Another week gone, one month to go..........

One month until my self imposed completion date - May 1.  Had a few days and evenings this past week to do some work on the '41.  The wiring under the car is secured, the pressure/brake light switch is wired, the dimmer switch is wired and attached to the floor, the clutch is adjusted, the center caps are installed on the rear wheels, new hood to cowl gasket is installed, the stainless rocker moulding is reattached with new body clips, and all the engine compartment wiring is completed with the exception of the headlight and parking light on the driver's side.  As I was working on the wiring, I kept looking at this hideous mess of holes in the upper part of the firewall.

The speedo cable, coil wire, mechanical temp and oil sensors as well as some of the original wiring came thru grommets in these holes. As I mentioned a couple posts back, I got a piece of aluminum sheet from my buddy Paul.  The sheet was cut to length and my wife helped hold it in place while I traced the firewall contour on the back side.  Next was the jig saw cut to form the upper curve. Here's the blank piece taped in place with the hood hinge brackets positioned for marking the holes. 

While the panel was taped to the firewall, I used a can of spray paint and sprayed thru the holes up under the dash to mark the holes that would be needed for mounting.  Then the panel was removed and the holes were drilled.  Here's a test fit with all the bolts in place. 

I've decided to have the panel powder coated the same dark green as the body of the car and dress up the panel with a little creativity of my own.  The Chevy trucks of the 40's had a shield on the grill just like the emblem on my grill only a little smaller.  I ordered a new truck emblem from Chevsofthe40s.com along with some more replacement rubber parts.  Here's the emblem mounted in the center of the aluminum panel.

Once the panel is power coated, I'm planning to mount the shield and turn the panel over to a pinstriper to have some striping done in the lighter green colors of the engine and the roof of the car.  That hole just to the right of the emblem is for the drain hose that connects to the under side of the cowl vent.  It drains any water that gets in the cowl vent out to the engine compartment and down the back side of the engine. 

     Once I finished the fabrication of the firewall panel, I removed the ID tag from the firewall and covered that upper firewall area with the same adhesive backed insulation that I had used on the interior floor. Then I could finally concentrate on getting some of the wiring terminations completed. 

     The KwikWire kit has been very easy to install.  It came with all the terminals and connection blocks for the head lights and steering column connector too.  The wires are marked well and are easy to read.  Each wire had to be cut to length, stripped for a terminal to be crimped in place and heat shrink tubing applied to the connector and wire junction.  I opted to use uninsulated terminals with heat shrink tubing as opposed to insulated terminals for a cleaner look and better protection.  I removed all the old, stock wire hangers and replaced them with bolt on clamps that are attached to the same holes in the firewall and fenders as the clamps.  Each bundle of wires was covered with the appropriately sized wireloom for a clean well organized look.  Here's the engine compartment wired up.

Notice too, the new terminal strips attached to each fender.  Rather that running the wires all the way to the front to wire up the lights, I opted to keep the stock look and wire the front lights using the stock terminal strips.  Here's a side view showing the rocker moulding reattached and the center cap on the rear wheel.

 Here's a picture of the front end with the passenger head light and parking light reinstalled. Notice the insulation mentioned earlier attached to the firewall.

Hopefully, I'll get some more wiring done tomorrow.  Fortunately, the weather has returned to normal temps so I'm not feeling pressured to get the car on the road right away. 

It was worth the wait

     Waaaay back in late November I ordered a Lecara Mark X steering wheel from Summit Racing.  As you may remember from my earlier posts, the delivery date kept moving out until I finally received the unpainted, unprimered wheel late last month.  Now, one of my computer customers is one of the best helmet painters in the land.  His NASCAR customer list reads like a who's who - Elliott Sadler, the Green brothers, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Petty, the late Adam Petty, and my favorite driver - Jeff Gordon just to name a few.  Any driver you see wearing a helmet with the name Phoenix on it, was done by David.  Why am I telling you this?  Well, David used to letter and make signage for race cars and he was the first guy I thought of when it came time to paint my new steering wheel.  I removed an arm rest from the 41 and took the wheel and arm rest to David with this request - paint the center hub and spokes the custom beige color to match the steering column and paint the ring/grip area of the wheel a carmel brown to match the arm rest.  Then clear coat the entire wheel.  That brown was used on all the seat trim too.  David asked if I had considered a wood grain look on the ring and made a phone call to a friend who "dips" various products to give them a wood grain or camo look.  I left the wheel and a can of beige paint in his care and said "Surprise me."  Man, did he live up to that challenge!  He had the wheel for 2 weeks and called yesterday to say it was ready.  I couldn't believe my eyes!!  This thing is absolutely gorgeous!  I'll post a pic but pictures can't do this wheel justice. 

Seems like one thing leads to another.

     Been a couple weeks since I sat down and updated the blog.  The week after the front end went on was spent catching up on household chores and taking care of computer repairs.  The weather turned unseasonably warm for this two week period too. The West Michigan area broke several temperature records on successive days.  I did manage to get back to work on the 41 this past week while the previous week did allow for some planning and parts ordering.  I had realized that most, if not all, of the grommets, gaskets and other rubber parts on the car were hardened and cracked.  Plus, the windshield leaked when we were caught in a rain storm last summer and the driver's glass has a small crack.  So, I placed an order with Chevsofthe40s.com for all new pieces.  Most of this stuff won't be noticeable to the average person but to true car people and mostly to me, the upgraded parts will certainly improve the appearance.  As an example, here's a new sill plate.

The old one was hard and cracked and had pieces broken out of it.
     I spent some time this past week working on the wiring harness installation.  The fuse panel is mounted and I went over all the wires to determine which ones won't be needed.  Those wires were removed.  I decided to wire the gauge panel on the bench and attach a 6 position quick connect to a pigtail.  This will make it easier to wire the panel as I won't be laying under the dash and it will be easier to service if I ever have to remove or repair a gauge or gauge wiring.  All the wires have now been run to the different areas and cut to approximate lengths.  I need to make up all the terminations now to finish the job.  As I mentioned in a previous entry, the stock wiring that feeds the rear of the car is run through the ceiling behind the head liner.  I chose to not disturb the head liner and decided to route the wires under the car along the frame on the driver's side.  After checking several options of what to use as wire conduit, I finally settled on 1/2", black, heater hose.  The six wires needed at the rear of the car fit snuggly in the hose without binding and the hose will provide a waterproof conduit from front to rear.  All the wiring needs sleeving installed for protection and a clean look.  Here's the wiring coming through the firewall grommet now.

 Here's a view of the hose under the car.  I still have to install clamps to keep it in place.

I drilled a 7/8" hole under the rear seat and the hose fits perfectly through the hole.  I then routed the wires under a clamp for the arm rest and thru a grommet I installed in the upper part of the trunk divider.  A properly positioned clamp will prevent the hose from slipping back through the floor and some silicone will seal the hose in the hole.

Part of prepping for the rewiring of the rear area was a thorough cleaning of the trunk and painting it with POR-15.

     Besides the wiring, I was also able to paint the back side of the new front wheels so they match the ones I ran last year.  Getting just the inside of the slots painted without getting any paint in the front chamferred area of the slots meant going over each opening with lacquer thinner on a rag and carefully cleaning the edges.

The center hubs I used on the old wheels fit perfectly and the new black chrome lug nuts finished the look nicely.  While the car has been on jack stands for the wiring work, I took time to check the pinion angle with a gauge and replaced the oil pan drain plug gasket.  Today, I retightened all the brake line fittings as a couple were showing slight leaks. 
     I don't like the look of the upper half of the firewall where all the stock wires and grommets were positioned.  Putting plugs in all the unused holes would look really tacky.  So, I spent some time trying to come up with a way to cover that area and still have a place for the cowl vent drain tube and the wiper vacuum hose.  Polished stainless would have looked trick but when I found out the price of a piece of stainless steel sheet, cut to my template, I quickly abandoned that idea.  My friend Paul had some 16 gauge aluminum sheets left over from a project and he gave me a 12 x 48" piece that will work perfectly. I need an 8"x40" piece to cover the firewall.  Haven't decided whether to polish, paint or powder coat the sheet.
     My steering wheel is being painted by a customer and friend who paints racing helmets.  He called tonight to let me know it is done and I can pick it up tomorrow.  I'm excited!  I also took the heater fan motor to Northwestern Auto Parts last week to see if they could find a 12v replacement.  Unfortunately, when I called today, I learned they can't find one either.  Back to the drawing board on that part.
     That about brings everyone reading this up to date on my progress.  I'll just keep picking away on all the detail work.

She's taking shape!

     Another successful day today.  Dan came over this afternoon and we reattached the front end sheet metal to the '41.  My cutouts were off a bit and it took us three times putting on the front end and taking it off for trimming.  We put the front tires back on and set her on the ground to check the stance and I was grinning ear to ear!  I still have a bit of weight to add to the front with fluids, radiator, hood and bumper and the rear is sitting high due to no interior weight as well as an empty trunk and empty gas tank.

I love this next view.  The front end is sitting 2 1/2" lower now than before it came apart. 

     We turned the steering wheel left to right/lock to lock and the tires have LOTS of room!  The garage is cleaned up a bit and I rolled the '41 forward to her parking spot so I can bring my daily car inside.  Now that the snow is gone and the temps are in the 60's, I get to park inside.  lol
     Gonna take a couple days off to catch up on some household chores and tackle the income taxes.  I'll get some parts ordered Monday or Tuesday and begin the wiring project later in the week.

As Hannibal Smith often said..............

     "I love it when a plan comes together!"   That's how the last few days have progressed; the plans came together and things are looking good!  I stopped by More Power on Thursday and Dick made up a slightly longer water line to clear the steering u-joint.  It fits perfectly.  The line laying on the intake manifold was removed to allow access to the upper control arm bolts.

 
     Friday morning Dan and I made the return trip to LA Trim to pick up the '41.  Dale did some last minute finishing touches and we were loaded and rolling by 9:45.  The temp outside was 30 when we were loading the car on the trailer and the wind was blowing.  Made for some cold fingers!  The ride back home was uneventful.  Before we unloaded the car, Dan and I placed the front end sheet metal on a couple of saw horses so I would be able to make the cut outs in the inner fenders to clear the new suspension components, motor mounts and one brake line.  Later in the morning, UPS delivered my steering wheel.  Here's some pics of the finished carpet and the steering wheel temporarily bolted in place.  The wheel needs to be primered and painted before it can be permanently installed.

Here's the front end supported on saw horses and a couple shots of the inner fenders showing the marks for trimming.

     Tom from Maksims stopped over last night after work and brought his portable pressure bleeder for the brakes and the gauges necessary to ball park the front end alignment.  Some of my fittings were loose allowing some fluid leaks but once tightened, they all stopped leaking.  Thanks Tom!  The guy went out of his way on a Friday night so I could get the front end on the car this weekend. 
     Today, Saturday, I made a cardboard template of the cutouts and transferred the layout to the inner fenders.  Then I used a jig saw to cut the openings.

     Once the fender work was completed, I removed the battery box.  I shouldn't have installed it until after the front end was back on.  Next was the clutch linkage install.  Then the T-5 transmission was bench pressed back in place.  I had used 1/8" spacer plates between the bell housing and transmission last year to properly position the input shaft in the pilot bearing.  Rather than make a new one-piece spacer, I decided to just used the plates again.  They were bolted to the bell housing when the engine was reinstalled and held in place with silicone.  The transmission bolts held the spacers in place until the silicone dried and I removed the bolts today in order to install the transmission.  The transmission cross member was installed today too.
     Dan is coming over tomorrow afternoon and helping me reinstall the front end on the car.  Hopefully, the cut outs I made today will align properly and the front end will drop in place.  I need another plan to come together!  By the way, if you read this and don't remember Hannibal Smith, do some research about the TV show, The A Team.  George Peppard played John "Hannibal" Smith, the leader of The A Team. 

Trailer Queen for a day

     The title sounds like one of those Before and After puzzles on Wheel of Fortune.  Oh well...the '41 got to take a ride today to the upholstery shop.  My steering wheel still didn't come in so yesterday I make a Flintstones version of a steering wheel so I could steer the car today.  How's this for a custom job?

     I followed up with Summit Racing this morning and they now have an incoming packing slip so they should have my wheel from Lecarra in the next couple days and they will get it shipped right out.
The trip to LA Trim went perfectly today thanks to Dan.  Hard to put a price on friendship.  Dan drove from his house in Rockford to Lowell to pick up the trailer from another Road Rodz member, Jimmy B (25 mi).  Then he drove from Lowell to my house in Jenison (another 25 mi).  Next we drove back to Lowell to LA Trim and dropped off the car (25 more miles).  Finally, Dan went home from there (25 mi).  That's 100 miles of driving just cuz he's a good friend.  Thanks Dan!
     Here we are loaded and ready to roll.

Here we are rolling into Lowell right at noon.

And here's a couple shots of LA Trim.

We plan to pick her up again on Friday so I get a couple days to review my assembly plan and get the remaining electrical parts ordered.  Tom has still been unable to make it over for bleeding the brakes and checking the front end alignment.  Hopefully, that can happen Friday night or Saturday because I'm planning to put the front end sheet metal back on Saturday or Sunday.  I'll need to cut the inner fenders for spring tower, motor mount and brake line clearance before the front end goes back on.  Yesterday's temp made it to 63 and today is about the same so I'm getting itchy to get the '41 back on the road.

Another good day

I got to spend pretty much the entire day working on the car.  First up was installing the front coil springs and shock absorbers.  The install went fairly well with the bottom shock fit being the only issue worth mentioning.  The shocks are a stock Mustang II/Pinto design and use a tube at the bottom that inserts between two smaller tubes in the lower control arm.  Well, that's how they are SUPPOSED to fit. After struggling for several minutes to get the shock base into the control arm, I decided to measure the opening and the shock base.  No way those shocks were going to fit.  The shock base was over .100" longer than the opening it needed to fit!  Removing some metal with the bench grinder solved the fit problem.   Here's a pic with the front suspension completed.

 
As you can see the car is back on the ground again.  Here's a side view.

     With the interior removed and the trunk emptied, the back end is sitting a little higher.  The front end, on the other hand, is sitting noticeably lower.  The top of the frame horns are just over 15" off the floor and there's a lot of weight to be added yet!

     The brake bleeding and preliminary alignment didn't happen as planned as Tom's "social director" (aka - his wife) made other plans for him tonight.  There's a chance he may make it over tomorrow evening.  I picked up the gauge panel from Scott Signs today and spent some time getting the speedometer and gauges mounted in the dash.

    
     Since I still had some more time available, I decided to add a few items in the engine compartment.  The starter is installed as is the battery box, fuel pump, and pcv hose.  The fuel line is connected to the inlet side of the fuel pump too.

I still don't have a steering wheel so I'm going to get inventive tomorrow to make steering possible for trailering out to LA Trim on Wednesday.  Dan has confirmed the trailer and Dale confirmed the appointment so we are good to go.

Little by little

     Visible progress is a good thing.  Seems like you can spend a lot of time working on small, detailed things that don't show.  When you step back to admire your work, everything looks the same as it did when you started.  That's the way the last couple days have gone - that is until today.  Friday I was able to install clamps on the fuel line to fasten it firmly to the frame.  I added several clamps to the rear brake lines and a couple to the front lines too.  Plus, I drilled the frame and mounting bracket for the proportioning valve.  Then I went over all the brake line fittings and made sure every one was tight. 
     Saturday was interrupted by computer customers so I didn't get much done.  I was able to remove the master cylinder and bench bleed it before heading off to a dinner meeting with the Road Rodz. 
     The master cylinder went back in on Sunday and I decided to start the prep to get the engine reinstalled.  The stock valve cover went back on to prevent scratching or denting the chrome cover. Then the engine was removed from the engine stand and placed in the rolling cradle.  Next the bell housing, flywheel and clutch assembly were installed and the throw out bearing fork was snapped in place.  Since it was still kinda early, I decided to see if the engine would drop in as planned.   I tied back the fuel line with a piece of cord and gently slid the engine into place.  All four mounting points aligned perfectly and the bolts are all tightened.

     Notice the water line running from the rear of the intake manifold to the fitting behind the oil pressure sender is not on right now.  That water line has to go around the steering column and the Borgeson u-joint that attaches to the steering column is just a bit larger than the stock column.  The water line will fit but it rubs on the u-joint.  I'll talk to Dick at More Power and replace that line with one that's a bit longer. 
     The engine needed to be installed because I'll need the weight to allow the front springs to compress.   Tom from Maksims is tentatively planning to come over tomorrow night to bleed the brakes and do the preliminary front end alignment so the springs and shocks need to be installed tomorrow.  The '41 is scheduled for a trailer ride on Wednesday to get the new carpet installed at LA Trim. 
     I had originally thought I would have the car back on the road by the first of May but I'm reconsidering that date.  I've made good progress to this point.  Unless something happens to cause a setback or rework, I think she'll be back on the road before April 1st!

Doin' the double flare boogie!

Well, the brake lines are all run. Now to add some brake fluid and test for leaks. Sure hope there aren't any because making double flares in brake lines is a pain in the backside! I still have to install the clamps in various spots and that means drilling a few holes. The bracket for mounting the proportioning valve is being held temporarily with vice grips. Once a couple holes are drilled, the bracket will be bolted to the frame. Keep in mind that since the master cylinder is mounted backwards, the back chamber feeds the front brakes and the front chamber feeds the back brakes. The blue and red cylindrical parts in the lines are the residual valves. A 10# valve is used in the rear and a 2# in the front. First pic is the driver's side front.

Next is the inside of the driver's side frame showing the T connecting both front brakes to the residual valve.

Here's the inside of the front cross member.  I chose to use a coupling in the passenger line.  Much easier than trying to form one continuous line from the T fitting to under both frame rails and across the cross member.

Next is the connections to the master cylinder.

This picture shows the lines as they contact the frame.  A vacuum pot was installed where the ring is showing on the frame and was held in place with two bolts.  Those bolts were very convenient for the line clamps.

Here's the driver's side rear showing the 10# residual valve and the proportioning valve. The brake line runs through the upper shock mount.

This last shot is the connection to the rear end.  Those brake lines were installed last year.  I simply rerouted the flex line (that black brake line running to the rear end) so it attaches to the rear of the T fitting rather that the front.  I needed to bend the tab that is welded to the rear end housing to create the proper angle.  You can also see the cleaned and painted gas tank.