tonycharger72 Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Thanks for the advice AK-Z, I dont know if I will bother stiching up the rest of the floor pans, but I still need to install my new engine bay chassis rails and properly connect up the rear section of the chassis rails to the rear subrame area, I will give it go for sure, be good to limit warpage and also speed up the process a bit, whilst connecting up all the welds!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack280 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Any opinions on the really big mouth for the crossmember mounts on the chassis rails? this a good idea or a bad idea structually? The reason I want the really big mouth is because I am using a 1UZ, engine mounts are located centrally on the block so wanted to design a crossmember that was much further back in the engine bay, but because the LCA's are in a specific location it also has to be pretty far forward to, Hello tony, I think that when you used for your chassismembers metal from 2mm thickness, it wont be a problem. An Important piece will be from the chassismember to the lower area from the topmounting plate. This will give extra strength to the chassis. For the engine mounts is it an option to weld the towers direct on the chassis member. For more pics look at the link. I raised the floor and chassisrail and chopped the top. http://album.hybridz.org/showphoto.php?photo=20355&size=big&cat= Greetings Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Share Posted January 30, 2009 Wow, that car looks awesome.............love that chopped top look, what did you do for those quarter vent windows? with the roof-line lowered? I came across some pics of a guy who cut out a triangle section in the C-Pillars and then re-joined the roof so it looked a lot like yours, the rear glass would still fit, but didn't show any pics of how he dealt with the rear quarter venter glass, Hello tony, I think that when you used for your chassismembers metal from 2mm thickness, it wont be a problem. An Important piece will be from the chassismember to the lower area from the topmounting plate. Thanks for that Jack, didnt think of adding a brace there - think that would be a great idea coming down of the strut towers, I was just going to tack all around the strut supports on the inner fender's, but having it link up with the chassis seems like it would make that area a lot stronger, particulary as I will be hacking a nice hole into the chassis rails right there!!! I have decided to go with a smaller mouth opening for the crossmember bolt holes into the chassis rails - I will throw some pics up soon of what I have come up with!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DatsunKing1 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I did the EXACT same thing on my 280zx. lol probably added 100lbs+ lbs of steel on to it. great work, good luck with the build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheeler Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Here are a few pictures of what I did with my front sub frame and TC mounting points. The TC mounts are just 1/8 wall rectangle tubing that was cut on a angle and drilled. After I welded them in place at added a couple of gussets to each for additional strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 That looks really tidy mate, like it was from the factory that way, nice work!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Nice work Tony, good to see someone in Oz doing the structural thing, well done A couple of things, one, consider running some square section along the pinch welds underneath the sills/rockers. This makes for good jacking points and, if tied into the body, increases body rigidity. Two, consider the transmission tunnel and how it creates a flex point side to side. Incorporating a removeable X brace into the gearbox rear mount is one way to help this situation. But as I said, impressive work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Nice work Tony, good to see someone in Oz doing the structural thing, well done Thanks Richard, A couple of things, one, consider running some square section along the pinch welds underneath the sills/rockers. This makes for good jacking points and, if tied into the body, increases body rigidity. Don't suppose you have a picture of this, sounds like a very good idea - I am in the process of doing the engine bay rails and have to resort to putting the jack-stands under the new chassis rails, choc'd it with pine, but heaps prefer not to put jack's or stands under my new chassis rails, I would be awfully pissed if I bent them !!! Two, consider the transmission tunnel and how it creates a flex point side to side. Incorporating a removeable X brace into the gearbox rear mount is one way to help this situation. You mean like run a removeable bar between the chassis rails behind the gearbox crossmember or something actually inside the transmission tunnel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowlerMonkey Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Sikaflex is good stuff. I used to use the 241 sikaflex at hatteras yacht custom yard and you had to be sure you really wanted whatever you bonded with it was in it's final place because you would surely never get it off. We had a guy bond teak to the top of the transom on a multimillion dollar yacht and he had put them such that the lettering was opposite of what the owner wanted. They had to cut it and re-glass the top of the transom because the owner came in after they pried it off and it took mucho glass with it. Nice build........I covet your rotisserie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 I used to use the 241 sikaflex at hatteras yacht custom yard and you had to be sure you really wanted whatever you bonded with it was in it's final place because you would surely never get it off. Sounds like when I removed my rear spoiler after it had been Sikaflexed on, it really did not want to come off, about half of the bottom of the rear spoiler remained on the car !!! Nice build........I covet your rotisserie. There was a sale at a local hardware store so I went down and grabbed two 900kg engine stands, bought some 75x75x4 box section, cut out the middle and lengthened it, I did not connect the ends of the rotisserie or run struts and dyna-bolt them to the ground, this way I can just push it out of the way to get more room! But had to leave the angle of the engine stand as it was, sloping back just a touch, otherwise could run the risk of the ends slipping out and the car taking a spill of the Rotisserie - means with the car in place it pulls the stand forward a little, just makes it really tricky to turn when the centre of gravity of the car is really low, ie.......when its upside down!!! I had to weld on a lever bar so I could spin it around more easily!!! The Rotisserie made life soooooo much easier though, doing this on jack-stands would have be awful !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 No pics Tony, but the sill/rocker thing is quite simple. With the 280ZX 35x35x2mm square section run the full length underneath. Clamp then weld to the pinch weld, drill holes down from the top and plug weld, make tag strips and weld them to the square section and inwards to the floor. With the 260Z the section was carried forward at an angle to the compression rod pick up points. At the rear it was extended up a bit so it could be welded to the half cage main hoop base. This sort of thing is basically what you want to make of it, obviously the more it is integrated into the body structure the more stiffness and strength you will get. As for the gearbox area Xbrace, it makes sense to tag it into the present gearbox mount area where the body is already reinforced for that purpose. Once agin it depends on how far you want to go but a basic brace would involve a X piece bolted to the floor either side of the tunnel with the gearbox mount bolted on top of that. From memory the Z32 is done like that, its just a smart way to have a gearbox mount that doubles as a Xbrace. I can't recall seeing this done with a S30, having said that someone is sure to show me wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 No pics Tony, but the sill/rocker thing is quite simple. With the 280ZX 35x35x2mm square section run the full length underneath. Clamp then weld to the pinch weld, drill holes down from the top and plug weld, make tag strips and weld them to the square section and inwards to the floor. So something a bit like this? As for the gearbox area Xbrace, it makes sense to tag it into the present gearbox mount area where the body is already reinforced for that purpose. Once agin it depends on how far you want to go but a basic brace would involve a X piece bolted to the floor either side of the tunnel with the gearbox mount bolted on top of that. From memory the Z32 is done like that, its just a smart way to have a gearbox mount that doubles as a Xbrace. I can't recall seeing this done with a S30, having said that someone is sure to show me wrong A friend has a Z32, I will have a look underneath to see how that is done! I have cut out the original gearbox mounts and reinforcement, so starting from scratch in that area! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Here is some updates with the engine bay chassis rails! Out with the old!!! In with the new!!! The Underfloor to Engine Bay Chassis Rail Connectors! Still has to be properly welded and have to re-build the front nose area with the Bumper-Bar and Hood Latches are located!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 here's my progress as of last September/October. I'm waiting for the snow to melt (winter to be over :'() before I can take it out and work on it some more. I don't want to weld inside the garage and catch something on fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 here's my progress as of last September/October. I'm waiting for the snow to melt (winter to be over :'() before I can take it out and work on it some more. I don't want to weld inside the garage and catch something on fire. For the last week or so the temperature has been hovering around 39-40deg's (102-104f), I have to work inside my shed or I would melt !!! Conversion looks good mate!!! This is a better representation of what Richard meant then my Paint drawing !!! - Just curious, how are you going to hang the front fenders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 One step at a time . I think I just add some 1/2 square tubing and go from there. I also have something special in mind for the fenders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZZZeee Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Ooh... nice frame mods make for a good stiffy-ness!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 I also have something special in mind for the fenders I have been thinking about how to gussey up the front of my Z to !!! I grabbed a set of Mazda 323 front headlights ages ago because they looked like they might fit - they wont !!! Then I started thinking about how to make them fit............remove the metal that the bumper-bar and hood are bolted to, that way you would have the room to have a modern wrap-around type front headlights, instead of a 5" circle headlight! I figure that the bonnet would be to long stock - so have to whip up a new one, but then would have to modify the way in which it is mounted as you have removed its original mounting points - so hinges have to be placed in the back of the engine bay and hood catch would be relocated to the front of the engine bay, I think you could use Z32 300zx items for this! I think its all do-able with a stack of time, memory foam and automotive clay! Basically making a brand new fibreglass nose-cone that would have integrated front bumper-bar, headlights and grill that is one solid piece, maybe eveb throw in a detachable front splittler ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 So something a bit like this? Yeh thats it. Can be tagged right across to the rails like you show or part way, obviously the former is potentially the strongest. I did one right across under the drivers seat because the original piece inside that the seat originally bolted to was removed. To mount the race seat lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I have been thinking about how to gussey up the front of my Z to !!! I grabbed a set of Mazda 323 front headlights ages ago because they looked like they might fit - they wont !!! Then I started thinking about how to make them fit............remove the metal that the bumper-bar and hood are bolted to, that way you would have the room to have a modern wrap-around type front headlights, instead of a 5" circle headlight! I figure that the bonnet would be to long stock - so have to whip up a new one, but then would have to modify the way in which it is mounted as you have removed its original mounting points - so hinges have to be placed in the back of the engine bay and hood catch would be relocated to the front of the engine bay, I think you could use Z32 300zx items for this! I think its all do-able with a stack of time, memory foam and automotive clay! Basically making a brand new fibreglass nose-cone that would have integrated front bumper-bar, headlights and grill that is one solid piece, maybe eveb throw in a detachable front splittler ! I don't know what 323 headlights, but I find that most, if not all, car headlights are too wide when traditionally mounted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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