Body-Off Pics Anybody?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,389
Likes: 83
From: Norfolk Virginia
Has anybody done this w/o a lift and straps? Lets say with maybe 8 or more guys?
I'm thinking of rounding up at least 10 guys minimum to do this because I want to leave the car as complete as possible and not damage the nice paint or body....safety in numbers.
I'm getting ready to buy a replacement frame and only have a small 16" x 24" shop to work out of.
I have to plan the frame swap pretty strategically and quick.....hopefully sitting it on the new frame and back in the shop in a weekend. I can deal with the mechanics of it once it's back in the shop.
I'm thinking of rounding up at least 10 guys minimum to do this because I want to leave the car as complete as possible and not damage the nice paint or body....safety in numbers.
I'm getting ready to buy a replacement frame and only have a small 16" x 24" shop to work out of.
I have to plan the frame swap pretty strategically and quick.....hopefully sitting it on the new frame and back in the shop in a weekend. I can deal with the mechanics of it once it's back in the shop.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,389
Likes: 83
From: Norfolk Virginia
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 211
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
Has anybody done this w/o a lift and straps? Lets say with maybe 8 or more guys?
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento California
Interesting thread. When I do mine I plan on acquiring one of those four point cradles and I have a chain hoist that should do the trick. It is going to involve cutting a hole in the ceiling of my garage and running the hoist through and over some heavy steel layed across the rafters above. My biggest problem at the moment is that I don't have the room to store the body once it comes off the frame in my 2 car garage (there is a classic truck, my chopper, roll away tool boxes, welder/torch, kayaks, bicycles, etc. in there now).
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
That's what I did, but only 7 guys. I started with only four guys, but one had a broken arm and couldn't help. So, I drove my SUV to a nearby Home Depot and rented four additional guys for $20 apiece for an hour. It was quite easy for the 7 of us to lift the body off once the guy with the broken arm realized I'd forgotten to remove the strap going from the seat belts mounts.
Did you have any issues with the front end sagging?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
has anyone dropped the frame instead of lifting the body?....maybe using 4 car jacks..jack it up then secure the body some how, then drop the frame. not sure how much clearance you need to roll the frame out though...
Racer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 274
Likes: 2
From: Finger TN
I used a engine hoist by myself, not fun
Next time I'm building a gantry crane.
If you use an engine hoist, make sure your dolly casters will be tall enough to clear the hoist beams, mine weren't
When I put the body back on, this is the way I'm going to do it, like this guy did:
Next time I'm building a gantry crane.If you use an engine hoist, make sure your dolly casters will be tall enough to clear the hoist beams, mine weren't
When I put the body back on, this is the way I'm going to do it, like this guy did:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,389
Likes: 83
From: Norfolk Virginia
Floor to rafters, seven feet, pretty unorthodox, but it works. Send me a PM if interested.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,894
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
Taking the body off and putting it back on were both great milestones in the project but I have to say, the later was the better of the two.
Here she is near completion.
Good luck with your restoration
Here she is near completion.
Good luck with your restoration