Can you store a body outside? How flexible is the body off the chassis?

[rsw81]

Hey guys,
Doing the final planning for where all the boxes, body, and chassis are going when my kit arrives middle of July. My wife isn't too keen on the body hanging from the ceiling above her car in the garage and I'm not entirely sure it will fit down the bulk-head door into my basement without some serious bending/tweaking of the body to get it down there. Current plan is the put the chassis on a 4-post list over my daily driver, wife parked in garage slot #2, don't know where the body is going.
My questions are 2 fold:

1) how much bending / compression can the body take to fit down a steep bulk-head stairs into a 6' entry to the basement?

2) can one store the body outside under a tarp until it's ready to get on the chassis? Keep in mind I live in New England with a decent amount of snow coverage in winter.

Thanks,
Rob

[Papa]

You can definitely store the body outdoors, but want it well supported to keep it from deforming under the weight of a heavy snow. It's flexible, but within reason. I wouldn't try to flex it too much. That said, I've actually seen where guys have cut it in half at the bottom of the door jambs to store it, not that I'd recommend that. Hanging it from the ceiling is a good option. It doesn't weigh much more than 100 pounds, so a couple of bicycles storage hoists will do the trick.

[phileas_fogg]

F5 used to store their bodies outside, just set on the ground, with nary a body buck or cockpit brace to be seen. There's a picture on the other forum of a bunch of them sitting haphazardly in their yard with about 6" of snow on the ground. If you've got a three-year build going, I'd go with a body buck & brace out in the yard.

I would NOT try to bring a body into your basement. The doorway you describe is just too small, and that's just asking for trouble.


John

[CraigS]

F5 used to store their bodies outside, just set on the ground, with nary a body buck or cockpit brace to be seen. There's a picture on the other forum of a bunch of them sitting haphazardly in their yard with about 6" of snow on the ground. If you've got a three-year build going, I'd go with a body buck & brace out in the yard.

I would NOT try to bring a body into your basement. The doorway you describe is just too small, and that's just asking for trouble.


John

I agree on the basement. Although many get away w/o it, I like using the brace between the front and rear cockpit edges. That makes it easy to carry around in it's normal position. I haven't been as happy when rolling it over on it's back so going down stairs and though a door w/ it at 90 deg is going to be iffy. If you have room for the car in your garage you have room for the body above it. Either a buck or, much easier, bicycle hoists. Set them up to lift it at the top of each wheel opening in the fender. This moves the lift points far enough in from the ends where we usually pick them up that you don't even need the brace.

[Just puttering]

image.jpg how tall is your living room ceiling?

[BigUgly]

rsw81,

Where in New England are you? I am in RI and I would suggest that if you have the room outside, spend a couple hundred bucks and get yourself a 12 x 20 Shelter Logic Garage in a Box. The peak of the roof is 8' high and the snow just slides off the roof onto the ground. My body spent quite a bit of time in its own portable garage, and you have plenty of room in there to store other things or actually work on the body if you don't want all the sanding dust in your regular garage. Just a thought.

Have fun,

BigUgly