Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Today was actually a pretty productive day. I just got in, and it is Midnight, and I started about 12 noon, so to say I am a little tired is an understatement. But I really got some work done today.

The first thing I did was finish up the driveshaft hoops. I welded the hoops to the angle iron supports, and made two plates for the bottom. The bottom plates are held on with grade 8 3/8 bolts, and when I need to service the driveshaft I can remove them and drop it out of the bottom. Finally I got the whole assembly welded to the crossmembers. Man, this thing weighs like 30 lbs, so it should add some strength to the frame also.

Here are some shots of the final assembly and after it was welded in place.


Don

After that I began work on the underdash steel support framework, which also supports the windshield. I decided to tie the windshield into the 1 x 1 bar that runs under the dash, and to do that I welded a couple of flat stock "ears" on either side of the crosspiece, made out of 1/4 inch thick stock. These ears are shaped like the inside of the body, right up under the dash.

I drilled and tapped these plates for 3 bolts on each side, which match 3 holes I drilled in the windshield post I built out of flat plate. When the bolts are torqued down the windshield is supported by the steel skeleton, not by fiberglass.

After I got the dash support made my Kid offered to weld the windshield posts to the plates I had made up, so we built a jig to hold everything straight and did the final welding on the windshield posts. So, for all practical purposes, the windshield is done. We got so involved working on the jig and making the posts fit that I didn't take any pictures of that phase, but here are some pictures of the final windshield mounting.

I also went to Autozone and picked up a 68 Mustang master cylinder for a car with manual drum brakes, so this week I can start making up the brake pedal and master cylinder mount.

Thanks for looking. Time for a shower and late night dinner.


Don