can the body be pulled off the frame without too much hassle?

I am no autobody man, but I can tell you this, anytime you remove the body from the chassis your talking a good deal of money. Even for a top of the line bodyshop thats no easy job. I would just go to a local body shop and see what can be done.But don't stop there. After you get their opinion go to 2 or 3 more or even more if you have that many close enough to you. Alot of times some of them will tell you the way to go is the way that will cost the most. And that may not always be the only way. I will give you a link to a website that I use for Clear Coat problems. I am not really sure if they can help you, but I have seen threads about all sorts of body work on this site. http://www.langka.com/faq.php Good Luck, Terry