Hot Rods The Belly Button Bucket Build Thread

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Where I worked, we used catalyzed molding. Instead of a pressure pot, we used a vacuum pot.
An old version like this.
https://www.amazon.com/BACOENG-Gallon-Vacuum-Chamber-Stage/dp/B07X5TVPTB/ref=asc_df_B07X5TVPTB
You can find hobby versions cheaper.
https://www.vevor.com/vacuum-pump-c...egassing-and-vacuum-extraction-p_010700464784
I'd guess that it would be easier to deal with the mess, since the material sits in a bowl, not touching the interior.

 

Tim, I wanted to know what plans are for the windshield support area. It seems this has been an area you have not done yet. Just a reminder how far you've come (and how much I need to do!).

 

Windshield support area:
The upper cowl brace and forward door jamb brace will double as windshield post mounts - just haven't got that far yet.

As for horizontal bracing, there definitely needs to be a support going across the cowl behind the dash/under the windshield. How will this be managed? Not sure yet. I need to figure out defrost vent routing before I close up the space with a horizontal brace. They will need to work in unison. There will likely be another cowl brace or two, tying the firewall brace to this horizontal brace. I don't want to figure this out until the dash mounting has been sorted, and I want to do these pieces with the body flipped over on some sort of sawhorses so I can work in a standing position. 95% of the annoyance in cutting out the doors and doing all this bracing has been the lack of ergonomics performing the labor. My lower back is pretty unhappy after a couple days of this type of work.

I believe I'll be working on closing up the driveshaft tunnel(s) next, then seat frame, then door jambs, then toe boards, then firewall, THEN dash. Lots of steps to go still. Unfortunately.

 

Thanks for that! I have to replace the dash, so that gives me ideas on how to incorporate this and order of operations, too.

 

Update time.

I have some fiberglass and wiring going on in the background not worthy of a post yet, but hopefully sometime next week I’ll have something to show off.

One of the things I didn’t like and wanted to change was the frame mounted fuel pump. The 880 Vortec blocks are not drilled for a mechanical fuel pump, so I’m stuck with some sort of electric pump. At one time I had purchased a Holley Sniper in-tank pump intended for carbureted applications, but it was physically too big to make it work, and as per usual I missed the return window, so I kinda lost some steam in this part of the project. Btw if anyone needs that pump setup, I’ll make you a deal lol.

Anyway, at the Portland swap meet this year, I picked up a Tanks fuel tank for the ‘32, and it has provisions for an in-tank pump. I was looking at it and noticing it is physically much smaller than the Holley one, so I thought hmmmm… if I gotta buy it for the ‘32 anyway, might as well see if I can make it work for the T. So I bought the GPA-4, which comes with a 255lph Walbro (I believe) pump. I’ll swap out my regulator for a return style (which I already bought quite awhile ago), and should be good to go. I like this better since it will be easier to swap out, should last longer, should help keep the fuel cool, and should be quieter.

I didn’t take the best pictures, but at one point, there was a weld bung in my tank to the right of the fuel sender (that’s why the wood is notched in the 3rd photo)- after some measurements, I determined I could squeeze the pump in there, so I cut a hole and made it happen. Second picture is before I cut the tubes down. The instructions made it pretty easy to knock out. I’m stoked.

 

I run that in-tank Walbro pump in three of my current cars, excellent choice IMO. Correct, it does require a return line the same diameter as the delivery line and a return style regulator.

 

I am SO glad you are documenting all of this. I'll be following all of this on mine and can count on a solid, well thought out and constructed path. Even if I deviate on things, it will be a guide on what to watch out for and how stuff fits together. Thank you, @Tim_with_a_T !

 

The T-bucket was often called a "kit car" by many people............not this one.

 

I wonder if it can be fitted into an ATL fuel cell. I'd much prefer an in-tank pump so I can ditch the engine mounted pump. If I run an engine with that old set of Hilborns, it will use a front mounted tank like Kinsler recommends, with the Holley float bowls. I'm cooking something up for the Whatever project. And I still am not looking forward to the fiberglass stuff...

 

I believe it will work - it comes with a split ring like shown below - you just slide that into your tank and bolt the assembly to it. I imagine if you used a return style regulator, set to 6psi, you could fill the front mount tank through the Holley bowls, and the extra just gets bypassed to the rear tank.

 

Yes, that's the way Kinsler recommends plumbing the small tank up front. As far as the injection system plumbing, they have you draw off the bottom, and plumb the pill and other return lines into the top of it. My setup only needs 2 return lines, one from the pill, one from the high speed blow off port. So a primary fuel supply with a return to the fuel cell from the pressure regulator simplifies the plumbing back to the cell by 1 line.

That ring will be easy to get inside the fuel cell. There's an oval shaped hole for the fuel fill and the ATL installed fuel pickup lines. I can get my hands into it thru that.

 

Mine has a EFI pump in the tank, plumbed up to a bypass regulator near the injector pump. Then into a small tank at the front to feed the injector pump. It has two Holley float bowls and three return lines for the injection. 1/2 line from tank to regulator, 3/8 return line back to tank.

 

@Flatrod17 , Pictures?

 

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say... engineers, we doesn't get learned how to write!

 

Not to plug up Tim's thread, but here's a few. I could not find a tank pic. Chassis pic, you can see the regulator and lines and barely the front tank.

another pic


with nose on

 

Send me that engine, I'll break it in for you... should only need it for 3, maybe 4 years!

 

@Dave G in Gansevoort ya need to get yours closer to ready to frolic. Once it's running, you won't need to borrow.
@Flatrod17 very nice. I like the OT one too.

 

Ok “flatrod17” : need a build site on that little thing. There is now a place for OT rods

 

X2

 

Dave, I have 2 years on it now! It's about wore out! Building another engine for it now.

 

I don't have a build thread on it, never thought to make one. Even if I had it does not compare to Tim's build, not even close.

 

More about the engine please. Looks very at home in that chassis and body!

 

Its just a 3.7 Mercruiser marine engine. The Boss 429 head bolts on, but from there its pretty much all custom. It 242 ci now. There is more on it on The elusive 224/3.7 MerCruiser banger thread starting about page 80.

 

I disagree, from what I’m seeing you have something pretty badass and lots to be proud of there.

 

Been a couple weeks. Got lots going on in the background, but nothing completed enough for a post. Gonna be busy the next week or so doing non-car stuff, so figured I’d at least let you all know I’m still chipping away.

Somewhat related to the car, as it has helped me fab quite a bit, the $50 drill press I picked up in 2015 got pulled apart and rebuilt this weekend. I got tired of drilling holes with a battery powered hand drill lol. I still need to wire the new motor and add a switch (possibly a built-in light), but it was a productive weekend. A few pictures from the past, and of the rebuild:

 

Oh man! That's beautiful!


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Ok enough distraction get back to work on the T!

 

Very nice, Tim. Get a good vice for the table. Makes all the setup much easier and repeatable.

 

Didn’t include it in the post, but I bought a Wilton that has x and y adjustments - you can see it tucked under the table below:

 

Wilton, wise choice, I have a small Chinese version, what a POS!