Project Hands-On Honda Continues

I'll begin by explaining some of the parameters of the Hands-on Honda construction. We are building by a set of rules that allow extensive modifications to the chassis. The suspension points are required to remain in their stock locations, but springs and shocks may be changed to racing parts.

Many track rules do not allow the construction operations we allow here. The idea is to present you with as many options and techniques as possible. Read your rules carefully, and apply as much as possible of our race car to your situation. If you are allowed to put in only a cage, look at the way we have used plates to spread the load when attaching to the sheetmetal. Surely you will be allowed some bracing. Brace as close as possible to the suspension mounts, with as much as possible in triangles.

Some pay-back is due here: Brothers Tony and Dalton Elliott ably assisted me throughout this project.

Sheetmetal (unibody) cars are rolling crush zones. Despite what they should be, they are very flexible. Unbraced, one can easily be trashed with a hard hit. This is why it is imperative that the bracing is properly designed for both handling and longevity.

When metal is removed, care must be taken that the car is not weakened to the point of losing its shape. In our Honda, before cutting began, I put in 1 3/4-inch tube rails on each side just inside the rocker panels. These were bent upwards on each end to weld into areas of suspension attachment. Because of the complexity of making a bend on each end at a different angle and twist, this was made in two parts. After each end was fitted, the tubes were cut to length, cut for rosette welds, and installed with an interior sleeve. The rosette and joining welds were completed after the ends were secured. This gave the car strength, allowing us to remove the roof.

Before removing the roof, front-to-back measurements were taken so we would know if the body moved. The rails we put in did the trick. With the body supported on each end with jackstands, we could not detect more than a 0.020-inch change.

A point about the roof: Removing the top creates better access to everything. There is no (nor should there be) structural reason for the roof to be in place during construction in a well built car. With the roof off and upside-down, we removed 27 pounds, a feat that would have been difficult were the top still on the car.

At this point, the rear cage hoop was bent and fitted. For the main cage, 1 1/4x0.095-inch tubing was used. Again, this is per local rules. Remember this is a 1,500-pound car. Check your track's rule book. Having the 1 3/4-inch rails to attach to made a good mount for the rear hoop. The hoop was leaned back at the top to match the angle of the "B" pillar.

The rear bracing was placed against the suspension pickup points. A plate was fabricated to fit each spot, then welded in. Bracing tubes were then fitted between the plates and the rear hoop. These points differ with the make and model year of the car.

The plates made to weld onto the sheetmetal were fabricated of 1/8x2- or 3-inch flat steel. As you can see in the photos, they have been cut, hammered, and shaped to fit.

From underneath, find these spots and attach the brace tubing as near to them as possible. At the rear of the Honda, we had four points on each side. As you will notice in the pictures, the more bracing we put in, the more sheetmetal we took out. The reciprocating saw was used for most of the metal removal. However, we didn't have a plasma cutter at the time. It would have made this go much quicker.

If you are working with a minimum weight rule, remove everything possible. Then add weight if necessary, putting it where you want it for handling purposes.