Got a little work done opinions wanted
 

I finally have had some time to work on my car again. I hulled it down here to North Caroline from Maryland back in August but last semester in school was so hectic I really had no time to work on it. I started building the cage and finally got some coilovers on the front. I have a big problem though I set the engine back some were around a 12 inches to clear the rack. This caused lots of problems first was foot room. The gas pedal wound up on the centerline of the steering column. So I cut my fire wall back open to get my foot room back, but know I no room to have build exhaust at lest a traditional style header. I can build a turbo style header that goes forward but I am concerned about heat under the hood. Here is my dilemma I can solve all these problems pretty easy if I move the motor up and forward but that would mean running 4-inch fiberglass cowl hood. Any way here are some pics what do you guys think about the 4-inch hood should I run it our just deal with the forward exhaust.


http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~bsschein/pictures/work3.jpg
http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~bsschein/pictures/work.jpg
http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~bsschein/pictures/work2.jpg

Why not move the engine over toward the passenger side. Almost all Gm cars since 60 something have been 1.5" to the passenger side for exhaust clearance. Just a thought

what about a fender well styled header???? and maybe some oval exhaust tubing???

I am not a fan of 4 in hoods personally.

I am not a fan of 4 in hoods personally.[/QUOTE]

amen.

Moving the motor over is a good idea but my frame rails are only 28 inch wide inside to inside it barley fits in the center so shifting it over is not an option.

I already plan to run oval tubing under the car but I just need to figure out how to get to it. How hot does it get under the hood on cars with fender well headers?

I really don’t like the tall hood either but it was in the shop so I just put it on there to see how it looks. It would make life a lot easer but I guess that would take all the fun out of it. I really want to run my SS hood. I don’t know what to do right now I just wanted someone else’s opinion.

is there anyway to modify the frame rail to suit you?

well I have seen several chevyII's with fender well headers on nice cars with base clear paint around the openeing not 1" around the headers and no blistering. Were you palnning on running fenderwells? I wouldn't think it would be an issue especially if they were cermaic coated.

the problem with fender well headers is tire clearance, and the ability to run an X pipe. Sounds like custom header time, What if you swooped the headers forward but still going down Kind of like the old T bucket headers or sprint car headers. your rack is in the front. So that would help.


http://www.sandersonheaders.com/prod...products_id=68

Rodger

the tire clearance thing bothered me to.....sounds like you are going ot have your hands full......can you move the seat back. If so you could move the seat back, extend the dash out, and just cut out more floor

The seats are already moved pretty far back I have a 4th gen interior in the car. I think I am going to cut the entire firewall back out build some type of exhaust and then just build the firewall back to clear everything. It is still going to be really tight to get a header in there. I'll get a better picture of just how tight it is at the last tube.

On Johns Nova we are building the headers before we build the firewall and locate the seat, because you have to have headers and then you have to have a gas pedal. Good luck, that is a very complex area on a car. headers, steering, gas and brake pedal, and motor mounts.

Would a hanging gas pedal help you out at all? Say on the same axis as the brake pedal assembly.

Rodger

would adding TT's help!? :unibrow:

Turbos would be cool but I don’t want all that extra weight up in the front of the car, plus I don’t want that much power I am only looking to make some where between 450-475 hp.

Rodger, you aren’t kidding this defiantly the most complicated area of my car there is so much stuff going on right there. I have been putting of trying to figure this out for over a year but it finally to the point where I have to do something with it to progress on the car.

I am with you I think the best way I have heard so far is to redo the firewall. To allow normal styled headers and the hood you want to use. You may also want to look into rodgers suggestion of a hanging gas pedal.

Looks awesome Brian!!

Study the exhaust arrangement on a McLaren Mercedes SLR.

Well its apparent I'm a cowl hood fan....
I guess its a good thing my clients are too :D
The Impala had a BBC w/ a super small 4qt pan and a low rise intake and the carb was still 1" above the hood line..... somethings you can not do. The Nova was done purely for looks.

http://www.hotrodsbysteve.com/projec...a/100_2097.JPG

http://www.hotrodsbysteve.com/projects/67nova/05.jpg

PS..... I like the look of the cowl hood on that Camaro !

they look great on a car with alot of dish in the rear........

I am all for making your own headders its fun.....
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...wellheader.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...shedheader.jpg

Have You Ever Thought About Going With A Turbo'd Inline Six??? Lol
Just Kidding, Your Car Looks Very Very Nice,

can you move the engine forward more?

WHAT are you stuffing in that mustang????? and is that a stock mustang II IFS under there??

sorry to hijack

Its no mustang its my 70 maverick and its got a 460bb in it with a MII front end ,thats why i say fabricate your own stuff its fun and when your done you can stand back and look at your handy work......

What am I missing here?Why would moving engine forward cause you to use 4" cowl hood?Looks like a small block,:question:

JERRY

If I moved the engine all the way back to the original position it would have to sit really high over the rack,

I did finally work something out I moved the engine up about 1.5 inches and about 2.5 inches forward. It is still very thight to the rack about 1/8 clearance. But it is know over the rack instead of behind it. The shifter is still in a usable position and I can actually get a stock f-body manifold to fit on the passenger side so building a regular header over there shouldn’t be to much of a problem. I should be able to make some thing work on the driver’s side it won’t be easy but will be doable. I just ordered some collectors and a few more bends. Next week is spring brake so I should have the beginnings of an exhaust system next week.

Still crack up everytime I see the wheelbarrow.That cage looks great,my engine is back 4",and the balancer and the rack are about .125" away from one another,but my rack is lower then yours.I guess this is why car designers make so many comprimises.The car really looks like it will be wild when the bugs get worked out.Good luck Brian. Ron

Have you considered relocating the rack so you can move the mill forward a bit?

Moving the rack is not an option. This is a very expensive custom Woodward rack that the entire front suspension design is based off of. That’s why I am making so many other compromises to keep the suspension exactly as it was designed. I started building the driver’s side header today I should have something worth showing in the next week.

What size are the rims? And what make and model?

The rims are Boyd Codington Codzillazs the rears are 17X12s and the front a 17X 8 or 8.5 I can’t remember. I bought theses long before a really new what I was doing and plane to run some 3 piece Kodiak wheels when I get the car finished but for now they work as some nice looking rollers.

How big of a wheel are you going to use on the front,finally ordered mine,17x9.5,with 275/40's,I see some frame notching in my future LOL

The front was designed for a 18X10.5 with a 295 tire But I might go back to a 10 inch wide wheel with a 275. The rears will probably be a 17X12 with a 315 the 335 on there now are just too tight.

Wow,295's on the front,that is what I'm running on the back.My front wheels aren't in yet,but stuffing those 275's up in there,you don't realize how big a tire that is.Does the engine in your car actually give hood clearance issues,with a stock ls6 intake?Those engines are not very tall,on my car,I think i could run a Magnacharger,and a flat hood,the way the engine sets.

My back wheels I have now actually will work on the front Katz designed it for big wheels and tires.

I got the drives side header done its 1-3/4 stepped to 1-7/8 there pretty close to equal length the rear tube is the shortest but they are all probably with in 15% of each other I have herd that 10% is what you should shot for. I am not going to get to picky I am just glade I was able to squeeze it all in there. My collectors should be here some time this week I am going to take a brake on exhaust and build the passenger side in a week or so. There is plenty of other stuff to work on manly finish the cage.

Nice progress! I bet your glad that is out of the way. Looks like good work.

wow good job ,i bet your glad there done that far,nice jod.:)

cant see why you are complaining... there is plenty of room:wow: :willy: :faint:

nice job btw:thumbsup:

Nice work on the headders, i love the way this car is comming out post more pics of any work done previously thanks,we all love pics........... Barry

Awsome work
 

Nice work its amazing you fit it all in there

I fell like pictures don’t do it justice of just how little room there is on the drives side. I decide to just go ahead and get the passengers side done to while the car was on the lift and easy to get to things. The passengers side was defiantly a little easier to since there was now steering shaft to deal with it still took me while to get things just right so that you could actually get the header in with the motor already in the car and still be able to get the starter in and out.

Attached is one more pic of the drives side from underneath and some of the passengers side.