Thread: American Graffiti Coupe, My Version

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Originally Posted by daytonagary

the 4 casters under peice of plywood and just two 2 x 12's cut to length and stood on side and positioned exactly where the frame sits. bolt all of this together using lag bolts up through plywood into bottom of 2 x 12 and down through the body mounting bolts in floor of car into the 2 x 12. this lets you paint the bottom of body on same dolly as only areas where frame will be sitting won't get paint.

Gary, that one scares me with the 2x12's on edge, held by lag bolts up through the base. It wouldn't take much side force on the body to split those 2x12's at the bolts, and lay the whole thing over on the plywood - like moving the body to the side. Glad it's worked for you but I think you're dancing with the devil without at least some cross bracing between the lateral 2x12's.

Originally Posted by rspears

Gary, that one scares me with the 2x12's on edge, held by lag bolts up through the base. It wouldn't take much side force on the body to split those 2x12's at the bolts, and lay the whole thing over on the plywood - like moving the body to the side. Glad it's worked for you but I think you're dancing with the devil without at least some cross bracing between the lateral 2x12's.

Been doing it this way for 20 years and never any weakness much less problem. since the 2 x 12's are not parallel with each other, they run at an angle same as frame does, that triangulates them for the cross bracing you are wanting so they don't just fold over sideways. Bolted down tight to plywood and to floor of car they never try to tilt at all, they are going no where. If they were parallel to each other I would then consider some bracing but with them bolted down so tight I wouldn't foresee any problem. Especially since very little force is needed to push the body sideways. I have a 63 chevy nova body on good casters now and can push it straight sideways with one finger. Never enough force needed in moving it to put any stress at all on 2 x 12's. If I were not bolting the body down I would agree with you. On bodies where I am just quickly moving it and I do not bolt the body down to the 2 x 12's I then make a have a full 4 sided box out of the 2 x 12's bolted to the plywood like my first post in this thread describes so it has full strength pushing it in any direction.

daytonagary, That sure is nice paint. I guess all deuce coupes don't have to be yellow! I still prefer my metallic maroon but purple-blue looks great too! Is that a Bebops coupe? The interior bracing looks similar to the bracing in my Bebops '29 roadster.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Awhile back I saw a thread that showed different ways to remove the body if you didn't have enough people to help. Does any one know the link to that thread? I've been looking since yesterday and can't find it.

Can't tell you one thread that had different ways to remove the body solo, but my method came from Duane Noblett at N&N and is very simple provided the glass is still out of the back & front. Here's a link to the pictures I posted of the coupe, getting ready for a solo lift - Followed Me Home, '33 Build

As I recall, Jack (Henry Rifle) took a different approach that worked equally well, and I'm sure there are others, too.

Lots of good information here, and I thought I'd show my "Dolly"-what I did was to find an old '35-40 frame that had rot (maybe could have been restored), chopped it up, then I went to the local Welding Shop and bought some Casters and tubing-voila'! Instant Cart-I put pins in the Tubing so that I could put in different lengths of Tubing (to make it taller or shorter), and, to make certain that it fit my good Frame, I made templates-

As for taking the Body off of the Dolly, I was concerned (because I had to do it by myself), but I bought some eye bolts and put them through the Body Mount bolt holes (reinforced from behind of course), made a cradle out of Tubing, and carefully figured out where the Body balanced-

Then, I used my cherry picker (inside the Car-choked up the Chains), and prayed (not really! )-it was pretty much a non-event, other than realizing that I had that mass up pretty high-I then pushed my Frame underneath-done-

edit: I did it like the above Post (which was faster than mine!)-

Another way with a typical boom lift; just make sure the hook point is above center mass and balanced.

That is awesome Bob. Never thought of doing it that way.

The salute to American Graffiti car show is this weekend. Had a pre show get together tonight. Always fun, Bo Hopkins and Candy Clark were there!

So cool, I'm going to have to make out there for that sometime. You going to post some pictures?

Here are some lame but funny photos, a rat rod called Prius Killer, looks like it's made from farm impliments, a nice firebird convertible
like my brother had in high school. a little 1960 King Midget, and whatever was in the background when Mr. Orange walked in front of me!

I only took a few shots at the cruise in last night because the sun glare was terrible and I only had the cell phone. Today I have to go to work so will be missing out on the car show for the first time since it started! The people who showed up last night sounded sketchy about attending today due to rain prediction. I'll ask my friends to snap some shots for me!

The prius killer has one of those hideous cummings engines in it. Nice pics, thanks for sharing them!

Finally getting back to work, got the front and back brakes on.

Brake 1.JPG

Brake 2.JPG

And the body is in paint.

Paint 1.JPG

Paint 2.jpg

Paint 3.jpg

Parts are looking great. Can't wait to see the assembly! Thanks for the pics.