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cooters T bucket build

Air - powered body saw for curves....cut--off wheels for staight ..... fine coping blades w/sawsall or jig saw work well but the blades don't last long..
dave

No air powered anything for me right now...someone borrowed my compressor and has not returned it. Now I can't remember who
 
A number of years ago , I started having problems w/ vanishing tools.... decided i needed a sign out system , shop door got locked , if we weren't home no one had access , if we were home , you had to sign out & date whatever you borrowed , cut down on some "freinds" but also stopped tool loss....
dave
 
A number of years ago , I started having problems w/ vanishing tools.... decided i needed a sign out system , shop door got locked , if we weren't home no one had access , if we were home , you had to sign out & date whatever you borrowed , cut down on some "freinds" but also stopped tool loss....
dave

Yea, I'm pretty much done loaning tools.

I never get them back without having to ask, and rarely returned in as good of condition as when handed out.
 
A number of years ago , I started having problems w/ vanishing tools.... decided i needed a sign out system , shop door got locked , if we weren't home no one had access , if we were home , you had to sign out & date whatever you borrowed , cut down on some "freinds" but also stopped tool loss....
dave

Yea, I'm pretty much done loaning tools.

I never get them back without having to ask, and rarely returned in as good of condition as when handed out.

The worst part is that I never got to use the compressor...it was a replacement for one that was stolen.
 
If you buy 1 you have no assurance it will fit.... if you build it , you know it fits.... you can use foam , duct tape , cardboard, tin foil , etc. for a form it's just time consuming .......if you build it be aware of where your right heel will sit , and where the frontof your seat will be....
dave





7
 
If you buy 1 you have no assurance it will fit.... if you build it , you know it fits.... you can use foam , duct tape , cardboard, tin foil , etc. for a form it's just time consuming .......if you build it be aware of where your right heel will sit , and where the frontof your seat will be....
dave





7
Thats the thing. I got no idea where non of this will be? Pedal assembly got to come through floor somewhere. Have no idea if i should start at firewall and work back or start at back and work forward.?
 
I would start with the seats. Where you sit and how you will sit will determine lots of things.
Remember that heat from the trans will be a factor, even on short trips.
I would get my seat to steering wheel placement first then check back here.

John

P.S. Where the steering post enters thru the firewall must be taken into consideration, also.
 
I would start with the seats. Where you sit and how you will sit will determine lots of things.
Remember that heat from the trans will be a factor, even on short trips.
I would get my seat to steering wheel placement first then check back here.

John

P.S. Where the steering post enters thru the firewall must be taken into consideration, also.
I guess i should cut the floorboard so i can set a seat in. Then start from there. Marine plywood next step i guess?
 
Unless you're planning on boating w/ your car , marine ply is a waste of money.... you're going to seal the edges [the best place for water migration] when you glass the floor in ...... your floor boards , SET them in place on your frame [with cushions of your choice, i.e. rubber strips , bicuits ] then start figuring out where things go best , after you get past that point , glass the floor in permanently...
dave
3/4 " BC , AC , even CDX are more than sufficent for the floor , hell ,5/8 is overkill
 
Unless you're planning on boating w/ your car , marine ply is a waste of money.... you're going to seal the edges [the best place for water migration] when you glass the floor in ...... your floor boards , SET them in place on your frame [with cushions of your choice, i.e. rubber strips , bicuits ] then start figuring out where things go best , after you get past that point , glass the floor in permanently...
dave
3/4 " BC , AC , even CDX are more than sufficent for the floor , hell ,5/8 is overkill
I'll just get some good 3/4" plywood from lows then. Inner tube thick enough for the rubber?
 
To give you a way of thinking about flex /twist, in the length of the frame that the body attaches to , 1/4-3/8" is possible , remember , this is a ladder frame , no x member[that's x not crossmember....
dave
 
I haven't been following too closely so I will ask if you have fitted your body yet? With a dummy engine & trans installed in their final positions? That way the firewall and floor boards can be made together. Also will the floorboards be split down the center, will the engine be positioned with some of the bell housing in the passenger area, or will there be more of the bell housing in front of the firewall (leave room to remove bell housing bolts), less firewall to cut out = more foot room. How big is the trans? Power Glide or T400. Think heat from the trans transference. Ever burn your heel after a three hour drive from heat to the trans tunnel?
Makes a difference in fitment. Will you need a hole cut in drivers side of the floorboards for master brake cylinder access? How 'bout battery access cut out? Where will the wiring panel be & wiring outlets in the body?
I would have to say fit and secure body on frame with engine & trans in final resting place (with considerations I have mentioned), figure out steering box placement and column angle into passenger area, fit (rough fit) firewall & floor boards (with considerations I have mentioned), seat placement (with seat adjustment & sliders included), and oh yeah electrics, and everything else I have mentioned. In that order.
Consider this a real car you are custom making. That has to be taken apart for servicing and repairs. Ever try to remove an engine only when you cant remove the bell housing bolts?

Grab a beer, sit in front of the frame and think for a while about fitment and finish. Take written notes. This is the real hard part that allows you to make this car your own. Have a little patience and take your time. This part is fun too.

John

P.S. The less engine & trans and trans cover in the passenger compartment the more room for feet, legs, trans shifters, etc. Better ergonomics.
 
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Cooter, here is a way to get a close fit on your trans tunnel to allow you maxim foot room. First cut your floor and firewall close to the size of the transmission. The use "plumbers strap" and screw together a skeletal framework close to the shape of the transmission.



Then cover that framework with duct tape.



Glass over that.



Then, when the glass has cured, trim to fit the opening leaving enough for a mounting flange to make the trans cover removable for any need servicing.



 
Cooter, here is one more picture showing the usefulness of making your cover removable. As you can plainly see, everything is very accessible.



Jim
 
Another thing you might want to consider, Cooter, is installing a "K" member to minimize the twisting that is experienced under hard acceleration in a strict "ladder" type frame.







Jim
 
We make removable transmission tunnels that are the same as the ones we use in our bodies and have a 2" lip for mounting to the floorboard and firewall. They have been fit to the transmissions with the shifters and brackets installed. The height of the motor and trans will effect the fit so we make two different ones. I cannot find the photos but I will put them up in a few days.

Door Body detail.jpg Standard T Bucket Body Floor szd..jpg
 
Here are the two different tunnels. The smaller of the two is the one we used in our bodies until around 1998, the other is raised a bit more so the motor and trans can be brought up to give more ground clearance (this is the one in our current bodies). It also allows for the Lokar type shifters to be mounted easier and closely follows the shape of the transmission.

Trans Tunnels szd 1.jpg Trans Tunnels szd 6.jpg
 

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