Before I moved the frame from the 2-Post lift to the 4-Post lift, where it now rest, we did get a few things buttoned up. One such item was to re-route the oil lines from the engine adapter to the oil filter and back to the cooler and accusump. While this was no big change, it was time consuming, I had to completely remove the hoses and re-install them. The new installation, allowed for a better looking end product. The hoses are now fully supports along there route and clamped together with some very nice looking aluminum hose clamps, which keep the dressed side by side. The same goes for the other side, I had to completely remove the transmission hoses and re-route them along the frame rail. Now the hoses look better and fit the frame and space better, on both side I had to make adjustments to the length of several hoses. Keep this in mind when you run your hoses. In hind sight, it would have been better to completely leave the hoses alone, till the frame was completely ready for them, then run them one at a time along the frame rail from point "A" to point "B".

     I have been very busy around my house since the first of the year, I decided to step a little further into the modular world, and build engines and cylinder heads for others. I really fell in love with this engine and wanted to do more with it. I have been purchasing Teksid Aluminum blocks and re-building them for re-sale to others. I have also decided to start re-building and modifying cylinder heads for the modular engines. To help with the job, I purchased a valve seat grinder set-up and a valve face grinder set. This with several other main tool sets will allow me to re-build and modify both 2, 3 and 4-valve heads. My goal is to simply offer great products at fair prices, I am only concerned with the 4.6 and 5.4l engines and there heads. I have many neat ideals for these pieces and have come up with several kits to make them stronger and easier to work on. You can read about them on this site by simply clicking on the link that takes you to that part of the site.

06-02-08

     We have been working on the dash, and the extended portion that spaces the front of the dash approximately 2-1/2" further back then stock. I decided to add this section to the dash to allow us to install defrost ducts up next to the front window. The benefits are obvious. Dad and I got the two new sections tach welded in place that spread the dash out. There are compound type curves involved so the blanks took some time to get right, the welding was as usual, the easy part. The next step in the dash delama, is to cap the ends and come up with a way to secure the two ends of the dash. I called the other day, and dad has it worked out, just finishing up the fit.

     Once the ends are capped, I want to get started on the middle console. I have been thinking about it for some time, and once I get free to go down to the shop, I can lay out all the pieces that go in the console and get it's final dimensions. We don't have tons of space, but enough to do what I need done. The main point is to keep as much room between the console and seat fronts, and for the foot area. No one wants to feel cramped in. Also, the design has to incorporate the theme of the car. I want it to look good and be functional. We will also be designing and installing the roof console, that goes in the middle of the roof, from the front windshield back about 12 inches. This console will house the rear view mirror and the overhead display.

06-10-08

    Wow, I have to get back into the spirit of working on the car, being away for a while like I was, makes you rusty.

    The dash is all but finished, at least the modifications we made to it are. It turned out real nice, the section we installed to widen it 2-1/2" looks nice, and Dad came up with a really cool way to cap off the ends and secure it. I removed it and welded up the back side, just before we sanded down the front and removed 90% of the weld material. We had no warp-age issues to address, which is good, and the whole thing was a positive experience. It looks right at home installed in the body, but is different enough to draw attention, sound perfect to me !!.. One feature we worked hard on, was to make it easy to install and uninstall from the body, and we were successful. Things get much more difficult with a roll cage to build around, but it is possible to still make things right. It all just takes time and patients.

    The defrost ducts, which were of coarse the reason we added the width to the dash, are in and went fine. We made the openings much larger then those I have seen, most time others just cut a small 3/8" or 1/2" x 3" opening. I understand why they do this, but it doesn't serve as a very good defrost duck with this small of an opening, so we cut an almost full width and length opening in our dash, this way we will get plenty of flow and hopefully will be able to drive in the rain. I am looking for some type of material to use as a screen, something like a heavy stainless steel material that is woven, think HD screen or industrial sifter type material. I'll let you know when I find something. We have this option because our dash is wider.

     One item I got going was the door bars and seat back bar. These items have to be removable, because they would severely limit the inside room and access, but are necessary for competition. In order to make things as easy and nice as possible, I am using what is called a door bar kit. These items can be purchased from most chassis builders and race shops, our came from S &W Race Cars and are unique in that they have a center round tube that goes through the roll cage and gets welded in place. This tube serves as a stiffener and after welding, replenishes the strength of the roll cage, were others simply leave a hole. The hole is there for the attachment to the roll cage, so the door bars or rear seat back bar can be removed or installed quickly and easily, by simply installing a bolt or quick release pin. This tube they sell with there door bar kits, serves to restore the integrity of the roll cage, where simply drilling a 3/4" hole into the 1-5/8" tube would severely limit it's strength. I did modify our door bar kits to accommodate our needs, the normal way to mount them would require a stub of the same diameter tubing be welded to the main structure or roll cage. This stub which would have to be at least 3" in length, would serve as the foundation for the door bar, but because I did not want anything sticking out from the roll cage that would limit or hinder front or rear seat access, I modified the door bar kits, by drilling a relief in them so they would now fit over the existing roll cage and mount without the stub. All that was needed was to drill with a hole saw, roughly the size of the roll cage material which in our case is 1-5/8' tube, a relief in the edge of the door bar bracket so the new bracket will now wrap around the roll cage bar instead of but up to it. To get this done, I had to tach weld the two pieces together, when drill a 1/4" pilot hole in the right spot, when follow up with the hole saw. I'll post some pictures later to clarify the procedure. The benefit of doing it like this is now the door bars and seat back bar will easily install and remove from the car and there is nothing on the roll cage to snag or poke you as you enter or exist the car. These kits come in a package of two, with one push-pin connector and one bolt and the four attachment halves. To do what we did would require three door bar kits, and they run about $39.99 each kit. I have already ordered extra push-pins to eliminate the use of the bolts, now all the attachment will be by push-pins, which will be much nicer to install and remove the bars.

      Another small projects I worked on was to permanently attach the running boards. I had attached them with just a few bolts to mock-up the Accusump oil sump, but now I need to go ahead and install all the hardware and bolt them up for good. First I had to temporarily remove the Accusump to access the area. Next the running board metal braces we painted to match the frame were installed, these I drilled out to accept a 3/8" bolt, and installed with all stainless steel hardware. They have one 3/8" x 1" bolt that mount to the bottom of the frame, and then another 3/8" x 2" bolt that mounts to the running boards, in a double sheer orientation that really adds some strength to the set-up. The rest of the running board mounting bolts simply attach to the side of the frame, there are three bolts that support each brace and four bolts that attach to the sides, that makes 14 3/8" bolts hold each running board on....I don't think their going any place!.! I was simply amazed that everything aligned, I had been worried that there would be alignment issues but that wasn't even an issue, they bolted right up, I only had to use a tapered alignment pin to bring everything together, wow what a great day!!! Of-coarse I could not step on the newly installed running boards, but I did pull down on them and they seemed to be very stout. I was worried because we had boxed the frame rails, and before I did that, I welded nuts to the back sides of the frame rails so we could attached these running boards, the problem was there was no way to make-up for anything being off, not even a little bit. We were locked into this location, and with the running boards being manufactured by one makers and the frame by another, I was really worried about small differences that would add up against us. I can't tell you how relived I was to see those running boards on and fitting like they should.
One little item I also got finished was I wrapped some of the braided hoses that were close to the frame rails with a plastic wire loom material. I wanted to wrap them because braided hose looks great and performed wonderfully, but they are very abrasive. While I have used hose separators and hose clamps to keep the hose in place, there are still areas where the hose would rub the frame or other parts when driving, it's these areas that I wrapped with the wire loom to keep from messing up the paint or other finish. I simply identified the problem areas and then wrapped the hoses to protect the finishes from damage. You also want to avoid running wires along with hoses, the abrasive hoses will eat right though the insulation on the wires allowing for a short circuit.

     Back to the dash console......Wow this one item proved to be more difficult then I first thought. My initial design was to make a spear like console, once I bent it up in the bender and compared it in the car, it was way to big and interfered with the shifter and E brake handle. Design Number 2.....this time I made a more narrow and wider console, I bent the pieces on the tube bender and assembled it on the bench, Oh..I am using 3/4" square tubing, 16 gauge for the frame work on the console. This time I got the right dimensions but the initial mounting location was off. On to design Number three...We removed the console and proceeded to change the mounting location to move it back further under the dash. We also had to cut off part of the passenger side rear frame, to clear the Vintage Air AC unit. Now with the mounts located in the very front, the console fit much better, there was way more knee room for the driver and the unit looked better tucked up and back in under the dash. We used the under dash bar from the roll cage to mount the console, which also mounts the AC unit. I welded on two tabs that hang down from the bottom of the bar to bolt to the sides of the console, which allow it to be removed very easily. Now that we have a keeper, we marked out the face plate which was 1/8" flat sheet metal and cut it out and trimmed it up to fit, then I drilled the mounting holes all seven of them and tapped the console for 10-32 mounting screws. With the face plate looking great, we moved on to the outside skin of the console, here we used a piece of 20 gauge sheet metal and formed it around the frame work of the console, tach welding it in place as we formed it. This was the quickest part of the whole process, and in no time we had our console almost finished. We left plenty of material on each side, that we will now trim off. This is where I left it, Dad will do the trimming latter on and we will also have to mark and trim the openings in the face plate, but for now I'm leaving it bare. In all, I didn't quite get the room I wanted, but we did get the console that best fits and matches the car, so I suppose that is the main thing. I have so many systems and Sub-systems on this car that there just isn't enough room to properly mount all of them, or it doesn't seem that way now, maybe things will change for the better as we get closer to the final product?.?.?

      Project Cobra'33 is really starting to come around, it won't be that long till we start in on the body work and paint preparations. From there, we need to install the over head roll cage bars and console, then get the front seat mounted and in the proper place. Once that is finished we can remove the front and rear halves of the roll cage and finish welding the front section. Remove the seats and dash then go over the exterior of the body with our sand blaster and then apply a good base coat of epoxy primer, and let the body work commence.

     Once the ends are capped, I want to get started on the middle console. I have been thinking about it for some time, and once I get free to go down to the shop, I can lay out all the pieces that go in the console and get it's final dimensions. We don't have tons of space, but enough to do what I need done. The main point is to keep as much room between the console and seat fronts, and for the foot area. No one wants to feel cramped in. Also, the design has to incorporate the theme of the car. I want it to look good and be functional. We will also be designing and installing the roof console, that goes in the middle of the roof, from the front windshield back about 12 inches. This console will house the rear view mirror and the overhead display.

06-10-08

    Wow, I have to get back into the spirit of working on the car, being away for a while like I was, makes you rusty.

    The dash is all but finished, at least the modifications we made to it are. It turned out real nice, the section we installed to widen it 2-1/2" looks nice, and Dad came up with a really cool way to cap off the ends and secure it. I removed it and welded up the back side, just before we sanded down the front and removed 90% of the weld material. We had no warp-age issues to address, which is good, and the whole thing was a positive experience. It looks right at home installed in the body, but is different enough to draw attention, sound perfect to me !!.. One feature we worked hard on, was to make it easy to install and uninstall from the body, and we were successful. Things get much more difficult with a roll cage to build around, but it is possible to still make things right. It all just takes time and patients.

    The defrost ducts, which were of coarse the reason we added the width to the dash, are in and went fine. We made the openings much larger then those I have seen, most time others just cut a small 3/8" or 1/2" x 3" opening. I understand why they do this, but it doesn't serve as a very good defrost duck with this small of an opening, so we cut an almost full width and length opening in our dash, this way we will get plenty of flow and hopefully will be able to drive in the rain. I am looking for some type of material to use as a screen, something like a heavy stainless steel material that is woven, think HD screen or industrial sifter type material. I'll let you know when I find something. We have this option because our dash is wider.

     One item I got going was the door bars and seat back bar. These items have to be removable, because they would severely limit the inside room and access, but are necessary for competition. In order to make things as easy and nice as possible, I am using what is called a door bar kit. These items can be purchased from most chassis builders and race shops, our came from S &W Race Cars and are unique in that they have a center round tube that goes through the roll cage and gets welded in place. This tube serves as a stiffener and after welding, replenishes the strength of the roll cage, were others simply leave a hole. The hole is there for the attachment to the roll cage, so the door bars or rear seat back bar can be removed or installed quickly and easily, by simply installing a bolt or quick release pin. This tube they sell with there door bar kits, serves to restore the integrity of the roll cage, where simply drilling a 3/4" hole into the 1-5/8" tube would severely limit it's strength. I did modify our door bar kits to accommodate our needs, the normal way to mount them would require a stub of the same diameter tubing be welded to the main structure or roll cage. This stub which would have to be at least 3" in length, would serve as the foundation for the door bar, but because I did not want anything sticking out from the roll cage that would limit or hinder front or rear seat access, I modified the door bar kits, by drilling a relief in them so they would now fit over the existing roll cage and mount without the stub. All that was needed was to drill with a hole saw, roughly the size of the roll cage material which in our case is 1-5/8' tube, a relief in the edge of the door bar bracket so the new bracket will now wrap around the roll cage bar instead of but up to it. To get this done, I had to tach weld the two pieces together, when drill a 1/4" pilot hole in the right spot, when follow up with the hole saw. I'll post some pictures later to clarify the procedure. The benefit of doing it like this is now the door bars and seat back bar will easily install and remove from the car and there is nothing on the roll cage to snag or poke you as you enter or exist the car. These kits come in a package of two, with one push-pin connector and one bolt and the four attachment halves. To do what we did would require three door bar kits, and they run about $39.99 each kit. I have already ordered extra push-pins to eliminate the use of the bolts, now all the attachment will be by push-pins, which will be much nicer to install and remove the bars.

      Another small projects I worked on was to permanently attach the running boards. I had attached them with just a few bolts to mock-up the Accusump oil sump, but now I need to go ahead and install all the hardware and bolt them up for good. First I had to temporarily remove the Accusump to access the area. Next the running board metal braces we painted to match the frame were installed, these I drilled out to accept a 3/8" bolt, and installed with all stainless steel hardware. They have one 3/8" x 1" bolt that mount to the bottom of the frame, and then another 3/8" x 2" bolt that mounts to the running boards, in a double sheer orientation that really adds some strength to the set-up. The rest of the running board mounting bolts simply attach to the side of the frame, there are three bolts that support each brace and four bolts that attach to the sides, that makes 14 3/8" bolts hold each running board on....I don't think their going any place!.! I was simply amazed that everything aligned, I had been worried that there would be alignment issues but that wasn't even an issue, they bolted right up, I only had to use a tapered alignment pin to bring everything together, wow what a great day!!! Of-coarse I could not step on the newly installed running boards, but I did pull down on them and they seemed to be very stout. I was worried because we had boxed the frame rails, and before I did that, I welded nuts to the back sides of the frame rails so we could attached these running boards, the problem was there was no way to make-up for anything being off, not even a little bit. We were locked into this location, and with the running boards being manufactured by one makers and the frame by another, I was really worried about small differences that would add up against us. I can't tell you how relived I was to see those running boards on and fitting like they should.
One little item I also got finished was I wrapped some of the braided hoses that were close to the frame rails with a plastic wire loom material. I wanted to wrap them because braided hose looks great and performed wonderfully, but they are very abrasive. While I have used hose separators and hose clamps to keep the hose in place, there are still areas where the hose would rub the frame or other parts when driving, it's these areas that I wrapped with the wire loom to keep from messing up the paint or other finish. I simply identified the problem areas and then wrapped the hoses to protect the finishes from damage. You also want to avoid running wires along with hoses, the abrasive hoses will eat right though the insulation on the wires allowing for a short circuit.

     Back to the dash console......Wow this one item proved to be more difficult then I first thought. My initial design was to make a spear like console, once I bent it up in the bender and compared it in the car, it was way to big and interfered with the shifter and E brake handle. Design Number 2.....this time I made a more narrow and wider console, I bent the pieces on the tube bender and assembled it on the bench, Oh..I am using 3/4" square tubing, 16 gauge for the frame work on the console. This time I got the right dimensions but the initial mounting location was off. On to design Number three...We removed the console and proceeded to change the mounting location to move it back further under the dash. We also had to cut off part of the passenger side rear frame, to clear the Vintage Air AC unit. Now with the mounts located in the very front, the console fit much better, there was way more knee room for the driver and the unit looked better tucked up and back in under the dash. We used the under dash bar from the roll cage to mount the console, which also mounts the AC unit. I welded on two tabs that hang down from the bottom of the bar to bolt to the sides of the console, which allow it to be removed very easily. Now that we have a keeper, we marked out the face plate which was 1/8" flat sheet metal and cut it out and trimmed it up to fit, then I drilled the mounting holes all seven of them and tapped the console for 10-32 mounting screws. With the face plate looking great, we moved on to the outside skin of the console, here we used a piece of 20 gauge sheet metal and formed it around the frame work of the console, tach welding it in place as we formed it. This was the quickest part of the whole process, and in no time we had our console almost finished. We left plenty of material on each side, that we will now trim off. This is where I left it, Dad will do the trimming latter on and we will also have to mark and trim the openings in the face plate, but for now I'm leaving it bare. In all, I didn't quite get the room I wanted, but we did get the console that best fits and matches the car, so I suppose that is the main thing. I have so many systems and Sub-systems on this car that there just isn't enough room to properly mount all of them, or it doesn't seem that way now, maybe things will change for the better as we get closer to the final product?.?.?

      Project Cobra'33 is really starting to come around, it won't be that long till we start in on the body work and paint preparations. From there, we need to install the over head roll cage bars and console, then get the front seat mounted and in the proper place. Once that is finished we can remove the front and rear halves of the roll cage and finish welding the front section. Remove the seats and dash then go over the exterior of the body with our sand blaster and then apply a good base coat of epoxy primer, and let the body work commence.

    The defrost ducts, which were of coarse the reason we added the width to the dash, are in and went fine. We made the openings much larger then those I have seen, most time others just cut a small 3/8" or 1/2" x 3" opening. I understand why they do this, but it doesn't serve as a very good defrost duck with this small of an opening, so we cut an almost full width and length opening in our dash, this way we will get plenty of flow and hopefully will be able to drive in the rain. I am looking for some type of material to use as a screen, something like a heavy stainless steel material that is woven, think HD screen or industrial sifter type material. I'll let you know when I find something. We have this option because our dash is wider.

     One item I got going was the door bars and seat back bar. These items have to be removable, because they would severely limit the inside room and access, but are necessary for competition. In order to make things as easy and nice as possible, I am using what is called a door bar kit. These items can be purchased from most chassis builders and race shops, our came from S &W Race Cars and are unique in that they have a center round tube that goes through the roll cage and gets welded in place. This tube serves as a stiffener and after welding, replenishes the strength of the roll cage, were others simply leave a hole. The hole is there for the attachment to the roll cage, so the door bars or rear seat back bar can be removed or installed quickly and easily, by simply installing a bolt or quick release pin. This tube they sell with there door bar kits, serves to restore the integrity of the roll cage, where simply drilling a 3/4" hole into the 1-5/8" tube would severely limit it's strength. I did modify our door bar kits to accommodate our needs, the normal way to mount them would require a stub of the same diameter tubing be welded to the main structure or roll cage. This stub which would have to be at least 3" in length, would serve as the foundation for the door bar, but because I did not want anything sticking out from the roll cage that would limit or hinder front or rear seat access, I modified the door bar kits, by drilling a relief in them so they would now fit over the existing roll cage and mount without the stub. All that was needed was to drill with a hole saw, roughly the size of the roll cage material which in our case is 1-5/8' tube, a relief in the edge of the door bar bracket so the new bracket will now wrap around the roll cage bar instead of but up to it. To get this done, I had to tach weld the two pieces together, when drill a 1/4" pilot hole in the right spot, when follow up with the hole saw. I'll post some pictures later to clarify the procedure. The benefit of doing it like this is now the door bars and seat back bar will easily install and remove from the car and there is nothing on the roll cage to snag or poke you as you enter or exist the car. These kits come in a package of two, with one push-pin connector and one bolt and the four attachment halves. To do what we did would require three door bar kits, and they run about $39.99 each kit. I have already ordered extra push-pins to eliminate the use of the bolts, now all the attachment will be by push-pins, which will be much nicer to install and remove the bars.

      Another small projects I worked on was to permanently attach the running boards. I had attached them with just a few bolts to mock-up the Accusump oil sump, but now I need to go ahead and install all the hardware and bolt them up for good. First I had to temporarily remove the Accusump to access the area. Next the running board metal braces we painted to match the frame were installed, these I drilled out to accept a 3/8" bolt, and installed with all stainless steel hardware. They have one 3/8" x 1" bolt that mount to the bottom of the frame, and then another 3/8" x 2" bolt that mounts to the running boards, in a double sheer orientation that really adds some strength to the set-up. The rest of the running board mounting bolts simply attach to the side of the frame, there are three bolts that support each brace and four bolts that attach to the sides, that makes 14 3/8" bolts hold each running board on....I don't think their going any place!.! I was simply amazed that everything aligned, I had been worried that there would be alignment issues but that wasn't even an issue, they bolted right up, I only had to use a tapered alignment pin to bring everything together, wow what a great day!!! Of-coarse I could not step on the newly installed running boards, but I did pull down on them and they seemed to be very stout. I was worried because we had boxed the frame rails, and before I did that, I welded nuts to the back sides of the frame rails so we could attached these running boards, the problem was there was no way to make-up for anything being off, not even a little bit. We were locked into this location, and with the running boards being manufactured by one makers and the frame by another, I was really worried about small differences that would add up against us. I can't tell you how relived I was to see those running boards on and fitting like they should.
One little item I also got finished was I wrapped some of the braided hoses that were close to the frame rails with a plastic wire loom material. I wanted to wrap them because braided hose looks great and performed wonderfully, but they are very abrasive. While I have used hose separators and hose clamps to keep the hose in place, there are still areas where the hose would rub the frame or other parts when driving, it's these areas that I wrapped with the wire loom to keep from messing up the paint or other finish. I simply identified the problem areas and then wrapped the hoses to protect the finishes from damage. You also want to avoid running wires along with hoses, the abrasive hoses will eat right though the insulation on the wires allowing for a short circuit.

     Back to the dash console......Wow this one item proved to be more difficult then I first thought. My initial design was to make a spear like console, once I bent it up in the bender and compared it in the car, it was way to big and interfered with the shifter and E brake handle. Design Number 2.....this time I made a more narrow and wider console, I bent the pieces on the tube bender and assembled it on the bench, Oh..I am using 3/4" square tubing, 16 gauge for the frame work on the console. This time I got the right dimensions but the initial mounting location was off. On to design Number three...We removed the console and proceeded to change the mounting location to move it back further under the dash. We also had to cut off part of the passenger side rear frame, to clear the Vintage Air AC unit. Now with the mounts located in the very front, the console fit much better, there was way more knee room for the driver and the unit looked better tucked up and back in under the dash. We used the under dash bar from the roll cage to mount the console, which also mounts the AC unit. I welded on two tabs that hang down from the bottom of the bar to bolt to the sides of the console, which allow it to be removed very easily. Now that we have a keeper, we marked out the face plate which was 1/8" flat sheet metal and cut it out and trimmed it up to fit, then I drilled the mounting holes all seven of them and tapped the console for 10-32 mounting screws. With the face plate looking great, we moved on to the outside skin of the console, here we used a piece of 20 gauge sheet metal and formed it around the frame work of the console, tach welding it in place as we formed it. This was the quickest part of the whole process, and in no time we had our console almost finished. We left plenty of material on each side, that we will now trim off. This is where I left it, Dad will do the trimming latter on and we will also have to mark and trim the openings in the face plate, but for now I'm leaving it bare. In all, I didn't quite get the room I wanted, but we did get the console that best fits and matches the car, so I suppose that is the main thing. I have so many systems and Sub-systems on this car that there just isn't enough room to properly mount all of them, or it doesn't seem that way now, maybe things will change for the better as we get closer to the final product?.?.?

      Project Cobra'33 is really starting to come around, it won't be that long till we start in on the body work and paint preparations. From there, we need to install the over head roll cage bars and console, then get the front seat mounted and in the proper place. Once that is finished we can remove the front and rear halves of the roll cage and finish welding the front section. Remove the seats and dash then go over the exterior of the body with our sand blaster and then apply a good base coat of epoxy primer, and let the body work commence.

      I have been very busy around my house since the first of the year, I decided to step a little further into the modular world, and build engines and cylinder heads for others. I really fell in love with this engine and wanted to do more with it. I have been purchasing Teksid Aluminum blocks and re-building them for re-sale to others. I have also decided to start re-building and modifying cylinder heads for the modular engines. To help with the job, I purchased a valve seat grinder set-up and a valve face grinder set. This with several other main tool sets will allow me to re-build and modify both 2, 3 and 4-valve heads. My goal is to simply offer great products at fair prices, I am only concerned with the 4.6 and 5.4l engines and there heads. I have many neat ideals for these pieces and have come up with several kits to make them stronger and easier to work on. You can read about them on this site by simply clicking on the link that takes you to that part of the site.

06-02-08

     We have been working on the dash, and the extended portion that spaces the front of the dash approximately 2-1/2" further back then stock. I decided to add this section to the dash to allow us to install defrost ducts up next to the front window. The benefits are obvious. Dad and I got the two new sections tach welded in place that spread the dash out. There are compound type curves involved so the blanks took some time to get right, the welding was as usual, the easy part. The next step in the dash delama, is to cap the ends and come up with a way to secure the two ends of the dash. I called the other day, and dad has it worked out, just finishing up the fit.

     Once the ends are capped, I want to get started on the middle console. I have been thinking about it for some time, and once I get free to go down to the shop, I can lay out all the pieces that go in the console and get it's final dimensions. We don't have tons of space, but enough to do what I need done. The main point is to keep as much room between the console and seat fronts, and for the foot area. No one wants to feel cramped in. Also, the design has to incorporate the theme of the car. I want it to look good and be functional. We will also be designing and installing the roof console, that goes in the middle of the roof, from the front windshield back about 12 inches. This console will house the rear view mirror and the overhead display.

     Once the ends are capped, I want to get started on the middle console. I have been thinking about it for some time, and once I get free to go down to the shop, I can lay out all the pieces that go in the console and get it's final dimensions. We don't have tons of space, but enough to do what I need done. The main point is to keep as much room between the console and seat fronts, and for the foot area. No one wants to feel cramped in. Also, the design has to incorporate the theme of the car. I want it to look good and be functional. We will also be designing and installing the roof console, that goes in the middle of the roof, from the front windshield back about 12 inches. This console will house the rear view mirror and the overhead display.