Cars Ridgity

[DMC]

Hey I was wondering if i grinded off these supports if it would affect the cars handling? or are they just there to support the rear seat?

[FRpilot]

i think those are there to support the center section of the rear seats. they might help serve with ridigness but im not sure.

[S13SilviaGirl]

I would think that they were there for some stablility as well as holding the back seat, but I could be wrong...Grant? Kevin? Whats your opinions?

[zweebach]

Looks to me like it's a gusset. While it may be supporting the seat as well, it's pretty closer to the rear suspension mount and I would imagine it adds some structural support.

The question is...why do you want to remove it?

[DMC]

i just wanted to remove it for cosmetic purposes so if it makes the car handle better than its stayin in and lookin ugly!

[ZodiacSR]

I would clear up that rust problem first before removing any type of structural support.

I wouldn't remove that piece if I were you. Unless I had a full roll cage or another type of chassis support in that area.

[DMC]

hey yea i guess ill just leave it pshh that rust sucks i dunno ill psot pics soon of what i got it all lookin like

[mrmephistopheles]

leave it. it's one of the few structural braces the fastback has in the rear area. Removing it may not cause a drastic change in chassis rigidity, but it will make a significant enough change. That whole area in the fastback is wide open, which means mucho chassis flex. The more bracing you have back there, the less chassis flex you'll have. In coupes, they have a upper deck behind the seats, which is part of the unibody. This is a major reason coupes are stiffer than fastbacks, stock for stock.

[Red]

I would cut it out and add your own tube styly brace... To add the stiffness and look.

[FRpilot]

i saw some pics of signal auto's twin drifters from the fa thread for the socal annual 240 bbq. chunky's car didn't have those supports in the back. possibly he removed them? but he also has a 6pt roll cage, so i dont know. maybe that's why. what's the call?

[240Dave]

Meh, just rip the suckers out and put in a 4pt roll bar. Have the rear 2 mounting points go to the front of the shock towers. Then have them weld a straight tube (same as what they are using for your cage) from the top inside of one shock tower to the next.

Should be stiff enough for most of us :coolugh: