Removing a '35, 3 window body from the frame

[jkflathead]

Has anybody had the experience of removing a 1935 Ford 3 window body from the frame? How much does it weigh? Can six guys do it? Three on each side. Remove the doors. Thanks. jk

[V8COOPMAN]

Four guys can do it easily......two in a pinch. Six guys is way too easy! Using a cherry picker is mo-better than anything. DD

[weemark]

As above, 4 people can do it without any real struggle, with 6 people it would be easy. You Don't need to take the doors off.

[jkflathead]

Thanks. How much does the body weigh approximately? jk

[weemark]

The whole car would be about 1200kg, no idea what a body on its own would weigh, I've never weighed any of my cars.

[JSeery]

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I can move a 34 coupe body by myself, so not that much. Couple of hundred pounds I would guess.

[Lawson Cox]

I removed a 36 club cab off the frame by myself, and I'm 5'8 and weigh 135 lbs.

[my4dv8]

I have removed and replace a couple of mid 30s ford coupe bodies on my own . Just take your time engine crane one end and the other end an endless chain attached to the rafters.
The hardest thing is getting it high enough to allow the body 2x4 supports on oil drums to clear the tyres to roll the chassis out.

[d.conrad]

Here's how I did it. With my lift and a cherry picker and me.

[34pickup]

You can buy a couple of those cheap Harbor Freight cherry pickers if you don't have one and use one on each end.

[waterboychuck]

When I removed my body I built a frame so I could move the body around easily.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by 34pickup

You can buy a couple of those cheap Harbor Freight cherry pickers if you don't have one and use one on each end.

No reason to over-think this......ONE cherry picker can be used in many different ways. You can even use a couple of landscape timbers thru the front and rear window/door openings. Just make sure you lift from ABOVE the CG. DD

[TagMan]

This is how I lifted mine alone.................

[WRA]

Tagman, do you have a picture of how you attached it to the lift?

[jkflathead]

Thanks! You guys are amazing. I will keep you posted.
jk

[TagMan]

Originally Posted by WRA

Tagman, do you have a picture of how you attached it to the lift?

WRA, here's a pic of the center section of the lifting beam. Not real pretty, but works well and was made out of parts I had laying around. The beam is a 4"x4"x6'.

I placed the piece of steel 2"x4" to allow the beam to pivot as the cherry picker is raised & lowered &and to have the body remain level, as well as to space out the side brackets and add rigidity.
The pivot is a 1/2"x5" hex head bolt.

The square tubing fits nicely into the cherry picker arm after the chain & hook are removed.

I've used this set-up on the '36 several times now and on a '46 Chevy pick-up cab, too. I can lift both of them alone with no problem.

Hope this answers your request, but if not, let me know and I'd be glad to tell you anything you'd like to know.
-Bob

[A bones]

Some times I wonder if those bare naked coupe bodies know just how pretty they are.

[WRA]

That is slick, thanks Tagman.