Vehicle: 1956 Ford F-100 Express

Owner: Brian Marconi, Calgary, Alberta

About the Vehicle: Dual quad 429 Big Block Ford, 500HP modified C6 AT 9 inch rear diff with 3.50LS gears, HD IFS with disc brakes, Triangulated 4 link with HD drums.

Story and Photos by Dean Washington

Drawing by DYCK Design

It is a given that there are many of you reading this who, at one time or another in your youth, had “the car that got away.” Maybe you had to sell it to make space in the garage, or you lost interest, or your new wife gave you the “me or the car” routine. Whatever it was, at some point I’m sure you said to yourself, as I did, “if I ever get the chance again….” Well, you know the rest.

My story is no different.

In 1982, I was seventeen-years old and purchased a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle 2-door hardtop for a thousand dollars off a friend named George, who owned a body shop. It had a 307 motor mated with a two-speed Powerglide transmission and a fresh paint job. A year later after the engine packed it in, another friend, Todd, had just had an unfortunate incident with his big-block 396 Beaumont (I think we called them road conditions in those days!), so I ended up picking up his drivetrain, tires and wheels, Hurst shifter and the full interior for I think around eighteen hundred bucks, if memory serves me correctly. Then it was off to the legendary Buck Kinney to have it all installed. It was very exciting, as I’d always wanted a muscle car to rip up and down the streets of my hometown. But it turns out the thrill didn’t last as long as I thought it would.

As I quickly found out, these are not your regular turnkey vehicles. I’m eighteen years old with this car that is no less than a beast, at best, to drive as it had no power steering, I’m not mechanically inclined, and I'm unable to fix the many challenges that come with owning a car like this, as I don't have buckets of money. So after six months, I park it at the back of my family home and became one of the guys who fell under the “lost interest” heading. But I still loved my car, and one day when I had some extra money, I would fix it up so it would drive as good as it looked.

Fast forward three years, and I am now in a relationship and expecting our first child, oh, and not working as we’re in the middle of a six month strike! All of a sudden, I need money to survive and really only have one asset besides the house I live in. You guessed it - the car had to go before the house! I won’t mention how much I sold it for as I still have nightmares every time I think about it. All I can say is, whoever the fellow was that bought it, he must still have a smile on his face.

Fast forward another twenty-three years, and I sit in Performance Plus offices with the staff pondering what kind of vehicle we should do as our first project. We decided we wanted to build a practical vehicle that looked real cool, but wouldn’t break the bank. Practical because not everyone has one hundred grand or more to sink into a vehicle that they might drive 10 to 12 weekends a year. Something that you could load up the wife and kids, start every time you turned the key, was enjoyable to drive, eye-catching and still be able to send the kids to college without robbing a bank. We also thought that whatever we chose, it would be really neat if we found it within the pages of our own magazine making it a true Performance Plus project. So we began scanning through the classifieds of the magazine and identified some vehicles that we thought had great potential for our first project.

A few nights later, I was at home calling some of the ads that were fits as a potential project when my friend Dave called and asked what I was doing. When I told him, he informed me he intended to sell his car as he had lost his job. I responded how ironic it was, as I was calling ads from the magazine looking for a project. I couldn’t believe he was selling his baby as I had gone with him when he bought it just two years ago and he absolutely loved his car. He said he had made up his mind and it was the right thing for him to do at this time. I knew right then this was the perfect vehicle for several reasons.

First and foremost, Dave is a great friend and he would know that his baby would be in good hands. Secondly, and I’m sure you guessed it, his car is a 1968 Chevelle 2-door hardtop with that same 307 motor and two-speed Powerglide tranny I had those many years ago. Talk about coming full circle!

I know what you’re thinking. “I thought you had set the criteria of selecting a vehicle from the pages of this magazine to make it a true Performance Plus project?” Well, technically this fits the criteria as it was featured back in the July/August 2007 issue when we chronicled upgrading the old front drum brake system to discs. Add that we were all familiar with the car and Dave had also completely upgraded the front suspension and also had extra parts including a power steering kit not yet installed (thank you!), it made it a no-brainer decision by the team.

Project Shovelle “I’m Diggin’ It” was born.

The name and exterior design concept are the brainchild of Paul Dyck of DYCK Design in Pitt Meadows, B.C. who, after listening to how we wanted to build a car for the average guy with better than average looks, created a drawing that hit on all cylinders.

Even though the car’s paint is in decent shape, we weren’t all thrilled with the colour, and some wanted to change it. Paul suggested we highlight it instead of diving into a costly colour change that would require stripping the car completely down and would in no way fit into the budget we had established for the build.

Oh, yes, the budget. We have set out with a total budget of $40,000, including the $7,500 purchase price of the car. Although we intend to receive some of the parts and labour at a discount for coverage in the magazine, we are going to document every dollar spent on parts and labour at the retail rates to see how close we come to our initial budget prediction. Some of the numbers may seem low at first glance, but keep in mind that we are starting with a solid car and many items will not have to be replaced. As well, we plan, as you would, to upgrade items after we finish the initial build that wouldn’t fit within the budget.

The breakdown is as follows:
Chevelle Purchase Price: $7,500
Engine & Transmission: 9,000
Suspension & Brakes: 2,000
Rear End: 2,500
Interior: 3,000
Electrical: 2,500
Body & Paint: 8,000
Exterior Trim: 1,500
Wheels & Tires: 2,000
Exhaust: 2,000

In the next issue, we will begin the year-long process of transforming this standard 1968 Chevelle into Project Shovelle “I’m Diggin’ It.”

We hope you will too![PSGallery=qaxgfn79i]

A new, true high-performance exhaust system designed specially for all 1967-70 Ford Mustangs

Face it, there just aren’t a lot of choices for you when it comes to bolting up an exhaust system that is truly designed for your 1967-70 Mustang. Most of the time, you’re caught up trying to build a system that is a mixture of some mufflers you like, a less-than-optimal header configuration, a cross-over tube that makes transmission removal a huge (or impossible) chore, and exhaust tips that are randomly configured by the muffler shop.

The folks at Flowmaster® have heard your cries and come up with an American Thunder exhaust system that uses their tried-and-true Super 44™ mufflers. The system features the correct-sized 2.50-inch mandrel-bent exhaust tubing all built to install (less head-pipes) in your second-generation Mustang. The system can be had either with turndowns at the rear valence (part number 17282) or for Mustangs with the GT-style exhaust tip cutouts in the valence, part number 17281 with chrome 3-inch tips is a great choice.

Flowmaster’s advanced ball-flange connector makes certain that the system seals tightly to your header flange. Adapting this system to engines equipped with stock configuration exhaust manifold requires adapting a head pipe to make the final connection.

An added benefit to the ease of the system’s installation is the performance “streetable” sound achieved. The simple fact remains that many custom systems can actually be detrimental to the performance of your vehicle by using tubing that is too large for your application. Simple things like exhaust downturns in the wrong place just making driving a miserable, ear-wrenching experience by creating a resonance that will have you considering you next purchase to be a “For Sale” sign. This system is the perfect solution for a difficult problem facing owners today.

Follow along as we detail the installation of the new Flowmaster American Thunder® exhaust system on a 1967 Shelby Mustang, a fitting candidate for this upgrade.

For more info go to: www.flowmastermufflers.com or call the tech line at: (800) 544-4761

Well, here we are again for the next exciting installment!

Before I continue, I want to take a step back and mention that if anybody out there has any tips that we missed that have helped them out when doing the same things, don’t hesitate to let me know and I will pass them on during this series.

I would also like to thank Troy from Mister Sandman for the media blasting and Derek for his hard work and effort in removing/replacing metal, as well as performing most of the welding on this car.

Now, on to the previously scheduled article on how to install the passenger area floors.

The floor pieces we used here are of the type that need to be sectioned in. There are floors now available for these cars that are factory-type replacement parts that attach at the factory seams. For those, you just need to drill out the spot welds and replace them using the same procedures as we did for the trunk floor and the edges on these floors. They are more expensive but easier to install and you will not end up with any extra weld joints.

It is a good idea to level the car on jack stands at the suspension points before installing the new floors, especially if using the full floor as described above. At the very least, make sure the car is sitting on a level surface with the same size tires at the same pressures. If you are working on a convertible, special attention must be paid to make sure the car is level.

The first step we did was to lay the new front floors in and mark roughly where to cut. Be sure to leave more than you need of the old floor on the transmission tunnel side, as it is easy to remove too much steel. It is no fun to go back and weld in a piece you have just removed! As before, cut out the old parts in sections and make sure you are not cutting into the frame or supports, etc. Remove the sill side pieces by again drilling out the spot welds, and remove and grind down all of the remaining steel.

In this instance, we are installing these floors leaving an overlap, but you can elect to butt weld the new and existing steel together. We don’t do this, as I believe it is not as strong, but if you do prefer this way, be prepared to spend more time and effort.

A good way to make sure the new floors end up at the same level as the ones you are removing is to take a piece of steel or wood that is straight and lay it over the door sill and transmission tunnel, measuring each side down from it in a few places and keeping track of the measurements. Then, when installing the new parts, you can simply measure down at those places and adjust the height as needed before welding in place. This may take a few attempts, but it allows you to trim the pieces to get a consistent overlap; we like to leave about a half an inch or so. You can also use a flanging tool at this joint to end up with a flush surface, although it is not really necessary as everything will be covered in carpet and you will never be able to tell the difference.

For the forward and rearward seams, you can attach at the factory points or just shy of them. In this case, the metal was solid at the front, so we trimmed it to within an inch of the seam and overlapped it about half an inch. Be sure to mark and drill any needed holes such as seat belt attach points before welding the floor in place.

Use the same procedures to fit and install the rear floor sections.

Once you are satisfied with the fit, prepare the underside areas with rust mort, etc, then weld the parts in place using the same technique as before using sheet metal screws where there were spot welds. As before, make sure to drill the holes out to 5/16-inch or so in the side you are going to be welding. Where the overlap is, you do not need to use as many screws (in some cases none) as long as the two pieces fit nice and tight to each other. Stitch welding is fine here and you do not need to weld the entire length if you are going to do so on the underside; we like to weld an inch or so, leaving small gaps. If you elected to butt weld, then of course you will need to weld them in entirely.

We also weld around any other attach points on the underside; this may be considered overkill but nothing will never come apart if welded properly!

After all of the welding is done, we shoot primer and paint into all of the seams and overlaps, let dry and then seam seal before or after final painting.

Next time, we will go back and finish off the trunk area by installing the side extensions, and put new outer wheelhouses in place. Stay tuned!

The type of car you choose to drive says an awful lot about your character, style, and lifestyle. For those individuals looking to make a bigger statement, or who just can’t find an “off-the-rack” model to suit them, customisation becomes an option. There are literally thousands of aftermarket parts available to those consumers seeking to make their cars perform better, stand out from the crowd, or just stand as a better reflection of who they are. Don’t even get me started on the endless palate of colours, tires and wheels out there. Customizing automobiles largely arose during World War II, as the rationing of materials for the war effort made it difficult to acquire new automobiles or parts. Determined young men armed with tools and mechanical skills would scavenge what they could from older cars and scrap yards in order to fabricate what they needed in order to get their cars on the road. In his latest effort, Art of the Hot Rod, author Ken Gross explains that the term “hot rod” is believed to be derived from “hot roadster,” as open-topped two-seaters defined the genre in its early days. The cars were stripped down, older cars that could be purchased cheap and then souped up by young, technically skilled men. Los Angeles is considered the birth place of the hot rod phenomenon, as its proximity to the culture shaping machine of Hollywood brought exposure to the hobby in magazines, movies, music and television.
The book reveals that the modern interpretation of the hot rod is usually highly sophisticated, and features extraordinary craftsmanship and mechanical ingenuity. The scope of the hobby has expanded to the point that it is now an industry in its own right, with parts suppliers and manufacturers paying more attention to the rolling art pieces they see custom shops creating for well-heeled collectors, diehard enthusiasts, and hot rod fans just looking to relive some of the joys of youth.
This glossy coffee table book takes a look at twenty carefully selected rod and custom shops that set themselves apart from all comers when it comes to design (a high level of individualism and creativity is a key element in this segment of the auto world), as well as the exceptional standards and workmanship their projects demonstrate.

Old is good
Builders like Jim Lowrey Jr. of Lowrey Restorations in Tilton, New Hampshire work hard to retain some original elements of donor cars to preserve period correctness and maintain value.
Dave Simard of East Coast Custom in Leominster, Massachusetts reveals the importance of restoring a car prior to developing it as a hot rod so that you don’t lose valuable reference points.
Ken Schmidt and Keith Cornell of the Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop in Albany, New York manage to create brand new cars from authentic old parts, then painstakingly weather and distress them to mimic years of use. Pete Chapouris began as a parts supplier and builder of classic hot rods before revitalizing the storied So-Cal Speed Shop brand to the point where he now oversees ten retail outlets and a booming mail order business that includes a burgeoning clothing line. Pete, along with his star builder Jimmy Shine, is at the forefront of the hot rod movement when it comes to marketing and name recognition.

New is better
Steve Frisbie (Steve’s Auto Restorations in Portland, Oregon) reproduces 1933-34 Ford Roadster and Roadster Pickup bodies using modern welding techniques under the Real Steel banner.
Richard Graves of Long Beach, California’s Richard’s Wheel and Chassis has been building hot rods for 40 years, and at last count, he had created more than 400 cars. Richard stresses that his cars are to be driven and enjoyed, so he works with his clients to meet their needs. This includes bold steps like slipping V8 engines from the likes of Lexus and Porsche under the hood, rather than Ford flatheads.

Other Notable Builders
Bobby Alloway, a Ridler Award winner from Louisville, Tenessee. Classic roadsters are his forte, often painted with bright flames. The cover of the book features his stunning 1933 Ford Three Window Coupe.
Troy Trepanier has been featured on a number of television programs and is known for making some truly sick cars for his celebrity clientele. His shop, Rad Rides by Troy, is located in Manteno, Illinois.
Barry Lebeck, owner of Lebeck’s V8 Shop in Springfield, Ohio is unique in that he refuses to build a car if it can’t be driven. In short, no trailer queens or show slugs roll out of his shop.
Rick Dore of Glendale, Arizona, believes that “colour is 99 percent” of a build. “It has to draw you to the car. Then you look at the details.”
Dave Crouse is the owner of Custom Auto, located just outside Denver, Colorado. Along with several partners, he “restores old hot rods with interesting histories and then reunites them with their original owners (builders).”

A picture is worth….
Peter Harholdt is an exceptional photographer, and the efforts he took to capture the highlights and details of each subject car give us an essence of what each shop and builder is about. Each chapter focuses on a single shop, and three or four builds are featured in large format photos to honour the fine degree of workmanship. A portrait of the shop principal or key builders is also included, often in a very whimsical manner (see Ken “Posies” Fenical captured mid-yawn on page 41).
Peter performed his own build for this project, creating a mobile photo studio that would allow him to isolate his subject and better control the lighting than would normally be possible when shooting on the road. This permitted him to keep the look and feel of each image consistent throughout the 245-page book, and the end result is impressive.

Conclusions
The hot rod culture is unique in that it is very social. Men and women with advanced trade skills, boundless imaginations and a passion for automobiles get together to share talents with one another - you machine a part for me, and I will paint for you. The proliferation of hot rod clubs and a seemingly endless supply of aftermarket parts have allowed garage builders to create incredible dream machines. The twenty builders featured in Art of the Hot Rod have been lucky enough to turn their dreams into careers.

www.motorbooks.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2282-6
Price: $40.00 US / $43.95 CAN

Company: Classic Performance
Managers: Carmine / Brandie
Address: #27 - 1410 - 40 Ave. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2E 6L1
Tel: 403 - 216 – 6060
Website: www.classicperformance.ca
What do they do: Restoration & Pro Tour Builds of American Muscle Cars as well as restoration & aftermarket parts sales.

Company Line
Background: Starting as a hobby shop thirteen years ago, Classic Performance has become one of the best known, fully licensed automotive facilities to serve the specialty car industry. The company has continued to grow to house a fully stocked parts department, and has become one of the nation's well-known car builders. Classic Performance prides itself on every aspect of the Muscle Car industry. Recently, Detroit Speed & Engineering awarded them top dealer for 2008. Classic Performance is also a major distributor for companies such as Year One Inc., DII Classic Bodies, AMD, Goodmark, and Keisler Engineering just to name a few.

PP: What work does Classic Performance specialize in?
C+B: Classic Performance has always been known for their award winning concourse restorations, but we’ve expanded into building many Pro-Tour and Resto-Mod vehicles as well. We also offer a specialty parts department that not only serves the shop, but also the public. We have experience working with every part we retail, so can give expert advice to customers about any installation. Everyone employed here is a passionate owner of a Muscle Car or Hot Rod. We apply our skills and knowledge to every project that we build.

PP: What seem to be the trends you are seeing emerge in the industry today?
C+B: There have been huge advances in car building, utilizing new technology. Many customers want to have a classic car with all the modern day luxuries, air conditioning, top quality sound systems, reliability, performance braking and handling. We have experience with chassis upgrades, overdrive transmissions, big brake upgrades, mini tubbing, navigation systems, and thermal imaging night vision technology. While all this can be fun, we do still accommodate the purist coming in, who still wants their car restored to showroom condition.

PP: What recent project holds a lot of pride to you as a builder?
C+B: Every project is something special, but one that comes to mind is the Kosma Camaro. That was one of our initial Pro-Tour builds. This '68 Camaro convertible features an EFI 572 engine, 5-speed transmission, aftermarket performance chassis and has all the creature comforts of a modern car. It has coil-over suspension, has been mini tubbed and features a completely custom interior. This was the car that proved that we weren’t just a restoration shop, that we could do something custom, be innovative and stay ahead of the curve.

PP: What projects can be seen in your shop today?
C+B: We are now working with the aftermarket DII bodies, and one we have started is going to utilize a lot of lightweight carbon fibre panels. The car will get an all-aluminum 427-anniversary engine with paddle shifter controlling a 4L80E transmission. It will be riding on a Detroit Speed and Engineering C6 based front chassis and quadra-link rear suspension and of course all the top end technology mentioned above. We also have an original 69 Camaro Z28 cross ram JL8 restoration, 66 AC Cobra replica and a 34 Plymouth Sedan on the go.

Wayne Chafe of Castlegar, B.C. wanted a Performance Plus prize so much he took his 1971 Chevy Camaro onto the backroads (aren't they all kinda backroads in Castlegar?) and sacrificed his tires to provide us with this incredible smoke show. Thanks Wanyne and your hat is in the mail!

Cars Stars and Guitars

Powerama Celebrates 25 Years
2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the Powerama Motoring Expo Show at the Northlands Agricom in Edmonton. The show runs Friday April 24 through to Sunday April 26, and promises to be one of the best ever in its long history. As the show’s promoter says “Whether it’s old school hot rods, classic muscle, or the latest in 'tuners,' we’ve got it all!” From antiques to high performance, classics to jacked-up trucks, and motorcycles to professional race cars, as well as contests, giveaways, and swimwear fashion shows, there’s something for everyone at Powerama Motoring Expo. The show will once again fill all four halls and 250,000 square feet of the AgriCom with an outstanding lineup of more than 300 show vehicles, 100-plus local business displays and nearly 300 vendors at Alberta’s best swap meet, the Automotive Marketplace! Add to that celebrity guests Stacey David of “Stacey David’s Gearz” and Candy Clark from the movie “American Graffiti,” as well as the ever-popular “Swimwear Fashion Show. Ticket prices are $13.00 for adults, $9.00 for seniors (65+) and youths (13-16), $6.00 for children (7-12), and free for kids 6 and under. For more information please contact Liz Oglu at 780-484-3400 or visit www.powerama.ca

Car Crazy Spring Auction
For those who would like to add to their collection, Heninger and Sisson’s Car Crazy 15th Annual Spring Collector Car Auction takes place April 24 and 25 at the Car Crazy Classic Car Auction showroom located at 4303 9th St. SE, Calgary. Of the over 150 vehicles up for grabs, 38 of them are from three different estate sales, most with no reserve, and all will be displayed and auctioned out of their heated indoor showrooms. Auction Door Fee is $15 for one day or $20 for the weekend. Bidder's and phone bid cards are both $20. Viewing is on Friday, April 24, 2009 from 10am to 6pm and Saturday, April 25, 8am to 10am. There is also a Service Station Memorabilia Auction on Friday, April 24, 2009 from 6pm to 10pm. For more information please contact Harold at 403-287-6565 or visit www.carcrazy.ca

Twenty five years is certainly a long time for anything to last.

That is especially true in the automotive world. For instance, the median lifespan of a passenger car in the United States and Canada is 9.2 years, which is almost a year longer than ten years ago. Big-time events also don’t seem to have longevity on their side. Take Molson Indy Vancouver that, even though it was wildly successful with racers and party-goers alike, lasted just 15 years before it was relocated to Edmonton. After 20 years, Toronto’s race appeared to be a permanent institution before the 2008 race was canceled (it has since been purchased by Andretti/Green Racing and is scheduled to roar through the streets of Toronto again in July 2009). Then, a year later, the biggest blow of them all came when Canada lost its largest automotive event, when the Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the F1 schedule after a 42-year history in this country.

So, for Liz Oglu and her team of volunteers, the 25th edition of Powerama Motoring Expo in Edmonton will truly be something special. From its humble beginnings in the 45,000-square foot Kinsmen Sports Centre in 1985, the show expanded the following year to the 66,000-square foot Sportex and a year later the show grew again and relocated to the 77,000-square foot Agricom which has been its home ever since. Today, Powerama has grown to cover over 250,000 square feet inside four halls of the Northlands Agricom.

The show was created by a group of various car club members that paid $100 per club to join. They called themselves the Alberta United Racers and their sole mandate was to secure a site and conduct the due diligence to develop a new motorsports facility in Edmonton. Over the next six years, the association raised and spent nearly $700,000 towards planning, lobbying and finding a suitable site for the racetrack prior to giving way to private investors to build Edmonton’s newest motorsport facility called Capital City Raceway (known today as Castrol Raceway).

In 1991, the association disbanded and Liz and Wally decided to take on Powerama on their own. “The first years were definitely a struggle as we were no longer benefiting from being under a non-profit umbrella...everything cost more! We didn’t even have one vendor that first year! The second year, Royal Treats Ice Cream came on as a vendor and they’ve been here ever since.” The show now sports over 100 vendors each year. The one thing that has never been a problem for the couple is finding vehicles. The first year featured around 130 vehicles which the couple have seen grow to the 350-odd that have been on display the past five years.

Asked what is the biggest challenge they face putting on this extravaganza each year, Liz didn’t hesitate when she replies, “keeping it fresh is always a challenge. We want to wow each attendee. The first impression is the key to success. We are proud to have had at minimum 60 percent turnover of vehicles every year. One year 75 percent changed from the previous year.”

She is equally quick to reply when asked what the key has been to Powerama’s success. “It wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated volunteers that come out year after year. You just couldn’t hire people for these jobs. These people do it because they love it. There were 35 volunteers in total the first year and ten of the originals are still here after 25 years.”

Like everything, the show has changed a great deal over the years, but the biggest change and the one Liz is most proud of is the recognition and respect it has received from other events throughout North America. “Going from a club event with an eye to raise some money to build a track, to becoming one of the premiere shows in North America, is something that we’re very proud of.”

So looking into her crystal ball, where does she see the show going over the next 25 years? “I would like to see the tradition continue. I hope the hobby stays strong, no matter what form it is presented in, and the next generation of enthusiast carries it on. It would mean a lot to me.”

We hope so too!

If you are like me, and quite likely you are since you are reading this magazine, you love to restore cars. Whether it is muscle cars, trucks, or even imports, there is an intoxicating sense of satisfaction that comes from taking something old and worn out, and making it new again. Now, we all know about the fun part, tearing a car down to the shell. We become medical examiners who cut through the outer flesh to the base to diagnose the problems that we will soon toil over for the next several months to bring the old wreck back to life.

More often than not, the largest disease we will need to cure is rust. Rust is like cancer to a gear head. We hate it with a passion and take a sick pleasure in eradicating it. It loves to make its nest on the underbody, which creates several problems. One – this means stripping off years of grim and undercoat to get at it. Two – it’s under the car and a pain in the neck to get to. Having stripped my fair share of underbodies, I’ve tried many different tactics, such as jacking the car high into the air and working underneath it. However, this just means all the tar and dirt falls on you as you scrape, as well as welding spray. I’ve also rolled a shell up on its side. This makes working on it much easier, although is not the best idea when welding, and makes it very easy to damage side panels. The best tool in this case is a rotisserie.

Now, buying a car rotisserie can be quite expensive, with examples costing in the area of $800 to $2,000. If you are planning on doing your own welding, chances are you are able to build your own rotisserie, saving you hundreds. There are several designs that can be chosen online, that can do a great many things. The following will be a simple basic set-up that we found to suit our needs. It goes without saying that quality materials, pins, fasteners and weld are extremely important as failure can cause injury or death. Also take into account the size and weight of the vehicle you plan to suspend in the air.

One design that fits our purposes is as follows:

Materials:
- 12 feet of 2 1/2-inch square steel tube with 3/16-inch wall
- 52 feet of 2-inch square 3/16-inch wall steel tube (must fit inside 2 1/2-inch tube)
- 2 feet of 3-inch round steel tube with 3/16-inch wall (must fit inside 3 1/2-inch tube)
- 2 feet of 3 1/2-inch round steel tube with 3/16-inch wall (must accommodate the 3-inch tube to slip inside )
- Eight, 1/2 inch X 1 1/2 inch (grade 5 to grade 8) bolts and nuts plus two big flat washers for trunk mount bracket.
- Twelve, 3/8 inch X 3 inch (grade 5 to grade 8) bolts and nuts and flat washers
- Five or six chop saw blades if you use an electric chop saw for cutting the steel
- Two scrap 2-inch square tube pieces 1-foot long for gusset supports under rotor tube
- Four heavy-duty casters with 5-inch wheels (all swivel-type)

Steps:
2-INCH O.D. SQUARE TUBE STOCK (3/16-INCH WALL):

1 Upright
Cut 60 in. length. Drill 9/16 in. hole in desired location to insert safety kingpin after car height is established. Be sure this height will allow the car to spin 360-degrees without contacting the Centre Connector.
2 Rotating Cross Arm
Cut 54 in. length. Determine final spacing of front or rear mounting brackets and drill 7/16 in. holes through both sides of cross arm and insert 3/8 in. grade 5 to 8 bolt and nut.
3 Base Connector
Cut two 12 in. lengths. Make one using 2 in. tube and another using 2 ½ in. tube so both mounts can receive the Centre Connector.
4 Bracket Adjusting Arm
Cut 12 in. length. Drill 7/16 in. hole through both sides after height location is determined and insert 3/8 in. grade 5 to 8 bolt and nut.
5 Bracket Attaching Arm
Cut 16 in. length. Drill 9/16 in., 2 in. from end, spaced at desired length to attach to bumper bracket holes on frame rails
6 Main Centre Connector
Cut 16 ft. length. This tube slips into the short 2 ½ in. tube welded onto the base cross arm and is held with 3/8 in. bolt
7 Base Arm Of Vertical "T"
Cut 60 in. length.
8 45-Degree Gusset Braces
Cut two 9 in. lengths.

2-1/2 INCH O.D. SQUARE TUBE STOCK (3/16-INCH WALL):
9 Pivot-Arm Slide
Cut 6 in. length. Drill 7/16 in. to lock into desired position on Rotating Cross Arm.
10 Bracket Holder
Cut 3 in. length. Drill 7/16 in. hole in center through both sides.
11 Pivot Height Adjuster
Cut 12 in. length. Drill two 9/16 in. holes 1 inch from each end through one side only and weld 1/2 nuts over these holes and use 1 1/2 in. bolts as thumb screws to hold height adjuster. Also install safety kingpin below bracket.
12 Centre Span Adjuster
Cut 5-foot length. Drill 7/16 in. holes 2 in. from each end, through both sides
ROUND TUBE STOCK (3/16-INCH WALL):
13 Rotor (3 1/2-in. O.D.)
Cut 12 in. length. Drill 9/16 in. hole 2 inches from end, through top of tube only and weld a 1/2-inch nut over hole. Insert 1 1/2-inch bolt to serve as thumbscrew to lock pivot angle.
14 Pivot Axle (3-in. O.D.)
Cut 11 in. length. This will allow the bumper mounts to spin on the apparatus Rotor.

Remember to build two mounts, one for the front and rear. Your measurements may be different to ours regarding the size of the car to be lifted, so be sure to calculate properly. Once all the sections are to length and drilled, weld all non-moving pieces together. You are now ready to spin your project into the ideal working position.