Driveshafts and Engine brackets and Cowls, Oh my!
It's amazing how much there is left to do when you're almost done :) I have to mount my drive shaft center link, transmission, engine, steering wheel, and weld up my cowl. Can I do it in one web page? Let's go to the tape:
Note: Captions are on top of photo renditions
I cut up some thinwall tubing to locate my transmission mount. I'll put in some crosspieces for strength later.
Now the driveshaft center link. I welded some 16ga steel to reinforce the tunnel, and now I've cut some brackets out of thinwall tubing. The supra driveshaft is off center. This makes the installation less than my aestetic requires, but it's accurate.
Here's a nice view of it. I'll drill holes and weld in mounting nuts (huh-huh-huh... he said "mounting". Yeah! Yeah! And then he said "nuts"! Heh-heh-heh!).
I took a break and started to make my engine mount brackets.
They look pretty nice... and strudy
The best way to locate the engine mounts is to put the engine where you like it, and then weld in the mounts. I sure hope this is where I like it :)
I had to cut a slot for the mounting nut. This was a fun weld.
The steering wheel fits with minimal cutting. Locking steering columns are cool, and so is the tilt feature and multi-control stalks.
I still had some Supra bits laying about, and welded the steering column bracket bolts where ummmm... where the Mustang bolt holes were, give or take 4 inches.
I've been dreading this. Fortunately the car is shiny side down, so I don't have to crawl around under the dash. I just take a seat where the windshield should be, and weld in comfort. If you haven't guessed what this is... it's the cowl. I was looking forward to a nice even breeze on my legs, but methinks ducting is better, and this adds some strength to the front clip. You'll notice a cardboard stensil laying on the Supra cowl (this is odd.. does this mean I'll have two cowls?).
Here's the stensil in place.
And I cut some scrap steel in the shape of the stensil
After welding the forward edge of the steel to the Supra cowl, I scalloped up the edge that meets the old Mustang cowl and bent (and hammered) to fit. Sheetmetal welding can be tedious. I cranked my heat all the way up, and moderated my wire speed so I can zzzt zzzt zzzt stich weld away. This is making me tired.
That's enough for now kids. Next web page, we'll do some bodywork.