Cockpit Panels into 4" Tube

[Fabb]

As I am going thru my prep for powder coat, I want to get all my drilling done. I assume the footboxes and certain other parts actually do get riveted into the 4" tube, right?

Thanks
-Brian

[wallace18]

Correct!

[Fabb]

Correct!

And also into the 2" rounds around the footwell as well then right?

[Joecobr]

I riveted the cabin floors into the 4" tubes and riveted some patches into the 4" tubes to seal holes in the drivers foot box on the engine side. None of the formal foot box panels are directly riveted into the 4" or 2" tubes.

[Murd]

There may be somewhere where it goes into the 2” tube but I don’t recall it. Just use your best common sense. For the large cockpit floors, they do not rivet into the 4” tubes. Just the small foot box floors.

[Fabb]

There may be somewhere where it goes into the 2” tube but I don’t recall it. Just use your best common sense. For the large cockpit floors, they do not rivet into the 4” tubes. Just the small foot box floors.

Interesting, I can picture for the floorboard not going into the 4" tube. But the footbox floor seems to require it gets secured to the 4" tube. Otherwise it kinda hangs out unsupported on the transmission tunnel side.

Thoughts?

[Murd]

Yes the footbox floors do go into the 4” tube. I should have been more clear

[edwardb]

Riveting into the 4-inch tubes for the cockpit floor has been discussed and debated since I've been following the forums. As I recall, the manual doesn't show it. But I don't see any reason not to and have on all my builds. I use the 3-inch spacing and lay the holes out carefully so they are hitting the top center. One solid line down the main floors. And then several on the DS foot box floor inside (the only thing that's holding it there) and at least one on the PS foot box floor. For the 2-inch tubes around the outside of the footboxes, I hit those too with 3-inch spaced rivets, again being careful to hit the center and high point. None of this it particularly rocket science. Do what makes sense for you.

What I did on #8674 is visible here. Only have pics of the 4-inch tube rivets. None of the bottom showing the few I put into the 2-inch tubes.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/th_IMG_4024_zpslywonwu0.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/IMG_4024_zpslywonwu0.jpg.html)

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/th_IMG_3894_zps3978wwty.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/IMG_3894_zps3978wwty.jpg.html)

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/th_IMG_3893_zpsnnnsiell.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Aluminum%20Panels/IMG_3893_zpsnnnsiell.jpg.html)

[Fabb]

Riveting into the 4-inch tubes for the cockpit floor has been discussed and debated since I've been following the forums. As I recall, the manual doesn't show it. But I don't see any reason not to and have on all my builds. I use the 3-inch spacing and lay the holes out carefully so they are hitting the top center. One solid line down the main floors. And then several on the DS foot box floor inside (the only thing that's holding it there) and at least one on the PS foot box floor. For the 2-inch tubes around the outside of the footboxes, I hit those too with 3-inch spaced rivets, again being careful to hit the center and high point. None of this it particularly rocket science. Do what makes sense for you.


Sounds good, thanks! On your pictures, a couple questions jump out. What is in the center of the Trans Tunnel Front cover? And for that panel, it looks like u did an up-down pattern, assume that's a best practice there and on the firewall inside the engine compartment (I saw that on another post in your build).

The only part of this that is fun is figuring out where to put rivnuts/nutserts. So far I have nutserts only on the top DS Footbox Access Panel. Any other strategic places to put the nutserts during the panel prep/drilling?

-B

[edwardb]

Sounds good, thanks! On your pictures, a couple questions jump out. What is in the center of the Trans Tunnel Front cover? And for that panel, it looks like u did an up-down pattern, assume that's a best practice there and on the firewall inside the engine compartment (I saw that on another post in your build).

The only part of this that is fun is figuring out where to put rivnuts/nutserts. So far I have nutserts only on the top DS Footbox Access Panel. Any other strategic places to put the nutserts during the panel prep/drilling?

-B

That's the master disconnect switch. Ron Francis MS1. I don't know if the rivet patterns are best practice or not. Just what I did. :p The only other place I used nutserts for panels were the splash guards. That I can remember... I mainly just wait until after fuel lines, brake lines, and the rear harness before riveting for good. Until then use lots of clecos. That and leave the DS footbox top and outside to the very last, e.g. right before putting the body on.