Mounting the Body

[bobs66440]

I am getting close to mounting the body to the frame and am looking for some ideas that others have used. I think I'm leaning toward fastening the seat belts to the body, not the frame so I would like to make the body as secure to the chassis as possible. I'm not really looking to build an elaborate steel framework inside the body to integrate it into the frame as others have. Although I like that idea, it's more involved than I want to get with this one.

My original idea was to have at least 8 mounting points through the floor to the frame and then maybe some flat steel sandwiching the floor on the mounting points?

What have you done?

 

[EX JUNK]

Your idea of sandwiching the floor between steel plates and the floor is a good idea. I did the same on mine with five bolts on each side. It makes for a strong mount by distributing the "tearing" forces over a greater reinforced area.

Jim

 

[fordsbyjay]

For my seat belts I just when through the floor (3/4" plywood) and used large fender washers. My body bolts through the plywood and into the frame. The original Total Performance used a rubber bushing/nutsert type deal. I had one come loose in the frame and I couldn't get the bolt out without some cutting. I have never been a fan of nutserts for this reason. When I redid it I just tapped the frame rail and run the bolt into that. If I was building from scratch I would weld threaded bungs into the frame to screw into.

 

[EX JUNK]

You said that you wanted to mount your belts to the body which is how I mounted mine. First off let me state that since my son did the body it is a lot thicker and stronger than any other commercial body that I've seen. Even so, I did not mount the belts directly to the body. As you can see in the picture below, the belts are mounted to a 1/4" bar which in turn is mounted through the body and attached to a 1/4"x 2" bar that spans the width of the body.



Jim

P.S. I'm sorry , but that is the only picture that I have of the installation.

 

[bobs66440]

Excellent. Thanks for the pics. That definitely helps. Are those just allen screws that go into the frame?

 

[EX JUNK]

Excellent. Thanks for the pics. That definitely helps. Are those just allen screws that go into the frame?

Yes, they are flat head allen screws that go through the steel plate that has counter sunk holes so that the carpeting fits nice and smooth. The plate is 3/16"x 4" square that is glassed onto the heavy duty glass floor and then finished off on the top side to make for a smooth finish to lay carpet.

Jim

 

[bobs66440]

Yes, they are flat head allen screws that go through the steel plate that has counter sunk holes so that the carpeting fits nice and smooth. The plate is 3/16"x 4" square that is glassed onto the heavy duty glass floor and then finished off on the top side to make for a smooth finish to lay carpet.

Jim

Ahhh, ok. That makes sense. It looked like only screws going through the glass, lol. Having the plates glassed in is a good idea. Boy, it's a shame that no-one sees all the little engineering gems, eh?

 

[Joe-405]

I bought roll cage plates welded them to the frame and then i am putting them in the body on top of the floor so mine is sandwiched also. I am putting a roll cage in mine but you dont have to. The plates will work with or without. And it makes for a awesome platform for a steering column mount also.

I used 6 plates total you can see them in the pics..................(well at least most of them.)

 

[RPM]

We just use 4 small triangle shaped plates welded to the frame rails. These plates have a 3/8" hole in them. Then a big fender washer on top of the floor and through bolts. Easy to do and easy to work with.

 

[bobs66440]

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[baddawgcustoms]

Thanks for the ideas!

Since I'm new to rod building, but old to boats and bikes, I'll throw in an idea from my boat restorations. When I have rebuilt old rotten transoms in really nice older boats, I always like to add extra support, but don't want to put something exposed to see from the inside of the boat. What I started doing was taking my router and cutting 1/4" deep into the 3/4 plywood where the bolts hold the engine on, and laying a piece of 1/4 plate aluminum in the channel I cut out, and just glassing over the plate so as not to be seen from inside the boat. Put a nice tapered hole for countersunk screws, and then just glass over it all, and you never know the bracing is there. Probably do the same thing with my T floor to sandwich it in and keep the floor smooth. (but not glassing over the screws this time!) I'm planning on rubber mat for the floor, aluminum seats, and glassing in the interior and not running any fabric at all. I plan on driving the wheels off this thing, and getting caught in the rain is easier with no interior to get wet. I'm going to put in some nice little 1" stainless drain covers like they use in boat floors, and I can wash that sucker out and keep on riding.

 

[EX JUNK]

Since I'm new to rod building, but old to boats and bikes, I'll throw in an idea from my boat restorations. When I have rebuilt old rotten transoms in really nice older boats, I always like to add extra support, but don't want to put something exposed to see from the inside of the boat. What I started doing was taking my router and cutting 1/4" deep into the 3/4 plywood where the bolts hold the engine on, and laying a piece of 1/4 plate aluminum in the channel I cut out, and just glassing over the plate so as not to be seen from inside the boat. Put a nice tapered hole for countersunk screws, and then just glass over it all, and you never know the bracing is there. Probably do the same thing with my T floor to sandwich it in and keep the floor smooth. (but not glassing over the screws this time!) I'm planning on rubber mat for the floor, aluminum seats, and glassing in the interior and not running any fabric at all. I plan on driving the wheels off this thing, and getting caught in the rain is easier with no interior to get wet. I'm going to put in some nice little 1" stainless drain covers like they use in boat floors, and I can wash that sucker out and keep on riding.

That is much the same way that I did my body mounts except my floor is glass. Check the picture that I posted above.

Jim

 

[baddawgcustoms]

That is much the same way that I did my body mounts except my floor is glass. Check the picture that I posted above.

Jim

Don't think for a minute that I won't be using that seat belt mount design. Stealing that one for sure.

 

[pappabear1973]

I really like that idea of routing a groove into the floor than putting a brace in there. I love it. Thanks

 

[Danny]

Hello I'm new here I have recently bought a 23 T bucket body from someone and I could use a little help on fiber glassing the floor in I'm not real sure how to do so thanks for all the help

 

[cooter]

I bought roll cage plates welded them to the frame and then i am putting them in the body on top of the floor so mine is sandwiched also. I am putting a roll cage in mine but you dont have to. The plates will work with or without. And it makes for a awesome platform for a steering column mount also.

I used 6 plates total you can see them in the pics..................(well at least most of them.)

id like to see roll cage. im thinking of one also.

 

[cooter]

We just use 4 small triangle shaped plates welded to the frame rails. These plates have a 3/8" hole in them. Then a big fender washer on top of the floor and through bolts. Easy to do and easy to work with.

4 bolts enough to hold body down? Got pics of plates. Im a visual kinda person.

 

[GAB]

This is not a roll cage as such, but I did want something more than a thin piece of foberglass between me and the outside world in case of an incident.

 

[cooter]

This is not a roll cage as such, but I did want something more than a thin piece of foberglass between me and the outside world in case of an incident.

love them pinto engines. I ran one in my sand drag car bolted to a v.w. transaxle. that looks like it stays to chassis and body sets over it. or will it stay in body with floor glassed in?