Everybody that is currently building a car...

Pro great job with the dash build I heard its very tricky heating it just right so not to crack .

Falcon seems your rodding quicker then you originally thought . The truck came out looking real good and sits just right .

Well after 11 years the left front brake system is on , cleaned master cylinder and painted cast iron , installed the master and put in most the front brake lines . best day I've had in a while felt good getting this one going .

This car will need a serious bath to get off years and years of dust .

Looks good Bluestang!

Looks good, Bobby! When's the launch date?

Looking great Bluestang, that baby is starting to take shape, keep that nose to the grind stone.

Where is a good place to get some lower a-arms for a early 70's chevell?

Thanks Guys Hopefull with in the next month it should be running . Tonight just got in a set of A fenders i bought out of Texas and i had to play with them LOL. Bad thing i only wanted the Left its cleaner then the one i have , so i craigs listed the right one .

Brick you could try National Parts Depot they doChevelle's also . Decent prices on Mustang parts .

The horse looks like it's coming along very well Bobby!!!!! Someday I'm going to get something close to done, too!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

Dave thanks buy the way how is the horse you been working on . Last i seen it was allmost done with the frame .

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Originally Posted by bluestang67

Dave thanks buy the way how is the horse you been working on . Last i seen it was allmost done with the frame .

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It's put away in the warehouse for awhile.... Guy doing it, like me, is too busy to put any time in on it.... Maybe next fall we'll be able to get back to it...

I got a chance to work on the "Z" for awhile today.
Got the dash bezel mounted. It was a pain since I had to tack weld the mounts in with the dash cover in place to keep the bezel in the right location. But, I got-r-done. Might work on the steering column next.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h4-26-08-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...h4-26-08-1.jpg

Looks great!!!!!! I certainly do like the way you're putting everything together on it Pro, all the extra work and careful planning is obviously going to result in a very well built and super fine detailed Hot Rod!!!! Congrats on all the work, and thanks for keeping us all drooling over your craftsmanship!!!!

Thanks Dave. The details take a lot of time. But, I don't have to tell you that. You been down that road a few times over the years. :cool:

Well there a lot of good threads on a single build but I have scattered my stuff around a lot of different threads and taken a year off for writing, but now I am making some progress. Also I was shamed into cleaning up my garage when I saw Ken Thurm's "living room shop" complete with a rug and venetian blinds so I put in some shelves and discovered that my workbench top is really plywood, since I had not seen it for several years. Before I go on I note that the wrenches arranged in order are the way I have worked for many years so that is not a fake arrangement; I just like to find the wrenches by size. Also I note that I have probably put a lot of my earlier stuff on this thread several years ago so I guess it is OK to continue with new stuff here. The occasion is that I have stewed over a year worrying over installing the steering column and switched from a straight '80 Camarro column to a Brookville tilt column last year and then messed it up with scratches and ended up painting it three times. I still scratched it again but I am tired of repainting it so I hope some of the new polish tricks can fix the scratches. Then there is a recent thread on powder coating and I have had my Speedway aluminum wheel powder coated "clear" to give an almost luminous appearance. I had to use a flat wheel to allow possibility of entering and exiting the tight '29 cockpit so I got the zero-dish racing wheel from Speedway and it is only 13" in diameter which also gives me a bit more room, but still It is going to be tough to enter/exit the '29 when the 2" chopped top is up but I am moving ahead anyway. Actually the installation was a nightmare of trial and error but I got better with every try and some help from Spike Allen at nearby DanKel Engineering for some clean and simple machining. Then there was another thread where Tech1 defined the specs for an approved steering column. I have to farm out welding so I went with a suggestion from NTFDAY to use a castle nut fastening. I found that I could get a bolt of the correct thread with a cotter pin hole from Brattons Antique Auto parts by using the bolts that are meant to bolt the Model A transmission to the cast iron bell housing. They allowed me to not only pin the steering shaft extension but also to thread the bolts through the set screw threads AND add the castle nut with the cotter pin. Some folks prefer welding but I needed to cut and fit several times before I got it right. Here is a picture of the universals and the shaft showing the castle nut pinning.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I forgot to attach the picture so here is the pictrue showing the pin-through
with the threading and the castle nut.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Those look allot like the flaming river joints delivered to my door today.

Next after a lot of thinking I decided to put it all together and slide it through the firewall and line it up on the pinion shaft. I might as well admit this is the third shaft length tried, but my son held the big end of the column with the horn wire hole at 10 O'clock while I tapped the other end on the pinion. With his help and thinking about it for over two months we got it right to within one tooth on the pinion spline and I don't plan to change it at the pinion end again. Plenty of "extreme strength" loctite was used on all the fittings. (You can see shaft-1 which was too short next to the screw drivers. Shaft-2 was destroyed when the machinist did not tighten the vice enough in the milling machine; he is human too!)

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Now we were on a roll after a frustrating six weeks of messing around so I installed the Grant wheel kit with the zero-dish racing wheel from Speedway. You can't see the front but it has "corncob" knobs in the front side for fingure grips and they are shiny. The whole wheel was coated clear powder coating but I think I will have to scrape some of the aluminum under the horn button for electrical contact. Today I just wanted to get it all together and check out the alignment of the front wheels and to see if it would "steer"; it does! I wanted the "Y" of the three spoke wheel up top to allow for a speedometer in the dash right in front of the wheel. The luminous aluminum-silver of the wheel contrasted to the metallic maroon paint looks good to me!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Nice work Don, real pretty to look at......AND properly done. :toocool:

Gary, that windshield bar looks like it might have come stock on the car. If you're not lookin' for it, you don't see it. Niiiiiiiiiice. :toocool:

Maybe I have made too much out of this, but I ought to get get credit for not saying the thousand bad words I have thought about this frustrating trial-and-error alignment. IC2 was worried about difficulty turning with a small wheel but it turns easily, maybe due to the radial tires on the front. This last picture might look like the wheel is too high, but when I sit in my pride-and-joy $15 Dodge van seat the top of the wheel just comes to the edge of the bottom of the windshield so visibility is not impaired any worse than by that bulbous windshield wiper motor. I wish I was handy enough to put the wiper motor in the cowl but that looks too hard for my limited skill.

ProZ, those universals were ordered through SPEEDWAY and a hole was drillied on the opposite side of the set screw threaded hole so that the cotter pin 5/16" bolt can go through the shaft (with slathered loctite) through the set screw threads (more loctite) and then fastened further with the castle nut (loctite again) and a cotter pin. My goal is to gain VA state inspection AND NSRA inspection but there is no intention to race this detuned 350 now; I am even going back to 1.5 rockers on the intake valves so for your interest I will have specs just slightly better and the same cam as the '77 Z28.

Thanks a million Tech1! I rely on you for safety tips!

That's all folks!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Gary, that windshield bar looks like it might have come stock on the car. If you're not lookin' for it, you don't see it. Niiiiiiiiiice. :toocool:

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Thanks Richard. That is about the only place I could put it. The gauge bezel and dash don't leave but about 1/4" tolerance. But it does fit.

Don your project is looking good. Really coming together nice.

That looks great, Don. I love the dash color, it's what my wife wants on the Plymouth. What color is that?
I've really been enjoying crusing my beater truck, had it out almost evry day lately. I got a piece of birch plywood and stained it for the bed, and added an old spotlight from the boneyard. I figured after selling of parts from the donor car, It cost me about $1700.00. Not counting labor, of course.:D

The color has a code for a paint mixer which I could get if necessary but really it was just a color I picked out of a chart of about 200 possibilities. The Haskins Body Shop called it "Haskins Merlot"

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Parts are on back order & one joint had to be returned.
So, I used the time this afternoon to make an aluminum housing for a pillow block bearing that will support the steering column at the firewall.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ockbearing.jpg

Worked on the dash where the intercooler had to be cut in. Little fiberglass reconfiguring.

ProZ, you can see in my pictures a very small drill press that my wife gave me for Christmas. I recently bought a two-axis moveable vise-stage that you can also see. I would like to occasionally do some some simple milling using slow hand-crank motion of the stage but I do not know where to get a milling bit. I think a 0.25" spiral mill bit should work with slight side pressure on the drill press chuck, at least for aluminum. Can you suggest a source or size for a bit? Maybe a 0.25" diameter bit is too large and I should be looking for a small diameter bit? At present, I usually approach small jobs with the hand held Dremel tool which can really cut but it requires a very steady hand! I am impressed with the precision of the X-Y vise mainly because it holds the position much more steady than I can by hand. Of course this is no CNC mill but with a general purpose bit I could probably carve out a few things, at least from aluminum. I know this setup is just slightly better than a toy but I think I could do some occasional milling with a suitable spiral bit?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

For aluminum I just use a carbide router bit. I did the pillow block housing with a 1/4" carbide 2 flute straight bit. I have a table top drill press/mill that I use occasionally. I use the same bits in it.

For steel I use a 4 flute end mill bit. I get them through the mail from Hemly Tool Supply, Inc. 1-800-445-1068.

Got the back half of the housing cut out today. Now all I need are those back ordered steering column parts.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...gFirewall1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...gFirewall2.jpg

I got one last thing done this weekend. I pulled the old dash out & used the glove box as a plug to make this mold. Got a couple little places to touch up and then I can make up a couple fiberglass glove boxes to finish off around the intercooler. The door has that imitation leather pattern, & the Camaro logo. They came out O.K. so far.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...shglovebox.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

The color has a code for a paint mixer which I could get if necessary but really it was just a color I picked out of a chart of about 200 possibilities. The Haskins Body Shop called it "Haskins Merlot"

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

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Very slick choice, indeed.

Little steering column mock-up tonight. The Mark Williams quick release hub came today.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...umnmock-up.jpg

Truck is looking great Falcon, everything really came together well. Is it as fun to drive as it looks?

Maybe I shouldn't admit this but I went to a big box store today and bought a couple pipe couplings for column mounts. I turned the inside to size. That required shaving the top half of the threads out. I'll call the threads that are left "Knurling" :lol: :lol: Turned the outside down and left a lip on each side of the clamp to hold it in place. cut it in half so it's got the ''clevite bearing'' thing goin' on. Fits like a glove.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...lumnmounts.jpg

Pro,
You just never stop with amazing me on how you think outside the box!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brickman

Truck is looking great Falcon, everything really came together well. Is it as fun to drive as it looks?

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Just call me Jed Clampit; kind of sounds and rides like an old farm tractor but a blast nonetheless!
Great idea on that column mount, Pro! What's the clamp from?

The clamp is just a hose clamp from Big "R" Little heavier duty than the worm gear type and won't work loose like the worm gear ones do sometimes.

Well the weather is good and the garage is warm so I am in a "Git 'er done" mood until about June 1 when I have to get ready to teach an intense nine week summer course to earn some funds for a top and unholstery in the roadster. I always liked this picture which I copied from the CarNut site BEFORE they locked their pictures. Note the running boards. If anyone knows the owner of this neat roadster I would like to know to maybe compare notes. If my roadster gets to 85% of this apparently real steel original I would be very happy!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I rolled my ankle three or four times getting in and out of the roadster while trying not to step on the running board. The last time was close to a sprained ankle so I just had to git 'er done and was inspired by the previous picture. Besides I was able to get some aluminum diamond plate for about the same price as a step plate and I needed to reinforce the "bouncy" 'glass running boards. I bolted the diamond plate on top of the 'glass running board and added a 2" wide strip of 1/4" aluminum along the under edge of the 'glass for added strength. It is a bit gaudy and against the general "dechromed" school of rodding taste but the previous picture looks pretty good with bright running boards so here is what I have now. Now I can step up into the cockpit without worrying if the 'glass running boards will crack. I used stainless carriage bolts with nice rounded heads and they are essentially invisible in the picture. This will be a "ten foot car" that looks good from ten feet away! The reflection "speckles" are an unexpected and perhaps undesireable effect.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don,
You scared me - I thought you were up and running already with that first photo.

You could do this as well. tho I do have steel RB's.

DennyW, that's an interesting idea. The reason I did not just add a step plate alone was because I really needed reinforcement strength but maybe now I have something to bolt a step plate to with more substance than the bouncy 'glass. I was afraid putting four holes in the 'glass alone would lead to a board which would break at the holes; now there is more strength but with only a bit more weight.

IC2, putting stock boards on would have involved cutting the one-piece-floor-fenders of the Bebops body. I considered just putting rubber on the glass but that lacked strength, so now I have the diamond plate complete with "speckles". I could fake quick progress by putting on the radiator, shell and hood but that would ignore the big challenge of the wiring problem!

For those interested in details of a Bebops body I note that Bebops recommends "chopping" the running board brackets but I avoided the cutting and rewelding (of an unknown amount) by putting the 1/4" aluminum strip under the edge of the 'glass board. In the front, the added 1/4" matched up pretty well but I had to use spacer washers under the aluminum strip in order to meet the lower stock rear running board brackets. Although most of the "downhill" look of my car is due to the big/little tires and the 5" dropped axle, it is not clear to me why the body sits higher on the frame in the rear, but I don't plan to change it now and for sure I don't plan to put a mirror under the chassis for a show car. My goal is to drive it and have it look good in a parking lot and that is it.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Falcon sounds like your having to much fun driving the truck .

Pro really admire the craftsmanship it takes to build this type of car .

Well before this summer cold set in monday i was in garage and installed all the hard lines for brakes . Then It came to me i didnt have the rubber lines for it . So Sunday was a call to NPD and they where delivered Tuesday but still not ready to get back in there yet. Colds S^^k this time of year .

Well I went for a ride in my 27 T today. I rode shotrun because I haven't moved the drivers seat back so I can get my long legs under the steering wheel. My friend Wayne checked out the coils and I started it with the crank and then Wayne said lets go for a ride. We went around the section (4 miles), about 3/4 of a mile from my son's place it boiled over right when Wayne was signaling with his had out the window and it got all covered with antifreeze (second picture show hood and windshield wet with antifreeze).:whacked:

He said it rode and drove very nice for a stock T. He suggested that I get the radiator cleaned and take a look at the cam gear, pull the starter and fix it and to have the coils up dated. I pulled the radiator out right after he left and will rip into the rest tomorrow.

Really wanted to get a 26 T coupe done before diving in on the 27 but it's more important for Dave to get well than for him to over work himself on my project.

Also tomorrow I have to bleed the brakes on my 20 year old motorcycle so I can start getting some great gas milage:D