This is a pretty hypothetical question because I will probably never be able to afford a tube frame.

Anyway, can you have a tube frame custom built so that you retain a stock appearance inside and outside of your car? All the tube frames I see are built to accomodate huge rear meats and thus eliminate the back seat.

 

hell yes if you can afford it you can get anything done/made for you car. i bet if you had enough time and money you could get it to run 10's on a 9 volt battery.

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ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond 538 F&AM

 

10's may be a bit ambitious on a single 9 volt battery ...

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R.C. Righter
86 Trans Am

 

Tube frame cars are a big step away from street driven vehicles. The main purpose of a tube frame (other than a back half) is to eliminate weight. This is done by putting the entire vehicle strength into the frame. All the body parts are then hung off the frame for appearance only. They offer no strength to the car itself. By hanging the body parts off the frame they only need to be connected by simple brackets and a few bolts. Weight is removed by changing body sections such as the unibody floor to a simple 1 piece section of sheet metal instead of a multipiece with gussets and brackets to make it strong.

To get an idea what a typical complete tube frame would cost, price out a frame for a Super Gas car. That's about what you would need.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
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87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block

Best ET on a time slip: 11.242 altitude corrected to 10.89
Best MPH on a time slip: 121.52 altitude corrected to 125.89
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP: 481.6
Best 60 foot: 1.546

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

[This message has been edited by Stephen 87 IROC (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

unless the 9 volt battery was igniting a bomb or rocket on the back of the car..

and to try and answer the question, i highly doubt it since they're unibody cars, to keep the appearance inside and out would require pretty much leaving it all there.

 

this may be off topic, but i once saw this thing for mustangs that was like a roll cage but with small tubing and it's purpose was to stiffen the car. does anyone make anything like this for F-bodys and could something like that be hidden?

 

i found a pic:
and they do make them for f-bodys but not sure if they're for 3rd or 4th gen, probobly 4th.

[This message has been edited by B430 (edited June 16, 2001).]

 

That's not a tube frame, that's a 6point roll cage. You could also incorprate an IRS and SLA front suspension. AWD woud become possible to....supergas rolling chassis' cost about 3500.

 

Steve Spohn has S&W Racecars cages for third and fourth gens.