G32 Chassis

The basic Ginetta G32 chassis is agricultural. It’s a ladder frame with a box at each end. The central GRP body section is reinforced with steel tubing.

For motor sport a roll cage must be fitted. It can simply be bolted in and form no part of the structure or used to join the box at the back to the box at the front to form a NASCAR type spaceframe.

The first step to integrate the cage into the structure of the car is to make a one tenth scale balsa wood model of the chassis and cage. This technique is discussed in Allan Stanforth’s Race and Rally Car Source book. Having made the balsa model simply bend and twist it in your hands to show how the full size frame will perform.

The only modification required at the rear of the G32 is to add some extra bracing (A and B). Even with extra support from the cage (at C), the front section of the chassis will still twist. After trying various modifications to the balsa model I settled for a brace from the floor next to the gear lever (D) to the top left of the front bulkhead (E).

To fit the roll cage the complete dash assembly must be removed. Re-installing the dash was easier than I feared. With all the bits and pieces removed the large grey plastic moulding can be bent and popped back in behind the front roll cage uprights. Before installing a roll cage remove the existing steel tubing from the central body section to save weight (messy job).

The G32 weighs 880kg (760kg in race trim). This would probably be considered a bit heavy when compared with a Lotus Elise or a Ginetta G20, but it is rugged!!! You can be aggressive on a race track riding kerbs and risking a grassy excursions.

As a point of reference a Ginetta G20 weighs 680kg (race trim) and the Lotus Elise between 750kg and 870kg depending what specification you read. The original Fiesta XR2 weighs 840kg and the current Ford Fiesta 1120kg.