Ok Well to explain what im doing.
I plan to Cut my Rear deck/dash out to make clearance for my new backseat-trunk install. Now I wont be cutting it ALL out, Ill be leaving the 2 corners on the far right and left above the strut towners and a lip about 2" wide arund the bottom of the back window.
I also Plan to Install a strut tower bar between the rear toweres BEFORE I cut it out(hoping that it will accept the integrity from the rear deck.
If your still lost I can photoshop up a quick pick of what im trying to do when i get home.
This will be started on in the next week or 2.
as for the trunk arms Im working on a new hinge system for that already
sorry lol....forgot to throw some text in there as well...
pls photoshop something lol im at a loss but would like to know what your talking about
I believe he's asking about cutting out the metal on the rear deck, back past the speakers almost to the rear window. I think this might cause some structural changes, however I can't see it being too major, as you will still have support from the strut tower bar as well as the rest of the frame of the car.
^^^^ what he said, but i would beef up what metal you do leave on the rear deck. Just weld like a piece of steal to it or something along the lines.
i get what your saying but give me a chop to go off of
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i remember it being double thick metal that was pretty hard to cut, so im sure it does provide structual integrity.
as for karos race car, you cant compare a full race car with a non-race car.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
I know that but I am saying if he wants to cut it and Karo did cut it he could email him as far as what he did to beef up the rear or not. Even if it is a race car more went into it to make it more structurally sound and safe than would a regular car. And considering this deals with both safety and structuarability it isn't a comparison just a very good source of info to take a look into.
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JBOK (J-bodies of Kentucky)
Ok I didnt forget about the post, just been buzy as crap gettin ready for HIN Charlotte Saterday
I still havent taken a pic of what im talking about but ill get it tommorow.
Ill drop Karo an Email also.
BUt yea its pretty much the center of the rear deck, if you look at it without the carpet on it you will see pinch welds holding in the center panel that holds the 6x9 and child safety hooks and what not. thats the part im talking about that part in particular is just think sheetmetal, the strong part is the Square bar tube part where the backseat latch is, thats the part im worried about.
Im wanting to leave the strut bar out of it also now too because like i said im trying to open that all up. Looking at my Cuz's Celica today(01 Hatchback) You know they have no steel rear deck. The reinforcement seems to be the back of the car itself and some in the roof, and very small "L" braces against each tower, maybe 6" tall and 4" wide.
I have to get my hands on one of those small Air Sawsall things because i dont wana burn up my back window from sparks like I did the front when i cut out the steel rail in the dash...
Ill post a pic tommrow of what im refering to.
OOK I finnaly made a sketch because cam is f'ed up?!?!
If you cant read the yellow it said: "Yellow is cut line inside pinch welds"
Like I was saying I wana cut out the rear plate(with the 6x9 holes and old child restraint bolts. And cut out the "Box" where the backseat latch is.
yea that would need more then just a strut tower brace you need some type of frame
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Hmm, Im thinking ot maybe keeping the "box tube" and just cutting out the cheetmetal in the rear deck, open it up. And as far as reinforcement im thinking of going with a Simple 4 point roll cage. Dunno if i want the cage or not yet.
Well Just an Update... ITS GONE!!!!
No Bar
No issues
The car does have a bit more sway in turning now but no issues and I WILL be installing a rear strut bar eventually!
I still have some cutting left to do but the rain decided to visit so ill fiish tommrow but the bulk of its gone!
good luck with that
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98' Pontiac Sunfire SE
doesn't sound safe,
i want fold down seats...
"I live my life a quarter mile at a time..." "for those ten seconds or less I'm free"
See to me this doesn't sound the least bit safe. I mean geez your talking about Sway in a car that had no problems to begin with....And i remeber reading awhile back that someone was going to try turning a cavalier into a hatch back by taking out the rear deck and connecting the window to the trunk (weather he actaully did it or not that irelivant) But the seriousness that came up is that the deck pretty much holds together the back part of the car.
Now take this for what its worth. But there is a civic in my town that did a at home chop top. Looks like a del-sol now to kinda give an imagine in ur mind. Looked surprisingly pretty good because he cleaned up the cut lines really nicely. No problems at all.....(this was the end of last summer).... NOW: he bought a new car because the civic buckled. It literally just collasped in the middle. This was 3 months after doing the chop. So this gives you an idea of the long term effects cutting into the body has on a car.
My advice is weld panels, get the sturt bar ASAP, and do alittle more research into the engineering of the cavaliers and find out what load bearing that deck once had. I honestly think cutting this deck has opened you a whole new can of worms.
Good luck and can't wait to see some finished pics!
your rear window is now holding your back end of your car together. Many people dont think its as major as it is. I cut the bottom pinch weld under the box tube and that was enough to distort the car I had to weld in a tube behind the box tube. Good luck with it and i would definetely get the reinforced quick.
