KugaWestie Posted June 16, 2018 Author Posted June 16, 2018 So back to the challenge of trying to find some additional legroom. I have dismissed the raised seat option as I think it will look like I am sitting "On" the car rather than "In" the car. I managed to track down an owner in Northampton of a very similar car (Cobretti), made contact and arranged to go and have a look at his car to asses whether a different plan would work. I took @CL290005 with me as his experience is invaluable. A good hour of viewing the car and Chris and I had hatched a plan. We also established whilst we were there that this plan had to be done, as I simply do not fit in the car. I could not get my feet on the pedals as my legs were hitting the underside of the dashboard. Over the last month or so we have been planning/discussing and I have been busy acquiring gear for the job.
KugaWestie Posted June 16, 2018 Author Posted June 16, 2018 The plan was to cut and alter the chassis to create approx 80mm more legroom, which is a huge amount of gain! So @CL290005 set about it After lots of cutting, grinding, measuring and mocking up, the new mod to the chassis was taking shape. You can see the amount of gain when comparing to the passenger side in the photo below
Stu Faulkner Posted June 16, 2018 Posted June 16, 2018 Ahhh, excessive use of the grinder. You cant beat it. It’s the difference between building a car and just assembling one.
KugaWestie Posted June 16, 2018 Author Posted June 16, 2018 With all the cutting and reshaping done, it was time to weld everything up.
CL290005 Posted June 16, 2018 Posted June 16, 2018 Great to see it all welded back together, the other important point to make is we improved by adding extra gussets to add more strength
Alan Cutler (Adge) - Dorset AO Posted June 16, 2018 Posted June 16, 2018 80mm is a good amount of extra, sounds like essential, legroom to gain. Very impressive work as ever. Always good to have a skilled friend to bounce ideas off in that sort of situation. Even better when he does some of the graft as well. Hope it didn't deflect him to much from his C Type build! Or was it whilst his body was off being sprayed that lovely blue!! Looking great, keep up the good work.
KugaWestie Posted June 27, 2018 Author Posted June 27, 2018 The last part of the maximising legroom chassis alteration got done tonight. A scallop cut out on the new chassis steelwork to allow the seat to go right back. The next job is to dismantle the rear suspension to remove the 2.88 diff ready to exchange it for a 3.54 ratio. Whilst the diff and suspension are off I will turn the chassis onto it's side to weld the underside of the alterations.
KugaWestie Posted June 27, 2018 Author Posted June 27, 2018 20 minutes ago, BCF said: Nice work Gary. Very pro. Thanks mate
KugaWestie Posted June 27, 2018 Author Posted June 27, 2018 14 minutes ago, Stuart Faulkner - Shows & Events Coordinator said: Proper car building. Thanks, not quite cut and shut but a good job done
CL290005 Posted June 27, 2018 Posted June 27, 2018 Good work, certainly has maximised the space which you needed, coat of black paint and it will look like its always been like that
KugaWestie Posted July 4, 2018 Author Posted July 4, 2018 The diff and rear suspension have been taken off the chassis to enable me to swap the diff for a better ratio version. So while the chassis was a touch lighter, I decided to turn it onto it's side. This is no lightweight, it was a real struggle to lift it over. With the chassis on its side it allowed me to weld up all the alterations from the underside
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