Stude M5 build

I wanted to use exhaust manifolds but couldn't find anything that would fit on either side. I started by using some "stainless" headers that came with my engine, I cut up one and reshaped it to fit the passenger side. I warped the flange pretty good and then I checked it with a magnet and it was plain steel with a chrome finish. So I bought some stainless U bends and header flanges and started over. I bolted the flanges to a 4 inch piece of square tubing, this time no warping. I used some of the old header tubing .

The driver's side was going to need to go around the steering. The steering had come together so nicely that I didn't want to change it to go around the exhaust.

Yep, what Denny said, absolutely brilliant and certainly made for good welding practice but the end result is worth the trouble.

Very nice work on those headers. Nice tig work too!

Times 4! They came out really good. Nice work.

That shaft is going to get hot.

Header wrap on the header and the shaft would fix it.

Thanks for compliments, they were a lot of work and I'm not a great welder but good enough to get by.

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Originally Posted by firebird77clone

That shaft is going to get hot.

Header wrap on the header and the shaft would fix it.

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That's true, I will have to see if it gets hot enough to bother the rag joint or boot at the other end. I am considering ceramic coating them which would help some to keep the heat in.

I just got caught up on this thread……what a great build I really like the way you are putting this together.

I had a 54 Studebaker ½ ton pickup several years ago that I was going to build and at a glance the cabs looked a lot alike so I was really surprised by your comments about how small the cab was. After looking at your pictures a bit more I realized just how short the cab was compared to the later trucks. I really like the way you addressed the problem…..it’s amazing what just a couple of inches more leg room can feel like.

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Originally Posted by DennyW

Just a quick suggestion. You could make a split shield to fit around the steering shaft, or a heat shield over the header pipe. Deflector so to speak. Motorcycles use that style a lot.

Attachment 66601

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Good idea, I did some little stainless heat shields like that on my miata build.

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Originally Posted by Mike P

I just got caught up on this thread……what a great build I really like the way you are putting this together.

I had a 54 Studebaker ½ ton pickup several years ago that I was going to build and at a glance the cabs looked a lot alike so I was really surprised by your comments about how small the cab was. After looking at your pictures a bit more I realized just how short the cab was compared to the later trucks. I really like the way you addressed the problem…..it’s amazing what just a couple of inches more leg room can feel like.

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I've been test fitting stuff with one of my miata seats in there and I think I'm going to get a pair for it. They are very compact, the back is really slim which helps with leg room and they are pretty comfortable.

Wanted to keep the AC down low but there wasn't room with the stock bracket so I made a new bracket out of steel. It was very challenging to make, the tensioner was tricky to get right.

Also had a power steering hose made up using part of the chevy and part of the ford hose. I got a pressure reducing kit for the pump from ebay because the chevy pump has too much pressure for the ford. So the power steering is good to go.

Very nice work. I used to love to make pretty brackets when doing engine swaps. Also, I would rather make a custom bracket and run the Ford pump.

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Man that looks nice! Great Job.