59 Catalina

idrivejunk · January 23, 2018, 11:25:14 PM

A I began welding something didn't feel right so I made ends for the floor supports and plopped the whole mess in the car. Boy am I glad! A dab of whittling, perhaps a nip or tuck, and the supports are now squared with the pan floating over the top. I'll get it together, and I expected tailoring. Seat tryout soon, I hope. So in other news, the engine and trans might be placed tomorrow. So that would be fine timing, by me.

idrivejunk · January 24, 2018, 09:45:49 PM

T'was a happy IDJ day.

Engine and trans are in position and just in time. Somewhere during the hubub, my brain excreted it's full mental picture of the floor bracing layout. Finally, something concrete! Now I can dismiss my left hemisphere and rest it while the right half guides my hands. Imagining is hard work in some cases, and in this case I won't do much more of that until I see at least one wheel and tire. Rather than explain the floor bracing thought process, I'll say that the tunnel needs to be higher and just let you watch it develop soap opera style. Thanks for checking in, gents.

idrivejunk · January 25, 2018, 09:02:22 PM

Might have to work on something else for a couple days

but had good momentum today. The cabin floor brace looks good to me now, and I only forgot to tack one piece at the right front. What I am gonna do here is separate the existing driveshaft tunnel floor section from the footwell and rear vertical section of the pan, and attach the revised tunnel with plug welds to the inward face of the long, frame hugging brace. The rear pans will attach, also with plug welds, to the outward face of that tube. Makes it simple to set each footwell perfectly with little fuss and eliminates yards of stitching. Yay!

The H thing at the front seat will lose those middle bars but for now they stay. Right now I would be OK with removing the door bracing to fit up the pan.

You can see in the pics where at the front I'll tie into the stock body mount bracket with a tab. In case you are wondering why the inner rockers, top of frame, and top of bracing are all near flush... except that dangling right front bar and the rear of front seat bar... its because the low part of the tunnel will pop up just outside the frame. And FYI yes I will still use the fancy center I made for the front seat bolt brace, I'll just elevate it. Did I mention that this is funner than a barrel of monkeys?

In this first pic you see the front tie-in spot, the loose bar I left, and the bottleneck for exhaust. Unfortunately we recieved wrong headers but its obvious that a different trans mount arrangement is needed for the exhaust to run down low and through the tunnel next to the trans pan flange. I have my own idea but will see what turns out.

enjenjo · January 25, 2018, 09:45:15 PM

I've already figured out the trans mount. Now I want to see how you are going to do it.

idrivejunk · January 25, 2018, 10:16:45 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"I've already figured out the trans mount. Now I want to see how you are going to do it.

Pull up a lawn chair and sit a spell, Frank. :T) We can both watch and see what the original Footloose comes up with. Generally speaking, his is the chassis department. Heres your beverage. So now... I say the mount has to attach on top of the rail. Or a slice of heavy tubing welded to each rail, with a bar across between them perhaps. Mind if I smoke? Where is everybody?

>

enjenjo · January 25, 2018, 10:30:42 PM

You are on a similar track to me. A strap welded across the top of the rails, with some small gussets on the end. And a U shaped bracket that bolts to it from the bottom with four bolts.

idrivejunk · January 25, 2018, 10:44:32 PM

Yes, a U shape

A very rigid one. Theres a big harness connector on the driver's side to make matters worse. What stinks is the wrong headers... part numbers jive but only the outside bolts line up. I think its a snafu and the collectors were super low. But I believe I have seen enough to complete the floor and tunnel.

UGLY OLDS · January 26, 2018, 11:21:39 AM

QuoteWhere is everybody? >

[/quote]

I'm here ...Watching & learning & bumping my head in the shop ....

Bob...

idrivejunk · January 27, 2018, 12:15:20 PM

You're probably tired. Go ahead and take a nap everyone. Do you all have your blanket?

Bob, if you'll please switch off the lights... chances are it will still be more pics of the same floor when you wake up.

I'll speak softly. At the end of rest period, you boys in the back row each come to my desk and get these freshly mimeographed pop quiz sheets, then please pass them out as you return to your seats.

In this slide, the left rear foot well and driver's seat pan are the only pieces in their final position. The tunnel and front pans are laying loose.

In this pic, you can see how the tunnel section has been separated and elevated in front. The fancy front center brace piece is still under there, just moved back. Front of tunnel is trimmed back as well. You can see how re-bending the outer edges of the tunnel will allow stuffing it between the long brace rails. The center rear section of the pan and brace can easily be altered if driveshaft top clearance is insufficient. I might just re-make the tunnel so it will be one piece, once it's exact shape is established.

Pieces that could potentially be the trans mount were seen around the front of the car, and it looks as though our great man is thinking alike. Horseshoe.

So yeah, Friday half day and half done refining pan fit. Seat brackets seen here are also laying loose but are approximately positioned. Now, the reason why running exhaust down the middle of the frame makes me frown becomes apparent. I have crummy posture but dang near every car I've had points the column at my left shoulder. Centering that GTO seat (16" wide at bolts) in my 18" wide seat flat points the column at the right shoulder and has the seat about hitting the door, I think. So an offset plate between seat and just the inner bracket might be a solution for moving the seat and outer bracket inward. In the pic, brackets are 16" apart with the outer about an inch closer to the rocker than the stock bench seat bolt holes.

Seat belt mounts and seat bolt plates are not yet in place. Among other things yet to consider are some sort of console bracketry and a good spacious conduit area for wiring inside the passenger compartment, and provisions for plumbing underneath it.

Watch your noggin on that jungle gym.

idrivejunk · January 29, 2018, 10:21:40 PM

class?

:x :?

Class?!

CLAAAAASS :?: :!: :?:

Heads up

Today we begin a safety project... seat belt mounts. Pretend you are sitting in the right rear seat and look down at why you keep stubbing the toes of your right foot when you kick the front seat. Its this floor hump where the seatbelt retractor is located. Oh and while you're at it, pretend you are in a car that has ever had seatbelts.

This right front corner of the right rear footwell was a tacked and sliced mess, and I stared at it until aha. Then I got out a fresh sheet of construction paper and blunt scissors and a broke crayon... no wait it was posterboard, stabby cheap scissors and a felt tip. Fold, cut, crease, tear, tab A, slot B, and I was practicing making Valentines until time to transfer a pattern to metal. Did that, then jawed a spell with Mr. Vise Andrill and Dr Drillscrew who told me to hold it down.

Then Miss Terna Screwloose showed up and promptly revealed her tubes.

Me and her friend Sandy had a blast, tacking, and screwing. This pic shows how the mount box becomes part of the front seat pan, just capping the area but also simplifying the junction where things meet. The footwell will butt (no weld, sealer) to the the bottom and sides of the seat belt extension's tubing, and this funky 18 gauge piece caps the area.

I got started on the other side. The square plate at the bolt is 3/16". I have a rough plan for the inside belt mounts but it happens with the floor braces out. I did some seat and bracket figuring also... the column won't be able to point straight at the center of the seat, quite. Had a youngun wrap up the column and drag out the GTO driver's seat so when I get ready to remove the roto bracing I don't have to hunt that stuff. Theres the bell, kids. Now, don't run, and don't forget your homework assignments.

kb426 · January 30, 2018, 05:51:19 AM

Me and Ferris took the day off.

idrivejunk · January 30, 2018, 08:42:07 AM

Quote from: "kb426"Me and Ferris took the day off.

Isn't that the guy with REALLY big wheels?

kb426 · January 30, 2018, 12:42:38 PM

Ya, but he knows all the hot chicks.

idrivejunk · January 30, 2018, 09:48:38 PM

Well even if he is popular around the incubator, don't let him jack up your ride.

I sat in the Cat today, no hat. But in the Cat I did sat. Even propped the column on a knee and foot and made racy Pontiac revving and peeling out noises.

It fishtails and shifts a lot, I know from experience now.

I made up the driver's side outer belt mount today. Due to the approximate nature of the angle at which the seat pans and foot wells join, the cover piece doesn't quite match the shape of the other. But its neater and the parts that count match. Added gussets the seat belt extensions on both sides with thick stuff, then I screwed everything that is fitted back on, cut out the rotisserie bracing, and tossed these large but funky seats in loosely. Then I played car at 2 til 5. Seat position is confirmed as a hurdle, potential solutions to come. Meanwhile there was visible engine mount progress.

idrivejunk · January 31, 2018, 08:15:15 PM

Today was more mental than visual. I am prepared to notch the frame for seat clearance. Its the only way to get the required seating position with buckets over this frame. I knew this when I laid eyes on the frame but had to take it this far before speaking it so that it could be believed. It worked!