It’s been a bit since my last post due to work and other commitments, but I managed to make quite a bit of progress these last few days. I made a car rotisserie out of two modified engine stands, and was able to get the body off the frame.
To make the rotisserie, I used two 1000lb engine stands and a 750lb engine stand, both from Harbor Freight. Total cost was around $150 for those parts I believe. I then took the vertical column from the 750lb stand, chopped it into two pieces, and used those to lengthen the vertical columns on both 1000lb stands. After that, I added 400lb casters to the stands to make it move easier, and finally added a connecting rod between the two out of 1.5″ x 1/8″ square tubing.
It went together pretty easily, which I was happy with! Next, I made two supports to connect the stands to the car. This was made out of 1.5″ square tube as well, and just welded to the correct dimensions to fit the front and back mounts of the car. After that was done, it was a pretty simple operation using an engine hoist and jack to get the body off the car!
Once the body was off, I got the frame out into the sun where I could look at it for the first time. The front was caked with oil/grease, so I used some engine degreaser and a pressure washer to clean it up. I was actually really surprised and happy with how the frame looks. Based on the body condition, I was sure it would have tons of holes, but it’s actually in pretty great shape! No soft spots that I could feel, no holes, and only minimal surface rust. I think it’s a keeper!
