Change of plan (again!)

I have been recently watching the 'tools n track' Youtube videos where they build a 7. They've been quite amusing, mainly because they have hit many of the issues I have found, as well as some others. Unfortunately they've already cost me £200, the video I watched last night kindly reminded me that I've not serviced the engine at all. If nothing else, everything is ten years old without being run so just on age things will need replacing. So I have a cam belt kit, spark plug leads, filters, gaskets and all stuff coming from MX5 parts. 

Oh, and a few exhaust parts, but I'll come to that in a few posts time... :)

One of the other videos I watched last night was around the body tub. I didn't think this was going to apply to me, but it raised a very good point. There is a curve in front of the rear wheel on an average seven, that matches with a curved piece of metal on the chassis. In the video the fibreglass tub has the curve but the metalwork isn't there to support it. And quite rightly, it's a place where you'd put your hand to support climbing into the car. 

It then occurred to me... I'd do the same getting in and out of my car. I'd use the body (possibly even sitting on it) to support the transition, but at the moment I'd be sitting on a nice brittle fibreglass tub. It might not break but it won't be pleasant to find out. So my plan of just filling in the sides is now more like 'build some structure into the sides'. Fortunately it is just a combination of planned tasks that I've not started.

First step, build a frame. This will be built around the bodywork, something like this;

(Hmm, that didn't come out as well as I had expected... )

The red line shows an outline for the frame, this is where the strength will be put in. I'll try and get it as close to the fibreglass as possible, to the point where I could use rivnuts to fix the body to the frame. While the red lines are straight lines, there's all sorts of curves going on there that I would like to match. 

A top view shows what I would have to deal with;

There seems to be more curves showing here than in the previous shot, so it is possible that some of them are just built up fibreglass. Anyhow, if I take it slow, and use 'lobster back' curves I should be able to follow the outline quite well. 

Just looking at those photos though, I may need to rethink my plan of getting it tight to the outline. Fibreglass doesn't have nice neat corners, even with fairly sharp right angles on the outside I'm not sure I can get that close on the inside. And on the dashboard edge there is no real benefit to being so close to the dash as that is already pretty strong. Perhaps going back to the original position to build up support were it will be cut is going to be better. Well, inline with the chassis is the most logical position. 

And then there is fixing... using Sikaflex to fix this frame to the body makes sense, then use some semi-permanent fixings to bolt it to the chassis? 

I have my first job though, build that frame. Fixing it to the body and chassis can come later. As this is a chunk of work I might put the chassis on it's side for a while, then the body can be brought back into the garage and serve as a template.