Commando body flex?

I am thinking of taking the body off of my 1970 commando. I have a bunch of questions and I know somebody out there has done this and others have opinions about this. Last year I replaced the floor and recently I had the rocker panels straightened. I would like to take the body off to clean and paint the frame and make general repairs. But the main purpose would be to clean up and stop the rust underneath and do an under coating on the body. I don’t have a body rotisserie and I was wondering if I would do some serious flexing on the body if I were to take it off the frame and set it on some high saw horses to make repairs a little easier. I know there are concerns about body flex with convertibles, I have a hard top, but it would be nice to take it off while doing rust removal.I am afraid if I take the body off and put it on saw horses as soon as I open the door, and it folds like a taco.

 

This is the picture of the HC I'm building for the wife, lifted off with a cherry picker, it's been flipped over, flipped over on both sides, flipped back upright then lifted back on the frame and the doors still open and close .

 

Mr. packrat thank you for adding your two cents. Your photo is proof enough for me. know what did you spray on the bottom? Is that your final coat before you installed it on the frame? I was reading the many diffent opinions about undercoatings, and trying to make up my mind on what to do. Also how heavy is the tub, or should I ask how many friends do I need to buy beer for?

 

That's a rubberized gravel guard material like Ford used to use on the rocker panels back in the 70's. I probably should have put another coat on but this thing will just be for cruising with little to no off roading and no winter driving. I also used it in the bed and on the floor boards which will be getting a couple more coats. Can't remember the manufacturer, I think it's Dominion Sure Seal or something like that. I buy it by the gallon can and spray it on with an undercoat gun. I'd check the name but I'm 800 some odd miles from home right now in North Carolina .
Sorry, forgot to answer the last part of that question. Not sure what it weighs in at but I was able to get it flipped over myself then used the cherry picker to set it back on the frame.
Don't know if you're familiar with a product called Pentrol, available at Home Depot or paint stores that sell house paint. It's an oil based additive used to make oil based paint flow better. When I finished welding the tub I layed a good coat of that on, let it harden up a bit then sprayed on the gravel guard. Buddy of mine here in NC where I'm staying told me about it 4 or 5 years ago, his uncle used to use it when he was restoring Corvairs. We sandblasted a Jeepster frame here 3 years ago, coated it with two coats of Pentrol then painted it with black rustoleum. Frame sat outside for two years, uncovered, looks the same as when it was done back then except the paint was a little faded. Pretty much the same as POR15 but a whole lot cheaper, $30/$35 for a gallon can so it's not a big deal to put a couple of good thick coats on and a gallon can goes a long way.

 

Lurve them rockers pack rat! Will remember the pentrol stuff too.

My rockers have rat holes in them

 

Had a local place bend me up three sets of those. Should have seen the wasp nests I dug out from inside those , fortunately they were all old nests.