Projects New rpu progress w/ pictures

Well we really made some great progress on my rpu this weekend. My next obstacle was to finish stiffening up the cowl area, as well as coming up with a way to support the steering column. I had some ideas going into it what I wanted, but wasn't sure how to accomplish it.

I needed to brace to firewall area to the door jams to finish the cowl area. I also need it really rigid for the swing brake pedal, as well as a way to support the steering column.

I also really wanted all of these pieces to be bolt on, because I really want it all out of the way to prep & paint the interior sheetmetal.

So I started by building two support braces out of c-channel to go from the door jam to the firewall. I then made a cross bar to bolt between the supports, and in turn this would give my a place to brace the swing pedal & hang the column from. I welded square nuts behing the c-channel to bolt the whole thing together-it really is a breeze to assemble.

It was a little time consuming, but I am thrilled with the result. You can see a bit of the cross bar under the 32' style dash, but I really like the business-like attitude it has. I will have all of these parts powdercoated black.

This stuff REALLY made the firewall & cowl area extremely rigid too. We also got my gas pedal mounted too. I will have the brake pedal chromed, and my real steering shaft is polished stainless.

Here's some pics, I hope you like!
Thanks for looking
Dan

 

That's what I'm talking about

 

Im impressed. Your pops sure brags your work up. Soon as I saw all the tape on the car I knew where it was. Lol.

 

I really like the tranny tunnel. It looks like it was a lot of work.

Why do you have that tape on everything?

 

Thanks a ton guys!
Hot Rod Packard, everything on the car me & my dad have done together. If I paid him .10 an hour for all the time that he has given me on this I would be broke. We are really having a great time though.

Oh, the blue tape is there for a simple reason-my sweaty self getting in & out 1000 times, plus brushing on the bare sheetmetal everywhere makes a real mess out of it quickly. So I taped up most of the areas that I touch/brush against lean on the most to protect it a little.

I honesty have absolutely no idea how guys deal with actually using/driving a bare metal car-if I did that my car would be a rusted hulk in 3 days

 

Would like to see a wide shot of the whole car.
___________________________________________________________________________--Like I told the kid, "Your music not too loud , it just sucks!"

 

Nice work Dan, Its looking very good.

 

nice job!

 

excellent work dan!

 

It's a pleasure to watch this come together. A thought - have you got space under the trans tunnel to put a concave area where your right foot goes? You may appreciate a little extra room once you get some serious seat time in this baby. And every little bit counts.

 

Here's a couple. I can't really take a great full pic inside-too much stuff in the way

 

Thank you guys for the comments, I really appreciate!

I wish that I could. The car sits low, so the tranny is way up in there. Not a great pic, but this kind of shows where the tranny sits in the car. With the shift linkage there is no more room to take. But it really is not as tight as it seems though, it'll work

Dan

 

nice work,and nice shop.it's good to see people who take pride in their work.

keep us posted on your progress.

-danny

 

Of course, there is a pedal missing there, Dan

 

Nice job. You should be very proud and happy with what you have built. Looks good! Keep us posted on you progress.
_______________________________________________________________________
Like I told the kid,"Your music not too loud, it just sucks!"

 

Very nice work! Your shops a little too neat for me to work, I've been trippin' over the same stuff for years!!

 

Danny, thank you very much for that, I really appreciate. There are so many people around the Hamb to gain inspiration from(like yourself) that it makes you want to try harder.

Yeah yeah, I've heard that before.....
I looked into putting a manual in it, but adding one to the 455 is not a cheap easy matter. So I scrapped that idea in favor of finally driving this car in this lifetime hehe

Thanks again Doc, I will definitely post up progress as I go. I am happy with the way it is coming together, and really starting to get excited as it actually becomes closer to becoming a car week by week

I am guilty of that too, believe me. My dad has put in lots of time organizing lately, and it really makes working on the car more fun & productive when you can find stuff easily and not be falling over everything

 

Outstanding concepts and execution! I hope to be in that class someday!

 

I don't.....that way I will never be disappointed


Dan, sorry about the pedal quip. Now you know how we feel down here where we drive on the correct side of the road. Everyone has to tell us how we got it back to front.

 

Looks good like always wish I had 10% of your skills.

 

Looking good. Are you really going to drive this? When you were building it as a sedan I thought for sure yours would be on the road before my tub but the time you have spent on the details sometimes makes me wish mine was still in the shop.
Keep up the outstanding level of craftsmanship.

 

Thanks again for the support, it means a lot, and makes the hours of grinding seem worthwhile finally

Man, and to think I didn't even post one "nice car except the steering wheel is on the wrong side" comment on your build thread...........even though I was so tempted

Hey man, thanks! I was just looking at some pics I saved of your tub once it was painted & put together, the black all looks so clean & business like. Your car really came out great, you really have some serious time & work in it, I hope that you have been enjoying it, & driving it!






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Hell ya bro... Looking mighty SEXY...

one question... Those headers..did you just buy those?

After seeing you skills I see some serious custom headers...those are sorta average..

IMO the car has so much detail..I think its missing there..

P.S. I found an old picture that barris took in the 60's that would make you want to
turn your truck into a show car..... hahaha don't worry I won't show you...when I saw it
I thought of your truck.... maybe i'll scan it for you... it even has your nurf bar...

 

My god, how do you get everything so clean, literally clean?

 

Thanks man! It's slowly becoming an actual car......

Yeah, I did buy the headers from Sanderson. I would love to build a set myself, I just wasn't real convinced that I could build a good set honestly.......

Hey, if you can scan the barris car & post it up if it's not too much of a pain in the @ss, I always am open to more bad influence! Man, & here I thought that I invented the nerf bar. Seriously though, I'd love to see that

I am getting to the point of just wanting a drivable truck-I'm running out of $$$. Paris Hilton has not made her monthly support payment to me this month, she's not even responding to my text messages that I send while driving

Honestly I waste lots of time blasting, grinding, d.a.'ing, wire wheeling, & scuff padding most of the brackets & things that I make. Of course, the first time that I touch them by accident my sweat makes it all rust up..........
tough to avoid when it's 95 in the shop though





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It's coming along, thanks! The hump is not the most beautiful creation ever, but it does what it needs to do. Probably not the best way to do it, but here's a link to the post I did on that:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282467

I want an english wheel, & the skill to use it......haha

 

First off you are wayyyyyyyy talented enough to make your own headers..and it would
add that personal touch...

and you don't have to tell me about running out of money...I did that 9 months ago..
now my Credit cards are maxed and Im having to hustle every mortgage payment..
but you know what......... I have a kick ass hot rod hahahahahahahahahahaha


Fuck it..



I'll see what I can do about the pic..

evel

 

I love this truck. I like that you are using a serious rear suspension and that tunnel rocks. It may not be as tight as you would like, but it will make someone ask if it came that way. That is priceless.

 

I look forward to your updates. I really like your no-nonsense approach to building your car. The work is clean and simple!! The proportions also look really good as well.
Jimmy White

 

Thanks man, I might be tempted at some point to give it a try. I can always build the first of anything pretty easy, it's trying to make the second one match it that screws with me...........

I know what you mean about the $$$$, after a while it starts to get painful. I think that I have eaten mac & cheese for dinner every night for a freaking year. In your case with your coupe though, totally worth it. A kick ass hot rod it is

Thanks a ton for that, I really appreciate. I am really getting excited about driving it, to the point that I can almost imagine it. I hope that it drives well, I know that I should never break the rear for the little hooking up the rear tires will do

Jimmy I am really blown away by comments that people such as yourself(and so many others) on the Hamb make that I totally respect, it really means a lot to me. I am learning as I go, but am really starting to enjoy the process. I really do like a no nonsense type of thing.

I have looked & stared at all the pics of your rpu that I could find for so long now, it's not even funny. Thanks again for the support guys, I truly appreciate it

Dan



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