which frame is better

[rspears9]

which company has the best frame,and weight ratio,

[lineslinger]

Originally Posted by rspears9

which company has the best frame,and weight ratio,

Ask any of the companies you have in mind and they will tell you their's is the best.
You didn't really expect anyone to dive into that one did you?
Talk about kicking a hornets nest....

[Don DePontee]

LOL very well said Lineslinger.
Don

[289fia_cobra]

The best handling one rumored is the JBL chassis. I always wondered about the Herb Adams VSE chassis in Carmel, CA (son's taken over the business from what I last heard); it appeared to be an aluminum unibodied-type construction but I've never seen one up close.

I personally like the FFR which is what I bought. The lightest FFR that anyone knows of is one that has a one-off carbon fiber body so it came in at just under 2,000 lbs IIRC. Maybe Don remembers.

Now other chassis can be lighter but perhaps at the expense of rigidity until a well engineered fiberglass tub has been grafted to it but that gets to be a touchy subject unto itself.

CER makes what I consider a really nice suspension system and frame to accept it. But it weighs generally the same as most other cars here. I think the variance between all Cobra kits are going to be +/- 200lbs. on average and guessing a median of 2500lbs. fully constructed with all options and all fluids. But that's just my opinion on the subject.

[rspears9]

im sorry the way i posted about the frame,what i meant was does any of the kit companys offer the solid foot floor pans.i looked on sites last night,and some people talking about some one rent a fff car and a tire iron came up thru the bottom and killed him.i know that would prob never happen again,but i have a son that likes riding too.and i would want something that has better floors.and has a good weight ratio.

[fsstnotch]

I know the hurricane has steel foot wells... But not the whole underside is not if that is what you are asking. I wouldn't think that any of them would.

I question the validity of that story. If it is true... that fiberglass must have been paper thin!

[rspears9]

i just looked i think street beast is.it said most have aluminium or fiber glass.but there has solid metal.but i dont know about there customer service.

[A Cobra guy]

Life happens. My aunt ran over a rotory lawn mower blade that found it's way onto a freeway. It came right up through the steel floor of her Saab. Luckily no one was in the passenger seat and it missed the fuel and brake lines. My point is: a freak accident like that could happen in any car. Build a car you are resonably confident in and enjoy it. If I worried about all the safety features my E-M DOESN'T have I'd never pull out of the garage. Knowing how vulnerable I am in the car makes me a better driver.

Oh, and if floor board penitration is your particular fear, then most any of these cars could have 1/4 inch steel plate fitted down there.

I'm not making light of your question. Safety should be a major factor in selecting a kit vendor. A few take the topic seriously. But no kit will come close to a modern production car for safety.

[joey_hv]

Originally Posted by rspears9

im sorry the way i posted about the frame,what i meant was does any of the kit companys offer the solid foot floor pans.i looked on sites last night,and some people talking about some one rent a fff car and a tire iron came up thru the bottom and killed him.i know that would prob never happen again,but i have a son that likes riding too.and i would want something that has better floors.and has a good weight ratio.

well then there is always that 2x4 sticking out of the pothole, i totally agree with you on the steel floor pan even if it is thin like in the vw's, rather have the extra weight than to worry about everytime i drive the stupid thing.

[lastdime]

Go to www.jblmotor.com and look at the chassis photos and then read about its constuction. Goins Motorsports is building me one right now and one of the main reasons I went with JBL was the strength of the chassis. Look at the cross members in the doors for example, and the foot box panels, etc. There are few builders out there that make a chassis as sturdy as this one.

Anyway, accidents will happen, but the better one is prepared, the less damage will be done; and when it comes to my life, I prefer less rather than more.

Mark

[Silverback51]

Driving this car is like when I rode bikes. You always have to pay more attention to what is going on around you, and what is coming up in front of you. Never get to close to that car in front so you have time to react. What that car can drive over may very well ruin your day when you are this low to the road.

So buy what you like, and drive defensively.

[leo2122]

B&B has steel floor pans ,very nice people also

[Xavier]

Lonestar has a strong frame, cross member suport and steel floor pans, I think it is a stong frame and has a sturdy copnstruction, however I agree with others to your question as things will happen. Take a look at the lonestar web site and you can see the construction of the frame, dropped steel floor pans and a rigid solid steel construction all powder coated too. Some others are running an additional flat sheet of SS steel along the bottom to reduce wind drag but you can use this for additional protection. There also is a thick fibreglass floor pan insert for comfort and additional support for the body. www.lonestarclassics.com or check out my photos.

[rspears9]

thats what i was wondering if a person could weld metal plates.im looking into the b&b era and hurricane

[lineslinger]

If you are spooked about some road trash punching up through the floor pan you should tell whatever manufacturer you choose to build/incorporate some form of SS netting/plating into the floor pan, or supply you with something that will CYA to do so during your build.
Your concern is legit, didn't mean to dump on you but I thought your question was worded in a manner as to who has the best frame.
The FFR guys love that one.

[fsstnotch]

Ok, here's my take from the research I did. I am not pushing any particular company over another. i'm just stating the facts and reason that I chose my kit. I had it narrowed down to Shell Valley, Hurricane, and Era. I printed out the details of all 3 kits. I knew from reviews on this board that all 3 had a good reputation. I knew that all 3 come pretty much complete minus engine, trans, wheels, tires, etc. In doing the comparison this way, I eliminated Era due to contents and price. The era kit cost $4,000 more than shell valley and hurricane and it doesn't include brakes, rear end, steering column, steering wheel, headers and sidepipes. So already the Era kit is costing me almost $10,000 more to get it to the point shell valley and hurricane start at! Might as well buy a turnkey minus at that point! I liked the ERA kit, that's why it made the top 3, but it just didn't add up for ME! So now I was down to Shell Valley and Hurricane... TOUGH DECISION!!! I turned back to the board and asked a few more questions. It was pretty much a toss up again. Most people chose company A or company B because they had seen it and it was good quality etc etc... it was still even. then I read ALL of the threads in the hurricane section and shell valley section. The threads in the hurricane section were just more impressive to me as far as customer service goes. I felt I could relate better with them and everyone raved about their quality. So, about 3 weeks ago I pulled the trigger on HM1104. they shipped the assembly manual to me here in Iraq so I could read it, it's very nice quality btw (202 pages, lots of pics), replied to all my emails within 48hrs, always included "come home safe" at the end, and helped me out with my purchase since I am in Iraq and don't have access to some of the things I would have in the states. I'm not saying for a minute that shell valley or Era would have been different... just that my experience so far with hurricane has been awesome! WHEW! That was long and winded!

Bottom line, choose the kit that suits YOU!!! Have a look at the shell valley kit as well. If you like the hurricane, it is similar in quality and completeness. It's a toss up for me... maybe would even come down to which is closest to where you live. And go see some of the local cars.

[289fia_cobra]

So now that we know about the floor-board area, I think for peace of mind for you, regardless of what kit you buy, you should consider a modification to add a sheet/plate under the driver side. I know it's scary when I think about my FFR with only a piece of aluminum protecting my crotch; actually there is a small steel plate under the seat due to a 3rd party vendors seat mounting kit which places a thick steel plate about 18"x18" square directly below the seat. At least it's something.

Also, just as a build note: if something below scares saftey into you, invest in a driveshaft hoop from Lakewood or another vendor. When a shaft goes, it's not pretty and would pretty much do the same thing as your tire-iron story.

[Don DePontee]

One of the carbon fiber bodied FFRs is owned by Roger Stine and is raced avidly by him. As for the FFR you could very easily weld in a sheet metal skin into the floor, both the dropped foot area as well as under the seat then powder coat your frame after you done which is what I am doing to mine.
Herman (289FIA) You hit an EXTREAMLY GOOD POINT! ALWAYS USE A DRIVELINE SAFETY HOOP!! when they go it can get way too ugly.
Don

[joey_hv]

As far as the best frame (I've seen) check out Fasterpatricks' scratchbuilt beauty.
Fasterpatricks Custom Cobra

[Wayne Maybury]

There are a lot of safety items that I would consider more important than a strong floor pan (just in case you run over something). A good scatter shield, a strong drive shaft loop, a solid roll bar, some sort of side impact protection, really good tires and brakes, and good seat belts, just to name a few. Lets face it, these are not very safe cars to start with.

Wayne