Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[stovens]

Jim nice simple dash. I like the gauges in the middle. my current convertable has the speedo under where your left hand sits on the steering wheel, making it hard to see what speed your doing. My old jeep cj7 had the center mount gauges which I always liked, long of the short should work well there.

[deckofficer]

What can I say? NICE, NICE, NICE!! I love track T's and what a nice specimen you have built! Those old Muncie 4-speeds used to hold up fairly well behind some pretty beefy big-blocks in cars a lot heavier than your T, but the 5-speed is a nice upgrade anyway.

If I am unhappy with my 4-banger when I get this thing on the road, it will get replaced with a small-block. Lack of extra $$$ now that I'm retired will keep it mild-mannered, though. That 427 small-block must be a handful when you stomp the "loud pedal". I like it; I wish I could see it in person...

The M22 Muncie or "Rock Crusher" would of had no longevity problems with 516 lb/ft of the old 383, but I had the M21 that was used with the small blocks. Great trans and I still have it.

As to the loud pedal, you will soon find out that when the car weighs less than 1800 lbs (probably less than 1600 lbs in your case), it will hook and book. I can't roll it all on in 1st, but if I short shift at 30 mph into 2nd, my rpm is low enough that I can roll it all on and if road surface is good, will hold traction all the way to 60 mph before it starts losing traction. 3rd gear never a problem, so hang on.

[J. Robinson]

Dave - Yes! I'm anxious for that first time around the block. Soon, very soon... I hope.

Steve - My coupe has the gauges in the center, too, and they're easy to read that way. I plan to mount the tachometer on the steering column like '50s - '60s era; that's why there isn't one in the dash.

Bob - I don't know what this thing weighs yet, but it's pretty light. My son and one of his buddies grabbed the front bumper one day and lifted the car up so the buddy's girlfriend could get the jackstands out from under it! Even with the little 4-banger it should be fun to drive...

[J. Robinson]

I left off last time with the aluminum cut to shape and hole-sawed for the gauges. Next step was to re-fit the panel in the car, mark the gauge holes, and cut out clearance in the fiberglass for the gauges. Also, I drilled the mounting holes that will hold the whole thing in place. The good news here was the two end holes went right into the steel support underneath, so I was able to tap the holes and permanently install studs. The two holes that are close to the gauges get bolts with big fender washers to spread the pressure on the back side.

[J. Robinson]

With all the holes drilled, it's time to finish the panel. I used my cordless drill and a 1 inch diameter wire brush (same as I used on the firewall). The pattern is achieved by using a straight edge fixture (I used a 1 x 4 board) clamped in place to guide the rows of brushed circles in a straight line. Controlling the drill is a challenge at first, so I recommend practicing on a scrap piece until you “get the hang of it”. Start at one end of the top or bottom edge and work all the way across, overlapping each circle by one half the diameter. I am left-handed, so I find it easier to control the drill / brush if I start at the top and work from right to left. When I finish a row I move the guide one half the diameter of the brush and do the next row. There is another detailed explanation of the process back on page 27 of this thread. Once done with the "engine turning" process, I cleaned the panel with wax & grease remover, loaded my spray gun, and gave the panel three wet coats of clear acrylic urethane. The last pic below shows the finished panel with chrome acorn nuts holding the panel in place and the gauges installed.

[deckofficer]

I like your choice of dash, we think alike. That is a spring loaded glove compartment door of the same material as the dash.

[rspears]

Thanks for the explanation of the engine turning process, Jim. I had vague memories of reading something years ago about valve lapping compound and a dowel but your rotary brush worked pretty slick!

[NTFDAY]

And IMHO, if you have access to a drill press the job can be accomplished with more accuracy and consistency.

[J. Robinson]

Bob - Thanks. Great minds think alike. I like having a glove compartment (I put one in my coupe) and I may steal your idea...

Roger - I have also heard of the dowel rod & valve lapping compound and I have seen some absolutely beautiful examples of the finished product, but I have never tried it. It must take forever to finish a panel that way. I came up with this wire brush and straight-edge process back in 1975 when I was building Quarter Midgets for my nephews and I used it again on the firewall of my C-Cab hotrod in '76. Using this method, once I get a rythm going, I achieve brushed dots or circles at the rate of about one per second. I soon found out that greasy fingerprints are almost impossible to remove from the raw aluminum surface, hence the clearcoat that I use now.

NTFDAY - Yes, I agree that a drill press could / would produce more consistency, but it would require building some kind of fixture to hold the workpiece and move it accurately in a straight line. Also, the depth of the throat on a drill press would limit the size of the workpiece which would have been a problem on my firewall (see page 27).

[NTFDAY]

Know what you mean. it's how I did it in 61 when I was in high school

[deckofficer]

Know what you mean. it's how I did it in 61 when I was in high school

You beat me. I used the 'ol dowel with suction cup and compound in 1966 on my Briggs & Stratton mini bike engine then in 1969 on my 200 cid Ford Falcon engine.

[rspears]

There are "kits" advertised that consist of an abrasive stick, either 1/2" or 1" OD - the bigger one comes with a mandrel. Instructions say to use a lube, like WD40, applied to each position, and to use consistent time & pressure in a drill press, dressing the stick with 220grit sand paper every three or four holes to remove any mushrooming. An old school demo showed a guy using an end mill with the stop adjusted to just kiss the surface, overlapping 40%. Talk about time consuming!!

[J. Robinson]

I haven't done much of anything this week that's picture-worthy. I added the light and ignition switches to the dash panel, stuck in some indicator lights for turn signals and bright headlights, and I have begun the mundane and tedious task of wiring... Until I get to something a bit more interesting, I thought this might be a good time to update the cost of this project. I haven't updated the total since page 33. That was in September of 2008! Since then I bought the Kirkey aluminum seats, bought the front tires from my son (off his sedan with only 50 miles on them), and have plumbed the brakes, fuel, and cooling systems.

Total brought forward from 9-16-08: $3126.96
Front tires: 60.00
Kirkey seats (Speedway Motors): 364.72
Parts (water pump, alternator,etc.): 146.72
Materials (steel, resin, aluminum): 111.95
Nuts, bolts, washers: 115.46
Total (5-3-13) $3925.81

Looks like I might still come in under my (revised) $4500 goal, but it's going to be close...

[deckofficer]

I haven't done much of anything this week that's picture-worthy. I added the light and ignition switches to the dash panel, stuck in some indicator lights for turn signals and bright headlights, and I have begun the mundane and tedious task of wiring... Until I get to something a bit more interesting, I thought this might be a good time to update the cost of this project. I haven't updated the total since page 33. That was in September of 2008! Since then I bought the Kirkey aluminum seats, bought the front tires from my son (off his sedan with only 50 miles on them), and have plumbed the brakes, fuel, and cooling systems.

Total brought forward from 9-16-08: $3126.96
Front tires: 60.00
Kirkey seats (Speedway Motors): 364.72
Parts (water pump, alternator,etc.): 146.72
Materials (steel, resin, aluminum): 111.95
Nuts, bolts, washers: 115.46
Total (5-3-13) $3925.81

Looks like I might still come in under my (revised) $4500 goal, but it's going to be close...

You sure get excellent bang for the buck. You would call Nick and I foolish for what we paid for our Dart 427 engines, when your able to build the entire car for less than 1/2 the engine cost. I tip my hat to you sir, BTW, some of us would be interested in pictures of stuffing the dash.

[Hot Rod Nick]

Nice progress on your project, Jim. I've always loved the look of engine turned sheet metal like on your dash.

You sure get excellent bang for the buck. You would call Nick and I foolish for what we paid for our Dart 427 engines...

Depending on one's perspective, I'm sure some would agree with that, Bob. But I thought long and hard about the best way for me to get to where I wanted to be within the time frame and resources I have, and I still have zero regrets or second guesses about where I am now.