Hot Rods Started spec'ing out parts

It's been a slow, frustrating couple weeks. I'm down to little stuff.... trying new stuff that sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. Also finishing fabbing the X pipe so I can start fitting the rest of the exh pipe.
Wood is done and glass is staring at me wanting to be installed. Got the windshield frame apart and cleaned the rust in the channel. Don't want to install the glass into a bare channel, so a little Por15 is perfect for this. Keeping the original patina, so the Por15 only goes in the channel. This stuff is perfect for rust susceptible areas, but looks too good for this car in exposed areas.
Looking to paint the firewall in 2 weeks so the body is ready to go back on after the exhaust is fitted.

 

Had to get SOMETHING constructive done. First time I've set a Model A windshield glass and look, no cracks! Have fitted up the quarter and back glasses as well. The w/shield is clear with the rest a smoke tint.

 

Wood's mostly done, w/shield in, just waiting on painting the firewall. Gotta get the X-pipe welded so I can fab the exhaust. Gotta love a pop out windshield.......

 

I know, I know, it all needs to come out again, but it's kinda cool sitting in an almost car after all these years.

 

Last pic of glass I promise. All the glass is fitted now, fuzzies installed and p/w's checked out. It'll all come out again before the body goes back on to save a bunch of weight, but at least I know the look I wanted is there. Wanted a kind of low key sinister kind if vibe..... nothing obvious.
Gas pedal's mounted now too. Going to try to get the firewall finished this weekend so the body can go back on the frame.

 

That dash looks nice- the gauges & steering wheel together look right.

 

Thanks.... nice to know someone else sees it. I've spent a LOT of time over little piddly details that most won't notice. Things like the steering wheel just peeking over the dash rail, it sitting right at the front of the seat cushion, gauge layout with the wheel facing forward, etc. When this car is done no single detail will stand out......... I want it to be low key (and as you mentioned) just right.

 

Alright, moving on from glass. Brandon did a great job of tig'ing the X pipe so now it's time to start cutting and fitting the exhaust pipe. Here's how the Kook's mufflers and dumps lay out (the easy part). Muffler shop made up the stainless sockets off the collectors so all I have to do is fill the gap.

 

isn't it all easy?

this statement is pretty much never ending

 

"all I have to do is"
Seems I've said that numerous times since I started this.
Don't know about easy since this the first exhaust system I've built. I'll know in a week or two.....

 

Now for the audience participation part of tonite's program. In doing the layout before I start tacking, an option occurred to me. Now I'm a symmetry kind of guy..... I like when things follow other planes. So, in laying this out it's always been the plan for the mufflers to be parallel to the ladder bars. The position of the X pipe forward or back determines where the dumps wind up at the rear axle and the position of the X pipe is largely determined by the clearance to the driveshaft. I want a certain reveal to the dumps so it looks just so from the rear. It occurred to me that if I put a little bend in the pipe going into the muffler I can change where the dumps wind up exiting. Problem is, having the mufflers off-plane with anything else may just drive the anal retentive part of me crazy.
Now's the time for me to change if I'm going to, so looking for a little feedback.......

 

Looks pretty good like that. If looking from the side do the side shirts and bars hide the mufflers?

 

I like this flow with one little exception..... I would like the dumps a little more centered under each axle tube. To do that the bends would need to point the mufflers slightly in toward the pumpkin. I know there are people thinking this pretty stupid, but I decided at the beginning not to compromise unless I absolutely had to. I guess it comes down to what I can live with..... the dumps not exactly where I want them or living with the mufflers not parallel to the ladder bars.
Oh and the mufflers sit right behind the holes in the bars.

 

Got to make your"selves" happy LOL. I would go with the dumps where you want them as you will SEE them all the time while you would only have to "think" about the mufflers not being parallel.

 

Made more progress on the exhaust. Header pipes are done and the mufflers are positioned. Just need to connect A to B.

 

****WARNING - POTENTIALLY STREET-RODDY CONTENT BELOW****
I'm at the point on the exhaust fab where I have to nail down the hangers to locate the pipe before tacking it all together. I just can't bring myself to use exhaust clamps and other common hangers but don't have a lot of real estate to work with. I was staring at it the other night and noticed the front legs of the X pipe go right in front of ladder pivots. If only there was something that I could use to clamp on to the 1-3/4" pivot bar and be an upper hanger mount. Enter an Empi buggy roll bar mounting bracket at $13 each. Maybe a little street-roddy, but the perfect answer..... just used some 1/2" stainless tube for a spacer in the insulator and a 3/8" bolt provides the upper mount. 1/2" SS hanger rods will be bent and welded to the pipes to suspend it.
I guess it wouldn't be so billet looking if I painted them flat black......

 

Nice! Excellent price and one of the sought after nodular centers. Unless u got alot of power, u will never hurt that end....

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

Great out of the box thinking

 

Had I known the exhaust would lay out where it did, I would have just welded in threaded bungs for a way cleaner look. I'll have to remember that on the next one.......

 

Dumping the exhaust toward the ground at the rear axle is not the smart thing to do. any where you go that has any loose dirt will be blown all over the place. Besides dusting up the underside of your car it will not make you any friends. Been there done that.

 

I've run numerous cars with dumps and in certain conditions they can be a problem. If it's an issue I can take the dumps off (mufflers won't be welded on, the rear clamps will be part of the hangers) and take it out the back under the axle.

 

Got the "hard" side done tonight. The driver's side doesn't really have snake around anything so it should go quicker.

 

Exhaust fab is done except for making the hangers. The driver's side looks rather "simple" compared to the passenger side, but whatever works. Came out exactly as I wanted, so I'm happy.
Finally doing the firewall this weekend, so on goes the body......

 

Exhaust is all tig'ed up just need to fab a couple stainless hangers and weld them on. Painting the firewall got pushed off until this coming weekend.

 

Great build, dont know how I missed it til now.
You can recreate that paint on the roof if needed. Brush on some black full strength wih a touch of flattener, not full coverage, jump around with the brush. Make sure you strokes fade out to no paint. Thin some black and brush in other areas, leave some bare. Use vinegar to bring back the rust on the bare. Scotch brite it all down until it matches the rest of the car.

 

Good to know. This car's finish is what it is...... no touch up, no clear coat, just decades of sitting out in the desert. Some day way in the future I'll paint this, but I know when I do I'll put WAY too nice of a paint job on it, spend a stupid amount of money doing it and then be paranoid to drive it. Going to drive the wheels off it just like it is until then.....

 

Firewall's black now! Need to cut it with 2000 in a week or so and buff it, but it's gonna wrap up here pretty quick.

 

So in a new LOW in productivity, I spent the afternoon making 2 stainless brackets for the front exhaust hangers. Yup, a whopping TWO brackets. I figured since I added so much weight by using SS for the exhaust, I had to save weight somehow, so drilled lightening holes in the brackets. OK, so that's BS, but at least it looks better than plain brackets.

 

You do some nice work. Details COUNT LOL

 

A little quality time on Father's Day with some 1200 and 2000 grit, polishing compound and a buffer. Firewall's done as far as I'm concerned. Could have spent a lot more time on bodywork on the firewall to make it a mirror, but I don't think I did much WORSE than Henry did originally. Shoot some epoxy on the bottom of the floor pans and the body's ready to go back on next weekend. Real soon I want to be one of those people that end up actually driving their projects!