37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[Irelands child]

Randy

Got my replacement hood sides from Rootlieb - and of course they were the wrong ones so back they went and, hopefully, the right ones are enroute. I had ordered plain sides, no louvers, no hardware or hardware holes. They sent stock Model A hood sides with the great long ugly OEM louvers. Should have the replacements for the replacements Monday or Tuesday.

The trunk lid, rear fenders and a few other assorted pieces are now straight, smooth and lump free waiting some polyester primer and final 600 grit sanding. headway is s-l-o-o-o-w but at least there is some. I'm glad that I'm not trying to make a living doing this kind of work

How are you making out with seam sealing and final welding in of the firewall?

Dave

[randyr]

Randy

Got my replacement hood sides from Rootlieb - and of course they were the wrong ones so back they went and, hopefully, the right ones are enroute. I had ordered plain sides, no louvers, no hardware or hardware holes. They sent stock Model A hood sides with the great long ugly OEM louvers. Should have the replacements for the replacements Monday or Tuesday.

The trunk lid, rear fenders and a few other assorted pieces are now straight, smooth and lump free waiting some polyester primer and final 600 grit sanding. headway is s-l-o-o-o-w but at least there is some. I'm glad that I'm not trying to make a living doing this kind of work

How are you making out with seam sealing and final welding in of the firewall?

Dave

Hey Dave,
Sorry about the hood sides. That's always a drag when they don't get your order right, especially when you try so hard to make it clear what you want. When you get the right ones, I do hope you've learned your lesson about where to put them when cleaning out the garage....

I've been sidetracked from my car for the last few days working on other projects. I think I mentioned that I got most of the welding done on the firewall using the argon mix. I'm anxious to get it ground down and smoothed out. I ran out of argon rather quickly it seemed.....they recommended about 22lbs of pressure for welding indoors. I shut the valve off when I wasn't welding. It's not that expensive though, so I'll get some more.

I know what you mean about the sloooowww headway....LOL.....we'd be ok if we charged by the hour but it'd really suck to be the one paying us by the hour!

Hopefully will have some progress to report by the first of the week.....
Randy

[Irelands child]

Randy,
What size gas bottle did you get - the biggest I could buy was a 40cf but I know that a 20cf is available as well. The 20's don't last but about 30 minutes or less and the 40's about an hour.

I, for sure, do understand the "other projects" deal. It's spring here after a normal winter of rain, snow, cold, etc and the stack of "honey-do's" is long.

My honey is calling to do something.

Later,
Dave

[randyr]

Randy,
What size gas bottle did you get - the biggest I could buy was a 40cf but I know that a 20cf is available as well. The 20's don't last but about 30 minutes or less and the 40's about an hour.

I, for sure, do understand the "other projects" deal. It's spring here after a normal winter of rain, snow, cold, etc and the stack of "honey-do's" is long.

My honey is calling to do something.

Later,
Dave

I think mine is a 20cf. It was an extra bottle that came with a small acetelyne welder/torch that I bought a while back. I just attached my mig guages & filled it up. It was brand new. I guess 30 min. is about right. That's probably how long I had it on...maybe a little longer.

Did you notice we're up over 1700 views? Who knew??

Enjoy your "honey-do's"......it also comes in melon form, which is often easier to digest...

[Irelands child]

Randy,
Got my replacement - replacement hood sides today. A bit of surface rust but this time are correct 'as ordered'. Now I've got to go prime them if not too hot in my garage - from snow to 85+ degrees in 10 days and 89 in the garage.

[randyr]

Randy,
Got my replacement - replacement hood sides today. A bit of surface rust but this time are correct 'as ordered'. Now I've got to go prime them if not too hot in my garage - from snow to 85+ degrees in 10 days and 89 in the garage.

Hey Dave,

Congrats on getting the right hood sides. Is 89 degrees too hot for the primer or just too hot for you? LOL...

I finally got to do some work on my car today. I fitted and welded the firewall extensions and the cowl vent filler piece. They turned out pretty good I think though I still have a few things to learn about welding. They used to have auto shop/welding classes at Santa Monica College around the corner from me but they closed their auto shop program a few years ago. I gotta find a class before I tackle something that's going to be really visible. A skim coat of good filler will take care of any of my imperfections so far though and I'm okay with that.

Tomorrow, I hope to prime and seal the floors and depending on how long it takes the sealer to cure, maybe get a coat of paint on them.

There's also a nice little car show in Culver City tomorrow (about 2 miles from me) that I'll have to drop by for a while. They'll have over 400 cars and most of them are really nice.....streetrods, hotrods, customs, etc. It's an annual event.

Here's a quick shot of my firewall extentions.....they look much better than the pic....the light reflects funny off the grinding I did......more later.

Randy

[Irelands child]

Hey Dave,

Congrats on getting the right hood sides. Is 89 degrees too hot for the primer or just too hot for you? LOL...
........................
Here's a quick shot of my firewall extentions.....they look much better than the pic....the light reflects funny off the grinding I did......more later.

Randy

Hi Randy,
Been busy, as usual but am slowly getting everything ready for some more base epoxy primer then polyester heavy fill primer, possibly today, but more likely tomorrow - some honey-dos need to be attended to before playing with my toys.

In this part of the country 89 degrees at this time of year along with high humidity and no breeze is beyond oppressive in my shop/garage.

If you are priming - are you using an epoxy? you are in a high humidity area as well and all the protection you can get is the way to go.

The firewall looks great - the welds seem fine by photo as long as you do't overgrind like I have a tendency to do so they end up cracking and then I need to redo them. Taking a picture that looks good of a weld after grinding can be a study in futility - the grind marks reflect light in strange directions.

I haven't been to a car show yet tho there usually are some small local ones by now but really haven't seen any advertised. Probably first that I'll be going to will most likely be the NSRA East Nationals at York, PA, 6/1-6/3. They have between 4 and 6000 cars, depending on the gas prices, we just reached $2.999/3.059 a gallon, and weather. I'm selling surplus treasures again at their swap meet, but this year is really only a good excuse to park inside with my truck as I am almost out of all I want to get rid of for now.

[randyr]

In this part of the country 89 degrees at this time of year along with high humidity and no breeze is beyond oppressive in my shop/garage.

If you are priming - are you using an epoxy? you are in a high humidity area as well and all the protection you can get is the way to go.

The firewall looks great - the welds seem fine by photo as long as you do't overgrind like I have a tendency to do so they end up cracking and then I need to redo them.
I haven't been to a car show yet tho there usually are some small local ones by now but really haven't seen any advertised. Probably first that I'll be going to will most likely be the NSRA East Nationals at York, PA, 6/1-6/3. They have between 4 and 6000 cars, depending on the gas prices, we just reached $2.999/3.059 a gallon, and weather.

Believe me, I know about heat & humidity....I'm originally from Oklahoma where the summers are often 100-110* plus the humidity! It's like Thailand with a drawl! LOL!

Thanks for the firewall comments. Hopefully, I didn't overgrind. I think I may have overwelded so there was plenty to grind...LOL! I see the articles in the car magazines where they weld a seam together, grind it down and it hardly needs any filler. Speaking of filler, I've ordered a quart of Evercoat Metal 2 Metal filler for these areas around the firewall & cowl. I read good reviews for it. What do you use? As for the primer, I wish I could use the epoxy, but unless it comes in a spray can, I can't really use it since I don't have a spray rig. I got a high quality self-etching primer from the autobody supply store that will have to do for now. Just figured I'd paint the underside with a high quality chassis paint. I've considered painting the inside floors with Rust Bullet or POR15 before covering them with Dynamat. Any thoughts on that?

I'll look for that "brushable" seam sealer today that you suggested. I had one tube of 3m's seam sealer that's applied with a caulking gun. I used it successfully in most places on the underside but the snout on the tube wasn't quite long enough to get the areas where the seam is right over the frame. I think I can get in there with a brush.

The Culver City car show didn't seem as impressive as last year. Perhaps it's because there weren't any cars like mine & I wanted to compare notes...lol
There were a few streetrods, though, lots of 60's-70's muscle cars, which are all the rage now, some low-riders, pro-streeters, kit cars, and rat rods. There was also an obnoxious amount of 50's music blasting thru tinney speakers hoisted up on stands all along the sidewalks! It was driving me nuts! LOL!

[Irelands child]

Believe me, I know about heat & humidity....I'm originally from Oklahoma where the summers are often 100-110* plus the humidity! It's like Thailand with a drawl! LOL!

Thanks for the firewall comments. Hopefully, I didn't overgrind. I think I may have overwelded so there was plenty to grind...LOL! I see the articles in the car magazines where they weld a seam together, grind it down and it hardly needs any filler. Speaking of filler, I've ordered a quart of Evercoat Metal 2 Metal filler for these areas around the firewall & cowl. I read good reviews for it. What do you use? As for the primer, I wish I could use the epoxy, but unless it comes in a spray can, I can't really use it since I don't have a spray rig. I got a high quality self-etching primer from the autobody supply store that will have to do for now. Just figured I'd paint the underside with a high quality chassis paint. I've considered painting the inside floors with Rust Bullet or POR15 before covering them with Dynamat. Any thoughts on that?

I'll look for that "brushable" seam sealer today that you suggested. I had one tube of 3m's seam sealer that's applied with a caulking gun. I used it successfully in most places on the underside but the snout on the tube wasn't quite long enough to get the areas where the seam is right over the frame. I think I can get in there with a brush.

The Culver City car show didn't seem as impressive as last year. Perhaps it's because there weren't any cars like mine & I wanted to compare notes...lol
There were a few streetrods, though, lots of 60's-70's muscle cars, which are all the rage now, some low-riders, pro-streeters, kit cars, and rat rods. There was also an obnoxious amount of 50's music blasting thru tinney speakers hoisted up on stands all along the sidewalks! It was driving me nuts! LOL!

Thankfully the temps have retreated for a while here - as a matter of fact it was below freezing a few miles North of me this morning, but only 39 here and going to about 72 or so today. Oklahoma - been there often - one of my turbine customers was Phillips Petroleum. A nice place, but really don't want to live there.

Most of the Evercoat products are pretty good. I'm using their Rage filler right now and eventually would like to try the Extreme.

Don't you have a small compressor? If so, then all you need is a cheapy spray gun from Harbor Freight to spray epoxy primer. My favorite is Southern Polyurethane but DuPont's Nason line is fine tho the Nason paint line leaves something to be desired. A note, self etching primer like DuPont's Variprime is NOT waterproof. It's a tie coat to their acryllic enamel paints like Centari and is considered old technology. Here care a couple of threads from another site:

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/my-t...ight=Variprime

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/fill...ight=Variprime

These and other similar were very educational for me as my technogy base was way dated. And you might even see my 'name' there as well!!

POR-15 and Rust Bullet have their place but really work best over some surface rust and do degrade unless top coated with their sealer. I had put some POR-15 on the rolled lip on the underside of my rear fenders and on the body reinforcing. Most of it simply peeled off when I sanded them for epoxy.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/anot...ghlight=POR-15

Car shows are interesting - and an "open" show even more so as people park where they want - a '30's rod parked next to a '73 Mustang parked next to a sporty car. All you can do is wander and hope you see something that interests you. While I like a lot of the '50 - '70's music, eardrum shredding and tinny don't do it for me. Let the people enjoy talking without shouting. I have the same problem in Home Desperate and Lowes and even local department and grocery stores. Some of the modern music is dreadful, played too loud and many of the artistes seem to feel that shreiking the lyrics is better .

Later,

[randyr]

Hey Dave,
I inquired on the tech line of Southern Polyurethane about their epoxy primer. He said the self-etching primer should come off before applying epoxy. It may be fine in the short run but he couldn't speak to how long it may last but leaving it and shooting the epoxy over it.

I have a small compressor but would certainly need a low-volume spray guy to minimize overspray, etc, giving my garage situation. Doesn't epoxy require a special respirator as well?

How's it going with your hood sides, etc? Are you shooting paint yet?

Can you believe this thing is now over 1900 views???

Randy

[Irelands child]

Hey Dave,
I inquired on the tech line of Southern Polyurethane about their epoxy primer. He said the self-etching primer should come off before applying epoxy. It may be fine in the short run but he couldn't speak to how long it may last but leaving it and shooting the epoxy over it.

I have a small compressor but would certainly need a low-volume spray guy to minimize overspray, etc, giving my garage situation. Doesn't epoxy require a special respirator as well?

How's it going with your hood sides, etc? Are you shooting paint yet?

Can you believe this thing is now over 1900 views???

Randy

Hi Randy,
I have a feeling others are watching - and you can be rest assured if we say something wrong, we will hear about it.

If you called SPI you probably talked to Barry, the owner. He is opinionated and fun to talk to - he and I tend to settle ALL the world's problems whenever we talk. His paints are rated extremely well by a lot of pros and are significantly cheaper as he doesn't have to sponsor NA$CAR folks like Jeff Gordon or advertise heavily.

The epoxy should be on bare steel for the best coverage. The etch primer will not allow proper adhesion to the steel and eventually, the crosslinking of the molecular structure with your final paint. If you use the self etch as your primary primer, the new base coat paints can possibly cause a paint lift problem. Self etch is OK under an older acryllic paint like DuPont Centari, but not good under the new stuff.

Did you ask SPI for a copy of their tech manual? This is a good ref doc for SPI

If you have only a small compressor, i.e. 1-2Hp and a 12 to 20 gallon tank, and 4-6 CFM output @40psig, you might be best off with a Sears mid line siphon feed gun. There will be some overspray, regardless, but you probably wont PO too many folks. As far as a mask, as long as you stay away from isocyanates (like in cyanide), you wont need anything more then a North or 3M carbon filter half mask, chemical style goggles rather then the standard grinding goggles and Harbor Freight nitrile gloves. If you start to spray an iso paint or clear coat then you need to consider as supplied air system - which I have.

My hood sides are ready to paint - I had a belly bug and got sidelined for a couple of days of not much headway . Tomorrow is the day!! Hood sides, tops of the front fenders , and touch up any other bare spots, then on to polyester primer, final block sanding, another thin coat of epoxy, a bit of touch up sanding then PAINT !!!!!

[randyr]

If you called SPI you probably talked to Barry, the owner. He is opinionated and fun to talk to - he and I tend to settle ALL the world's problems whenever we talk. His paints are rated extremely well by a lot of pros and are significantly cheaper as he doesn't have to sponsor NA$CAR folks like Jeff Gordon or advertise heavily.

The epoxy should be on bare steel for the best coverage. The etch primer will not allow proper adhesion to the steel and eventually, the crosslinking of the molecular structure with your final paint. If you use the self etch as your primary primer, the new base coat paints can possibly cause a paint lift problem. Self etch is OK under an older acryllic paint like DuPont Centari, but not good under the new stuff.

Did you ask SPI for a copy of their tech manual? This is a good ref doc for SPI

If you have only a small compressor, i.e. 1-2Hp and a 12 to 20 gallon tank, and 4-6 CFM output @40psig, you might be best off with a Sears mid line siphon feed gun. There will be some overspray, regardless, but you probably wont PO too many folks. As far as a mask, as long as you stay away from isocyanates (like in cyanide), you wont need anything more then a North or 3M carbon filter half mask, chemical style goggles rather then the standard grinding goggles and Harbor Freight nitrile gloves. If you start to spray an iso paint or clear coat then you need to consider as supplied air system - which I have.

My hood sides are ready to paint - I had a belly bug and got sidelined for a couple of days of not much headway . Tomorrow is the day!! Hood sides, tops of the front fenders , and touch up any other bare spots, then on to polyester primer, final block sanding, another thin coat of epoxy, a bit of touch up sanding then PAINT !!!!!

Actually, I only had an email exchange with Barry. I tend to make a lot of my inquiries long after the east coasters have gone to bed. I read their steps to a good paint job on their website and it really makes me want to paint my own car! I just need to befriend someone with a fairly dust free garage or a guy with a body shop who'll let me work on mine on the side. In the meantime I just gotta make due. It sounds like you're kinda following their process, too.

This whole epoxy thing is slowing me down, but I think it's a good move for the long haul. However, probably the only rain this car will ever see will be from a water hose! LOL....actually, road trips often end up with rain on some part of the tour.

[randyr]

Hey Dave,

In honor of our 2010th viewing and the fact that we haven't posted anything in 10 days, I'm posting a couple of new pics.
I temporarily put the engine back in my car so I could fit the steering column, brake pedal, etc and know what the clearance issues were going to be. I think going with the big-block firewall was a good idea even though I resisted at first. It will still present some challenges with the brake pedal & gas pedal but I think I'd have those challenges anyway.

I think the engine looks pretty cool in there and I can't wait to get closer to starting it up! For now I just bolted it up to the trans without the converter or flexplate.

Per your recommendation, I order some epoxy primer from the SPI boys but haven't received it yet. I haven't talked to Barry yet, but Terry who processes the orders, seems like a great guy. The self-etching primer that I already sprayed on the under side of floors will have to come off but I'm hoping it will mostly wash off with laquer thinner. I need to get it all sprayed soon because surface rust is starting to happen on the floorboards inside the car.

I spent some time at PickaPart yesterday gathering up a few odds and ends like a potential emergency brake handle mechansim, etc. I got a floor mount one from a late 80's firebird which I think I can install at least partially between the front seats so it doesn't draw much attention but functions well.

I'm kinda wishing I got the floor mount shifter from Lokar instead of the trans mount. That may have given me more mounting flexibility. I'm also thinking that the 23" shifter maybe be a little taller than I really want. A 16" may have been perfect. Maybe Lokar with trade the shifter lever only with me when I know for sure....

Anyway, I hope you're having a nice Memorial Day weekend. You probably have your car all painted by now, right?? LOL

Randy

[Irelands child]

Hey Dave,

In honor of our 2010th viewing and the fact that we haven't posted anything in 10 days, I'm posting a couple of new pics.
I temporarily put the engine back in my car so I could fit the steering column, brake pedal, etc and know what the clearance issues were going to be. I think going with the big-block firewall was a good idea even though I resisted at first. It will still present some challenges with the brake pedal & gas pedal but I think I'd have those challenges anyway.

I think the engine looks pretty cool in there and I can't wait to get closer to starting it up! For now I just bolted it up to the trans without the converter or flexplate.

Per your recommendation, I order some epoxy primer from the SPI boys but haven't received it yet. I haven't talked to Barry yet, but Terry who processes the orders, seems like a great guy. The self-etching primer that I already sprayed on the under side of floors will have to come off but I'm hoping it will mostly wash off with laquer thinner. I need to get it all sprayed soon because surface rust is starting to happen on the floorboards inside the car.

I spent some time at PickaPart yesterday gathering up a few odds and ends like a potential emergency brake handle mechansim, etc. I got a floor mount one from a late 80's firebird which I think I can install at least partially between the front seats so it doesn't draw much attention but functions well.

I'm kinda wishing I got the floor mount shifter from Lokar instead of the trans mount. That may have given me more mounting flexibility. I'm also thinking that the 23" shifter maybe be a little taller than I really want. A 16" may have been perfect. Maybe Lokar with trade the shifter lever only with me when I know for sure....

Anyway, I hope you're having a nice Memorial Day weekend. You probably have your car all painted by now, right?? LOL

Randy

Randy
Looking great - and when you get that pointy nosed '37 front sheet metal on, it will look even better. Are you using an electric fuel pump or is the pump mount only blocked for engine paint? I started with an electric pump but decided that I much prefer the mechanical - and with a Ford, a PITA as most gas tanks are made for a Chebbie, and the line runs down the right side

You will be happy with the SPI epoxy. Don't be afraid to over reduce it a bit - up to 10-15% for smoother coverage as it is quite heavy with the activator itself. You talked to Terry Baker, the owner - good guy to work with for car paint stuff. The etch primer should wash right off - nitrile gloves and a mask is a good idea - thinner can put you in la-la land for a few hours. Been there ...... .

I can't picture the Firebird e-brake handle - but usually the floor mounts are pretty simple. I had always used Pinto's and had a couple of extras until last year when I sold 'em. Something to consider is mounting it crosswise in front of the driver's seat.

If you don't like the 23" Lokar, they do sell the 16" arm separately. I did the same thing and changed to the shorter version. An easy change that direction, but you can't go back again. I have my resevations on the floorboard version though. I think if I was to go that way, I'd probably go for a B&M cable version as they do work well - even their cheapest Z-Gate.

All of my 24-26 separate, individual big and small pieces have been reprimed, the first block sanding done and now to "correcting" the air pops and other scrapes and gouges with "Icing", another block and prime. THEN PAINT. And this week will be a short one as I'm off to the NSRA York, PA Nationals Thursday morning to sell my surplus treasures. I'll do a bunch of pictures as well and post, probably on the Photobucket or Sony sites. I'll try for some '37s as well (other then the Coast to Coast/Oze's creations). My old time '37 fave, is the oddball Club Coupe.

Gotta get sanding - good weather is here.

Later

[randyr]

Randy
Looking great - and when you get that pointy nosed '37 front sheet metal on, it will look even better. Are you using an electric fuel pump or is the pump mount only blocked for engine paint? I started with an electric pump but decided that I much prefer the mechanical - and with a Ford, a PITA as most gas tanks are made for a Chebbie, and the line runs down the right side

You will be happy with the SPI epoxy. Don't be afraid to over reduce it a bit - up to 10-15% for smoother coverage as it is quite heavy with the activator itself. You talked to Terry Baker, the owner - good guy to work with for car paint stuff. The etch primer should wash right off - nitrile gloves and a mask is a good idea - thinner can put you in la-la land for a few hours. Been there ...... .

I can't picture the Firebird e-brake handle - but usually the floor mounts are pretty simple. I had always used Pinto's and had a couple of extras until last year when I sold 'em. Something to consider is mounting it crosswise in front of the driver's seat.

If you don't like the 23" Lokar, they do sell the 16" arm separately. I did the same thing and changed to the shorter version. An easy change that direction, but you can't go back again. I have my resevations on the floorboard version though. I think if I was to go that way, I'd probably go for a B&M cable version as they do work well - even their cheapest Z-Gate.

All of my 24-26 separate, individual big and small pieces have been reprimed, the first block sanding done and now to "correcting" the air pops and other scrapes and gouges with "Icing", another block and prime. THEN PAINT. And this week will be a short one as I'm off to the NSRA York, PA Nationals Thursday morning to sell my surplus treasures. I'll do a bunch of pictures as well and post, probably on the Photobucket or Sony sites. I'll try for some '37s as well (other then the Coast to Coast/Oze's creations). My old time '37 fave, is the oddball Club Coupe.

Gotta get sanding - good weather is here.

Later

Hey Dave,
Good to hear from you. My fuel pump is electric. Always has been on this car. The power steering pump and steering linkage cause clearance issues for me on this one if I remember correctly. I have an electric pump mounted on the rear crossmember by the tank. It seems to work well. I also have an adapter for the oil filter because it won't be able to stay like it is in the pic.

I looked at several e-brakes while at the salvage yard. The Firebird/camaro one mounts easily and only requires a hole big enough for the cable to go thru. I think it will be pretty inconspicuous mounted between the seats, yet still have room to function properly. In front of the seat might be a little awkward on that car. I could go back to the original under-dash unit but there's enough crap under the dash already...LOL...

The more I hear you talk about prepping your car for paint, the more I want to paint my own.....the challenge is figuring out how to do that considering where I live and the size of my garage. Obviously, it can't happen here! I gotta explore some other possibilities. Maybe I can befriend Jay Leno and he'll let me use his paint shop....LOL....yeah right!

You'll have a great time at the NSRA event. I look forward to seeing the pics.

Off to the gym for me.....catchya later.

Randy