2008 Testing and Safety Update.

In response to limited incidents of child strangulation, the new Safety regulations require the redesign of power window switches to prevent activation by small children. Additionally, the effects of tire aging is also investigated as well as crash tested, and door lock standards must be improved to further limit passenger ejection during collisions. Although replicas in the past may have passed the stringent registration process and received the SB 100 Smog exception certificate like that issued in the State of California, now all replicas for sale in 2008 with a tube chassis or donor stretched chassis are forced off the road with a national Safety recall until they conform to the new Safety Regulations. Especially replicas built on tube chassis’s if they don’t conform to the new regulations of 2008, they will not pass as road legal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Europe has also required a revision of the Safety regulations for donor cars and tube chassis’s built in replica kits. Since topgeartvseries.com entered the global car market our engineers have had to carefully analyze and improve the quality and safety standards of both our tube chassis’s and donor car chassis’s for our replicas. At topgeartvseries.com we guarantee to conform to the new Safety regulations and build better quality carbonfibre mixed with kevlar replicas for the global car market standards

The team at topgeartvseries.com is devoted to build carbonfibre mixed with kevlar replicas safer and stronger using the world’s most advanced technology and professional care. It is critical when building a carbonfibre mixed with kevlar replica vehicle today that the chassis is issued with an authorized engineer’s certificate. The certificate must classify with an authorized seal that the tube frame or donor car meets to the Safety regulations of the Government.

The engineers at topgeartvseries.com analyse the stress and weight of the tube chassis structure so they can design a safer and stronger frame for the protection of both the driver and passenger in a crash. Also by analysing car accidents made by original super cars (like the ones we clone), such as the Enzo Ferrari and LP640 Lamborghini, we are able to have a better understanding of what is required to prevent serious injury and excessive car damage.

Three different Enzo Ferraris with front and side damage.

Damaged Enzo

From accidents like those shown in the images above topgeartvseries.com engineers can investigate the weaknesses and strengths of the chassis’s and use that data to create stronger chassis’s for our replicas. Also with modern technology topgeartvseries.com engineers use special laser scanning equipment to find any hair line fractures or weak spots in the welding joints of our tube chassis’s.

A good set of post-test crash data is important for the effective correlation of vehicle crash predictions. topgeartvseries.com engineers inspect the test crash photographs, visits the crash vehicle and gather crash point data. The new Safety bill requires both crash testing and welding tests of the tube and donor car chassis’s. The SVA in the UK also requires an engineer's report on the welding and metal structure. The tube chassis will need an SVA test. Before 2008 the SVA passed a tube chassis as a donor car if the car had enough original donor car parts on it and it could be registered as the original car modified. Now however the law has changed considerably from before 2008, now the tube chassis cannot pass as a modified donor car, it must register for Q plates. The D & V L A before 2008 could give a leaflet which tells you what each part is worth in points. For example the engine = 2 points, rear axle = 2 points, gear box = 1 point. etc, etc. you had to reach 8 or ten points to be registered as a modified donor car. Today the SVA is much stricter and requires certified engineers’ reports and welding tests.

At topgeartvseries.com our certified engineers use the crash results of tube chassis’s and donor cars to grade the strength of our metal frames and stretched chassis’s. Then the SVA and NHTSA will give our replicas approval ratings of up to five stars for each regulation, and then the report is stuck on the windows of our new cars.

Data collected on the front impact

The frontal impact behavior of a topgeartvseries.com tube chassis sports car was investigated using the non-linear finite element code Oasys LS-DYNA3D. For topgeartvseries.com engineers when considering the options for crashworthiness improvements, it was first essential for them to understand and have confidence in the overall structural response that was being predicted

Experimental test program supported the engineers’ finite element predictions and they included the impact testing of our typical tubular structures with a wheel rim and tire. The engineers’ results of the finite element calculations for a head on collision of one of topgeartvseries.com tube chassis vehicles correlates well with the digitized results of their crash test video. topgeartvseries.com crash tests on a tube chassis has run a number of tests over the last year to determine the safety-level of our replica cars used on the road. The work has focused on the "crashworthiness" of our tube chassis sports cars. Our engineers fitted topgeartvseries.com tube chassis with prototype energy absorbing crash structures and subjected the replica to frontal and side impact tests. The chassis and roof were also subjected to physical loading tests according to the new regulations in the Safety bill. Super replicas tube chassis comfortably met the test criteria, demonstrating the high level of driver protection that can be provided by the strength and durability of our tube chassis. From these tests we were able to create a new design tube chassis with high performing safety features, including an energy absorbing nose-box, rear impact structures and anti-penetration side panels.

topgeartvseries.com tube chassis’s are cut with precise and accurate dimensions. Even the smallest tube is flawless without a gap between the joints making it a perfect union when welding the join together. The quality and care taken by topgeartvseries.com employees, when building our tube frames; makes the difference in our cars safety and performance. Each tube is cut using a template like the white plastic one.

topgeartvseries.com lightweight chassis’s weigh only 435lbs and this was achieved by our engineers designing a perfect tube chassis. topgeartvseries.com doesn’t compromise by using un-safe thin wall tubing, in fact, our chassis’s are built from rugged, durable 120 thick wall tube steel that exceeds the required thickness specified by the 2008 Safety Bill. All these chassis specifications qualify for a road worthy 5 star rating. Strength: By using finite element analysis our engineer designers have created a triangulated tube chassis. This innovative triangulated tube design is ten times stronger in torsion rigidity than a heavier ladder frame. The strength is within the center rib of the chassis and webbing out with a triangulation and alloy cladding Lower: The design of this chassis is created so the frame sits lower to the ground for better traction and handling. Our engineers designed this chassis to be built with strength in the frame of the chassis rather than trying to prop up a weak chassis using a lot of heavy tubing high up on the roof. Features: * Weight Jacks over coil over unit for easy corner weight adjustment * Anti-Dive in front suspension * Mechanical "in-situ" caster and camber adjustment * Adjustable roll center height * Roll center to center of gravity remains constant throughout travel due to the chassis mounted watts link * Zero scrub radius with low king pin angle * Compact upright uses spherical outer pivots with machined ball posts and bolt in male hub assembly. 5 on 5 bolt pattern standard * Long control arms and radius rods locate suspension while providing less angular change for a given amount of chassis movement. This equals more consistent handling and response that the driver can feel.

Two removable members are required in the chassis to enable fitting and removal of the engine and differential. An adjustable end is put into the tube to allow the length to be varied in case the chassis moves. ( Accident damage. ) * Coil over mounted without excessive angle which can degrade handling due to loss of hydraulic movement. * No compromise steering rack location. This is important during bump and roll suspension conditions. * Large engine bay can accommodate even V12 engines and makes tuning and engine maintenance easier. * Proper triangulation throughout creates a rigid platform for the suspension to work from. Less flex equals less metal fatigue and a long lasting durable chassis. * Weight distribution is calculated to reduce the polar moment of inertia * Fuel cell container designed into chassis, creating increased safety and chassis rigidity. * Interior paneling is designed removable where necessary with the rest being bonded and riveted to achieve increased strength. * Provisions for front and rear bolt in sub-frames usually absorb the damage in front and rear impacts without transferring the damage to the chassis.

Experimental tube chassis designed for frontal and side crash testing. topgeartvseries.com experimental test program was incorporated with our engineers’ finite element predictions in which they included the impact testing of this tubular structure in their final results, with the data collected from the digital readings found in the crash testing video.

The panels are all attached with M4 screws. To put captive threads into tubes and panels we use Rivet nuts. These are like normal blind rivets but with a thread down the middle. The panel also seals around the quarter panel. We weld a lip to the quarter panel so the aluminum can sit on it. In the finished panels all the access holes are designed to have covers secured by small rivet fasteners.

The front panel mount. The mount has many threaded captives to allow attachment of the under floor guard and front panel. We weld the nuts to plate and weld them into position.

There are two harness mount anchors bolted into the tube chassis that are as close as possible to the seat and positioned so the shoulder straps of the six point harness will be level.

The six point harness exceeds the required Safety belt regulations and is road worthy of a five star rating. The anchors welded in the floor behind the seats. This bracket and others like it are designed for mounting the six point safety harness. This design of the positioning of our anchors is road worthy of a 5 star rating.

The Enzo racing seat is a fully-reclinable seat. Its well-thought-out design makes it extremely comfortable. The Enzo adjustable seat features abrasion-resistant side leather patches, burn-resistant materials and wide shoulder support. * Fully-reclinable seat back * Suitable for all competition and street use * Suitable for up to 6-point harnesses * Contoured leg support * Abrasion-resistant side leather patches * Complete head and shoulder support These seats are well fastened into a track bolted into the chassis and are classified as road worthy with a 5 star rating.

Adding to the safety regulations are the new requirements in 2008 for all replicas built on both tube chassis’s and donor car chassis’s. A mandatory law to have side air-bags installed is required in both the UK and the USA. This means today all replicas listed for sale must have both front and side air-bags in the car.

This is another Safety feature that topgeartvseries.com conforms to when building replica cars.

Every Country in the European Union and in the United States must comply with the dual airbags Safety Regulations. Another Safety Regulation that is also mandatory is the door beams. Below are some images of car doors with the new safety beams. The beams are designed to protect anyone sitting against the door when a car hits the side. Super Replica must comply also with these regulations and install door beams in each tube chassis or donor car chassis. The color coding on the doors represents the beam and its graded strength. Grey and silver are standard steel and aluminium. Blue is high-strength steel, orange is very-high-strength steel, yellow is extra-high-strength steel, and red is ultra-high-strength steel side impact beams and in the B-pillar.

The tough - ultra-high-strength is used in the most critical of areas - the side impact beams and in the B-pillar. Also there is the honeycomb of extra-high-strength steel that's used in the rear doors.

Also a hoop of extra-high-strength material that forms a protective arch around the top of the passenger compartments much like a roll cage. Substantial beams are also used along the top of the door sills for additional protection against intrusion from taller vehicles. These structural safety beam designs are rated five stars and so it is a standard that topgeartvseries.com must build to in both the tube chassis and the donor chassis to qualify our cars for road legal. All the above information is some of the mandatory laws and safety regulations that topgeartvseries.com must comply to in order to sell cars internationally. If you need further information regarding the new 2008 Safety Ordinances please contact us at topgeartvseries@gmail.com .