S2 birthday planning

[StephenH]

I'm doing some initial planning on what I shall title the 'birthday makeover' for my S2.
Bare with me, this takes some time to get through

Basically the now 10+ year old race paint (as in: 'it's gunna be a racecar and get crashed so don't waste too much time on the prep') will need to be addressed eventually, could easily wait as could a few minor cracks and scrapes.
A good polish and still looks good from 5 metres.
But I want to sort out the A pillars, windscreen and door fit along with perhaps a roof lining.
So as there will be work around the roof, I'm also thinking of a roof bubble mod as even without helmets that can be a problem.
If I'm touching the roof, well I may as well add a single NACA duct to the R/H side to feed the carbs cooler air.
If I'm doing the duct, well some light flaring of F&R guards would return some lock and let me go up from the 185 tyres.
If all that is happening, then may as well all get stripped and painted.....

The bit that concerns me the most is the roof bubbles.
I'm actually not that concerned about keeping the car original, as it isn't anyway, but I want it to remain 'period'.
One alternative is to replace the existing seats with something that I'm at least as happy with as the current upholstered originals (which for the driver is already bolted direct to the floor).
Thin modern race seats might be fine, but I still drive this car on the road and the interior still passes as 'period'.

So to save me cutting up the roof (the bit I don't really want to do), any suggestions on the seats?

Note any new seat will have to be able to accomodate 5 point harness fitment.

[EuropaTC]

The S1 Elise seats are very thin and the sub frame must rank as one of the simplest and smallest I've seen. I've never measured directly against the Europa but my impression is there must be at least an inch to gain that way. As a racer, you'd probably appreciate they're also lighter than the standard seats in my TC and presumably your S2 ?

If headroom really is a problem I would seriously consider dropping the floor an inch under the seat runners but leave the front footwell at normal height.

Brian

[StephenH]

Revisiting my old post.

I'm forgetting the roof bubble and NACA duct, but will be doing the A pillars and door fit as well as the paint.

Which brings me to ideas on how best to tackle the pillars so that the windscreen and doors fit properly and stay that way.
I have heard of bonding a metal frame into the pillars and roof, I assume this could be tackled with glass as well; bond a tube up the pillars, and around the edge of the windsreen and door openings to stiffen it up.

Any prior experience to be shared out there?

[jbcollier]

I have read of others bonding in metal strips to reinforce the a-piller.  Good idea and on my list as I cracked my RH a-piller installing the windshield.

Fit a NACA dust!  Or better yet, two.  The engine compartment gets very hot.

[GavinT]

I’ve no prior experience with stiffening door pillars but my car spent most of it’s life in Qld and the pillars are a little bowed outwards from the heat . . presumably. I’ll need to do something.

I’m planning on glassing a steel tube into the A pillars with suitably shaped flat end tabs to tie it into the rest of the structure. I figure it’ll fall largely within the silhouette of the pillar in terms of vision and by the time it’s covered with trim shouldn’t be very noticeable.