Project WidowMaker - The Build Thread

[214Chevy]

Watching this one. Love the framework!

[The WidowMaker]

here are some of the pics of the exhaust parts. i went with the 304 stainless bends made by pypes and available from summit. 4-30* and 2-90* in 3" for the x pipe and 4 combo bends in 2.5" for the tailpipes. i would have been better off getting individual bends for the 2.5" stuff, but i thought the combo bends would provide a little more, or at least the same amount of material to work with, but i was wrong. the individual bends are 24" and the combos are 36", and the combo is the same price as 2 individual bends. go figure.

i also went with the stainless flowmaster 50 series deltas. i ran the 40 deltas previously on the car, and im running a single 50 delta on my silverado with a 5.3 and love/d both. my wife wanted slightly quiter than the 40's, so the 50's were the next choice. i looked into magnaflow and dynomax, but i cant say that i like that sound. i couldnt find one clip where i thought that they sounded good. im not a fan of the original 40 series either, but i love the mellower sound of the deltas.

i still need to puchase the straight pipe, but at 10 bucks a foot im going to hold off a little more until i know what i need.

[The WidowMaker]

here are the final pics of the swaybar. i added one bend near the end, and i also put the studded rod ends back on. they allow for a lot more misalignment, and since theres now enough room i felt they would be the best option.

[The WidowMaker]

heres the pic of the collapsible intermediate shaft setup. the rag joint is from lee for their box, the bottom of the shaft is $19 from cpp, the nickle 3/4 dd shaft is $29 from cpp and the 1"-48 x 3/4 dd nickle u-joint was $49 from cpp.

i called frank today to make sure the rag joint would clear the wegner front drive and got the ok. i know they ran it on the bull run chevelle, but wanted to make sure they didnt modify anything to make it work.

as you can see it clears, but barely. theres probably 3/16-1/4" at the tightest spot which is right in the middle of the rubber portion. its hard to see from the angle of the pic, but the entire nickle portion has TONS of room. the hole in the shaved firewall is as close to stock as i could get it, so this should be the same for others running an ls/edelbrock header setup.

[The WidowMaker]

i got the pedals and the triple master mounted today. i still need to work on bracing the pedals so i'll have some more pictures in a few days.

the chevelle uses a very good mounting system for both the column and the stock pedals. there is a beefy piece that ties both into the firewall and cowl area making both nice and sturdy. i attempted to use this piece to mount the pedals, but even with most cut away, the pedals didnt sit high enough to clear the column (pedals would clear, but the bias adjuster sits next to the pedal and needed the pedals to sit higher).

so the current plan uses a 3/16" plate on the back of the firewall, along with 3/4 x 1.5" .120 tubing to brace it back to the column mount. this will all take the place of the stock piece. currently, i only have the plate mounted and its sturdy as hell, but i know i will still get some flex. also, since i though i was using the stock mount, i welded the shaved piece around part of the original firewall. since that didnt happen, i had to cut out a section and weld it completely flat. i hope to get the rest done in the next few days.

[The WidowMaker]

i finished the install of the pedals for now. i still need a clutch stop and the brake light switch, but i'll finish that once i get the lines installed and the masters bled.

i took some pics of the install, but you cant really tell what the heck is going on. so, if somebody wants the pics or a description of what i did let me know.

i also decided that although i wanted a flat firewall, a little detail wouldnt be bad. i built this little plate today that will get sandwiched between the masters and firewall. i will have to make a relief cut for the steering column, but im still waiting on ididit and i dont have the mount yet.

[The WidowMaker]

not much to update. i got the brake and clutch pedals done today. not sure if i will use them or make something else that isnt quite a rectangle. they are still pretty rough, but they will get a little more clean up and a black anodizing. i made them a little bigger than the wilwoods as the blurry pic shows. i have a size 15 shoe, and the wilwoods just felt too small. the will either get screwed on from the back, or welded once i get the contour correct. couldnt have done it without the 1943 Index mill i bought a few months back. it used to make parts for hughes aircraft during the war, now makes parts for my car.

i also shipped the column back to ididit today, and i should have the new column in a couple of weeks. i also bought the front varishock quickset 1's to match the rears. got a good deal over on lat-g.com.
more pics to come

[The WidowMaker]

today i attempted to place the bend in the pedals pads. the wilwood setup has the pedal pads cast into the arm, and there is a pretty good bend in them. my thought was to either screw the new pads in from the back, or to weld them to the existing pad. either way the new pads needed the contour.

i started by using some scraps that i used to get an idea for the design. the first i heated too much, and once i tapped it with a leather mallet, it just mashed and split.



the second i used a lot less heat, but in an attemp to heat it evenly, it got too soft in a few spots and the vice and vice grips left witness marks.



the third i started by attaching it at both ends over a piece of pipe. as i heated i tightened the ends down in an attempt to get it to bend. it cracked as well.



the last one i put it inside the pipe, applied pressure in the middle and then heated the back. the result is below. i think it worked much better since the interior of the pipe worked as an oven to help heat the piece evenly.







im still not sure what to do. since i have to make one more anyways, i have a few options;

make them both flat, cut off the current pad and weld it to the arm

make them curved and do the same as above

make them curved and screw them onto the current pad

or make them curved and weld to the current pad

ive looked at a few different cars and what they have. my wifes lexus has a flat brake pedal, and my silverado is curved to almost the same contour as the pad i made. i guess i need to see what feels most comfortable.

anyone have any suggestions on attachment? any reason tig welding them on would be a bad idea? cant think of any, but id rather ask then cut off the pedal and regret it.

Tim

[The WidowMaker]

just got the ricks tank delivered today!!!! its beautiful to say the least. i needed a custom tank that was shorter in order to clear the watts, and although i wanted to do a dual pump, internal surge tank, this should be more than adequate for spirited driving and autocrossing. hector sold me on the new design which includes an internal sump and check balls (last we spoke this was going to be a regular option). there is one checkball on each side, and one at the back. the sump is sealed on the front, back, bottom and sides, with the top 1/4" open to allow fuel to flow back into the tank when the sump is full. it also has an internal bosch pump with -8 fittings which will be more than i need for now.

i cant wait to get this tank installed and get some pictures taken. once all is said and done and i can show that it fits well, this will be an option for anyone needing a tank for a chevelle with a watts.

and i have to say thanks to hector and the guys. the quality is amazing, and the service is second to none.

[The WidowMaker]

i got the new column from ididit last week, and it too is a piece of art. the upper portion of this column will be different on the production version (to match the original), but i didnt need that with the proposed dash. they had to rework their design a little in order to place the mounts in the correct place without disrupting the collapsible feature. but all works and i will have some install pics shortly.
also, the trunk floor is out and the new one is almost in. i should have pics by thursday night if it doesnt rain in the next couple of days.