HM2034 build ...another Texas Hurricane

[Bruce N]

My door fitment is all wonky.   Truck and hood fit decent.  I need to drive out and have you take a look at mine.

Bob that would be great. I'd love to look at yours and get some questions answered from someone already gone through the process. Sent you a couple messages but looking at my sent folder doesn't look like they made it to you for some reason. Of course weekend would be best. I have your number so will text you my google location. just give a shout when you have time to swing by.

[Bruce N]

started finalizing the tub cutouts and deciding on what I would do on the firewall going forward. Greg had posted some pictures of one with half of the aluminum panels installed that I liked but after looking at the panels I have, they are different and have decided to just finish the fiberglass to a decent level of finish. I really hated the gap on the inside of trans tunnel, and the aluminum angle they have to fill that in so glassed in a lip that will fill that void and look a little more finished. I'll pull the tub tomorrow and spend the weekend finishing the firewall and painting. Think I have the fuel lines figured out so will make another trip to Summit and pick all that up for next week.

Forgot to post this. Just an FYI. As others have said, the placement of the tub is critical to body alignment. Tub needs to be all the way back against the vertical frame rails in the back. When I drilled my holes and bolted down, it kept wanting to go forward 1/4- 1/2 inch which will keep your body from going back far enough. I just drilled and tapped a couple holes through the back of the tub into vertical rails to hold in place. If you needed to adjust one side or the other shims would work. But everything on mine fell in place with both side's pulled back as far as they would go.

Somehow quoted from wrong post. Sorry

[Bob Worley]

Bob that would be great. I'd love to look at yours and get some questions answered from someone already gone through the process. Sent you a couple messages but looking at my sent folder doesn't look like they made it to you for some reason. Of course weekend would be best. I have your number so will text you my google location. just give a shout when you have time to swing by.

This Saturday Sept 4th is first Saturday of the month so the DFW group will probably meet somewhere for breakfast, almost always on the other side of DFW from us where the "rich folk" hang out ... i'll make a post here.  I can probably swing by after, or come out on Sunday.  The weekend looks like high of 97° -- yeeoow!

[Bruce N]

Bob that would be great. I'd love to look at yours and get some questions answered from someone already gone through the process. Sent you a couple messages but looking at my sent folder doesn't look like they made it to you for some reason. Of course weekend would be best. I have your number so will text you my google location. just give a shout when you have time to swing by.

This Saturday Sept 4th is first Saturday of the month so the DFW group will probably meet somewhere for breakfast, almost always on the other side of DFW from us where the "rich folk" hang out ... i'll make a post here.  I can probably swing by after, or come out on Sunday.  The weekend looks like high of 97° -- yeeoow!

Yea. I'm seriously ready for Fall! Just sent you text.

[Bruce N]

OK. Some of you might want to look away for this one Think Ive decided to go totally black with ? stripes? I saw this black with red and did a little photo shop on it deleting the dump tank filler and knew that's what I wanted to do. Looks supper clean, simple, and a little different than the rest. Still thinking about stripes  So while I'm waiting on trans and windshield I went ahead and started body work. I'm a little afraid to start gaping doors and such until I look at Bob's car this weekend to be sure I have everything locked down in the right places. Just imagine that last picture without that big ol gas filler in the middle of the fender  Clean, simple, and just a little different....You wont hardly notice that flush mount once its painted

[FFR428]

Now that's a cool gas cap! Never saw one like that.

[NTX-CLANK]

Bruce, I enjoy watching what you might come up with next. That gas filler change will look very sleek, for sure, and the black is a great choice.  Do you plan on any metal flake? 

I hope you and Bobby were able to work out your body fit. I would appreciate a visit from you guys soon when I test fit my body. We'll be sure to feed you well.

Jim

[Bruce N]

Bruce, I enjoy watching what you might come up with next. That gas filler change will look very sleek, for sure, and the black is a great choice.  Do you plan on any metal flake? 

I hope you and Bobby were able to work out your body fit. I would appreciate a visit from you guys soon when I test fit my body. We'll be sure to feed you well.

Jim

Hey Jim.

Yea, Bobby came out and was a great help. He confirmed a lot of my suspensions on the body fit issues. Also got some ideas on areas to improve that he has done on his car. There are a few things that I was concerned with, and wanted to be sure they were not due to something I was overlooking. I'll go over them with you when we talk again. So now I am on to locking everything down, installing quick jacks and starting on some unfortunate gap corrections due to them trimming too much off in a few places. Think I'll fab a few extra body supports for added support to the bulb seals on the front frame.

Let me know when your ready to install and will make a trip to the other side of the tracks 

[Bruce N]

OK....So not much progress to show but really did get make good progress.  I got the body set in its final position and got the windshield set in place. Drilled all the mounting holes ( man was that fun!). Got all the panels aligned as much as possible. Ready to start all the final alignment. I still have a bunch of stuff on back order so will spend the next couple weeks trying to perfect all the panel fitment. Will save the final work until after I put the body on for the last time. Things seam to change every time you install them! But until then I can get all the gaps closed and get some of the seams leveled.

[Bruce N]

OK....So not much progress to show but really did get make good progress.  I got the body set in its final position and got the windshield set in place. Drilled all the mounting holes ( man was that fun!). Got all the panels aligned as much as possible. Ready to start all the final alignment. I still have a bunch of stuff on back order so will spend the next couple weeks trying to perfect all the panel fitment. Will save the final work until after I put the body on for the last time. Things seam to change every time you install them! But until then I can get all the gaps closed and get some of the seams leveled.

PS...I know the quick jacks are back asswards. Holes are the same for fitment.

[Bob Worley]

Hey Jim.

Yea, Bobby came out and was a great help. He confirmed a lot of my suspensions on the body fit issues. Also got some ideas on areas to improve that he has done on his car. There are a few things that I was concerned with, and wanted to be sure they were not due to something I was overlooking. I'll go over them with you when we talk again. So now I am on to locking everything down, installing quick jacks and starting on some unfortunate gap corrections due to them trimming too much off in a few places. Think I'll fab a few extra body supports for added support to the bulb seals on the front frame.

Let me know when your ready to install and will make a trip to the other side of the tracks 

Was great to meet you, Bruce.   Let me know any time I can come help, be glad to.

And Jim, I'd love to come help you get the body on also.   

[Bruce N]

Been spending the last few days getting all the panels set and started putting on latches. Wanted to have all that complete and in place before I started final grinding excess and glassing in large gaps. The door latches were another puzzle that the manual is worthless on helping you solve. Had to fab some huge spacers to go between the latch and the steel upright posts they bolt to. Did not find anything in the kit that looked like they would be for that purpose. But only way I see they work is if you stand off the latches about an inch from the uprights. Anyone has any suggestions/insight on these please educate me!

I had a spare electric power steering unit from my FFR 35 truck build. I really liked it on the truck, so fabricated a bracket and installed under dash. It puts the steering wheel at more of an angle at the dash but wont mater for me sense I'm putting in an Ididit tilt column with keyed ignition in the column. Need to trim a bit off the bottom of the bracket but it is tucked up under pretty far. When I mock up the dash and sit in the seat you cant see it and it is well out of the way. If one wanted to use the supplied steering wheel/shaft you could build the bracket a bit different and get the shaft in the same position as with the supplied bearing housing to keep angle the same. Would just need to move the unit further back so the housing would lift up a bit more. I put mine in this location so it is at correct distance from dash for the Ididit 12" shorty. Saves me a bit of money from having to have them build a custom length.

[Greg K]

Take a look and see if you have these pieces ?
These are for the latches.

[Bruce N]

Take a look and see if you have these pieces ?
These are for the latches.

Yes. Those are what I am having to stand off on the upright frame pieces in order for door to close fully. If I bolt direct to the frame without stand offs, the doors would be open about 3/4" one side and 1" on the other. I get that they will be over carpet and aluminum panel when doing final install but that wont be near enough . Is what it is. Will just have to adjust shim depth again once i put in panels and carpet.

[Bob Worley]

Bruce,   as I mentioned last weekend at your shop, my uprights were welded wrong to the frame, on the side of the frame instead of on top, so they were too short to reach the required striker height.   I had to modify the holes on the adapter plate on each side to purchase a grasp of the upright.     And you can see on the passenger side I also made an aluminum spacer plate about 1/4 or 3/8" i think, to pull the passenger door in far enough.   It really depends on where you body sits in it final position.