# How much does it weigh?



## mrvandermey (Jun 15, 2011)

Hey guys, I want to remove the body off the frame so I can clean it up and paint the frame. In order to do this, I either need a lift (which I do not have); multiple floor jacks and some friends (which I can manage); or create a lift using a pulley setup hanging from the rafters and using chains/cables attached to pulley and body. So my question becomes, does anyone have a somewhat accurate estimate of how much a 1968 GTO covnvertible body alone weighs? This would be a stripped down body with no trunk lid, no doors, no windshield, no interior, and no top. 

What tools I have at my disposale are a good 2-ton floor jack, 2 cheap 1.5 ton floor jacks, a 2-ton engine lift, and a 4-ton hand winch (known as a "Come Along"). I am thinking that if I attach a heavy duty pully from the rafters then contect a chain to 4 points on body and all 4 chanins to a hook/cable, and then attach other end of cable to hand winch, that I could then lift body off frame. 

Of course I am open to other practical ideas to lift body off frame, if anyone has a workable idea for me.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

You will need to weld cross braces across the door openings so that you don't bend the body shell when lifting, being that it is a convert. Also, chains attached to the seat belt mounting holes work well for an attach point. As for lifting the body up and off, safety first. I would go with an overhead set up, if your rafters are strong enough to lift the weight....probably 1000 pounds. You only need to go up a small amount, then you can roll the chassis out from underneath.


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## mrvandermey (Jun 15, 2011)

geeteeohguy said:


> You will need to weld cross braces across the door openings so that you don't bend the body shell when lifting, being that it is a convert. Also, chains attached to the seat belt mounting holes work well for an attach point. As for lifting the body up and off, safety first. I would go with an overhead set up, if your rafters are strong enough to lift the weight....probably 1000 pounds. You only need to go up a small amount, then you can roll the chassis out from underneath.


I had thought about the seatbelt mounts as a good location, but I also thought the door jam in front (where door mounts too) and the door jam (where door latches) would also be a good mounting point for the chains. 

My plan was to lift it high enough to roll out chassis (of course with the use of car dollys and no wheels/tires) then insert a pair of 4x4 beams under body then rest car and beams on jack stands. The welding of support bar(s), although I see as to why it is needed, may prove difficult since I do not know how to weld, nor do I have welding quipment. I do not think I even know anyone who does weld or have welding equipment.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

They aren't heavy enough to need serious lifting equipment, but like GeeTee said - since it's a convertible, *DON"T TOUCH IT* until you've welded braces across all the door openings at the top, and also side to side. Convertibles, especially with the doors removed, will bend like pretzels if you take them off the frame without first making the body rigid.

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Good call on the side-to side, Rob. Yes, with a convertible, there is no other option, unless you can somehow bolt some pipe or angle iron into place...but then you'll have holes to contend with. You MAY be able to install a triangular brace running from the door hinge mounting holes to the striker....that way, you'd use bolts, and the holes are already there and threaded. The location of the striker at mid-door-opening makes it less optimum than a bar across the top of the door opening, though. A hardtop or coupe needs no support at all, but a ragtop sure does. Pull the body without support beams, and you will be very sorry when you try to put it back together and find that you can not fit the doors or the fenders. Good luck with it.


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## mrvandermey (Jun 15, 2011)

BearGFR said:


> They aren't heavy enough to need serious lifting equipment, but like GeeTee said - since it's a convertible, *DON"T TOUCH IT* until you've welded braces across all the door openings at the top, and also side to side. Convertibles, especially with the doors removed, will bend like pretzels if you take them off the frame without first making the body rigid.
> 
> Bear


For correct bracing, in addition to braces going across doors from front to rear and braces going across car from left to right, do I also need diagonal (in any direction) braces? On the braces going across doors, do I need one on top & bottom? On the braces going across car, do I need top & bottom and front & rear?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I would think a top brace would be fine on both applications, and no need for diagonal braces. I have NOT pulled a convertible body off the frame, though.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

:agree. You won't regret if you brace it "too much", but you'll be crying if you brace it "too little".

Bear


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## MaL (Jun 12, 2008)

For what it's worth, I had 6 guys lift a fully-stripped-down body off the frame and walk it down a driveway. We had 3 guys on each side. I have a post hardtop 66 GTO. We're mid-late 30s and in average shape. It was VERY easy and required little effort. Sorry I don't have weight information, but hopefully the number of friends gives you an idea on how many you may need.


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