Project WidowMaker - The Build Thread

[The WidowMaker]

As I began to get more and more work done on the frame, I couldn’t help but notice all of its flex. With the frame on the rotisserie and one sides rotation locked, I could take the other side and actually twist the frame a good amount. WAY more than I had ever thought possible with such little effort. So I started to look into it. I found that most people consider the chevelle a unibody with a complete frame. Meaning, that the body supplies most of the resistance to twist. To remedy this I started to look into what the aftermarket was doing. The first was that nothing comes with c channel anymore, so away it went and now the center section is boxed. The next thing is the inner webbing. Most will argue that a third dimension is needed in order to combat the twist, and only a roll cage will do this, not the webbing. But from my testing of the twist on the rotisserie, I found that it again greatly reduced after I had already welded the c-channel and while only having the webbing tacked in. Was it worth it? I don’t really know. It added weight, but it also added another crossmember, and that in it self helps with the twist. It will also GREATLY help if I’m t-boned and the car hitting me actually contacts the frame, not just the body.