[chopper526]

Finally! (for the third time) the firewall is done.

Since the frame is bent up a foot or so behid the firewall (to make the front suspension work good at my planned ride height), I had to cut some off the bottom edge of the firewall so it won't touch the frame. Then a squirt of primer to keep it from rusting.
Hoping to have time to weld it in still today. It will be welded with rosette welds to the back side of the 1" spacer tube.
Nothing short of amazing what some paint can do.



I think I will have the firewall done a 4th time today. Maybe.

I think that looks real nice, and yes you are right, what a little paint can do. Great job!

[sammons]

Looking good!

[Essex_29]

Thank yuou chopper526 and sammons!
No disrespectfuless percieved, 62131. I have seen those shapes on fenders
and such, but never happened to see it on a visor. And to be frank, I never connected
the two designs as they are on different parts of the body, and alos turned the other
way around. Nevermind that, it's just that when one thinks of a nice original design
idea, it then suddenly may become obvious that it's not a first.

I wanted to be a car designer when I was a kid, realizing early that it's not even a thing
here in Finland. Building a rod gives me opportunity to at least make alterations to the
look of the car. Only details and real small things on the body itself, but I am planning
on going wild with the dash for an example. But then again, that depends on how
much (if any) energy is left when that time comes.

The firewall is finally welded to the cowl, so one thing ticked off the 2 do-list

[sixball]

It has all been thought of. If it was a good idea it was used.  Your is a good one. Being different just to be different is usually not a good idea. 

[chopper526]

Thank yuou chopper526 and sammons!
No disrespectfuless percieved, 62131. I have seen those shapes on fenders
and such, but never happened to see it on a visor. And to be frank, I never connected
the two designs as they are on different parts of the body, and alos turned the other
way around. Nevermind that, it's just that when one thinks of a nice original design
idea, it then suddenly may become obvious that it's not a first.

I wanted to be a car designer when I was a kid, realizing early that it's not even a thing
here in Finland. Building a rod gives me opportunity to at least make alterations to the
look of the car. Only details and real small things on the body itself, but I am planning
on going wild with the dash for an example. But then again, that depends on how
much (if any) energy is left when that time comes.

The firewall is finally welded to the cowl, so one thing ticked off the 2 do-list

Slow and steady Essex, and keep the creative juices flowing! You will have plenty of energy to get the car done exactly the way you want it..including the dash

[Essex_29]

True, sixball If the thing is any good, it's probably not a new idea.
I'm not sure I'm entirely with you on the different to be different thinking: My car is a
'57 Pontiac, because a Chevy is too common. It's the first classic  American car
that people learn to recognize. My project car is a Buick sedan, because everyone
and their aunt has Ford rods with small block Chevies in them. I like different.

Hoping to keep the energy flowingchopper526

 The other day I happened to find a prop shaft for sale here in the very
village I live in. it's from a Dodge Ram, and it's the front prop shaft. Since my
transmission (6-speed manual) has a flange rather than a slip joint, a front
drive shaft seemed like a good idea.



The prop shaft needs to be lengthened about 4" in the right end in the pic, and
the yoke will be taken from the Chevy Caprice prop shaft in the inset pic. The
rear axle in my Buick is off of an S10, do same universal joint. This is left to a
fabricator now.

Today my good rod building buddy helped me get the body straight and square
on the frame, side ways and length wise. The body was then clamped down, so
that it wouldn't move. Removing one clamp at a time, bolt holes could be drilled.

I'm planning to get six of these done:



Body mount thingies to weld into the cross braces that connects the body to
the frame.
They will mount like this:
and they'll be welded to the top of the tubing. Hoping to be able  get someone
persuaded to turn them for me. A lathe is on my wishlist, just gots to send it to Santa.

Two of those tubes are cut for the transmission and prop shaft tunnel, and
need to be reconnected to get back som of their stiffness.
I bent one of those connector pieces tonight, and it goes on top of the
transmission, right between the A-pillars.

[sixball]

Great work & excellent drawings!

I don't know how the explain my feelings on being different just to be different but to has nothing to do with your build which I see as a quality build using unusual components in a very usual way. It on its own will stand out from the crowd. You won't have to do anything to draw attention to it.
 All of those Ford hot rods can all look the same and in fact the more they look alike the more "right" they are. When someone does something just to be different, something no one has ever thought of or done before  something eye-catching and unusual they usually do not improve their car.

[Essex_29]

Thanks again, sixball. I guess I know what you mean. A fine line between different in a positive sense,
and different in a tacky way, I guess. Like, Saab Aero three spoke wheels might not be a good choice on a
hot rod, even if different can be good.

The bent crossmember connector (actually built from 1/8" thick sheetmetal) was welded in today,
after adding flanges to it. The trans tunnel will be welded to those flanges. The tunnel will be pretty
tight, as I'm going to have to squeeze in three pedals. There's about three eights of room around the
transmission in every direction.



My technical drawings didn't amount to much. I started thinking that it was all too much hassle to
make someone turn the parts, and wait for them and also to pay for the work. Yes I'm cheap. and
want to continue when I'm up to speed. I found a piece of water pipe among the junk under my
bench, and cut pieces from it. Then turned thick washers to the right size, using an epectric drill
in the vice, and a grinder to turn them to a suitable size. Welder to zap the washers in and: Voila!



I cut a hole in the crossmember with the plasma, insertred the body mount, welded and ground.
I left out some adjustment grinding and such, but in any case, the end result is what I wanted; a
flush bolt head that  can be reached with a socket.




If you look at the bolt head, you may notice that the markings are ground off of the bolt head.
I dislike using mertric hardware on my rod builds, and this is an M12 bolt. A 3/4" socket fits
perfectly, so I used one, and now even the bolt doesn't know it's metric anymore!
Imperial hardware is not easy to come by, especially if you want a particular size or lenght,
also not cheap. I always have a stash of bolts for my car builds, but no 1/2" bolts, so....
Well, that's my excuse. 

[62131]

Body mounts turned out great, with very little cost. even better

[chopper526]

They turned out real nice, you do some good work.

[Essex_29]

Thank you 62131 and chopper526

Life happens at times, so not much has happened in the garage lately,
mostly more of the same.

More turning down washers to fit inside pipes. The electric drill working
against the side grinder.



More pieces of pipe cut...



And more body mounts done between the A-pillars, as my phone generated arrows show here.



Finally something fun: I always felt that the frame looks too long in the back,
and have been planning to shorten it  a few inches. I cut it off to get to put
nuts on the rearmost body mount bolts inside the frame, and am very glad
that I have plenty of time to plan for the look of the rear of the frame and body.
 At the very least, I have planned to extend the body two or three inches
downward, to get better proportions, and maybe shorren the frame horns a
bit and maybe move it down some.
We'll see.
For now I think it looks nice
and stubby without the rear part of the frame, but I think some kind of tank
under the frame would look good.
Suggestions are welcome.



Oh, and I am going to run fenders and runningboards.

[chopper526]

The car looks great with the frame shortened, but presents the new dilemma of where to put the tank. Passenger side along the frame rail?

[TFoch]

Rear part of the car looking good!

[62131]

Use the area under the rear frame rails to mount your fuel tank as intended, I know it's not the ideal spot, for the look you want, but it's better than in the cabin

[sixball]

Great work, good eye!