Thread: Body swap a rangie to another rangie

Originally Posted by Dougal

So how do you lift a body without damage?

I will eventually have two to swap. 85 and 93. I do not have access to hoists, I do have access to forklifts occasionally but safe lift points are the big question.

Providing they're not rusted out the strongest parts of the body are the sill panels and the rear crossmember. If you had two forklifts just lift at each sill and roll the chassis out. Cut a slot in two long pieces of wood to spread the load along the sill.

Lifting the body first at the front chassis out riggers with jacks should be fine too as the rearmost mounts will allow the body to tilt back. Make some large trestles to slide under the body to hold it above wheel height.

Did a body swap (81 body onto 74 chassis, engine in) some years ago.

Space and height were an issue. Had 81 in shed, removed bonnet, front guards, bumper and front panel that holds headlights, radiator,etc.

2 trestles under rear, only lifted about 4". Body supported at front of sills with a big beam on blocks outside car width.

Disconnected everything, removed rear wheels so rear of chassis sat on a trolley jack. Lowered rear a little and just dragged it out from under from the front. Put rear wheels back on and moved rolling chassis outside.

Donor chassis had body removed outside (mostly with an angle grinder) after heirloom f&r guards were removed.

74 chassis was slid under 81 body by a reversal of above. Worked fine.


A lot of other stuff got done at the same time but above method worked well.

cheers, DL

So where roughly is the balance point of a RRC body?

how long did it take you, the body swap? Trying to figure out what easier, changing drive train or body swap.

Cheers NAT

Body wasn't being tilted and from memory was not really heavy at all.

I'd say with all panels on, the balance point (2 door) would be just behind the B pillar, maybe no more than 200mm.

I reckon if you had a shed with a big beam overhead and a 1 or 2 tonne chain block you could seamlessly lift the body off with 2 suitably padded straps going through the windows f&r, even with a 2 door although that may need a strap to the rear.

Remember that what I was describing in the previous post was all mechano RRC stuff........... I have no experience of welded sections in later models that were formally just bolted together.

cheers, DL

Originally Posted by nat p

how long did it take you, the body swap? Trying to figure out what easier, changing drive train or body swap.

Cheers NAT

Hi Nat,

I got fussy and spent a couple of months on it, but I was doing a longish (5 / 10yr) term thing.......... shmicko rewire,, relays everywhere, blah, blah.

Have done well over 100k kms since and have only replaced 'consumables' like rad (400) and Chev starter and waterpump (120 each).

Can't really answer your question.

If you take the body off you'll find all sorts of 'other things' that you may or may not want to attend to and that depends on what you want to do with the thing over your privileged period of ownership. ()

cheers, DL

I was reading this a while ago, (to make myself feel better about all the dull and difficult Rangie work I was doing):

Restoration - Range Rover CSK 1991 No. 120 - Overclockers UK Forums

and I liked the way he used an engine hoist to lift off the body!

Originally Posted by Davo

I was reading this a while ago, (to make myself feel better about all the dull and difficult Rangie work I was doing):

Restoration - Range Rover CSK 1991 No. 120 - Overclockers UK Forums

and I liked the way he used an engine hoist to lift off the body!

Brilliant work there. But I'm sure the body weighs about half with the doors, glass and all panels/interior stripped out. I will need to lift them complete when the time comes.