MTFCA Forum

Hi all,
I have a 26 touring body on an earlier frame and would like to switch it on to a 26 frame that I have; some time this summer. I would love to hear from anybody on the process of bracing and lifting it as well as any pitfalls that I might encounter. What's the weight of the 26 body with no seats or interior? Thanks so much for your replies.
John

A 26 roadster should lift off easy with 2 or 3 guys no bracing required. If the column is out put a 2x4 from 2 stand on either side one under the rear take the chassis out from under the front easy job

Here is a picture of stands I made for my 26 when I was working on it. This picture shows me painting the car. I could also get under and paint the underside of the body. If you turn the body around, you can back the chassis right under the body. Then two men can can lower one end of the body onto the chassis then the other end.
Norm

Karl Von Neumann wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 10, 2024 3:29 pm

A 26 roadster should lift off easy with 2 or 3 guys no bracing required. If the column is out put a 2x4 from 2 stand on either side one under the rear take the chassis out from under the front easy job

Yes, three or four reasonably healthy adults will have no problem. You can shift and adjust the body by yourself once it is Set in place

Over the years I have had a team of helpers lift the body onto a number of restorations. A couple of 2x3" bearers and a helper on each end left me free to supervise and line stuff up.

I did get into trouble when i built my shooting brake, with not inviting the lift team to help. the body was on stands in my workshop where I built it. I rolled the chassis in beside it and slid the body across on a couple of longer 3x2" all by myself.

Allan from down under.

Thanks folks for the helpful information. I'll use it this summer. Photos to follow.
John

I've done it by myself on a Fordor. Undo the body bolts. Jack the body corners to get a 2x4 block between the body rail and chassis rails. Slide a long 2x4 across pretty much in the locations Norm shows. Jack up and crib the extended 'stick'. Wheel the chassis out from underneath. Reverse process later.

Caution---first time I tried this brilliance, the car was nose in while in my garage! I could not jack/crib it high enough to get the chassis out...engine too tall (shrug). Had to lay it back on the chassis, wheel it out of the garage, turn it around and back it in. 2nd time was a charm

Caution 2 ---rather than remove but one layer of crib at a time when done and lowering, the garage was open rafted and I made a climbing harness for myself and tossed a line over a 2 x 12 joist, lashed through the window openings and had wifey knock over the cribbing piles...how heavy can a Fordor body with doors still in really be?

Wifey never laughed so hard in her life when I did the Wyle E. Coyote 'splat' against the 'now' resting on the chassis rail body and she had to cut me down

I removed the body from my 24 Coupe completely by myself and reinstalled it the opposite way by myself.

To simply put it I removed all the body to frame bolts and anything else. I jacked up the main body and moved saw horses under it and set it down on the saw horses.


I rolled out the chassis from underneath the body by the engine side. After I rolled it out I then began to replace any wood or whatever. You can do it this way with most any T.

When you do it this way the details on what else to do will become self evident. You don’t need two or three extra guys or chain falls and etc.

After the body itself is rebuilt or whatever roll the completed chassis restoration under the main body and rebolt it to frame. Then you reinstall the running boards, aprons and the fenders you removed to roll out the main body and chassis at the beginning.