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Weight of GT Body Shell?

12K views 44 replies 20 participants last post by  LynnB  
#1 ·
Weight of Shell?

For those of you that have completely stripped your car approximately how much does the shell weigh? No glass, no interior, no suspension, basically ready for sandblasting/dipping. I have a garage where the project car needs to be moved around once in a while and I want to make sure a few guys can pick the thing up and move it around a little after I get all the "rolling around" parts taken off.

Thanks,

Alex MacDonald
 
#2 ·
I'm guessing this is a GT. completely stripped down no doors or glass and suspension. It will still be around 1500 pounds. Speaking from experience I'd say 5 or 6 guys to pick it up. It takes 3 to roll one over with it partially cut up.
 
#3 ·
Did that just last weekend. It was a total shell, nothing else and 4 of us easily moved it around. One on each corner. Im pretty bad at guessing weight, but if I had too, I'd say somewhere around 400 - 450 pounds.
 
#4 ·
With doors off, glass gone, interior gone, engine/trans/rad out, headlights out, bumpers off, tank gone, four guys picked it up , rotated it sideways, and set it up on the chassis jig. It still had the front suspension and rear end in it. Other than me the guys were rather large, one was about 6'4" at 290 pounds...
When the suspension and rear end were gone but the rollcage was in the car hung from the ceiling by about twenty bungee cords while the jig was pulled out from under it, she hung like that for a long time.
 
#5 ·
Mine is completely stripped to the bone. Every single thing gone. I can lift the front end up off the jackstand myself, it's as light as a feather. The backend still has some weight to it though so that's a little more difficult to lift. But I would agree Thom... somewhere in the 350lb - 400lb range.
 
#6 ·
I hacked the body Thom is speaking about into three pieces. One, the top at the base of each pillar. My 22 year old nephew toted this away by himself, then I cut the main section of the body in half, just where the floor pans meet the rear package shelf. This back section he and I handled quite easily by ourselves. The last secton was the nose, front fenders, and the floor pans. This section I called on the services of my neighbor to help us tote it off, so, the 400-450 lb range is not far off.
 
#9 ·
weights.
total new 2205
tranny 46
rear diff 125
doors 35 each
Front suspension 130
Motor is under 200 all in
lights and electrical 15, including the column
All the interior is around 50 pounds
Glass is around 35
gas tank is 10 or just under

I've shipped every one of these items and know the weights. I'll let you do the math. I've also had it all in the back of a truck rated at 1/4 ton and know what it came to as scrap value.

I live by the weights and measures. Half a gram of piston weight sent me into a tizzy fit. A 3/8 of an inch adjustment to the panhard drove me over the edge. honest if you ship these things that is the weights before packaging.
 
#10 · (Edited)
mine is partially stripped down in the body shop, it still has the rear end, driveshaft (tied up) front suspension, dash, stearing wheel and 1 seat, everything else is out. we haven't tried lifting the whole car at one time, but 2 mid sized people can lift either end without much difficulty to spin it around

nobody: i think your estimate is so high because the parts you listed isn't everything, theres many little things that will add up like cables, wheels, the hood, headlight buckets, exterior trim, you get the idea.
 
#11 ·
Okay nobody I've got to question the 200lb motor weight not that I have ever weighed one but I have a complete 1.9L sitting on my garage floor and that thing has got to weigh more than 200lbs. It feels much heavier then the 289 short block sitting next to it.

Brian
 
#12 ·
I've lifted a 1.9 short block myself before and it was awkward to hold but I lifted it up waist level and it definatly weighs more than 200lbs.
 
#13 ·
ok wear out a scale ship god knows worldwide and strip down numerous cars. Yes I have more than I vague idea of what stock parts weigh. All I missed was flywheel and clutch. as for cables do you want the weight in grams or pounds? Honest I can give you a gram weight of every piece including cross members and every bolt. If you had a clue of all that I've shipped out. Raise your hand if you've shipped over 2000 pounds of Opel parts. Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, California, Utah, Texas, Canada, Georgia, Alaska, Michigan, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa.

Yes I know what the parts weigh. almost forgot 650 pounds or so to Kansas. If you don't want the answer then don't ask the question. I've questioned USPS and UPS and FEDEX scales and lost. I can start scanning shipping reciepts if that would help. One folder has 41 shipments in it....honest.
 
#16 ·
jeff denton said:
With doors off, glass gone, interior gone, engine/trans/rad out, headlights out, bumpers off, tank gone, four guys picked it up , rotated it sideways, and set it up on the chassis jig. It still had the front suspension and rear end in it. Other than me the guys were rather large, one was about 6'4" at 290 pounds...
When the suspension and rear end were gone but the rollcage was in the car hung from the ceiling by about twenty bungee cords while the jig was pulled out from under it, she hung like that for a long time.

Jeff, Could you possibly post, or perhaps re-post some pics of your "skinned out" GT? I'm ready to jig my GT for fitting the body to the chassis and want to make sure to do mine right; I know that you've been down this path. Thanks in advance!

Bill B.
 
#17 ·
Did you look in Articles? I think what you need to see is all in there under "Buildup of Speedway GT" or something like that. The posts never got all made into one Article so I think you have to look at two of them to get it all. If you need more pictures I'll be glad to put more up! Remember, parental discretion is advised, they are not to be viewed by Opel lovers who are faint of heart... :rolleyes:
 
#19 ·
Jeff,
I've seen the ones in the "Speedway GT" article; I thought that you had posted some others at one time that just showed the "skins" of your car seperate from the chassis...Maybe it's my mistake. Anyway, I'm at the skinning out point and would appreciate any input from those who have done this. BTW, Thanks for the link Baz!

Bill B.
 
#20 ·
there were ones of the chassis and bits of skin being mounted if jeff does not have them i might have them will look later
 
#22 ·
In the thread called Rollcage Progress we sidetracked into wondering what a rollcage weighed, I went a bit further by showing the body skins all propped up on the lawn with my two darlings sitting by it. If you need any detail let me know specifically what area, it may show up in the pile of photos we took during the construction.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
nobody said:
weights.
total new 2205
tranny 46
rear diff 125
doors 35 each
Front suspension 130
Motor is under 200 all in
lights and electrical 15, including the column
All the interior is around 50 pounds
Glass is around 35
gas tank is 10 or just under
Hello nobody
Ok
I beleive you know the weight of these components. The above list totals 681 pounds and according to previous posts the shell is about 400. That still leaves about 1124 pounds of what????
 
#24 ·
paul if you reread you will see dave said the shell was 1500 lb not 400(that was thom) , i would have thought it was about 1300 but dave has more experience than most at stripping them so i will go with his figures
 
#25 ·
1500 for the shell?!?!? That's crazy. That means that EVERYTHING in the whole car, seats, carpet, guages, electrical, chassis, ENGINE, glass, Wheels, tires, headlight assembly,bumpers, transmission, etc etc etc combined, only weighs 700 pounds?

I don't think that four of us could of "easily" moved that shell if it weighed 1500 pounds. I go to the gym 3 - 4 times a week. I do shoulder shrugs with a 225 barbell and the corner of the car that I was carrying was easier to lift than that barbell. And when I mean "easily", I mean that it wasnt the weight that was difficult, it was just akward carrying a car and moving it with 3 other people.

Lets make sure we are clear. The SHELL is the body of the car with NOTHING else attached. Just totally bare naked shell. Im still saying around 400 - 500 pounds.
 
#26 ·
I've had an entire shell including glass with interior in the back of a 1/2 ton Silverado truck and it didn't bottom out. Cut in 4 pieces two people can pick it up. The entire rear clip from the doors back with tank can be weighed if you want. As well as doors and glass or whatever. I need to gather up some weights anyway so I'll take a scale to the shop and have at it. I'll put a list together and put it on later.