Model A job

[jaybee]

I like that a lot. It's a new wrinkle on an old solution, 1 point. You have ventilation for the engine compartment, 1 point. Because it's downward facing it won't drip water right on the engine like hood top louvers, one point. I see you playing with script/trim just above the point where it cuts under for your vents, I like it but it's going to take more head scratching to get the shapes and proportions perfect...two points if you go that way and pull it off. I know if they decide to go that way you'll pull it off.

I couldn't figure out why they wanted removable blisters. As you pointed out, it makes a weak place in the hood. The attachments for the blisters have to add ugly when they're removed. Added complexity adds weight. Making them detachable creates a seam, with all its headaches and visual interruption...it would look tacked on because it would be tacked on.

A much as anything, though, there's nothing under that blister which looks good hanging out. The front corner of the engine just isn't appealing like the end of a Buick Nailhead, Chevy W motor, or early Hemi head.

I still like the idea of a Mustang-look reversed side scoop. That's an added design element which adds interest. What they're contemplating is just a hole in the side of the car so a big, ugly cylinder head can hang out.

[idrivejunk]

In the pics now, I want to reach in and scoot the nameplate forward a smidge. But every attempt to translate my vision is falling a little short.

Trial and error would have to continue. I wonder now if cut paper wouldn't give a more accurate representation. Still only crickets outside of here but maybe its a rightish track to be on. One guy guessed the green thing was a doorstop or maybe handle of some sort.

Y'all have purty fair imaginatory skills. You know its not without influence from your suggestions. It does help me steer if theres feedback but even I had trouble approximating what I imagined, seems like it should be simpler. Heres a description I can conjure for how to tweak it:

Script panel (coil cover) face retains original 90° V8 angle but moves out, forward, and down in relation to it's location on the valve cover. When the trimmed nameplate front end is then positioned at or just behind center of circular front half of blister, tapered oval shape at top rear of blister stops just short of rear of nameplate. Outline of blister in lower right quadrant is then stretched just beyond rear of nameplate. That quarter of the blister is then replaced with flat, vented piece for which the angle then lands where it may. Along the top of that lower flat area is another flat slightly larger than the nameplate, surrounding it. So you see the straight bend going from blister crown to tip as a narrow lip just below the stepped indent where the nameplate resides.

If you followed that, now imagine popping the nameplate out of it's grommeted stud attachment points and voila! Extra row of vent holes for a traffic jam.  :?    

[idrivejunk]

Boss likes smooth and I concur. Still nothing to work on. If I fix the trunk lid, it will be redamaged on next strut trial. If I try to fasten front fenders I'll kill turn radius. If I try to refit the hood top, I'll mess up the sides' fit. If I bondo the rear fenders without lamps, they may not fit. Etc. Still lost but can break this pursuit as well. :-}

[idrivejunk]

Heh. My psychology experiment was a success...

I started blocking the roof and it didn't take long before my opportunity to speak came. Wading through issues now.

Trunk strut deal just unfinished. If lid needs fix, fix. Leave struts be, other options being considered. Check.

Tires don't rub. With camber eccentrics at inward position, upr ctrl arms hit fend at rear. Check.

HL bar moved due to deuce grille, affects fabbed fend brkts that were tied in at bar bolts. Check

No "pad" contour in fends at HL bar location, must put so bar fits. Check. Doing now, among other related things.

Then the biggie- VVT delete gets rid of main blister clearance conflict, cam phaser connectors. Setup bought is all stock, Roush being contacted concerning VVT delete. Check.

The info famine wasn't aimed at me but at the dread of complexity. Sheer reluctance. It just took more drastic measures to bring the required attention and I'd bet the shop ain't the only burr under boss's saddle blanket. So I did right, it just felt wrong. Slack was needed and I gave it. I'm learnin. Getting rid of the show car job with minimum drama is task #1.

[idrivejunk]

The afternoon went OK.  Nothing worth showing though. But hey...

Above I mentioned cam phaser connectors and VVT. Came back to correct myself and say cam position sensors and VCT. But...

I don't know what the item in question is, I am guessing due to it's location. It could be called a VCT oil control solenoid, another guess.

I find valve cover pics that look like ours, but no engine pics that do. I don't know what the engine is from or what year.

Was just going to see how the item is removed from the cover but theres nothing out there that I could find.

Does anybody know what those are? The pair of items with electrical connectors at front of each valve cover. I must not have stumbled onto the correct search term yet.  :?:   :?

[kb426]

Usually, they remove the part bolted on the cam gear and install a fixed plate such as a standard timing gear. There is a control connection that can be removed on the outside but I haven't seen or read about a different front cover or valve cover that would lessen the size of the engine. http://www.modularmotorsportsracing.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=858

[idrivejunk]

I did a search for "coyote valve covers" and these have a check box, yes or no, for VCT sensors.

https://www.jccustomscnc.com/product-page/billet-coyote-valve-covers-2011-2017

Its the connector for the sensor thats in the way, and the delete seems to be mainly associated with cam swaps which we aren't likely to do. Its only a matter of stretching the blisters out farther and going higher up.

As far as reducing the size of the engine, theres an inch or so to be gained by trimming one bolt boss on each valve cover. Because a Mustang isn't too narrow there, nonstructural excess exists that can be trimmed a little. More E wheel time. If the blisters won't stretch out far enough I'll start over. But those bosses are not likely to be as bulky on any aftermarket cover in my one spot per side conflict area, aaand the right valve cover is broken from the wreck anyhow. I'd try to show the interference but it can't be seen while touching and theres plenty of pix on this thread with the engine in them already. Some can be found around page 35 or on my blog for August of 2019.

[idrivejunk]

As usual here, buncha pix of the same thing. Slightly different. Thinkin I showed this Monaro wind tunnel lump ahem GTO tore down, here she is slick  



Ain't got much for ya. Heres a fairly thrashy scene from when I was getting the hood resituated somewhat with fenders and grille all bolted down.



I hates allen heads but once I made brackets to hold the grille shell and clearanced fenders alongside it so they'd match up at the shell's leading edge, I got somewhere.



Needs more work in some places than others. I do not condone the type of hood latch setup used. The enormous oval on passenger side is how big a blister will have to be to fit over a stock and trimmed oil fill cap. The Sharpie mark did not meet presiding asthetic standards however. Of course. Way too big. Looking into options for relocating fill or as mentioned, different valve covers.



Went on a safari and found my lost and expensive fender brace extensions that connect over the suspension, put those on.but they no longer connect so I know something major changed since fabbing those. With them in though, they still support the modded stock brace so I was able to set height at outside tip of those. All that stuff got rid of the potential interference at rear of upper control arms and now fenders were all bolted up.

Long about that time, the panel that goes under a deuce grille reappeared. A bit smooshed. I stuck that up there and got it refinagled somewhat but boy then something jumped out at me. Ahead of grille, inner edge of one fender goes straight and the other points outward-



Depends heavily on where a feller stands. Crazy as it seems (joking), reference point comparisons checked out fairly nice there. Its the curves and/or lack thereof. Eyeball over dimension, only the front view looked that way. Quantifying this to the extent possible feigning normal vigor was diligently attempted and best I could figure, I wanted to cut on the line whut I drawed here yonder-



Was that dialect shift too abrupt? I give it whut fer then backed off at end of half day (first half at doc w/gross hematuria) for a peep and this is that-





Mebbe I went too much? Template referencing angles of grille says its spot on. The way I cut it though might have moved the bolt hole forward visibly. The truth will be in trimming the end tips to match once I have these areas looking parallel to CL. In the wider shot, other asymmetrical contours can be spotted and are probably known. Working from center out, being the wonk removal machine that I am. Everything in due time but with hurry in it.

[kb426]

It will be interesting to me to see how the hood blisters play out. Model A fronts are very narrow. I have no thoughts, just observing.

[idrivejunk]

Observation of the day: Not many women appreciate Model As. Too slim and curvy all at once. Same reason we dig'um.

Especially with them extry pokey outy thingys.

[jaybee]

Observation of the day: Not many women appreciate Model As. Too slim and curvy all at once. Same reason we dig'um.

Especially with them extry pokey outy thingys.

[idrivejunk]

Evened out the very tips of the fenders and now you can see how one fender has a straight bend alongside the hood while the other is curved. Thats down the list to correct.



Lighting really is confounding.

I started trying to even out the panel below the grille shell and cut it into 3 pieces because it was too wide at top rear. What you see is first guess handheld tack. Its wrong but the bell rang so thats all there is.

[idrivejunk]

This angled oil fill neck says for 05-10 GT.

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-Solutions-917-415-Engine-Filler/dp/B00Z7MWKH2

I don't know Fords but from what I gather it ought to go in the valve cover on the A. No?

It might get us out of the woods. Think it will thread into the valve cover, maybe after hacking away the tab? :?:

[kb426]

The oil filler is a maybe. It depends on how far it sticks out from the valve cover. I have made some adapters before but they weren't high end in appearance. Are the fenders repo? After you mention what you are looking at, I can see what you are talking about. Not being there in person and having less than good eyesight make perception difficult. I hesitate to say much because of not seeing.

[idrivejunk]

I figure the angled fill neck, for the price, might be a good modding foundation if not usable as-is.

His Dad did the paint n body work it was wearing when it came in, reportedly done in the 80s and the fenders were new then.

And I'm not asking for help spotting stuff, I just don't have a handful of laser levels to set up a grid with nor do I have a good grasp on if the whole idea of attempting to remove all whopperjawed-ness is silly or noble. I am usually satisfied if two or three people with a good eye for bodywonk are given a random suprise half minute to stare and come up with nothing to mention. But I prefer to quantify things to a certain degree before dismissing stuff like that. Might be a quirk of mine but I'd like to keep it because its how I know I'm done.

Last work session on it I was mean to the passenger fender enough to ruin some bondo and I think it did help the leading edge contours. Never opened the door and stepped back. Stopped right in the middle of putting the panel below grille where I want and high tailed it. Its mainly the things that make up the outine of the car from any given angle that I'd like to see not grab attention.

Back to work tomorrow if "it" looks clear in the morning.