[outlaw17]

I am about to put a 68 Olds 442 convertible on a rottiserie and I was just wondering if anyone has put a convertible on one, do I need to add extra bracing or should it be just fine the way it is? I put new floors and wheel houses in it while it was on the frame now its time to seperate the two. I'm assuming it will be fine but I thought I would ask just in case.
Thanks

[poncho62]

It should be fine as long as you welded those replacement parts in solidly. You might want to tack some braces across the door openings anyways....I would

[69 widetrack]

I agree with Poncho, better to brace it now and have the insurance than to not brace it and find out after your doors and top don't fit right...I brace everything on a rotisserie, better safe than sorry.

Ray

[MARTINSR]

If the body was real solid I wouldn't think a thing of it. But if you already replaced the floor and wheel houses there may be something you didn't see, inside the rockers for instance. It may not be bad and you would never know painting and driving it. But the forces are pretty tough on those rockers on a rotisserie. Run a 1x1x1/8" bar at least across the door jamb. And I would make them so they clear the doors, just in case you want to install the doors while it's on the rotisserie. You may not think there is a reason, but I would recommend you simply spend a little time making those braces so you can do that.

Brian

[mr4speed]

Agree with all posters that you really should put a brace across the very top of the door post opening, I always do. When the car is still on the frame and you know that everything fits just right, that is when you should tack weld a brace as mentioned by Brian to the inside of the top jamb so you can fit the door without any interfearance with closing the doors. I never remove that brace until it is bolted back on the chassis, this way there is no chance at all of anything ever moving even slightly.

[usmc72]

Just don't brace across the doors. Make sure you cross brace like an X.Brace front to back on the doors but also brace front drivers to rear of passenger and rear of drivers to front of passengers. Then to play safethan sorry brace across from driver to passenger on front oand back of doors. Might seen over kill but wait till you try to hang your doors if you don't

[MARTINSR]

I have to say, unless there is a rust problem that you have dealt with, bracing isn't needed, I mean they didn't have braces at the factory when they were handling those bodies did they?

I have had a few converts off the frame and simply used common sense as to how they were handled and never had a problem.

Brian

[69 widetrack]

Very true Brian, but he put new floors and wheel house in, how strong are the inner rockers? I have taken convertibles off of frames in the past as well without a problem, but, he has done some repairs already and I would brace it...maybe they can get away with but at the factory their not dealing with 45 year old structure. All I'm saying is the insurance value.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by 69 widetrack

Very true Brian, but he put new floors and wheel house in, how strong are the inner rockers? I have taken convertibles off of frames in the past as well without a problem, but, he has done some repairs already and I would brace it...maybe they can get away with but at the factory their not dealing with 45 year old structure. All I'm saying is the insurance value.

I agree, I just wanted to clarify. I have seen people freak out lifting a coupe or hardtop off the frame like it's going to fold in half or something. Just wanted to clarify.

Brian

[48cad]

Having done several frame off convertibles...... I'm assuming all gaps and panels fit well now? 1" square tubing is cheap. I would brace it, and just not one bar across door openings, triangulate it. Also When you remove body bolts and lift the body off...... draw a diagram of the mounts and take notice of the body shims and their thickness. When you reassemble, there will not be as much guess work when it comes to properly shimming the body. Its amazing what a difference a 1/16th inch shim, the whole way in the rear of the car can make in a door/quarter panel gap.

[John long]

Bear in mind I usually build older cars which may or may not have the original strength left in them but I have knowledge of 2 different convertibles that ended up with severe problems while being taken off the frame without doors on them. Bracing is cheap and easy. Even if there is only one chance in 20 of having any issues it is not worth taking that chance. One of them folded in half. BRACE IT. I also recommend doing it in such a way that you can hang the doors and verify gaps as you work.

John L

[mr4speed]

Have done a couple of mid fifties caddy convertibles off the frame and put on a rottiserie, of which neither cars had any rust problems. But I will say this when you bolt a car to a rottiserie your putting an extreme amount of force against the center of the car , because you are attaching the jig at the very ends of the body forcing pressure in the middle. If you are lifting the body off the chassis with a 4 post lift, your most likely lifting evenly from the center of the body. Not so with the rottiserie, as John L has stated it is cheap and easy just to brace the jamb so all that pressure won't be able to move anything. With a coupe or hardtop the roof is keeping the car from bending, unless you have some serious structure rust problems. By the way you can use your rottiserie as a 4 post lift to remove the body and reinstall it as well, providing that the wheels are not welded on and can be removed. DO NOT attempt to do this with the wheels attached.

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by 48cad

Having done several frame off convertibles...... I'm assuming all gaps and panels fit well now? 1" square tubing is cheap. I would brace it, and just not one bar across door openings, triangulate it. Also When you remove body bolts and lift the body off...... draw a diagram of the mounts and take notice of the body shims and their thickness. When you reassemble, there will not be as much guess work when it comes to properly shimming the body. Its amazing what a difference a 1/16th inch shim, the whole way in the rear of the car can make in a door/quarter panel gap.

I agree with everything you've said, noting the shims is extremely important, I always tag and bag every thing as to where it came from, I take off a car, even if I'm replacing it. That way if I have new parts or pieces, I can match them up for size, shape and whatever else I need...Throw the stuff out you don't think you need when your done. I learned the hard way.

[John long]

Originally Posted by mr4speed

By the way you can use your rottiserie as a 4 post lift to remove the body and reinstall it as well, providing that the wheels are not welded on and can be removed. DO NOT attempt to do this with the wheels attached.

I am not sure I follow what you are describing here 4speed.

John L

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by John long

I am not sure I follow what you are describing here 4speed.

John L

I don't follow either but, would love to hear how I can turn my rotisserie into a lift...I can take my wheels off in minutes...I even added bigger wheels off a utility trailer to make it easier to move around and even take outside if I had to.

Ray