I was just curious what people have done to stiffen up their chassis other then a lower arm bar, strut bars, sway bars bushings, shocks/springs/coilovers.

What else could bring it up to par to a coupe?

THanks guys.

 

From what I heard, the convertible is practically just as stiff as the couple (if not moreso) because of the "built-in" rear strut bar and stiffened body.

 

Yup! every vert I've ridden in has been stiff as hell. Super rigid body.

 

I haven't seen much material on it so I as curious. thanks guys.

 

I read somewhere it's 1% less stiff than the coupe (that's where the added weight comes in. The extra braces for rigidity)

You can try a roll bar but if you want rigidity you should have bought a coupe with no sunroof.

I think the firewall has an added brace as does the area behind the seats. I don't know where else though.

 

Have you ever driven or taken a ride in a vert??? My vert feels just as stiff, topless or not, as my TII ever did. My vert does have KYB non-adjustable struts, but otherwise both cars had stock suspension with near equal mileage. Both cars were driven with the same TII engine/ drivetrain. Why do people think a vert is going to flex so much??? Do you really think you are going to corner the **** out of the car so hard that it's sitting on 3 wheels when you park it that evening? If you are driving the car that hard, I apologize. Unless of course, you are doing it on public roads. Then I hope you get arrested before you kill someone else.

Back on subject. If you strip the car to the bare shell, there are only three things I can think of to make the convertible chassis stiffer:
1) Weld in a roll cage
2) Weld on a roof (but then you aren't stiffening a vert, you're building a coupe)
3) Seam welding

If this is a street car, and you want it to stay a convertible, #3 is your only real option. Street cars don't like cages, and convertibles don't like roofs. Seam welding is free if you have access to a welder, and is supposed to make a very noticeable difference on most vehicles. I just wouldn't strip my car down that far for this sole purpose. Again, if this is a track car, I apologize. I just can't imagine "chassis flex" becoming an issue on the street. Plus overly-stiff street cars aren't comfortable. You may like being able to tell if it was a nickel, dime, or penny you just ran over in the road, but when your eyeballs are vibrating in their sockets it gets old quick...

 

I own a coupe with a sunroof. I was just curious about the vert's rigidity for a future project.

 

I'd go with what nitro posted.

 

I've only take 1 very quick ride in one and didn't have enough time to feel it out. I had thought the only options were a cage and seam welding, just wasn't sure if there were other little things.

thanks.

 

http://www.mazdatrix.com/epconv.htm

 

hahaha, that's strictly racecar status. Not too many vert ppl are that CORE.

 

there is another way that you could stiffen up the vert a little bit more, that wont detract from it the way a roll cage or roof would, and thats with stiffening foam. Its basically this junk that you mix up and inject into various hard-points or joints on the frame, it expands and turns ultra-stiff, and in turn keeps the car from flexing as much. I forget what the stuff's called, and you essentially need to strip the car to do it, (at least interior/body wise), but its supposed to help a lot.

 

Viagra?

 

haha.. someone beat me too the mazdatrix vert, there is also a single rollbar im not sure who designs it but its right behind the seats and the top can still operate. I also have a vert but im gonna go close to the mazdatrix idea by removing the top, but not the front glass. i want a streetable roadster. the vert i believe uses the turbo springs because of the added wieght this gives that stiffer feeling from the factory.

 

For future reference, these things would not stiffen the chassis, as they are not part of it. These things would actually make a floppy chassis feel more so.