37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[IC2]

Hi Randy - saw your first msg yesterday but for whatever reason the site has been down every time I've tried to respond. Oh well, nothin' new for here - but most of us just live with the problem.

Sorry about your 'cold snap'

Sounds like you had less then an exciting "vacation" with hammer in hand.

That new garage space must be a godsend after the single car garage - don't forget that old Jr high axiom about vacuums and nature abhorring them. An empty garage is exactly the same and will fill with treasures you never knew you owned or ever thought wanted

My progress has been more then tempered by the weather. I have two propane heaters now but when the temp is hovering in the negative digits to <20, they don't make a lot of headway. Then there is the precipitation. Since Thanksgiving, we have had a major ice storm and snow once or twice a week, including yesterday's 5-6 inches the 2 hours of freezing rain. It took over 2.5 hours to clear the drive.

Back to your question on the body weight - my guess would be in the 1000 pound range. My roadster as shipped was about 400. My '31 Slant windshield, empty body, with doors, no glass or roof wood was ~700 (4 of us put it on my truck).

What I would do is build a reinforcing frame across the rafters out of 2x4 or 2x6x10'/12' timbers doubled up to spread the load then use a lolly column as close to the car for the actual weight bearing members. Then wrap your chainfall hanger(s)-mine are 3/8" case chain. I have some long construction jacks that are used - and they are really just HD lolly columns. Depending on how the rafters run, you might have to make 2 sets - then 2x4's will work fine.

This is how I did mine - can't really see much, but I have the reinforcing in my rafters:

[randyr]

Back to your question on the body weight - my guess would be in the 1000 pound range. My roadster as shipped was about 400. My '31 Slant windshield, empty body, with doors, no glass or roof wood was ~700 (4 of us put it on my truck).

What I would do is build a reinforcing frame across the rafters out of 2x4 or 2x6x10'/12' timbers doubled up to spread the load then use a lolly column as close to the car for the actual weight bearing members. Then wrap your chainfall hanger(s)-mine are 3/8" case chain. I have some long construction jacks that are used - and they are really just HD lolly columns. Depending on how the rafters run, you might have to make 2 sets - then 2x4's will work fine.

This is how I did mine - can't really see much, but I have the reinforcing in my rafters:

My rafters are 2x12" on 16" centers spanning about 20'. They run parallel to the car. I spoke to another friend this morning who suggested bolting a 2x4 steel tube to one wall, run it through the front part of the rear windows and support the other end with a post. He said the body balanced perfectly but he supported the ends with some other stands. Here's a pic of what he meant: Of course, you know that by taking the body off I open myself up to all kinds of other modifications that I might now deem necessary.....LOL! Yikes!