In a message dated 6/11/2001 4:16:50 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
BritishCarMan@aol.com writes:
> How do you reinforce the body of a Sprite so it doesn't sag or
> deform when you cut the floor pans and rockers out? It seems someone said
> to
> weld steel bars in both door ways and another across to connect them. If
> this
> is what I need to do what size bar do I need?
The welding is good, as it will positively hold the door openings in place.
Another method a mechanic friend of mine uses , which requires some "making
up" first, but is very useful if you do this often, or don't want to weld
onto your car, is to make some adjustable supports. He took two pieces of
square tubing stock, one that would just fit and slide inside the other,
welded a sturdy "L" bracket to the end of each piece, drilled the L Brackets
for a bolt. Then he welded the bolt through one of the L-Brackets, slid the
tubing together till the bolt passed through the hole in the L-bracket on the
other piece. A nut on each side of the L-bracket gave him adjustability.
On the outer ends of the tubing he angled and welded flat plates that were
drilled to match the holes in the A-Post hinge plate on the front side, and
the striker plate on the B-Post. At that point it just bolts in, adjusts
till it is tight, bolts locked, ans away you go! Pretty ingenious, and it
works well.
As far as which goes first? I say definitely the rockers, so you willhave
something to weld your floors up to, plus to give it the rigidity it needs to
get the floors straight.
--David C.
>
> And is it fairly simple to remove the rockers? Which should be replaced
> first, the rockers or the floor pans?
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