Lockdown project: carbon chassis torsional rigidity upgrade

[900T-R]

One or two minor clearance issues yet to sort, but this is pretty much it.

Main chassis stiffened with inner and outer carbon fibre panels (four layers each: 2x2 twill outer layers and 2 inner layers of biaxial CF cloth, vacuum bagged wet layup) to go around the chassis tubes with structural closed cell foam inbetween. Bonded and riveted to main chassis.

After positioning and bonding the panels, any gaps were closed with wet CF layup in situ; also the underside of the lower chassis beams and the fronts of the vertical chassis tubing where the panels start (right behind the front suspension) were skinned in a CF to make doubly sure no dirt or moisture can get in, and for aesthetic reasons. Most of the surface of the inner panels is clad with gold foil heatshielding. Won't bother trying making the surface of the inner panels look nice in countless hours of wet sanding and epoxy layering next time

Sheet metal exhaust tray replaced with a carbon/balsa/carbon sandwich panel (of course with heatshielding on the inside!)

Also, the removable steel front crossmember was replaced with one made of a carbon/closed cell foam sandwich (also vacuum bagged, then skinned with a cosmetic CF layer) - this more as a weight saving to claw a little back of the weight added

Also, I made a nice CF rear Chimaera badge as a subtle hint to what's hiding underneath







I managed to install the prototype panels with a 2.5-3" body lift, but it's loads easier in the course of a body-off rebuild...

Thanks to Easy Composites for help and guidance when deciding how to go about the project. It took me a long time and lot of stuff - especially the making of the models/bucks - with hindsight could have been done a lot easier, but there you go

Now in the 'putting it all back together' stage with some other upgrades (tubular wishbones, titanium fasteners, component lightening, engine bay heat shielding etc. etc.)

Edited by 900T-R on Friday 19th February 12:55