adam78280z Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I think i've convinced my self to start cutting tomorrow. Anyone regret it after chopping them off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240hoke Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 YES I WOULD NEVER EVER EVER CUT MINE OFF AGAIN. You will get soaked whenever it rains and you neat to crack you window, or whenever there is dew on top of you car in the morning and you go around the first corner. Also when driving in the rain if you crack the window at all the airflow around the front pillar will shoot water in your eyes! Seriously straight in them its really aggravating. I'm going to make a little aluminum deflector for this. Also removing the rail brings your attention to the door/roof seam which is otherwise hidden. Most car don't line up perfect there and look weird unless you are running weatherstripping along the top (like on 280z's). Its a lot of trouble and it maybe look pretty cool, but I think the rails add a classy look and I would love to have the functionality back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
310z Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I think i've convinced my self to start cutting tomorrow. Anyone regret it after chopping them off? I have only seen one car that removed the drip rails. It was a beatiful orange car that was done to the highest levels. I first saw it at the Solvang Roadster Show 2009 were it had a copy of a magazine under the windshild wiper, it was on the cover. The next day the car was at the West Coast Z Nationals. It looked good. My only thought was that it changed the look from an older classic car to one of a more modern style. That can be good, if that is what you are looking for? Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy from Oz Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Did mine last week - the lead is a real pain when welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam78280z Posted October 20, 2009 Author Share Posted October 20, 2009 sounds like some mixed reviews. I live in fl so rain is certainly a factor. The car is stripped and now is the time to do it if i'm going too. Already shaved marker lights, keeping side vents tho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyotegary Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 i love the look of the shaved drip rails. id do it again in a heartbeat. but then again i dont drive it in the pouring rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinCA Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I did it to my last z. You cant just cut the rail off. You need to have a good shielded gas welder setup. and a torch to take out the lead. I liked the way mine looked, but i put a LOT of time into it, and had every imaginable fabrication tool at my disposal. Its not any fun in the rain either... Made me feel pretty stupid getting rain shot into my eyes at 70 mph. But hey it was my first v8 z it wasnt supposed to be comfortable, it was supposed to be cool! Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titus_RacerX Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 YES I WOULD NEVER EVER EVER CUT MINE OFF AGAIN. Its a lot of trouble and it maybe look pretty cool, but I think the rails add a classy look and I would love to have the functionality back! What ^ he said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 A plasma cutter will cut them off clean and smooth... through paint, rust, and lead in less time than it takes to brush your teeth. I would like to point out that the drip rails serve a structural purpose. There are several layers of metal sandwiched together over the door openings. The "drip rail is the only junction between the various layers that make up the roof and door perimeter. This is a classic weak point in terms of protection and stiffness. If you see a cross section of a cut roof rail you can see that the channel formed outside the roof is there for manufacturing purposes. It allows welding access and makes a stiff join between the pieces. It also adds up to a hefty chunk of metal(as unibodies go). If you remove the rail you cannot properly weld all of the pieces back together. You could form a cap over the edge for reinforcement but the middle layer of metal would not be joined to the formed cap. Of course if you have a roll cage then you don't need to worry about the factory roof structure. I think there is plenty of room for improvement over the original design, especially for a street rod that needs extra stiffnes in the roof without a full cage and helmet. If I were to modify the factory roof without a full cage installed(a street rod). I would leave the drip rail alone. I would cut the roof skin out. I would leave 2" of metal around the perimeter and fold it down and weld it to the inner C channel to form a "box section" around the roof perimeter. I would add gusset plates(overlays) to the joints at the corners and double seam weld the entire structure. I would fill the A-pillars and new upper box section with structural foam. Finish with a fiberglass cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LamboZ Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Plus you can't run a roof rack if you shave them off. Then again I'm most likely the only person on here that even thought about a rack for a zed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I would like to point out that the drip rails serve a structural purpose. There are several layers of metal sandwiched together over the door openings. The "drip rail is the only junction between the various layers that make up the roof and door perimeter. This is a classic weak point in terms of protection and stiffness. Not true. The thickest reinforcement piece in the roof there doesn't attach to the drip rail directly, so cutting off the drip rail doesn't affect how the bracket is attached at all. It attaches to the flat spot on the bottom of the roof/ top of door jamb where the door seals at the top and the windows seal to in the rear quarters. The drip rail is two pieces of thin sheetmetal, not a sandwich of thicker layers. At least that's how it is on my 70. Pics: If you see a cross section of a cut roof rail you can see that the channel formed outside the roof is there for manufacturing purposes. It allows welding access and makes a stiff join between the pieces. It also adds up to a hefty chunk of metal(as unibodies go). If you remove the rail you cannot properly weld all of the pieces back together. You could form a cap over the edge for reinforcement but the middle layer of metal would not be joined to the formed cap. The middle layer isn't attached to the drip rail directly, so again, I think this isn't true. What you have to do which might be a bit on the hokey side is weld the roof to the jamb area and then grind that down so that it is smooth, but it is a full weld, not a spot welded flange, so as to which is stronger I couldn't say. The flange may make the drip rail stiffer. As far as welding the jamb to the heavier reinforcement piece, I had my Z on a rotisserie, so I was able to lay a piece of sheet metal down and plug weld the reinforcement to the flat piece pretty securely. Without a way to tip the car over, you'd have to be pretty good at upside down welding to get it attached securely, and I am not good at that... It's entirely possible that later models are built differently, but this is the way my 70 was put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Ahhh.. I see ... The third layer is not included in the drip rail sandwich... It was only welded to the inner channel. There are several transitions in the roof line where the various parts combine differently. That picture shows the rear sail to roof junction. The cuts I made were there and forward of the dash area. There are quite a few extra layers where the roof is joined to the rest of the chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shika805 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 i would say leave it but, but shaved doesnt look bad either. i just think its there for a purpose. hey 310z i live 30min down south from solvang, I'm in santa barbara, you from the 805 area? i've seen that orange z around here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Even if the drip rail is only two layers the flange that the drip rail is adds to the overall stiffness of the outer roof structure. Sticking out from the edge of the roof contributes to countering twisting forces in the roof, and thus, to twisting in the unibody overall. Through great efforts at gnashing of teeth and structural analisys we could argue and calculate the size of that contribution, but I doubt it to be negligable. When you consider the metal fatigue that butt welding the seam back together adds, the argument gets stronger for keeping the rail. On the other hand, if you are going to cage the car it makes no difference, stucturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8wannabe2 Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 My Z will be a weekend driver only and I like the smooth look, I shaved mine. Don't have it on the road yet so can't comment on functionality. Here's a pic. If it's your car, do what you want with it, just educate your self first.....good thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoman Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 V8 how do you open your doors now. That looks really clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 V8, your modified bumpers look pretty cool. Did you just take a bunch of metal off them and paint or was there more to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BURLEIGH Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 V8, your modified bumpers look pretty cool. Did you just take a bunch of metal off them and paint or was there more to it? Solenoid.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.