paul jacobs Posted May 13, 2001 Share Posted May 13, 2001 Can anyone tell me what differnces there are in the R500 chassis, to the standard chassis. I know all about the aero front suspension. watts linkage, and C/F bodywork, but need to know what else, if anything, has been improved, lightened, strengthened or changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted May 13, 2001 Share Posted May 13, 2001 If it's a proper R500, ie no windscreen, then they leave out some of the tubes around the scuttle as they don't have a windscreen to support. This was reported by Jez Coates at a presentation on the R500 held at Coventry Uni early last year. I seem to recall something about some strenghtening around the diff mountings but forget the details. I think someone asked if you got the diff strengthening if you order an R500 with screen, the reply was that if you want a screen it's not a proper R500 so you get a standard chassis, seemed fair enuff to me. Why do you want to know Paul, thinking of an R521? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted May 13, 2001 Author Share Posted May 13, 2001 No, not a 5/21 exactly Graham, but I've got awfull lot of bits left over from the 21 that I didn't use, and it seemed only right to put them into a 7, and if you're going to build up a 7 from scratch it might just as well be as close as possible to what people are paying 30K for from the factory. Make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted May 13, 2001 Share Posted May 13, 2001 The windscreen bit that is missing is actually the wiper motor bracket. You don't actually need that anyway, even if you have a screen as you can bolt the wiper motor to the scuttle bulkhead. I did this when I had the interchangeable scuttles on my car. The R500 has the stronger diff mounts that were fitted to the JPE and the Swiss turbo cars from about 94 on. They do not have the footwell triangulation as per a race chassis though. The ally paneling is also thinner on some R500's - I think this was a ploy to get the official kerb weight down...... Other R500's allegedly have std thickness panels. Arnie Webb The Fat Bloke blush.gif in a Fast Temporarily Indisposed Vauxhall wink.gif See the R500 eater here See the Le Mans Trip Website here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 Another modification is that the engine bay diagonals are fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 Wasn't the modification making them removable in the first place????????? Arnie Webb The Fat Bloke blush.gif in a Fast Temporarily Indisposed Vauxhall wink.gif See the R500 eater here See the Le Mans Trip Website here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 Yup. Except that the race chassis still have them fixed ('cos they're based on a chassis which predates the removable diagonals...). Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 > The windscreen bit that is missing is actually > the wiper motor bracket. Is that all? Jez made it sound like they'd saved shed loads of weight by using lighter gauge tubes or missing tubes out completely because there was no wind loading from the screen being fed into the scuttle area. > Another modification is that the engine bay > diagonals are fixed. On my 1993 car they were always fixed, from 1994 they were removeable, race cars were always fixed, sounds like they've just reverted to fixed, seems sensible. Well my car has no wiper bracket (courtesy of mr angle grinder) and the diagonals are fixed so it's 66% an RS500 chassis. What mods are made to what diff mounting brackets, uppers, lowers or both? I remember hearing Alastair Elliott had ripped his out of his chassis back when I was running a xflow. What should I keep an eye out for and is the strengthening something you can do yourself or is it an Arch job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfreeman Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 Not been the worlds most technically minded person.... My R500 (without windscreen) has a shorter passenger footwell, and the battery is in front of it, rather than on ones I've seen with a windscreen where there is a longer footwell and the battery sits on top. Another thing I've noticed is that on my car, some of the front members are 'drilled out' whereas on the windscreened versons they're not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted May 14, 2001 Author Share Posted May 14, 2001 So, all in all, not a great deal of change, other than strengthening the diff. mountings for obvious reasons. What differences are there in the race car then. I assume that it is basically a pre. 96 chassis [tunnel handbrake] with the older suspension pick up points, if that is the case, does that mean it's actually a better chassis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 As the race chassis don't have the handbrake on the tunnel, I think they're a better bet. Putting the handbrake there was a mistake as you can't get the leverage to pull on it anyway. Those with ally tunnel tops look better, and leave you with the opportunity for adding a vertical handbrake lever on the passenger side of the tunnel which is easier to pull on when seated in the car. Chelspeed has one such design on his monster, which looks very easy to use. The only bad thing is the lack of Watts linkage as standard, unless they've added it now. I'd say that was definately worth having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 The race chassis has the Watts linkage pickup points and most of the Superlight teams wish they didn't have to use them. Apparently you are only allowed to resort to radius arms if you have had back end damage. The radius arms make chassis tuning a lot simpler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 Nig - my tunnel-top handbrake works very well without very much effort (unlike the old under-scuttle one which was totally useless). Maybe getting married has weakened your arms wink.gif Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V7 SLR Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 Mine works OK, but is rtotally the wrong angle for a comfortable use, so I don't normally bother. When parked, I tend to pull it on as I get out. Graham's vertical lever seems so much more sensible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 The under dash handbrake is most certainly not useless Mike. It's perfect for take-aways smile.gif. Another way in which Mr Chapman was well ahead of his time. To stop the car rolling off anywhere I leave it in gear which seems to work just fine. C7 AJM Edited by - Andy Murphy on 15 May 2001 19:22:38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted May 16, 2001 Share Posted May 16, 2001 Perfect for takeaways - ah yes, the umbrella handle sticking out of the dash of my Renault 4 was perfect for hanging your Indian takeaway on, and guaranteed no spillage. The car was incapable of generated sufficient longitudinal G-force to slop a chicken vindaloo, and whilst the doorhandles were scraping on the ground going round the corners that magic be-handled brown paper bag would simply swing to whereever it felt comfortable with the combined result of Regie's cornering forces and Mother Earth's gravitational pull. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 16 May 2001 08:35:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted May 16, 2001 Share Posted May 16, 2001 holy rack bridge different section tubes at the back (lighter in places) Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted May 16, 2001 Share Posted May 16, 2001 > holy rack bridge Too many Batman films I fear..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted May 18, 2001 Author Share Posted May 18, 2001 Batmans car was a little longer and heavier than a seven, wasn't it? Or is it actually a steering rack bridge with wholes in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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