What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[jansens]

I've been pondering how I can get the engine into my special when the time comes. Bit tricky by myself and although I do have a chain block and suitable beam maneuvering the car under it is a pain. I looked at getting a little engine crane but they are 1. expensive (over NZ$300 or so), 2, a pain to store and 3, not much use for anything else. I figure an Austin 7 engine and gearbox isn't THAT heavy so some sort of frame I can hang the chain from would do it.

Then I saw these little scaffolds at the local Bunnings for NZ$250 (and $50 delivery). It's rated for 224kg and give a 1.25m height lift.



Now it's wide enough to drive the Austin under it (and the MGB too actually). All I needed to do was 'fix' the height. The holes for the platform only go so far up but it was easy enough to drill new ones at the top of the legs with the step drill (extremely handy tool to have those).



So after modifying the thing into a rolling health and safety violation I ended up with this:



Now I wouldn't want to stand on it up that high but I think if I cut a small hole in the wooden floor and lay across a piece of steel rebar I can hang the chain block under the platform from the bar and then easily lift and drop the engine in. I was wondering if I need a chain or rope or something across the legs at the bottom to stop them splaying out but I don't think that's going to be necessary at all. It's actually quite sturdy.

It fits neatly against the wall, sliding over the top of my sandblasting cabinet when not used and it provides extra storage on top of it. And of course I can still use it as mobile scaffolding for jobs about the house.

Simon