Body off (supporting the body and other problems)

[V8NRG]

I will shortly be starting my body off chassis restoration on the Chimaera but have a few points I’d like some guidance / opinions on.

My driveway is flat, two car lengths long and leads to a single garage, but only about 30-40cm wider than the Chim (just enough to half open one door and get in/out) and has brick walls either side.

I need some form of supporting the body (once liberated from the chassis) high enough so that the chassis can be rolled in and out from under the body, as it is likely that the chassis will need to be stored under the body whilst not being worked on. (This would then leave the garage for storing parts and working on items taken off. )

Has anyone had to do this ?
What can I get to support the body that will fit in the gap and allow the chassis to be stored underneath ?

The only thing I can think of is some form of scaffolding ?

[neal1980]

I did mine in a single garage. Is there no one you know that can store the body for you whilst you do the work??

With the cold weather/winter coming up surely better to work in the garage. You will get completely around it and able to work in all weathers then making the job much quicker...

Just a thought....

[carsy]

I have just taken the body off my Griff in a single garage. I lifted the body on the driveway and when high enough then rolled the chassis back into the garage. i then lowered the body back down onto blocks of wood on the drive and have now got it covered. I used 2 lengths of wood front and rear under the body which were long enough to exit either side of the car and then had these on axle stands raising them as i jacked up. you may manage with the chassis in the garage as it isnt that long when the body is off.

[thegamekeeper]

over the years i have done a lot of body off TVR restorations. I made a frame on about 3 foot high legs onto which I bolted the body using same mounting points as onto chassis. Fit large castors onto this and you can wheel it around and out of the way (ie outside if space restricted). If you make it wide enough to roll over the chassis you can roll back over it when you are not working on it. Requires a bit of time and money for just a one off resto but with the number of these cars now and soon needing body offs I am sure you will get your investment back when you have finished with it

Edited by thegamekeeper on Wednesday 20th October 14:48

[V8NRG]

Some intresting points !

If i roll the chassis into the garage to work on, i'm not sure i will have enough space to store the engine, box, diff, exhaust, prop, wheels etc as they get taken off. As the plan is a complete stripdown and powder coat.

The other thing is once the chassis is stripped it wil be sat infront of the body and have to be moved under or over the body to go for blasting and coating, then the same when it comes back.

[dbv8]

Loads of room

[MisterT]

If you have the garage width! - I used a selection of builders trestles and some decent lengths of timber to support the body, left room to roll the chassis under whilst stripping it down.

[heightswitch]

if you have a single brick built garage with a timber roof you can span 2 lengths of 6 or 8 x 2 timber between joist hangers which are plugged and screwed against the wall.

I use an electric hoist to lift my bodies higher than the joist you then drop the timbers into the joist hangers and lower the body back onto the timbers. then you can wheel the chassis in and out and build below it as required.



This gives the general idea. my timbers 4x2 were marginal for a bare shell but the span was 4m ?? a std single garage with 6 x 2 will probably be more than enough over a 2.4m span if using an electric hoist you can also keep the slings connected just in case. they really are cheap as chips and much less hassle than lifting on and off.



N.

Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 20th October 19:09

Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 20th October 19:11

Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 20th October 19:13

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Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 20th October 19:28

[Barkychoc]

5 ton Lorry load straps.
2 at each end - jack up alternatively on each strap (the straps will only go so far then the reel is full and you have to release and start the strap again) - works a treat.
Similarly drop on each strap a couple of inches at a time.

Addmittedly I have a double garage.

Edited to add I removed and refitted the body on my own

Edited by Barkychoc on Wednesday 20th October 20:33

[Barkychoc]

Adam - I see you're East Mids - I'm in Bingham if you wanted to come and see how I did the straps - you can borrow them if you want to go that route.

[V8NRG]

Thanks everyone, the discriptions and pics are very usfull.

Unfortunatly i dont think any form of winch ect in the garage would work.
The garage is an old precast concrete construction with a flimsy plywood flat roof. I dont think the structure would take the weight / strain.

The only way i can see it working is to either :

1) Lift the body off and place it on the driveway on blocks. Then lift or move it when the chassis needs to go to be blasted etc.

2) Make some sort of frame to support the body so the chassis can be passed underneath (like MisterT).


I'll try to get some photos of the drive / garage at teh weekend to demonstrate.

Edited by V8NRG on Wednesday 20th October 21:48

[v8sag]

A couple of unhindered lifting point suggestions.




Trolley suggestion, if you can't top stow,(slots in the outrigger recess).

[v8sag]

I bet he was on his capacity limits...

[V8NRG]

hiltonig, how much did that cost if you dont mind me asking ? It's certainly a novel way around the problem.

I may have found a solution : some parts of a mobile scaff tower. From my measurements it may be just the right size. The bonus is i found it at my parents house buried in the garden (last time I saw it was 15 years ago).

The tower measures 180cm x 130cm and is built out of sections about 50cm high.
From my measurements the chim is 173cm wide (outside of wheel to out side of wheel.

So the body should be able to sit on top of two sections one behind the other being 180cm wide and spaced with supports through the wheel arches, the chassis could then be rolled out from underneath.(If my calculations are accurate).

I'm not quite sure how i'm going to lift the body up the 50cm or 1m to get it up on to the supports yet though !

[v8sag]

A Palfinger/ Hiab lorry will be amply sufficient, if you don't want the expense of a crane.

[MisterT]

V8NRG said:

I'm not quite sure how i'm going to lift the body up the 50cm or 1m to get it up on to the supports yet though !

It doesnt have to be lifted in one hit, I used some lengths of timber, a couple of workshop trolley jacks, and 4 axle stands and lifted the body just a few inches at a time alternating between front and rear. There was only two of us to do it but we just took a careful steady approach and had it lifted off and on the trestles in a couple of hours.

Once the body was clear of the chassis I could lift the front end single handed and said assistant raised the supports a few inches then I used the jacks to do the heavier rear end. Repeat until you have the body raised to desired height. Refitted body in reverse order and not a bit of damage to body or refurbed chassis, just needs care and take your time.

[roseytvr]

Adam
I have some spare scaffold sections possibly similar to the ones you have if you want to borrow them - Swadlincote, Sth Derbyshire
Rosey

[V8NRG]

roseytvr said:

Adam
I have some spare scaffold sections possibly similar to the ones you have if you want to borrow them - Swadlincote, Sth Derbyshire
Rosey

Rosey, Thanks for the offer, but i think i have enough sections.

The sections used to make a tower about 4-5m high. So there should be enough parts to do the job.
I just hope my measurements are correct. I wont find out untill next week now when i can go and pick up the scaff.

Edited to add : Just picked up a few bits of scaffold. The width seems just right although im not sure on the height yet. I'll measure the height of the top of the plenum tomorrow (i take it thats the heighest part the body will have to lift over if the engine is still in).

Edited by V8NRG on Tuesday 26th October 22:11

[V8NRG]

After a bit more measuring - The top of the plenum is about 83cm from the ground, my scaffold set is 55cm height per section.

So I’m going to cut a section to give just over the right height with one and a bit sections.
The width is perfect, at 180cm giving about 4cm each side of the wheels.

I'm currently looking at engine hoists for lifting the body up to the height of the supports, but haven’t found any information on the range of lift available yet, I think a standard one should do the job.

So now the plan has been formulated, there’s nothing left to do but start taking bits off the car !

[TJC46]

Cuplock scaffold with adjustable feet, modified to suit. I didnt have any where to store it when i was finished with it. I offered it free to one and all for all fellow pistonheaders to use but had no takers. I had to skip it in the end. Hope the pics give you a few ideas, Tom.