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MG MGB Technical - Innovative vehicle stand designs

I have a somewhat rusted shell that I intend to start restoring, for the most part that means bodywork - sills, floors, and some other odds and ends. But it also means new springs in the rear, as well as renewing virtually the whole fron cross member.

Short of springing $2500 on a lift does anyone have any nifty and inexpensive (up to $200 or so) of supporting the shell at a decent level to work on, ideally with the ability to roll the whole operation to the side should the space be necessary (or to clean up the mess underneath)? Note that once up to 3 ft off the ground, it'll be there a while, so the lift part isn't critical. What I need is a car stand to go with the engine stand.

Thanks
Steve

Steve Aichele

Steve,

Have you thought of building a rotisserie? My father built one to restore his nomad, which has proved to make everything much easier. We originally started with the engine stand design for the frame, but decided that it might not support the body and my father wanted something that he could rotate himself.

I did a quick check online and found a few sites that give directions and pictures of rotisseries. The first website is a triumph, so much of it applies to an MG.

http://www.ponypics.com/spitfire/rotisserie.html

http://homepage.mac.com/cbaldini/iblog/B160552890/C1374589783/E697455767/

The rotisserie that my father made is similar to this one as it resembles and upside down 'T' with wheels. One difference from this design is that we used hubs from a trailer (I think) to rotate it instead of what is shown in these directions.

http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/Rotisserie(rev.2).pdf

Hopefully this will give you an idea.
Zach Dorsch

Howdy,

The most inovative design I have ever seen for a rotisserie came from a young fellow in New Zealand. His name is Innes Binty.

His design is basically nothing more than two circles, made of piping, about 6 feet in diameter, with a cross piece of pipe welded across the width of the circle at a height suitable to allow the car to be rotated, as the circles are turned.
Obviously the body is attached to these cross members. You simply chock the circles when the car is in the correct position.

When not in use, the circles take up virtually no storage spece.

Really brilliant!!!

JR
JR Ross

I like the circles idea, but would suggest making one end pivot about a center (maybe also making it clamp down, too). That would allow you to turn the whole assembly easily, instead of only rolling backwards and forwards with both wheels fixed.

I saw a similar deal made up in plywood for a midget, only the plates were octagonal (yea, MG!), and didn't mount all the way to the ends.

Now - - - how can I make such a big-wheel thing for my Midget, hmmmm? - - Alec
Alec Darnall

Steve,
You have mail. I'm sending photos of a rotisserie I made from Large diameter Electrical Conduit for the MGA.
Doug
D Sjostrom

Got one I built in the garage. Attaches to the pins in the rear where the bumper brackets bolt to, and the bumper bracket holes in the front through the valence. Allows you to spin the entire shell 180 degrees with one hand and lock in any position. Adjustable up and down. On wheels to roll around. Built it for $50 plus the wheels. It's temporarily on loan to a guy in St Louis. He transported, media blasted and painted the shell on the rack. I'll have it back in Dec if you want to wait that long. I would loan it to you to copy! Email me if you want more info. I can send you pics.

Tom
tlea@tswireless.net
tom

Tom, sounds very interesting. Have you ever drawn it up or made a sketch of your design? I would be interested in seeing one or getting a copy to consider for my next big project some time. I'd be happy to pay the postage if necessary.

Paul Briggs
Paul Briggs

JR

Can you provide any additonal information on the Innes Binty system? Pictures? Drawings?

Thanks

Larry
69 C in restoration
Larry Hallanger

Steve, I think I might be the guy in St. Louis that had the rotisserie and painted the car for Tom Kohnen.
Tom, Great piece of work. I was able to position the car over my lift to raise and / or lower the body shell. The body is so well balanced that one person CAN EASILY rotate the shell.
john

Thanks: that be me. Worked great after reducing the offset. First time took two men and a bear to turn it.
tom

I built a rotisserie from a photograph that appeared in a Moss motoring (1991?). It worked very well. I "thought" I was done with it & loaned it to a museum for another mgb restoration. It was then used for a Studebaker Hawk frame restoration. I then got it back to finish (re-finish, to be exact) the underside of my MGB).

It cost me less than $200 to build it. I can rotate my stripped MGB body on my own.

It took 2) 24' sticks of 11Gauge 2"x2" square tubing. The casters cost more than the steel!

drew helgeson

This thread was discussed between 13/08/2005 and 30/08/2005

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