Aluminium monocoupes and kit cars

[mickky3]

[mickky3]

[mickky3]

The top parts of the front tub, and the floor pan I have had lazer cut, the reason is that I know they will be 1oo percent accurate. The top part of the tub and the floor pan. were then folded up by a local engineering company, the side sponsons were also cut and folded up by the engineering company, as these are the main components of the chassis, they need to be as accurate, as possible

I wont be making a jig as such to build the chassis on, I will just need a good flat surface

I have 4ft treadle guiloteene, and a 40" finger folder, but I wont use the folder much, as most of the bends are 90 degrees, and I will use alloy extrusions for the bends. I designed the chassis with most of the bends at 90 degrees, so it would be possible to use alloy extrusions as much as possible

It would be possible to either cut the sheet with a jigsaw, or by useing a 4.5" angle grinder with a 1mm slitting disc, if you were to clamp a piece of box or angle on the sheet, you would be able to get a good straight cut

The only jig I have made so far, is for making the ribs for the side sponsons, I had to make 14 ribs, it took about an hour to make each one, and with the jig they are all exactly the same size

I didnt make a scale model or anything like that,I only did 2 other drawing apart from what you have seen. The design is all in my head, I have a good imagination, and I can see how I am going to build it

A friend of mine in the GT 40 club who lives 7 miles from me, is making an alloy honycomb chassis for a GT40, and he has given me lots of help, and advice, on this project, if you do come down this way, I will take you to see john chassis

Blake here is my email addy.... [e-mail] ... send me an email and ill send some pics to you

Ill have to get someone to resize the pic for me

[mickky3]

Here are some pics of my chassis

[mickky3]

[mickky3]

[dom9]

Enoying this thread, nice progress on the GT40 monocoque!

[GTRene]

is that all aluminium? also the welded parts were the tanks come?
own design or from a known GT40 replica builder.
I believe Tornado also have a alu honeycomb? chassis, ah here it is.

[mickky3]

Yes I broke into Tornados workshops and stole thier blue prints.....

And there was me thinking, I had got away with it....How did you geuss ??

[GTRene]

mickky3 said:

Yes I broke into Tornados workshops and stole thier blue prints.....

And there was me thinking, I had got away with it....How did you geuss ??

not meaning anything just curious, I do not know that alu chassis, I know Tornado and RCR do a alu GT40 chassis, but there are many other brands, but do not know anymore (I believe) who do such for GT40 and I try to collect info, I love GT40 (mk1 model specially)

[mickky3]

Rene
The chassis is my own design,its a one off chassis, and i will never build another one the same.....The chassis as you see it in the pics weighs 145 lb...The finished chassis including all mounting points, and roll cage should weigh about 250 lb, or less

There are many differnces between my chassis and other alluminium GT40 chassis...My centrall tunnel is only 30 mm wide, and only has the handbrake , and throttle cable in it. the side sponsons, are split int 4 different sections for chassis stiffnes, the triangulated area behind the seats, is in 2 sections, also the cross member below the dash is also split into 2 sections..
The engine/ gearbox, will be mounted in a similar way to a Maclaren M20, and will be a semi stressed part of the chassis

Safir Cars, who built the GT40 MK V, in the early eighties, did build some aluminium chassis..I only have 2 pics but some one did tell me ...There is a photo of a bare Safir aluminium tub near the back of John S Allen's book.But I have not seen this here are the pics I have of the Safir Chassis

[mickky3]

Rene , here is the other pic

[GTRene]

that sounds very interesting Mick and respect for your work, looks very good but must also be a mega job
I did not know about those alu chassis safir cars, though Safir I did know a bit about...but I don't have those wanted Safir chassis pictures from the alu chassis on my pc, otherwise I would load them up for you.

I did find a Safir for sale with minor details but looks like a special car, is this also a alu mono car?

http://www.classicdriver.de/de/find/4100_print.asp...

[dozracing]

The easiest and effective way to do a monocoque is to cheat like Tornado have.

If you look on the Hexcel website and the websites of Technical Reson Bonders you will find all the information you need to make a very cost effective ally or carbon honeycomb mono.

I think its hexcel that you can download a guide to fabricating with it. It's relatively easy and very very effective. Large sheets of honeycomb ally are about £250.

[Fastdruid]

You'll need about 5-6 for a chassis so that's £1250-£1500 in materials before you even do any work and one mistake has the prospect of writing the entire thing off.

One advantage of working with honeycomb sheets is you can prototype very cheaply and easily in MDF.

[ezakimak]

we recently tried to make an aluminum honeycomb pannel as we have access to a large oil heated plate press capable of enought tonnage to do the job.

first sample used some cheap 0.8mm skin that we had lieing around....i think

waste of time as it would not machine well, keept gumming up, tried router with carbide bit, all maner of saws, die grinders. was just plain st.

have procured soem 6061 sheet now and am going to try again.
might try a carbon pannel as well (aluminum core) just need to find a big piece of glass to make the skin panels forst.

peal strength of the sheets is also not real good.

[one eyed mick]

Perhaps not realy on topic ,but the word is that monocoque cars will not pass SVA/IVA so I hope that the above projects are comp /track cars don't mean to project panic or doom , others more knoledgable may like to comment ?

[Fastdruid]

Word from who? There's nothing in the IVA manual to say that and no reason I could see.

[thescamper]

one eyed mick said:

Perhaps not realy on topic ,but the word is that monocoque cars will not pass SVA/IVA so I hope that the above projects are comp /track cars don't mean to project panic or doom , others more knoledgable may like to comment ?

Are you thinking of the aluminium tubbed Robin Hood? because I don't believe that will pass. I dont see why a properly designed and constructed aluminium monocoque should fail.

[Arthur Jackson]

one eyed mick said:

Perhaps not realy on topic ,but the word is that monocoque cars will not pass SVA/IVA so I hope that the above projects are comp /track cars don't mean to project panic or doom , others more knoledgable may like to comment ?

The GTM Libra never had a problem..
Murtaya?