Frame Question

Hello all! I'm new to the forum and have been doing a lot of reading and researching as I save for my speedster. There is, however, one question I have that I have not seen an answer to yet. I know that the newer VS speedsters have a metal sub-frame under the body to re-enforce the pan, but do other models (esp. Beck) have this also, or is their frame just flat and the body bolted onto the frame? The only frame pictures I have seen of a Beck are relatively flat. Seems to me there must be some vertical subframe in all the speedsters, but I'm new to this, and really have no idea.

Thanks, and sorry if this is posted somewhere else and I missed it.

The Beck frame integrates the extra strengthening provided by subframes on pans directly into the main tube frame. The body is then bonded to the frame and they are thereafter inseparable. There is no vertical subframe per se, but the body/frame combination includes metal plates for door hinge and striker location as well as other reinforcements provided by square tubes or plates.

These aren't the best photos, but give you a little glimpse of the cross members under a Beck.

Of course, I'm biased, but I bought a Beck because I thought that it was the lightest, strongest, and stiffest Speedster that you could buy that could easily outperform the original.

Thanks for the quick replies. I really appreciate the information!

So, would that mean that the Beck may be stiffer & handle somewhat better, but the VS may have more protection? (Not that these are exactly tanks...)

Thanks!

Erik, here is a few pics of my IM frame. It's the stout 911 setup that use a strut front suspension. The third pic shows the body fully bonded to the frame.

Eric:

NONE of the Speedsters out there offer a great deal of "protection" from the 'frame'. Remember that these cars have a Fiberglass body which is like riding around in an egg shell. Better than a motorcycle, but not by much.

While much has been said and written about the 'benefits' of a tube frame over a reinforced pan type of car, no one has empirically proven that one is better than the other. Most people might not feel any difference in a road test. If you have an older pan-based car it might be easier to get it registered as a Volkswagen sedan or something, but that's about it. If you have a "tube frame" car, it might offer a little more leg and/or elbow room.

Beyond that is speculation.

"Handling" has little to do with whether the car is pan or tube framed. It has EVERYTHING to do with how the suspension is set up and balanced. You can do that on either type of car to produce a "handling" or less-handling car. VS and Beck cars can handle equally well, given the same types of suspension modifications. The same can be said of the other makes as well, except for SAS which now uses a significantly different suspension system, essentially a Subaru platform.

The best chassis out there is the one under the car in your driveway..