Chassis Stiffening

[00vetter]

Hello, I am waiting for my 70 Camaro to return from the paint booth, hopefully the salt will be off the roads here in Salt Lake before it's done! I have had several of these second gen camaros, set up for canyon and autocross duty. They have all had a problem with a crack forming along the quarter panel line behind the drivers head. The shop welded the seam, but I am looking to stiffen things up further. The car has sub frame connectors welded to the floor all the way back, and a roll bar welded to the frame connectors and body behind the doors. I am looking to put a door bar from the roll bar to the firewall to help. Will a 1 1/4" bar parallel to the door sill( at about a foot off the door sill), welded at the front to the floor and firewall help much? It's still a street car, so I don't want the shoulder high to floor door bar of a race car.

Thanks all, Tim

[LeighP]

Yes, I've seen such a bar on a couple of cars....I think it would help.
By the way, the crack from the top rear corner of the door extending back is usually just the leading over the seam which has work hardened, then cracks....its often not the seam itself. You might try welding a plate across the body join on the inside of the pillar as well.