Owner built on a budget;

[Hray]

Update: 530 hours, 58 days down, 32 to go;

Terry sent me a photo of his dash, that told me what I needed to do. thanks much Terry.

The dash end near the top of the door as well as the door body pillar are a continuation of the body coming around into the car. This means they needed to be glassed in and treated for paint. it appears the door sill and back pillar of the door get carpet rolled up and over into the door way. so to prepare for that I also treated the first few inches on the inside of the cockpit as part of the body coming into the car. it got glassed and will be treated and painted body color.

The wings on the end of the dash will fit into the body near the top of the doors. Since the body will get primed and painted and clear coated in this area and since the dash will get vinyl wrapped around it I will need some clearance. So just before painting the body I will trial fit the dash again, I will want just a small amount of clearance where the dash wings meet the body. Then when painted and clearcoated, and dash covered it should be just a snug fit for the dash to slide into place. It appears there is just about a half inch of body color showing inside the car.

I made my door release handle and installed the one on passenger side. Took two quarter inch long bolts, bent them on the end, welded a long nut on the side of one so I could adjust the tension on the mechanism and then cut a slot in the upper part of the body for the knob to be screwed on.

Here is the door release mechanism rod lever or what ever you call it.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/...bf314e4d_b.jpg


Here are a few pictures of our bumper spacer hole rubber trim. We used this instead of cut in half grommets. Main reason is that we went with this trim instead of the grommets is that I just could not count on the front grommets even if larger staying in place. Plus this trim will be forced in between the spacer and body, this should absorb shock very well. The trim came from vintage ford, it is the bottom rubber for a model A windshield where it meets the body.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/...dbdb8325_b.jpg

I am not totally happy with the top spacer now, might reglass it and get the rubber closer, the bottom one is great.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/...d9ddb799_b.jpg

Here is a picture of rear bumper spacer.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/...f8b4509d_b.jpg

Here is the front door pillar, you can see the work on the dash and the fiberglass panel that covers the cowl bar. I put glass behind and on top if the cover.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/...8fefebe3_b.jpg


I don't guess I realized how much work there was in finishing the cockpit area, I think another day will pretty much have it ready for primer. Still have to drill and set the windshield. Craig is about ready to glass in the lower nose piece.