Hello JC--,
If the shaft on that big motor turns easy by hand (no brake;little cogging or no dampener), then it looks to me like it would be a fun interesting motor to TRY to make a Vawt with if you can't put up the Hawt. A 12v cut-in around 40rpm is perfect (personal opinion) to attempt a Vawt. That would allow a bigger diameter rotor (4'or whatever) which you will need the good torque- believe me.
But most likely the power is going to be WAY less than if you used it as a 8' hawt in a clear, decently high up location. But in a Residential area sometimes you gotta do what you can get away with, even if it is much less power.
Or you could make a vawt rotor like ED's (windstuffnow.com) and reduce the torque required (at the generator) by increasing the speed range to 80rpm cut-in for a 24v batt system.
This might be better to do than just a bigger diameter slow Savonious (Max torque) Vawt rotor. (Not totally sure though--it is difficult to know with that motor)
His unique design will go faster in decent winds than a Savonious.
I suspect Static balance was one of my main problems.
I never could get my fixed blade Vawts to do much. (usually just 2-6watts//55 watts for seconds in a mega wind gust) They were not useful that way. Very disappointing.
Be aware they are very difficult. But I am still interested in a pivoting blade type Vawt. Then it is not cancelled out so badly on the returning side.
Vawts are a touchy subject around here ,understandably, because it looks like only Ed's design has actually been proven to be a USEFUL Vawt design.
I also do not believe the output claims of (fixed blade) Vawts on Youtube OR any of the commercial made vawts. I HOPE I and others will be proven wrong by someone showing an AMMETER hooked to a battery (NOT shorting the Ammeter) in a Vawt video, thus proving their Vawt design actually works.
But from my basic experience, The opposing (returning) side AlWAYS cancels out a large amount of the power (!!) unless you can figure out something like ED's design which changes the axis point in relation to the blade on the returning side. (my theory anyway)
-Good luck.