Technical Willys Firewalls

Tone did you get in trouble by taking naughty pictures and get you camera taken away. That girl rosie your always talking about sound very nice!

 

Well let me tell you rosie hasn't cost me two Hot Rods like jolene did.

 

Damn her!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just thought I would Bump this to see if there might be any added comments on this thread.

 

Im working on this same issue with my 38 sedan. Not enough room and I hate to cut that firewall.

 

Hello willishotrods, I also did not want to cut my firewall, I really like the pattern that is pressed in it, so I sat and study it and came up with just moving the pieces and still keeping the somewhat same look as the factory. The first thing I did was get my motor and bell housing and trany somewhat set where it had to go so I had room for the radiator also and then I was able to build the firewall to fit the back of the engine. Now I am running a small block chevy so that is what mine is built around, If your running a BBC or Hemi you are going to probability have to set the hole firewall back or just build a new one. If you go back in the thread you will see where I cut my opening and then I used part of the firewall and just moved it up and then I had another firewall that was pretty rough and I cut that same piece out and split it in half and move it over to clear the valve cover, then to tie it all back together I cut a steel fire extinguisher in half and set it in to give me room for my distributor. I then built new toe plates and center hump to tie the floor to the firewall. In the picture's that are posted you can't see the curved piece that I put in for the distributor but it reinforced the firewall nicely. I'm running a 4 speed so it made it a little tight for the pedals/colunm so I use a set out of a Chevy Vega and a steering colunm out of a Chevy Corvair and they fit nice. I need to take those picture's and post them and also a pic of the firewall with out the engine setting in the way. I'll try and get that done it will help you see the finished firewall. I share a shop with my two brother's so my car got put on the back burner so they could get some work done on their hot rods. Let me know what your engine plans are there is a company that makes a 4 inch set back firewall for the bigger engine. I'll find it and post it.

 

Back burner???? Kick those Bastards out of the garage and get your Shit done !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I let them do there's this summer and then I can have the shop all winter, hehehehhehe. Besides I got a new compressor and some of the shop thing's done this summer so then I can hit it this Winter. Nice Blue paint on that 32 Tim now you can stay busy this Winter to!!!!

 

Just wanted to stop by and post a few more pic's of the firewall work. As you can see I cut a steel fire extinguisher in half and installed it to tie the two indented pieces together and it really stiffing the firewall back up again. the reason I did this was I needed room for my distributor. As you can see it is just tacked in place and this winter I will do all of the finish welding and grinding, also I will be filling all of the holes that i will not be using. As you can see in the first and last photos I made new toe plate and will be building a center hump to clear the bell housing and the front of the floor will tie into it also.

 

Nice work. The extra room for the distribuator is looking good.
Keep up the good work.

/Mike

 

Hi Mike,

Is this a small block Mopar motor? What are you using for a trans., and rear end? What frame mods. are you doing for strengthening? You are running a front mount radiator?

Thanks,

David Hurst
Syracuse, NY

 

Yes it is a Chrysler 360" SB. I'm using 904 Aut. gearbox and 81/4 rear end. Only Mopar stuff
Boxed the frame at rear kickups and at the front at the leaf spring attachment. Built new engine mounts gearbox mounts. Yes I have front mount radiator with an electrical fan. Hard to get enough with space for a regular fan. Please check out my project thread here on HAMB.
/Mike
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/willys-1938-sedan-project.767864/

 

Hi Mike,

I'm going a similar route. I'm planning to use a Chrysler 340 w/ 727 auto trans. Triangulate or leaf Chrysler 8.75 rear and mustang II independent front. How far back did you set the cutout in the firewall from it's original location? I would like to run a front mounted radiator if the motor is not pushed back into the cab too far. It is a small space to begin with. Not as much leg room as a coupe of sedan.

David Hurst
Syracuse, NY

 

Hi David!
The new firewall position is about 8" from its origin location. From the beginning I planned to have enough space to the origin fan, but unfortunately it was not enough place so I assembled an electrical fan directly on radiator. I also moved the front seat about 5-6" backwards to get a proper leg room. I'm quite short man so it was enough leg room for me.
/Mike

 

love the photos