Body dolly question

Rooster

piccole ma cattive
Hey folks, the Bumblebee is coming back to the garage sans paint. Long story short, my paint guy doesn't have the time. The body is completely stripped and primered and I'm trying to figure out how to get it around. I'm thinking of making a body dolly like this:

x19_factory_07_video_01.jpg


I see 3 ways of doing this, 4x4 wood (temporary, easy to do and non marring). Steel tubing (cheap, I can weld, lighter and more permanent) or aluminum (I can have it welded by a friend, much lighter, slightly more expensive). Each has its pluses and minuses.

Anybody do something like this? Pics would be great, but I plan on using the factory holes in the "frame" to keep the body from moving around.

Thanks!
 
Oh Mikey... what am I to do with you?

Head down to HF and purchase TWO 1000 pound engine stands.

Build an adapter to slide into the bumper mounts front and rear and then use one or two 2 x 2 inch pieces of hollow square stock to tie them together.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/12159/message/1221380910/rotisserie

1year042.jpg


Note also that Lappy extended the uprights so he could turn the car COMPLETELY upside down. If you choose NOT to do this, you can still turn the car about 45 degrees and get under it quite easily as well.

Note also that Lappy made most of this so he could bolt it together so he could have TWO engine stands and easy storage and also adjust the height of the upright.

Except for the sliding height adjustment, all else can be simply be drilled and bolted together. HF sells their stands with legs that fold UP as well for even more compact storage.

I believe this method will be a far better solution for assembling the under carriage as well.

Lappy posted this in 2008... using 1500 pound stands but is confident 1000 pound stands are more than sufficient.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=engine+stands

Note there will need to be some additional fabrication to tie these together... BUT... I have seen ONE that did NOT tie them together and just used the bumper adapters. I think at lease ONE bar or pipe, bolted low on the uprights, should be installed for added rigidity.

Have fun and post pictures!
 
Great idea. The only issue I see with using the "HF" 1000 lb stands is they don't have two lower legs to connect, like the 2000 lb ones do. See what I mean here: http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-engine-stand-69520.html

Not that it would not work with 1000 lb stands, just needs to be built a little differently if you want to secure the two engine stands to one-another (like in the example). Naturally this can differ if the stands come from another source.

I wonder if this type of arrangement will be as easy to roll around the garage (when loaded with a car), as compared to the low 'dolly' type pictured in the original post? Especially if it does not have two lower beams to inter-connect the two stands (i.e. using the 1000 lb stands). Just thinking the casters might tend to get a little 'catty-wompus' (however it is spelled...guess I'm not a real red-neck). :)

But I like that it can easily be torn down for storage, plus the stands can be used for other purposes (like holding an engine?).
 
The "rotisserie" will be in the works, how ever the object here is to move the car (without suspension) from the old painters shop to my garage. Then probably to the new painters shop. Most paint shops do not have rotisseries so I'll have to provide one.

Right now I'm leaning towards a 4x4 wood frame with carriage bolts and big HF tires as its cheap, easy to construct and can be torn apart quickly.
 
Rooster, I think for the purpose of moving the car to / from shops / home the 'low' style that you describe will be best. I like the 'rotisserie' for working on a restoration, but I think it will have a rather high center of gravity...which will make it unstable during transporting.
For a temporary solution your idea of using wood and keeping it simple and cheap sounds right. You might be able to just make a large square (like a big-ass furniture dolly) and sit the car directly on top of it. Works for moving pianos.
Let us know what design you come up with.
 
How would this work on a car with engine still in?

Do you thing you could do this with 2000# ones with the engine still in the car? I am gonna be doing my body work to the 86 starting this fall and was thinking of the best way to get it up so I don't have to crawl around. I would think with tires off, seats out, top off etc. the bumper wells should be able to support it. Thoughts???

PW
 
Do you thing you could do this with 2000# ones with the engine still in the car?

I'd be very reluctant to try that. On the one hand, pulling the engine just isn't that hard., and on the other hand none of the engine mounts are designed to handle sideways or inverted loads.
 
Go with the 4x4 plan

You're clear on the task - rolling the car out of the old paint shop, onto a trailer, into your garage, back onto the trailer, to the new paint shop, once again onto the trailer, and then home again.

Doesn't sound like you need a rotisserie.

Good luck with the paint on the X, this spot's tough but it will work out.
 
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As I said earlier... some addional mods would be...

needed to tie the two stands together... but that could be done very simply with ONE 2 x 2 inch stock clamped or bolted to the one section that supports the two "front" wheels of the stand. (O.D. and I.D. stock makes things really simple.)

Probably a 100 other ways as well... and then as I said also, ONE person here didn't even bother to connect them. I personally don't like that idea as it puts other stresses on the welds that need not be.

Anyway... everyone should have some fun with this...
 
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