Hello,

Those that have fitted a GRP scuttle have you bothered with a framework to provide support or just fitted brackets to the chassis to hold it in place?

Many thanks

Gear Monkey

No frame work required as long as the scuttle has been made correctly.

is worth supporting it just incase you have friends like me who stand on it to reach stuff in the ceiling space lol

quote:

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Originally posted by jossey
is worth supporting it just incase you have friends like me who stand on it to reach stuff in the ceiling space lol

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Although glass fibre scuttle is usually solid enough without any additional support, I fabricated a simple frame (similar to a roll hoop in appearance ) which sits just behind the dash board to support the stearing column and bike clocks,etc. This not only gives a very solid fixing for the column, but also allows the scuttle to be lifted off easily and quickly for better access because nothing is attached to it. Appreciate things might not be so simple for a road spec car though.

Ok......I've been thinking (again!) I've attached some drawings of a design that would I believe provide a considerable improvement to the stiffness of the chassis without adding too much weight. While the drawings are showing 25x25mm box, should I actually add this it would be made from 19mm 16swg tube which would only weigh a 4 or 5 lbs in total and would sit within a standard scuttle and provide it with a stable mounting point.














What do you chaps think?

GM

[Edited on 13/1/12 by Gear Monkey]

I'm sure it could add some stiffness to the engine bay but I suspect the large unbraced rectangle right behind the engine bay (i.e passenger compartment) will dominate.

I've not put the bracing on the picture, I pulled the image from the sketch up library and just added the parts I've mentioned. Assume the normal bracing plus Aussie mods will be in position.

GM

You've found a way of incorporating your passengers into the chassis as bracing? Is it terminal?

Edit: On a serious note, didn't Cymtriks' mods do something like that?



[Edited on 13/1/12 by Badger_McLetcher]

Interesting idea, but you might want to check where the inlet manifold sits.
It's pretty big on the MX5 and I ended up having to cut out TR5 to get my engine in...

I think you might get extra benefit if you also braced the bottom of the scuttle (bottom of dashboard) to the transmission tunnel

The framework you have shown is actually in front of where the scuttle fits.

Road Runner Racing's SR2 has chassis bracing under the scuttle. The scuttle doesn't fasten to it, just sits over it as there is enough strength in the fibreglass