MetalThrashingMad Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Has anyone here ever done/considered this? I'm restoring a '71 and one of the ideas I have is to make the car a fastback instead of a hatchback. I replaced floorpans and parts of the subframe with heavier gauge metal, so the car is stiffer than it was stock, and I'm putting the L24 back in the car next year. My main concern is what the torsional effects of driving the car may have on the rear window if I do in fact decide to mount it permanently. Or should this not be a concern? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan5138 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Get a new rubber seal for the rear glass, and that should soak everything up. If you want to get really ambitious you could make the glass a lift glass. I would imagine earlier RX7 hatch hinges would work, just need some sort of mechanism. That way your hatch area would'nt be entirely useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalThrashingMad Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 If you want to get really ambitious you could make the glass a lift glass. I would imagine earlier RX7 hatch hinges would work, just need some sort of mechanism. That way your hatch area would'nt be entirely useless. Wow. That's a great idea. Why didn't I think of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdenno Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Consider how to get to the spare tire before you do too much welding. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Hey you could cut the spare wheel well out and flatten it and put the spare underneath like they do on trucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namor Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Hey you could cut the spare wheel well out and flatten it and put the spare underneath like they do on trucksnot sure about the 240 gas tank, but I'm fairly certain the gas tank on my '77 would be in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 yea thats true just remembered that LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 If you had a fuel cell that would be a different story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalThrashingMad Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Consider how to get to the spare tire before you do too much welding.Dennis Yes, this would be my primary and pretty much sole concern. Having a fuel cell up top and mounting the tire underneath is a great idea too. Glad I posted this question, I got some different angles now Keep the suggestions coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow_Old_Car Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 will make changing tail light related stuff interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I am going to try and say this the best way i can haha. but put the fuel cell to the right side of the car and cut a whole so the tire could stand upright sort of like another wheel well and put it to the left side of the car and make it so it tucks under enough that it would be able to be taken out from the bottom and rig some cross bars or something to hold the tire up in the spare wheel well Sort of like this but under the car and inside the trunk space area? I don't know if it would be able to come out maybe put it in at a slant or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeleriousZ Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Why don't you just cage it? That'll give you all the rigidity you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Why not weld up the hatch, but fab the rear panel between the lights so it opens out like a pickup tailgate and the wheel slides out. Make it's own little compartment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 ^^^^^^i like that idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namor Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 just curious, why do you want to weld the hatch shut? Is it just for cosmetic/aesthetic reasons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Yes, this would be my primary and pretty much sole concern. Having a fuel cell up top and mounting the tire underneath is a great idea too. Glad I posted this question, I got some different angles now Keep the suggestions coming! Not the best idea in my opinion, unless you make some sort of enclosure around the cell or taxicab the thing so that if you get rear ended the fuel cell doesn't cover you in gasoline. I like the cell or tank under the car with a sheet metal barrier between you and the fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Not the best idea in my opinion, unless you make some sort of enclosure around the cell or taxicab the thing so that if you get rear ended the fuel cell doesn't cover you in gasoline. I like the cell or tank under the car with a sheet metal barrier between you and the fuel. Amen to that. And who needs a spare anyway? Hot rods and race cars don't carry spares. Excess weight is your enemy. A can of Fix-a-flat and a AAA card, that's all you need. I havent carried a spare in my Z since I've owned it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=152701&highlight=Fix+Flat Fix-a-Flat might not be the best choice, Just thought i would put this out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalThrashingMad Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 just curious, why do you want to weld the hatch shut? Is it just for cosmetic/aesthetic reasons? Yes, just to be different. I'm also going to see if I can relocate the gas filler neck to underneath the license plate, as well as a few other things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 hmm... hows this sound for a game plan? Remove the fuel tank, cut out the wheel wheel for the spare, weld the hatch bottom flat, fit a RX7 fuel tank and 6-2 headers twin piped with a pipe exiting each side of the rear, weld shut the hatch and set the glass as an opening glass door, and fab the tail to swing down like a pickup tailgate to release the spare wheel. The wheel in it's little enclosure will rase the apparent floor of the hatch, but it's a sports car, not a grocery carrier after all. get a van for that job Somewhere on Hybridz, I've seen a Z with the spare well removed and a RX tank fitted to allow a V8 to have rear twin exhaust pipes, A search should bring up details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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