cct7kitcars
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:20 PM |
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fibreglass floor
i have just started building a new racecar for myself and woundered what you all think about making the floor out of fibreglass
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, Chardonnay in one hand, Tequila in the other, body bearing battle scars and totally worn out, screaming- WOO HOO!! What a Ride!
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nitram38
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:29 PM |
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Arial Atoms and TVRs have fibreglass floors so I don't see why not.
Just make sure your seats are in a box cradle.
[Edited on 25/11/2006 by nitram38]
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cct7kitcars
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:33 PM |
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recon sva will have a problem with it
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, Chardonnay in one hand, Tequila in the other, body bearing battle scars and totally worn out, screaming- WOO HOO!! What a Ride!
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JoelP
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:35 PM |
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much better to use a kevlar carbon composite, you get better stiffness and better penetration resistance.  Thats what im using on the new one.
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cct7kitcars
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:36 PM |
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will it be lighter than an alloy floor
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, Chardonnay in one hand, Tequila in the other, body bearing battle scars and totally worn out, screaming- WOO HOO!! What a Ride!
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JoelP
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 06:50 PM |
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im not good with figures but it should be, maybe half the weight. Depends how thin you go.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 07:42 PM |
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I know of a westfield which passed with a Carbon fibre floor - it looked to be about 7-10mm thick from memory
Cheers
Mark
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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t.j.
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 posted on 25/11/06 at 08:02 PM |
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If your building a ship; yes.
Think how some debre get's into your seat if something is laying on the roadsurface.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 08:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
[Edited on 25/11/2006 by nitram38]
Chapman must be turning in his grave looking at all those pre-failed chassis members!
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steve m
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 09:56 PM |
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In my younger days I had a Lotus 2+2, that had a fiberglass body, including floor, that was "plonked" over a double Y chassis, real Kit
Car !!
On my way to work, I saw somthing in the road ahead , and decieded it safer to drive over it , than swerve, into the oncoming lane,
If my wife or any other passenger was sitting next to me, they would have been killed !!!!!!!!!
the 2 X 4piece of wood about 24-30 " long, came thru the floor with such a force it took the seat cover off the passenger seat and went thru
the headlining
It left a hole in the floor about 4" square, that was so neat , you would have said it had beed drilled !. and all this happened at about 60
mph
and when I say seat cover, iI do mean a original fitted, Lotus spec seat cover,not a halfwits thing !!
My car (point left ) has a 3mm welded steel floor, and I for one would not even think about going fiberglass,
The only saving grace in a seven, is that the floor is only 4-6 " from the ground , so in theory nothing would have the leaverage to spin/dart
upwards
The 2+2 was sold within 2 weeks with a fiberglass patch. and the carpet glued over the hole
shame really, as it was my 3rd favorite car of all time
Fav no 1 E- Type
Fav no 2 DB5 Aston
Fav no 3 Elan
Fav no 326 "7"
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smart51
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| posted on 25/11/06 at 10:46 PM |
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The GTM libra has a GRP monocoque. This definitly has a fibreglass floor and it passes SVA.
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JoelP
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 02:51 AM |
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7-10mm would wipe out any weight saving, i would aim for 2mm myself.
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JackNco
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 03:53 AM |
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im not sure if its relevant but a fiberglass bath has to be 5mm thick.......... so 2mm may as well not be there
Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I'm worried about the difference between wrong and fun.
O'Rourke, P.J. (1989), Holidays in hell. London (Picador)
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JoelP
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 08:23 AM |
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i fitted a bath a few weeks back that was see through around the plug, creaked like buggery but definately not 5mm! i was on about the carbon one
anyway. To be honest, mine will be as thick as my mate makes it. I'll explain what its for and let him worry about that.
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scottc
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 11:27 AM |
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Would there be any advantage to using both ally and kevlar/fibreglass?
I'm thinking ultrathin layer of ally with a kevlar or fibre matting over the top? so that the ally was roadside.
laugh away
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jon_boy
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 11:51 AM |
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I have a scimitar and thats made of fibreglass. There is no metal at all under the seats as such. Now im scared. Think i may plate the underside of
the seats.
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 04:28 PM |
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get your kevlar/carbon tubs here !!!
ive got some piccies somewhere .
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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3GEComponents
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 04:50 PM |
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If you do go down the composite route you could always mold some ground effects in to it.
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MikeR
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 05:09 PM |
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like stone chips, dings from rocks, speed bump scrapes that sort of thing?
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3GEComponents
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 05:53 PM |
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Yeah, that's just the sort of thing i was on about!
Thanks Mike.
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steve m
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| posted on 26/11/06 at 06:57 PM |
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Did I read correctly 2mm !! in fibrtglass
You are having a laugh ? 2mm wouldnt even support the seat, let alone 15 stone, or 11 stone of me !
i have never regreted putting 3mm steel floor in my car, sod the weight, safty first
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02GF74
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| posted on 27/11/06 at 05:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by steve m
Did I read correctly 2mm !! in fibrtglass
You are having a laugh ? 2mm wouldnt even support the seat, let alone 15 stone, or 11 stone of me !
2 mm?  one word: flintstones.
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JoelP
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| posted on 27/11/06 at 06:32 PM |
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for the third time, im on about carbon, and it would be braced under the seats. In fact, under the seat pad, as there will be no seats.
Im also on about a race car and not a locost chassis.
[Edited on 27/11/06 by JoelP]
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 28/11/06 at 09:53 AM |
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To lay down some of your myths re grp/carbon/kevlar.
In a single skin, the thickness you lot are discussing(<2mm), all of the above would have minimal panel stiffness.
The impact resistance of the carbon will be less than a woven glass, which will be less than kevlar.
It takes 12mm of kevlar to stop a .30 bullet at 50m. A 4x2 at 60mph? Probably the same. (Masses and velocities, you work it out)
The composite tubs I work on (and design and manufacture), are all cored, all over. This gives panel stiffness and torsional rigidity. But, does
little for projectile penetration protection.
The 3mm floor is probably a little ott, but how much is your life worth?
The 16gauge book spec is good enough. The race 18gauge seems heavy after playing with cored composites though.
Take your pick, your life, your choice. I'd never use a single skin composite floor, let alone anything less than 6-8mm single skin.
Cheers,
Syd.
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steve m
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| posted on 28/11/06 at 09:39 PM |
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"To lay down some of your myths re grp/carbon/kevlar.
In a single skin, the thickness you lot are discussing(<2mm), all of the above would have minimal panel stiffness.
The impact resistance of the carbon will be less than a woven glass, which will be less than kevlar.
It takes 12mm of kevlar to stop a .30 bullet at 50m. A 4x2 at 60mph? Probably the same. (Masses and velocities, you work it out)
The composite tubs I work on (and design and manufacture), are all cored, all over. This gives panel stiffness and torsional rigidity. But, does
little for projectile penetration protection.
The 3mm floor is probably a little ott, but how much is your life worth?
The 16gauge book spec is good enough. The race 18gauge seems heavy after playing with cored composites though.
Take your pick, your life, your choice. I'd never use a single skin composite floor, let alone anything less than 6-8mm single skin.
Cheers"
thank the lord , there is someone else out there who can appreciate the need for a proper floor, it does not matter a diidly squat wether the car is
for road or track use, the floor is a very important part of the chassis design, just like the roof on a normal road car, you cant just chop a roof
off without compremising the chassis strength, equally my 3mm floor is ott, but to me , I dont care, it would probabley be bullet proof as well
(snipers in manjole covers ??)
But most of all my butt is only 6" off the ground, and i will very pleased if it remained at that level, for driving (BOB dont say a word !!!)
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