Frame Modification and Coating Questions

devianteng

Well-Known Member
Hi all!

My kit is ordered and will be a couple of months at least before I see it, so I'm working through my donor disassembly (see build log below). In the meantime I've been thinking about other things, such as performance mods (got a K04 turbo kit ordered for my LSJ, some cooling mods, shopping clutches, neutral balance shafts, etc), which got me thinking about frame modifications.

I have ordered the extended length full cage, and I know I will add bars across the top, but just not sure where. Maybe 2 bars in the middle running in parallel, like this:
1.jpeg
(@Jim Holley)

Or maybe do a "V" pattern with the 2 converging near the front middle.

Taking inspiration from @DCMoney, I plan to cut and weld tabs in the middle of the bars so I can get aluminum panels to set inside the bars, making the side bars visible (instead of covering those up with the DF panels). May even use this as an excuse to buy a CNC plasma table that I've been wanting forever. :D
2.jpeg

Also like DCMoney, I want to do a custom hood with tube and inset panels, hinged at the front. Unlike his, I believe I want to bend tube instead of having sharp corners at the front (I don't want to copy his design, but it will likely look somewhat similar).

Anyway, I wanted to see what other frame modifications are being done, either for functional or aesthetic reasons. Anyone know what diameter/thickness tube is used for these frames? Standard CREW, or DOM?


Lastly, coatings. I know most people are having their frame powder coated. My only concern with doing that is I wont be able to touch up the coating if I have to grind away to weld a tab/bracket here or there. So, I'm thinking about automotive paint instead. My FIL has a makeshift paint booth, big compressor, HVLP guns, and car painting experience, so I can do my initial frame modifications, hang, and paint. And any changes later will be easy to touch up. At least that's my thinking. Any feedback on paint vs powder coating?
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
The main frame is 1.5" DOM tubing, then the minor tubes are 1.25" DOM.
I also painted my frame because I wanted to be able to weld on it in the future. I just did simple Rustoleum white, and I end up doing paint repair about once a year, as it gets rock chips, seat belt chips, and normal wear and tear.
 

ATMironov

Well-Known Member
If you are planning on using racing harness, you should weld in a harness bar at the proper height. The one from DF is too low.
At the same time, if you are planning on custom seats, you should mock them up and figure out if you need additional cross bars or mounting tabs for the harness.
If you are planning on any extras like an oil cooler, accusupt ECT, you should mock them up and weld on mounting tabs.

I’ll be welding in a X bar across the top of the cage in two weeks. I’ll post photos when its done. :)
 

k.rollin

Goblin Guru
I had my chassis powder coated in a color that had aerosol touch up paint available, Cardinal Paint's GR02 steel gray metallic. That's another option. A few folks here have also sprayed their chassis with Steel-It or a similar product.
 

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devianteng

Well-Known Member
The main frame is 1.5" DOM tubing, then the minor tubes are 1.25" DOM.
I also painted my frame because I wanted to be able to weld on it in the future. I just did simple Rustoleum white, and I end up doing paint repair about once a year, as it gets rock chips, seat belt chips, and normal wear and tear.
Thanks for the info. Your reason for paint is the exact same reason I'm considering it. Glad to hear I'm not alone in that thought!


If you are planning on using racing harness, you should weld in a harness bar at the proper height. The one from DF is too low.
At the same time, if you are planning on custom seats, you should mock them up and figure out if you need additional cross bars or mounting tabs for the harness.
If you are planning on any extras like an oil cooler, accusupt ECT, you should mock them up and weld on mounting tabs.

I’ll be welding in a X bar across the top of the cage in two weeks. I’ll post photos when its done. :)
Yes, I plan to do 5 point harnesses so good catch about the harness bar. I haven't decided on seats yet (I'm 6'2", ~280lb so not a small guy) but will likely have to mock up a seat/slider mount, and harness bar at the right location.
I have a ZZP S3 Intercooler ordered, which I plan to mount above the engine so that will be mocked up (Going LSJ-T with K04, water-to-air setup; using both DF intercooler and S3 Intercooler will hopefully be enough cooling).
You running an accusump? Any feedback on it? I hadn't even thought about that (but similarly, plan to do a catch can setup).

Looking forward to seeing this X bar! I want to make a "hot-swap" setup with a soft mesh roof, as well as a roof rack. Same brackets, just swap between the two depending on what I'm doing.


I had my chassis powder coated in a color that had aerosol touch up paint available, Cardinal Paint's GR02 steel gray metallic. That's another option. A few folks here have also sprayed their chassis with Steel-It or a similar product.
Hadn't thought about that. I really don't know much about powder coating, and not sure if I can get aerosol touch up in the colors I want to do (blue and orange; not sure the tints/shades yet). I'll have to look into Cardinal Paint and Steel-It both. Thanks!
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
I'm 6'3" 270, so right at the same size - check what I did for welded in seat mounts in my build log. I didn't like the thought of using Cobalt type brackets with hooks on the front. So I fabbed up some steel angle - with plenty of mounting holes for fore-aft positions. Some would say those are speedholes. :p:D
 

Chubbs

Well-Known Member
Any feedback on paint vs powder coating?

Powder coat it.

I painted mine. It was the biggest PITA thing I have painted, ever. How many sides does a tube have? (answer: All of the sides). Now imagine painting all 360 degrees of a tube, multiplied by 1000 tubes in the roll cage. It took forever. I missed spots. I went too heavy on spots and it ran. Then, even on the spots that were perfect, I would shoot another spot on the opposite side of the frame, and the overspray would dust the previously perfect spot, an make it a dull dusty coat.

And the overspray....oh god the overspray!!!! I set up a paint booth in my garage, which was fogged with overspray within a few minutes. Then the overspray got out of my makeshift paint booth, and now everything that was in my garage has a light layer of yellow dust on it.

just powder coat it, and worry about touchup later. If there was one regret I had with my build, it was painting the roll cage. I'd have no problem painting the hood and other body panels, and I would do those again, no problem. But the roll cage, I would never paint again.
 

ATMironov

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. Your reason for paint is the exact same reason I'm considering it. Glad to hear I'm not alone in that thought!



Yes, I plan to do 5 point harnesses so good catch about the harness bar. I haven't decided on seats yet (I'm 6'2", ~280lb so not a small guy) but will likely have to mock up a seat/slider mount, and harness bar at the right location.
I have a ZZP S3 Intercooler ordered, which I plan to mount above the engine so that will be mocked up (Going LSJ-T with K04, water-to-air setup; using both DF intercooler and S3 Intercooler will hopefully be enough cooling).
You running an accusump? Any feedback on it? I hadn't even thought about that (but similarly, plan to do a catch can setup).

Looking forward to seeing this X bar! I want to make a "hot-swap" setup with a soft mesh roof, as well as a roof rack. Same brackets, just swap between the two depending on what I'm doing.



Hadn't thought about that. I really don't know much about powder coating, and not sure if I can get aerosol touch up in the colors I want to do (blue and orange; not sure the tints/shades yet). I'll have to look into Cardinal Paint and Steel-It both. Thanks!
The car isn’t up and running yet, but I do have an accusump and cooler installed. I think there is one or two other people running oil accumulators.

Jim and Jeff Loesche are running both air to water and air to air intercooler. They are using the cobalt air to air with fans. I can’t say first hand, but there is a lot of dead air above the engine, so you may need fans on your air to air intercooler

The LNF motors have a ton of blow by, so a drain back catch can is in the works for me as well. I don’t know if the LSJs have the same issue or not.
I’ve seen a couple of motors have have blown up due to lack of press because of oil consumption.
 

Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
A catch can in series in front of the PCV in the intake manifold for vacuum conditions (boost would pressurize the catch can if it was mounted after the PCV) and a catch can on the valve cover to turbo inlet line - this is the way I'm setting up my engine.. Seem to be the right combination to catch all unwanted oil vapor before it gets into the turbo compressor and on the back of the intake valves. These need to be separate catch cans, due the difference in the air pressure/vacuum at each end of the intake system. Just my 2 cents worth... :)
 

ATMironov

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. Your reason for paint is the exact same reason I'm considering it. Glad to hear I'm not alone in that thought!



Yes, I plan to do 5 point harnesses so good catch about the harness bar. I haven't decided on seats yet (I'm 6'2", ~280lb so not a small guy) but will likely have to mock up a seat/slider mount, and harness bar at the right location.
I have a ZZP S3 Intercooler ordered, which I plan to mount above the engine so that will be mocked up (Going LSJ-T with K04, water-to-air setup; using both DF intercooler and S3 Intercooler will hopefully be enough cooling).
You running an accusump? Any feedback on it? I hadn't even thought about that (but similarly, plan to do a catch can setup).

Looking forward to seeing this X bar! I want to make a "hot-swap" setup with a soft mesh roof, as well as a roof rack. Same brackets, just swap between the two depending on what I'm doing.



Hadn't thought about that. I really don't know much about powder coating, and not sure if I can get aerosol touch up in the colors I want to do (blue and orange; not sure the tints/shades yet). I'll have to look into Cardinal Paint and Steel-It both. Thanks!
Here is the X Brace.
 

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