CAD/Design Help Requested for Tube Chassis Please!

[Sean111]

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to start some serious cutting and welding on my car. The local fellow that was going to help me with the frame design turned out to be a complete hack, with no consideration for anything besides aesthetics. Anyways, without getting into that, here are the details. The car is a 71 Datsun 240Z. My plan is to completely gut everything between the rockers, except the trans tunnel and the firewall. Everything forward of the firewall can go. I have the control arms, spindles and brakes from a C5 vette that I would like to use. I have the subframes as well, but I'd prefer not to use them, since I'd have to widen the fenders about 5" each side in the rear, and 4" each in the front. I'd like to use 2x3x.120 tube, since it's readily available at my work. I definitely want to put a cage in the car, although it will mostly be driven on the street.


I realize I'm asking a lot here, but if anybody could help me out, or point me into a specific direction, I'd definitely appreciate it. Thank you! :)

[astroracer]

You need to come up with some basic dimensions. Wheelbase, front and rear track width, engine placement, etc. Using the Corvette suspension stuff will probably not be possible. Depends on how the two front tracks compare. The C5's ran around 62" or so if I remember right. Going narrower, as well as altering the wheelbase numbers will drastically alter all of the "C5" suspension points as well as the rack and pinion requirements so those dimensions need to be worked out first.
Mark

[wellis77]

What he said. I was planning the same with Viper suspension and a '69 Dart. Couldn't use stock A-Arms up front because they were WAY too long. Used the spindle but needed to build my own lowers, use an alternate upper and modify the geometry. In the back, I could use stock arms, but still had to modify the geometry.