66 Chevelle Body Cart Questions

[SDC1966]

Ok so this weekend I am going be constructing this body cart. I just have a few questions. I plan on mounting the car to the cart using the body mount locations. I was wondering, do I need to use the actual body mount bushings when mounting the car up. The main reason I am building the cart is do extensive sheet metal work to the car. I have braced the car on the inside also. Will this cart be sufficient enough to do what I plan on?? Here is a rough draft picture.

[Happyfunballs]

Why not just sit the body on the rockers inside of the pinch welds? If you do it as drawn, you won't need the bushings, but you will need a flat spot for the body to sit on at each pin. Hope that makes sense.

[MrQuick]

I would make a little closer to the ground and add a few cross bars. Heres a nice one built by the guys on Dream car Garage.

24" can be high, especially without a good floor jack or lift.

your mounting points will depend on the work being preformed. Body mounting areas are stronger, pinch welds are great too unless you have rocker work on the list.

[SDC1966]

Yea, I was thinking that might be a little high also. I could cut that in half and go 12" instead. Yea I will be doing rocker work, but at the same time I will be replacing floor and trunk pans, which consist of the body mount areas also.

[rixtrix1]

When I did My Malibu, I used the rocker area just outside the pinchweld, as I planned to install the frame while the body was on the cart. It had four uprights with a piece of 1-1/2" angle iron on the top of each riser. I then beveled a 2x4 to fit the contour of the rocker from the pinchweld out and bolted it to the angle iron. A piece of light flat steel held a 2x6 connecting all four risers in a boxshape. 2 "X" braces of 1"x1/8" strap between the 2 rear risers and 2 front risers provided stability.I then added a set of four 8" casters from a moveable scaffold providing easy mobility. It easily unbolts for storage, and by using wood for stringers, it's easily adaptable to other projects. It turned out to be 22" off the floor, which worked out great to grind, scrape, etc. while on a creeper.

I didn't support the trunk area off the cart. Went off the floor when necessary. If your rockers are not totally gone, I'd support the body there first and do the floors, then move your cart to body mounts to the inside and do the rockers. A stripped body really isn't that heavy, but you just have to make sure the cart can't rack and fall down.

Ric