The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 2: No Replacement For Displacement

[RustyHornet]

What are you doing about the fuel.

Thermo sleeve on the fuel line, heat shield with insulating material for a heat soak, 1/2” phenolic spacer. Then to help move more air, bigger fan with a clutch.

 

[churchmouse]

Thermo sleeve on the fuel line, heat shield with insulating material for a heat soak, 1/2” phenolic spacer. Then to help move more air, bigger fan with a clutch.

Bingo.
We tied the vent tubes together with a piece of fuel line. Cut a hole at the center between them. It raises the vent and stops some of the fuel from boiling over into the carb. It is hard to make work with a low-pro air cleaner. But at the track with out one you can do the hose thing. It worked on the boys Camaro.

 

[thunderchicken]

Well I had planned to make some progress on my Mustang build over the winter but due to multiple circumstances I put it on the back burner. Then when the weather broke it was time to get the Tbird ready to go. Then this week went to check the air press in the trailer tires and found they started to dry rot and 2 of them the tread was separating from the carcass of the tire. I could see the outlines of the belts. So we had to put 4 new tires on and then...our race was cancelled due to weather.

Getting back to finding time to work on the Mustang as time allows. I have aome body work ahead of me and have ordered some patch panels for the quarters and new rocker panels. I'm comfortable with the quaryer patches but have never done rocker panels before so it will be a new experience

 

[churchmouse]

Well I had planned to make some progress on my Mustang build over the winter but due to multiple circumstances I put it on the back burner. Then when the weather broke it was time to get the Tbird ready to go. Then this week went to check the air press in the trailer tires and found they started to dry rot and 2 of them the tread was separating from the carcass of the tire. I could see the outlines of the belts. So we had to put 4 new tires on and then...our race was cancelled due to weather.

Getting back to finding time to work on the Mustang as time allows. I have aome body work ahead of me and have ordered some patch panels for the quarters and new rocker panels. I'm comfortable with the quaryer patches but have never done rocker panels before so it will be a new experience

You got this.

 

[halfmileharry]

Well I had planned to make some progress on my Mustang build over the winter but due to multiple circumstances I put it on the back burner. Then when the weather broke it was time to get the Tbird ready to go. Then this week went to check the air press in the trailer tires and found they started to dry rot and 2 of them the tread was separating from the carcass of the tire. I could see the outlines of the belts. So we had to put 4 new tires on and then...our race was cancelled due to weather.

Getting back to finding time to work on the Mustang as time allows. I have aome body work ahead of me and have ordered some patch panels for the quarters and new rocker panels. I'm comfortable with the quaryer patches but have never done rocker panels before so it will be a new experience

You build a house from the foundation up. Rocker panels are structural on the old ponies. Line 'em up properly and secure them solid.

 

[churchmouse]

Well I had planned to make some progress on my Mustang build over the winter but due to multiple circumstances I put it on the back burner. Then when the weather broke it was time to get the Tbird ready to go. Then this week went to check the air press in the trailer tires and found they started to dry rot and 2 of them the tread was separating from the carcass of the tire. I could see the outlines of the belts. So we had to put 4 new tires on and then...our race was cancelled due to weather.

Getting back to finding time to work on the Mustang as time allows. I have aome body work ahead of me and have ordered some patch panels for the quarters and new rocker panels. I'm comfortable with the quaryer patches but have never done rocker panels before so it will be a new experience

Does the car have a full frame. If not some bracing might be in order before you cut them out.

 

[thunderchicken]

Does the car have a full frame. If not some bracing might be in order before you cut them out.

It's a foxbody but it has full length frame connectors with ouriggers extending out to the rockers where the cage is welded. And it has a full 12pt cage with rocker bars in it. So I'm thinking that should provide enough bracing. I figure once the old ones are cut out I should be able to just tack it in place and look at the door gap along the bottom to make sure they are straight before I finish welding them in. Thoughts?

 

[churchmouse]

It's a foxbody but it has full length frame connectors with ouriggers extending out to the rockers where the cage is welded. And it has a full 12pt cage with rocker bars in it. So I'm thinking that should provide enough bracing. I figure once the old ones are cut out I should be able to just tack it in place and look at the door gap along the bottom to make sure they are straight before I finish welding them in. Thoughts?

I have always used the doors as a guide.

 

[thunderchicken]

My plan is to get the rockers and quarters welded in and trim the botom of the wheel wells for a tad more tire clearance. Then I will move on to getting the front end put together with the new bumper cover and figure out how to attach the 10" fiberglass lower air dam to the bumper cover. Ultimately I would like to get all the fiberglass in place before winter gets here. If I can do that then I will see about getting it to the body shop so I can shoot some color on it and start final assembly next spring. That's the plan...but we all know how that goes

 

[thunderchicken]

I have always used the doors as a guide.

Sounds like I'm on the right track. I've always been a little bit of a closet body man. I have only done body work on our own cars and mostly by trial and error.

 

[femurphy77]

Man I've always been leery of rocker panels. They are so critical to the structure but with your cage you'll be good. I'm waiting on a call from Ridetech about my latest roadblock so in the meantime I finally got around to cutting out the inner fender on the passenger side rear in mine last night so I can actually get the 27/14/16 tires under both sides in the back now. It's only taken me 15 years to get that done although in my defense I've gotten more done on this thing in the past month than I have in the past 15 years!

Once I get the front suspension dummied in (I hope that word doesn't offend anybody) I'm going to have to drop the engine and tranny (see prior parenthesis) in so I can figure out how to fab a below engine crossmember to tie together the two lower control arm mounts. It's going to be so cool to have the suspension AND drivetrain both in the car at the same time!!

And then of course pull it all back out for other phases.

 

[thunderchicken]

Man I've always been leery of rocker panels. They are so critical to the structure but with your cage you'll be good. I'm waiting on a call from Ridetech about my latest roadblock so in the meantime I finally got around to cutting out the inner fender on the passenger side rear in mine last night so I can actually get the 27/14/16 tires under both sides in the back now. It's only taken me 15 years to get that done although in my defense I've gotten more done on this thing in the past month than I have in the past 15 years!

Once I get the front suspension dummied in (I hope that word doesn't offend anybody) I'm going to have to drop the engine and tranny (see prior parenthesis) in so I can figure out how to fab a below engine crossmember to tie together the two lower control arm mounts. It's going to be so cool to have the suspension AND drivetrain both in the car at the same time!!

And then of course pull it all back out for other phases.

Rock on man! I am yet to have the suspension and drivetrain all bolted into the Mustang at the same time. Some days I feel like eh no big feal and others I think dang I got this thing back from the chassis prison in December of 2010. Made some progress and bought a great deal of parts (so muany my dad actually is getting aggrevated about how they are piling up in the garage). I had planned to have it built way before now but we all know how life tends to change our plans. So I dropped the car off to have the chassis done Thanksgiving weekend 2009 got it back Dec 2010...ok so it has taken longer than expected (even thought about selling a few times) but it needs to be completed

 

[femurphy77]

Rock on man! I am yet to have the suspension and drivetrain all bolted into the Mustang at the same time. Some days I feel like eh no big feal and others I think dang I got this thing back from the chassis prison in December of 2010. Made some progress and bought a great deal of parts (so muany my dad actually is getting aggrevated about how they are piling up in the garage). I had planned to have it built way before now but we all know how life tends to change our plans. So I dropped the car off to have the chassis done Thanksgiving weekend 2009 got it back Dec 2010...ok so it has taken longer than expected (even thought about selling a few times) but it needs to be completed

I had thought about selling mine also a couple of times but I had to spend some time and money on it to make it worth anything! Then of course I would have more money and time in it causing me to not want to "give" it away so having to spend more time and money!

I know anybody reading this thread FULLY understands the depth of that rabbit hole.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

My remedy to those endless rabbit holes is really low expectations.

 

[churchmouse]

I spent a good portion of the day putting a set of stroker wheels in a set of S/S cases. Engine was 113 CI's and now thith the big bores and longer wheels it will peak over 131 CI's. This will be a rat bastared fast piece.

 

[thunderchicken]

My remedy to those endless rabbit holes is really low expectations.

That is a struggle for me. I don't expect any of my builds to be show quality as they will all be driven/raced. If you are going to build it take the time to buiod what you like

 

[mom45]

Do any of you have a recommendation for a good variable speed polishing tool? We are looking at a Makita but just wondered if anyone had any experience with them...good, bad or otherwise??

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Do any of you have a recommendation for a good variable speed polishing tool? We are looking at a Makita but just wondered if anyone had any experience with them...good, bad or otherwise??

RustyHornet would probably be the guy to ask about that. He’s the body man.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

That is a struggle for me. I don't expect any of my builds to be show quality as they will all be driven/raced. If you are going to build it take the time to buiod what you like

Right now I just want to drive the darn thing.

 

[churchmouse]

RustyHornet would probably be the guy to ask about that. He’s the body man.

^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^