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Featured Art & Inspiration Firewall Management

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by J.Ukrop, Jul 11, 2025.

  1. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,590

    theHIGHLANDER
    Member

    Here's mine:

    [​IMG]
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    I'm a restorer by trade. It has indeed shaped my outlook and I strive for a nearly OEM look to most endeavors inside and out, and that's regardless of a restored proper part or something new and added to. Of note, yes I foraged and found nice era proper clamps. Go ahead and rag me for the long screws on the brass heater clamps, but not for long. Already cut down to accurate size. Note the brackets holding the Oberg filter. I smashed the edges of the hole in front for strength and that OEM-ish look I strive to hit. Yeah, stainless fasteners, but they're brushed or wire wheeled to remove the freshness and try for as close to a common plated look as possible. The lacquered looms and retainers were used to cover the new Rebel Wiring harness used. Yes, the slots on the screws follow the stamped ridges vs vertical or horizontal. The studs on the heater will be relieved of length too. Not all the way back, but enough for tidy, and more importantly enough that I don't rake my flesh across them in the future if I'm servicing something in the region. Yes, I am indeed that asshole type that thinks of that shit. The jerkoff switch (battery main shut off) showing on the firewall will get a PVC cover to assimilate into the rest. I like nice. I like OEM. I like clean especially starting fresh. That way if oil, coolant, etc shows up you have a path to WTF-ville. And yet none of it will be uber-holy-butt munch show level. The OG paint will be freshened up and some touch-up done, and of course I must add my Alliance tag(s). Shit, I gotta renew that too. Later on I might slap up a few restored OEM 30s cars that might drive or inspire our HAMB bruthas and sistas. Kool topic Joey:cool:
     
  2. NealinCA
    Joined: Dec 12, 2001
    Posts: 3,434

    NealinCA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Here is the engine compartment/firewall in my old 32 closed cab, as built in the 50's. I just rewired it, but left the battery box, horn, solenoid, V/R, etc as they were.

    7.jpg 6.jpg 32 CCPU dismantled - Firewall.jpg Green Engine.jpg

    I always like the firewall in the Neal East 5w. It looked like they just masked it off and sprayed the whole firewall, horns, master cylinders in place.
    NealEasts5wcoupe.jpg

    That was my inspiration for the light purple firewall and horns in my 5w, but I just couldn't bring myself to do the sprayed in place look with the horns...so did the modern over detailed deal.
    32 5W Engine GNRS 2025.jpg

    There was a flathead powered, full fendered 32 roadster that was featured in a ?Hot Rod? magazine road test in the early 50's. I tried to find the feature, but am still looking. The engine compartment was a wiring and plumbing nightmare. It always surprised me...but is the point of this whole post.
     
  3. flatout51
    Joined: Jul 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,291

    flatout51
    Member

    I got the idea from Mike's truck! Haha! He is a ruler!!
     
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  4. flatout51
    Joined: Jul 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,291

    flatout51
    Member

    Here is mine. Screenshot_20250715_015027_Instagram.jpg Screenshot_20250715_015120_Instagram.jpg
     
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  5. BigJoeArt
    Joined: Dec 12, 2011
    Posts: 895

    BigJoeArt
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    seeing as how me and joey have discussed this before, I can relate to what he is looking for.

    I think alot of people have misunderstood it as sloppy workmanship, when its more "busy" and "purposeful" that we are talking about here.

    I look in the little books, and nearly all the cars have regulators, fuel blocks, master cylinders, and the associated wiring ON the firewall and not tucked away like a modern "traditional" car

    I think that difference is what joey is looking for. @NealinCA and @cactus1 hit it spot on with a purposeful, easy to work on, vintage firewalls from back in the day.

    This is the look I went for with my car, its not as nice as some, but very easy to work on.

    [​IMG]

    Drivers side has the throttle linkage, oil pressure line and water temp wire, master cylinder, and under that, a small VW horn.

    [​IMG]

    Passenger side has the coil wire pass through (its under my dash to stay dry), heater hoses, fuel block/ fuel pressure gauge, fuel pressure regulator, and a pass through for the body harness.

    There's alot of stuff, mostly out of necessity, cause a T roadster doesn't have much room.

    but when I look at old photos, most of the old hot rods look the same. busy, but tidy.

    The only other thing that shows here is personality, I think the wiring and plumbing of a car shows the personality of the owner quite well.

    If you are a very organized and clean person, you will probably not have wires strung everywhere.

    If you've seen my shop, you understand why my firewall looks like it does.


    .
     
  6. NealinCA
    Joined: Dec 12, 2001
    Posts: 3,434

    NealinCA
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    How's this for busy and purposeful...

    [​IMG] EdCousins1932Ford.jpg
     
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  7. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 10,966

    jnaki

    “To build a truly traditional hot rod, I should be more abstract in my wiring. At this stage of the build, I don’t know if I have that in me. I still have a lot of research to do.”

    “So, to get things rolling, I’ll ask you this: how did you set up your firewall back in the 1950s/’60s? How about today? And if you have any pictures, please post them up!”

    upload_2025-7-17_3-49-27.png

    Hello,


    Wow, I constantly think of the 1940 Willys Coupe that my brother had planned out and that we learned together as we went along. But, he had his own particular way to do things. The design and rules allowed street legal builds to move the motor back 10 percent. We cut out the original firewall, since we were going after the allowable setback for class racing.

    After the new steel wall was put up, it made the interior a little smaller. But, the motor compartment with the fenders off was large enough to easily put in an SBC motor. The generator was as low as could be and out of the way of the blower drive. The voltage regulator was placed on the left side low between the Joe Hunt Magneto and the short hood latch area.

    All necessary wire went through the rubber grommet on the voltage regulator side. Now, one can admire the clean flat surface of a new metal one piece that was sprayed a red primer paint to match the whole car.
    upload_2025-7-17_3-55-9.png Everything fit as if the motor was a stock set up and all coupes of this style had SBC motors.

    Jnaki

    It was a clean appearing firewall. But, the one mistake was where we put the gas line from the firewall outlet. All of the hoses ran back to the gas line block. Then, the line ran inside of the firewall. The location was directly under the dash and over the hump. The line then ran across the firewall to another “L” fitting and then a line to the Moon Gas Tank.
    upload_2025-7-17_3-56-59.png Similar photo from a Corvette cockpit installation.
    The mistake should have had the gas line in the engine compartment running across and down to a lower fitting past the motor and off to the left side. Then, going through the firewall inside across the floor to the Moon Tank fitting. Not running on the inside and going across the wall to the Moon Tank.
    upload_2025-7-17_3-58-51.png For us, at the time, it was a nice neat installation as if it was stock and the way all Moon tanks installations were put into the car interiors.

    Note:
    If we had put the gas line on the firewall motor compartment side, then when the clutch exploded, after many months later, there would have been no gas line to cut and resulting fire. My brother could have stopped our 671 powered SBC Willy Coupe on the dragstrip with a giant hole in the floor, but not resulting fire from the cut gas line.

    Perhaps a stray piece of the clutch, bellhousing or scattershield could have flown into the Moon Gas Tank.
    At least, the gas line would not have been cut, spraying gas all over the interior like it did. But, mistakes were made… there was a huge hole where the hump was and the clutch was no where to be found, also, the approved scattershield was also nowhere to be found.


    That damage we could have easily fixed. Including a new 360 degree one piece bell housing scattershield just on the market after our accident. And a new floorboard. YRMV

    (Just after our clutch explosion and resulting fire, the 1320 rules were changed to require all Moon Tanks to be removed from the interior and placed in back trunk area or in front of the motor. The tank was not to be placed outside of the grille, as it was a street legal car and no one wanted a gas tank to be the first thing damaged in an accident collision)


     
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  8. Rocket88NZ
    Joined: May 7, 2007
    Posts: 434

    Rocket88NZ
    Member

    My 30 roadster, no wiring yet and early 60's show car from NZ. roadster (4)_lowres.JPG crown (3)_lowres.JPG
     
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  9. warbird1
    Joined: Jan 3, 2015
    Posts: 1,282

    warbird1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Firewall on my '31 roadster. I know the cable throttle isn't traditional, but it worked well so I left it...
    KIMG0394.JPG KIMG0395.JPG
     
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  10. scoob_daddy
    Joined: Jan 1, 2022
    Posts: 235

    scoob_daddy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Georgia

    I love the idea of having engine temp and earl pressure on the firewall...

    What a fine line to walk... Things I've considered for my firewall: Chevy brake/clutch MC, Voltage regulator, coil, plain fuel block, fuel block manifold with one cushman sediment filter per carb, gauges, horns, wolf whistle, Bermuda bell- could you imagine all or most at one time? ha!

    Great thread btw!
     
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  11. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,249

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    I liked the OEM pressings however not all the OEM holes, I welded up every unnecessary holes for a smooth finish. Clean and uncluttered with bare essentials; ID tags, fuel pressure regulator.
    Firewall2.jpg

    269969046_1312245385865566_6855743523113484202_n.jpg
     
  12. 19Eddy30
    Joined: Mar 27, 2011
    Posts: 3,369

    19Eddy30
    Member
    from VA

    Do not know in other states / places
    Is early 80 I was told by quite a few just to use a wheelbarrow ,
    That's what was done switching from
    The F-H to modern other New more power full V-8s of time ,
    I am thinking start early 50s
     
  13. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 5,132

    ekimneirbo
    Member
    from Brooks Ky


    What type of Master cylinder is that. Firewall looks great and it stands out because its a different color. I've seen others use different colors before, but I think your choice really looks great.
     
  14. catdad49
    Joined: Sep 25, 2005
    Posts: 6,876

    catdad49
    Member

    That master is a 1962 Chevy truck, brake on one side, clutch on the other, and is paired with a slave cylinder. In order to use this set-up, the internals must be switched from side to side. Thanks for the compliment, it definitely makes a difference!
     
  15. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 15,050

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yes, you can go from steel 90 to flex line, is that what you mean? I did this off my fuel tank in the roadster, they are -6AN 90's.
     
  16. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 15,050

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    On my roadster I kept the firewall hole free other than the throttle and chole cable. Barely visible in the lower right hand corner you can make out a ring that I fabbed and welded to the firewall (it is tapped and threaded to receive the steering column base plate without seeing hardware. You can also see another plate that is welded alongside, that the gas pedal bolts to. Again, no hardware in the engine bay and one man R&R. .
    firewall3.jpg
    I didn't even want heater hoses in there. I run an electric heater that works better than I thought it would.
    Firewall4.jpg
     
  17. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 4,482

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

  18. 1940Willys
    Joined: Feb 3, 2011
    Posts: 903

    1940Willys
    Member

    Good to see an Old Fillister Head Slotted Screw! Socket Hex Head, Not So Much!
     
  19. I do everything as neatly as I can. It's how I, and my car are wired.
    Photo credit: Travis Scanlin

    firswall.jpg
     
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  20. Firewall on my 51. Was cruising a 2 pot flatty with headers back in the 60s.
    All it had for bling was a chrome regulator. IMG_7516.jpeg
     
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  21. Little Terry
    Joined: Oct 17, 2007
    Posts: 768

    Little Terry
    Member

    I like a firewall to look like it is part of the original car, not just a fabricated panel. I had to cut my firewall to get the motor to fit, so I used something as a recess that could have been laying around the farm in the 50's (end off a Fordson tractor fuel tank). When putting the car together, I tried to get in the mindset of a WW2 veteran that had just got home and wanted to build a hotrod. he would have some skills and technical know-how, but not necessarily a ton of spare cash.
    So wiring was braid and applied with some care. I welded up a few unnecessary holes in the firewall and tried to make it neat and in-period. In my opinion there is a fairly big difference between a half-assed rush job and a budget build done in period. And like someone mentioned earlier in the thread, some people just keep bolting shit to their car that is totally unecessary and doesn't add anything to the asthetics.
    Here's my effort fwiw.......
    IMG_1304.jpeg
    IMG_1315.jpeg
    IMG_1979.jpeg
    IMG_9757.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2025 at 11:09 AM
    warbird1, nochop and catdad49 like this.
  22. Looks great. Very tidy! What is the original application for that cover out of which the wires are routed? Are the brass bits just fancy nuts to hold it together?
     
  23. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 4,482

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    Brass thumb screws is my guess
     

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