Thread: Followed Me Home II

Tweet

Really sad to lose a loved one, but our memories keep them with us forever. Nice work as always my friend!

Had other things to do around the place yesterday, and this morning spent too long fretting about the battery mount before just making a pattern, cutting out a pair of 1/2" ply supports and a shelf and hooking them together.
-
20200709_172703.jpg
-
If you look at Jim's pictures of his support compared to mine it shows the difference between the way BeBop forms their floor compared to ShowMe! The ShowMe floor has more curve for some reason. I like Jim's bondo glue idea, and have used it before but I went with Titebond III and some staples for wood to wood.
-
20200709_172646.jpg
-
I set it in place, started to grab the bondo can and remembered that the bulkhead needs to come out to remove the body, so it stays loose for now....
-
Another guy who used to post here a lot always puts a shelf on the interior side of the firewall as a catchall (I think he mentioned it was a good place for his cigarettes and lighter). Carpeted, it's out of the breeze so things don't tend to blow away. Sounded like a good idea so I whipped out a shelf using a piece of Cedar siding I had laying around. It's 30" wide an 5" deep with a rim to keep things from sliding off. Carpeted it disappears.
-
20200709_172633.jpg
-
After I got it made I started to mount it and I'm not sure about it now. Mounted high it's out of sight, but being out of sight I'm not sure how much value it adds. I'd be reaching blind for the shelf, and just not sure about it. I haven't smoked for 44 years, so I don't need a place for cigarettes.... So for now it's set aside.

The shelf made me realize I've been looking for reasons to NOT pull the body, so late in the day I started at the front, loosened the support rods and rocked the radiator forward to release the hood; then pulled the grill shell & radiator; pulled the seats.... and ran out of steam!
-
20200709_181606.jpg
-
With the seats out here's a different look at the battery support. Got an idea for a battery box that might be cool, but we'll see how it works before saying it's cool.
-
Here's a better look at the battery shelf!
-
20200709_181636.jpg
-
Tomorrow I'll pull the steering column and lift the body, hoping it fits the dolly I modified so long ago! Fingers crossed!

20200710_170028.jpg
-
It's always fun to rework the wood dolly with the body hanging in the air, right? It's apart, stable and ready.

I've been working on the exhaust using 2.5" steel and Summit's house Cherry Bomb's. I ordered a "Universal Kit" with 4 each of U bend, 45's, 90's and straight 4' long. So far I've cut about 8" off of one of the straight pipes, and the rest has been cutting up bends! I may be ordering a few more bends to get from the mufflers out the back! It's a tortuous path running big pipe on a small chassis! Sure is easy to burn through 18 gauge exhaust tube!
-
20200714_162948.jpg
-
Both sides cheat in kind of close to the transmission, but I can easily add a heat shield if it proves to be a problem. I think it's going to be fine.
-
20200714_163022.jpg
-
20200714_163057.jpg
-
After I redid my steering column drop I bolted the dash back in place and thankfully before cutting holes I determined that using the billet gauge cluster that I had, putting the tach and speedo centered above the steering wheel wasn't going to work. The steel for the drop sits too high, cheating into the space behind the dash where the gauges would be, so had to look for another approach. Today the BBT dropped this one, putting the big gauges center dash, smaller to the sides which will work fine. Done! One billet aluminum(Dolphin?) gauge cluster added to the spare parts pile.
-
20200714_150554.jpg
-
Gonna finish the exhaust from mufflers back, then run the fuel line and drill the frame to mount the gas tank. Having the tank hanging in back may not be the best from a safety standpoint, but I like the old school look, and it's a heavy poly tank as opposed to stamped steel, which I believe helps. Anyway, I'm enjoying the build again. Thanks for checking in.

I like the dash now!

I like that bezel, too. Why are you ditching the Dolphin gauges? Don't they fit this bezel?

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

I like that bezel, too. Why are you ditching the Dolphin gauges? Don't they fit this bezel?

Looking at options I thought that the one I had, two large openings with four out to the right was made by Dolphin, but now I see it at Speedway listed as "Universal". My gauges are VDO, and yes they fit the new wing bezel.

Ah! OK, I understand now. I thought you were pitching the gauges out, but you were referring to the other bezel. VDO gauges are good stuff!

Since we brought them up, in case anyone wonders - I used Dolphin gauges in my Track-T roadster and they were really nice; black face with curved glass like old Stewart Warner's. I had a problem programming on the digital speedo (user error), so I called them and they walked me through it. Really nice helpful people.

My day started with rain so hard it was deafening in the barn, trying to position the tail pipes and continuing to run into the clamps holding the gas tank in place so I opted to get the frame drilled to get the tank bolted in place. That ended up being a trip to the hardware store for bolts, and of course the 2" chrome button head bolts I brought home needed to be 2.5".... As Jim said, warts and all.

I'd ordered a small dash mount billet aluminum mirror, and popped it out of the box to discover that the extreme slant of the Rodwell windshield leaves zero room for it.... another wart, and another part for the spare parts shelf - arrgh! Did get the tank in place, so a step forward. Tomorrow's another day.

So what I'm reading is no matter how many builds you do, a guy still buys parts that end up under the bench ? Crap!! Lol

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

So what I'm reading is no matter how many builds you do, a guy still buys parts that end up under the bench ? Crap!! Lol

Under the bench, in the cabinets, out in the shed, in the spare bedroom and up in the attic....

...or used on the next build, or given to a friend, or sold at the next swap meet for 20% of what you paid for it originally.

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

... or sold at the next swap meet for 20% of what you paid for it originally.

IF you're lucky! 8-)

Originally Posted by 34_40

IF you're lucky! 8-)

LOL!!! Ain't that the truth! Sometimes you pay someone to haul it off! LOL. Just can't make this stuff up!!!

The tail end of this exhaust was kicking my butt for most of the day, trying to hold two pipes and mark the alignment and at some point I glanced over and picked up on the fact that the engine hoist was sitting there, with the boom capable of extending out about 3' and that gave me an extra pair of hands!
-
20200716_164924.jpg
-
The hoist for the arch, some jack stands for the tail pipe..... Tanks, INC says to leave 2" between pipes and the poly tank, mainly to keep from heating the fuel and causing stink from the vent. I'm not fixed on the 2", but I am routing my exhaust out around the end of the tank, beneath the frame rails.
-
20200716_165009.jpg
-
I'll trim that loop to a nominal 45, angle it over to align with the muffler, and add a straight section....
-
20200716_173612.jpg

Neither side is done yet, but one is close and once it's piped the other one will be easier!