Narrowing a perimeter frame, or Corvette narrowing

Silly, hypothetical question.

Is it possible to narrow the portion of a C4 Corvette that contains the passenger area without compromising the overall frame structure?

For more information about this let me throw this out there.  There seem to be C4 Corvette rolling chassis cheap.  Cart conversions which do not seem to worth anything or attempted Cart conversions with the same result.  

And I have a 1998 Eclipse with a blown head gasket.  Of course the C4 chassis is too wide.

You can see where this thought process is going.   And that would be a Corclipse or an Ecvette if naming matters.  This probably will not turn into anything at all.

But can you make a Vette perimeter frame a narrower perimeter?  Inquiring minds and all.

Of course one year ago no one thought that someone could make something useful from a Bradley GT...

Signed,

Mechanically challenged, and my welding is even worse.

noddaz

Any pix of the C3 frame in question?

Looking at the C4 bare frame I was playing with, it seems pretty straight forward. How much different is yours?

use the curve at the front of the side frame-rail and flip the rh and lh rails to the opposite side. that will tuck them in. Where you cut at the curve in front determines how far in the frame moves. The back is just a flat surface at the firewall, so no big deal?

Arggh.  Error, Error.

I was supposed to post about C4 corvette chassis, not C3.  My post has been fixxed.

Sorry .

It does look like the C4 frame could be narrowed.   Run a new beam where you want it and then cut off the rest.    Sure.  Easy.  (Says the guy that has never tried anything like this.)

Gut the Eclipse and set on the Vette chassis.  Then cut off whatever is in the way until it fits.

That is how it is done, isn't it?

Noddaz

All righty then........

Here's a link to my build. Take a look at the pix. I'm in northeast PA and you're in MD. If you want to come up to have a look, let me know.

Another Corvette kart.

In reply to lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) :

Nice!  A bit far for me to travel these days, but thank you just the same!

Noddaz

I use C4 suspension to build my cars.  I have stripped a C4 down to the perimeter frame only and tried to use it or modify it for my needs.  In the end I decided that I would be better off just using the suspension and build a dedicated frame. 

I put the C4 frame on my jig base and built a jig that sets my frame width at 46 inches.  I use the C4 suspension in it's stocked width.  I made the jig so that I can adjust the wheelbase.  My Cheetah inspired car has a wheelbase of 93 inches.

Pictured is a test frame.  I'm building the final version now.  My winter project is to fit my LS engine with Tremec TKX trans, use my body and mold a coupe top for it.  

I know that what I'm doing is different than what you are thinking of doing.  Thought that you might be interested.  Good luck!

In reply to noddaz by any other Cougar name is still noddaz :

I'm confused. In the end are you shooting for a V8-powered Eclipse, or a 4g63(t?)-powered Vette chassis with an Eclipse body draped over it?

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to noddaz by any other Cougar name is still noddaz :

I'm confused. In the end are you shooting for a V8-powered Eclipse, or a 4g63(t?)-powered Vette chassis with an Eclipse body draped over it?

V8 powered Eclipse.  With tires sticking out on all 4 corners.

For a look something like this with an Eclipse body.

It might be easier to start with one of those.

Noddaz

If you're not narrowing the track, I wouldn't narrow the frame.

I'd bet money the c4 frame rails aren't wider than the eclipse rockers.

Just cut the bottom out of the eclipse and see where you get.

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

If you're not narrowing the track, I wouldn't narrow the frame.

I'd bet money the c4 frame rails aren't wider than the eclipse rockers.

Just cut the bottom out of the eclipse and see where you get.

You may be correct.  I do not have a Vette frame to measure.   I am just assuming that the Vette frame is wider than the Eclipse body.

So, mistake number one is already in the bag.  Dang it!  This is going to harder than I thought!  lol

With the power of Google I find that an gen 2 Eclipse is 1740mm wide.  Of course that is at the outer most curvature of the doors.

And a C4 frame is.......  1367mm wide from point E to point E .  Well.  Well.   Well.  Not the total width, but hey.

Edit, Edit, and re-edit.

noddaz

I can get you a measurement across the width of the frame rails this evening. I had to build the skeleton/body for mine out ~6 inches (from the frame) each side to cover the tires for the challenge this year.

noddaz by any other Cougar name is still noddaz said:

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to noddaz by any other Cougar name is still noddaz :

I'm confused. In the end are you shooting for a V8-powered Eclipse, or a 4g63(t?)-powered Vette chassis with an Eclipse body draped over it?

V8 powered Eclipse.  With tires sticking out on all 4 corners.

For a look something like this with an Eclipse body.

It might be easier to start with one of those.

Noddaz

Not only easier, it's a way better suspension to start with. 

Also - if you can't get the frame rails around the Eclipse passenger area, the Eclipse center section is quite capable of standing on its own.  Cutting out the front and read sections of the Corvette frame and welding them to the Eclipse unibody is something I wouldn't rule out.

If the vette frame is not going to slide inside of the pinch welds then consider using the vette chassis to create new sill structures for the donor body.  

Have you ever driven a C4?  They are already extremely narrow in the footbox area.  Getting into a C4 is a lot like getting into a kayak, the driver's seat is next to the frame and your feet wedge in between the frame and the trans tunnel.  I can't imagine making them narrower.

This is one of the reasons why the C5 was such a breath of fresh air.  It had ergonomics that weren't coffin-based.

You could just take the front subframe and mount it into the Eclipse engine bay. The rear suspension is also very simple to adapt int other cars. Might be easier to go that route and keep the integrity of the Eclipse driver compartment /rockers/floors and just construct a tunnel. Building a "back-half" car is easy and there are kits for it.

The chassis rails on the c4 measure just about 59 inches outside to outside. The rails are about 3 inches wide and 8 inches deep.

Narrowing would throw off suspension roll points and such, wouldn't it?  Or am I thinking of something else?

stafford1500 said:

The chassis rails on the c4 measure just about 59 inches outside to outside. The rails are about 3 inches wide and 8 inches deep.

Thank you!

N