Most importantly, to unload the torsion bars and get the control arms off, you'll have to find or build the tool for that (we built one). That's all well down the road for you though. You're doing the right thing, make it safe and roadworthy, enjoy it, and visit with other members and gather more info before making a dive into the project. Sometimes, it's just no fun when its everywhere in pieces and it's hard to see your way through the mess to a beautiful car.
