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How much programing to bend up 8 individual tubes for a set of heades??? and no, not a set of dragster zoomies

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

How much programing to bend up 8 individual tubes for a set of heades??? and no, not a set of dragster zoomies

Ha ha. Yes, there's quite a few bends in mine but not as many as ive seen. Had a friend with a Monza. He had the equal length but to do it a couple of the primarys ran on the outside of the frame ( slip joints). How is yours set up? Making them equal length takes a lot of time and a lot of material wasted (in my case). I feel fortunate that I figured out a way to keep the crooks and bends to a minimum.

To buy that I'd have to sell the house and arm myself to protect myself from my wife's rage. wonder if they'd let me borrow that.

David

I don't worry too much about all 8 pipes being equal length--I actually like to have 2 lengths generally about 4 inches different--the equal length causes too much of a peak at one rpm and takes away an engines ability to run at rpm below or above that rpm--a high banked oval/restrictor plate type application might need to be equal, but it had better be equal at the exact right length, not just equal at 36 inches

I spend more time making sure I can get the spark plugs in/out, valve covers off, full travel suspension and turn radius and exit the car so the pressure/heat doesn't cause aero buffeting, and or exhaust fumes/heat into driver area

Speaking about Monza---did you notice my avator is a Monza???

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

I don't worry too much about all 8 pipes being equal length--I actually like to have 2 lengths generally about 4 inches different--the equal length causes too much of a peak at one rpm and takes away an engines ability to run at rpm below or above that rpm--a high banked oval/restrictor plate type application might need to be equal, but it had better be equal at the exact right length, not just equal at 36 inches

I spend more time making sure I can get the spark plugs in/out, valve covers off, full travel suspension and turn radius and exit the car so the pressure/heat doesn't cause aero buffeting, and or exhaust fumes/heat into driver area

Speaking about Monza---did you notice my avator is a Monza???

Yes I did Jerry. Thats why I thought about it. Jeffs Monza was quite the little monster! He ran an 8.93 on bottle at Centerville. This was back 15 years ago. Think the track is 1000' now. Seems like he had a destroked 400....but may have been 383. Cant remember. I just remember my contribution (installed a Pro Shot fogger from my 69 Pro Street PU). Fuel solenoid stuck later though and the rest was history. But it sure was fun to watch it go!!.

Oh....and I remember countless hours removing and reinstalling headers. I absolutely hated the headers on that car!!!!


David

Yrs ago I read a article in Hot Rod that said Don Hardy was designing a swap kit to put in a V6 4.3 into a Chevette.Got me to buy a Busch Grand National 4.3 from Hendrick(sp) at the Drag Racer's auction in Indy when NASCAR ended that program and a rust free Chevette.So once I bought all that,I called Don Hardy's shop to buy the mounts and headers to be told yeah they never finished the kit and just pushed the car out back because it was too hard to mass produce.That Hot Rod jumped the gun on it and drew in the headers and a bunch of other stuff even through they told Hot Rod not to do that.So the shop foreman and me got into a long conversation about the headers they tried to build.He told me the only way to build them for that car was with all slip joints.So it left me with a bunch of money invested and needing to build my own headers.

I don't remember where I got the "U" bends and flanges and pipes,but I think it was from Jegs.Again I don't remember where I got this tip/trick which I thought at that time was pretty slick.If you measure the outside of the pipe,you not truly measuring it's equal length.Because that is more the I.D. of the pipe(s).So the tip/trick is to take fishing bob's that are about the same size as the I.D. of the pipes and drop those into the pipes at 3" spacing on fishing line and measure the length of the line that way getting the true equal length of each pipe.
I do remember I had hrs and hrs invested into those headers tacking and adjusting those.You know how you get involved in a project and lose a sense of time you have been at something??.Well I was tacking by looking away for I guess it was 12 hrs or so.Yepper it was the one time I did a very good job burning my eyes ending up wearing patches on them for 24 hrs.But much younger and in part a learning curve.

Anywho-the tip/trick is use fishing bob's on fish line to measure the I.D.for true equal length pipes.So some might seem foolish,but it did seem to work on this car.

Originally Posted by 1gary

Yrs ago I read a article in Hot Rod that said Don Hardy was designing a swap kit to put in a V6 4.3 into a Chevette.Got me to buy a Busch Grand National 4.3 from Hendrick(sp) at the Drag Racer's auction in Indy when NASCAR ended that program and a rust free Chevette.So once I bought all that,I called Don Hardy's shop to buy the mounts and headers to be told yeah they never finished the kit and just pushed the car out back because it was too hard to mass produce.That Hot Rod jumped the gun on it and drew in the headers and a bunch of other stuff even through they told Hot Rod not to do that.So the shop foreman and me got into a long conversation about the headers they tried to build.He told me the only way to build them for that car was with all slip joints.So it left me with a bunch of money invested and needing to build my own headers.

I don't remember where I got the "U" bends and flanges and pipes,but I think it was from Jegs.Again I don't remember where I got this tip/trick which I thought at that time was pretty slick.If you measure the outside of the pipe,you not truly measuring it's equal length.Because that is more the I.D. of the pipe(s).So the tip/trick is to take fishing bob's that are about the same size as the I.D. of the pipes and drop those into the pipes at 3" spacing on fishing line and measure the length of the line that way getting the true equal length of each pipe.
I do remember I had hrs and hrs invested into those headers tacking and adjusting those.You know how you get involved in a project and lose a sense of time you have been at something??.Well I was tacking by looking away for I guess it was 12 hrs or so.Yepper it was the one time I did a very good job burning my eyes ending up wearing patches on them for 24 hrs.But much younger and in part a learning curve.

Anywho-the tip/trick is use fishing bob's on fish line to measure the I.D.for true equal length pipes.So some might seem foolish,but it did seem to work on this car.

Great tip Gary! I used a big sea rope (like they use for barges). Bobs would be easier to get in the hole and past the bends.

David

These two give any idea of the room I have to work with. I'm finding the limitations of the IPAD to be a bit discouraging. I'll post some better pics when I get this new camera figured out. These were taken last week.

I've ordered a much shorter column to give even more clearance.





Passenger side will be a breeze compared to drivers side.


David

Got a little more blocking done on the hood. Love those 36" hard blocks.





















I'm setting up the 16" fan to run first and the 12's come on if necessary. I noticed I think I need to flip them though.

David

And now you see why I chose to change fuel tanks. Seems like it was 36 gallons. LOLs. Decided I want my bed. This big fella is being pulled in favor of a 64 Mustang EFI tank with Wabro's biggest pump.

David

Like I mentioned, changing column in favor of a shorter 28 inch non column shift. But otherwise I liked how it felt with the 3 inch column drop. The seat is out of the rear of a Chrysler Town and Country. Actually fits good but just using it to get an idea of how everything feels. With the shorter column I'll be able to raise the column an inch up and left, so I won't have to change the brake pedal lever. But I don't like the dash. I think I tilted it back to far. It's probably at a 45 degree angle now. A little too much.

David

Dave-if you go to the fishing store,you're going to find sizes that works for common I.D. of the pipes and of course the closer you string those on a fishing line,the more accurate your measurement will be.

I've been struggling with this decision for quite a while now and just wondering what everyone thinks? If I do a chop it'll be a rather subtle change. BTW, I'm reinstalling the factory windshield frame, hinges, and crank out even though I gave the frame to FLH4SPEED over 3 years ago. I think I still have the hinges and everything else with the exception of one thing. I cut ou the factory brace and bracket work for the crank out. Easynenough fixed, and will add a hidden electric crank option instead. I'll also be lowering the seat a couple inches to give a bit more room under the steering wheel for my legs when sliding into the seat which leaves me with my predicament. It feels like I'm in a cave when I'm in the seat. After lowering the seat I'll have over 10 inches of headspace (i'm almost 6' tall) so I'm not going to hurt anything by taking a couple inches out. Think it will look right?

Ive chopped a couple vehicles and this will be a cinch compared to the 69 Chevy in the 3rd pic. Had to section it in multiple sections. Even dropped the entire windshield frame (allowing use of the factory windshield) and tucked it under the cowl like newer car with the wipers under cowl. It had a full tilt front end.

Never mind the pic of the 69. Link doesn't work. I'll add and edit in a bit.






David

I don't think you want to take too much out of that roof unless you're going for the cartoon look. In profile, from the bottom of the window opening to the bottom of the door it's pretty tall looking, so proportion wise it already has somewhat of a chopped look. Now to complicate that chop a bit more. The roof appears, at least in a two dimensional photo, to have a "hump" to the rear of the roof panel, sort of like what some guys go for in a slant chop. The windshield and back glass are already comparatively low profile, so if you went a subtle chop, say 2" the front and back would feel like tank gun slits from the inside. So, suggestion, two inch chop in the front, 3 or so in the back, BUT don't cut either front or back glass. The back window is easy, just jog your cut line under the opening. The front would be a bit more of a challenge to blend the roof panel so it didn't look too short above the opening. It might mean a tweak to the windshield opening of say 1/2 or 3/4" chop to pull off. There...........didn't want to make it too simple for you. This would be one of those where an accomplished photo shopper would be handy to know.

Yeah, it could come down a bit, but like Bob said not very much--2" out of the posts would be nice, then either the same or a tad more out of the cab--could go with the level roof look. Some pickups it looks good to match the roof line to the angle of the hood...
Definitely wouldn't want to go mail slot size on it or anything!!!!

I remember on a super gas BBC Vega Mark had a flexible what looked like a tightly wound heavy spring the was used as a flexible intermediate steering shaft that easily snaked pass the headers.I wish I could post some pictures for you,but I have none and maybe someone from here could fill in the blanks in terms for that.I thought it would shake like crazy,but it was straight and normal as anything going.It did make tight spaces easy.