The main strength in the car, from a torsion/twisting perspective, is a
combination of the sills, the transmission tunnel, and the way that those
are joined by the rear bulkhead. The bulkhead is actually a built up wedge
shape with internal bracing that forms a load bearing beam across the rear
of the car. I suspect that you'd severely limit the ability of the car to
absorb punishment like rough roads, but that it might take a year or two for
the results to begin to appear.
Why not just get an aftermarket thinner seat? As I noted earlier, I have a
problem reaching the pedals in my racecar, where I have a shell type seat
mounted on the floor against the rear bulkhead. And I'm 6' - 3" !
Brian.
At 09:46 AM 21/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Well, I'm STILL trying to close the deal on the 74 Midget....if it wasn't
such a
>good deal I'd tell the guy to...
>
>Anyway...on both my previous Midgets, I contemplated some serious bodywork to
>get more room. (6' 250lbs) I thought the rear parcel shelf could be cut about
>3-4 inches, and boxed back into the floor with new sheet metal, maybe
reinforce
>the top and bottom wlith angle iron, or square tubing, and then relocate the
>seat rails that much further back.
>
>Add a replacement wheel with more dish and you'd (I'd) fit quite nicely.
>
>Looking up from under the car, I could see no overwhelming reason this
couldn't
>be done...by a great welder and bodyman...not me personally.
>
>Am I contemplating something that would make the car unsafe? unusable?
>impossible? perhaps too costly?
>
>Never mind the purist out there, I'll save the sheet metal scraps so you
can put
>it back to original when all good Spridgets go to heaven.
>
>Robert Houston
>
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