Monday, May 5, 2008

Barge Boards / Running boards fab'd

The running boards or barge boards are just about done- I was able to mock up one side and get the pieces trimmed for the other side. The purpose of the running boards is to tie in the fender flares with the rest of the body, as well as to integrate with the undertray and add more surface area to the undertray. The barge boards also act as skirts to help direct the airflow under the car to the rear diffuser.


The running boards are aluminum honeycomb composite riveted to the chassis. The barge boards are lexan plastic riveted to the aluminum. I used lexan so that if i scrape over something there is should be less damage since the lexan will flex instead of breaking.



I still have to finish sanding the micro on the fenders and then hopefully I can get some priner on this thing. I'm getting anxious to drive it now that the weather is good, I already missed the first track day of the year.


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6 comments:

  1. Ryder StepMay 6, 2008 at 12:30 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Ryder StepMay 6, 2008 at 12:32 PM

    This is one of the coolest most detailed E30 race car buildups I've read about. Great work!

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  3. AnonymousMay 8, 2008 at 7:09 AM

    Fantastic buildup. I got my e30 down to 1975 lbs without using composites but with a full cage. Everything was removed from the car that wasn't needed. I think I got almost 60 lbs of wiring. The car ran on 5 fuses. The engine wiring harness is a big opportunity for weight reduction and the front frame horns can be trimmed back quite a bit. Also, the extra bosses and brackets on the engine block can be ground off. Since most of this is far in front of the front axle centerline, it is very beneficial for weight balance.

    Hopefully I will be able to duplicate some of your techniques on my own project. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. BelosicMay 15, 2008 at 9:10 PM

    Rich-
    Thanks for the input...I hope I can come close to that weight! I am going to weigh it again as soon as I get the glass back in.

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  5. BMW1602August 6, 2008 at 12:15 PM

    That was a smart idea to use lexan on the bardge boards! It's coming out great so far......great work!

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  6. nzpostfachOctober 21, 2008 at 4:58 AM

    Hi, your project looks great! I'm just trying to work out exactly how you've attached the running boards to the car. Did you rivet them to the underside of the car?

    I've never worked with the honey comb material but from the pictures it looks like you've riveted the barge boards straight to the edge of the running board, the close up picture of the material looked like it was quite hollow in places, how strong is that joint?

    Sorry for all the questions but I'm slowly building a race car myself and without having much experience, detailed progress logs like yours are a huge source of ideas and inspiration to me.

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