>From drabik@solaris.gatech.edu (Timothy J. Drabik):
>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have seen the central tunnel of a late, tube-framed TVR, and it is
indeed pretty wide. This is the most difficult part about using this
kind of frame on the Spit. I thought about the fabricated sheet
frame, Elan style, but really wanted tube structures front and rear.
It also seemed awkward to have both the frame and body be sheet metal
structures, and fit so closely together. Finally, I don't have the
equipment to fabricate a big, 14 ga. sheet metal structure, whereas I
can cut and weld tubing a piece at a time easily enough.
.... <rest deleted>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You might want to check out how SPYDER makes their tube frames for Elans.
Lots of Lotus owners, who don't care about stock, have replaced their
Lotus backbone chassis with Spyder chassis when the original has rotted away.
Its kinda a tube-frame/backbone affair and in the case of Europas it gets rid
of the "stressed driveshaft" suspension in favor of upper and lower links.
(I not up on all the gory details, but someone out there must be using a
Spyder chassis).
-Bob T.
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