Removing the fiberglass body from my CCX

[767Jockey]

I'm about ready to remove the 'glass body from my CCX. Everything is disconnected, steering shaft gone, wiring, etc. The hood is off, the trunk lid and doors still on. The interior is out, the engine and transmission is out. Now for the questions:
How do I handle the body? Is it ok for four guys each to lift by a wheel well? What's the best way to lift it? How much can I expect it to weigh? It is painted if that matters. Can 4 guys handle it? I intend to store it temporarily on the garage floor next to the car. My intent is to get two lengths of 6" x 6" wood, and have the body sit on them the same place it sat on the main frame rails. Is this ok? Any answers or ideas anyone may have are appreciated. It's my first time doing this and I don't want to mess it up. Thanks.

[RACER X #99]

You don't need four guys, you need an engine hoist and a jig made out of a 2X4 and a 2" piece of angle iron for the backbone. You place the jig between the dash and the back of the drivers compartment(they are both reinforced with steel tubing) and hoist away, I have removed my Contemporary body several times that way and suffered no cracks in the body.

OR

you can do the four friends deal and a couple of cases of your favorite drink and the results will be the same.

RD


BTW good idea to support the trunk area just like the frame does.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by RACER X #99

BTW good idea to support the trunk area just like the frame does.

I thought of that - just can't think of a good way to do it. What do you figure the body weighs?

[jdog]

Please post pictures & comments on how difficult this turns out to be. I am considering doing the same thing.

Thank you
jdog

[767Jockey]

No problem. So far it's been a lot of work just getting everything disconnected and out of the way. I hadn't initially planned on taking the body off but I realized that I'm at a point of having only a few bolts to come out and off it comes. With the body off I can really clean up the frame and the rear suspension, and really get at the rear inboard mounted Jag brake calipers and redo all the brakes and brake lines, as well as the fuel line. It's just makes the whole restoration process that much easier. I'll let you know how the body removal goes.

[cobred]

Does the body come off in one piece with the interior tub, the trunk sides and floor and the front firewall and inner fenders or is it just a skin like a ffr?

[mickmate]

Contemporaries have the cockpit moulded in. It is a very rigid (and nice shaped) body. Hey Doug that's great progress, think about hanging the body up out of the way then you can use the space underneath it for storage of parts. A good rugged ratchet strap under both ends should hold it up nicely. Peter Bayer climbed up on a CCX when I toured his facility and jumped on a car like a mad man, never flexed! No worries lifting that off.

[767Jockey]

Where and how would I attach the straps to the body, Nick?

[mickmate]

I would run a couple of pieces of lumber under where the frame rails go and go through the fender wells and under or into the lumber.

[Rick Parker]

It may be a good Idea to make some lateral bars that would attach at the hingepoint and striker plate or door lock mechanism area. This will prevent the body from flexing and putting stress on the area through the floorboard. My car has the floorpan as an integral part of the body and it really stiffened it up (with the doors removed) so it could be moved without damage. I used 1/8" plate and 1" box tubing.

[1985 CCX]

Doug,

Get a hold of Tom Pulsifer in the owners group. He has had the body off at least 4 times and now has it suspended in the rafters of his garage. He is an expert regarding CCX body removal.

[767Jockey]

Jeff,
Can you email me his email address? Thanks!

[mrmustang]

What you want is to create a small square lift by using 2X4's bolted together. At the corners you want to make sure that they overhang away from the body (make it 90" long) at least 6 inches. Bolt through some sturdy (not from home depo) eye hooks and attach a block and tackle pulley system above on your ceiling rafters, slide it in under the body (I've bolted one side to the other cross ways to creat a stiffer cradle assembly) and hook it up to the pulley system and awsay it goes.

Hope you find this helpful.

Bill S.

PS: For those who keep pointing you to an outside source, the whole reason to ask and answer the wuestions here is so everyone can reap the benefits of those questions and answers without having to go elsewhere. Together we all grow stronger, apart we fracture and splinter and cannot learn from one another.

[CobraDan]

When building my Elegant Motors I had the body off and on many times, fitting different things. By myself I used a roll of seat belt webbing material which I had a very large roll of which I bought at a flea market for a couple of bucks. I made the webbing into a figure eight through the wheel wells and picked it with my engine hoist making sure it was center balanced etc., no problems. There can’t be any Cobra body that weighs more than an Elegant Motors as the cock pit is attached to the body and it has to be over a ½ thick plus it’s a stretched Cobra. Of course the easiest way is having 3 other friends one at each corner of the Cobra just picking it up and setting it on the floor. If your thinking it is to heavy for your 3 friends also remove the trunk and doors.

[mickmate]

PS: For those who keep pointing you to an outside source, the whole reason to ask and answer the wuestions here is so everyone can reap the benefits of those questions and answers without having to go elsewhere. Together we all grow stronger, apart we fracture and splinter and cannot learn from one another.[/quote]
Hey Bill cut the holier than thou attitude with Jeff. He does a fantastic job with a CCX registry, shares information and writes technical and installation articles, networks like crazy about his breed and the marque generally. He is also one of the few contributors on CC that shares and contributes "useful" information on a regular basis. Jeff is one of the guys that takes it from a chat room to a real Cobra site! I know he would have posted any good info he found if the other guys didn't if you'd cool your jets for a bit. Leave the good ones alone, we want him here!

[mrmustang]

mickmate,

Mine was a general statement, not directed at any one person. As for CCX information, you would be surprised at how much is actually here, but not here.

Bill S.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

As for CCX information, you would be surprised at how much is actually here, but not here.

Bill S.

Bill,
I'm not sure what you mean. Could you please elaborate?

[bmwdb10]

Bill,

Cheers to Mickmate!

You forget that we proud CCX owners do not have the benefit of a mfr to rely on for any technical info let alone something as involved as pulling a body. Jeff has spent and exhaustive amount of time putting the CCX Owners Group togeter and I am pleased and proud to be a part of it. Thanks and kudos to Jeff and his hard work. 767 is in the midst of a comprehensive resto on his CCX and any help and/or suggestion is worth the asking. CC has served it's purpose in directing him to someone that might have an answer to his question. While any input to this question is helpful, that specific to the CCX will no doubt be more useful.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

Bill,
I'm not sure what you mean. Could you please elaborate?

Meaning the power base and knowledge pool that is here lurking instead of posting due to people such as Mickmate. Splintering a knowledge base does nothing but dillute the shared information and make people disenchanted. That was one of the reasons why this site was started in the first place. United we should stand, regardless of marque/make in order to share all of our wisdom and knowledge with one another. For if not, would you have made the purchase in the first place?


Bill S.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Meaning the power base and knowledge pool that is here lurking instead of posting due to people such as Mickmate. Splintering a knowledge base does nothing but dillute the shared information and make people disenchanted. That was one of the reasons why this site was started in the first place. United we should stand, regardless of marque/make in order to share all of our wisdom and knowledge with one another. For if not, would you have made the purchase in the first place?


Bill S.

WADR, I just don't see it, Bill. The CCX owners group, as Nick and Dave have said, was started and run by Jeff on his own time, and he has done a fantastic job in organizing it and making it a tremendously valuable resource for us Contemporary orphans. I know you've been involved with CCX cars in the past, and perhaps (almost surely) you have a lot more experience with CCX and Cobras in general than I do. That being said, by far the most difficult aspect of doing what has now become a complete frame up restoration of my car is the fact that unlike almost all other owners I have no manufacturer to turn to for advise or even worse parts. The CCX owners group has become that resource for me, as there is simply no other alternative. For that I am completely in debt to Jeff and the group members in general.

Club Cobra is another resource for me, equally valuable. They are not mutually exclusive, but rather complement each other splendidly. Early in the ownership of my car you were tremendously helpful in determining certain aspects of my car, for which I was and remain very grateful. That's a perfect illustration of how both groups are so helpful, especially for relative neophytes like me.

Mickmate (Nick) has become one of my prime crutches for help, information and parts for my car. Along the way he has become a friend. Quite honestly, I don't know what I'd do without him. I was introduced to Nick through the CCX group, and maintain contact with him in many ways including CC. Your comments about Nick being a negative influence on some "lurkers" here on CC are very puzzling to me, as my experience with him, and my observations of his interactions with other members, has been the complete opposite. Nick has always been a tremendous help, and his input has always been given in the most positive and helpful way, both via the CC site and within the CCX group. Again, the synergy of the two groups is a positive, not a hinderence to either.

Lately I've communicated with Dave as well on the pro's and con's of the Watts linkage rear suspension setup. I may be mistaken, but I believe that this setup is relatively unique to the CCX cars. Dave's input has been tremendously valuable as well.

I guess what I'm trying to say in my admittedly long winded and rambling response is that the CCX group is a tremendous asset to those of us trying to resurrect these great but orphaned CCX cars, and the Club Cobra site is equally as valuable as well. Together, they are a greater value than the individual parts, they complement each other tremendously.

The input that the CCX group has had to my project, and the input that the Club Cobra site members have so generously given, are all greatly appreciated, including the help that you personally have given. Hopefully that will continue. Lets focus on the positives and the synergies of all the separate marque groups with the parent group which is Club Cobra. Thanks for all your help in the past and hopefully in the future.
Doug