-----Original Message-----
From: George Schiro [mailto:gschiro@lni.net]
I have been thinking about adding some bracing to the birdcage as well. The
two steps I have been considering are 1) tying the rear of the birdcage to
the frame with two braces that would follow the line of the hatch and thus
be relatively unobtrusive. 2) Using metal or very hard urethane washers when
rebolting the birdcage to the chassis.
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That's _exactly_ how I started out. My first post to this list looking for
advice on chassis setup was titled "Rubber body mounts unproductive?" ;)
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The latter would reduce the flex of the body, but might also introduce too
much stress into the birdcage. Anyone know why Bricklin put rubber washers
in there in the first place? I also plan to add shock tower bracing. I
haven't thought about any other interior bracing because of the space
constraints.
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I don't think I'd worry about the strain on the birdcage, but using the body
as a stressed member and having it crack does worry me.
I think I'll probably stay with rubber because my new suspension is going
together with heim joints in place of the rubber bushings, plus pretty
low-profile tires, so I expect there to be quite a bit more very short
duration, high-intensity loads (ie: vibration or shock) propagated through
the frame. I think that isolating the body from that a bit might be a good
idea, but I'm open to suggestions.
I don't think that forces like hard cornering (that build up and die down
relatively gradually) would hurt the body, but I am concerned about say,
moderate cornering at high speed over rough pavement.
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The doors will get major bracing, however, because I plan to add moon-roofs
to each door. The space available is about 18" by 8". This is large
enough to accommodate a removable sun-roof panel.
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Interesting. BTW - I think "interesting" is the single biggest compliment a
car can get. ;)
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Obviously, I belong to the group that isn't concerned with keeping the car
in original condition, but wishes to explore its potential.
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Obviously, you're not alone. ;) That's a big part of what attracted me to
the Bricklin - they're cool and rare and exotic, but since they haven't
caught on as collector pieces, you don't have to feel all queasy inside when
you put the torch to one. ;)
--
Phil Martin pmartin@surgnav.com
"I'm a Charger, charging through the night,
Like an orange bolt of lightning passing everything in sight"
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