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Firewall, Floorboard and Windshield Wiper Installation.
Firewall Removal
To keep the cowl from moving around during installation of the new firewall, the dash was left bolted in and some tubing tack welded across the door pillars. To remove the new firewall, the spot welds were drilled out with a 5/16" spot weld cutter and two cuts were made across the lower section. The green tape marks where the lower section is cut.
Windshield Wiper Installation, Part 1
While the firewall is out and access to the bottom side of the cowl was wide open, it was an ideal time to install the wiper system from Specialty Power Windows. Holes were drilled in the cowl for the 5/8' spacers, then they were welded to the bottom side of the cowl. It's important to install them so that the shafts run 90 degrees with the windshield. A small amount of filler was used to finish off the topside.
From underneath you can see the tubing connecting the (2) transmissions and routing over to the passenger's side kick panel. This tubing houses the drive cable. The motor assembly will be installed in the kick panel after braces are added for the hidden hinges.
New Firewall Installation
The new 3" recessed firewall from Direct Sheetmetal was trial fit several times and required only minor trimming to the firewall flange to achieve a quality fit to the cowl. Then being careful not to distort the cowl, the firewall was clamped into position and the lower corners were tack welded first.
Then systematically moving the clamps, the perimeter was tack welded using the holes drilled for removal of the original firewall. Next, lower extensions, included with the Direct Sheetmetal firewall, were tack welded into position. These extensions really clean up the looks compared to the stock look.
Now all of the holes and extension seams were final welded and and ground smooth. Always move around during welding to prevent warpage. A bead of seam sealer was run around the inside to finish the installation.
Before the body was removed off of the frame, Mark went to great lengths to mark exactly where the firewall was on the frame. Then he made a cardboard firewall to serve as a template for various cut-outs needed, such as the steering column hole. A rubber plug was also installed to allow removal of the steam line fitting on the rear of the passenger's side head. Forward thinking will allow Mark to remove this without having to remove the entire motor. The higher motor and transmission position required reshaping the transmission cut-out for additional clearance.
New Floorpan Installation
Using dimensions provided in the instructions of the front floorboard and transmission tunnel kit from Direct Sheetmetal, the floorboard was cut across the car. The spot welds running at the door sill edge were drilled out to remove the floor section. Mark welded some of these holes closed and ground them smooth, but left enough to temporarily screw in the new floor panels and final welding. Additional holes were also drilled every 3" along the the new edge across the floor.
Since not all of Henry's bodies are created equal, some trimming of the new panels is expected. The new panels were installed with the supplied screws.
Next the toe boards were trimmed and screwed into place. Now the floorboards can be removed and using the body to frame holes for alignment with the chassis the inside edges can be trimmed around the transmission, if required. Mark plans to trim the toeboards and final weld to the floorboards with the body back on the chassis. This will also make it easier to add holes for pedals, harness and whatever else may be needed.
To accommodate the 700R4, deep setback and higher position of the engine and tranny, a larger tunnel than the standard model was required. Some welding rod was formed to create half circles to determine size of the new tunnel. From this a drawing was made and sent off to Direct Sheetmetal. They now have templates of these parts if you think they may fit your application. Mark chose to make part of the tunnel removable, so the two middle pieces were welded together. Foam gasket material provides a seal between the tunnel and floor. The toeboard section required trimming and flanges were added. With the tunnel screwed in place the floorboards were marked, removed and trimmed. The floorboards and tunnel sections were then reassembled for welding.
Mark then tack welded the floorboards, toeboards, and tunnel sections to the body and each other. A combination of ¾"-1" long welds and plug welds were used to weld everything together. Move around a lot to prevent warpage and keep the heat to a minimum. There is no need to weld the entire seam. The sheet metal screws were then removed and the holes welded closed.
A coat of seam sealer was then brushed on all the seams. The bottom side will also be sealed when the body is removed for the final time.
After a coat of paint was applied to the floor, a hole was cut in the removable section to clear the LOKAR Shifter that was installed earlier in Step 6.
Windshield Wiper Installation, Part 2
Once Mark got the firewall back into place, a mounting bracket was made from 1/8" steel to attach the drive motor. It was then welded into position in the Passenger's side kick panel area. The drive was then bolted into place and the final piece of tubing was then bent to shape and cut to length.
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The motor can be rotated 360 degrees on the drive housing to allow flexibility when mounting it to maximize your available space. Then, with the motor in the park position and the amount of degrees of travel for the wipers determined, the drive wheel was installed with the corresponding hole aligned to the drive arm. Install the cover and run wires to the connector to finish it off. On the final installation, all of the components will be liberally grease as per the instructions from Specialty Power Windows.
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Copyright © 1999-2004 Bob Shetrone
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