Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Looks good Don

Lookin good Don! The beer that is. My 302 in the garage is really looking lonely all by it's lonesome self. It needs a T bucket body around it. heh

Thanks guys.

Don

This is sort of a Sunday and Monday update, because I left my camera at the shop Sunday night.

Sunday I worked on derigging the wiring harness from the cowl roll bar and stored it away until the body is painted and it is needed. Before I did that I took the time to make some detailed drawings of the various circuits so that I know how to put this harness back in when that time comes. Even in one day I had forgotten where some wires went and had to retrace them, so I can imagine in a couple of months I won't remember where any of it goes.

Obviously, I am not a Draftsman, because my schematics are crude, but they are accurate, and should keep me out of trouble when I need to refer to them. I also tagged some wires under the dash with masking tape and notes written on it so I know where those loose wires go.

Charlie (cffisher) asked if I was sure I hadn't forgotten anything, and darned if he wasn't right. When I started doing the schematics I found I had wired my gauge hot lead to my light switch rather than the ignition switch. The way I had it , my gauges only would have worked only when my lights were on, and the correct way is when the ignition is on. So, I made that little change and it is ok now. I also forgot to run 12 volt power to my proposed tach location, so I did that while I was at it.

Here are some pictures of the crude (very) schematics I did. These will go in my build book for future reference and repairs.


Oh, on the fuse circuit schematic you will see the letters AH and KEY. What this means is that cars have two circuits. One is Always Hot (AH) and the other is only hot when the KEY is on. Things like headlights, taillights, and brake lights are always hot, and almost everything else goes off with the KEY. Just wanted to clear that up.

Tonight after work I spent more time working out the details of the master cylinder/ brake pedal mounting. You need a very strong mount for both of these items, especially the pedal, because your foot can really put some force on the pedal. In a panic stop situation you almost want to put your foot through the floorboard, so the mount has to be very strong.

I played with a few designs, and finally decided to not reinvent the wheel. Total Performance has a combination pedal and steering box mount that they sell, and I had one in the shop for the other T to look at. I didn't want to cut it up to fit this application, so I duplicated the way they do the pedal portion of that mount. They use a large piece of angle iron, and slice off a section and weld a tube into it to pass the pedal pivot bolt through. So I cut up a piece of angle and welded a tube into it and this is what I came up with.

That piece will be welded to the frame, and the bolt that passes through it will also go through the pedal so it pivots on that bolt. I will weld a 3/8 inch thick piece of plate to the frame and tap it for 5/8 inch threads so the pivot bolt will thread into that plate.

The mocked up pedal assembly looks like this.

Once that is welded to the frame I can position the master cylinder mount behind it, and weld it on also. It will look like this when in place. I am also going to make up a tapered skid plate that runs from the master cylinder mount forward and upward to the frame bottom side. The idea of this is that the master cylinder is below the frame by about an inch, so in case I ever hit something on the road I want this area protected and sort of a ramp for the object to slide on . That skid plate will come later on.

I may also tie the angle iron piece to the master cylinder mount with a piece of strap iron, even though Total Performance doesn't do that. I won't know until it is all welded up if I feel more support is needed.

Tomorrow night I will try to wrap up this part of the build so I can move on to mounting the steering box.

Thanks for looking,

Don

Thanks Denny. I'm gonna have to get you to do some artwork for the T. The one you came up with for Brian is awesome.

Don

Don the diagrams just right, there USEABLE which is the reason you generated them in the first place. Down the road if you ever have to refer to them they are a invaluable.

I like Denny, I really am enjoying following along with your build.

Thanks Mike. By the way, I printed out your tripower carb thread today at work, and I didn't realize it but I tied up our printer for a while. People kept asking "what is this hot rod club stuff that keeps coming out of the printer." A few customers had to wait to get their receipts, but this hot rod stuff has to come first, you know.


Don

PS: Isn't it amazing how many wires there are in a car? This one is just a bare bones hot rod. Can you imagine it with air conditioning, stereo, electric windows, wipers, etc.???

".....PS: Isn't it amazing how many wires there are in a car? This one is just a bare bones hot rod. Can you imagine it with air conditioning, stereo, electric windows, wipers, etc.???......"

With the Plymouth add to that list.....cruise control, dome, trunk and under hood lighting, dual electric fuel pumps, reverb, illuminated ashtray and lighter, backup lights, heater and a bunch I know I'm forgetting.

It's a good thing I enjoy doing wiring.

REVERB I remember them from the 60s you'd hit a bump or R/R tracks and it would make a noise like your fenders feel off.

I think I still have 2 of them out in the shed.

Originally Posted by cffisher

REVERB I remember them from the 60s you'd hit a bump or R/R tracks and it would make a noise like your fenders feel off.

I think I still have 2 of them out in the shed.

Yeah, we were really cool if we had a reverb. Combined with some red or blue truck clearance lights under the dash and we were ready for the back row at the drive in.

I had one of the first 4 track tape players to come out, and then I was really ready to rock.

Don

Although I never owned one I remember reverb units in cars. I had one on a old guitar amp though.
It was funny when you banged on the top of it, boyinyinyinying,, boyinyinyinying,, boyinyinyinying

One of my earliest recollections as a kid in the early 60's was a 45 record player my brother had in his 56 Chevy.
Do any of our seasoned vetrans remember these?