And the story continues:
So, last time I had stopped at the point where the upper body was off of the Prius V, and the firewall and floor of the Firebird had been cut-out to fit the Prius floorpan and firewall.
Next on the Sawz-all task list were modifications to the rocker panels of the Firebird body to fit down over the rocker panels of the Prius V. The coke-bottle shape of the Firebird results in a body that hangs well over the original sides of the Prius V, but then tapers inward at the bottom so that it is narrower than the sills it will be sitting on.
Also, the rocker panels on under the Firebird are four thicknesses of metal spaced apart. Two an a half of these need to be cut away to fit.
In addition, Notches need to be cut for clearance over the cross-bracing in the floor of the Prius V. This is part of the jigsaw-puzzle nature of the project.
Toward the rear, calculations from the drawings and additional measurements were made that indicated the need to remove additional metal from the Prius V rear end so that the trunk floor of the Firebird would nestle down onto it without interference.
Next, cardboard templates were created to create the profiles where the two car's rear wheel wells cross-over from one to the other.
Once again, the trusty Sawz-all helped me make the needed cuts. It is important to keep as much of the original Firebird structure as possible, since the rear seat support is a structural member between the rear wheels.
Next time: Preparing for the big lift.
Bill the Engineer
Today
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