Would this be a feasible option? I know something like plain black pipe wouldn't take the stress but the boiler plant here has all kinds of tubing and has the capability to bend anything in pretty much any shape imaginable, including super tight 90 degree bends that don't collapse. Any ideas on what would work? I was thinking of something like a single tube frame, maybe 3" in diameter.
i say a t bucket made from 2 1/2 x 4 stainless areodynamic tube. the only tube i will use is DOM drawn over mandrel seamless same as used for roll cages
My lakes mod project, currently being designed in Autocad, will be a space frame built entirely from 1 1/4" dia. X .083" wall DOM tubing. The body outline will be the ch***is and it will be full belly-panned. Also, I'll run a midget nose and grille with a full hood.
The larger the diameter of the tube,the less of wall thickness you can go, with the same strength. 1020 mild steel 1-1/2".090 wall,double rails would be plenty strong. The minimum I would go for roll cages would be 1020 1-3/4" .125 wall. Some of the Scotty Fenn frames used single tubes,2-1/2"-3".065 wall mild steel.
I've been tossing this idea around for a modified project. I used to build roll cages for circle track cars and we built some outlaw cars with round tube frames. A pretty radical design and wouldn't be applicable to this project, but they were super strong and light weight. I'm thinking a double tube side rail and a girder spine down the center. The seats would sit down between the rails, and you could channel the **** out of it (can you say "SUPER LOW"). With the right suspension it should be a rocket and you could change lanes on the expressway by just crossing over underneath a semi's trailer. Frank
Bill S (I forget his HAMB name) has a cool little mod built this way. Looks great, I believe it was an old roundy round car.
aother fried runs a C altered drag car with a .080 cromoly tube c***is bare the ch***is weighs 170 lbs car runs 7.40 1/4 193 mph . if you look at an old alfa bird cage road race car or porsche 550 spyder or 906 lawn furniture have thicker aluminum tubing then they where built from. no wonder james dean was killed by a kustom
Tman: for shame, you can't remember my HAMB name?. well anyway, yes my modified uses a double tube frame that came out of an old race car. i channeled the 26 T body 4 1/2" over the frame for the right stance. has worked very well so far. it just makes things a little tight between the tubes on the inside, but i got every thing to fit. you comming to Bonneville in aug?.
fab32....Yep. Mine will have the center spine you described and I'll sit low and comfortable in the thing. The seating position, steering wheel, shifter, and pedal locations will be the same as a '59 Corvette.
So lets see some pictures of it!! Tman: for shame, you can't remember my HAMB name?. well anyway, yes my modified uses a double tube frame that came out of an old race car. i channeled the 26 T body 4 1/2" over the frame for the right stance. has worked very well so far. it just makes things a little tight between the tubes on the inside, but i got every thing to fit. you comming to Bonneville in aug?.
I have some pictures of lakes modified's car I took at the first Hot Rod A Rama but I saved them to disc and now I can't find them! dammit! very cool car! Paul
The first Ferraris used 3" tube frames, transverse leaf spring and solid axle in back, the 166 and 212 "Barchettas" Like to see more photos of lakes cars with tube frames
[ QUOTE ] My lakes mod project, currently being designed in Autocad, will be a space frame built entirely from 1 1/4" dia. X .083" wall DOM tubing. The body outline will be the ch***is and it will be full belly-panned. Also, I'll run a midget nose and grille with a full hood. [/ QUOTE ] .083 is a little light for such small tube isn't it? I'd think that .083 might be fine for 2" or 2 1/4", in a street driven car.
I had an old T bucket that was built in 62 and it had a really cool single tube frame. I think maybe 2 inch ID. Dam virus wiped out all my pictures of it. The whole thing was gusseted and molded where ever it was bent like for the rear kick up. And the cooest part was the front motor mounts on the nailhead. They were made from old connecting rods that clamped around the frame tube, all chromed of course.
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