Had to choose between a rotisserie and a downdraft for a '66 Mustang resto

Customer brought in a '66 Mustang for a full resto and wanted a perfectly smooth look under the hood. I had to pick between a rotisserie for painting or a downdraft sanding setup. Went with the rotisserie from Eastwood, cost about $1200, and it made the bodywork way easier since I could flip the car over to reach the floor pans. Anyone else deal with these kind of space tradeoffs in a small shop?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_west19d ago

That rotisserie is a good call for a unibody car like the Mustang (you know, where the floor pans and rockers are structural). But I gotta gently push back on your price point. Eastwood's basic rotisserie is actually closer to $800 these days, not $1200. The $1200 one is their pro model with the locking casters and the built-in tilt gauge. Still a solid tool, just didn't want people to think they have to drop over a grand to get started. I've seen guys use the cheaper Harbor Freight one for a decade without issue, though you need to beef up the mounting plates a bit. The real space tradeoff in a small shop is actually storing the thing when it's not in use. These things fold up okay but they still take up a whole corner. I had to build a ceiling hoist for mine just to keep the floor clear for the next project.

joelwells19d agoProlific Poster

Yeah that storage piece is the killer. @riley_west, it's like every tool you buy for the shop comes with a hidden cost in floor space. I swear half my garage is just holding stuff I use twice a year.