Can I roll this up to your house now? :D I'll bring lots of beer.

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l330/drillu/IMG_4389.jpg

Maybe he can make a body guard. Try out larry flints new american collection in garden grove. Black Betty.
Squido

Hey Curt,
Nice cart!!! Can you give the measurements for the cart, as I could use one like that? Would it be strong enough to do body panel replacement? Can it be used as a jig? Sorry for all the questions, but it is exactly what I have been looking for.

If you have any more photos for the mounting tabs of how you mounted it would also be great. Also if you have plans and need an email address let me know.

I made it level and the body is bolted in 6 places. So I guess you could use it for a jig. It would probably be a good idea to block under the pickup points so it would not flex while you were climbing all over it. The blocks would make it very solid to the ground. Then when you were done just remove the blocks and roll it away. I'll get some more pics of the mounts. It's a pretty simple design.

I made this thing so I could push the body up on a flatbed trailer and take it to the blasters. When I get back I'll put it back on the rotisserie for the work on the underside.

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l330/drillu/IMG_4390.jpg

"WOW" that is one mighty fine looking cart there Curt.:thumbsup:

Rob

Nice work!

Dan.

Dan, why do you have Pitpal on your profile? I had a bunch of that stuff in our racing trailer. Look at the photo on my profile.

Great Job!!!

Do you have any pictures of it without the Elco on it? That looks like just what I need and doens't seem to have too much steel in it. You feel comfortable getting underneath to clean up the underside of the car? What size tubing did you use? Consider detailing your plans a bit if get the chance. I'm sure there would be quite a few interested. Thanks a lot for the inspiration. Great looking cart.

No problem getting under it. If you look I put the wheel mount steel under the main rails and then the body mounts on top of the rails. So everything is pushing down on each other and not against the welds. If someone needed it taller, just increase the length of the risers. You could use everything the same for a chevelle just move the verticals to where you need them before welding.

The main rails are 2" x 11 ga. or 1/8". The cross members and risers are 1.5" x 1/8 and the gussetts are 1" x 1/8. I can get some pics with the body off in about a week and I'll work on some measurements.

I got the solid rubber wheels at harbor freight for about $50 and all the steel was $120 precut. The only thing I had to cut were the gussetts. Took about 30 minutes to make the frame and bolt the wheels on and another 3 hours under the body measuring and tacking everything together. Then about 30 minutes finishing the welds.

What was is the length for all the risers?

So you built it underneath the car? How did you suspend the car while it was being built?

Good job, driller.

For those of you with "how-to" questions, here's some other body cart/jig threads on this site:

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166479

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250424

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234439

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207646

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199559

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85498

I supported the front with a 4x6 across under the rockers extended out to the sides. I cut a slot in the 4x6 for the rocker seam. The 4x6 was supported on timbers leveled with floor jacks. The back was bolted onto one half of my rotisserie. This allowed me to roll the main frame under the body without any clearance issues and also pull the body off of the car frame. The rear rotisserie allowed me to level the entire body. Then I leveled the body to the shop floor. My shop floor was laser leveled when the concrete was poured in order for us to set-up our race cars. So I didn't have to move the body very much. I also used a digital level on everything. So the car is sitting pretty level on the cart. Rolled the cart frame under the body and used plumb bobs to get it square. Welded the front body mount in place and boted it to the body in the same place it would be boted to the chassis. That kept the frame from rolling around and I removed all the plumb-bobs. Did the middle support and then the rear supports. Unbolted the cart, raised the body a little to get the cart out and finished the welding. Rolled the cart back under and bolted it to the frame in 6 places using the chassis mounts in the body. The cross pieces that bolt to the body I had drilled and pre-bolted on the body before I rolled the cart frame under. This allowed me to measure and fine cut the vertical risers easily before tacking them in place. This proceedure would allow you to make the cart any height you want easily. I also moved the centerline of the wheels back 16" on each end to reduce flex in the middle of the rails.

Remember I built this thing so I can transport the body on a trailer. I wouldn't trust the wood carts I've seen on a bouncy trailer.

Wheels are 8"
10.5" to the bottom of the main rails
Front risers 9.75" plus 3" for the 2 cross pieces
Middle risers 10" plus 3" for the 2 cross pieces
Back risers 17" plus 1.5" for ONE cross on the bottom. Used short angle pieces on the top to bolt in place
Bottom 1.5" cross pieces are all 48"
Front top cross is 55"
Middle top cross is 52"

Thanks for the details about your cart. I think a cart like yours is just what I need but I gotta I gotta firgure out if taking the body off the frame is even possible for me since I will be working completely alone on this project (ie no one to help me get the body off).

I did it by myself also, but I had the help of the rotisserie jack in the back.

Thanks for the replies.
I think I'm gonna do it. I don't have much rust....at least not underneath. I'll probably put it on a cart and clean up underneath and shoot some paint or undercoating and then detail the frame. I like your design because it looks easy to get around underneath the car.

John

If its a convertible you might want to do a little more planning, like some braces to keep the door openings and everything squared up.

Rob

Yeah, it's a convertible. I had already planned on bracing up the interior (across the door opening and from side to side). If I use the the six mounting points used with this body cart, will that be enough? Also, I'll probably have all the metal work done before it goes on the cart, but would you say it would be best do filler work after the car gets back on the chassis (in case the car flexes a bit and cracks the filler)?