Hot Rods Started spec'ing out parts

Recess is done, just need to pick up the bottom pieces from the upholsterer and finish it up. I'm thinking the upper portion of the firewall will be a matte black. All carpet would just be too much and look less detailed than I'm going after.

 

I hear what you are trying to do but I think I would put insulation on the top half of the firewall and carpet over it.

Charlie Stephens

 

My bad, never finished my thought. If I paint and have noise issues or don't like the look I can go with deadener and carpet. Also thinking about making an upholstered panel that will match the door panels and seat (when they're done). Looking to go black (of course) with 2" pleats. The firewall panel would be the same and be a cool contrast to the carpet on the recess.
At this point I just want carpet down so I can drive a little comfortably until I get around to the rest.

 

Gotta work out a few wrinkles after I get the snaps installed, but it looks like a ....... car. In a couple days I'll take some pics of the Veltex snaps...... very cool pieces. Between the sound deadener, padding and carpet, the drone is knocked down considerably. Something simple and kinda nothing I'm jazzed about is the matching high beam pedal pad I found. It's the little stuff.......

 

Tah dah! Still need to trim the pad under the main carpet section so it sits right around the hump, but that's a quick deal. Went back and forth on how to do the carpet and pad over the hump, but it worked out. Put down the snaps this weekend and it's on to painting the interior panels. Gotta use a bit of imagination to visualize it with the dash rail (among other things) black metallic, but I'm getting enthused again.

 

Carpet's done and took it out for a putt. Drone is WAY down so now it's basically exhaust tone in the cab.
Didn't plan on it, but struck a deal and the next project will be here Saturday. '32 3 window Gibbon body, TCI frame with triangulated 9", tacked in for LS. Basically a roller with an assortment of body and chassis parts. Pics once it home and tucked in.....

 

Don't know what I'm going to do with it, but it's here now. Has a lot of good parts and could be a fun car.

 

Fab's all done! Finished the rear exhaust hangers, so now it's on to more cosmetic pursuits. I'll get the headliner material out this week to get the seams sewn and start on interior paint next weekend.

 

A few posts ago I mentioned the Veltex snaps I found, and here they are. Stupid little detail, but when I decided to put everything under the floor I knew I would need a way to access the brake master and battery. I decided to make the carpet section removable and just kind of assumed I'd wind up using the usual chrome headed snaps. Wasn't thrilled, but resigned myself to it.
Then I was poking around and found these snaps that were used on 60's British sports cars. Nearly invisible when installed in black carpet, gave me just the look I wanted. The pic below shows where the snaps are installed. After this I spaced the male portion of the snap up about 1/8" to make snapping easier and eliminate the slight "pucker" it has in the pic.
Not earth shattering, but kinda neat when you don't have to compromise (no matter how small the detail).

 

Well, bad news.... for my wallet. That near new Holley 770 Street Avenger is giving me fits and come to find out has some inherent issues. Spoke with Holley this morning and long story short, they can't say that trying to work through the issues will cure it. They also won't stand behind it even though they KNOW these issues are well documented.
Rather than dick around with this carb any more, I've ordered a Quick Fuel 650 mechanical secondary dual feed. This car should have been roasting the tires by now, but all it does with this carb is surge and sneeze.
Pisser......

 

New carb's on and getting sorted out, and yes it hauls ass now Been getting lazy about tying up the remaining loose ends, so played carpenter yesterday. The header wood needed about 1/4" shaved off the leading edge so the visor would fit right and the welting seal the bottom side of the visor. Bought a large and small block plane and got after it. Took about an hour, but came out good. Fitted the welt, nailed the panel and welt in place and nailed down the visor.
Next is have an upholsterer sew the seams for the headliner, install it and finally put the top on

 

Interior trim pieces are being blasted so I can prime and paint.. Making bows for the headliner contour so the headliner seams will have the right bow to them. Was going to sew the seams straight, but the more I thought about it the more obvious it became the seams would pucker. What another little delay?

 

Had half a good day today. The good half of the day was fixing a progressively worsening misfire. Woke up in the middle of the night with the fix...... new HEI module. Pulls nice and strong now and doesn't misfire so let the wife drive her car for the first time. She was amazed how easy it was to drive and that it has such good manners.
The bad half (and I KNEW better) was painting the interior panels. I rushed it because the wind was coming up tomorrow, but it just wasn't warm enough today. Going to be spending a LOT of time color sanding and buffing.....

 

OK, so today was a little better. Got the dash rail, w/shield mouldings and 1 door trim cleaned up today. Thinking about throwing some black pleated vinyl on the doors until I can get it upholstered right. What's the saying? "If you can't paint well, you better be good at colorsanding...."
I'm not the best painter, but.........

 

Finishing this car up and only have a couple things left to do. I've had it on stands the past few days finishing up little stuff and tightening/adjusting everything underneath. Took it back out and it brought a big smile to my face. Turned around at the end of the block, got on it a little and lit it up. Figuring why not, gave it about half throttle and kept it lit up in 2nd. Stopped, dropped it in low, jumped on it and manually shifted into 2nd. Front end lifts a bit and it's really a new kind of quick. Glad I put the shift kit in it when the trans was built. It's getting really tempting to see what it'll do WFO........

 

Have a couple nagging little leaks to fix before this is done (other than the interior). First is 3 coolant leaks all around the water pump. The middle one I knew what it was but couldn't fix it without removing the pump (2 backing plate bolts on the bottom). The other 2 were pretty small and was coolant seeping into the "valleys" next to the coolant ports on the timing cover. I was planning on removing the timing cover and replacing the cover to block gasket, but after removing the pump saw the real cause.
The stock water pump has 3 bolts around each of the ports into the timing cover to seal it. The Motorsports short pump only has 2. Where is that 3rd hole you ask? In front of each valley in the timing cover! The ports will seal fine with just 2 bolts, but don't want this happening again, so I'll be inserting a couple 5/16" set screws into the unused holes with sealer to cure it.
This should be done tonight, so all that's left is replace the pan gasket and it's a driver.

 

The car is done short of the interior. Been a little over 5 years to get it to this point and I've learned so much, as above all else this was a learning experience...... a way to learn and hone skills. While the '32 will be a different kind of build, so much of what this car taught me will make that one so much better. I wish I could have done this 40 years ago..... who knows where I'd be and what I'd be building.
Time to toss the keys to the wife and build me a race car........

 

Can't leave well enough alone.... Sent the headliner material off to the upholsterer to have the seams sewn. Doing it my way, but quite sure it'll come out the way I want. If I can get it back tomorrow afternoon, it's headliner time this weekend. Picking up the chicken wire today so when the headliner's done I can do the top.
THEN I'll let the upholsterer finish it.....

 

I haven't tried it myself but I have heard if you isolate the chicken wire from the top you can use it as a radio antenna.

Charlie Stephens

 

Heard that too, but the car's too loud and I never even wired it for a radio.

 

So here's my Saturday (and a glimpse of tomorrow). The headliner is in as much as it can be without the other interior panels pulling it taut. The good news is now the top can go on, so the chickenwire is on and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm. The vinyl can heat up in the sun so I can stretch it.
Was thinking about how "restomod" is a four letter word on the HAMB and I don't get it. All hotrods started as restomods and the skills required to reproduce what was done 80 years ago are long gone. I could have filled the roof and had a "hotrod", but this really is more "traditional"....... starting with whatever you've got, throwing horsepower at it and going fast. To each their own I guess.......

 

Wasn't happy with the thickness of the batting so off to Joann's I went. Went with a thicker polyester batting to give it more of a padded look. Not bad for my first attempt. Puckers will come out when I put down the hidem welt. Already noticeably quieter with the engine running and will make driving it more enjoyable.

 

The wife wants to take her car to a few car shows but the scratch isn't there yet for a new interior. Picked up a 4x9 sheet of black ABS to make new interior panels in the meantime. I'l just use the fiberboard panels as templates and it should be presentable until we can afford to do it the way we want.

 

My roadster has ABS panels, trunk too, it's finished.

 

That's the reason I went with the black ABS...... has a nice finished appearance and is a good panel for upholstery. This will (some day) be getting a 2" black pleated interior, but this will look good in the meantime.

 

When you have a giant sheet of plastic staring you in the face you just HAVE to start playing with it. The low hanging fruit is the kick panels, but it gave me a good idea how to work it before I start cutting BIG pieces for the door panels. Gives it a nice clean utilitarian look.

 

1 door down......

 

Your spec'ing out is spot on. Nice work.

 

2nd door done, so tomorrow I can start on the upper panels and get the headliner finished in the front.

 

Ran into a little hiccup mounting the door panels so had to come up with a plan B. I wanted to use the original style panel clips to hold the panels on and work fine for the rear and bottom of the door, but where the windlace is in the front it's too thick for the clips to stay put. Plan B? I've used these on newer cars for years and they should blend in well enough not to detract from the look (the heads are only 5/8" in dia). These will hold the panels in place!
This week I'll be forming the curved corner pieces so I can finally get the headliner tacked down.