Introduction: Car-b-que (BBQ Made From the Front of a Classic Car)

By building a Bédélia cyclekart
About: I fly fixed wing, flex wing and rotary aircraft. Love designing and making in wood, metal and plastics. Currently building a cyclekart and researching a history PhD on the democratisation of flight.

On the way home from work, about ten years ago, I saw a 1950s car in a car yard...and made enquiries. The owner said that it was gutted (all parts stripped out) and that it was due to be crushed. If I wanted it, it was mine, providing I took it away within two days. So I hired a low-loader and rented a corner of a farmer's yard in which to cut her in half...and got the parts delivered to my back garden, where they gathered rust for a few years....until about three years ago I decided to make the front into a BBQ, abandoning earlier plans to make furniture out of the car (see sketches done in a school staff meeting).

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g102/rivet_101/car-b-que/?action=view&current=1172427259.pbw


For the purists among us, who are upset by me cutting up an old car, I remind myself that it was to be crushed and that there wasn't enough left of her to be the basis of a restoration.


Step 1: Sub-structure


Forgive me - I made this long before I had heard of instructables, so the slide shows are all I can provide in the way of instruction, suffice it to say that the principal parts were mounted on a framework made out of school desk tubing (saved from a skip).

The structure is hidden behind the wheels and is weighted so that the car cantilevers.....It looks like a car -doesn't appear to stand on legs.

Step 2: "engine" Bay

Once the main parts were secured around the substructure I made internal parts with heavy treadplate (where the fire would be set) and lined the sides (to hold utensils etc) with reclaimed steel sheet, then fitted it with a circular grill.

Step 3: Driver


I made a driver (head and hands) and wired them to a weight which, when swung, rocks the head and wobbles the stearingwheel so that it looks like the car is driving.

Step 4: Ignition

I finished the car-b-que in hammerite.

I can't find the pics of it all fired up, but will insert them when I do. It provides a great social and focal point at a party.

Now, check out my adjustable sloping bed for hiatus hernia sufferers, which I think is a better idea than this one, which is getting all the attention:https://www.instructables.com/id/adjustable-sloping-bed-for-hiatus-hernia-sufferers/