Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
New Topic New Reply
Author: Subject: Modding a 7 chassis to allow opening doors
Slimy38

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:07 PM Reply With Quote
Modding a 7 chassis to allow opening doors

Just out of interest, what could be done to a 7 chassis (Haynes or Tiger Avon) to allow proper opening doors? I'm guessing the side rails need to be dropped a few inches (the more the better) but then the strength would have to be put back in by some other methods?

Would increasing the rigidity of the transmission tunnel and extending the bracing through to the suspension do the job? I can imagine reduced torsional stiffness would be the main issue, and the tunnel being in the centre wouldn't help much.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
austin man

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:22 PM Reply With Quote
i suppose welding a cage in would also help





Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:31 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by austin man
i suppose welding a cage in would also help


That would seem the best way to go, particularly if you're modding rather than building from scratch.

Why the need for doors? An ease of access issue?






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Ben_Copeland

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:31 PM Reply With Quote
The sides are so low don't see the point.





Ben

Locost Map on Google Maps


Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes Roadster

Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
loggyboy

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:35 PM Reply With Quote
I assume by wanting to add doors your talking about having a full bodied shell (pretty pointless adding full height doors to normal 7!)?
If so, you could add width to the side rails when lowering them or even add another frame work to 'double skin' the outer leaf to make up for it, you could also make the central tunnel more structural.

[Edited on 8/3/12 by loggyboy]

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
austin man

posted on 8/3/12 at 10:40 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Just out of interest, what could be done to a 7 chassis (Haynes or Tiger Avon) to allow proper opening doors? I'm guessing the side rails need to be dropped a few inches (the more the better) but then the strength would have to be put back in by some other methods?

Would increasing the rigidity of the transmission tunnel and extending the bracing through to the suspension do the job? I can imagine reduced torsional stiffness would be the main issue, and the tunnel being in the centre wouldn't help much.


You could also panel the tunnel and whats left of the side wil steel and fully seam weld this again will add strength





Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Simon

posted on 9/3/12 at 12:42 AM Reply With Quote
Buy a Cobra or a Sebring, GKD Legend, Triumph Stag/Spitfire, MX5, MR2 etc etc instead. Why put doors on something when they'll only be 6" high, and aren't needed.

ATB

Simon

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
MikeRJ

posted on 9/3/12 at 08:14 AM Reply With Quote
Buy a Locust. They have a ladder chassis so you could make doors in the MDF/Plywood body without losing strength, though like every else I can't see how doors will be useful as the sides are so low anyway.
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Slimy38

posted on 9/3/12 at 08:19 AM Reply With Quote
There's not really any firm reasoning behind it to be honest, I was just looking at that Donkeyfort GT thingy and wondering whether there was an easier way of making the doors.

Thanks for all the replies though, at least it sounds like a fairly easy thing to do, if slightly illogical!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
chris-g

posted on 9/3/12 at 09:30 AM Reply With Quote
The photos below are of a Spyder Silverstone, it was designed to have doors as an option. They are lightweight aluminium and the hinges attach to the windscreen frame. Spyder also designed a roof rail system to allow the roof fit over the top edge of the doors.
These photos are of the factory made doors.







These are home made doors fitted to the car.






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member

New Topic New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.