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Car rotisseries - worth the effort?
Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 9:19 pm
by El_Freddo
G'day all,
I've been wondering if car rotisseries are worth the effort for fixing/restoring cars. I realise that you'd have to gut the body but is there any down falls that people can see from using this device?
Cheers
Bennie
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:32 am
by tony
if you have to do alot of under body welding a rotisserie is invaluable.it is alot easier to weld standing up not laying down.
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:03 am
by alang
Also would be easier to prep and paint the under side. anyone got how to make car rotisseries
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:25 am
by Phizinza
Turning your car upside down puts disproportionate pressure on the structure of the monocoque body. This will weaken the welds that hold the car together! Very bad idea!
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:28 am
by El_Freddo
Phiz, I'm not sure if you're pulling my leg or not!
To me a vehicle upside down should be able to hold it's own weight without damage as it's been gently rolled over, not thumped around as it is in a roll-over crash!
And a monocoque body would be built with more strength than one that's bolted to a chassis I would have thought!
Anyone got some experience with them - or even better, some pics of a project on one of them? I can't remember who's doing the work, but someone working on a rally brumby project is using one from memory, but I don't remember seeing the rotisserie specifically.
Cheers
Bennie
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:38 am
by FROG
Gympie boys have one dont they?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:38 am
by taza
El_Freddo wrote:Anyone got some experience with them - or even better, some pics of a project on one of them? I can't remember who's doing the work, but someone working on a rally brumby project is using one from memory, but I don't remember seeing the rotisserie specifically.
Ken is using one for his Brumby here in Geraldton! He would be the person to ask, although I have seen it and it seemed to make welding and modifying about 5x easier

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:40 am
by Phizinza
Lets just say I've been known to make shit up for a laugh...
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:39 pm
by niterida
Phizinza wrote:Turning your car upside down puts disproportionate pressure on the structure of the monocoque body. This will weaken the welds that hold the car together! Very bad idea!
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True - make sur you take out your perfectly good windscreen before you go putting a car on a rotisserie and spinning it upside down or it will likely crack
Here are some photos of my home made set up - bought 2 cheap engine stands from SuperCrap, a few bits of RHS and some welding and hey presto :
Cost me less than $200
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:18 pm
by alang
looks good the supershit stuff holding up alright
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:22 pm
by Alex
lamb on a rotisserie over open coals......OHHHHHH YEHHH
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 4:04 pm
by Brumby Kid
Alex wrote:lamb on a rotisserie over open coals......OHHHHHH YEHHH
Yeah, why would you want a car when you can have lamb!!! Or pork, or any meat!
Mmmmmmmm.
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 4:12 pm
by RSR 555
El_Freddo wrote:Phiz, I'm not sure if you're pulling my leg or not!
Phizinza wrote:Lets just say I've been known to make shit up for a laugh...
Scarcasm detection is clearly not Bennie strong points.. I got a good belly laugh from it.. thanks Phizinza
El_Freddo wrote:Anyone got some experience with them - or even better, some pics of a project on one of them? I can't remember who's doing the work, but someone working on a rally brumby project is using one from memory, but I don't remember seeing the rotisserie specifically.
I had my hatch on one many years ago and I recommend it. It's a lot of work but if you're restoring it, then go for it.
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:01 pm
by NachaLuva
niterida wrote:True - make sur you take out your perfectly good windscreen before you go putting a car on a rotisserie and spinning it upside down or it will likely crack
Here are some photos of my home made set up - bought 2 cheap engine stands from SuperCrap, a few bits of RHS and some welding and hey presto

Cost me less than $200
Great idea & well done except for 1 thing...please extend those legs! With the welding you've already done it would be easy to make the base wider. I'd go for at least as wide as the car you're putting on it. To not do so is like working under a car supported only by a single jack...its just asking for trouble!
Otherwise great idea & nice work on the supports.
Phizinza wrote:Lets just say I've been known to make shit up for a laugh...
Haha...I feel silly, I thought you were serious lol

:rolleyes:
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:19 pm
by niterida
nachaluva wrote:Great idea & well done except for 1 thing...please extend those legs! With the welding you've already done it would be easy to make the base wider. I'd go for at least as wide as the car you're putting on it. To not do so is like working under a car supported only by a single jack...its just asking for trouble!
Otherwise great idea & nice work on the supports.
No real need - it is super stable as it is and you only ever work on it from the side - not underneath it

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:04 pm
by El_Freddo
RSR 555 wrote:Scarcasm detection is clearly not Bennie strong points..
I wouldn't be so sure about that one!
But this thread was serious, until that point.
Cheers
Bennie
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:40 pm
by tony
I made mine to do a morris minor, was very useful.
to get it to turn tho you have to offset the crank or the weight is too uneven and hard to turn.
I just used 1" water pipe in two triangle shapes with feet about 1 metre long on each side to brace it and attached directly to the bumper brackets. with a 2" set of axles to allow it to turn.
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:40 am
by steptoe
think he blew the wheels out on the engine stand
when you think how a car body like our MYs can flex when up on a jack, stands or a hoist - surely way less flex when there is nothing but a body, no doors, running gear suspension etc ?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:13 am
by Phizinza
nachaluva wrote:Haha...I feel silly, I thought you were serious lol

:rolleyes:
That is how I have gotten in so much trouble in the past on this forum. My sarcasm is often not picked up on!
That engine stand roti, I honestly gotta say I'm impressed two of those were strong enough, but I suppose with a completely stripped body it only weighs like 650kg or so... It is ingenuitive
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:33 pm
by El_Freddo
Phizinza wrote:That engine stand roti, I honestly gotta say I'm impressed two of those were strong enough, but I suppose with a completely stripped body it only weighs like 650kg or so... It is ingenuitive
I've thought about this sort of setup but didn't get any further than this. If those engine stands can hold a 454 big block chev as I imagine they would be, two of them would handle an MY or L series body just fine!
The tricky bit would be jacking the body up high enough to bolt it to the rotisserie ends... Fun fun!
Cheers
Bennie