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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:15 am Post subject: Body Lift Method |
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Sorry if I'm duplicating an old post but I plan on lifting my body soon and ran across this while doing a google search:
The original picture is found here: https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2007/05/Top-Ghia---1956-Karmann-Ghia/1454797.html
I'm probably going to end up lifting the car solo so I need to figure out a safe way to do this. But is this going to tear the roof off?! LOL
I mean it would work for a Beetle for sure. I'm thinking of attaching straps in the engine and trunk area instead. Then just roll my dolly underneath. _________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12815 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:56 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Peter D. wrote: |
Sorry if I'm duplicating an old post but I plan on lifting my body soon and ran across this while doing a google search:
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NOOOOOO! That roof & pillars are not meant to support the body like that. I'm sure that that method caused damage to the window flanges, some warpage of the roof & possibly some door alignment issues.
If you have to use an engine hoist, run a pipe or 2x4 under the body, above the suspension, & loop a 2" ratchet strap over the protruding ends & over the body so that the hoist can pick up one end at a time.
The factory used wide padded hooks on the fender arches.
Stolen from the gallery.
Notice that the framing makes it so the hooks are not pulled inwards. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:25 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Yeah! That was my initial reaction too but when I saw it was on Hemmings I figured they knew something I didn't know.
I think I can get a 2x4 into the engine bay and maybe in the gas tank area. _________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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CiderGuy Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013 Posts: 1351 Location: Bucks County, Pa
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 10:39 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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I tried using a 4x4 from above with a vert and it snapped the board. Also pull the motor first, so you don't need to lift as high.
I ended up using two rolling floor jacks and that broken 4x4 to lift the body off the car, under the wheel wells. |
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c21darrel Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009 Posts: 8206 Location: San Dimas
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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Well, my house has sagging floors and I'm not sure if I want to take that risk. Watch the floors collapse and the insurance company laugh at me and my wife divorce me! _________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12815 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Peter D. wrote: |
Well, my house has sagging floors and I'm not sure if I want to take that risk. Watch the floors collapse and the insurance company laugh at me and my wife divorce me! |
You know... that might be the cheap way out _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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c21darrel Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009 Posts: 8206 Location: San Dimas
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Loren Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004 Posts: 1694
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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This is how I put the body back on. Worked great with no damage to the roof.
My Ghia was a little lighter since it was missing the nose section and portions of the front fenders. |
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Mellow Yellow 74 Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014 Posts: 1615 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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I wouldn't lift the body using the roof - can't you find three friends, neighbours, random strangers to help for 10 minutes? _________________ 1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon) |
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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:16 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
Peter D. wrote: |
Well, my house has sagging floors and I'm not sure if I want to take that risk. Watch the floors collapse and the insurance company laugh at me and my wife divorce me! |
You know... that might be the cheap way out |
Haha, she hates the car but things haven't gotten THAT bad yet. _________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Well, I've never seen that. Is that a scaffolding jack?
I've got some people coming over Sunday... I decided I didn't want to invest money in a bunch of equipment I might use twice and then take up space in my garage until I sell at a massive loss on Craigslist.... story of my life!
Loren wrote: |
This is how I put the body back on. Worked great with no damage to the roof.
My Ghia was a little lighter since it was missing the nose section and portions of the front fenders. |
_________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12815 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:15 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Eh, that’s gonna be a crap shoot. Not that many a VW body haven’t been removed by a bunch of buddies but imagine it as trying to be a pallbearer of some 5-600# guy when the casket is attached to the hearse with bolts, glue, & wires. You’ll need at least four guys so they can hold it while you pry & disconnect shit that you either forgot or got snagged on something else as the body is being separated (like the heater cables to the body or the battery cable to the starter.). _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2867 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:58 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Mellow Yellow 74 wrote: |
I wouldn't lift the body using the roof - can't you find three friends, neighbours, random strangers to help for 10 minutes? |
I agree. I found a man with a dodgy shoulder and 2 women, one old and arthritic and the other heavily pregnant. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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Evil_Fiz Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011 Posts: 1031 Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 6:33 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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You can do the body separation and lifting by yourself. Here's how:
1) Build your dolly
2) Build a gantry lift
3) Lift one end of the car onto the dolly then the other
For the hoist and actual lifting
You will need some 2x6 Lumber, a 2x4 or 1.5 inch square tubing, wood screws, a come-along, and a chain or towing strap. My hoist is built entirely out of 2x6 lumber. I used deck screws to hold everything together but feel fre to step it up a bit in this department. Place the a length of 2x4 or 1.5" tubing across the underside of the wheel arches. Use the come-along and chain or towing strap, attached to the center of the cross bar, to lift the body. Go slow and it will all fall into place. TDCTDI is right, you will find things keeping the body and chassis together while you try yo lift the body off. This approach grants you some leverage in breaking the seal between the body and pan. I did it by myself, in my driveway in about 90 Min.
This plan mounts the body onto the dolly using the wheel arches. The dolly I built is a shortened version which mounts the body using the area under the napoleon hat and the rear body to pan mounts. I built my dolly using 2x6 lumber because it's what I had available for free. You can use a 2x6s in place of the 4x4 cross members as long as you brace them with angle iron along the underside. Ignore the caster size in the drawing. Use 5" or 6" casters. Trust me on this one You may aslso want to use fixed casters on one end and swivel casters on the other. This will keep the dolly from wandering while you are moving it.
In process
A come-along is always handy to have around and the lumber can be repurposed once you are done with your build.
...we're all in this together,
Emil _________________ “…It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.”
kiwighia68
See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted |
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RickS Samba Member
Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 420 Location: Speonk, NY
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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I took this body off and on the dolly and chassis several times during the build by myself using nothing but a floor jack, jack stands and a little Giant ladder. It's really no big deal.
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slalombuggy Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2010 Posts: 9131 Location: Canada
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Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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I lifted my bare body 3 times with my chainfall hoist using 2 2x4s and tie down straps. U put one across the roof through the side window openings and one out the front and rear windows with 4 straps going to the hook on the hoist. No distortion of window lips or rain gutters. Easy peasey
brad |
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Peter D. Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004 Posts: 718 Location: Stamford, CT
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:22 am Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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Finally got my body off just using basic manpower. Took 30 seconds! I was just overthinking things and being nervous.
It looks crusty as hell but that's part of the fun I guess!
_________________ 2019 Golf Alltrack, '65 Ghia Coupe Restoration in Progress |
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Evil_Fiz Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011 Posts: 1031 Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: Body Lift Method |
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It's hard to tell from the picture but do you have any longitudinal bracing on the dolly? I don't see any triangulating (diagonal) braces and it's hard to tell if there is an upper longitudinal runner. (That's a lot of 50 Cent words there ) If it's there, carry on, otherwise you may want to add some. You may also want to add triangular braces or right angle "L" brackets to the cross member corners. It would be a shame to see that Ghia injured on the ground.
On a positive note, excellent choice on caster size and the chassis, seat rails, and suspension look to be in decent shape. The floors don't look too bad either. Now the fun begins.
_________________ “…It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.”
kiwighia68
See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted |
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c21darrel Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009 Posts: 8206 Location: San Dimas
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