No more topless flex!! Big Stiffy!!
 

Testing the prototype engine mounts, (front of car off ground in first) I developed a body flex crack in the new fiberglass bodywork just below the rear of the door where the rocker meets the flare.

Well this really cheesed me off so I decided to fix it where it would not happen again.

I built a boxed section consisting of a plate in the door frame another plate that reinforces the unibody member and I am capping it off with 1.75 x .120 CM DOM.

In the photos I just have some short pieces of DOM laid in there for fitting but it will be finished with a continuous pice tonight. I then plan to grind the welds flush cover it with padding and wrap it with black ultraleather.

I can now jack the car from the center of the car below the center of the door and ZERO flex! WooHoo!!


MORE PHOTOS:

http://hypertec.ws/todd_porsche/photos/door_brace/door_brace.html


http://hypertec.ws/todd_porsche/phot...e-Images/4.jpg


http://hypertec.ws/todd_porsche/phot...e-Images/5.jpg

very cool Todd, nice work.

Thanks,

I know it is a little "deep end" compared with the standard targa brace but it is one less thing to worry about :D

yeah, on the other hand it probably does a lot more than the "standard" targa brace. doesn't look too hard to get in and out of if you put a little padding on the bar or something.

Those are my OEM shop seats, the Sparco Milano Prestige's are bolstered heigher and just match the ledge of the brace so it should be really easy to get in and out.

http://sparcousa.com/prdImg/503.jpg

It was a real BIZACH bending that plate to fit the inside of the car.

Lot of torch lot of hammer.

Just to be devil's advocate, wouldn't a dom tube located where the box tops out add just as much effective stiffness and be lighter?

Actually, lighter yes, stronger no..

Look at the inside photo, that is 3/16 plate welded from the unibody tube before the door opening to after the opening. This greatly reinforces the unibody. It is just spot welded in the photo but I have gone back and seam welded it. There is not a lot of metal structure in the front and rear of the door frame to load aginst, but tying it to the unibody tube makes it much stronger.

WOW! I've been wondering about what to do wtih my Targa if I cut the bar off and put one of Thom's hardtops on.

My Brey-Krause bar connecting the sills with the seatbelt hangers on the bar has done a lot in terms of stiffening the car, but that would be eliminated.

I don't think my skills (and tools!) would let me go this extreme, but it's certainly food for thought. Nice job!

evil evil man......any chance you made a template?
my targa is begging for something like this.
pm me if you need some tips glueing in carpet.....i did sill to sill front to back in one piece and no wrinkles, carpet needs to be a little stretchy though.
nice work.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads4/51110001508.jpg

I think it would be cool if you made a hand hold cut out on the passenger side (in red). I seen your engine on your web site! WOW!
:)

Yes I did make templates because I have to do the other side the same way. I cut it out of 3/16 A36 plate with a cutoff disk on an grinder and then used a gas welder with a rosebud tip to heat it up for the bends and a #7tip to weld it with AG60 gas rod

MORE PHOTOS:

http://hypertec.ws/todd_porsche/pho...door_brace.html


http://hypertec.ws/todd_porsche/phot...-Images/19.jpg

Overkill? Maybe...
But you have 1000hp to deal with. This mod is quite necessary for your purposes IMHO.

Thanks MichiganMat,

I feel justified :D

Jesset100 - I have some 1" , 2" , and 3" CM tube and I had thought about drilling through and welding in tubes but it would be a real Bit#h to cover with carpet or ultraleather.

The hand hole idea is neat because I could CNC an aluminum hand hold tube that would mount on both sides and join in the middle - could anodize it red.

Also I could have custom stiching in the carpet that faces outward that says " NO FAT CHICKS " :D

.

By the way I totally set that FRIGGEN heater tube in the tunnel on fire when I was welding --- What is that thing made of, paper and jet fuel?? ---- my shop looked like a smoke grenade had gone off, so much smoke I almost could not find the extinguisher --- drew a croud of neighbours too.

Did you have the car on a jig? How did you account for the welds contracting as they cooled?

No jig.

The car is on stands at the suspension points and I used a pecision height gauge front , middle, and rear before and after - there was no change.

I like it!

Thanks Thom,

I can scan the templates if anyone wants them...