6T2 bowtie

If a person were to attempt to lift a 62 body off it's dolly by himself with a engine lift and straps, would anyone have any ideas for the best and safest lifting attachment points? ( or should this be attempted )? Thanks...

rustylugnuts

Use I bolts attach between the body & frame driver left body mount hole, Passengers right body mount hole, behind driver’s seat body mount, and behind passengers seat body mount. Open drivers door attach straps/chains from a four points to picker (use a cinder block to add weight to front grill belly to equalize load when lifting...... Oh yes use 1X3X4" between body & frame to relieve stress from body lift points when lifting, just drill hole in 1X3 sandwiched fender washer and I bolt. Lift and roll out frame..... No problems!

(Make sure everything is off the body before lifting)

rustylugnuts

6T2 bowtie

Thanks Rusty. That is basically what I was visuallising. A 1x3 is strong enough? Would you place the 1x3 from side to side, or fore to aft, or does it matter? The doors are off as well as everything on the front and back. Will the back end still be bottom heavy?

John McGraw

I pull them off all the time by myself. I bolt a light chain to the reinforcements for the soft top brackets behind the seat, and to the mounting points for the female hood latches.

Here are a couple of pics of Ken's (Remotecontroller) 58 fuelie, with the body going back on.






There is almost nowhere you could pick up a C1 car that would hurt it. The body on these cars are so rigid, that it is almost bullet-proof. Years ago before rotisseries, a lot of restorers would just roll the body upside down on a some tires to work on the underside!


Regards, John McGraw

6T2 bowtie

Thanks John. Love the pics!

rustylugnuts

Rigid is an understatement. When I delivered my 61's body to have it media blasted the technician attached chains around the front lower section and hoisted it straight up in the air right off the flat trailer…….. I just about lost it and asked him if it was secure. He assured me it was safe and this was his 18th C-1. I couldn’t stay to watch……

To answer you question: I have use 1x3 to 2x4 wheatever scraps of wood that was laying around the shop/garage. Just use smaller I bolts then what the through hole is on the body so there is no stress around the area being lifted as you can amagine from John McGraw's photo.

P.S. John that is exactly how I lifted my 61...... hell they even look like sisters.... ha ha ha! Nice car, great color.

rustylugnuts

Frankie the Fink

Lets not get too carried away with the whole rigid thing. Just put a C1 on a lift with the lift arms where the X in the frame crossmember hits the side rails and watch the door gaps as you raise the car. It's real educational.

John McGraw

Frank, that is mostly from the frame flexing. The body is pulled down because it is bolted securely to the frame and the weight of the engine and suspension is trying to fold the frame in the middle.
Even the stiff C1 body can not make the frame stiff.

Seriously, the C1 body is just about a stiff as you can get, and I could not imagine ever hurting one by picking up one in the wrong place.
About the only weak spot on the C1 body is in the center of the front wheelwells across the tops of the fenders. If the radiator mount rots out, eventually the nose will droop from the wheelwells forward. The rear of the fenders are supported by the truss formed between the inner fenders and the firewall, but something has to give if it has enough weight on it for a long enough time.

If you look at pictures of how the factory lifted these bodies at the factory, you will see that they just picked up the entire completed body by picking them up under the center of the rocker panels, with the nose and tail completely unsupported.

Regards, John McGraw

Frankie the Fink

If you say it John then I believe it. It is a little disconcerting tho to see how things flex when you put a C1 in the air on a lift. And yes, I've seen several C1s with that outward bulge in the side of the fender over the center of the front wheel wells where radiator supports are incorrect/missing/rotten. Sort of amazing how some owners have this on the cars and apparently don't think its a problem.

rustylugnuts

On the rear section, if I remember correctly the trunk lid was attached and removed before blasting, but the doors were left on the body. So you might be ok if you remove the trunk lid. I'd keep a few bricks for ballast just in case. Good luck and don't forget to take photo's...

Well it's time to break out the 20yr old Scotch, keep in touch!

rustylugnuts

Fawndeuce

What do you estimate the body to weigh as it sits in your pic John?


Paul