Interior pan advice please - 3 piece ok?

[matt b]

Hi all - been off the board a bit with some work changes.

Putting the MW FED back together and am replacing the interior floorpan. Current unit runs from rear motor plate under the seat to the rear rails. It is a rip-roaring PITA to get in and out.

This may be a dumb question: Can I remake this in two -three pieces? Any rule or safety conflict to doing so? Current pan overlaps the outside rails and is relieved for the vertical chassis tubes and has a mild bend where the main tubes turn up towards the rear of cage.

Assuming I can do so safely I have a couple options in mind.

1. Main center pan with small 'wings' dzused on each side that are relieved for the vertical members / pedal mounts, etc.
2. Front section pan from seat brace to motor plate with rear section under seat (at bend) dzused in place.

Thanks in advance - appreciate any thoughts.

Matt B

[rooman]

Matt, a couple of questions;

   Does your car have a belly pan (below the frame rails, from mid plate to the rear end) ?

   Do your feet rest on the interior pan or do they rest on the gas pedal (heel rest) or cross members?

   The rules only require a floor pan if your feet rest on the belly pan so if there is something else under them the floor is redundant.

Roo

[dreracecar]

Considering that your legs go over the rear end and that you cannot be pulled out the bottom, No spec or ruling exist except that there be something/anything there

[rooman]

The ruling reads "if driver's body is in contact with belly pan, crossmember and subfloor mandatory.  Also "Driver's legs must be retained inside frame by subflooring or other retaining device that is independent of car's body" (which really is saying the same as the first line).
 The above is from the Nostalgia Dragster section of the 2016 rule book, the latest that I have to hand.

Roo 

[dreracecar]

Again that's a description taken from rear motor rules and inserted into the sportsman classes

[rooman]

Exactly, but it is what is in the book and that is all that the tech guys have for reference.

[dreracecar]

but nothing into reference to  F/C or Altereds for which the feet are pretty much on the floor pan

[Draw 3D]

2019 NHRA Rulebook and 2019 HRHS Rulebook General Regulations

7:5 FLOOR
All cars without floors must be equipped with floor pans made of steel or aluminum that must extend the full length and width of the driver compartment to the rear of the driver’s seat. Cars equipped with floors or belly pans made of fiberglass or other breakable material must have metal subfloors. In all cars with OEM fiberglass floors, a crossmember (minimum 2 inches x 2 inches, .083-inch wall thickness square tubing) must be installed between framerails for proper driver’s seat, seat belt, shoulder harness, and crotch strap installation. Belly pans and subfloors enclosing engine or driver compartment must contain suitable drain holes so that liquids and foreign matter cannot collect, thus creating a fire hazard. Minimum .032-inch aluminum or .024-inch steel. In certain instances, an NHRA-accepted panel made of composite material may be substituted for steel or aluminum. Contact the NHRA Technical Services Department for list of accepted composite panels. Use of magnesium prohibited.

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

One additional consideration:
Last fall at the NHRA Div. III E.T. Bracket Finals I got bounced from tech. I had a full belly pan but the PG trans was exposed in the driver's compartment, requiring a metal "tunnel" over the drivetrain.  Truth be told, I had the necessary trans cover but I left it off to give me a little more room in the car.
I'm not sure if FEDs have to also have a trans cover ( or a Fuel car driver's suit) but I'd check to be sure.

A team member brought me the necessary cover and I got to race.

[Paul New]

One additional consideration:
Last fall at the NHRA Div. III E.T. Bracket Finals I got bounced from tech. I had a full belly pan but the PG trans was exposed in the driver's compartment, requiring a metal "tunnel" over the drivetrain.  Truth be told, I had the necessary trans cover but I left it off to give me a little more room in the car.
I'm not sure if FEDs have to also have a trans cover ( or a Fuel car driver's suit) but I'd check to be sure.

A team member brought me the necessary cover and I got to race.

-20 suit and your fine without trans cover

[rooman]

2019 NHRA Rulebook and 2019 HRHS Rulebook General Regulations

7:5 FLOOR
All cars without floors must be equipped with floor pans made of steel or aluminum that must extend the full length and width of the driver compartment to the rear of the driver’s seat. Cars equipped with floors or belly pans made of fiberglass or other breakable material must have metal subfloors. In all cars with OEM fiberglass floors, a crossmember (minimum 2 inches x 2 inches, .083-inch wall thickness square tubing) must be installed between framerails for proper driver’s seat, seat belt, shoulder harness, and crotch strap installation. Belly pans and subfloors enclosing engine or driver compartment must contain suitable drain holes so that liquids and foreign matter cannot collect, thus creating a fire hazard. Minimum .032-inch aluminum or .024-inch steel. In certain instances, an NHRA-accepted panel made of composite material may be substituted for steel or aluminum. Contact the NHRA Technical Services Department for list of accepted composite panels. Use of magnesium prohibited.

That whole section is related to "door" cars. The NHRA can't write an understandable and enforceable rule book to save their lives and there are numerous examples of this sort of wording throughout the book. The recently discussed steering column displacement collar is another that comes to mind. Working in conjunction with Carl Olson and Jim Skelly, I managed to get quite a bit of this sort of thing straightened out quite a few years ago but they are both gone from the NHRA and the clueless have taken over. I will try to contact Glenn Gray today and see it there is any chance of fixing these anomalies.

Roo

[wideopen231]

Well this certainly clears up rather my full belly pan is legal or not.LOL  Ok on serious side. I have full belly pan from motor plate to under seat,I have two diagonals  that feet can rest on (although barley) .Legal or not? I can fabricate a inner floor if a have to do thing and just use when at event that it would be issue., I would rather have the belly pan since easier to remove to allow maintenance on trans ,6 dzus  and you're there. Also would a aluminum rest covering diagonals  be  just as good and if required legal?

Just seeing what I may have to have and if chance I can have in trailer if becomes a issue and how yea once get the trailer thing covered. Not LOL there.

[225digger]

does a belly pan help any other than air coming into the compartment ?

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

does a belly pan help any other than air coming into the compartment ?

Well, there's that.
Plus in general a belly pan helps the aerodynamics on the underside of the chassis. Many new cars use them (I have to remove the one on my wife's car just to change the oil - GRRR).

Plus I can't count how many times I've dropped a glove in the driver's compartment while driving up to the staging lanes, and found it on the floor.
Likewise, losing my e.t. slip driving back from the e.t. shack.

Plus, plus, I have a piece of Pig Mat retained under the trans to act as a diaper for minor trans seepage drips.

Plus, plus, plus, occasionally a vital piece of hardware vibrates loose, like a terminal screw or nut.

[rooman]

does a belly pan help any other than air coming into the compartment ?

It helps keep the flames (and oil and loose parts) out if things get ugly. 

Roo