Guys,

I picked up a rotisserie off eBay cheap.

Need to make brackets for it for my XJC. Due to length restrictions in my garage I want to avoid using the front bumper mounts and would like to use something a few inches in. Can I use the front subframe mounts ? They look solid enough

I will probably get away with the rear bumper mounts unless anyone has a better idea ?

I am a couple of weeks away from lifting yet , still got to drop the rear end, fuel tanks and front subframe etc.

Thanks in advance

Andy

 

Not sure we quite understand what you are asking. As far as I know a rotisserie is part of a bbq, and down here in New Zealand it is also slang for a rotory engine (wankle). Please clarify or post pics.

 

Caveat:


I've never tried to rotiesier a car. I've wished I could, many times, but intact to get at the anterior side, AKA the greasy side!!!


Stripped of doors, bonnet, wings and boot lid, it should be feasible.


A bar with tubing stubs securely attached to go into the bumper mounts astern should afford strength in all positions.


The front cross member support mounts need more. Fore and aft OK. Dorsal up, aka shiny side, OK. Anterior, aka greasy side, not so much. Hanging weight???


Front engine mount holes. 4 to a side as I recall to secure a bracket to.


Just musing...


Carl.[

 

Oops. I now understand. In my defense it was 2.30am and i had just got up to get ready for work.

 

Car is stripped of everything. I have seen the bumper mounts used front and back.

I will start fabricating four bumper mount brackets at weekend and take it from there. See if it fits in garage.

 

Andy!

When you're done please post pics and specs for your mounting brackets. I will likely go down that road with my SWB XJ and in the back of my mind I've been playing out how to mount the XJ on a rotisserie. My Oldsmobile is no problem - my Jag is a little more involved.

 

I've had mk1 & mk2 Ford Escorts on spits / rotiseries before now. Reasonably nerve racking until everything is secure and the shell has been spun to make sure nothing binds or clashes.


Excellent kit though as it makes working underneath and in wheel arches an absolute doddle !


I made mine out of 2" SHS steel to form two "A" frames with a tube and backing plate for the pivot points. On mine i drilled holes in the pivot point backing plates so that i could lock the spit in position with bolts. Some people use an old drum brake and hand brake assembly to lock the spit in position.


One thing that would concern me though is the weight of an XJC and the potential lack of stiffness from not having a conventional B pillar.
For those who dont know, an Escort is a small 2 door (or 4 door) family saloon car from the 60's through to the 80's. The complete car weighs about 1200kg or less and is quite small but even these (without axles, engine and box & doors, bonnet and boot) need a decent amount of temporary bracing to keep the openings the shape they should be.


I think if i was to put an XJC on a spit my **** would definatley be going half crown threp'ny bit

 

I know Mk2 escorts quite well being from the UK originally.

Pretty sure the bare shell is under a lot less stress when stripped bare and suspended from sturdy supports that it is fully loaded travelling at speed on a poor road surface.

Got to remember here, its a monocoque designed to hold its own weight, not a body on frame which do need door braces etc. when removed from their frames. The body is in pretty good condition. I would be slightly concerned if the floors were really bad or there was a lot of structural rust. I would brace first if this was the case.

I have the rotisserie which has the height adjustable lateral members for finding the centre of gravity, I just need to make some adapters for these. Pretty sure I need some 75x75x3mm SHS to slide over with a few pinch bolts plus probably some similar sizled angle or some 75x50x4 to make some offset verticals for the bumper parallel to the lateral supports

Will post some pictures when fabricated and mounted

 

Hi Andy,

Sounds like you've got it covered. Can you fabricate some longer legs that would run along the chassis rails at the front end and bolt up to the crossmember ?

Suppose it depends on what work you're doing to the car really as the last thing you want is the aid to get the shell spun being the very thing that then makes access a problem

 

What are you planning to do when it's on the rotisserie? If there's any major welding to be be done I would add some braces to the door. I'm definitely planning to do that on mine when I get started on it and get a rotisserie. Looking at ones sold on e-bay and their own website here, which seem quite reasonably priced Rollover Jigs - About Us

 

No major welding otherwise I would be bracing it. The floors have previously been replaced and I will be cleaning up the welds on these but will do it in sections so as not to weaken the structure

I am just basically stripping to bare metal and going to prep the underside. Best it be on its side than me spend 100 hours on my back with a wire wheel

From what I can tell so far I only have two holes to repair and both of these are non-structural (totally covered by interior trim too) and have been the result of leaky rubbers of the past almost 4 decades.

Hoping to pickup some SHS/RHS today and probably start fabricating mounts sometime next week.

I still have the fuel tanks, rear IRS, tailshaft (propshaft), handbrake, and exhaust to remove before I am at bare shell. So that is this weekends work