tonycharger72 Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Hey guys, was wanting to pick some brains for possible ideas and pics of what other folks have done to their front ends! Some background....................I am currently about half-way through re-doing my chassis rails and have ended up removing the radiator support panel and everything below the original chassis rails, What I am left with is shown below in the pics! and its a touch ordinary!!! The area in front of the new blue radiator support panel is what concerns me, this area is double skinned and the piece on the inside (engine bay side) is pretty stuffed!!! What I was thinking of doing is basically replacing this second inner skin with 1-3mm thick steel, it is .8mm thick from the factory and has a lip on it, I dont think I can reproduce this lip, hence why the increase in metal thickness! Is this a good idea? I still need to mount the bonnet latches in about the same position as it is currently and I also need to have holes for my bumper-bar - Is there any other ways people have modified their front ends, love to see some pics of modified front ends or opinions on if my current idea is a good one! Here are some pics!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizm0Zed Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 i wouldnt do it out of 3mm steel. for one it'd be heavy, and secondly, if you ever ran into anyone else, they would be like 2 big ramming blades, once the rest of the thin panel work around it peeled away, which it would. i could easily see them puncturing a door in a side on impact. would be easier just to cut the recuired panels off a wreck, and graft them in. or instead, just cut the guts out of it, leaving the lip, which looks in good shape, and replace the panel section with the same grade steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 "i wouldnt do it out of 3mm steel. for one it'd be heavy, and secondly, if you ever ran into anyone else, they would be like 2 big ramming blades, once the rest of the thin panel work around it peeled away, which it would. i could easily see them puncturing a door in a side on impact." , that made me laugh - I could also put some arrow shaped points on the end of the chassis rails and go nuts, "Cut me off will ya buddy!!!" !!! Yeah, think your right, its like 0.8mm thick steel there now, thinking that if I did make it out of 1.2mm, even without the lip it will be pretty strong! But what you suggested is a much better idea - cut out the guts, leave the lip and graft on new steel - but it will be butt-welded or it would look terrible, so might not be all that strong, however, all the importmant bits (bonnet latch and bumper-bar) will be bolted up to the new steel which will be connected to my new radiator support panel - so would be as strong as if I just slapped in some new steel and did away with the old stuff all-together!!! Good suggestion mate! Just curious, but love to see pics of what other folks have done at the front of their cars!!! Wouldnt mind grafting but just finding that sort of thing locally is next to impossible, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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