Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Dang, Don, Hilda and my mom are in the same retirement home. I hope you filmed the right one.

Don

you and i both oldford

Hey Don it's been awhile. I don't know if your slackin' or sneaking up to grab T42's zoomies while he's playing biker, or just can't pull yourself away from the retirement home.

Ok, you've shamed me enough. Time to get this puppy done I guess. I haven't been turning too many wrenches, but I have been making progress, by, er, ah, dialing the phone and ordering parts.

I took a quick measurement of the engine after the water pump was on it, and noticed it had grown since I did my original mock up. Summit told me I needed a long water pump and corresponding pulleys for this year engine, so I bought them. However, if I would have gone with them my water pump pulley would have been too close to the radiator shroud. So, another call to Summit, and I ordered everything all over again in the SHORT water pump configuration. Got the parts this week, and what a difference. Picked up about an inch an a half. and everything is so much more compact. Still waiting for the lower mount for the alternator, that goes on the header, and should have that this next week.

I also ordered my headers from Sanderson. I had them make me up a set of Limefire headers without the dump tubes that hook up to underbody exhaust. I am going to just run baffles in the megaphones, and I ordered them coated with the Jet Hot Ceramic Silver finish. I have that same set up on my '27, and the headers held up for years and years, so I expect the same good results from these. Sanderson are great folks to do business with, and gave me the usual good service. Should have the headers next week or so.

Finally, I cut out the new, narrower driveshaft hoops, and a new piece of plywood for the floor. I have to weld in the hoops, my battery box, and a couple of minor items and then I can start glassing in the floor. I am going to use the method Brian suggested a while back, putting plaster of paris all over the transmission (the dummy transmission) to a thickness of about 1/2 inch, then I can lay fiberglass mat on top of that to build my trans tunnel. Should start on the floor this weekend.

With some of the minor stuff out of the way I can now start hitting it pretty hard, and hopefully will have more to post in future weeks. Thanks for keeping me at it.

Here are some pictures of the LONG water pump setup, and the SHORT, as well as the new floor I cut out tonight. Oh, I got my replacement valve covers from Summit...........a hole is in each one this time.


Don

You testing the altenator mounts in the pics too Don. I know its the short side . But it did get me for a minute . Still say great color combo with chrome and aluminum .

And I thought you were out "chasing women".

Nah, can't afford both. Maybe once I get this thing running. These things are "chick magnets" you know.


Don

I work with wood everyday...well almost every day and I think I remember you saying something about boat work or you were doing boat repair......having said that I know that piece of plywood is some sort of 11 layer marine grade plywood if it stays under or in the glass. Or is that just a mold or template?
I may want to put one of these type of machines together and it never hurts to ask or learn.....

No, it's actually 3/4 inch regular exterior grade plywood. Marine would be good, but it's expensive and hard to find sometimes. I plan on encapsulating the entire piece in mat and resin, so it will never be exposed to any moisture.

The secret is to seal the edges of the plywood with resin first, that is where water can enter the plys, then after you get the plywood in place put a layer or two of mat and resin over the top, and more on the bottom.

I did my '27 this same way nearly 20 years ago, and it sat in many rains for 7 of those years (guys at work used to joke I needed a bilge pump in it ) and the floor is as solid today as when I first did it.

Yeah, I did work in the marine business for a long time (and that is probably where I will go back to for the next job) and it is surprising that even boat builders don't usually use marine grade on things like transoms, and bulkheads. I guess high end boats may, but not the average family boat, even some with very good reputations. My SeaRay had lots of particle board in it, believe it or not.

The first fiberglass car I ever did was my '27, and was determined to do it the very best way possible, using marine grade plywood, biaxial cloth, hi tech resins, etc. A good friend of mine, who is a top notch fiberglass guy steered me away, telling me just what I said above, that most boats don't use or need this stuff. Ended up he was right, and it saved me lots of money.

Good question though.


Don

When i worked at lurhs/ mainship they used standard ply also, if i was not drunk right now i would explain the processes of treating lumber. Being that i was a former building inspector in the state of fla, i was required to know this stuff, but don is right, just seal the out side good, and you will have no problems, struceraly its the same

Somebody gonna have a headache tomorrow. I'm heading for the fridge right now to see if I can catch up to you.


Don

It's Sunday night, and I actually made some progress on the T today. Yaaaaaay. I have been putting off doing the interior wooding long enough, and finally have gotten started on it.

Whenever you do a car like this, where it deviates from the "normal" T bucket designs, you create some problems for yourself that you have to overcome. In my quest to get this car as low as possible, I ended up with me and the turbo 350 tranny fighting for space in the already small cockpit. Leg and hip room is going to be tight, but I think I have it figured out to where it will be ok.

The first picture below is of the floor my Son just ordered from Total Performance for his T. It has a nice little cutout for the hump that is already fiberglassed into the body from the factory, and the transmission and driveshaft go well below the floor. Not so in mine. The tranny sits pretty high so I could get pan clearance, and the driveshaft is actually on top of the floor. (I will cut out that section of floor once I get the complete interior wooded in, but for now I want it to be as ridgid as possible.

I got the plywood cut to shape, installed my cowl roll bar, and mocked up everything for a trial sitting. Looks like it will work ok. I have knee and leg room, and now have enough hip room too. I slid a boat seat in there and planted myself for a trial run, and I fit ok. (didn't make any rum rum noises.........but I did catch a little rubber on the 1-2 upshift )

The shifter position and steering wheel seem to be in good places too, but I am going to use the 15 inch wheel I bought in the Dodge truck, and buy a 13 like in the pictures. I borrowed Dans, and it just looks more proportionate.

So there we are, I am actually moving forward , and seeing this progress is getting me stoked again. I will pick up the cream colored paint that I am going to use on the suspension tomorrow so I can spray the underdash roll bar that color. I originally painted it black, but now that the color choice has changed I need to do that before I fiberglass it into place. Once that is painted I will start wooding the body, which shouldn't take too long, I hope.

Thanks for keeping me moving guys.


Don

Orkin is on the job. I should be more worried about the wood rotting from old age from sitting so long.

Don

I see one of your bosses laying out there supervising