Carnage.
It all started with a more critical measuring of headroom. There just wasn't going to be sufficient room for my head under the top when wearing a helmet. For whatever reason, I thought helmets were an inch thick or so, and that led me to a top that was a little lower and tighter in to the passenger compartment. Once I figured out that helmets are more like three inches thick I started trying to get my seat positioned in the car so that my helmet wouldn't be touching the tube going right over head, and realized that it simply wouldn't be possible for me in the tight dimensions of the passenger compartment, and even if I could seeing over the cowl would have been problematic.
I actually considered scrapping the current build and starting over. Going a different direction. Which would, of course, mean that it would be a different kind of build. Not an exo, but an old car (30s) built into a performance machine with a custom built chassis, and the engine... (you get the idea). But after a day of thinking I went again into the garage to have another look, and again decided that I like the way this car looks.
So, I looked for other things that might lead me to scrap the build (you know, piling up evidence to convince myself). I measured chassis squareness, suspension mounting points, steering linkage clearances, and everything else I could think of that might incriminate this build and lead me to start anew. But, the chassis is as perfectly square as I can measure, the suspension mounting points are dead on and adjustable, the steering linkage works out perfectly, and there just didn't seem to be any problem besides head clearance.
I cut off the top between the roll hoop and the top of the windshield, hoping I could spare the windshield by coming up with another top that cleared my head.
Attachment:
IMG_2919.jpg
Finished off the ends where I made the cut, and tried lots of different options for the top. It was easy to gain head clearance, but it just looked wrong no matter what I tried.
Attachment:
IMG_2914.jpg
So today I cut off the windshield frame, or half of it anyway, so I can redo the tubes that go from the a pillar back to the roll hoop. I left one half so that I have it as a reference point. I'll finish the already-cut side to my new specifications, and then cut off the rest of the other side and copy it.
Attachment:
IMG_2920.jpg
The new a pillar tubs will be 1.5 inches higher at the bend, and 1.5 inches wider from center, but more critically will continue to the opposite corner of the roll hoop creating an X on the top of the car (Midlana has a similar setup, actually). There will be additional bracing to make the structure work.
I'm hopeful that this will solve the functional and aesthetic problems.
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On a positive note, I have almost finished the structure in front of the front firewall and also the one behind the main roll hoop. A few small tubes are left to be fitted and then everything has to be finish welded.
That's all for now. Hopefully new pictures of a new top will be available soon.
-Graveyard