RustlesRoadster

[russelljones48]

So this is the starting picture with the frame tube cut and bent 3/4" to the outside. I debated if I should cut the windshield mount where it meets the bar and decided to leave it connected. Glad I did since it really didn't budge and therefore should have no impact on the windshield and it helped to maintain the last weld on the tube. I made the cut with my little sanding/cutting vibrating tool. I used hardwood blocks and my long pry bar braced against the tubes in the footbox to bend the tube out to the position you see here.

not sure why I can't get this pic in the post see following post

Things I might consider if I was doing this again: do this before the aluminum is installed against the bulkhead. I might use a cut off wheel rather than the hacksaw blade because the thin cut left some interference with the two pieces when I went to bend the tube to the outside. At this point I went to a local steel supply store and bought a 2' piece of 5/8" X 5/8" square bar for about $8.

Next step is to cut 4-5" of the steel bar, clean up the tube piece that's still attached to the bulkhead and insert (tap in) the bar.

Download of FFR build 10-09-15 011.jpg

This is a top-down view of the re-positioned tube. You can see where the tube bent at the end of the windshield mount. I used the long piece (now about 20") of the 5/8" bar inserted in the outside tube to fine tune the position. However it was now apparent that getting the extension parallel to the inside tube would take a bit more work.
Download of FFR build 10-09-15 013.jpg

This pic shows the long piece of the bar clamped to the inside tube. This was about all I could get the outside tube to bend so next step was to bend the 5/8" bar so that the 4-5" closest to the inside tube would be parallel and bolt up easily or relatively easily... To do that I marked the spot where I wanted the bar to bend, clamped it into my vice, slipped a 3' piece of galvanized persuader onto the bar and bent it (with 2 or 3 trial fittings) to be parallel to the inside tube. Here's 3 shots that show the bent bar held in place with a small c-clamp, a view from the footbox, and the trial pedal assembly with the clutch pedal up against the aluminum. All of this was a little more work than I thought because the 3/4" tubing has some curves but all-in-all only an hour or so and now it was off to the hardware store for some 12.9 button head bolts: 1/4 X 20 of various lengths with some washers etc. so I didn't have to make another trip.

Download of FFR build 10-09-15 014.jpg
Download of FFR build 10-09-15 015.jpg
Download of FFR build 10-09-15 016.jpg

Now I needed to drill and tap my 4 holes. I took out the long piece after marking the outside and drilling through the steel tube wall on the inside of the pedal box to mark the 5/8" bar. I just drilled through the tube wall to mark the bar with a small drill bit. Then removed the whole bar and drilled the holes - with the right drill for tapping the all 4 holes to 1/4 X 20. I'll explain why I tapped all 4 in a minute. But here's a couple more shots of the long bar with holes. I'd hoped you could see the bend but it's too slight for the camera to really pick it up.

Download of FFR build 10-09-15 018.jpg
Download of FFR build 10-09-15 021.jpg
Download of FFR build 10-09-15 019.jpg

With all 4 holes drilled and the 2 inner holes tapped in the bar, I opened up the 2 holes on the tube inside the box to 9/32" slid the bar in and threaded in 2 bolts (1/4 X 20 X 3/4") to pin the bar in place. I clamped the outside portion of the bar to the the 3/4" tube (close to the F panel and drilled through the holes through the inner tube with the bar inside.

I removed the long bar again and tapped the holes in the bar, re-positioned it in the car again, and tapped the holes in the inner bar. I chose to do it this way to make sure that the tap would go straight into the inside tube and bar. Might not have been needed but was just a precaution. Note: the holes go all the way through the inner tube and bar that's outside of the bulkhead - but do not go all the way through on the bar inside the footbox - the inner wall of the tube is left intact and smooth. Next, still working with the long bar it was removed and the outer 2 holes were drilled out to 1/4" to remove the threads. One more final fitment with the long bar showed everything bolted in as planned.

Download of FFR build 10-09-15 023.jpg

Now I marked the spot where I wanted to cut it, cut the bar to that mark, cleaned it up and you can see final fitment below before it gets it paint job. Also pictured is the final piece.

Download of FFR build 10-09-15 026.jpg

you can see the final part in the next post - I think I ran out of room in this post.