What is the weight of a stripped down 65 body shell?

[Guest Rob J]

Getting ready to lift the body off the frame. It is completely stripped to the bare shell. No doors, trunk lid, glass, interior, front clip, nothing. How much does the shell weigh? I need to get a group of guys together to help me lift it off, so depending on weight, I need to plan how many to have handy.

[steelman]

Are the door openings braced? Remember this is a hardtop, not a post. You either need the doors on or the door openings braced or you will bend the body and the doors will never fit. Maybe a Riviera is different, but still a hardtop. I have never pulled a Riviera off the frame, but I have several others. Always with doors on or braced so the body didn't flex.

Sorry, Rob, not really related to your question, but didn't want to see things go bad here for you.

[pyntre]

I had the body off of the frame last winter for a frame off resto... Unless the floors / rockers are really rusty I wouldnt worry about any flex in the body... the rocker boxes on these cars are massive and offer a lot of rigidity . As far as how heavy an empty shell was , with the body of my car on a body dolly /cart I was able to push it around the shop , out into the driveway and up the ramp on a race car trailer all by myself with no problem . Actually lighter than you would think . If you have access to a 2 post lift thats the ticket for removing and installing it back on the frame.