OK so I am (impatiently) waiting for paperwork to import my kit. The garage is drywalled, trimmed and painted. Soooo.... should I build the body buck now or wait till I have the kit? In other words is the diagram that comes with the manual good enough to build a buck without the body here to measure off of?
Build it now. It'll give you something to do until the car arrives. Only takes about an hour and a 1/2 to build. You can find the measurements for it online. But remember, the measurements in no way need to be precise. The goal is to just get it off the ground.
Build it now. It'll give you something to do until the car arrives. Only takes about an hour and a 1/2 to build. You can find the measurements for it online. But remember, the measurements in no way need to be precise. The goal is to just get it off the ground.
OK good to know. How high does the body sit above the buck? I want to put longish legs on it so it rolls over the chassis when I am not working on it but I don't want to hit the retracted garage door with the body.
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Mark IV Roadster Non-Donor Base Kit: Ordered 1/27/12 Pick up 3/10/12 at FFR - "The Plan" Ford 302 Crate Motor...stroked?... Ford 8.8 /3.73 gears, Levy 5-Link, Fast Freddy Electric Steering, Heater/AC, Hydroboost, Wilwood Upgraded Brakes, 17" Halibrands, Color...Undecided?
I build mine two months before kit arived Actually I just cut the plywood, attached the legs and wheels. Then, once my kit arrived and I was ready to remove the body I just put everything together in 10min.
I'm, like Tom, made a shelf, to store trunk, hood and doors. I just made vertical plywood parts little bit smaller, didn't really understand what is the purpose of all that plywood sticking out bellow the body. By doing this I have more clearance below the body buck and can lift the frame much higher.
Here are couple pictures 100_0863.jpg
Nice pics. I agree with what everyone says here but the problem I found is that when the chassis was on jack stands, I couldn't drive the buck over the chassis. I ended up storing the body in storage until the car was on the ground (which was until paint).
[QUOTE=vlydeka;2667363]I build mine two months before kit arived Actually I just cut the plywood, attached the legs and wheels. Then, once my kit arrived and I was ready to remove the body I just put everything together in 10min.
I'm, like Tom, made a shelf, to store trunk, hood and doors. I just made vertical plywood parts little bit smaller, didn't really understand what is the purpose of all that plywood sticking out bellow the body. By doing this I have more clearance below the body buck and can lift the frame much higher.
Here are couple pictures Attachment 33206
I agree that it may be better to make shorter plywood end panels. I thought it was just me that had clearance issues. I had to install larger wheels to gain another inch to clear the chassis even with my jack stands on the lowest setting. I think the purpose of the end panels being so tall is to give strength to the legs so they don't wobble. I have about a 2" drop from my garage floor to my driveway. I made a couple ramps to help with transition but I definately need the extra support for legs from the taller end panels. If I did it again I would do shorter end panels but use 2x6 s for the four corner legs.
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Mark IV Roadster Non-Donor Base Kit: Ordered 1/27/12 Pick up 3/10/12 at FFR - "The Plan" Ford 302 Crate Motor...stroked?... Ford 8.8 /3.73 gears, Levy 5-Link, Fast Freddy Electric Steering, Heater/AC, Hydroboost, Wilwood Upgraded Brakes, 17" Halibrands, Color...Undecided?
... I think the purpose of the end panels being so tall is to give strength to the legs so they don't wobble. I have about a 2" drop from my garage floor to my driveway. I made a couple ramps to help with transition but I definately need the extra support for legs from the taller end panels. If I did it again I would do shorter end panels but use 2x6 s for the four corner legs.
Good advice, if I had to build a new one, I would use at least 2x6 for legs and for connecting front and rear panels together. Especially if I had to push it outside often. I been pushing mine in the garage a lot, when I'm working on the front of the car, body buck is in the back and vice versa. Body is only 13' long, my garage is 22' long, so there is enough room to do that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmmargheritis
Definetely build the buck. I hung mine from the ceiling. The deal with the wife was that she could still park her car in the garage. Worked out great...
Since I have only one car garage, I couldn't offer that in negotiation. I got away with remote starter and promise to clean the snow from her car every morning ... we had a very mild winter this year, so I got a deal
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I hoisted the body on the buck(less than 300 lbs. total) above the frame on wheels, with room to work, and still clears the back of the raised garage door. About 12 inches between tallest body point, and 8 foot ceiling. Two hoist points - one on each 90 inch end. Each hoist point had a mechanical advantage of 25 lbs.
Living in a rural area, and with a very private yard, I was fortunate to be able to leave my body on a buck outside. Apparently it helps the body cure faster, and left lots of room in the shop. If your circumstances are right, you might think about that aspect. You also do not need an elevated buck if you do that..
Nice pics. I agree with what everyone says here but the problem I found is that when the chassis was on jack stands, I couldn't drive the buck over the chassis.
I used the plans for the elevated buck, but made it a bit taller. Made it as tall as I could and not hit the ceiling in my garage. Provided enough height that I could have the chassis on jack stands enough to get under with the creeper, but still fit the body over. Had this arrangement for about a year during my build. I too had to promise that my wife's car would get the remaining dry and warm garage spot.
It's on rollers in this picture, and I normally worked on it with the wheels off. but you get the idea.
I had the bottom rails just bolted on. When it came time for paint, removed the bottom rail (with the castors), removed the braces, cut the legs, and reinstalled the bottom rails. Took it to the painter that way. All in all, worked out well.
Thanks guys. There is some really good info there and great innovations.
I would like to be able to open the garage door over the loaded buck. So, how do I determine how tall it will be without the body to measure. In other words how much does the body stick up above the buck at it's highest point? I want to make it as tall as possible to clear the chasis and maybe do basic work underneath but also not have the garage door hit it when it opens.
What really matters is clearing the lowest point. How high is the garage door opening? Usually the garage door tracks higher than the opening. If you plan on rolling the buck outside than the door opening is the lowest point you have to clear.
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Mark IV Roadster Non-Donor Base Kit: Ordered 1/27/12 Pick up 3/10/12 at FFR - "The Plan" Ford 302 Crate Motor...stroked?... Ford 8.8 /3.73 gears, Levy 5-Link, Fast Freddy Electric Steering, Heater/AC, Hydroboost, Wilwood Upgraded Brakes, 17" Halibrands, Color...Undecided?
What really matters is clearing the lowest point. How high is the garage door opening? Usually the garage door tracks higher than the opening. If you plan on rolling the buck outside than the door opening is the lowest point you have to clear.
Good point and I will measure that. Still need to know how much the body sticks up above the buck
Body buck, we don't need no stinkin body buck. 4 straps and 4 hooks and hoist it up to the ceiling. It's always out of the way and no need to move it every time you want to work on the car. Save the cost of plywood and nails, and the wasted time and effort of building something you will throw/give away too. Just my 2 cents.
Body buck, we don't need no stinkin body buck. 4 straps and 4 hooks and hoist it up to the ceiling. It's always out of the way and no need to move it every time you want to work on the car. Save the cost of plywood and nails, and the wasted time and effort of building something you will throw/give away too. Just my 2 cents.
Even if I had enough room to hoist the body up to the ceiling, I would make a body buck, without legs, and would hoist it up to the ceiling. I would never level fiber glass body on 4 hooks for extended period of time...just my 2 cents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slord
Good point and I will measure that. Still need to know how much the body sticks up above the buck
Height of my garage opening is 80", body buck I build 75" from the floor to the highest point. Body is about 3" above the body buck + ~1" support piece in the middle of the car, to keep body straight. Like I said, my garage is 22' deep and I have enough room to work on the car, w/out pushing body outside. Here are couple pictures when body is push to the front and to the back. 100_0877.jpg
Even if I had enough room to hoist the body up to the ceiling, I would make a body buck, without legs, and would hoist it up to the ceiling. I would never level fiber glass body on 4 hooks for extended period of time...just my 2 cents.
The way my garage is built/organized there isn't really room to hoist the body when the garage doors are open.
Height of my garage opening is 80", body buck I build 75" from the floor to the highest point. Body is about 3" above the body buck + ~1" support piece in the middle of the car, to keep body straight. Like I said, my garage is 22' deep and I have enough room to work on the car, w/out pushing body outside. Here are couple pictures when body is push to the front and to the back. Attachment 33261
Ok great. If I did the math correctly 75" plus 3" plus 1" means you clear the opening by a scant 1" which is fine as long as it does clear.
As for the body buck being a waste well, I don't know. I'm thinking of hanging a couple of lawn chairs in it and installing a lawn mower motor then I can drive it to work.
I've done two cars and hung both of them from the ceiling. The first had the body work done on the buck and then was on the ceiling for nine month, the second body went on the ceiling when it first came off the frame and stayed there for 14 months and has just been put back on the frame and sent for body work. The only thing I did was put a support between the front and rear of the cockpit. I wouldn't use a buck unless you're wanting to work on the body.
Bill
Wasn't going to chime in on this but nobody has mentioned the usefullness of the body buck for doing bodywork/primer/paint. I did the preliminary bodywork work on my kit and then applied the first coat of Featherfill. My body shop used the body buck for all the block sanding and painting after the body was removed from the frame after fitting doors, trunk and hood with the body on the car. This keeps all the dust, etc from the car. I have 2 wheels on the buck and with detachable handles made from pipe I can wheel the whole thing around easily like a wheelbarrow.
Although the car is done I've kept the buck: it's hoisted up to my carport rafters. If I have to remove the body I'll have it available.
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Actually I just cut the plywood, attached the legs and wheels. Then, once my kit arrived and I was ready to remove the body I just put everything together in 10min. 
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