Ok

We started working on this stuff on Jan. 9th. & have been working on it pretty steady.

We've been working in several different areas at the same time. That gives us other things to do while we wait on fiberglass to cure on someparts while we work in other areas. So this will jump around a bit but I'll try to keep it in the order we have been working on it.

In the interior, we were putting in a big speaker into the area between the seats. That ment that we had to make the area that covered the original ECM thicker for the speaker box & other items behind it. To do that we had to move that center section forward. That ment that we also had to cut & section the piece of the console that is between the seats so that it met up with the center area of the dashboard. The fiberglass of the dash, console & back section were made of thin fiberglass. So in the center speaker area we had to make the glass thicker to support the weight of the speaker. In certain areas of the dash (like the speaker areas & the center gage mounting area) we also had make the glass thicker so we had enough material to finish the areas correctly. For example, in the speaker areas on the top of the dash, we wanted to use the stock speaker covers. By the time we got those areas shaped to where the speaker covers would fit into them like they fit into the stock dash, we were breaking thru the fiberglass of the dash so in those areas we had thicken it up a bit.

Here we have removed the old dash & are doing the initial fitting of the new one.....







While working on this, we were also working on mounting the NOS bottle on custom brackets above the Battery.









Here we're working on extending the center speaker console....









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The dash doesn't have any provisions for bolting it in, so we made some mounting brackets & pop rivited them in & they were fiberglassed in a little later on.





Here we built up the thickness of the dash in the areas of the center gage mounting & the speaker grills.





Fitting the speakers & the dashboard end vents









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quote Originally posted by Jncomutt: How long is this car planned to be at Archie's place? Are we still on for our spring 'get-together' or are you having to back down due to mods?

I don't know what you all have planned but all the stuff you're seeing now & for the next several posts is done already. The project is growing a bit as we go & as he keeps finding other things he wants done. But as of right now, we've started making the mold off of the outside of the rear hatch & by the time we're done with designing the rest of the hatch everything else should be done.

Archie

We took the console & speaker box area back to fiberglass one more time to glass in some steel in a few places for the screws that are going to hold the parts together. We didn't really want to just screw the fasteners into the fiberglass because the glass would let go of the threads after a while. So we glassed in some steel in the areas where the attachment screws are going to go thru.

Kris also put the hinge on the glove box door.

Then after some filling & sanding we painted the dash a primer gray.....

















Notice that even the shifter boot has metal to screw into & doesn't just screw into raw fiberglass.



The we put the interior together.....













Next, we start fabricating the CAI & qtr. window scoops

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: The project is growing a bit as we go & as he keeps finding other things he wants done. Archie

Since you mentioned it (and if you don't mind) I would replace the head/park lamps OEM switch and use Watson's Street gauges and window switches. Besides, Clayton has the 2nd generation headlamps from Norm. They don't use the crappy bucket lamps.

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"Friends don't let friends drive stock"

Not wasting any time, we also began work on building the CAI system that will run from air boxes in the qtr. Window scoops…..



to the dual inlet 4” air cleaner.



We cut, fitted & mounted the grills in the scoops. Note that after the air boxes are built, you’ll never get to the grills again, so they’re mounted in pretty solid.



The CAI is going to be 4” in Diameter & ducted directly from the qtr. window scoops. So we needed some 4” Dia. Fiberglass tubes that will be a part of the 2 air boxes & allow the 4” dia. Polished aluminum CAI tubes to attach to them.

You can’t buy anything like that anywhere, so we had to make them…..





Next it's back to work on the hatch....

Archie

[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 02-20-2009).]