Rotisserie preparation

[Challenger in NC]

All,

As some of you saw in a thread last month, I want to get my car completely stripped down to a bare shell, and to do this I'd like to mount the body on a rotisserie so the underside can be blasted easier. Given the state of my car in the photos below, are there any key areas that need to be braced before I mount it on the rotisserie? I'm not sure I'll be able to trailer the car while mounted on the rotisserie, but that's how it will be mounted at the blasters.

In addition to what you see, I plan on :

1) removing the entire front floor (to be replaced with new floor), rear end and leaf springs.
2) The quarter panels and tail panel will remain in tact.
3) Other components already removed include rear cross member (behind bumper),deck filler panel, trunk and extensions, entire front suspension

Should the rear frame channels  and/or area under the front floor be cross braced prior to mounting?
After car is primed, should it be taken off the rotisserie and put back onto jack stands to finish panel fitment and welding?


Thanks for any input.
Chris

[rhamson]

From what I have seen you have already removed the trunk floor, the roof skin and if you have already removed the rear frame cross support panel you already have a flimsy floppy body. Did you take measurements before removing these pieces? If so I would install the new parts before the rotisserie. These are unibody cars and rely heavily upon the skin to get its strength. Once these parts are back on I would then mount it on the rotisserie. You can then mount additional structural items such as frame connectors, torque boxes and such on the rotisserie because the support structure will keep the car intact and straight. Also strip it down to its shell (no running gear or heavy items) before mounting it on a rotisserie. The weight is hard on the rotisserie and hard to rotate with it on there.

[Challenger in NC]

From what I have seen you have already removed the trunk floor, the roof skin and if you have already removed the rear frame cross support panel you already have a flimsy floppy body. Did you take measurements before removing these pieces? If so I would install the new parts before the rotisserie. These are unibody cars and rely heavily upon the skin to get its strength. Once these parts are back on I would then mount it on the rotisserie. You can then mount additional structural items such as frame connectors, torque boxes and such on the rotisserie because the support structure will keep the car intact and straight. Also strip it down to its shell (no running gear or heavy items) before mounting it on a rotisserie. The weight is hard on the rotisserie and hard to rotate with it on there.

Thanks. Yes, I did take measurements so new panels could be put back on, but I was hoping I could reinforce the frame/body enough with some angle bracing so that it would allow me to have certain areas stripped (roof structure, frame members etc.) more thoroughly without having the new panels in the way. Maybe its not worth the risk, I don't know.

[rhamson]

Thanks. Yes, I did take measurements so new panels could be put back on, but I was hoping I could reinforce the frame/body enough with some angle bracing so that it would allow me to have certain areas stripped (roof structure, frame members etc.) more thoroughly without having the new panels in the way. Maybe its not worth the risk, I don't know.

It depends on your plans for the restoration and how easy you want to make them accessible. If you put the new parts on with the measurements you already have and rust treating the areas you will be covering I don't see a problem. I put mine on the rotisserie and took factory measurements and found there was no change. I also put the frame connectors and other structural elements on while the car was on the rotisserie. I found the ease at which I could work on the bottom of the car was well worth the effort. As you can see in my picture I could sit on a chair and work on most of the car. It doesn't get any easier then that.