Slow and steady work continued on the disassembly of the 330GT 2+2. The rear axle had to come out, so I got to work freeing the rear leaf springs from the chassis.

It is always unknown how easy a suspension will come apart. Each step of the way can present a challenge of a seized bolt or broken part, so as got another bolt to release, I took another sigh of relief.

I got nearly the whole suspension out when the final bolt gave me some trouble. Normally, I can break these bolts loose with an Oxyacetylene torch, but the rubber bushing would make quite a stink if a lot of heat was applied. Considering the rest of the bolts didn’t seem too rusty, I tried to soak the area with penetrating oil and wait.

After a couple of days, I managed to get just enough penetration fluid inside the two pieces to release. I lucked out on this one because it was the one bolt attached permanently to the chassis and replacing it would have added another layer of repairs!

With the axle out of the car, I had one more trailing arm to remove. All the other released except for one so I had to pull the axle with the arm still attached.

Just like the one I managed to release on the leaf spring, this bolt was seized on the inner steel sleeve of a rubber silent block bushing, so I really didn’t want to heat it with a torch. I figured I would first remove the rear brake caliper bracket to get a clear shot at the bolt.

After a couple of good wacks with a hammer, I managed to get the bolt to move. That movement was all the proof I needed to get this bolt out without cutting anything apart. With a lot of soaking in penetrating oil, and some hammering, the bolt finally came out. What a relief!

With the front and rear suspension removed, I am getting really close to shipping this car for paint stripping, but I still had small sub-assemblies to remove like this heater core assembly.

The fresh air hoses will all be replaced and I’ll be checking the heater cores for leaks. The housing will be disassembled, stripped, media blasted, and put back in service for another half century!