side panels are easy... much harder to make the top if longer than stock... reversed '30-'31 firewall will buy you 3"-4" more engine room...
Ride down to PA and I'll sell ya this one and all your questions will be answered! Takes up a lot less room when they are in pieces so won't take up much room in your garage!
Hey all, Thanks for everyone's tips and dimensions. Going roughly on the 75" from the rear axle centerline, it looks like it will be roughly a 2-3" firewall recess with the radiator in the right location. I won't be running a traditional water pump. It will be a remote mounted electric pump so that I can control the flow volume/time in radiator so that I can make the best of the stock size radiator. It's a dual core '32 aluminum radiator. Matt
Matt, as Smitty has suggested turning the firewall around gains you about 3 inches. He is a master at building A's from scratch pieces and making them look right.
A little more info on my car, The engine is a Y block Ford, the firewall is not cut or reversed, I stretched the frame 5 1/2" the radiator is mounted in the stock location I have the engine mounted low in the frame so I have a flat floor, right now I'm running an automatic trans (a Ford-o-matic) but I have a 3 speed ready to go in. I'm 6' tall 245lbs and I fit fine, it can be a little hard to see stoplights at times but not too bad. remember it's a 4" chop and 2 1/2" channel. Like I said I have a rear seat but it is shortened and lowered a little and have the gas tank behind the seat. Just to be completely clear on the measurement I posted, that is from the center of the rear axle to the front side of the lower "foot" of the firewall. Now the tape had to curve out a little to go around the side of the body to measure and like I said, my subframe and door sills are all home made so they could be off a little. Hope this helps
Just to clarify things. You're using a full size 32 radiator? I can only assume you will not be mounting it on the original radiator location holes in the cross member? Otherwise it will be taller than your roof. So by "right location" you mean you will mount it in front of the cross member? If so, you will also have added length to your available engine space.
These posts will probably help you. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rebuild-of-my-1928-model-a-tudor.1135981/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ewall-anyone-make-them.1180803/#post-13419181 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...cess-firewall-question.1167386/#post-13275314
X38 - Stock location yes, and full size 32. I will be using a different style cross member from what is pictured. I will be moving the cross member forward, adding radiator mounting tabs in stock location, then lowering the radiator mounts to accommodate the change in chassis from stock.
Dirk, Thanks for the links! Cliff, from the "ReBuild of my 1928" posts lives not too far from me. I'll have to connect with him. Thanks again for the links, very helpful!
Working on the radiator and grill shell now. Front suspension is 95% mocked up. Need filler panels for the hairpins.
Hey everyone, a lot of you have suggested running the firewall backwards to gain some room. I don't think I'll have the room for that, but could be very wrong, as I am intending to run the original gas tank. I'm going to end up pushing the radiator forward about 1 1/2" to make room for electric fans and a water manifold to go where the original water pump resided. The current plan is a remote mount electric water pump. Now to find a compact balancer and a single groove pulley. Gotta find a flat one, space is of a premium. Maybe I'll make one on the lathe and bridgeport?
Hey all, getting back to the hot rod. I'll post some update pictures tomorrow. I have begun raising the wheel well arches so my suspension clears. Raised about 4 1/2" and extended(towards door) roughly 3" to keep body lines looking as good as possible. Anyway, onto my question. Picked up a set of 33 chevy truck headlights complete. Great glass, inner reflectors, stainless rings, etc. One light has a little rot on the bucket. It's the portion that holds the trim ring in place. It's roughly a 3" long portion that needs to be repaired/replaced. Looks like a little water got in when stored upside down. No too bad, and almost don't want to even touch it. Can't see it with the trim ring on, but don't want to fill it with water once its a driver. Anyone do this before? Any tips/tricks? Or do I buy a sacrificial bucket just for that little portion?
Looks like it worked out fine for you. From the pics of the frame I thought the engine was too far back. Looks great! Now it just needs to be shortened! LOL
My solution to a suspension travel issue. Moved the wheel well opening up about 4 1/2". Stretched the front forward to keep a decent looking arch opening. Fun part will be duplicating this on the other side.
Looks great! I'd do the same, but I think I'd still have to cut a big relief in my firewall. Would it fit while still using a stock gas tank? I love the looks of the gas cap on the cowl and I don't have a great spot that I'd like to put a different fuel tank. I don't really have the room to put a small keg type in front of the radiator as I'm going with a suicide front as well as moving radiator forward about 1 1/2" to give me room for fans on back side of rad. The big block takes up a bit more space than I originally thought it would. Not a show stopper by any means, I just have to get.....creative with things. Going to run a single groove crank pulley to spin a generator/alternator. Going to make a water pump replacement manifold and place a remote mount electric water pump under the floor. It'll be tight, but it'll look nice.
do you need measurements from the cowl side edge to the flat of the firewall ? on both stock and reversed firewalls ?
stocker is about 4.25" from firewall to tank face... stocker tank to cowl edge is about 2" ... my reversed is about 1.5" from tank to cowl edge, i removed about 1.25" of firewall to cowl edge from the firewall, basically the offset that sits inside the cowlside when stock... you could remove more from the firewall if wanted... have one cut out, need it or pix ?.
Great start. Given the frame length and your building a new one, I would have thought you would have added a few inches to eliminate the need to cut the cowl?
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