Fast Road / Track Day Anglia Strengthening

**Dalek** · 18-10-2004, 13:12

Hi

As you may or may not know i am building Carlos Fandago Widey Wheeled Anglia

for fast road / trackday / and possibly hillclimbing fun.

I am going to be running an ex-national hotrod all steel 190bhp x-flow, quaife straight cut box, lsd, cage, milton suspension, 5/6 linked in the rear etc etc.

The Escort was modified to go rallying etc by adding various body strengthening plates to strategic areas. Does anybody know if the same was done to the rallying Anglia's ? If it was were was the strength applied ? I have heard that the shells are week at the B post and welding a bracket from the cage to the post might strengthen this area. Any other bits i should know to strengthen ? Should the chassis rails to bulkhead be trianglated like an Escort ?

Cheers
Craig

**Roger Miller** · 19-10-2004, 12:38

Hi

As you may or may not know i am building Carlos Fandago Widey Wheeled Anglia

for fast road / trackday / and possibly hillclimbing fun.

I am going to be running an ex-national hotrod all steel 190bhp x-flow, quaife straight cut box, lsd, cage, milton suspension, 5/6 linked in the rear etc etc.

The Escort was modified to go rallying etc by adding various body strengthening plates to strategic areas. Does anybody know if the same was done to the rallying Anglia's ? If it was were was the strength applied ? I have heard that the shells are week at the B post and welding a bracket from the cage to the post might strengthen this area. Any other bits i should know to strengthen ? Should the chassis rails to bulkhead be trianglated like an Escort ?

Cheers
Craig

Dalek,

My 2 bobs on this is that u will never achive the strengthening with brackets, as the fitment of a muilty point [more than 8] Roll Over Protection Unit.

Granted, additional brackets from ROPS to body structure are a very worthwhile addition.

Incidently a Welded in cage, propperly designed [eg not a bolt in one welded in] will stiffen shell, a fair percentage more.

For an Escort, this difference is said to be equivalent to a 50 pound decrease in front spring rate,...... a worthy gain.

I fail to see the worth, of the escort, engine bay to chassis rail strengtheners, however this is another story.

**Retromotorsport** · 19-10-2004, 12:54

It was apparent after stage miles that the shell was rippling there, so they stuck the gussets in, no more rippling, well not for a while anyway.

But Yes, a cage will do the job better, as a milti-point on the suspension top mounts/turrets will feed the most harmfull loads into the cage. but every little thing helps and the gussets may help to stop the leg folding up towards the turret. better to have than have not maybe

**Sideways** · 19-10-2004, 13:52

I'd have said yes a lot of the principles behind escort preparation would apply to an anglia as they are both rwd with cart springs/live axle at the rear and mcpherson struts at the front,
and if your seam welding it then I would put the gussets in at the same time as it all helps and its a bit late to put them in once you've painted it. I would also double skin the strut tops like an escort

Steve

**Dalek** · 19-10-2004, 14:19

I am fitting a cage but its a bolt in job (safety devices). Would welding this to the floor make any difference ? Or running further tubes welded to it and the bulkhead, door posts etc help ? I think i will weld a bracket from the b post to the cage as this is a known weakness. Standard cars crack here with 997cc power !

I was thinking about seam welding the shell as well. Just stitches as i don't want it to be too stiff as to cause it to break up. I was going to make some gussets for it for the front chassis legs. Possibly a rear strut brace as well.

Anwhere else that i should beef up or do you think this is all overkill

Cheers
Craig

**Retromotorsport** · 19-10-2004, 16:43

Are you going to any competition MSA/FIA events with it, as some scrutineers may frown upon a modified cage, sprints and hillclimbs are normally quite relaxed though.
If your buying the cage new get SD to attach some B pillar mounts to the cage, and door bars. The rear strut brace, when mounting the plates on the tub, extend them down the inside face then put 2 wings on this and make up a brace to bolt through these. That way your not attaching to the cage but it will do the same job. All the mounting point reinforcing plates should be welded to the floor. As when the are just sandwiching the floor they rub through the paint and then rot can set in.
Seam welding will help a great deal, hit an inch, miss an inch. And don't forget to do the the door and window apatures.

**Dalek** · 20-10-2004, 08:23

Thanks again for the advice Gary

i don't understand what you mean by this though

The rear strut brace, when mounting the plates on the tub, extend them down the inside face then put 2 wings on this and make up a brace to bolt through these. That way your not attaching to the cage but it will do the same job.

I don't think i will be doing any MSA/FIA events (highly unlikely TBH)

Cheers
Craig

**Retromotorsport** · 20-10-2004, 09:59

>

<
Don't know why image isn't coming up, but hope it helps if you can get the image.

**Dalek** · 20-10-2004, 10:32

Superb m8. A picture blah blah loads of words

I'm humming the tune to "the gallery" from Take Heart now

Thanks again

Craig

**GavinR** · 20-10-2004, 11:47

Definitely recommend gussets if you've only got a 6 point cage.
That's what I've got in FLY (the yellow one), seamwelded, gussets, B-pillar mounts etc. After 6 years of very rough road and stage rallies, we finished Twyford Wood one day and could see daylight between the footwell and the sill

(where the front feet of the cage had split the floor while trying to hold the front wings down).
The gussets were perfectly straight but the bulkhead was pushed back where they mount to it

I got a friend to pull the front wings back down on his jig, strengethened the floor/sill and bulkhead with 3 mm plate and also welded three 2" x 1" strips of 3 mm plate between the windscreen pillar and the cage to multipoint it.
5 years on and nothing's moved

**Roger Miller** · 23-10-2004, 13:19

>

<
Don't know why image isn't coming up, but hope it helps if you can get the image.

Gary, theres little strength, in the inner guard there. It would be much better at the side panel to guard seam.

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showf...rt=all&vc=1

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showf...rt=all&vc=1

**Retromotorsport** · 24-10-2004, 03:42

Roger, it was a quick little sketch using paintbox, the ideal place is on the turret that Craig has fitted, but the drawing did it's purpose, I think Craig knows where the bar goes.