Projects Deuce firewall dilema

As the poll suggests, what would you do? I am starting a Deuce roadster project with my dad. The firewall that the car has is perfect...I mean absolutely perfect! No extra holes, no damage, feet are great, and its straight as an arrow. I am installing a 283 SBC in the car and building it loosely to a late 50's early 60's era. Now I know an SBC fits without trimming the firewall. Problem is the aftermarket frame I purchased already has the motor and tranny mounts all set up and I really don't want to cut them off and start again, plus I would like to run a belt driven fan. So is my dilemma.

 

Hack up what you have - thats traditional........

 

Kinda silly to butcher a perfect '32 firewall in this day and age when there several other options, imo.

 

Lots of butchered firewalls out there. You might could even swap yours and get some boot to help pay for your build.

 

Pics?

 

Can you adapt, extend, modify your engine and tranny mounts? Are they for a short waterpump SBC and TH 350?

I have an uncut, but not pristine firewall in my sedan. Feet need attaching, and some extra holes. Trade ya.

If you just HAVE to cut it, buy the B'ville, imo.

 

3 choices. Cut off your engine and tranny mounts and reposition engine. Hack up a perfectly good firewall. Or find a rebuilt flatly 59 ab but that too would force a relocation of brackets.

 

I am getting old and it has been a long time ago but I thought you needed to put a small dog house in the firewall for the distributer even when running the small early distributer. Anyone out there done this conversion without cutting the firewall?

Charlie Stephens

 

Don't hack up a good OG firewall, get a repop one or just relocate your mounts. if you want to cut it up Ill send you the top half of one I have and you send me you nice original one......

 

I would move the motor mounts.
Go to Pete & Jakes for instructions on installing a small block in a 32 with stock firewall,
short water pump, mechanical fan, and 3 1/2" thick rad.

 

Don't cut up the perfect original. The repros nowadays are really nice, use one of them. Save that firewall for a future flathead-powered car.

 

Either way you're cutting and welding. Save the firewall.

 

I forgot to take some pics of it but I will post them later tonight. I don't think I can bring myself to cut it up, but I would also like as much of the car to be original metal as possible. I don't really like the looks of a flat Brookville firewall...something about them. And right now, with the Canadian dollar getting worse and worse, buying a Brookville anything is getting tougher. I don't think I want to trade or sell the Gennie because I would like to keep it for a future project. I know if I sell/trade it, I'll regret it. Any Canadians on here close to the west coast have a nice/average/better than poor firewall for sale?

 

How much money do ya got? if you have no cash to play with cut the original it is just a firewall after all. if you have cash to play with then save the original for a future build like Alchemy suggested and get a different one to play with. or e better yet save a couple of bucks and buy a piece of metal and make your own.

 

If you are planning on using a hood Brookville has a new a new version of the old flat firewall,might work in a pinch. HRP

32 Ford Flat Firewall With Stock Bead, Feet, Band, and Rubber Seal

 

Yes that's the flat firewall I'm referring too. I personally don't like it. Just missing too much character. No holes or bosses for the dash tunnel etc. Maybe I'm alone in this thinking......

 

Can you wait til April?
Portland Swap Meet is coming up you know, you might find just what you need there.
Just from your tone of voice describing that gennie firewall, I bet you won't cut it up.
I sure would have a hard time doing it, and I'm from the ol cut it up school (usually).

 

You said traditional, right? That would mean cut it for late 50s, early 60s. Dad & my uncles couldn't jerk the flatheads out fast enough when the SBCS started getting a little cheaper- they wanted to go faster and win.
I agree, if you can buy a reproduction to cut, do it, Ford hasn't made them in a long time, but..
Do what YOU want to, make it yours and enjoy it! Screw the rest of our opinions.

 

Move the engine mounts and get a Zips water pump. You will like the footroom with the stock firewall.

 

The firewall that was in my Deuce pickup was a nice uncut original and like you I couldn't make myself cut up a nice piece so I found a hacked up firewall at the Charlotte swap meet.

A lot of work went into it but it turned out pretty nice. HRP

 

I was thinking about that since we were planning to attend the portland swapmeet, but with the dollar getting so poor, it will be too costly and we might have to skip it this year. I'm kinda hoping to find another one in Canada....last year at Portland I bought an NOS rear fender for my deuce sedan...that was a nice find. So I know the finds are at Portland.

 

That's pretty much exactly what I want! I think I'm even gonna go white or cream as well...

 

Modify the mounts and leave the firewall stock. If you flatten it you loose about 4 or 5 inches of leg room. Roadsters need all the leg room you can get. I build 2 roadsters with flat firewalls and always regretted it. A sedan and a 3 window with stock firewalls and they were very comfortable.

 

Deucedreamin: I agree with you, keep the stock firewall. Hemideuce/HRP/dconrad have been there and done that as well. And yes, it being original, keep it and get a repop to cut up. You won't regret that.

HI Dave.

 

I have not seen the Zips water pump. Do you have a link? Does it allow you to still run a belt driven fan or do you have to go electric fan?

 

Belt friven fan, the whole idea is to fin the fan up with the radiator. it is a water pump riser/relocater.

 

Buy an OG style firewall and cut it for the clearance. I had 2 OG firewalls and an aftermarket and that's what I cut for my coupe. The aftermarket one had all the right dimples etc and was hard to pick from the OG's. That Brookville flat one is ugly! Flat firewalls never look right.

 

Don't go flat, get one of these and modify it as you would the gennie. http://1932.uapac.com/product/cont?pid=177

 

Oh right!! I forgot about UPAC...they're even a little cheaper than Brookville. Anyone know if they fit as well?

How much foot room do I lose if I only modify the middle part of the firewall?

 

It's no big deal to move the mounts, SBC fit's fine with stock firewall, small distributor, short pump, manual fan and Walker cobra radiator. Done 100's of chassis with this combination over the last 35 years. If you feel you need to cut the firewall there's a new stock style firewall on So-Cals site that looks really good. I've used several of the repro stock style firewalls in my Brookville bodied pkg cars and they fit good