Hot Rods The "Whatever" project

If we add a thin strip of aluminum behind the dash, 'glass it in, and add some hinges, that could be what you hang the gauges off of. That way the hinges are hidden, and you can still get to the reservoirs.
Or remote reservoirs, like Gearhead suggested. No hinges needed, just some plumbing. Put the reservoirs under the turtle deck, or below the floor, etc.

 

2 good suggestions, making 3 heads better than 1. So I have an idea of what the pedals and bracketry would look like. Kind of like those old Ansen hanging pedals, just with the masters pointing the other way, attached to a flange away from the firewall.

Wilwood makes a dual master cylinder for the brakes that has the capability for remote reservoirs, so got that covered. And the clutch is going to be operated by an hydraulic throwout bearing. I have a Wilwood master cylinder for it already, with the right bore size and remote reservoir, so okay there too.

So that leads to remote reservoirs somewhere under the cowl. As long as I can get them higher than the cylinders. So first suggestion by gearhead accomplished. Maybe...

And ratrodder's idea to laminate in a strip of something is good. Fortunately he's got infinitely more experience with fiberglass lamination than me (1/0=undefined, or infinite...). And that part is not needed until later this year, after house stuff, trips with parents, keeping SWMBO happy, etc.

Okay so I've got an idea for the pedals. We'll figure out the reservoir issues, and make a hinged dash down the road. Might just have to go back to Marty's Spaulding roadster build to get better acquainted with his dash design.

Now back to the garage. I've got tubing to notch...

 

Here is one I've been watching on the auction site:

 

You know, that would be the kat's pajamas! Easy to mount off of the hoop under the cowl. Wilwood makes one like that. Hmmm...

Well enough of that right now. Here's today's progress.
Triangulation! Now I'm happy with the rear support structure. I may still change to a full width roll bar, but that's not a big deal. Just move the center mounting stub over to the right side, and maybe the left side a little bit more left. The beauty of doing that would be the rear bracing. It would get 2 braces and they would go straight to the frame rails at a better angle. We'll see...

Then it was time to strip! All of the support stuff, so I can get the body back on and check fitments, plan the next couple of steps, ruminate on pedals...

Thanks gearheads, spending my money! But seriously, that might just be the best solution. Here's what it looks like in the garage tonight:
Did some cleanup, but still have a mess in the garage. Tomorrow back willing, body back on and roll it out to get a better perspective of the Whatever so far.

It was a really good day!

 

After the previous post, I checked out the new Wilwood pedal assembly like that. The one I'm contemplating now (again thanks for spending my money...), now has adjustable pedal pads, that gives the ability to maybe get my short fat feet to fit. And the selection of master cylinder bore sizes works for me. Oh well it's only money. Can't take it with me... Ordering tomorrow!

 

Got up early today and out to the garage and the whatever project. Put the body back on and reinstalled all of the support structures and seats. Here's a few pictures.
Okay so I'm biased, but it does have a nice profile. So much more to do.

 

Super Cool!

 

Just a side note on parts. I am restoring a 1983 Jeep with a Girling clutch master cylinder. Tried for over 3 months trying to secure parts for a rebuild. Chased the parts all over country with no luck. Girling of U.K. is not filling orders on items so if you go after Girling items you may have a long wait. Assume Wilwood will have their rebuild kits in stock. Had to settle for an import cylinder. Quality well!!

 

Good to know, Don. You might try Mini Mania on the west coast. I believe Minis had Girling stuff, and the last time I rebuilt the clutch master on the Mini, they had a kit in stock. As a side note, GM used Girling masters on the Fiero. I had one and rebuilt the clutch master about every 15000 miles. Yeah that car was just like a British sports car. Work on it every weekend...

 

I was working with a vendor in Dallas who rebuilds transmissions for all sorts of racing cars. He has a contact in the UK and everything is backed up over there. Every vendor here in the states had nothing for my application. Frustrating to not be able to secure parts. So to get the project moving picked the best aftermarket cylinder out there. Most are failing within a year (leaking). Sucks but what else can we do. Same with VW beetle parts. Lots of junk out there. Got to keep searching for best quality out there. Our local mechanic we send our cars to for inspection has a project on hold because he cannot get a cam he wants or lifters. Vendor said everything is held up because of lack of supplies. Guess this is the new Norm!

 

Check out https://kugelkomponents.com/brake-examples/180-pedal-assembly/
Also Jay Leno 32 chevy roadster video ... He has the remote reservoirs hung on the firewall up near the top center.

 

I would build (or buy) a nice little aluminum reservoir for the engine side of the firewall and polish it. One reservoir should work for both cylinders.

 

Okay so I'm full of ideas, thanks for the Jay Leno video! I would love to see how the pedals are hung in that car. Remote reservoirs on the engine side could work, especially if they are nice like those. It won't be easy, but I have an idea of what they need to look like so the plumbing is not going to show on the firewall side.

Having the body back on and the support hoop installed gives me a view of the space available for pedals and the steering column and other junk under the cowl. I think I have to mock up the floor next, and fiddle with the pedals to see what bubbles up out of the goo...

Floor is easy, the rest???

Keep the brain trust working for me guys, I'll take all the help offered.

 

Okay so I cogitated and ruminated on the ideas gleaned from the excellent posts profferring them, and in the words of many, why buy what I can make/modify. So in that vein, and seeing that I'm using a steering column out of an Austin Mini, and was formerly planning on using just the pedals, I dug out the bracketry from the Mini and have started to modify it.
Here's the start of the modifications. The pedals have ended up almost in the same location as they were in the Mini. I had just enough room to get my feet on them in the Mini, so why not?

And remembering that Marty has used bell cranks got me thinking. (Not usually a good thing...). I have lots of room above the bellhousing, so 90 degrees holy angle change Batman, we got pedals and master cylinders up out of the way and not in the engine bay! Another good thing, masters above calipers and hydraulic throwout bearing. Easy to bleed!

So I guess the body needs to come back off, and assemble the bits and bobs, keeping them below the support hoop and above the bellhousing... Easy peasy!

 

So now having showered and eaten supper, I've had time to let what little bit of my brain is still functioning come up with more of the story. And looking at that video again, and the idea for the remote reservoir, I've got an image in my mind's eye of what it's all going to look like. I'll sleep on it tonight and start butchering stuff tomorrow. Oh well, it's just steel. If I mess it up, I can just cut off what I don't like and weld something else on...

 

3 reservoirs for the clutch and dual master brake cylinders. Hmm, and engine turned to match the firewall once it's engine turned. I can see it now, but now I have to figure out how to make it! And hide the plumbing somehow. And seal it up like the factory made stuff. And mounting system. And...

Hoo boy, you guys have made me a lot more work!

 

Finally took the time to watch the video. Haha, they had the same idea as I did. Except, their triple reservoir is way to busy looking for a clean simple car in my opinion. A reservoir could be any shape as long as it holds enough fluid. It could be the size of a magazine and a half inch thick, or even an oval an inch thick with a big Ford blue oval on the face from a relatively modern truck grill. Options are endless and I still see no reason to have more than one reservoir , no matter how many cylinders it feeds. Shoot, it could all be on the back side with just the fill plug on the engine side.

 

Well...
Just in case one fluid circuit has a leak, and there are 3, having 3 independent reservoirs means I won't loose all of the fluid circuits. Kind of a Department of Redundancy Department. Or if you prefer, belt, suspenders and a skyhook to hold up your pants! Besides, no one wants to see my nekked butt!

 

Pictures of a hood in the neighborhood... Had to see what it's going to look like eventually. Brown butchers paper and masking tape. With my limited skills with sheetmetal forming, I think I'll make it in 3 parts. Going to watch NASCAR this afternoon, and draw up the pedal bracket modifications. Took measurements, got an engineers pad, a ruler, and a pencil. What can go wrong?

 

Outside pictures today with the paper hood. So it's going to catch fire on the car, I always said I was going to flame it!

Afterwards back in the garage, rolled up the paper hood and pulled out the firewall assembly. I reassembled it on the bench so I can make the pedals work. Here's the assembly.
Lots of room above the bellhousing and to the right side of the pedals and steering column setup. That's where the master cylinders are going, with a little bit of time creating a couple of bell cranks. And there's plenty of travel, as can be seen between the pictures with the bungee cord holding the pedals up and the picture with the pedals hanging free. Either way has a lot of travel, so it just depends on how comfortable I am with either position.

 

A bit more progress today. Made the bracketry for the pedals and got them bolted to the inner firewall. Once I make all of the bits and pieces that will finish the firewall assembly, it's going to be really stiff. Next is actuating mechanisms for the master cylinders. Tomorrow I'll redo the steering column support so it's not so ugly. Little steps add up.

 

You know Dave, I had a fleeting thought of building a T-bucket the other day. I have all the needed drivetrain sitting in my shed, a frame is not that complicated, then I could buy a 'glass body, but then I got to thinking about all the work and fabrication you've had to do. Definitely not my strong suit. You've done nicely.

Devin

 

Thanks. My problem is I have a vision in my gray matter, that is a cross between a 50s track roadster and the modifieds I built in the 70's. Check out Marty Strode's number 10 roadster build to see how to do it right. I keep stealing ideas from him, and a couple of other t builds, then try to make it work for my nightmare, so I keep going back and forth on some parts. Like the pedals...

Speaking of the pedals, here's where it stands today. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the master cylinders in it somewhere. Which leads to the next 3 pictures:
I'm thinking that I can make an expanded dashboard thingy kind of like that ugly cardboard and painter's tape wart. It's only half length because I intend to make the passenger door open. So this is a ripoff of what Marty did on the Spaulding roadster replica. I'm thinking that it can be made from fiberglass and hinged at the original dash top for access to the master cylinders. And they will face the rear under the wart.

I have a nephew, ratrodder, who has some experience with glassing, so he's on notice already for that when needed. I think that a plug to glass over can be made from Styrofoam board covered with packing tape so it doesn't melt.

There's just so little room in a t. And I thought fitting a full rollcage in an Austin Mini was like building a ship in a bottle...

 

Dave,
I kinda like the lump for the M/Cs (and gauges?)
Your nephew probably knows about foam that won't melt with polyester resin.
I like your steering column mount, much cleaner.
Keep at it.

 

Yeah I hated that fugly thing before. And the lump should hide a lot of stuff that needs to be in the car, like you said gauges and the like.

And I certainly hope he's up to it. I think he's in Maine right now, with his parents. It'll be a little while before I need it made,so he's got time to determine what we need to get...

 

So basically I'm building this type of pedal assembly using Austin Mini pedals... cheap, but a lot of work. And things hurt more these days as we're all aging out. Oh well the alternative isn't too promising! More tomorrow, god willing and the creek don't rise!

 

Speedway motors and FedEx! Ordered parts Thursday, expected delivery date this coming Thursday. All of it got here today! That's amazing!

 

I'm certainly on board for 'glassing whatever shapes you need, I just need to remember to bring my supplies the next time I head west. That gauge pod lump will need some massaging for sure to get a good shape that's pleasing to the eye and can hold everything you need it to hold, but that's easy enough at the foam stage.

The paper hood looks good, too! Break out the sharpie and start drawing louvers and flames....

 

Great! We'll set up a camera and light the paper hood on fire, and take pictures. That'll be our flame job!

 

Thought you might dig this car Dave, spotted it in the Goodguys Puyallup show coverage.