Slo-030 is correct, my engineer has told me to retain the original cross member. If I don't it then becomes an individually constructed car and is then subject to crash testing. I definately don't want to smash this after all the work I'm puttin into it :) hopefully this won't matter anyway with retrofitted ke70 lca's and rack and pinion it won't matter. Yeah I borrowed the bender of my neighbour (has made life so much easier and cheaper considering the local hot rod guy quoted me $2500 just to fab a tunnel up). Hopefully some more progress will be made this week, I've ordered my computer, heater/demister unit and insulation, now to work out what to do for a radiator.

ah heater demister unit?? you getting a universal one??

Yeah I've ordered a vintage air bi-level unit with demister. By my measurements it should fit in nicely.

where from mate?

 

oh and i find it odd that you can mod the crap outta a stock x memeber but not change to a different one... silly rules.. and same goes for that huge tunnel etcetc.

Bought the heater unit from rocket industries. $380 plus delivery. Yeah I know about the weird rules but that is what he wanted so that is what he is gettin (for now). I spoke to another guy the other day and he might be getting authorized to engineer, he told me to go with ke70 xmember etc etc so might go that instead. I will do some more research and trial and error then decide which way to go.

Just found this link in RobJ's KE25 build thread. Very handy!!!!

 

http://www.toycrazy.net/tech/struts.html

Well heres some more photos of the tunnel and firewall. It has been slow but I'm finally getting somewhere with it :) Once I finish filling in the gaps on the side its onto the floor brace and the gap near the handbrake (this is going to be very interesting thats for sure as the selector out of the gearbox might interfere with the brace, we'll wait and see)

Hey luke, I can't tell if theres a 25mm overlap on the tunnel. there needs to be a 25mm overlap between any surface that's getting joined, e.g. where the tunnel starts to get bigger for the bell housing and the engine boxed bit.. I hope you did it!

Somemore prgress shots.

Jordan I've spoken with my engineer and I'm going to put some reinforcement in the inside between the floor and tunnel (prob some 20*20 mild steel tube and stitch it to both) but not up the firewall as it will interfere with my feet when using the pedals. The footwell is already extremely small, no work boots when driving this bad boy :)

Well I sent a couple of photos to my engineer and rang him again. He told me it does need to be overlapped by more than 10mm. I got it wrong. I also went over to visit one of the local fabrication/hot rod shop and spoke to the main builder. He has told me he uses 1.15 mm cold roll mild steel sheet for all floor pan. He said it was easier to shape. I'm gunna stick with 1.6mm for extra strength.

So I'm going to remove the middle section of tunnel I've made and make one with tabs for the added strength. Not much fun redoing things but I want to know it's as strong as. Will try and remember to take some photos as I make it.

What's the engineer's rationale? Did he ask you to weld both sides of the lap joint?

Not sure what his reasoning was probably just strength issues but i suppose all joins are lapped from factory. He told me to seam weld both sides of the joint too then stress releive it by drilling the welded corners out. Will upload some photos when I get to it.

Well I've got some more photos of the the tunnel fabrication. I had to remove the centre piece and replace it with a section that overlapped bothe the firewall and main tunnel piece. I took a few photos for the people out there that wanted to see how I did it.

I started by flattening out the old piece and tracing the shape onto a new piece of steel. I then added 20mm around the outside edge to be used as the tabs for overlapping. I then shaped it using my mates bench folder. I started with the middle fold then made my way to the to either side as it was the only way to be able to fold them all. Then with a little grinding and trial fitting it eventually slotted back in very well. I then had my neighbour hold it in place while I spot welded it in.

Sad, but a wonderful example of Govt interference with rules, laws, codes and regulations as they try to micromanage our lives in response to pressure groups and those who make their fortune from the same rules....

 

According to them we would never have survived without them in the previous 100years that people have been hotting up cars!

 

This excuse of "making us safer" really means "do as we say or else!" and "don't try to be individual, we know best"

 

 

Oh yes, because anarchy is totally a viable alternative. Oh please - cars, roads, race tracks and the internet couldn't exist under your perceived nirvana and if you think they could you're kidding yourself. The system is far from perfect but its a damn sight better than the extreme alternative. I'm happy to discuss this until I'm blue in the face in the off topic area, but not in other peoples threads. And don't get me wrong, I love your tech insight but I cringe every time I see one of these gems dropped in someones thread.

 

 

 

Anyway, on topic, I didn't think it was that extreme of a request. Its a monocoque and you're cutting a huge chunk out of the middle of it. Any strength you can restore or increase there is a good thing and a folded metal seam is less likely to propagate a crack (underneath your carpet and out of view behind the gearbox) than a continuous welded bead.