Fire Wall

[spayne]

Ok everybody my car is almost done I am down to looking for a fire wall. I am looking at either polished stainless steel or aluminum. Any ideas where I can get one already cut or am I looking at going to my friendly neighborhood metal shop and working with them. I appreciate any and all opinions.

 

[Hotrod46]

Give Haneline a call. Good folks to do business with.

http://www.haneline.com/

Mike

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I got a 24" x 36" sheet of mirror-polished stainless from these guys, made a pattern of my actual firewall on poster board, and took them to my local water-jet shop. Came out perfect! Whole thing cost me less than $150.

 

[Youngster]

The SS is going to cost more but the upkeep on it is almost non-exsistant. I cut mine fron sheet aluminum and polished it out myself. SS requires a plasma to cut and cleaning up the edges is not as easy.

Ron

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

I recently bought a 4' x 9' sheet of .060 6061T6 aluminum. To get it in my car I cut it with a circular saw and carbide tipped blade. The more carbide tips the better.

To make a fire wall, I would cut a piece of metal larger then the finished firewall size, screw it down to my wood topped bench and polish just beyond the finished size. Then cut it out to the finished size with a jig saw.

Polishing aluminum is not very difficult. I've polished several pounds of aluminum on my little third horse bench grinder with buffs and compounds that can be found on line. Eastwood's stuff is a bit too spendy for ol'cheap ass -- me. You'd be surprised how easy polishing can be and how messy. Turns my ol gray hair darker..... funny looks from Mrs. Rotor Flap when I come in.

Wear a mask and glasses.

Now, if I just had a kid to keep the stuff bright.

 

[Corley]

I read somewhere, can't remember where, that they make chrome surface formica, that when used requires zero maintenence, is easy to cut/shape, and is cheap. I've never seen it nor even heard of a local bucket with it, but it seems an interesting / inexpensive alternative... I remember reading that when installed it looks just like a sheet of chromed steel... Just an idea from outside the box, and no, I'm not recommending it since I've never seen it, it is just an idea to think on... Anyone seen this used?

 

[Lee_in_KC]

SS requires a plasma to cut and cleaning up the edges is not as easy.

Ron, I had mine cut with a CNC water-jet. The SS came with a plastic "skin" on the polished side. The water-jet guy cut from the "skin" side and there was virtually no touch-up needed on the pre-polished surface. All I had to do was polish the cut edge, which took maybe a hour with a die grinder and polishing rolls.

You're right about the upkeep on the SS being almost non-existant. When mine gets some spots on it I just hit it with Windex and a micro-fiber cloth.

 

[EX JUNK]

I went to a plastics shop and purchased some mirror plexiglass for a truck that I had. I made templates out of poster board and traced them onto the plexiglass and then cut them out with a hand held saber saw. I then lightly block sanded the edges for a final fit. Here are a couple of shots of the finished product.

It did not cost a lot and was easy to do but the final effect was great.

Jim

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

I like it Ex Junk, well done.

I was curious about the temerature resistance of Plexiglass and find it's good to 180 degrees continuous and limited missions restricted to 200 degrees.

This should make Plexiglass a good choice unless very close to headers. Some insulation or shields around #'s 7 and 8 pipes on SBC's.

 

[estesken]

Mine is made from a stainless steel kitchen stove backsplash. bought it from lowes.

 

[Youngster]

I tried mirror plexy ... looks great but skatches easy.

If you are cutting aluminum with a sabor saw, flood the surface with WD40. Keeps the blade clear.

Ron

 

[409T]

I read somewhere, can't remember where, that they make chrome surface formica, that when used requires zero maintenence, is easy to cut/shape, and is cheap. I've never seen it nor even heard of a local bucket with it, but it seems an interesting / inexpensive alternative... I remember reading that when installed it looks just like a sheet of chromed steel... Just an idea from outside the box, and no, I'm not recommending it since I've never seen it, it is just an idea to think on... Anyone seen this used?

I've used lots of chrome Formica. It comes in about a half dozen different configurations and sheens and from more than one manufacturer or rather from more than just Formica. You can cut it easily with a table saw or router, also with a pair of tin snips or even a box knife. I know one person that has it on his firewall, it would be real easy to do if you know a little about doing plastic laminate. I'm going to guess that it costs about $3.00 per square foot, but if you need to know for sure, I could look up the cost on Monday.

Jeff

 

[Ted Brown]

I use 1/4" Alum. for my firewalls and a smaller, lower firewall (1/8") painted Satin Black, to hide the back side of the engine, who wants to see that crap reflected, and it is too hard to polish back there.

 

[Corley]

Ted,

This is a perfect example of different goals. "Show car" vs "driver". I'm with you on the "driver" side, and don't want stuff I have to clean all the time, but you confused me when you said you use 1/4" and 1/8" aluminum for your firewalls. Why? What's wrong with leaving the fiberglass asis? Sure, i need wood on the inside to mount stuff on, but if it's flat black anyway, what is wrong with leaving the fiberglass on the engine side? What do you know that I don't??? Come on Ted, give! Educate me... Ilucidate and enlighten!!! (Make my day......:kiltdance: )

Thanks in advance,

Corley

 

[Ted Brown]

If you have seen pics of my car, you would understand how and why I do that... I like the look of a Alum fire wall, and I just do not want to see what is behind my engine, so that is where I do a thinner plate painted Satin Black, plus that (1/8" Alum.) also hides the bolts holding the 1/4" Alum. (2) and the steering column bolts (4) I just use 1 (1/4") bolt to hold the Black piece on... pretty simple really... Works for me...

 

[sstock]

If you have seen pics of my car, you would understand how and why I do that... I like the look of a Alum fire wall, and I just do not want to see what is behind my engine, so that is where I do a thinner plate painted Satin Black, plus that (1/8" Alum.) also hides the bolts holding the 1/4" Alum. (2) and the steering column bolts (4) I just use 1 (1/4") bolt to hold the Black piece on... pretty simple really... Works for me...

I'm lost, I'm going to need some pics of this Ted

 

[spayne]

Thanks everybody for the responses I didn't get to get online this weekend I was lucky enough to go to michigan and babysit the granddaughters YEAH!!!! Now I'm ready to start the fire wall but I would like to see Ted's car, pictures please Ted. I like the idea of the black on the bottom. Probably going to go with aluminum since it sounds like something I can work with.

 

[Corley]

Ted,

I THINK what you are saying is that you are using the aluminum to hide bolts and stuff that stick through the fiberglass firewall. Right? So if the firewall were clean to start with (no bolts or junk attached to it), then would you still use the aluminum for some other reason? I still have trouble understanding why the fiberglass is not OK by itself if you keep the threw holes / bolts / junk attached to it to a minimum??? What am I missing man? :suicide: Lay it on me. Shot me the facts dude. Do the number on my pea brain. Toot your horn!!! Open my lid and pour in some knowledge! Gi'me wisdom man! And yes, pix might help here, with my new cateract surgery I can now see it all clearly, (except for the part you mentioned in words only, which I guess was all of it.)

Again, thanks in advance,

Corley

PS I feel I can have a bit of fun with Ted because I think he knows that: A) we are the same age, and B) I respect his wisdom and 'T' bucket knowledge as much or more than anyone on here! Absolutely no disrespect is intended!

 

[Ted Brown]

Ted,

I THINK what you are saying is that you are using the aluminum to hide bolts and stuff that stick through the fiberglass firewall. Right? So if the firewall were clean to start with (no bolts or junk attached to it), then would you still use the aluminum for some other reason? I still have trouble understanding why the fiberglass is not OK by itself if you keep the threw holes / bolts / junk attached to it to a minimum??? What am I missing man? :suicide: Lay it on me. Shot me the facts dude. Do the number on my pea brain. Toot your horn!!! Open my lid and pour in some knowledge! Gi'me wisdom man! And yes, pix might help here, with my new cateract surgery I can now see it all clearly, (except for the part you mentioned in words only, which I guess was all of it.)

Again, thanks in advance,

Corley

PS I feel I can have a bit of fun with Ted because I think he knows that: A) we are the same age, and B) I respect his wisdom and 'T' bucket knowledge as much or more than anyone on here! Absolutely no disrespect is intended!

Corley, hehe I know you are smarter than you are playing up to be here most everything small that I attach to the inside of my body, gets wood screws into the (Glassed on) 3/4" plywood inside my firewall area, and then the 1/4" Alum goes onto the outside, I use 2 counter sunk 5/16" bolts to hold it in place, (which are not close to the edge so they can be hidden by the smaller Black piece) while drilling and then mounting the steering column, which I use four 3/8" counter sunk bolts (from the outside, also through the 1/4" Alum) that keeps the nuts on the inside, so all is clean and flat on that 1/4" OUTSIDE nice looking Alum firewall... BUT! I keep my engine pretty close to the body and getting my fat hand in there to clean is not in the cards, plus I do not care to see the backside of my engine, so a Satin Black smaller version of that Alum firewall is now mounted (on top of) to hide all that not-wanted to see stuff, and now that only takes one small bolt to hold it in place... You can see a pic of my firewall on the other forum, what can I say? I think the 1/4" Alum gives a nice clean line, to show off the great curves of the T cowl, ya think?

 

[Ted Brown]

I posted a new T Bucket album today in my gallery, as Mike said, it is now easy to post pics there at least... So there is a pic of my firewall there, if you are interested...