GT86

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MR2 Fan

I still don't know why they didn't make this a hatchback, it would have made the car SO much more usable

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AIUI it's basically a trade-off between body rigidity and capacity. The more you rigidly brace across between the two suspension turrets, the stiffer the bodyshell is (for a given weight), but the smaller items you can carry.

For example the FD3S and Z33 are both 'hatchbacks', but both have fixed braces joining the tops of the rear suspension turrets. Neither is very useable in terms of boot space. Yesterday I just managed to squeeze my wife's smaller bicycle with front wheel removed into the 350Z, so I could drop it at the dealer for a service, but it wasn't easy to get it in, and the bike was also a bit small for me to ride to work ;-) The 180SX had no such brace and was pretty good for carrying bicycles, but was less rigid.

In some ways if you're going to brace it anyway you may as well just have a separate boot with a ski hatch, I guess, as on the GT86.

For the record, you could fit an adult mountain bike in the boot of an S14. Removed both wheels, fold the back seat down, and poke the forks through the small hole designed for... no idea, skis maybe? The boot closed, only just.

I've done the same with a 58cm roadbike in the BRZ, only removing one wheel.

Attachment 3413

Took the 86 out of the garage. Might have been first start in 8 weeks or so?

Did a lot of a drive.

Washed all the things.

Put it back in the garage under a cover.

https://youtu.be/VOld0knpmxo

Posting this up because it's something some friends of mine and fellow members of our Philadelphia 86 club did. Drove from Pennsylvania to California, did a track day at Laguna Seca, then back to Pennsylvania over two weeks in their 86s.

COOL.

Nice video, who ever planned the trip did great job. Keeping that many cars/people headed in the same direction for 17 days is a lotta work.

Amusingly enough, I believe I have yet to break 19,000km on my car.

The whole trip was my friend Kirsten's idea, she planned the whole thing out. It was something she always wanted to do and just invited whomever to come along. Had about a 20 page itenerary with every stop pretty well planned. Some people only did parts of the trip for various reasons, so the people changed over the 17 days.

I've not been an 86 owner for a couple of months now.

It was a good 5.5 years though :)