Could someone please give me some dimensions of the rear bodywork, ideally the measurements and diameter of where the bent top bar would be and the curved wing supports, if that makes sense?!

Basically, I'm bending and welding as per a self built locost, with a view to making the bodywork, but I thought as a safety net/plan B, it would be beneficial to follow the dimensions of the GTS rear bodywork.

Many thanks chaps

The top bar at the rear is not present on the GTS chassis as the body work has a moulded return flange all the way round for rigidity.
So puttingthe bar in i would imagine would cause clearance problems.

The front of my chassis is book but the rear is as per GTS rear mods (although modded to allow for the hieght difference between a book chassis and the panther chassis) for the de-dion which you can get from flakmonkeys site.

I have a GTS chassis and I'm planning on making my own bodywork, I was just thinking that I would make the rear bar the same dimensions as the GTS bodywork as a back-up plan.
However if you say I will have clearance problems then I must decide to either purchase the GTS rear bodywork and use that or bend and weld the rear bar, thus forcing me to make the bodywork.

I only ask as the plan is to make as much of the bodywork as possible out of Carbon Fibre, and to do that I'm counting on my friend, who at times can be slow and unreliable.

(How many more times can I say bodywork?!)

What do you mean by 'moulded return flange' and how strong is this?

Basically all the way round the top of the bodywork rear panel it doubles back on itself goes back down, i dunno 20mm or so then folds 90 degrees to form a flange that i imagine could be used as the lip for a boot cover.

Its certainly rigid enough to need no support bar

Heres a pic of what i mean in profile



Description

[Edited on 26/9/06 by Gav]

Thanks Gav
I was thinking safety wise, without getting into a big safety discussion, about having something more substantial behiend me.

Saying that though, I suppose the rear bar isnt going to do that much in an accident anyway is it?

How solid is the panel in the rear wing support area?


Basically, the lack of metal in that area is a slight concern as is the substantial-ness and fit of the GTS panel.

Someone put my mind at rest, ofcourse no one will be held to their comments in the advent of an incident!
It would be quicker and easier to plough on and use the GTS panel, Im just after some reassurances really!

IMHO any rear impact at any speed with the fuel tank where it is isnt going to be good, when i get round to it i was thinking of extending some bars out and round the tank from the roll hoop backstays to add a little more protection for the fuel tank.
Also i guess the backstays themselfs are quite substantial anyway.

The panel is very rigid around the wing support area in an up/down sense but obvisouly can be moved left/right easily as this gets bolted/riveted to the chassis anyway.

[Edited on 27/9/06 by Gav]

I'd imagine the backstays are substantial (I dont have a roll bar yet!).
Even if they are a bit out of the way for protection purposes, as you say, they can be used to weld extra protection to.

Thanks for your help again Gav, it's much appreciated.