Well, still been plugging away on it still. After weighing out my options on how to manage any potential heat issues around the muffler area I decided to use perforated metal. The rear area of the tire is open to draw air in and with these openings now I think crisis adverted!I still plan on coating & wrapping everything. This is just some added insurance. I also finished the rear pan as well.
Here is the pan
Now with openings