Projects Quain Stott Willys build

The front ladder bar mounts made from 3/16 4130 plate same as rear bar mounts. Some one asked in an early post about how to know where this needs to go I will try to find time to do a post on that it gets complicated. You have to know the c/g and height of c/g of the car. Well to be honest there was no way I could know the c/g of this car because it's not finished so I could weight it so I just used an educated guess that's why there are 3 holes in case I missed.

 

Call me!

 

You have my attention.......

 

I have also started a build thread on Gene (moonlighter) Cromer's A/Gas Willys here's the link.http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=730747

 

There is not much to mounting the front axle I didn't make any pix's. I bought it from speedway. I did redo the front brackets they were strong enough for a big tractor or something. I just took all the leafs out but the main one so it would set down with out any weight on it centered every thing up rolled about 8 degrees + castor in it and welded it up.

 

The steering box is from speed way also it's a corvair box. I did the angle on the steering column as close to a stock willys as I could so it would feel like an old gasser when your driving it. Also note in this pix you can see where the stock fire wall was by the peace that is still sticking out.

 

Another angle of the steering column I clamped a peace of angle to hold it in place until I got it where it needed to be when finished it was a little higher than it is in this pix. Another reason for so much angle on the box and the u joint was to have room for my foot on the brake petal.

 

Next was the rear drive shaft loop I used 1x2 x1/8 wall it tubing had to be strong because it goes in the main cross member it is part of the chassis.

 

The loop installed

 

This is after I finished cutting out the original fire wall I had to build a lip to bolt the fire wall to I don't think I have a good pix of the finished lip.

 

I made the fire wall out of .040 alumn put it in place and then used it for a mold for my fiberglass lip sorry I can't find the pix of the lip after it was made but I'll keep looking.

 

Your cage work is really nice, so form-fit .... only doing it time and time again lets you get that good.

By the way, what's the square footage of your shop?

 

I left just enough room for a head liner in case I ever want to put it on the street. I tried to hide the front bars as much as i could because they didn't have full roll cages in 1967. The cage is good (NHRA) for 8.50 et. My shop is 50x75.

 

I love this! The front of the crank nearly behind the axle. So many guys today build Willys "gassers" and don't want to cut their cowl up, so they end up with the engine way too far forward. Typical street rod stuff. You nailed it. What was the decision process on where to set the engine?

 

I did 5% set back the rule back then was about 10% I think. The tracks and tires we have now are so much better than they had back then I was thinking 5% would be enough and it was this old car works perfect.

 

Lookin good! I like the tyerod, is that from speedway?

 

LOL I've saw some cars out there running in my day with stuff about that bad on them. I bolted that down tight so the wheels would stay straight and not be flopping around while I was mounting the axle.

 

Thought I would post a few pix's while I'm on my lunch brake today. This is the ruffed in fire wall from the other side you can see the glass work that has to be done later. Never mind the valve covers they were just on there to keep dust out.

 

Now for the trans and bell housing cover. I don't normally use scratched up alum. but remember this is a budget project.[/IMG]

 

The two welded together .032 alumn. is a little hard to weld plus I don't do it much any more. Note the sheet metal fillers at the bottom of where the fire wall will bolt, they will keep the alumn. from cracking in the corners down the road.

 

The trans cover tacked on [/IMG]

 

The side panels installed and the whole mess welded up. the fire wall is also in place but not finished you can see a bit of the new lip that I had to glass for the fire wall to bolt to in the upper corner.

 

Now for the floor pans you can see the off set in the fire wall and floor pans where the trans cover is going to set this will make every thing flush instead of just setting on top. Also you can see that the dash is in place just to see how it's going to look.

 

Another angle

 

The whole mess stuck together you can see how every thing is flat with no lip where the panels meet. The trans cover will be removable because I'm getting to old to crawl around under this thing. This will be all for today my lunch break is over I've got to get back to work.

 

Nice write up Quain.

 

Thanks Langly I wish I would had seen your build thread before I built my car you have some good idea's I could have used.

 

Thanks Quain, Mines a budget build also although my budget went ages ago

Cheers Steve

 

Awesome fab work! How did you get the notches in the floor pans so tight around the front cage down tubes? It almost looks like you used a hole saw and ran the tubes through the holes. I know the floor pans went in afterwards, but that is a nice tight fit. Details like that make a huge difference in the overall fit and finish of a car.

 

I spend more time on the pattern than I do the real part most of the time on something like these floor pan's.The front cage holes were not as bad as the notches for the down bars that go under the seat. The floor pan's are one peace from the fire wall to the main hoop cross member. You can see a little bit of the notch I'm talking about to the left of the pix. The front bar notch is cut out behind the bar you just can't see it because The sheet metal filler is real close to the bar. As for the cut I use snips I just cut close to the line then file it the rest of the way I hate snip's marks around a bar or anywhere else.