Well, last night I finally got around to drawing out the lower frame on my build table. The good news is that using my measurement method, I was only about 1/16" off at the very end, which I corrected pretty easily. Of course, this is just a drawing, and not cut steel tubes which will be much harder to erase, but here's hoping!
For the record, I'll be using the entire SVX driveline, and not swapping in some random transmission. The furthest I'd be going would be to change it from automatic to 5 speed. It's AWD, so RWD conversion is easy enough.
Scary.. what the hell do you guys use for seats in a book frame? I've only got 20" between centerline and inside of the outermost frame member. After tranny tunnel, i'll have like 16-18", and I haven't found a seat that would fit that anywhere. I'm thinking about starting over with a +442 or +442E if I end up using the subaru motor. That will at least give me an extra 2" from centerline for seats/my fat ass.... My wife walked in while I was drawing it and she's like 'Uhhh.. we're supposed to fit into that?!!?? HOW?'... so yea, I need to think about it. Or am I just way off, and it's actually just really deceivingly small when it's on the build table? Either way, I think i'd be better off with a +442 no matter what. I need to measure my current car from back of seat to pedal box to see how much room I typically need and see what's going on. I just know starting over where I'm at now is WAY less of a hassle than rebuilding the entire frame later on. Plus, I overbought steel in case (read: when) i screw up, and bought it in 24' lengths cut to 12' rather than 20' cut to 10' like the cut list suggests for the book frame. So, in other words, I should have plenty of steel to do a +442E if I wanted to.
I'm just starting to get nervous I'm going to finish this thing and not be able to fit. That would be embarrasing. I'd have to give the car to my little brother. What do you guys think? I'm 6'0" about 210lbs. Mostly front fat, not side fat. HAHA. Also, I like long walks on the beach, moonlit dinners....
These pics are hard to look at... with it being pencil and all...
Drivers side looking forward
Front
Passenger Compartment