#subframe

[dinnickhowellslikes]

Great 3D rock/rope simulation from Subframe for Vollebak. You can see the moving version here, among (impressive) other things.

[onlyhappyvibes]

[scrilla365]

Views from the 6

[gattogrigiobjd]

#Subframing by Nadine Via Flickr: Dreamhigh Studio Pocca

[june1960fan]

Dana's Garage Mercury Mariner Loose Subframe bolts loose

[pepsinister]

I got that “spent all day wedging myself into the underside of a car” forearm pain 🥰

[steves-auto-repair-va]

Rear subframe replacement is underway on a Volvo. 

Once this work is completed, a wheel alignment will be performed.

Typically, we don’t replace subframes unless they are rusted, bent or damaged. However, sometimes our technicians need to move them to reach other parts.

[brilho-design]

"O Impossível", Maria Martins (1945, Bronze) por João Otavio Dobre Ferreira

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

HWA Evo, 2024 (1992). Described as "more than a restomod" the German racing outfit are offering to rebuild the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II with new front and rear subframes and suspension improving torsional stiffness by 100%. The front axle has been moved forward by 50mm, the 444hp twin turbo V6 moved back against the firewall and the 6-speed manual transmission fitted to the rear axle achieving a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. HWA claim 75% of the car is new helping to justify the ���714,000 ($760,000) cost of the work. A run of 100 cars is planned with most being pre-sold already.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Did you know ???

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟗, 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝟒𝟐𝟗 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠.

Known internally as the LID Mustang—short for Low Investment Drivetrain—this project aimed to fix the production model’s notorious weight distribution problem.

Instead of packing the heavy Boss 429 V8 up front, Ford’s engineers reversed the engine and mounted it over the rear wheels.

A Clever, Cost-Effective Makeover

Working with their Special Vehicles unit and a local Detroit skunkworks group called Kar Kraft, Ford took a standard Boss 429 engine paired with a C6 automatic transmission and installed it in a custom, removable rear subframe. A specially built transfer case rotated the power 180 degrees, feeding a modified 9-inch rear axle. This clever setup shifted the weight balance from a 60/40 front-to-rear split to a more promising 40/60, reducing wheelspin and potentially improving handling.

An Experiment That Didn’t Take Off

Despite the improved weight distribution, the mid-engine layout didn’t deliver a significant performance boost. With little more than reduced wheelspin to show for it, Ford decided not to pursue the idea further. At one point, reports in Motor Trend suggested the lone prototype was headed for the crusher at a Detroit-area salvage yard.

A Mysterious Disappearance

Recent whispers from credible Ford insiders, however, have added a twist to the tale. After its test program, the LID Mustang was parked at the Dearborn Proving Grounds with other test mules. Rather than being scrapped, the car seemingly vanished—leading some to believe it might be hidden away in a private garage somewhere in Dearborn or Allen Park, waiting for its moment to reemerge.

This story of wild innovation remains one of Ford’s most intriguing “what if” moments—a reminder that sometimes even the boldest experiments can slip quietly into legend.

[seat-safety-switch]

Couple weeks ago, I was watching the evening news when a commercial came on. Usually, I skip those suckers. Change channels. Couldn't do that this time, though, because the television I was watching was in my neighbour's living room. And although the binoculars I was using to look into said living room are exceptionally high-tech, they do not contain a television remote. Always leaving something on the table for the 2.0 version, those fucking scam artists.

Here's what the commercial was: a prayer line. You could dial in and pay nine cents a minute to have a group of folks working in a call centre pray for you. The handsome-yet-celibate dude wearing an insanely expensive suit droned on about something I couldn't hear, but the message was obvious. If I got them to get their god to do my bidding, then maybe I'd be able to win at a salvage auction for once.

The only higher power I believe in is the universe's ability to put its thumb directly on me as soon as I start to get a little smug, almost as if my hubris leads inevitably to a moderately funny downfall. Couldn't hurt to bring in another guy and make them fight.

Thing is, I don't have a phone. Sure, I have a smartphone, everyone does, but it can't make phone calls. Or send data. Or light up more than about half the screen. So I had to help myself to one of the public-use phones at the police station, pretending that I was calling home to my wife to come bring my insurance card. I think the precinct desk clerk was starting to get suspicious around hour two, but she went on break shortly after that and was replaced by someone who I could repeat the same bullshit story to. Four hours in total of god-bothering, I figured, would at least score me a low-mileage Intrepid with subframe damage.

Friends, it did not work. Well, it kind of worked. I ended up with a recent Mercedes luxobarge that was running perfectly well, had low kilometres on the clock, and was immaculate inside and out. Exactly the opposite of what I was looking for. Repulsed, I immediately put it back up for auction and got several thousand worthless dollars of profit, instead of a cool shitbox. That's what you get for trying to mess with the fates.

[bikebound]

Today on BikeBound.com: HOT ROD THUMPER: Honda “SCR720R” by Finland’s @invert.moto: a 1998 SLR650 with VFR750 swingarm and fork lowers, built engine with ported head / @hotcams / 720cc big bore kit, trick custom triple clamps and subframe, and much more. “It feels a very mean version of the Honda RFVC engine with a really snappy throttle response 🙂” With thanks to @northkustom (laser/water-cut parts), @akvablast_suomi (vapor blasting / chemical treating), @suvi.ahonen / @paintings_suvi (paint), and @korpipiilo of @tkfotografi for the shots. Full story on ⚡️BikeBound.com⚡️ ——— #supermoto #streettracker #scrambler #slr650 #xr650 #nx650 #custombike #custommotorcycle #custombikes #custommotorcycles #supermot #hondaxr #rfvc #ridered #dualsport #motard #retromotard #motoporn #custommoto #bikebound via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/DDE-UqDO4II/

[trollprincess]

CAR UPDATE!

So, *finally* got a chance to take the goddamn car into the shop to be inspected. People donated something $850 to the GFM, and I genuinely appreciate it because there is no other way I would have been able to afford to take it in.

… anyway, turns out it can’t pass inspection.

Let’s start simple. It needed (that I knew of) a headlight bulb replaced, new brake pads and rotors, and an oil change. It turned out it also needs a new windshield wiper, a ball joint, and a couple of filters. That will come to $970.

So, Jennifer, why can’t it pass inspection?

Because the subframe is rotted. That’s why.

How much does a subframe cost? Oh, $2000.

There’s not much I could have done to stop the subframe being rotted. With where I live and park, that’s not a shocker. Still, I do not have $2000. There’s no amount of cutting back on streaming services or the little things that’ll make $2000 magically appear. SO. GFM, it is.

Gimme a little time and I’m going to see about editing the one I have set up to add this new info. And then I’m going to get SO fucking high.

[youreenoughnow]

Actually Ronan turned his hat around backward because he was making fun of Adam, bc Ronan has internalized that as some silly Adam “getting down to business” habit, when it is in fact what Adam does before getting under a car, because Otherwise You Knock The Brim Of Your Hat On The Subframe Or Exhaust Or Something And Lose The Hat Down There, Genius

[secretcatpolicy]

I'm delighted that I got this new Matchbox Morgan Plus Four.

I adore Morgans; always have. While they are less than practical in most cases, they tick every other box for me. Let's explore what Morgans are and why I love them.

Morgan is a British company - which is still fully true to my knowledge, because in this ridiculous world we currently occupy, there are degrees to this sort of statement. MG was a British company, got acquired by a Chinese consortium and, with its cars built in China, is in no sense beyond the historical a British company; Land Rover still build its cars in the UK but it's owned by Tata of India. Are Land Rover still British? I'd say yes, but it's arguable. But Morgan is owned partly by the family of founder Henry Morgan (along with a private equity group, because you can't fucking escape the bullshit of 2025) and operate from Malvern in Worcestershire (pronounced "WOOstersheer"), as it has since 1909. This is crucial in understanding what Morgan is about; the company is a small-volume producer, because they still build all their cars by hand.

No robots, no mass-production. Every single one is bespoke, uniquely built to the customer's specifications, and as someone with an incessant urge to customise everything this is an extremely appealing attribute. It's hard to overstate how much I like the idea of a coachbuilt car made by craftspeople with decades of experience, but with modern technology and reliability. They have three models presently, the Plus Four, the Supersport and the Super 3 (recently made by Hot Wheels). Past models included the 4/4 with 4 seats, the +8 with a V8 and the Aero, which was an enclosed and streamlined model, along with a whole tine of 3-wheelers.

They are largely aluminium in construction, with a wooden subframe, which makes them very light. Of course, the look is iconic and dates back to around 1936, revised a little in 1950 and not much since, although it's often tweaked and given modernised tech. Morgan don't make their own engines, and the current range use BMW inline engines for the 4-wheelers (a 2-litre B48B20O1 turbo i4 making 255 hp for the Plus Four, and a 335hp B58B30C i6 with a twin-scroll turbo for the Supersport) and a Ford 3-cylinder for the 3-wheeler Super 3. Past models have used Ford, Mazda and Rover engines

They're all RWD, with auto or manual options that hit 60 in about 5 seconds in the Plus Four, and a sub 4-second 60 via auto only in the Supersport. What results is a sports car in the classic sense that Mazda was aiming for with the MX-5, not brutally powerful or transcendently fast but small, low, responsive, agile and focused on being fun to drive. They have only the space behind the seats for cargo, plus an optional rack on the back, and while third-party rigid hardtops exist there's no factory option, so they'd be pretty hard to live with as primary everyday cars, but as a car for enjoying driving, and as drivable art, I think there's probably none better.

Notably with this, it's basically exactly the same size as the 1:55 Siku +8, which is odd, as the little figures are supposed to be 1:75 scale but seem pretty well fitted to the car. The Super 3 is a bit larger scale, while the Majorette (the more battered green one, which has HW real riders but is very much not a HW model) is a touch longer. The inability of diecast makers to stick to a single scale drives me up the wall.

[autotopic]

1989 Mercedes-Sauber C9

After a 30-year break from endurance racing following the tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster, Mercedes-Benz decided that enough time had passed to make a triumphant return. In 1989, drivers Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens secured an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their Sauber-Mercedes C9.

It was a memorable day for both Mercedes-Benz and Sauber, as the winning #63 car finished ahead of its sister car, driven by Mauro Baldi, Kenny Acheson, and Gianfranco Brancatelli. Two laps behind them, the third-place Joest Racing Porsche 962C, a car that had previously won Le Mans six times, completed the podium.

The Sauber C9, a Group C prototype, made its debut in the 1987 season. Developed by Peter Sauber, the car was built on an all-aluminum monocoque chassis with a rear steel subframe to house the Mercedes-Benz engine.

Due to the fuel restrictions of that era, the engine had to be highly efficient. Swiss engineer Heini Mader developed a production-based block that delivered a peak power of 720 bhp, though it was capped at around 650 bhp to save fuel.

During its initial 1987 season, the C9s were fielded by Kouros Racing with limited success. However, when Mercedes-Benz made it an official factory team in 1988, the car secured five victories, even under intense competition from the Silk Cut Jaguar team.

In 1989, the C9 was refined to its ultimate form, featuring a new DOHC-head M119 V8 engine. That year, the C9s dominated the racing circuit, winning every event but one. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car set a record of 247 mph (398 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight.

Following their remarkable run, including winning the 1989 World Sports Car Championship, the Sauber-Mercedes C9 was named Racing Car of the Year by Autosport. The team then moved on to the next chapter, introducing the C11 model for the 1990 season.