Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

[Brooks G.]

A few months ago (April I think) I posted a thread on the forum concerning a body dolly for a C-1 body--a 1956 body in particular. At the time my car was at an out of state shop having extensive body work so I did not have a way to measure anything. I ended up buying the Nolan Adams Body Lift Workbook from NCRS publications. I built my dolly acording to the plans in the workbook(plus or minus 1/16") except that I made it a little higher so that a certain short, one eyed fat man I know could get under the body for cleaning and repair. I sure had egg on my face the afternoon we removed my '56 body from its chassis and went to put it on the dolly. It did not fit to say in the least. I guess the plans in the "Workbook" must be for a mid-year as they don't fit an early car body. In addition there was no support for the rear of the body. Hold down straps were used to hold the rear body to the lower dash till I could attach supports to the rear of the dolly. A picture is attached of one side of the rear support I added. I had assumed the body mount holes in the body floor board would align with the dolly but this was hardly the case. One screw went into wood along the side without problem but the other side had to go in at an angle to hit wood and hold. The rear of the body is held to the dolly with screws through the body mount holes to the rear supports I added. I guess for the most part the body is held to the dolly mainly by weight and gravity along with a few screws. The other 2 pictures I attached are trying to show how the front of the mid section of the dolly is not aligned with the body mount holes at the front of the floorboard. This has been a rather frustrating experience for me. I really don't want to see anyone else go through the same deal. At some point I am probably going to do my own revision of the body dolly drawing to fit an early body. I just hope this post doesn't open up a can or worms. Thanks! Brooks Glover (2141)

[Gary C.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Brooks, if it will help - attached is a link to a previous post with the drawings and photos of the body dolly I built from a very early NCRS Restorer article. Gary....

[Rick C.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Brooks,

You're not alone. I, too, assumed from the workbook drawings and descriptions that the dolly would work for my '62. I ended up adding 2 x 4's to get proper support. I put a lot of work into a dolly that didn't even come close to fitting the body.

Rick

[Ray C.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

I used the same plans to build a wooden dolly for three projects, two C-2s and one C-1. I was not happy with the design. As Rick stated, I also had to add 2"X4" for extra support.

I designed the dolly in the photo from C-1 frame dimensions and body mount locations. With an adjustable support for the radiator mount. It allows you to easily get under the car and into the engine bay. It can also be lifted by a car lift to restore the floor pan of the body. It will be available to any Western New York NCRS member as soon as the body is dropped on to the frame. Hopefully in by the end of September.

Ray

[Steve L.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Nolans body dolly plans should be striken from the face of the earth!

I built it according to the plans except I also made it higher so I could get under it. I built it assuming that the design was good and at the time, I wasn't familiar with the birdcage.

I was totally shocked when I placed the C3 body on the dolly and there was nothing that supported the rocker channels properly.

In addition, here is a list of other problems:
- The main part is not long enough. If you want to raise the body off the rocker channels to do any work on the channels themselves(i.e. replacing them) there is no where to jack up against the battery/jack underbody nor the floor pans. I ended up adding a bunch of other pieces to extend the body dolly out at the back so I could put scissor jacks under these locations.

-There is not enough flat areas under the body dolly to attach a descent set of steel castor wheels

-The plywood braces at the corners are a joke. They don't do anything

-Way too much notching of the 4x4 uprights. This makes it hard to build.
There shouldn't be any notching at all.

-The front part of the dolly doesn't support the front clip at all

-The front part of the dollly is very poorly attached to the back part of the dolly. The two halves will bend where they join if the ground is uneven

-Again, and probably the biggest problem, is the rocker channels are not supported properly. Recently, I saw someone build a body dolly using a 2x10, standing on edge that fit right inside the rocker channel and extended out to the front to support the front clip.

-Not high enough to get underneath to fix things

-There is no sideways bracing to keep the thing from collapsing, although I don't find this a problem

[Steve L.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Brooks, if it will help - attached is a link to a previous post with the drawings and photos of the body dolly I built from a very early NCRS Restorer article. Gary....

Gary,
Where's the link?

[Bill M.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Yikes! lets shoot the guy. Everyone totaly erase Nolans design from your brain, ok, do it again! Now make your own that will be perfect the first time out.
I used his with a couple of modifications and wallah it works fine. Cut the guy some slack he came up with a good start.
We are all still awaiting for a better mouse trap.

[Steve L.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Yikes! lets shoot the guy. Everyone totaly erase Nolans design from your brain, ok, do it again! Now make your own that will be perfect the first time out.
I used his with a couple of modifications and wallah it works fine. Cut the guy some slack he came up with a good start.
We are all still awaiting for a better mouse trap.

Your right, as a first off design it was great, but it's been what.... a couple of decades that this design is out. And he is selling it in his book on body lifts. So he is making money of it. So it should be a lot more usable without any mods.

I was really p**d, when I had the body dangling up on an engine hoist and nowhere to rest it on the body dolly properly. I had to get some 4X4 to put into the channels as a desparate attempt to salvage it. And NO, he is making money on it, I EXPECT it to work!

[Jim H.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

I borrowed an old beefy body dolly from someone locally. It was designed to accomodate C1/C2s. It is quite strong and did not require any bolts. Plus, the body sits low enough for me to work in the dash area.

I prefer the lower height since I have quite a bit of work to complete the interior. getting into the firewall can be problematic though not too bad.

The body is not flexing nor is it sitting uneven. My only concern is the wheels do not lock in place. I have to put things around the wheels to prevent it from moving. Luckily it is not on smooth concrete.

[Bill M.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Yes he was making money off of the book but i got the print right off of a link in the NCRS web site. The dollie is much better suited for mid year coupes.

[Brooks G.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Guys, I have been out of pocket since I posted this thread till now. I am truly sorry to hear that there are at least several others who have experienced the same frustration I have with the Nolan Adams body dolly design. I think it is probably more suited for mid-years although it still lacks support for the rear of the body. I wonder if the folks at NCRS publications know about this? I may have to call them about it. It certainly is a bumber to spend the time and money to build this dolly that doesn't fit the body. It is a heck of a note to find out that the dolly doesn't fit your body after you have just raised your body and moved the dolly in place. It is like someone just dropped a t--d in the punchbowl. BTW, did anyone get the link that Gary Chestnut posted about a dolly plan for an old copy of the restorer? I don't see it on my computer. Thanks again for the replies! Brooks Glover (2141)

[Gary C.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Brooks, sorry about that my bad, evidentally I didn't follow John's great "photo how to" FAQ's exactly. Here's the body dolly info for 56 and 57 before rocker panel re-enforcements. To use with 57's & up with rocker panel re-enforcements the width could be one inch narrow or use a 1x4 on top to raise the body up and provide clearance for the rocker panel metal re-enforcements. Gary....

[Steve L.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Gary,
Thanks for the attachment.
This is what I was writing about--no notching anywhere, good flat spots to mount the casters on, side braces, vertical support in the middle

[Troy P.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

This is not rocket science. Can't anyone post a wood design that will work, including supporting the front and rear properly?

[Gary C.]

Re: Body Dolly Problems on C-1 Body

Troy, the design I posted did not include info on the nose support, which I didn't capture at the time I built the body dolly. It's very simple to build a 2x4 support for the nose. First prop the body nose up from the ground with a vertical 2x4, jack or whatever. Then construct a 2x4 or angle iron frame (one on each side that comes together as a point under the nose) that's connected with screws at the bottom of the dolly front frame. Use screws into the wood or angle iron so the nose prop can swivel. Then take the "v" shaped nose prop and either use a rachet tie or cable with a turn buckle to raise the prop up to support the nose. Hope this helps. Gary....