QUOTE(mrbubblehead @ Feb 17 2014, 09:56 AM)
I am wondering how strong the center tunnel is. after seam welding and the inner long kit, would it be ok to cut the top off for access panels? they will be replaced with aluminum panels fastened with rivnuts and 5mm screws. im leaving most of shifter sheet metal to keep the shifter solid. you can see from the pictures what i intend to cut out.
In most cars this is a major part for strength. Porsche thoughts so because they chose to make it a box beam, which provides strength at minimum weight. Your cutouts will have less effect on strength if you roll the edges and make no sharp corners, space them and then find a way to tighten the cover plate down so it cannot slide.
In a wet environment aluminum will fall in love with steel, especially in threads. It makes an oxide that means all the threads go somewhere out of this universe to a thread heaven. Oil will keep it from happening though. I found that you can buy steel flanged tube nuts, drill a hole and tack weld them. I think the major complaint with rivnuts is actually when you cannot get to the back, you have the fastener in place, and they decide to spin
. There are precautions you can take that will minimize that.
Nice work.