Yeah, I’m gonna cut a lot of this extraneous sheet metal out of the shell.
The parts that held the factory roll hoop frame, seat belts, etc. And the flimsy vertical wall that separated the passenger compartment from the top storage area. This will provide unobstructed access to the big frame rails that the roll hoop bolted to. That’s where my new roll cage braces will weld in, allowing for a shallower angle for the braces and making the new cage much stronger, and making the car even stiffer.
I’ll re-craft the interior side wall trim as needed to blend, eventually. I’ll use this opportunity to get rid of the seat belt bumps on the side walls, that do nothing since I no longer use the factory belts. That should also let me widen the main roll cage hoop, since I’m not worried about leaving space for the OEM side interior trim.
I’m really liking the creative freedom this new build is giving me. The ability to do it RIGHT…