Discussion
Hi Roy..I thought yours was 82 like mine?..The pic i have put up is from a USA spec 280i 1986...I wonder if yours was made that way that early?..It would be interesting to see some more early 280i chassis..
Perhaps mine was a left over from pre-1982..It wouldnt surprise me!!..Cheers..Ziga
Perhaps mine was a left over from pre-1982..It wouldnt surprise me!!..Cheers..Ziga
That photo doesn't look like a V8 chassis as far as I know, because I think the V8s have a 'bend' (OK welded tubes) in them to provide more width at the back for the V8.
Although it might be a silly question - are you sure it's factory original ??
Mine is 5304 (1982) and has crossbar exactly like Zig's (did !).
Hi
The main diff is the anti-roll bar is it forward or rearward fitting.
Marks appears to be rearward fitting and the forward fitting didn't come in till late 82/83, with that the front cross member is different!
With regard to V8 chassis the first were 280i chassis just bent and a bit added, later chassis were wider and the tubes were then straight!
Andy
The main diff is the anti-roll bar is it forward or rearward fitting.
Marks appears to be rearward fitting and the forward fitting didn't come in till late 82/83, with that the front cross member is different!
With regard to V8 chassis the first were 280i chassis just bent and a bit added, later chassis were wider and the tubes were then straight!
Andy
SEvans said:
My 200 is chassis number 5505 and it does have the cross supports. I wonder if someone has cut them out, maybe to fit power steering? I seem to remember someone doing this a good few years ago.
I did wonder if the had been removed but I the powder coating looks original. Do you have the double vertical tubes at the engine mounts? maybe about 3" apart? It looks like you have forward tie bars though? Mr Tank said:
... With regard to V8 chassis the first were 280i chassis just bent and a bit added, later chassis were wider and the tubes were then straight! ...
That's a useful little snippet of information I didn't know.... so that joke about a big hydraulic jack between the rails on mine might just work 
RCK974X said:
Mr Tank said:
... With regard to V8 chassis the first were 280i chassis just bent and a bit added, later chassis were wider and the tubes were then straight! ...
That's a useful little snippet of information I didn't know.... so that joke about a big hydraulic jack between the rails on mine might just work Tasmin200 said:
I did wonder if the had been removed but I the powder coating looks original. Do you have the double vertical tubes at the engine mounts? maybe about 3" apart? It looks like you have forward tie bars though?
I do have the double vertical tubes. I guess the chassis was originally for the V6 and they just added extra mounts for the Pinto engine. Not sure what you mean by 'forward tie bars' as mine go towards the rear of the car. Pic below shows them better
If you look at the very first pic, you can see that the roll bar and tie bar locations are different, with extra brackets added at the front of their chassis - I thought that this change was made around about when the V8 came into production...but the change applied to all chassis from then on.
I don't think my chassis has twin vertical tubes either - I'll go and check...
I don't think my chassis has twin vertical tubes either - I'll go and check...
Hi
The anti-roll bar and tie bars going forward was at the time of the first 350i production, as I showed by my pic earlier the early cars top rails were bent to take the exhaust and the tie bar and roll bar were fitted on the production line!
The top rail bent to fit the exhaust.
The chassis powder coating was removed to weld on the fittings for the tie bar and roll bar and then hand painted which had not lasted well.
In the pics you can see the cut lines were the powder coating was removed so the extra bits could be welded on/addded!
That was the first production car and these alteration were done on the production line.
On later cars the welding was done then the poweder coating applied!
The later 280i cars had a V8 chassis and by the end the rad had also been put into the nose of the car like a V8 car.
The first production series 3 car.
What date the chassis were altered are a guess, the first 350i was July 83 I should imagine the chassis for the 280i was changed at the end of 83 early 84 to simplify the production, but some people think it happened in 86.
Andy
The anti-roll bar and tie bars going forward was at the time of the first 350i production, as I showed by my pic earlier the early cars top rails were bent to take the exhaust and the tie bar and roll bar were fitted on the production line!
The top rail bent to fit the exhaust.
The chassis powder coating was removed to weld on the fittings for the tie bar and roll bar and then hand painted which had not lasted well.
In the pics you can see the cut lines were the powder coating was removed so the extra bits could be welded on/addded!
That was the first production car and these alteration were done on the production line.
On later cars the welding was done then the poweder coating applied!
The later 280i cars had a V8 chassis and by the end the rad had also been put into the nose of the car like a V8 car.
The first production series 3 car.
What date the chassis were altered are a guess, the first 350i was July 83 I should imagine the chassis for the 280i was changed at the end of 83 early 84 to simplify the production, but some people think it happened in 86.
Andy
Edited by Mr Tank on Monday 7th January 08:49
From that last chassis photo, it looks like my joke about the hydraulic jack wasn't wrong after all - those top rails really do look as if they were bent after being welded in place !!
Do you know if the forward and backward tie bars are the same ?
Do you know if the forward and backward tie bars are the same ?
Edited by RCK974X on Monday 7th January 04:07
SEvans said:
I do have the double vertical tubes. I guess the chassis was originally for the V6 and they just added extra mounts for the Pinto engine. Not sure what you mean by 'forward tie bars' as mine go towards the rear of the car. Pic below shows them better
Sorry Steve, re the forward tie bars- too much Merlot on Saturday evening! That's the same set up as my car. I think someone may have removed the diagonal cross braces when they put the V6 in it though. I don't know why as the engine clears the cross member. I might weld some replacements in when I get time.Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff