Sunday, June 22, 2008

Almost finished with the trunk rack


Saturday I took the bottom braces of the rear rack apart and re-welded them so that they lined up with the edges of the batteries. That way the batteries are properly supported from underneath. I also welded another two tabs on the rack to allow it to bold into the frame.
I also bought some more metal and nuts and bolts at a local hardware store - nothing too fancy this time, so I had no trouble finding what I needed.

On Sunday my dad came over to curt some plywood and I easily talked him into helping on the car. We bent and cut the top braces and drilled holes for each to be mounted to the rack. Doesn't sound like much, but took a while to get it all aligned. The picture here is from a test fitting. You can see how the batteries are still in their shrink wrap and the handles are still attached. I plan on smoothing out the welds with a grinder and painting it stock Miata red, so that it looks stock.
The rear tabs line up with some holes in the frame rail, but the front tabs need holes drilled. I need at least an 8" long 7/16" bit to drill all the way through the rail on each side. Guess I'll be making another trip to the hardware store...

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