Hey all. Ok, here's another one of my structural integrity related questions. What's the story with the center tunnel, how much (if any) does it contribute to the strength of the tub? Mine currently suffers fromn the the dreaded rust damage, and therefore I'm considering if I should just remove it and replace it with tubing. Of course I'd save the section for the shifter mount and re-install it in the correct location. It seems like it would be an advantage to be able to access the fuel and brake lines without having to go rooting around in the stock tunnel. Thanks for any advice. Regards, -K-

I provides the stiffness to the floor.
I think it would be a lot of work to try to replace it with tubing.
And not worth the effort.

The longs and the center tunnel together provide the primary strength to the car. The longs do about 80% of the work, but the center tunnel is pretty significant. Replacing it with tubes would add weight and reduce stiffness. Find another center tunnel, or start over with a whole new tub.

As always, thanks for your advice gentlemen. Interestingly enough, I tried the rudimentary test for remaining structural integrity with the existing tunnel this morning by jumping up and down on it. I tip the scales slightly in excess of the two hundred pound mark and observed no noticeable deflection or movement. I checked the longs using this highly technical approach when I first started working on the car and they checked out ok. It's encouraging to find no substantial compromise to the strength of the center tunnel despite a fair bit of crunchiness is some places. I'll weld in metal where it's needed and carry on. Regards, -K-