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

[Irelands child]

Randy,

Wrong Dave. That's Dave Severson with 8000 posts.

Here's a friend of mine with a few posts on a Civil War reenactors' board:

Charles Heath
Mule
Constabulary
Posts: 42420

Jack,
I don't believe I will ever want to catch up w/Dave Severson, DennyW or a couple of others on posts. Then Poncho62 on the other site w/10K+. This @#$% thing gets turned OFF about 6:00PM. But 42,000+ - sounds like someone needs a life beyond his keyboard.

[randyr]

Randy,
I guess that Sanderson still has a bit of a quality problem -

If possible, take some photos and post them - probably on a fresh thread or, better yet, start a journal(I wish I had, but delayed joining the digital camera revolution until SLR's got reasonably priced). Possibly would be a help to others that for whatever reason, choose to keep the original frame on their '30s vintage street rod.

Take your time with the firewall - not sure whether the '37 is fully welded in but think it is, but you will probably have some minor body repairs around the edge as well. Might consider photo documenting this as well - again, should be interesting to others that will be trying it.

I just finished cleaning out the driveway with my baby diesel tractor and snow blower - we ended up with 12-14 inches of wind blown, 20 degree weather, snow. Next weekend, we will be in your part of the world - to see how the Left Coast "suffers" in the winter time - business trip.

Actually, the firewall is spotwelded in the 37 with some solid welds around the toe board area. The instructions say to drill them out, dress the edges with a hammer & dolly, then clamp the new one in place. After everything is in place, use the sheetmetal screws supplied in every other hole to hold it in place while spot welding. I figure I can custom fit the whole thing, floorboard and all before ever cranking up a welder. I like that.
I will try to keep a photo record of it. I think the bigger challenge will be to try to sort out all those freakin wires! My dad did much of the wiring while I was in school and some of his methods didn't take into account that he would die someday and I could no longer ask him what he did! Needless to say, he did not use anybody's EZ wiring kit. Thus a few years of a splice here, a splice there and a wire color change or two and it becomes the kinda thing that people have been known to lose a lot of hair over.....fortunately, I still have plenty of hair.....lol...I should just get a kit and start over....yikes

Sorry, for the confusion over the other Dave.....don't know what I was thinking.....and then, I guess "Henry" is actually Jack and not Charles or Henry.....but hey, what the hell do I know??!! You're right tho, who has time to post that freakin much???? I thought we're posting a lot to run this one up into the 50's......some good info has come out of it though and I really appreciate it!

Now, as for "suffering on the Left Coast...." where do you plan to suffer?? Don't forget to bring your heaviest light sweater cause God knows, you never know when you might get hit with one of our cold wintery blasts!!

I'll shut up now....some of the other cars guys may get tired of our chit chat about the weather and stuff....LOL....personally, I think it's kinda fun!

Later,
Randy

[Irelands child]

Actually, the firewall is spotwelded in the 37 with some solid welds around the toe board area. say, he did not use anybody's EZ wiring kit. Thus a few years of a splice here, a splice there and a wire color change or two and it becomes the kinda thing that people have been known to lose a lot of hair over.....fortunately, I still have plenty of hair.....lol...I should just get a kit and start over....yikes

Sorry, for the confusion over the other Dave.....don't know what I was thinking.....and then, I guess "Henry" is actually Jack and not Charles or Henry.....but hey, what the hell do I know??!! You're right tho, who has time to post that freakin much???? I thought we're posting a lot to run this one up into the 50's......some good info has come out of it though and I really appreciate it!

Now, as for "suffering on the Left Coast...." where do you plan to suffer?? Don't forget to bring your heaviest light sweater cause God knows, you never know when you might get hit with one of our cold wintery blasts!!

I'll shut up now....some of the other cars guys may get tired of our chit chat about the weather and stuff....LOL....personally, I think it's kinda fun!

Later,
Randy

Randy,
It's about what I thought as far as firewall 'attachment'. Probably don't need to be too careful with the old one if it is in really bad shape - but someone is always looking for an original.

If you are considering a wiring harness, take a look at American Auto Wire. The wires are not pre terminated which allows you plenty of routing latitude and keeps the wire bundle manageable without a snarled mess. Several these pre terminated others are very good though.

We will be in the N Hollywood area just behind the Burbank airport - yeah, I know, ugly part of town.

I think most of the guys have been ignoring us for the most part in our gab fest. But that's the nice thing about these forums.

Later

[randyr]

[QUOTE=Irelands child]Randy,
It's about what I thought as far as firewall 'attachment'. Probably don't need to be too careful with the old one if it is in really bad shape - but someone is always looking for an original.


Well, I'm guessing there won't be too many standing in line for this one.....LOL! It's embarassingly pitiful! Can't wait to get a shiney new one in there.

[Irelands child]

[QUOTE=randyr]

Randy,


Well, I'm guessing there won't be too many standing in line for this one.....LOL! It's embarassingly pitiful! Can't wait to get a shiney new one in there.

Ouch - Nasty!!

Yep, you need a wiring harness (IMHO)

[thesals]

whats wrong with that one?? all the wires are there and work??? just clean it up a bit! if theres things missing or frayed and dont work and all, then i'd go ahead and replace it..... to me it looked like there were tooo many wires under the hood... maybe you can eliminate some of it

[Irelands child]

whats wrong with that one?? ....

To defend my statement that you had quoted - by the time you check out strange wires and terminations, replace any remaining original fabric insulated wires, replace any damaged or non operable components, add relays to horns, lights, fans etc, you are more than time and money ahead with a new, neatly wired, professionally engineered kit supplied by one of the leading suppliers. RandyR is rebuilding this car with a LOT of new components (thousands$$) so why tempt fate with a meltdown to save 3-400 bucks.

[randyr]

Yeah, I could probably weld a few patches over the holes in this firewall and go with the whole "rat rod" theme and I could even make the wiring work....some of those wires go to an old cruise control that is no longer there, others to a previous heater, electric fan, etc....The wires are all in decent shape even if they are not consistently color coded, etc however, since I have the engine out now and time is money, it seems like replacement becomes more cost effective in the long run and with fewer headaches. Besides, it'd sure be nice to trace down a wire that actually has it's function written on it every 6" and to open the hood and see a firewall that is smooth, clean & airtight!

[randyr]

.....plus, even if I kept the old firewall, it would probably need additional cutting out to clear the taller valve covers since I'm using roller rockers on my newly rebuilt engine.....all in all....it sounds like I could spend hours/days/weeks working on this old firewall and at the end of the day, it would still look like crap....even though it would work fine.....I vote for the new one! LOL

[thesals]

sounds good.... i personally would go with a painless kit, thats how my neighbor went on his 32 A.... added power windows, a nice soundsystem, navigation.... all the wiring is nice and clean and its nice to have a newer style fuse block

[randyr]

sounds good.... i personally would go with a painless kit, thats how my neighbor went on his 32 A.... added power windows, a nice soundsystem, navigation.... all the wiring is nice and clean and its nice to have a newer style fuse block

Hey thesals,
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check out Painless, too. Dave suggested American Auto. I have another friend who used the EZ Wiring kit and liked it pretty well. It'll boil down to best quality for least money...

I see you're a fellow "Left-coaster"

[thesals]

yup, stuck here on the left coast where the sun is bright, but the people aren't

[Irelands child]

yup, stuck here on the left coast where the sun is bright, but the people aren't

Which is why we on the virtuous and verdant green Right Coast call your part of the country the Land of Fruits and Nuts .

[randyr]

Which is why we on the virtuous and verdant green Right Coast call your part of the country the Land of Fruits and Nuts .

Well, having lived on both coasts and in the middle, I've seen "fruits & nuts" all over this great land.....it just depends on what variety you're looking for.....LOL! About the time I think the left coast may have a higher concentration of them, I travel somewhere else and think....hmmm, I'm not so sure.....

Doesn't matter where you go there's going to be a percentage of really great people, some really bad people plus a few idiots thown in to round things out....makes life interesting I suppose. It'd be pretty boring if we were all just alike, don't you think?

[Irelands child]

Well, having lived on both coasts and in the middle, I've seen "fruits & nuts" all over this great land.....it just depends on what variety you're looking for.....LOL! About the time I think the left coast may have a higher concentration of them, I travel somewhere else and think....hmmm, I'm not so sure.....

Doesn't matter where you go there's going to be a percentage of really great people, some really bad people plus a few idiots thown in to round things out....makes life interesting I suppose. It'd be pretty boring if we were all just alike, don't you think?

Randy,
After traveling worldwide for business for many years, plus living in several states, can say that, IMHO, SoCAL seems to have a magnetic attraction for "interesting" people.That's not to say that we haven't our share here on the other side of the country, we sure do. They sure help to make life more interesting.