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[1] Here’s where we left off... [1] Here’s where we left off the project last time you saw it, though it’s now back in our tech center, and I’ve started mocking up the individual panels that make up the Model A roadster cowl. Nostalgia Speed & Cycle supplied the panels, though as I’ll be running a four-banger, the recessed firewall is not needed. You know what they say about not changing direction halfway through a project? Well, we’ve heard it too, but, as usual, decided to ignore that sage advice. This time, however, we’ve gone off at a significantly greater tangent than usual. My Modified project started as a simple, fun, occasional build of a little hot rod for street use. Strap an oval steel gas tank behind the front half of a phaeton body, add early Ford brakes and simple running gear, and so on. All that remains of that plan now is the fun part. Ever since I went to Bonneville in 2008 I’d had a half-cocked idea in the back of my head to one day build a dual-purpose street/race car. Sure it’s been done before, no groundbreaking idea, but I couldn’t shake it. Plus I have two small-block Chevy-powered cars already, so why not do something a little different? The result was a total change of direction for the Modified, which now isn’t … a Modified that is. The SCTA (Southern California Timing Association, the governing body for Bonneville as well as California dry lakes meetings) rules state that any body used on a race car has to be complete—meaning no phaeton front halves. [2] A flat firewall will offer... [2] A flat firewall will offer 4 more precious inches of legroom in what is a small cockpit, so I traced around the edge of the recessed firewall onto two pieces of 3/4-inch plywood to create a hammer form. With a piece of 16-gauge steel trimmed 3/4 inch larger than the wood, it was clamped between them and a lip hammered over. So, … it’ll now be a Model A roadster pickup with a full-length bed, as required by the rules. It will retain the stretched wheelbase chassis I’ve built up to this point, but the other big change will be forward of the body. No longer is a small-block destined to live there, but the firewall has moved back to its stock position, and a Ford 2.0L Zetec DOHC four-banger will call it home. Presently it still has the factory injection in place, though this may change down the road. Maybe carburetors, or maybe the injection will be accompanied by a turbo. We’ll see. Gone are the plans to keep it totally traditional, too. No longer will early Ford brakes mount at each corner, rather, by Wilwood discs. I had a hard time talking myself into this decision, but ultimately realized modern discs were the sensible option at the speeds I’d like to eventually reach. Besides, a permanent rollcage isn’t exactly traditional now is it? It seems everyone who sets out to build a Bonneville car says they’re not doing it to set any records, but in my case, with the engine I’ve chosen, that isn’t likely anyway, at least not immediately. But I’m determined it’s going to be fun. [3] The 2.0L Zetec engine... [3] The 2.0L Zetec engine was dropped into place and supported on wood to check clearances. It’ll fit between the radiator and a stock Model A firewall with one alteration. We’re going to bring you this project buildup in a slightly different manner than usual. Rather than, say, a brake install one month, or axle install the next, we’ll sometimes be jumping around and showing you what we’ve accomplished between publishing deadlines, because things have to be done in a certain order. No longer is this an occasional project; I want this one up and running in short order. So let’s get started, shall we? First though, and I can’t stress this enough, if you’re tempted to do something similar, obtain and read—several times—the SCTA rule book. Even seemingly small items, such as the thickness of the firewall, have specifications, and if your car doesn’t pass its tech inspection, you ain’t racing. Simple as that. If you want to race, build it within the rules. I’d personally bob the pickup bed, but I can’t. Them’s the rules.  [4] The coil pack for this...  [4] The coil pack for this distributor-less engine mounts to the rear of the DOHC head, and takes up a few inches of space, so I removed it and will mount it to the firewall. The plastic component between the oil filler cap and the firewall is the thermostat housing and water/heater outlet.  [5] As my cowl panels were...  [5] As my cowl panels were all supplied individually, I used a spare sedan cowl to trace the lower edges of the side panels onto a piece of plywood.  [6] These marks would ensure...  [6] These marks would ensure I mounted the panels in the correct location, with the wood centered on the chassis.  [7] With the wood located...  [7] With the wood located in the forward body mount holes on the chassis, and the edge of the wood aligned with the firewall, the panels could be clamped and screwed in place. Once this was done, the steering box and pedal locations could be determined. That’s a Borgeson-remanufactured ’62-82 Mopar aluminum manual steering box, ideal for cowl steering, if a little bulky.  [8] I’ll admit I’m in the...  [8] I’ll admit I’m in the fortunate position whereby I can sometimes borrow parts to see if they’ll work on projects, but at least I can pass the findings onto you, the reader. Kugel Komponents kindly supplied one of their reverse 90-degree underdash brake/clutch pedal assemblies, which would keep the brake and clutch master cylinders inside the car. However, the assembly left no room for the cowl steering I insisted on using.  [9] As a point of interest,...  [9] As a point of interest, here’s a Kugel reverse 90-degree assembly in a Nostalgia Speed & Cycle Model A pickup with a recessed firewall. The installation brackets are available from both companies.  [10] As you can see, I was...  [10] As you can see, I was initially trying to keep the master cylinders inside the car. This is Kugel Komponents’ new 180-degree, dual-cylinder underdash assembly with balance bar. Unfortunately again, it wanted to live in the same place as my steering box! Bear in mind, with regular steering both Kugel assemblies would have worked.  [11] While the master cylinders...  [11] While the master cylinders would fit with the steering box mounted between the pedals, and I could recess the cowl side for the pitman arm, what you can’t see from this angle is that the ’box is too close to the floor, leaving no room to get feet on the pedals.  [12] Seeing as my brake system...  [12] Seeing as my brake system will consist of Wilwood dics and calipers, I tried a couple of their pedal assemblies. Again the 180-degree version wouldn’t clear the steering, so I changed tack and opted to mount the master cylinders outside the firewall. This through-firewall assembly with balance bar was compact enough to mount the master cylinders with sufficient clearance from the cylinder head, and finally allow the cowl steering to work.  [13] With the pedal assembly...  [13] With the pedal assembly and steering box locations configured, I could move on with mounting the body panels. Though this will be a road car, it’ll also race at Bonneville, where weight is definitely not an issue. With this in mind, and without subrails anyway, I cut a 1/4-inch steel plate to form a floor between the framerails and the outer edges of the body.  [14] Though only the front...  [14] Though only the front sections of the floor panels are shown, they’ll eventually extend to the rear of the pickup cab. These were welded to the ’rails.  [15] My good pal “Kiwi Steve”...  [15] My good pal “Kiwi Steve” lent me a couple of T5 manual transmissions to see which shifter position would work best. The top trans is from a turbo Mustang, while the lower one is from an S-10 pickup. The bellhousing is from a 2.3L Ford four-cylinder. While only three of the bolts aligned with the Zetec, it allowed me to bolt the trans in place for mock-up purposes.  [16] With more wood denoting...  [16] With more wood denoting the rear of the cab, and sitting in an aluminum race seat from Speedway Motors, it was obvious the Mustang trans with the shifter at the rear was going to work best in this application.  [17] With the engine and trans...  [17] With the engine and trans removed once again, I made a template from hardboard for the two cowl hoops. As per the SCTA rulebook, these have to be welded to the top of the boxed framerails, hence the inward curve at the bottom.  [18] Jimmy White at Circle...  [18] Jimmy White at Circle City Hot Rods kindly allowed me to use his tubing bender. A digital level ensured the 1 5/8-inch tubing stayed in the same plane throughout the four-bend process on each hoop.  [19] The templates made the...  [19] The templates made the job way easier, as I was able to lay the tubing on them before each bend, to determine where each would start (arrow), and again afterward, to check progress.  [20] Here’s the firewall hoop,...  [20] Here’s the firewall hoop, with one bend to go. Some tubing has to be sacrificed at each end, as the bender requires a little extra length to pull against when forming the bends.  [21] With the ends trimmed,...  [21] With the ends trimmed, the firewall hoop was clamped in place, and a level used to check the top was parallel with the chassis across the car.  [22] The cowl panels were...  [22] The cowl panels were removed again, and a large square used to ensure the hoop was perpendicular to the chassis, prior to tack welding.  [23] Once the firewall hoop...  [23] Once the firewall hoop was tacked in position, the floor was drilled and tapped for 1/4x20 bolts, which will bolt the body panel flanges in place.  [24] Here are the panels bolted...  [24] Here are the panels bolted down. We added extra steel to the A-pillar flange, as it wasn’t designed to mount like this. Usually brackets will attach the pillar to the subrails. Note also the cowl hoop has now been tacked in position, in the same manner as the firewall hoop.  [25] Now all the panels were...  [25] Now all the panels were bolted in place, the driver side cowl side panel could be removed without the A-pillar moving out of position. This meant the exact location of the steering box could be determined.  [26] With temporary mounts...  [26] With temporary mounts tack-welded in place, the steering box was bolted to them. Note how it clears the pedal assembly, and though it sits in front of and above the assembly, the pedals can move through their arc without interference.  [27] Once again sitting in...  [27] Once again sitting in the car helped get an impression of how the ergonomics were panning out. The angle of the input shaft of the steering box is perfectly aligned with the eventual angle of the steering column. A smaller diameter wheel will be used, which won’t rest on my knees!  [28] Here’s where we’re at...  [28] Here’s where we’re at for this month. The firewall and cowl hoops are in, as are the pedals and the steering box. Now we can mount the latter items properly, and complete the steering installation.  [29] The Wilwood pedal pads...  [29] The Wilwood pedal pads offer some adjustability, depending on which holes are used to bolt them to the pedals. Aware of this from the outset, I’d mounted the assembly as far to the left as possible, knowing I could mount the clutch pedal pad off to the right, thus clearing the firewall hoop. There’s very little space for three pedals in the confines of this footwell.  [30] Here’s a final look at...  [30] Here’s a final look at what we’ve accomplished, seen through the cowl side. Theoretically the pitman arm should be directly above the rear pivot of the split wishbone to eliminate bumpsteer, but this was as close as I could get, and the minimal travel in a typical hot rod suspension should help!
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