LS1 240Z Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 have you calculated how much weight you are adding to the car? haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted October 20, 2006 Author Share Posted October 20, 2006 Well... I finally completed the front end triangle brace... Whew.. A little snag along the way.... When I tightened the firewall brace bars.. I noticed that they did not cinch up quickly... they were bowing the middle of the firewall pretty easily... Well... I wanted to use the original windshield wiper mechanism and dashboard... I already made a few decisions early on that were making this particular part of the car hard to deal with... I used some 1" DOM tubing to span the distance between the factory gussets inside the wiper tray area... I reinforced the gussets with 14g plates and I welded the tubing along the firewall, top lip, and ends... The right side gusset completely spans the inside of the wiper tray front to rear, top and bottom.... unfortunately the left side stops way short of fully supporting the tray... I decided to make a stiffener plate that would spread the loads to every part of the left wiper tray box... top bottom and sides... ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Now THAT is freakin SWEET! I love what you did there. I noticed the same spring in the firewall the first time I tightened my strut tower bars down as well. Now I know what to do about it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 love the tubes under the wiper tray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mull Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 • http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/bjhines/V8%20240Z%20project/roll%20cage/completedfrontendreinforcementwitht.jpg Looks great! I want more updates of this project! : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peej410 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 nice work! i noticed the firewall was pretty flimsy in my Z aswell so i cut two holes in the rear part of the wiper motor tray and stuck two tubes through to two little 2in sq plates that are welded to the firewall. these plates are directly behind the angle braces and at the back in the cabin they are welded to my dash bar. can you still uses the wiper motor with yours? i had to "delete" mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 5, 2007 Author Share Posted April 5, 2007 I have been busy this winter but now that it is warming up I have been back in the shop making sparks. To pick up where we left off... The dash bar: This top view shows the form of the dash bar now that it is welded in place. This picture shows the upper gusseting that ties the dashbar into the wiper box. This picture shows some of the corner gussets that were used on the front half of the roll cage. This is the lower center dash bar gusset. I was planning on extending this reinforcement all the way to the firewall. I used a cracked dash I had from a previous rust bucket 1972 240Z as a mockup piece. I test fit the dash at all stages of this project. It has been a tough part of this project. The dash and center console along with the heater box and blower will all fit comfortably. The only modifications were to the corners of the dash where the A-pillars go through it. The center defrost diffusers will not fit, but there is an appealing way to make the defroster blow on the windshield. The end vents will not be functional but can be left installed to appear stock. The only other issue is the passenger side connector bundle. I will have to modify the glovebox liner to allow the connectors to be moved over a little. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 The cage is welded in place and most of the gusseting has been accomplished. It still lacks door bars as I wait on my custom seat to ensure proper fit when the bars are installed. This shows the overall layout of the cage design, as well as some of hte gusseting to the chassis. Details of the gusseting. A look at the roof bar. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 I know a whole bunch of you guys were wondering about how I was going to fill in the rear wheel well openings where the hoop goes through them. Well I decided to use some sheet metal from my donor 240Z. I cut out enough material to reinforce the wheel well all the way from the inner weld seams to the joint between the inner and outer wheel well sections. I cut enough to clear the hoop and then I cut slices to allow seam welding in multiple places to the original sheet metal. Then I welded the piece in place inside and out. one side the other side ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 13, 2007 Author Share Posted April 13, 2007 Here is something I kept forgetting to do... Rear strut tower braces are an open U-channel structure. They seem flimsy, but now they are much sturdier with minimal weight gain. 20g. steel... bent, punched, and flared. Welded in place. I have figured out a MUCH better way to weld this thin stuff... scope it out those beads. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAVED Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 What are you using to punch those holes in the sheeting and getting that indent with it aswell? very nice looking cage btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 13, 2007 Author Share Posted April 13, 2007 http://www.mittlerbros.com/ There are other sources for these tools as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 I have figured out a MUCH better way to weld this thin stuff... scope it out those beads. Looks like a bunch of spot welds. I find that blow through is much worse if you go too slow or weld a bunch in a row in a small area such that the whole thing is HOT and gooey. Spot welds would help as long as you can get penetration. I'm still struggling with welding stuff on the floor as it's so thin. I can't imagine 20 gauge. Cameron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted April 15, 2007 Author Share Posted April 15, 2007 spot welds is right... I move along spotting, waiting between each weld ~1second. Believe me, there is no problem with penetration on 20g. I still blow it out occasionally. MM-140 with (voltage on 2) and (wire feed on 60-70). It is much harder to get this technique to work when welding 20g to thick metal. I still use the circular pattern for that. I just concentrate on the thick metal more than the thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Been at it again... The door-bars are done. well... half done in this photo This is the layout for the gussets. I figured out that I needed to make a general shape that would allow me to form the piece and then "cope" the edges to follow the curve of the X-brace. 1. I traced the straight edged template on a piece of 0.060 sheet. 2. I cut the piece out and then bent it over a section of tubing. 3. I fitted and traced the required curves on the gusset 4. I cut the curves, punched, and flared the gussets 5. I rechecked fit and welded them into place using numerous clamps to form the gussets to the X-braces. These damn things take quite a bit of time. I spent at least 8 hours on this part of the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Looks good to me! Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Here are a few more detail pictures of the driver's side. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Careless Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 any reason for mig rather than tig? and it looks badass, btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks280zt Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 any reason for mig rather than tig? and it looks badass, btw Faster, cheaper, easier? Just guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 I'll buy a tig and a CNC milling machine for the next project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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