I have just recently (today) joined NCRS. I am beginning a frame up resto on my 63 SWC. I am a competent mechanic though I have never pulled a body off a vehicle. My intentions are to utilize a 4 leg nylon sling (made for lifting vettes at the birdcage) to lift the body from a single point over the car. Here's the questionable part??? Since I have limited space, I hope to be able to leave the fully dressed body suspended from the beam in my overhead. I plan to support the nose by using an additional eye hook in the overhead. I will pull a light strain upwards from the rad support to relieve some tension on the nose that is just hanging out there. What do you experts think? If I absolutely had to, I could set the body down on lumber, but I really need the space. Since my car is mostly clean, I expect it to be there over the winter. Is this to long for the slings to be pulling on the sides of the car? I'll be doing the chassis, front susp., brakes, and engine.
-
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
Good question. I've similar plans for my 64 coupe over the winter months. I do not like the thought of leaving the veh in a sling any longer than I absolutley have to though. I was reviewing some GM Media archive photos and made some intersting notes. They used a dolly system to transport the body from different work stations during assembly and the one shows them mating a 65 body to the frame. They did not use the birdcage like the sling but held the body in the wheelwell areas.I intend to remove the body using the sling but then place it on a dolly for safe keeping. With a good set of casters I should have some portability of the body. I'd be interested in the input from others who have been there. -
Re: 63 Body OFF!
Interesting that they would use the fender wells as a support point. I have received some input on other sites that suggest the front nose should be fully supported at all times, even during lift off, as it is extremely fragile because it has no internal support! I don't know if that is the case. I can't even roll mine around. With posts in the garage, I would have to roll the chassis out, then set the body down and leave it there. Then roll the chassis to the other bay.
Thanks for the response.Comment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
I would use a body dolly that supports the front,rear and most of the body mount areas.I would not hang the body.Comment
-
Agree with Bill here. Do not leave the body
hanging for any extended period of time. Build a body dolly or put it on a trailer and take it to a storage unit if you can't spare the space.
Good Luck and welcome to world finest automotive organization! You will find many here that are eager to provide sound expert advice for your project.
tcComment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
Michael, it sounds like you plan to attempt this restoration in a single car garage and work under a suspended body...from my experience, that is a recipe for insanity and/or disaster. Better have a couple of spare bedrooms to store all the parts, because a Corvette in pieces occupies three times as much space as it did assembled.
Don't suspend the body. Take Bill's advice and build a castered dolly that will support the nose, tail, and birdcage. If necessary, cover the body with a tarp using bungee cords, and store it outside.
By the way, those four-point lift harnesses are notorious for the hooks slipping on the bird cage rails. They can't be trusted to not dump your body during a lift, let alone be used to suspend a 1000 pound body over your head.
Once you determine the correct placement for the hooks, take some addition measures such as drilling the birdcage/hooks for nuts/bolts or use C-clamps to stop the hooks from moving toward the center of the car. I had the left rear hook slip during a body lift, and I watched as my body went out of control and almost fell three feet...I got away with slight damage and a lot of excitement.Comment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
I started a similar project back in '98 on my '63 coupe. Likewise, I was limited for space, working in a 14' by 16' garage, with another garage available totally during summers and for parts storage year round. I set up a frame with four vertical 2x8's, two on each side spread a little further than the length of the birdcage rails. I used 2x4's to brace front to back and left to right at the top and also tied them into the garage rafters for stability. About 4 feet off the ground, I bored holes in the 2x8's to accept a 5' piece of 2" pipe on each side. I used muffler clamps to attach 5/16 plastic coated cable with "slip" hooks to hook onto the birdcage at the four corners. I made two "vice" handles at the front end of each of the 2" pipes. Used the whole thing to sort of "windlass" the body up off the frame. Rolled out the chassis and used a dolly made from the Noland Adams plans. Had the body on the dolly about 4 years with the nose unsupported- no problemo!! After the body was on the dolly, I knocked down the lifting frame and pushed the body over to the side to make room to store the car's frame on it's side until all components were ready for the big reassembly.
Hope this helps. Email me if you want some sketches, or I might be able to scan some pictures for you.Comment
-
Comment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
I wonder how many of those yellow slings they would sell if they said you need a 15 foot ceiling to use it as delivered. I cut it up and use 1" pipe and 1 and1/4" pipe collars with the pipe horizontal above the doors. I keep about 75# on the raiator support. Build a dolly and rent storage if you have little room. LyleLyle
Comment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
Hi Mike and Welcome.
Definately DO NOT leave that beautiful body suspended in the heavens by just the lifting straps.
You would be asking alot of those straps and hooks to support all that dead weight for any extended period of time. Not to mention the focused loading that you would be placing on the truss system of the garage unless your a lucky one with a big ole girder running across
I'll echo Chuck S. in the warning regarding those hooks slipping, as I can attest to just that.
After being given the heads up by Chuck on this, I purchased eight small c-clamps and put one on each side of each clip. When the body released from the frame, the stretch in the lifting strap caused the body to pop up a good two feet and at the same time, the nose suddenly dipped just missing the frame extension. If I had not had those c-clamps in place, it would have been a mess as I know that the rears would have slipped off.
Just be careful Mike, we want to hear good things about your body lift Ok?.
Regards,
Chuck #32205Comment
-
Re: 63 Body OFF!
Well, This is by far the most constructive response I've received in 2 weeks with the exception of a couple of guys on other forums. Like I say, overhead storage was a "questionable" option, but all this input has enlightened me. The car best feature right now is the body, I certainly don't want to ruin it.
Building dollies would allow some mobility, then I thought, The cars been sitting on wheel dollies already! (they've been under my nose for 5 years). All I have to do is take some 4x4s and make a square frame, place some more 4by's under the support points and I'm there. Thanks for the offer Ken, but I'm all the way out here in Wash. State.
A really good tip is securing those slings at the birdcage. I hadn't anticipated the vehicle possibly lurching. Thanks to both Chucks.
I appreciate everybodys response in this matter and I have printed them all out for future reference. I guess the majority (unanimous in this case) wins, the body doesn't hang!
Thanks Mike S.Comment
-
Re: Good Luck On Your Quest Mike *NM*
Comment
Comment