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Hot Rods Checker Board Firewalls....Let's See Some.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Speed Gems, Jan 24, 2016.

  1. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

    A guy we ( my dad and I) used to go to swap meets and car shows with once told me if he ever built a Hot Rod it was going to have a checker board firewall because that's what was popular when he was a young man. I did a search and found threads on how to do a checker board firewall, What material to use to block off the squares, and even what size the squares should be, but no dedicated threads on checker board firewalls. We have a thread on white firewalls now lets see one on checker board firewalls.
     
  2. wild32hotrod
    Joined: Nov 26, 2001
    Posts: 208

    wild32hotrod
    Member

    here is a shot of mine, build the car in 1998. will get some better pics later IMG_0492.JPG
     
  3. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,144

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

  4. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    ...
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Sam Foose's 48 Ford coupe circa 1977. I still have the old magazine where it was on the cover.
    Sam Foose.jpg
     
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  6. Speed Gems
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 6,433

    Speed Gems
    Member

    Bump for the day shift.
     
  7. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member


    Here is a video on how it's done. 3:06 - 3:10 will explain it all.
     
  8. edcodesign
    Joined: Mar 30, 2007
    Posts: 4,716

    edcodesign
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Attached Files:

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  9. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,144

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Hmmm, I wonder if there is a "quilted look" version paint brush.
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. HUSSEY
    Joined: Feb 16, 2010
    Posts: 628

    HUSSEY
    Member

    So, is it applied as a vinyl graphic, where can you get it?
     
  11. czuch
    Joined: Sep 23, 2008
    Posts: 2,688

    czuch
    Member
    from vail az

    We did a OT Suburban 3 door with a six inch stripe, with one inch squares across the front of the hood and fenders.
    Just ran the masking tape and prayed a lot. Came out good for noobs with a rattle can.
     
  12. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    My '46 Ford pickup. The air cleaner on top of that 460 is a motorcycle gas tank, reclaimed from floating hurricane debris. The underside of the hood was laid out using a carpenters laser level, suspended from the ceiling. This was my first flames-over-checkers attempt.
    46trkhood02_5.jpg ins08.jpg ins09.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2019
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  13. Here's how I did mine... Made a pattern, put it on the black firewall, made some 2 1/4" squares out of white contact paper, stuck them on to see where they would go, and painted white in between the squares, then peeled them off - WALLA!!!

    Took me 2 days!
    IMG_4851.JPG

    IMG_4856.JPG
    IMG_4861.JPG
     
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  14. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    [​IMG]

    HAMBER Langy from the UK
     
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  15. white64
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 679

    white64
    Member
    from Maine

    Well I've done three so far all using the same "technique" (lol), Painted the firewall white then covered the entire firewall with blue 2" tape butted side to side vertically, and over that used green 3/4" tape horizontally spaced 2" top edge to top edge, and then carefully cut through the blue tape using the top of the green tap as the guide, pulled out every other tape square (about 2 hours to tape)then sprayed it black...easy! (did a driveshaft too that no one ever saw, duh) ... '38 Plymouth, '31 AV8 (in Avatar), '40 coupe 100_0720.jpg 100_0898_00.jpg 047.JPG
     
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  16. HUSSEY
    Joined: Feb 16, 2010
    Posts: 628

    HUSSEY
    Member

    Wow, that's some impressive and tedious taping!
     
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  17. oj
    Joined: Jul 27, 2008
    Posts: 6,454

    oj
    Member

    They talk to me.
     
  18. wheeler.t
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 282

    wheeler.t
    Member

    My dad painted this car when I was a teenager, roughly 10 years ago. The owner drives the damn wheels off of it and is one of the best "old" guys I know.
     
  19. Well, being I didn't know there was one Right way to do it or that there is one Right size for the square's I'll show you how I did it Wrong. Notice the only vertical line I got Correct is the one dead center. I'll get right on this and do it over the Right way. 51 Project 032.jpg 51 Project 039.jpg 51 Project 051.jpg 51 Vicky 011.jpg
    The Wizzard
     
  20. Nice job!!!

    I almost always find myself re-inventing the wheel. I didn't know there was a right or wrong way to do something until after I did it. LOL Invariably someone will show up in the middle of the project and straighten me out.

    I usually just roll up my sleeves and dive in (over my head) and figure it out. That's why it takes me so long.
     
  21. When you talk to Guys that have to read a Book to get a job done, It's easy to tell the New guys from us Old Farts. It's like the Grill in this 51. People tell me all the time "that's the way everyone did it back in the Day" I specialy like the ones that say "I had one exactly like it" I already know the Brown Stuff is past there eye balls.
    The Wizzard
     
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  22. U-235
    Joined: Dec 18, 2010
    Posts: 452

    U-235
    Member

    Okay Mr Pist-n-Broke, how much is that grille bar modified....? They don't seem to fit right in a 51 as I always thought ...the ends at the front of the bar cut back at a 45 or so....it looks as if I would have to add metal.. Always heard or saw an article in R & C in the fifties that you just trimmed them to fit...I wonder how many were installed back then with the cut back exposed...?
     
  23. fordcpe
    Joined: Nov 4, 2005
    Posts: 646

    fordcpe
    Member

    Here are some pics of my 34 firewall
     

    Attached Files:

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  24. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,367

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    Architect Frank Gehry will love that.
     
  25. white64
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 679

    white64
    Member
    from Maine

    Put on some decent music or listen to a ball game, grab a beer (just one), and start taping... the taping is sortah tedious, but! it only takes about one song (3 minutes) to add the black paint, let the paint dry then pull off the rest of the tape..TAH DA! About two cans of white gloss rustoleum and one can of black and some tape (likely the most expensive part (more 3m price gouging...grrr)) about $25 bucks total (depending on the beer count) and 2 hours of otherwise idle time and you're done.

    Wrong way? A checkerboard is still a checkerboard regardless of how you got there...!
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2016
  26. WoW,, I must really be paying the price for being a Silver Back. 1 beer and 2 hours? Hmmm, must be time to throw in the Towel.
    The Wizzard
     
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  27. white64
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 679

    white64
    Member
    from Maine

    LOL! Got to keep the lines straight! I can stop at one beer, two not so easy because the third is so much nicer and easier! ..and after four! who gives a crap about taping anything! BEER ASSISTANT!
     
  28. MengesTwinCustoms
    Joined: Oct 16, 2009
    Posts: 279

    MengesTwinCustoms
    Member

    Here is my model t firewall
    ImageUploadedByH.A.M.B.1454040892.293444.jpg
     
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  29. ghalperin
    Joined: Dec 10, 2012
    Posts: 212

    ghalperin
    Member

    Has anyone done horizontal stripes?
     
  30. ghalperin
    Joined: Dec 10, 2012
    Posts: 212

    ghalperin
    Member

    Sam Foose’s ‘47
    67801DB6-8D26-4FB6-AFB5-53AA404D5169.jpeg
     

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