In a message dated 5/26/00 9:13:20 AM, CTONLINE@WEBTV.NET writes:

<< Rico,
Negative vibes, man, always negative vibes.
Depends what it's made out of.
A steel box would take away absolutely zero structural integrity, if it
is welded in.
However, I think a wood one may offer some problems, with a gaping hole
in the floor, with nothing to supplement the missing sheet metal.

Chow Chow for now
 >>

Terri,
Wow!  Negative vibes; I haven't heard that uttered for over 30 years.  Man,
if I dwell on that too long I'm going to have flashbacks of my misspent youth.

No, Terri, not negative vibes, I'm just tired of seeing half-baked, crudely
executed schemes foisted up as the latest and the greatest.  It matters not
of what this thing is made as long as it is designed, fabricated and
installed with the deliberate intent to not cause any degradation of the
original structure.  From what I saw in the photo, it appears that some
tin-knocker formed up an open box, a hole was hacked in the floor and then
the box was attached with sheet metal screws.  It is a blatant example of a
little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing.

Don't be so negative regarding wood as a structural material.  There used to
be what the English considered a high performance sports coupe called a
Marcos.  It had a monocoque chassis made of Sitka spruce plywood.  Knowing
the English, they probably still make the bloody thing.  Although it is made
of wood, you can bet it is built by men who have suffered the rigors of
perfecting their craft rather than a bozo whose training amounts to not
missing an episode of the New Yankee Workshop for the last year.

By the way, it is spelled: c-i-a-o.

Ciao, baby,
Rich