Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi everyone,

My insurance expires at the end of the week so I'm taking this as an opportunity to save some money and lay my car up in my workshop so i can finally get round to doing all the work and engine swap I've been dying to do!

I'm wondering if either anyone in the North Dorset area (near Gillingham) has a roll over jig that I might borrow, or if anyone has a copy of a pattern to fabricate a rollover jig (I seem to remember that a supplier used to sell just the patterns?).

If neither of the above come off I was thinking of using the technique shown in this youtube video, and wonder if anyone has an opinion on whether or not this is a sensible thing to do bearing in mind I have pretty mint bodywork and paintwork on my car!... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPY_8xinlmQ

Cheers for your ears,
George

My first piece of advice would be to renew your insurance - Many projects have gone up in a puff of smoke and if you're not insured you won't be too chuffed at the few hundred pounds you saved

Errrrr - I don't think so!

Thanks for the heads up PSL, but I'm afraid its a case of desperate measures and I'm pretty sure its going to be very safe in my workshop - very secure and the estate guarded by an extremely vicious dog (got locked in with it one night!!!) and hopefully with a drained fuel tank etc it should be ok

beware - a tank full of petrol fumes is actually more dangerous !

Indeed, my sister pointed that out the other day. I'm going to be removing the tank altogether though, plus fuel line, all underside wiring, brake pipes etc... 'no stone unturned' is the plan

You seem to have covered all the bases by taking off the fule tank and fuel lines but just thought I would add that I had "Laid up cover" for my car when it was being restored cost about £28.00 and covered for fire, theft and parts.

Thanks Jeff, that's useful to know... I'll see what FJ offer as for few quid it would definitely be worth it

Sorry to open this up again, but I've been thinking it would make sense whilst the car is on it's side to replace all the suspension, rather than do this when it is back on four wheels. This way I have nice easy access to all the parts that are bound to be rusted solid.

This means a roll over jig, or tipping the car on its side like in the youtube video won't be possible as the wheels will need to come off.

I've been looking at some rotisserie spit designs, and many of them bolt to the bumper mounting legs. So, could I fabricate a static jig (no need for rotating for my purpose) that will support the car at 90 degrees to the floor affixed to the bumper mounts. Are they strong enough to take weight of the car (car will have no interior, no engine, prop, gearbox or bonnet - and the body is solid around the bumper mounts).

I am thinking a triangle of 5mm angle, with a strip of angle going being the apex and the middle of the bottom of the triangle, to which the bumper mounts will be bolted.

I would tip the car over as in the youtube video, then build the jig onto the car, then remove suspension parts and take it all away leaving the car suspended on the jig.

Any one care to comment on this idea?

p.s. FJ have quoted me £39.90 for laid up insurance - so will probably opt for that sometime soon

Don't fancy your non-rotating rotisserie George! It's easy enough to fix the suspension with the car on the ground - you can always loosen the bolts while it's on it's side - but really they are unlikely to be seriously stuck - except the forward mounts of the rear springs of course.......... Is that FJ price for a 'year' of laid up cover ?

Here's what you need: http://www.kmstools.com/magnum-2200lb-1 ... sserie-883

I bought one on sale for ~$1,000. Needed it as the most all of the floor pan and the crossmember ends needed replacing. It sure works slick. Hoping to sell it and recuperate a lot of the $$$ when the project is finished.

Yes Katy, that's just the ticket - a little out of budget though
That said my step dad is toying with getting an A35 to resotre to relive his youth and also thinking of buying a friends MGB GT V8 (serious project) so we were discussing maybe getting some serious lifting / rotating equipment to put in my workshop.

Roy, have been rethinking my idea and have done some quick sketches (you wouldn't guess I was at art college for 5 years!!!). I think this new idea would be a pretty solid structure, with cross braces etc, its just whether the bumper mount are man enough to support the car.

My thoughts are to build the frame onto the car with the wheels on, then jack it up, remove the wheels and the rear axle (engine, gearbox and prop removed prior to all of this), then lower one side so that the 'pivot point' comes into contact with the ground and then turn it over.

I want to have full access to everywhere underneath so I can do a very thorough rust removal, repaint and waxoyl, which is why I'm thinking along these lines.

See what you think?...[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

The pivot point needs to be closer to the car and lower.
I you look at what "me" is doing, it's lifting the whole car off the ground!

They can be pushed over without a jig, then the wheels on side are the pivot and the weight of the car never comes off the ground.

love the little sketches but it wont work your pivot point needs to be changed as markyb says in previous post or could you not change your pivot points to curves so it would roll but it would have to be close to the car otherwise it definately wouldnt work i see the utube before and we are going to roll tonks to do the floor in the same way

Thanks guys. Sorry, I perhaps mislead you by drawing the wheels into the sketch... my intention is to put the car on axle stands, take the wheels off, and then lower the 'pivot side' down so that it is in contact with the floor. That way one is pivoting straight away and you are not having to lift the whole car which as you point out MarkyB would be difficult.

Thanks for the tip on moving the pivot closer to the car though, that would definitely make it easier to lift. ("Me" will infact be me, my brother and a mate!)

I really want to turn it over in this fashion so that I can take off all the suspension and brakes and be able to access all the floor uninhibited so that I can very thoroughly preserve it with paint etc.

I am pretty confident that the shape of the jig will allow me to turn the car over, it's just the strength of the bumper mounts that I am uncertain about... will they support the whole car (minus engine, axle etc) when bolted to the jig like this? (Thought it might be prudent to put some form of basic support under the B post also...)

When it was a new shell - I expect the bumper mounts were strong enough.......... but now ????? Inspect carefully - are they even original ?? Your lift will be prodigious - eat plenty of Weetabix......... Lippy has hit the nail on the head - you need 'curves' not a single pivot point. So basically - you want to make a version of 'my' jig - but attached to the bumper mounts rather than the hubs........

haha, yes Weetabix and spinach for brekky!
I have had a good look at the mounts, and both the bolt holes and all the surrounding metal looks sound as a pound. I'll have a look at perhaps making some form of curve like in your design, though the chap in the youtube video seems to manage ok pivoting on a single point (i.e the wheels)
I'll get some steel in the next week or so and see how I get on. Cheers all for the advice

As above - pivoting on the wheels - (half ) the weight doesn't leave the ground.............

Ah, yes, sorry - I see now
May just have to draft in a few other sets of arms!

well you will have to keep us informed on this now and maybe show us some pics definately like to know how you go rolling yours i am keen to do mine but still collecting parts :0) good luck