Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Yep, look how nice and compact the Lokars and Gennies are.


Don

Experience..................being able to recognize more quickly a mistake you've made before!

Today I decided to get away from the shifter thing for awhile and work on the brake pedal and master cylinder mount. Building one of these is no big deal, but obviously you want everything to be strong and function properly.

I started by cutting the shape of the brake pedal out of some 3/8 inch thick steel plate I have. I used the bandsaw to cut it into sort of a hockey club shape. Once that was done I started the heating and bending process to get it to the shape I needed. The pedal has to go to the left a little of the frame rail, so I bent it that direction a couple of inches.

Once the bending was done I trimmed the ends a little to make it more attractive, and drilled the hole in one end for the pedal pad I will probably order from Speedway, and I put another hole in the bottom for the master cylinder rod. A final, 5/8 diameter hole was drilled toward the bottom, and this will be the pivot point that mounts to the frame.

Here are some pictures of the first steps in making the pedal.

The next thing I did was build a mount to afix the master cylinder to the frame. You can use just a flat plate to do this, and gusset it, but since this car sits so low I want some protection for the master cylinder in case the car bottoms out or hits something in the road. I used a piece of large angle iron, and after cutting it I drilled the proper pattern into the front edge to accept the Ford Mustang master cylinder I bought last week. I also made up a 3rd wall out of 1/4 inch flat stock, so when the whole thing is welded to the frame it should not only be strong, but act as a skidplate to protect the master cylinder. I'd hate to wipe out the master cylinder on a speed bump or pothole.


The last pictures show the pedal and master cylinder mount, and their relationship to one another. I still have some work to do on them, but this should give you some idea of what I am shooting for. That flat plate you see on the side of the master cylinder will be welded completely to the frame and to the angle iron mount, so it should never move.

Thanks for looking,


Don

Don
Shouldn't there be some protection for the rod also if you were to hit somthing the brake would be activated.

Very good point. Actually, only about an inch of the master cylinder mount will be down below the frame, and the entire rod and bottom of the pedal is not below the frame, so they are in no danger. I had to mount the master cylinder a little lower to get it below where I want the floor to be, that is why it is lower.

But, when I looked at the pictures tonight, I think I will continue a skid plate curved up to a point in front of the pedal, arching upwards. This will be a smoother transition for any obstruction I might hit, and let it sort of flow past the master cylinder.

Don

I know that if it CAN happen it will. I remember on time trying to adjust the steering valve on a vett. I thought I had it centered. Got in had my hand on the wheel started the engine That wheel took of so fast that if I'd had my hand anywhere but loose on top I'd have broke somthing. I try not to leave anything to chance any more.

Today I got more done, and didn't spend a penny. My favorite kind of day.

The first thing I did was weld the 3rd wall to the master cylinder bracket, and clamp it to the frame rail for a trial fit. It also dawned on me that I still have the stick tranny in place, and maybe I had better put the turbo 350 in there to make sure everything is going to clear. Rather than use the rebuilt one I just got, I used the dummy case so that I can drip fiberglass and stuff all over it without causing any harm to my good one. After it was in place I was kind of relieved to see that it took up no more space on the drivers side than the stick trans, so I am going to be ok there for pedal room and foot room.

The next thing I needed to do was finish up the cowl roll bar skeleton that will be the backbone of the dash. I finished welding the part that goes under the dash to the roll bar with 3 short lengths of 1 x 1 tubing. When it was all done it really is strong, and will give me a great mounting place for my steering and my windshield. In fact, I could actually drive the car with only the skeleton in place, because the body will only be a skin to dress this framework up.

Here are some shots of how it turned out.


Don

PS: The little wing on the drivers side is smaller than the passenger side by design. My ignition switch comes through the dash there, and it had to be smaller to clear that.

To give some idea of how the windshield bolts through the dash and into these wings on the skeleton, here are a couple of shots. I will weld some plates to the top of the frame and tap threads into these so the roll bar can be removed when needed.

When I got the windshield bolted on the skeleton I tried shaking it and it didn't move. When the body is also in place it should be even stiffer.


Thanks for looking,



Don

looks good

Heck, it is starting to look like a car.

Thanks Pat and Squire. Yeah, it is kinda starting to come along. The jobs I am doing now are in that plateau where they aren't as dramatic as putting a front end under the car, but they are getting done. I also am finding I need to do some things that are 5 steps ahead of where I am, so they will fit when it is time to install them. This dash support is a major step, and now I can hang the steering for the last time.

By the way, my Son stayed at the shop a lot longer than me last night (like 4 AM) working on his '29. Today when I got to the shop I saw he had all of the body panels made up and had them in place with Cleco (sp) fasteners. He is almost ready to start welding the back panels into place. Here are some shots from today of where his car stands.


Don

Don, just a thought on your car.....you could maybe make more seat room in the cab by lowering your driveshaft loop 3 or 4 inches. Whatever clearance there is from the joint to the side of the loop, make it that same dimension from the joint to the top of the loop. Also you should know that the loop needs to be 360 degrees around the shaft to be legal in NHRA.

Tech: It can't go any lower because it is going to also form my driveshaft tunnel, and if I go any lower the driveshaft will possibly hit when the car bottoms out. It actually looks higher in the pictures than it is, and doesn't intrude on the seating because it is only 6 inches wide. There is a bottom to the hoop, I made two 3/8 x 2 inch straps across the bottom. These bolt in so I can get the shaft out if needed.

I probably won't be allowed on the strip for a lot of other reasons like blanket, roll cage, etc., so street use will be all this thing sees.

What makes that tunnel so high is that the frame is much lower than traditional T's. Being this low creates some real challenges, and will probably cause me to be very careful entering and leaving driveways. I figure the car will settle down another inch or two yet when everything is installed.


Don

don your son truck looks great . i wish i still had the drive to stay up that late to work on cars .i did once