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Not actually building a frame but with the number of modifications it almost feels like it.

In order to get a Buick V6 and T5 to sit low and back in a Triumph GT6 frame I had to cut away most of the top and half the inside vertical wall of the forward half of the "Hourglass" portion.
Pics once I clean things up a bit.
Really want the bonnet to remain stock and do not want to put thick spacers under the body, it's a sports car not a 4x4.
I will also be putting a curve into the top of the front cross-member to clear the crank pulley.
Crankshaft damper sits flush with the front edge of the cross member, that may give an idea how far back I'm setting the engine.

Think I figured out how to reinforce the frame.
Going to have some rectangular section steel bent to match the chassis shape where it's been cut away.
This will need to be as close to the inside width as possible and half the depth.
That will be welded inside the original chassis, which is even thinner than I had expected despite having no rust.
This restores the frame to a shallower box section.
Then I want to add another bent box section to the inside outside edge, about a third of the original width but flush to the top of the original rails.
That gives me a doubled up box section that I think will probably be stronger than the original when welded full length.
But it still leaves the extra inside width and depth I need.

Now to find a fabricator who can do the bends.

Hope my description makes sense, I have no idea how to attach a drawing even if I had one.

Also taking a page from the Shelby Mustang's, adding a removable brace between the shock towers since I had to cut away some right side factory gusset to clear the oil pump.

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Changed the plan a bit.

Now using three 1" OD tubes to reinforce the chassis.
Then box over them.
Should be much stronger than the original frame.

Have decided that the frame mods, engine and trans, have to be in place before I can get to the suspension.

I've put the body on my two-post lift over the frame so that I can easily check clearance over major components and trim as needed.

Also just about done making two three foot tall five foot wide steel sawhorses to bring everything up to civilized working height.

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Pic of my drive-train trial fitted to the chassis.
This how it is to sit once the chassis mods are complete.
This as far back as is possible with a T5 into an original Spitfire or GT6 frame.



Engine side mount, the bushing is in this side for easy servicing.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

My recent rotisserie purchase tapped me out for a while so I've done some work with material already on hand.

Here's a pic of the passenger side first layer of frame reinforcement.



These tubes will be plug welded at intervals to the sides and bottom of the chassis channel.
Also stitch welded to each other.
Then a third tube goes on top for the outside edge and is welded in like the others.
Finally it will all be boxed over.

This will add some weight but it's down low and will probably be much stronger than original.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Got some decent light so jumped on the Trick-6 frame mods.
Holes 1" apart for plug welding the reinforcements at each side and the bottom.
Then they will also be welded to each other before plating it all over with sheet-metal.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

its looking like some interesting mods. When I helped a buddy modify a Spit for more power we made our own C channel that went on the outsides of the main frame rails. paper templates gave us the shape of the rails to cut from 3/16 plate. heat, press brake, clamps, and sweat got it to follow the factory shape. The top and bottom flanges of the C channel were cut from the same plate and stitch welded jumping around a lot top. bottom, front, back, side to side, etc. doing about 4 to 6 inch stitches until the whole thing was fully welded.

The frame was siting on 4 support points square and level when we started and by paying attention to where we put heat it was maybe 1/16 to 1/8 off after all the welding was done. We took that out with an old guy trick of heat shrinking one small area on a bottom flange.


Keep the pics and progress coming

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

If I had a plasma cutter or even a decent metal cutting band-saw I might have gone with creating flat plate internal reinforcements.
Cheap HF tube bender and tubing fit my budget.

This will look better when further along.
I've seen big-block cars with less chassis tubing than this will have in the previously weakened area.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Engine and trans mounts are all in at last.
Ended up welding in the trans mount despite my desire to bolt it on.
Really would not have been able to get to the top of the bolts anyway.
Trying to keep future service in mind without having to remove the body for things like changing the clutch.

Major frame mods are almost complete.
One more set of flat strips to go on the passenger side and a notch in the front cross-member to plate over.
From there I will be able to rotate the frame for only a little final welding of mounts.

Not all of the welds are pretty but they are strong.
Thinking of using a little body sealer for cosmetics, rather than more welding?

Should be ready for pics in a couple more days.

Decided I want to put some reinforcement between the engine mount ears,
Thinking a simple piece of angle would be good but not sure what to do about the area becoming closed off?
Pretty certain welding heat will destroy any paint in the area I might try to put under the gusset for rust prevention.
Leave at least one side open, small hole so that it can "Breathe" ?

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

How is that HF bender working out for you? Do you have the hyrdraulic one, or the manual horizontal one? do you fill your tubes with sand before bending? I've used the hydraulic one a few times, in conjunction with sand, and never gotten bends as subtle, or clean as that.

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Tucker

The hydraulic HF bender is OK, what you see did not happen quickly.
More than once I had to try to partially straighten a bend and try again.
Moving the pressure point and working to a pattern went best, no sand used as the bends are pretty mild.
There are some dings but no kinks.

If I try to bend my own roll-cage I probably will use the sand trick.
Not sure if my A arms will be all strait pieces or not.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Finally got the last of the passenger side boxed tonight.
Still have to grind and touch up some welds but it's a major milestone in the build.

Now I should be able to turn the frame on it's side or upside down for the remaining small welds.

With the engine and trans mounting complete I will be able to get back into the diff mounting and rear suspension.

Here are a couple of pics before the final welding.
The last bit of "S" shape curve was the hardest part as the plate had to be cut curved to fit the way I wanted.





Final rear trans mount frame side.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

My spitfire with the v6-60 is a couple inches further back, but at a cost. I had to add new frame rails outside the old ones. It was painted to slow the rusting and the framing is more extensive than what is shown. I notched and dropped the cross member to form the trans mount, using the early s10 stud mount. The pans have to be narrowed also. The car was previously butchered for a ford v8.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Were you able to retain the outermost original frame rail?
I did not want to deal with rejoining a frame that had been cut completely apart.

My T5 is from a Camaro for better gears but the rear mount angle was a pain.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

I’m not suggesting you do what I did, as your engine is different and seems to fit in there just fine as-is. I was trying to keep the air filter assembly well below the bonnet.

I kept the outer rail and did not cut the crossmember in half. The original crossmember is boxed. I cut away the top, leaving it about an inch wide, left the bottom untouched except for drilling a hole for the mount stud, and reboxed with a vertical plate behind the mount. When the body comes off, the crossmember will be widened back to the original width by adding crossection behind the original.

I know what you mean about the Camaro trans. I adapted the one in my miata to horizontal. Here is a pic of my first version, using the stud type mount. Forgive the grainy pic. It is 13 years old. Second version just twists the crossmember instead.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Last set of front cross-member notches work fine but I may modify them a little for appearance and to be less of a dirt trap.

Now mocking up the rear diff position and mounts.

Also began to work on lower A arm mounts.
Have some pics similar to my plan I've saved from various sites I need to review.
Recently got a spare Merkur diff for $50.00.

If rain and snow ever end I will get some updated pics.

Also have to see about getting Merkur axles resplined.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!