Body Buck Over Daily Driver?

[BeePea]

Hello experts!

Are there plans out there somewhere for a roadster body buck that can sit over a daily driver in the garage so that you can still open the doors and such of the daily driver while storing the body above it?

My garage ceiling height is quite low and there isn't enough room to store the body above the space needed for to garage door to clear, since my daily driver is low (Camaro) I have plenty of unused space above it to leverage so I was thinking a buck that could straddle the Camaro would be best. This gives me plenty of room to work around the Cobra and not have to move the buck around to do so.

Thanks!

[phileas_fogg]

The easiest way to accomplish what you want is to use the standard body buck plan but do away with the 2x4s at the bottom of the legs & shorten the diagonal braces to the legs. However, every time you move the buck it'll wobble like a new-born giraffe.

If you've got access to a router with a T-slot cutting bit you could make those bottom 2x4s removable by using pegs (on the inside of the legs so you don't catch your ankle on them every time you walk by). Slip the slotted braces over the pegs & most of the wobble should be eliminated.

Note that you may have to make the buck wider than the plans indicate so that it will straddle your Camaro.


John

[BeePea]

The easiest way to accomplish what you want is to use the standard body buck plan but do away with the 2x4s at the bottom of the legs & shorten the diagonal braces to the legs. However, every time you move the buck it'll wobble like a new-born giraffe.

If you've got access to a router with a T-slot cutting bit you could make those bottom 2x4s removable by using pegs (on the inside of the legs so you don't catch your ankle on them every time you walk by). Slip the slotted braces over the pegs & most of the wobble should be eliminated.

Note that you may have to make the buck wider than the plans indicate so that it will straddle your Camaro.


John

Thanks for the input, was absolutely factoring in making it wider and knew about needing to remove the bottom 2x4. Thinking maybe the plywood across the bottom of the body that people normally use as a shelf could also help stabilize it. Don't have the router to do the rest.

[Al_C]

Editorial comment: I'd rather have a rolling body buck over my work in progress than my daily driver. My garage door is standard height (7 feet) and my buck fit over the roadster and under the door. Considering that you'd have to remove the bottom 2x4s, and that the verticals are relatively long, there's still going to be play/wobble. I'd hate to have the buck collapse on top of a camaro, or anything else for that matter. Yes, it takes away a minute or two from your work time, but it's easy to roll the buck in and out. An added benefit is that even if the garage door is closed, but the buck is outside, your friends driving by will know you're hard at work on the roaster! Best of luck with whichever path you take!

[Cobradavid]

Here are pics of my body buck. It was tall enough to fit over the chassis, even when it was a rolling chassis. It had a shelf and that was very convenient for storing stuff (like a fuel tank :)). It had a ~10-12" tall vertical piece of chip board that went between the front and rear "bulkheads," running perpendicular to the shelf. That piece gave it a little more stiffness to prevent wobbling.

I don't remember the dimensions, but I'm 100% sure there was not enough clearance under the buck for a Camero. Not even the roadster with a windshield installed would fit under my buck.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137816&d=1605570926

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137817&d=1605570939

Before the chassis was a roller, I would roll the buck out of the garage to work on the chassis. Once the chassis had wheels, I could roll out either the chassis or the buck.

I think it might be a challenge to get the buck tall enough to clear your Camero and but low enough to get the body on top without hitting the garage door.

David

[BeePea]

Here are pics of my body buck. It was tall enough to fit over the chassis, even when it was a rolling chassis. It had a shelf and that was very convenient for storing stuff (like a fuel tank :)). It had a ~10-12" tall vertical piece of chip board that went between the front and rear "bulkheads," running perpendicular to the shelf. That piece gave it a little more stiffness to prevent wobbling.

I don't remember the dimensions, but I'm 100% sure there was not enough clearance under the buck for a Camero. Not even the roadster with a windshield installed would fit under my buck.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137816&d=1605570926

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137817&d=1605570939

Before the chassis was a roller, I would roll the buck out of the garage to work on the chassis. Once the chassis had wheels, I could roll out either the chassis or the buck.

I think it might be a challenge to get the buck tall enough to clear your Camero and but low enough to get the body on top without hitting the garage door.

David

I really wasn't wanting pull the body out each time I went to work on the car... Ugh. Need to think about this.

[CraigS]

Skip the buck altogether. Make the 2x4 spreader for the cockpit and lift it w/ ropes and pulleys and rubber covered J hooks at each wheel well opening. Search for installing body yourself for pics of someone's rig (Kliener?).

[Jeff Kleiner]

Skip the buck altogether. Make the 2x4 spreader for the cockpit and lift it w/ ropes and pulleys and rubber covered J hooks at each wheel well opening. Search for installing body yourself for pics of someone's rig (Kliener?).

Agree with Craig. Although I do this for putting bodies on and off by myself rather than storage there is no reason that you can't just hoist it up high and leave it long term.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137862&d=1605619774

Jeff

137862

[BeePea]

Agree with Craig. Although I do this for putting bodies on and off by myself rather than storage there is no reason that you can't just hoist it up high and leave it long term.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137862&d=1605619774

Jeff

137862

This was my original goal, but my garage ceiling is very low and it won't cut it. My FIL has some space and maybe I can keep it there. I measured from the top of my Camaro to the bottom of my garage door last night and there is three feet, likely not enough space for the buck/body.

[rich grsc]

Have a back yard? Leave it there, no need for it to be inside.

[RJD]

Hanging the body from the garage ceiling wasn't a long term option for me since it would preclude opening the garage door. But this body buck design using rigid tie connectors allowed me to forgo lower bracing - I was able to roll out the chassis from the side of the body buck to the empty garage bay.

Even with the tires installed and the chassis on wheel dollies I could still maneuver it out from beneath the buck from the side. Once the sidepipes were on, it was still do-able but only just barely. You can pick up the rigid tie connectors at Home Depot.

137872

137873

137880

[BeePea]

Have a back yard? Leave it there, no need for it to be inside.

Townhome with no backyard.

[BeePea]

Hanging the body from the garage ceiling wasn't a long term option for me since it would preclude opening the garage door. But this body buck design using rigid tie connectors allowed me forgo lower bracing. - I was able to roll out the chassis from the side of the body buck to the empty garage bay.

Even with the tires installed and the chassis on wheel dollies I could still maneuver it out from beneath the buck from the side. Once the sidepipes were on, it was still do-able but only just barely. You can pick up the rigid tie connectors at Home Depot.

137872

137873

137880

Interesting, something to consider for sure. This could work to also keep both cars in the garage but angle the part of the car I am working on. Thank you!

[D Stand]

BeePea - I am up in Bothell and have a raised buck and some lifting eyes for raising and lowering. I know my shop is not your situation but if you wanted to see a few options to take measurements we can line up a time.

Dale

[BeePea]

I would like to tape out my garage for the cobra footprint, what size are people using for that?

[CDXXVII]

Double check your ceiling height. My ceiling is not very tall and the lowest point of the body buck ended up at about 6'-4" above the floor. It hung there over three years and it never felt in the way.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=137934&d=1599882412

[BeePea]

137935

Maybe dumb of me, but I haven't considered rotating it 90 degrees like you have. That may work.

[Jeff Kleiner]

I would like to tape out my garage for the cobra footprint, what size are people using for that?

6' x 13'

Jeff

[Rsnake]

I just left my body outside the entire time I was building. The weather won't hurt it and it's out of your way.
I intend to do the same thing with the coupe which should arrive in a few weeks.

[BeePea]

I just left my body outside the entire time I was building. The weather won't hurt it and it's out of your way.
I intend to do the same thing with the coupe which should arrive in a few weeks.

I wish, I live in a townhome and don't have the outdoor space.

[Rsnake]

That does complicate things. I actually had the body sitting in my front yard and put a tesla sticker on the nose and had a lot of comments.

[Big Blocker]

https://i.postimg.cc/0j9cS3GL/DSC00008.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mz6Yfm5w)

Easy to do if you have the ceiling space . . . Yes, I did have to "duck under" a bit due to low ceiling, but it worked for doing my "winter mods" every year I did them.

Doc

[CraigS]

1. The body is less than 3 ft tall. 2. Look at CDXXVVII's pic and note the lowest part of the body is the front scoop. The rear valance is maybe 6 inches higher than that. Also note that in between the front and rear there is nothing but the rocker panel area. I think your DD will drive under the body fine.

[rich grsc]

137935

Maybe dumb of me, but I haven't considered rotating it 90 degrees like you have. That may work.

That looks like plenty of room. You don't need a body buck, just use padded hooks in the wheel wells, like in Jeff's picture, hoist it up till in touches the ceiling. I had one hung like that for over 6 yrs.