Hot Rods Modified Murray - Race to the road! Progress in Review!

Scott, I'm wondering if with your level of attention to detail, will you remove the markings from the carriage bolts?

 

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the comments! Wasn't sure I would like the Nerf/Push bar, at first. I definitely don't see it being left off, even though it's removable.

Actually, no... Those bolts will be replaced by Stainless steel or chrome bolts. Probably stainless. I like how they look after they weather a bit.

 

I should put one of those bars on mine so I can push it around the shop when it's not running.

 

I dig the push bar! It really finishes off the rear. What size tubing did you use?

I also really like the bracket you made for the gas tank. Very nice. All and all everything ties in nicely to complete the rear of the car. Well done.

 

Thanks man!

I used 1-1/2" x .125 wall DOM tubing for the actual "T" shaped support and the curved pieces are 1-1/2" x .125 welded tubing. The plugs are 1-1/4" x .125" DOM.

 

this car is so cool!

 

I was thinking the same thing Scooter. Just a thought.......... you're work continues to be awesome.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Stainless bolts could have the print smoothed off nicely....

 

Thank man!

Exactly! I love working with stainless for this reason right here! I hate working with plated bolts and such. They just don't quite look right.

One thing is for sure... It's going to take awhile to replace all the visible bolts with what looks "correct". Not to mention the safety wire that will follow...

Thanks Mark!

 

This is the type of push bar that came to mind while planning...

 

very nice!

 

Fuckin hell , great thread / build!

 

Wow Scott, nice rack! I really like how the gas tank mount ties into your push bar-it all really looks great.

Me & my dad joke when we build something like that on the car. Once it's done & all mounted up, we say "it looks like it was made for it"

Looks like you are becoming a member of the "blue tape brigade". I am a proud member of the club myself.

Keep up the great work bud, I'm excited for ya!

Dan

 

I really dig all the details, but can I ask a stupid question ? I cant tell by the angle of the photo's, does the pushbar extend past the rear tire's ?


CBB

 

I'd think these are mock up bolts, finish bolts would be buffed stainless. Thanks for the progress photos & report Scooter.

 

Thanks buddy! Haven't seen an update from you in awhile... gonna' have to go look and see how your seats turned out!

Thanks man!!

Oh man! The thing I was always dreading... Someone telling me I have "a nice rack". I guess it really is time to start getting more exercise... Oh wait... You meant... AAAA! Okay!

Thanks Dan!! Yeah! Blue tape GALORE!! HAHAHA!! It's helped in most cases. I'm definitely going to have some paint touch-ups, though! HAHA! Stupid paint... Worthless.

Not a stupid question at all... The answer is BARELY. It's enough to do the job though.

You are correct, Bob!

 

Looking great Scooter. You are an inspiration to to me to make my car better looking and more refined. The details are fantastic and everything does look like it was made for it.

 

Thanks, brother Paul!

 

Scooter, Really like the setup for your gas tank and pushbar. I was thinking a different way to mount the tank of my modified on the rear kickup. Your way has multiple uses for the bracket and push bar.

 

Wow. I'm gonna rethink my front end on my T now. Cool stuff.

 

If you look at the push bar on my Lyndwood it sort of looks likan "S", Scooter.

 

Like the bar....but you've got me thinking, about your tank mount now, as I've been concerned about what the effects of mounting a heavy tank to the rear of the body will have on the sheetmetal over time with expected use.
Obviously the fact it's primarily supported of the chassis is a great thing, and being that you've rigid mounted the body helps, but are you concerned about any movement/flex that the body/chassis might have might create stress points in the final paint work by having thes dual mounting points that are potentially conflicting over a period of time?

Don't get me wrong, looks great, just thinking of the end result of pushing to get the bodywork all sweet.

Cheers,

Drewfus

 

Hey scott ! The car is looking real good !

 

Thanks guys!

These are VERY legitimate concerns and YES, I've been thinking about each one of them. Let me see if I can explain this so it will make sense...

Mounting the fuel tank off the sheet metal itself is a REALLY BAD idea, for all the reasons you mentioned! I agree with you! In my case, I actually have the mounts passing THROUGH the rear sheet metal and directly to the 1-1/2" interior supports. There are large "feet" welded to the interior supports that are flat against the sheet metal so it doesn't flex when it all gets tightened down. This essentially takes all the load off the sheet metal itself.

Since the push bar is mounted to the rack AND the frame, there SHOULD be concern here for stresses and flexing. The body will not be allowed to flex as much as it would in it's stock form. The 1-1/2" tube supports/"safety cage" pretty much eliminates that from the rear half of the body and the body will be mounted firmly to the frame with only a very thin piece of high durometer neoprene (or something similar) between the sub-floor and the frame to keep it from squeaking. In any case, the rack itself and the push bar both have a tiny bit of flex to them when not bolted together. So as it's bumping down the road they should act together and be fine... In theory. HA!

 

Small update. Was just a trying weekend. Just didn't have the motivation to work, despite getting organized and everything. Took a break from it on Saturday. Didn't do a thing on it. Sunday, back at it, but the burn-out is obvious now. Need to figure out a way to get motivated again. I'll think of something, I'm sure...

So despite doing very little, I thought it would be good to work on the inside a little more. I thought maybe if I saw the inside coming together it might help things. So I worked on getting the dash mounted. Then I decided to go ahead and mount some gauges in there.

I still need my tachometer, key switch, start button, horn button, and toggles. The tach will be ordered from Classic Instruments to match the rest of the SW gauges. It's a 5" tach. Can't wait to see how it looks in there....

To get things laid out, I actually put the gauges on the copy machine, covered the copy paper with tape to preserve them, then taped them on the dash so I could get them placed where I want them. Had to draw the tach from the specs on C.I.'s website.





And here's the layout...









The voids that you see in the dash will be for switches and buttons. The dash panel will ALSO be engine turned.

Other than the dash, I made mounts for the fuse panel and figured out and derived a solution to mount the rest of the electrical where it will be out of sight. All this little crap has to be done before I can pull it all apart and paint the inside. UHG! Just all the little pain in the ass stuff...

 

Neat. What kind of finish details are planned for the dash?

Edit: I've got to add, I love how you photocopied the gauges. Very classy mock-up.

 

What about something like this on your whole dash?




Actually It might be too busy....I think the engine turning will look killer but not to create more work but what do you think a 3/16-1/4" round rod the followed the contour of the bottom of the dash would look like? Almost like a cast piece?

You could get a 6' stick of round rod and cut a groove in it all the way down. Then maybe lightly heat up to bend arond that contour. Then fasten it how ever you want to the pannel after it's been engine turned. Maybe two tack welds or an epoxy? I just think that might give it a more finished look but shit, it looks rad as is!!!!


I am doing my dash sort of right now too. I'm having a hard time getting the holes cit since I am trying to mount from behind (yeah I said it....shut up!) and only expose that first ring on the gauge? So I get that look sort of like the picture I posted above. I might have to laser cut them as we discussed and then get creative on the actual mounting.

 

photocopied or drawn?

 

Yes, the bottom of the dash needs a bead or a lip. I have had my dash in the drill press jig for MONTHS. Talk about no motivation. I got half the 1/2 engine turning done. Good thing my new nsert covers half of it now!

 

both, look closely