The Chassis Shop

1. C73-978-2 Slot Clevis 1 x .058          2 @ 18.50                                       37.00

2. C73-360-2 Quick Pins                        2 @ 8.45                                         16.90

3. C73-987-2 Slot Clevis 1-1/8 x .058                                                            20.20

4. C73-361-2 Quick Pins                                                                                 8.45

5. C72-106 Bottom Mount 4in               2 @46.95                                                   93.90

6. C72-308 1-3/4in Bar Mount               6 @ 34.95                                     209.70

7. C73-114-4 Tabs Flat Mild Steel         2 @ 10.16                                       20.32

8. C73-154-4 Gussets Mild Steel          6 @ 5.52                                          33.12

9. C73-152-20 Gussets Mild Steel                                                                13.00

10.C73-153-4 Gussets Mild Steel                                                                   2.60

Shipping                                                                                                        12.46

                                                                                                                                              555.53

Bright Start Audio

Watson's Street Works

1. L04 Courtesy Light Kit                                                                               33.00

2. L58-FR Billet Aluminum Frames for led Lights        2 @ 60.00                120.00

3. L58SM-FR Billet Alum Frames for led Lights          2 @ 50.00                100.00

4. L58-SEQ Sequential led Taillights                                                           299.99

6. L39BOS Oval Billet Power Window Switches       2 @ 70.00                  140.00

8. L39Bo3X-CSTM Oval Billet Power Window Switch Panel                      159.00

9. L39BV0X-CSTM Vintage Oval Billet Switch Panel                                  249.00

10.L39-CLIP Light Clip For Switch Panels        14 @ 5.00                            70.00

11.L18B-5/32,Blue LED                                   14 @ 9.00                           126.00

12.CA-DRP4 Bear Claw Door Prop Rod                                                       50.00

13.L75 The Igniter, Ignition Switch                                                              130.00

14.L07-80 80Amp Relay                 2 @ 30.00                                              60.00

Shipping                                                                                                        94.00

S&W Race Cars

1. 13-357 Swing-Out Side Bar Kit             4 @ 34.95                                  139.80

Shipping                                                                                                         12.99

De Arangio Racing

1. Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump, Fuel pump Booster                                       249.99

2. Kenne Bell Boost-A-Coil, Ignition Booster                                               219.99

Shipping                                                                                                        19.99

Jeg's

1. Performance Automatics, SFI 29.1 Flex plate, 8-hole combo pattern      149.99

Shipping                                                                                                        10.99

The Detail Zone

1. SCT Live-Wire Programmer                                                                 569.99

2. Ford EEC-VI, 2005 Mustang Mach-1 W/Automatic 4.6L DOHC         489.99

3. SCT Window Mount                                                                                29.99

4. Programing Fee                                                                                    100.00

Shipping                                                                                                       24.99

Canton

1. 3 Qt Oil Sump W/ electric Kit                                                               399.99

2. Polished Aluminum Brackets                                                                80.99

3. One way Valve                                                                                        10.49

4. Shipping                                                                                                   19.99

                                                                                                                                     511.46

Innovate Motor-sports

1. IV-3790 Open Tune                                                                               399.00

2. IV-3784-A 1-TC4 and 4-EGT Sensors                                                  375.00

3. TE-701 Extension Cable W/ends           4 @ 20.00                               80.00

4. TE-702 Extension Cables W/no ends   4 @ 17.00                                68.00

5. WB-762 0-100 Pressure Sensor                                                          110.00

6. WB-762F 0-2500 Pressure Sensor                                                      110.00

7. Shipping                                                                                                   12.43

1. NOS-02120-NOS 03-04 Cobra EFI Nitrous Kit 10lb Bottle                 499.99

Shipping                                                                                                       12.95

1. An-6 x 16' Feed Hose                                                                             69.95

2. NOS Dual Feed Nitrous Purge Kit, An-6 Fittings                                 65.00

3. Nitrous Pressure Switch, Adjustable                                                   44.95

Shipping                                                                                                       18.95

1. EGT Safety Kit               2 @ 129.99                                                     259.98

Shipping                                                                                                       12.99

AER-FBM2001 Fitting, Straight, -4 AN Male to 1/8 in. NPT Male, Aluminum, Blue, Each $2.95 5     $14.75

AER-FBM2002 Fitting, Straight, -4 AN Male to 1/4 in. NPT Male, Aluminum, Blue, Each $2.95 5     $14.75

AER-FBM2003 Fitting, Straight, -6 AN Male to 1/8 in. NPT Male, Aluminum, Blue, Each $4.50 3     $13.50

AER-FBM2006 Fitting, Straight, -8 AN Male to 1/4 in. NPT Male, Aluminum, Blue, Each $5.50 3     $16.50

AER-FBM2282 Fitting, Tee, -6 AN Female, -6 AN Male, -6 AN Male, Aluminum, Blue, Each $18.69 2                                                                                                                                                                   $37.38

NOS-15552NOS Nitrous Filter, In-Line, -6 AN to -6 AN, 140 Micron, Billet Aluminum, Blue Anodized, Each $51.95 1                                                                                                                                                       $51.95

NOS-19034-XLNOS T-Shirt, Throttle in a Bottle, Short Sleeve, Cotton, White, Men's X-Large, Each $15.99 1                                                                                                                                                                   $15.99

SNO-20010 Water Injection System, Stage 2, Carburetor/EFI, Supercharger/Turbo charger, Kit $389.88 1                                                                                                                                                                 $389.88

ODY-HDBOPT Optima Battery Mount, Billet Aluminum, Machined, Polished, Each $109.95 1       $109.95

SNO-40008 Fuel Additive, Boost Juice, Cetane Additive, Diesel, 1 Gallon, Set of 4 $24.75 1             $24.75

SNO-40020 Water Injection Reservoir, Plastic, 7 qt., Each $48.95 1                                                     $48.95

SNO-40035 FLUID LEVEL SWITCH $29.75 1                                                                                       $29.75

SUM-220490 Fitting, Hose End, Straight, -4 AN Hose to Female -4 AN, Aluminum, Red/Blue Anodized, Each $4.69 1                                                                                                                                                           $4.69

SUM-220646 Fitting, Adapter, Straight, Male -6 AN to Male 1/8 in. NPT, Aluminum, Blue Anodized, Each $2.95 3                                                                                                                                                            $8.85

SUM-220647 Fitting, Adapter, Straight, Male -6 AN to Male 1/4 in. NPT, Aluminum, Blue Anodized, Each $2.95 3                                                                                                                                                            $8.85

SUM-220690 Fitting, Hose End, Straight, -6 AN Hose to Female -6 AN, Aluminum, Red/Blue Anodized, Each $4.88 1                                                                                                                                                                   $4.88

SUM-230420 Hose, Braided Stainless Steel, -4 AN, 20 ft. Length, Each $59.95 1                               $59.95

SUM-230620 Hose, Braided Stainless Steel, -6 AN, 20 ft. Length, Each $73.95 1                               $73.95

Parts Total: $929.27                                                                                                     Handling Charge: $10.95

                                                                                                                                                              Total Order:             $940.22

01-06-08

      I looked very closely at the Cobra engine and determined there is no practical way to install a Direct Nozzle type Nitrous Oxide System on it. The EFI Injectors are buried deep down in the area surrounded by the head and blower. It's very UN-fortunate, because I really wanted to go crazy here and install a very cool, 2-stage direct injected system, complete with polished SS 3/16" tubing and all. I sort of figured that if the various Nitrous Manufacturers were not offering anything for the 4V, 4.6L engine, then there was probably a good reason. Those direct nozzles just don’t have a chance, there is just no room for them or the supporting supply lines, and I can see why the use the 1/8" nylon tube for the 2V engine. It too is very tight, but the 2V heads and lack of a blower do leave enough room for the kit. I have a complete 2V engine sitting next to the 4V so it was great to be able to see the various differences between the two engines. This does spoil my plans, but it doesn't kill them. I went ahead and ordered a 03-04 Cobra plate Nitrous system from Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS). Check this out, Summit Racing and Jegg’s were both in the $569.00 area, and on the web the price ranged from 789.00 to a low of 569.00. But, at RPM Outlet they had the system for 499.99, and only charges 12.95 shipping ! So, RPM Outlet got the order, and it should be here with in a few days. I also went ahead and ordered the EGT safety kits ( 2 them) Nitrous Warehouse, and from Dyno Tune Sales, I purchased the An-6 hose (16'), another nitrous pressure switch and a dual line purge kit. I like the guy at Dyno Tune, he was knowledgeable and friendly, two very nice combinations. This will be it for awhile on the Nitrous and most other performance enhancing products, I need to concentrate of getting the body ready.

      Dad was there to greet me at the shop, I think he has missed not working on the car, much like I have I suppose? The first thing I got two was having Dad cut out 2-pieces of sheet metal roughly 8" x 44", and I started applying the Dynomat to the extreme rear of the car. I covered everything from the start of the rear seat to the rear portion of the body, leaving out a small section for the support frame that still has to be welded into place. This support is there to hold up the interior trim pieces, and to stiffen the rear of the body. It also served to support the rear mounted spare tire, but of-coarse we will not be installing the rear spare tire carrier. The warmer temps and a couple of drop lights made the Dynomat material easy to work with, and it took know time to cover the area. Next, I needed to plan-out the area where the frame kicks up, and on the inside makes a swell. This is the area where I wanted to mount 2-pieces of sheet-metal and have them act as 2-shelves. Both hinged so they can be easily accessed and supported on each end with a small section of aluminum angle. I had to apply the Dynomat material, so I could go ahead and install the sheet-metal and hinges. My initial ideal of 2-shelves didn't pan out. The seat bottom was further front of the swell, and it wasn't quite deep enough for two. What did work, was to install one shelf and put the computer and Telorvek EFI panel on the top and 12-10 space terminal strips on the bottom. This gave me my original amount of terminal strip space, plus the area to mount the control panels as well. In all, I was surprised that I managed to make room for 12 terminal strips (10 space each), and still had room to mount the two panels. I had to order a few things from Pro Weld, manly the terminal strips and some more weather pack connectors and pins, but there not very expensive at all.

      While I was in back working on the panels, I did notice that the mounting locations for the 2-rear roll bar mounts is in a rather tight location. The back of the rear seat is very close to the area, as is the front of the shelf we just installed. Looking at the finished product just before I left, made me think I might have to move the Tolorvek Panel a little to the drivers side to miss the roll bar legs. If I do, It won't be a big project, just loosen the mount and move it over and re-drill some new mounting holes. I was also Trying to picture the roll bar mounted and how the rest of the panels and pieces would look. There is a lot of parts that have to be located in the back behind the rear seat. The car is so little, and since we have absolutely no under hood or under dash space available, the rear section becomes very valuable. What has to go back there? Lets take a look .

      Items needed to me mounted behind or under the rear seat and on the roll bar.

1. Battery, Optima Yellow Top Deep Cell, Group 24

2. Ford EEC Computer, aluminum cast 6" wide x 8" long x 3" high

3. The Detail Zone's Tolorvek Panel 7" wide x 12" Long x 3" High

4. Kenne Bell Adjust-A-Pump, Fuel Pump Controller, Module 6" wide x 6" long x 4" high

5. Kenne Bell Adjust-A-Spark, Ignition Coil Controller, Module 6" wide x 6" long x 4" high

6. 15lb Nitrous Tank, with Bracket, 8" wide x 8" long x 23" high

7. Innovate Motor sports LMA-3, Aux Box, 3" wide x 3" long x 2" high

8. Inmate Motor sports Open Tune Module, 4" wide x 6" long x 3" high

9. Innovate Motor sports TC-4, Thermal Sensor module, 2 each, 3" wide x 4" long x 3" high

10.Innovate Motor sports SSI-4 Pressure Sensor Module, 2 Each, 3" wide x 4" long x 3" high

11.Innovate Motor sports DL-32, Multi-task Processor, 3" wide x 3" long x 2" high

12.Ron Francis, Fuse Panel, 7" wide x 10" long x 4" high

13.Pioneer 1200W Amp, 2 each, 12" wide x 10" long x 2" high

14.Pioneer Multi Disk CD Changer, 10" wide x 8" long x 6" high

15.Polk Audio, 8" Sub Woofer, in an enclosure 12" wide x 15" long x 5" high

16.Fuel Pump crash relay, 2" wide x 4" long x 4" high

17.Cold Fusion EGT Safety Switch, 6" wide x 6" long x 3" high

18.Competition Engendering, Remote Battery Dis-Connect Switch, 12" long x 4" wide x 4" high

19.Snow Performance 7qt Holding Tank, 10" wide x 8" long x 10" high

20.Snow Performance Driver Module, 6" wide x 8" long x 4" high

21.Spal Fan Controller, 2 Each, 6" wide x 6" long x 4" high

22.Dakota Digital Remote Controller, 8" wide x 10" long x 4" high

01-08-08

     Finally got to go to the shop today, and we got alot of work done. First, I tackled the doors. I removed the original lackes and all the guides and post on both door to make room for our new Bear Claw latches. Next we had to fit the latches to the door frame. I marked out the area and use a 3" wheel in a cut off saw to remove the steel. Dad was working on the wood rear window frame, and that took some time, he had to clamp it all up , then glue sections and fill others. Once he was finished I had him help with the fitting on the doors. The old latches came out pretty quick, I had to use a impact driver on some of the screws, and even had to drill out three, but all in all it was pretty fast and easy. We determined to basically re-use the same general area where the original latches were for the new Bear Claw latches. They are just a little lower then the original spot. Cutting out the metal on the door was real easy, I just traced the pattern from the install kits supplied latch bracket and used a cut off saw to remove the metal. Since the '33 is a model with fairly thin door frames, you have to trim the brackets to allow for that, but they supply plenty of material so many other models can be covered by the same kit. We are using Bear Claw latches, the slim design. I'm pretty sure these are the only ones that would fit the '33-'34 Fords. It only took about 2 hours to have both latch brackets trimmed, welded and finished. I really like the install kit, and I believe anyone with basic knowledge and moderate welding skills could do the same install. Really, to do 95% of this project, you would only need a MIG welder capable of 130AMPs. The frame was the only exception, that and the heavy brackets for the rear-end and front cross-member.

This is the Bear-Claw Slim-Line Latches on the left and the Install Kit on the right.  The install kit simply gets cut-down to fit the door width and welded in place, then the latches screw to the install kit.  The door strike pin and it's adjustable nut get mounted to the door frame on the body.  You have to recess the floating adjustable nut into the door frame, so that it is flush but also with-in the allowable parameters of the door latch, which is very close tolerance

     Another small project I took on today was the body brackets for the roll bars. When fabricating the roll bar mounts to the frame, I had no other choice but to weld them in the general area they would be needed, and to the inside of the frame rails. But, looking at the areas where they will be placed, it's apparent that they will be in the way. First, I had to see where the brackets would line-up in the body. Back when the body was still mounted to the frame, I drill as many holes from under neath as I could. I used the same 3/8" drill bit as the bolt holes, and drilled up into the body's flooring to mark where the brackets Aline on the frame. It's these holes that I used today to locate the inside roll bar brackets, and they finish dilling the 4-holes in each bracket. This gave me the lay-out of where the brackets needed to be, in-order to mate with the frame brackets, and also showed me just where the interferences would be. The front brackets. The front brackets came out way to close to the section of the floor boards where you would have to put your feet. By positioning the inside brackets over the holes, I could then see how much restriction there would be. I also used a small section of 1-3/4" tubing, the same size as the roll bar. I used this tube to simulate the roll bar at that point, and from there I could see what was needed. Both front brackets are the same, so the solution for one side would be the same as the other side. Both needed the tubing to be moved over, closer to the side of the foot well, this would get the tube out of the passenger, and drivers foot area, and look much better. To do this I designed a bracket that would replace the one I had, this new bracket would have the same bolt pattern, but it would be longer on 2-sides allowing me to move the roll bar tube over to the side of the body. Next came the mid-brackets, and they like the front needed to have the roll bars tube moved over to the side, closer to the body's edge. The middle roll bar, is mounted just behind the front seat back rest. This bar needs to be as close to the side so people can get to the back seat as easy as possible, without the bar being in there way. The bar has to stay just behind the front seat, so the front seat belts can be attached to it, if I want to stay with in the rules. This area took another bracket similar to the front, but not as large. I will use the original bolt pattern to anchor the bracket, but by it being longer on one side, I am able to move the tube over closer to the body's side. Both middle brackets were the same mirror image of each other, just like the front brackets were.

    I chose to use a piece of 3/16" steel plate to cut the 4-brackets from. Once paid-out, I made short work of them by using my metal cutting hand saw, this thing is great for fast, straight, cuts in any size metal sheet we will ever be using. I always use a fence with it to assure straight lines, I suppose if your more comfortable with a hand saw then you might not have to? Once the brackets were cut, I transferred the bolt pattern to the appropriate bracket and marked it for dilling.

10-09-08

     Today was another lovely day, it's odd 60's in the dead of winter, but hey I'll take it. First thing today I drilled out all the brackets I cut yesterday. Then I cleaned up all the edges on the sander, and installed them in the car. Dad is till working on the latch bolt location for both sides. In order to get the doors shouting tight, we needed to move the bolts several times till it was right. We also had to cut a lot of the body out to mount them like they needed, so dad is working on re-enforcing that area, and making some patch panels. Once my brackets were done, I picked a project that would get me out of Dads way, so I started installing the exhaust system. I needed this installed so I could figure out what little area was left to mount the Oil Accumulator (Accusump) and several other small things. Being that we had already took the time to install the exhaust system way back when we were setting up the chassis, it's not a big deal. I marked all the pipes when I took it apart, so if you can count to 10 you could install this exhaust system. Since this just might be the final install, I made sure to use all the proper size Stainless Steel hardware, the rest is already SS. That took about 30-45 minuets, and really looked nice when I was finished, I still can't believe just how easy that went. Now, with the exhaust system installed, it's alot easier to see what space is open and what space is closed. I could see that there was a need for a Heat shield on both sides to protect the cooling systems. The exhaust ran right under and pretty close to all three coolers, so I took some measurements and cut out 2-Heat Shields, one 8" x 20" and the other 8" x 24" both out of 16 gauge sheet metal. I had a piece that already had some stiffing grooves in it, so I used that. They will both be mounted to the bottom of the cooler brackets with 1/4-20 hardware. But before that, I need to insulate them, and to do that I cut 5-strips for each heat shield out of 2" header wrap material. Then I sprayed both the Heat Shields and the wrap material, and glued them to one side of the Heat Shields. Once the material was added, I put both pieces in a press till my next visit, this way the header wrap will fully bond to the metal surface. Next, when I get the chance, I'll cut a sheet or two of thick insulation, and then wrap the heat shields completely with high temperature insulating material that has a aluminized surface. I have had the same basic type Heat Shields before, for my Turbo Diesel, to insulate the floor boards from the heat, and it worked very well, and still does. The header wrap is from DEI, and Thermo-Tec will supply the Heat blanket. This will keep the cooling systems completely cool, and add to the performance and durability of the engine. 

This is a Heat Shield I built for My Dodge Ram 3500, it is one of two that help keep the inside temperatures down and also help with the noise level.  I used basically the same method to build the 2-heat shields for Project COBRA"33.

     For a more detail look at what goes into making the Heat Shields, Please click here

     Well, I still haven't found a spot to mount the Accusump, but something will turn up. Dad is still working on the latch bolts, and the surrounding area, so I'll find another small job to keep busy. Hey, lets install the power window regulators !.! Yesterday I marked the center line of each front window on the door, and we also cut out a rather large section to get the regulator assembly physically in-side the door. All this made my install go really quick. First thing I had to do was to transfer the electric motor bracket to a piece of card-board, this way once the motor is in the door, I can use the pattern to drill the holes needed to mount the motor. Next, trial fit one door, and see what needs to be trimmed. I suppose we are lucky because it fit without modification. Next I installed the passenger side window motor, and drilled the holes to mount the motor. I could only get to the 2-top mounting holes so 2 will have to do....Next Aline the rail with center (it had to be aliened to install the motor mounts, but you have to re-position the rail after attaching the motor) and mark the two hole that support it, Drill and install the screws and you are done. I just re-peat-ed this procedure on the drivers side door and it too was mounted in about 10 minuets. I was feeling pretty good by now, although I haven't finished anything, It felt like I was getting things done. We made a few test fits with Dad's pieces and he got them all fitting great, but had one more plate to make. I took this opportunity to look for the proper placement of the front door speakers. There isn't much room behind the door panel to mount the speakers, on a '33 the door tapper in at the bottom, and space is very limited, in-fact I just barely got the electric motors for the power windows in there. Some light persuasion is needed, both for the motor and the speakers. I could only mount the door speakers so high, you can not go any higher then the bottom of the window frame at full down position, so this left only a small section open for them. I could have easily mounted the speakers to the rear of the lower door frame, but that would put the speakers right in front of the front seat cushion, which wouldn't be ideal. They need to go in the front section of the lower door, this way the speaker is out in the open and the music will be head much better. I marked the spot 8-1/2" up from the bottom of the door and 10" back from the front edge, this put the speaker in a great location, but the door was very tight there, I'll take the tight door. Both sides were marked and I used my 1/2" Milwaukee drill and a 4-3/4" hole saw to drill out the openings. Next I marked the location for the tweeters (I'm using component speakers), and drilled them with the same drill but with a 2" hole saw, now were ready for the speakers !!!! Really this is all I got done today, I did clean-up and sweep the shop. That hand saw is great but it really makes a mess, just think saw dust, but metallic. I think we are in great shape, next time I'll do some more on the heat Shields, and we will get the door latches and patch panels finished. I was looking at the rear windows, and there will probably be around 4" of the glass still showing when the windows are in full down position. I was hoping we could get full area, but instead it will be very close to how the factory system was. The problem is the rear wheel well, it extends up so far that where is just no physical room for the window and regulator to occupy the same space. The regulator will also have to be off-set to the front several inches from center. Also, the wire way to the front doors is going to be a pain. These suicide doors are odd anyway, but there is also the door frame and the wood inside to contend with. I purchased 2-sets of wire ways, but nether will work. I'm going to call Watson's and see what they have to offer.

01-12-08

The following is a diagram that expresses the number of and the types of componets in the Project COBRA'33 system.

 +  +  + +  +  +  +  +  +

 +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  + +  There will be eight (8) of these used +  + = our system.

      Since I was already working on the Exhaust, I decided to install the QTP(Quick Time Performance) Electric exhaust Cutouts. This gets bolted, by a 3-bolt flange to the 'Y" pipe or cutout pieces, then latter I will plumb the exhaust so it follows the frame down then turns out just under the running boards, giving the car the look of side pipes a little bit. Sort of like the Roush cars or the early Cobras, where they had the side exiting exhaust. I think this will be killer, and to think I only have to flick a switch to have open header exhaust! .! .! Is that cool or what? ? ? I have to get 2-1/2" 3-bolt flanges, I ordered  3-bolt flanges for 2-1/2" pipe, and they are definitely not the right size. I’ll look around for the right sizes, and while I’m at it, I’ll be looking for some nice turn-outs or end pieces for the exhaust. I mounted the electric cut-out's to get things rolling, and to make sure I take into account the electrical connections, when that time comes around, which will not be to far off. The more closely you have the car to the finished project, the better you will be when we start the wiring. Since everything will be separated into different harnesses, a missed circuit or two could make for a lot of work.

     The bottom of the chassis is really starting to look real. Everything is coming together and so far things are alining and working out, cross your fingers and toes!

     I suppose because I was just working in the area, my next small project was to mount the right and left side running boards. I just wanted to get them up and into position, so I could plan-out the rest of a few different areas. I was a little worried about alinement, since I boxed in the frame rails and there would be no easy way to fix a slight mis-alinement between the frame and the running boards. But, thankfully the holes seemed to aline, with the ones in the frame. I bolted the running boards up with just 2-3/8" x 1" bolts, and they were remarkably stout with just those two fasteners. First, I wanted to see the path the exhaust would have to travel for the side exit. Second, I needed to see if I would have room on the drivers side running board, to mount the Canton Accusump to the bottom of it’s structure. To my amazement, where was a whole new world available under those big, wide azz boards. So, I picked my spot and drilled 4-1/4" holes in my new running boards.. I used 1/4-20 Button Head screws to mount the Billet Aluminum mounting brackets we purchased with the accusump. Once mounted, it looked really nice tucked up and under the board in between the built-in supports. Now we have a great place to call home for our accusump, it’s out of the way, accessible, and mounted away from the hot exhaust system. Now I could go ahead and route all the hoses and install the many fittings. I took the front 2-hoses off the Moroso Oil Filter Relocation Mount, and switched the feed hose around. Now the oil leaves the engine, runs directly to the filter, leaves the filter and goes to the oil cooler. From the oil cooler the oil passes through a one-way valve as it leaves the oil cooler and into a "Tee" fitting. At this "Tee", the oil can flow Straight across and out to return to the engine, but it can also do a right turn and reduce down to a AN-10 hose and go to the Oil Accumulator or Accusump. Also, at the exit of the oil cooler and right before the "Tee" Fitting, I installed a special fitting that allows me to thread in a pressure sensor, that will control the automatic functions of the accusump. Basically when ever the pressure falls below 20-25psi the electric valve at the accusump will open and allow a in-rush of pressurized oil to go Straight to the engine, it can not back flow thru the system, because we installed a one-way valve at the entrance to the oil coolers exit, remember?? Now, if the pressure is enough over the pressure thresh-hold of the sensor, it will also open and allow that high pressure oil to enter into the accusump, thus always keeping the accusump at the highest pressure the oil system saw. A big benefit of this system, is it will also detect low oil pressure at start-up, and open the valve to the accusump and allow it’s 3-quart capacity of pressurized oil to flood the engine and all it’s bearings, at start, which eliminates the dry start of most engine, were up to 90% of all wear happens!.! Is it any wonder, most serious race teams use an accusump?.?

This is what the Cabton Accusump looks like.  There is an opening on the opposite side of the pressure gage, and this is where the oil enters the system.

     I got all the fittings and hoses cut, mounted and tightened. The system looks very nice and I think the layout is also just as nice. This was the very first piece of AN-10 hose or fittings we used on Project COBRA’33, the rest of the oil system is plumbed in AN-12 fittings and hoses. This is were I finished the day, and though we didn’t do anything huge, we got a lot done and more importantly, we got many items finished. I hate loose ends, and try to eliminate them at every point of the process, but to a great extent, lose ends are as important as finished items, for without most loose ends, you wouldn’t know what was needed or how to finish the project.

01-18-08

Summit Racing

1.   DEI-010405   Heat Protection, Heat Shroud, 1" dia x 36"                               31.39

2.  LOK-70-BHBF   Emergency handle boot, Aluminum trim ring                      45.95

3.  LOK-BAG-6105   Throttle Pedal, Aluminum Polished                                   105.88

4.  LOK-DP-1000HT36  Throttle Cable, 36" Hi-Tec                                                72.69

5.  SUM-220585  Fitting, Hose End, AN-16 150°    2 @ 7.50                                  15.00

6.  SUM-220589   Fitting, Hose End, AN-16 180°   2 @ 9.50                                  19.00

7.  SUM-G1431  Bulkhead Connector, Plastic                                                         9.95

THE-14005   Heat Protection, Thero-Sleeve 36" x 1/2"                                        14.95

THE-14010   Heat Barrier Shield, 36" x 1"                                                              15.95

Shipping                                                                                                                     10.95

                                                                                            TOTAL               341.71

Jegg's Mail Order

248-4135   Thermo-couple Bung, Weld-on              8 @ 2.99                          17.94

555-100130   Fitting, An-10 x 1/2" NPT, 45°                                                            13.49

Shipping                                                                                                                     11.99

                                                                          TOTAL                            63.41

Fittings And Adapter

Assorted Brass Fittings                                                               98.24

Assured Automotive Company

2-CHEVROLET CAMARO TRUCK SS Exhaust Tip Tips 6" WIDE                        43.95

Shipping                                                                                                                    14.90

                                                                                        TOTAL                5 8.85

EBAY

Nitrous Express Nter Cooler, Part # 20000         102.50                          102.50               

Shipping                                                                                                        13.45

                                                                       TOTAL                    115.95

WholeSale Car Install Parts

WIRELESS BLUE LED WIDE glow UNDERBODY street lite kit                         39.99

LED BLUE LITE UNDERBODY STREET KIT WIDE NEON GLOW                       29.99

SHIPPING                                                                                                                 59.98

                                                                                      TOTAL                 129.96

     The above chrome tips are for the exhaust system that will exit from under the back edge of the running boards, these will be the cut-outs exhaust.  I think it will look pretty neat, and I hope it blends in well with the rest of the car.

     One great DVD I got a chance to view, is the newest release from SHM, or Shan Hyland Motorsports.  I can not think of a more influintiaul person in the Modular Motors field, then Shawn Hyland.  The man single handedly took hold of the mod motors and ellivated them to the place they are today.  He was instrumental in the early days, when no-one else wanted to work on the under-powered V-8 engines Ford was replacing the 5.0L Ford OHV engine with.  The earily days were tought, no-one wanted a replacement engine that had less horsepower then the current engines being offered.  Shawn took it as a personal calling, to un-lock the potential that frankly Ford never saw.  It was his efforts that lead others to take the Modular engines seriously, as a viable source of effecient and serious horsepower.  Once the hoursepower potintial was released, then, everyone else wanted to jump on the modular band wagon.  I'll always call Shawn Hyland the father of the modular engines, he was then the man and he is still the man!  For the past 10-12 years he has continued to refine and develope new and better performing pieces for the 4.6L and 5.4L engines.  In fact, he just finished and released the new Race Block both he and World Products have been bussy building for the past several months.  Again, it is Shawn Hyland that seen the need for a bigger, stronger, more durable block, one that would allow others to now take that next set up in performance, one that will certainly ellivate the engine to new and un-charted expectations.  Shawn has already reached the 2000HP mark, and has been able to consistantly power several drag racers to record breaking runs.  This new block may indeed allow others to expand on that power and consistancy, with yet more record breaking runs, I sure hope so!!!~

Above....The best DVD available for the 4.6L/5.4L Ford Modular engine !.!.  This DVD is different from many other How TO DVD's, it isn't boring!  It decribes what is needed or the process that is going on, but it does it without dweling on it.  This keeps the DVD going at a very pleasent pace.  If there is something you didn't get, just re-wind and watch it over.  I found the pace very comfortable and I really liked the way the whole re-build was performed.  The 4 chapter break-down was great, and I really liked the begining of chapter 1 where they explain the many engine specific tools that are needed and why.  This gives a heads-up to the first time re-builder and allows him or her to be much more prepared.  The whole time I was watching, I was engaged, I never was bored, over-whelmed or supprised.  In fact, I was sad to see it end......I think Shanw should come out with a race version of the DVD, that would be really cool.  I would recomend this DVD to all the Own or work on the Ford Modular engines, or even to those that just want to see a good DVD.

01-24-08

     Wow, we are having some seriously cold weather !.  I would imagin those up north are more tollerant of this type weather, but to me it's almost debilitating.  I just can not take the cold.

     I have been un-able to go to the shop, so nothing has happened with the car.  I have gotten most items in that were on order.  The Under-car LED lights have come in, I left them packed-up but they look to be in good condition.  I'll open them at the shop, and do a tenitive placement of them once I'm back down there.  I have a good picture in my mind of where they will go and just how nice they will look.  Every since I installed the new running boards, I have a re-newed since of placement.  What was once a very crowded area, has since grown and lent itself to more ideals.  These LED lights will add some bling and night time style to the project, without taking up any needed room.  I can also see a hidden and well protected installation, which has given me some much needed enthusiasum for the project.

This is the Drivers side, shot from the back looing under the frame.  The Cut-Out valve is directly ahead, where the three bolt flange is.  A top is the two oil lines going to and from the Oil Filter asembly.  My heat shields a also visable, they are right over the exhaust and directly under the the Oil Filter Assembly and the engine oil cooler..  You can just barely see the accusump bracket behind the yellow lift arm.

This is the same position, just the other side.  Again you can see the cut-out, and my heat shield.  This side has to coolers, the rear most cooler is the transmission oil cooler and right in front of it is the inter-cooler water cooler.

Here is a shot of the Canton Accusump located under the drivers side running board.  The first piece coming from the tank is the electrical valve, after that is the pressure sensor that controls the valve action.  Looking across you can see the other sides cut-out.  All the exhaust is stainless.

     I finally got the Nitrous Inter-Cooler Kit from the guy on E-bay.  He didn't except PayPal, and I didn't notice that before I Bid on the piece.  He finally excepted to add a PayPal account to his name and we worked it out.  Personally I don't know why any legitamite dealer would not have a PayPal account, I will not buy from you un-less you have one. Period.  My assortment of Brass Fittings is in as is the Summit Racing order with the Lokar pedal assembly and cable.  These will have to be mounted very soon, as foot room in this car is at a premium.  I am still worried about the steering, I don't see it working in a normal type instalation, I'm thinking we might have to build an off-set steering system that moves the steering over to the extreem left side to clear the engine/heads. 

01-30-08

     The temps for the last two days have been in the 50's, which is a nice change and allows me to do so much needed work on Project COBRA’33. We started with the roll bar.....I just didn’t like the rear halo bar and the way it would force us to install the legs. So we ground the tack welds off and removed it from the car. In it’s place we bent up a new one piece hoop that looked much better and even fit the car much better. The new rear roll bar was bent in a "U" shape, with the dimensions of 41.-½" high x 37" wide, center to center. And we had to kick the bottom section of the legs 30°, which was roughly 10" to center. The kick was to allow for clearance from the rear seat back, the roll bar mounts are just ahead of the rear seat back. With the new hoop installed, I was much happier, it looked better and was considerably stronger, plus the legs followed the hoop design, not welded in and added on like the halo bar would have been. To make everything work, and to also be able to weld the bars 100%, we had to tack weld in the rear roll bar, then install the new connectors that went from rear roll bar to middle roll bar. This held the rear roll bar in place and gave us a platform to work off so we could determine what had to be added to get the storage space we needed for the Battery, Sub Woofer Box and Water/Methanol Tank. First to be mounted was the battery, I placed it on the far rear passenger side, this would net the most rewards in way of balance and traction. Next we cut and installed a section 1-3/4" x 0.120 wall tubing that connected the two legs at the bottom, some 8-9" from the floor. This was not only a great stiffener, but it would also serve as a support for the next step. To hold the three items, Battery, Speaker and Water Tank, I bent up a piece of 1" x .120 wall round tubing to the size of a 37" x 8" hoop. This was attached to the rear of the roll bar legs, and would serve as our shelf for the heavy stuff. The shelf was installed some 8-9" above the floor, this was done to allow the small door/shelf we installed earlier for the Terminal Strips, EEC and Tolorvek panel to open. With the "U" shaped 1" bar installed, we cut some small sections of 1" tubing and used them to cross from the 1-3/4" x 0.120 wall bar we installed to tie the two legs together, to the 1" x 0.120 wall tubing we bent and installed for the shelf. These cross-members would stiffen and also serve as attachment points for the battery hold down. The battery mount or hold-down is a beautiful billet aluminum piece we got from Summit Racing, it’s made just for the Optima battery we bought (Yellow Top, Group 34). I just used some small tabs, and welded them to the sides of the 1" tubing for the mounting points, the battery mount will be held in place by 5/16" counter-sunk screws. Once the battery was located and the mount in position, we could then remove the rear most structure from the car and take the assembly over to the welding table and finish it. What we removed was the complete rear roll bar hoop, the battery mounts and the two pieces that connect the rear roll bar to the middle roll bar. We simply broke the tack welds at the middle roll bar and un-bolted the rear roll bar, and removed the whole thing. It came out just fine, we just had to be patient and do some maneuvering.

    With the rear roll bar assembly now out of the car and clamped to the welding table, we could proceed with the other two mounts needed for the speaker box and water tank. The speaker enclosure was located next, and we simply used two pieces of 2" wide x 3/16" thick flat bar stock to locate and hold the speaker enclosure in place. The water tank was done in a very similar fashion but with some wider metal. We lucked out and was able to fit all three pieces on our shelf, and in the case of the water tank, it fit with only a ½" of clearance left over on the rear. To tell the truth, I had expected to mount much more on the roll bar, but it just didn’t work out. By the time we got the shelf welded in, there was just no more room, if we would have added anything else across the rear roll bar, it would be to high, and in the line of sight of the rear window. Good thing we did find some room under the rear shelf and to the extreme back of the car. There I can mount several items that don’t have to be tweaked or adjusted. For the many other items that do need adjustment, or at least easy access, I will mount those items under the rear seat. Those include the Two Amps, both Kenne Bell Pieces, Fuse Block, Spal Fan Controllers, Remote System, CD changer and maybe a few other items as well. There is plenty of room on the sides of the roll bar and even sides of the body for more items if I run into a pinch. And I so far, have un-obstructed access to the legs of the rear roll bar for the Nitrous Bottles.

This is a shot of the rear roll bar, looking in thru the passenger side door.  While it is far from a great shot, it does atleast show the basic structure of the rear roll bar section.  The aluminum part with the terminal strips on it, is the piece that folds flat against the floor, allowing the terminal strips on one side and the EEC and Telorvek panel on the top, the door is open here.  The bar that runs across just over the terminal strips is the one side of the shelf we installed for the battery, speaker box and water tank.  The battery will go on the far left side of the shelf.

This is the same structure just the opposit side.  Here you can see the wooden roof bows installed above the roll bar,  You can also see the shelf better in this picture.

     Once all the mounts were laid-out and installed, we set to welding out the rear roll bar. I placed several additional tacks on the mounting plates and top cross bars so they wouldn’t wonder while we are welding them up, then started welding. My eye’s are really getting bad, and welding isn’t helping them. I have been using my reading glasses under my hood, but I need to get a cheater lense. We moved the roll bar around so I could get the best position and I welded it out. According to NHRA rules, you are not allowed to grind on any of your welds, so while they will hold-up just fine, they are not much to look at, or at least not as nice as I could make them. Removing the rear roll bar structure was the only way we could get to the top and back of all the welds, it was also the best thing I could have done for my knees. That kneeling in the back of the car is murder on your knees and back. We will have to do the same thing for the front roll bar section, as we did for the rear.

     Now with everything welded out, we carried the, now heavy rear roll bar assembly over to the car and inserted it in the reverse of how it came out, and it went right back in. The best part was it matched up to the middle roll bar just like we wanted. We bolted it back in place and used two nylon ratchet straps to draw the bars together and aline the connectors side to side, then tacked them in place. Over-all, I think we made the right decision to bend up a new rear hoop and ditch the halo bar ideal. I would love to do the same with the front halo bar, but because of the added difficulty, there is no way you could bend both sides to match with so many off-sets and kicks. The front roll bar legs have to angle down with the windshield, then straighten out over the dash and then sharply kick in and then out to get the leg room and match-up to the floor plate. To do that with a one piece bar would require a automated bender. I did mess around a bend up a leg for the passenger side, it is close to what is needed, and required 5 different bends. Imagine trying to bend a hoop and then bend each side with five different bends, while making sure each side is identical and true to the other !.!.. I left that leg for Dad to fool around with, if he gets bored. The front legs will be very difficult, there is so much to bend around. We are lucky in one sense, that is the suicide doors open from the rear and you enter a car like that more backwards, so the down leg won’t be in the way as much as it would be on a normal, or modern rear opening car door.

     I guess we didn’t really get a lot done, the roll bars take a lot of time. There’s so much to do, you have to cut the material, fish mouth the edges and mock-up and fit it out. It all takes a lot of time, plus there is a multitude of things to remember and work around. I suppose if the rear took two days to finish then the front will take at least as long?? We did also get the two bars that connect the front, center halo bar to the middle roll bar, cut and fish-mouthed. These two bars will be located in the center, probably separated by 8-10" and serve as not only additional protection, but for the rear view mirror mount, the consol. mount which will have switches and the mounting for the roof mounted LCD monitor. I think I will extend these tubes, not only from the front halo bar to the middle roll abr, but also from the middle roll bar to the rear roll bar, or at least to a part of it. Maybe we’ll just stop somewhere in between the two?? Since the car only has a cloth roof, I like the ideal of some added strength and material over top of my head. Once the basic structure is in place, we can then come back and weld in all the cross-braces and what-not. Remember we still have the door bars, seat back bar and several other members to install. This Roll bar or Cage, will not only serve to protect the occupants but it will also strengthen the entire car. I would estimate the finished structure will strengthen the over-all car my some 100-200%, that pretty substantial !!!

Parts...

     The under car LED lights came in, I ordered two sets to really light-up the night and I think they will work and look great. I examined the two lengths and they are sized such that they work in most all locations we would want them in, I think they will look great and the install wont be to bad. Remember, these lights are suppose to be tucked-up in-side the chassis, and not hanging down where you se them, like so many are. The ideal is to have a glow of light that looks like your floating on a cloud of that light, not just lights shining under the car. I was really impressed with the quality of the connectors and cords they use to connect all the lights to the controller. The installation should be quick, but more importantly, we should be able to hook everything up with minimal detection.

     The Stainless Steel exhaust tips also came in, and they are just what I wanted. I sort of held them up under the running board in the rear, and mad they look awesome, I can’t wait to install them. Speaking of which, that won’t be an easy task. The cutouts are not that far away, and they come off the exhaust system at an odd angle, which makes straightening them out and then turning a 90° into the exhaust tips a job and a half. As soon as the exhaust flanges I ordered from Jegg’s get in off of backorder, I can start of them.

     The throttle pedal and cable along with some other hose ends and fittings also came in, we order them through Summit Racing and the order was recorded above. I also had to get some additional Stainless Steel hardware from my favorite hardware store, Florence Hardware. It was many small stuff from #6 to #10 screws, nuts and washers. I got all these item stored and put away also while I was down at the shop. I can not tell you how important it is to have all the things you need when you need them. While yes we wont be installing any electronics for a while or any stereo or remote control parts and pieces, you still have to have them on-site for reference and set-up. You also have to have them protected from damage while in storage and located in such a manor that you can easily find them when needed. I guess this all comes down to storage space and organization. I tell you this because it is so important, it’s hard enough to pay for the items once, the last thing anyone wants is to damage or break your parts while they are waiting to be installed. Storage is huge on long term projects, we have literally hundreds of parts and they all need to be stored some place safe. Organization becomes a huge task with all these different parts and pieces, it does you no good to have a part you don’t have access to. I should I guess add up all the money we have spent on storage and organization. While we have certainly bought nice things, none of them were anything over the top or outlandish, just plain old basics. I use two chrome, ventilated shelving units inside the office, these are on casters and easy to move and clean under, they serve as storage units for the heavier items and all the painting supplies. These were easy and cheap to purchase at the locale Sam’s store. The walls in the shop are all done in Peg Board. This serves as a wall covering , but more importantly it serves as a great and in-expensive way to gain loads of useable storage space and organization. I hang most of our parts on the many hooks located all over the office. You can get peg board hooks in many different shapes and sizes, so I can use long ones that will allow me to store small boxes or many other items. I take any loose items and secure them in super strong zip-lock bags and then hang them on the walls. This really helps keep all the small items together and it also keeps them safe and ready fro use when needed. I use one section to store all the many tabs, gussets, suspension mounts, and other weld-on type pieces. It takes-up very little room, and you can see in a quick glance what you have and where it is. Just these few items retail for well over a thousand dollars, and that's my point, these are expensive items and they deserve the proper storage. I have many times forgotten about certain parts, and it can be a real issue. I have ordered parts that we have already purchased, which does nothing but cost you money, money that would have been better spent of other, needed parts. While I suppose no one could remember everything, especially on a long term project, being well organized does help cut down on double ordering and certainly speeds up and helps with part location. Think about it....and make sure you apply the proper funding towards keeping your parts protected and organized.

New Parts.....

     I told you about the new book I got on Nitrous Oxide and the DVD from SHM, which covered the build-up of the 4.6L modular engine. Well I like the DVD a lot, and it was one of the best productions I have seen that covered engines. Shawn Hyland, the films author, goes through all the many specialty tools you need to service the Ford modular engines, so this got me to looking around on E-bay and the web looking for those service tools. Any specialty type tool is expensive, no matter what the make or model and they’re only available through a rather small group of suppliers. Snap-on, Mac Tools, OTC, Lisle and maybe a few other, with some brands issuing tools for some manufacturers and not others, like one might sell service tools from Fords while not Dodge. Any how, I was looking for valve train tools for the modular engine, along with specific tools like Rod Bolt Stretch Gauges, Torque Angle Gages, Degree wheels and so on. One thing that stands out is      1. There are huge price difference between the many tool suppliers.       2. You have the option of going used or new on most engine service tools.      3. Be careful of what you buy.

     One.....Look around, you are mostly comparing a specific brand and part number, so quality is a given, your now just looking for the best price, and the prices very greatly. Here, we are only comparing NEW tool prices to other suppliers NEW tool prices. In my situation, I was mostly looking at OTC, so OTC part number XXX was the same quality as any other supplier of the same part number, just the price was different. In one area, I found a OTC engine service kit for the valve train, new, and in a sealed box, over one hundred dollars cheaper at one supplier verses another supplier. That's a lot of money for the same darn tool kit!!! Also,, make sure you check the shipping cost, while most reputable suppliers have modest shipping charges, some have much higher charges then others, and this simply adds to there profit margins and inflates your overall tool purchase. If your lucky like myself, you’ll find not only a great name brand tool kit at a great price, but you’ll also get low cost shipping or in my case, FREE shipping.

     Two.....You can buy a lot of engine service tools used, and yes you can save as much as 80% by doing so. The big catch is these tools were used, mostly in dealerships around the country, and they contain many worn, missing or broken parts. You have to be real careful here, I found many of the kits to be missing critical pieces. The best way to know if your kit is complete, is to look up that particular part number from that manufacturer, and compare what you get with what is suppose to be in the kit. Many times you will notice a piece missing or broken, all of which the E-bay seller did not disclose. You will always be buying, AS IS, with no return police on those used tools from E-bay, so be careful and be informed about what you buy. It takes very little effort to look up the original manufacturer and compare the two kits or parts back to back. Basically it’s your money and you should be very cautious about what it is and how you are giving it away to. Many used tools will work, but I would stay away from any used tool that is used to measure critical distance, wear, or tolerance. There is usually a reason the dealership replace there tools, and it’s usually because they wore or broke. So be careful.

      Three.......We touched on this theme in the above text, but it is worth going over again. You have to work awfully hard to get the EXTRA funds to buy your tools and parts, so be very careful of who you decide to give your hard working money too. Really there is no use buying a tool the is out of spec, so my recommendation is to only purchase those types of measuring tools new, or from a known source. Also, many of the kits that have pieces missing, are missing the most important or at least the most expensive to replace pieces. So, look over the kits very well. In my case, I was able to find some supper deals that allowed me to get brand new, quality engine service tools, cheaper then most advertised used prices. They all came with warranty, and up to date certification.

05-21-08

     Wow...can you believe it's been so long since I checked in!!!  Sorry for the long break.....

     On the car we really haven't gotten that much finished.  I did mount 4 tires on the frame and move the whole thing from the 2-post lift to the 4-post lift.  We needed the 2-poster, and on this lift, I can finish the exhaust system.  Basicly, the frame is like it was were we left off, just in a different place.  It was kind of interesting moving it around the shop, you really get to see just how low it is.  Getting it up on the lift was tense.

     The front of the roll bar was way more involved then I thought.  The legs I made way back, were scraped and I bent up some new ones with more angle and spot-on from side to side.  The bender can repeat bends very well, if time and care is exercised.  I bent the new bars to better sever the dash.  I moved the bends lower down and that allowed the bars passing the dash area to be strighter and more in line with the fron window and A-post.  The resualt is a much better look and fit, which should always be the first and foremost attribute.  This tubing is expensive, roughly $7.50/foot, so when we re-bent the rear and garbaged the rear-hoop ideal it cost me over $100.00, same goes for the front down bars they were nearly as expensive.  You can't put price before fit, but you can think about it more before you bend anything.  The new front legs look really nice, and they provide the passenger with the most room and the look fits the overall theme of the car better then the first go around.

     Last week...I got to visit the shop for a day, we got the front down bars possitioned and tack welded in, we also got the cross-brace the runs just under the dash fit and tack welded.  Then I made a small bracket and mounted the Vintage Airr II AC box.  It is supported by the firewall on one side and by the cross-brace on the front.  Now we are working on extending the dash out.  I wanted to make the dash about 2" deeper, this would allow easy installation of the defrost ducts, and give some needed room at the same time.  We are just egtting going on this, so it might take some time.  While it sounds easy, there is much more to it then you may think, the center section is the easiest, you have to consider the front windshield adjuster, and the fore mentioned defrost ducts.  The ends are another story, they are tapered, and rounded in, which makes for more work.  But since they are in plain view, they have to look right, and fit right.  This will take some time, but I think we are capable?.?..  I also layed-out and drilled the front cowl area for the 4-port aluminum plate that allows the 2-Ac lines and 2-heater lines to pass through the firewall with safety and easy.  I chose a spot where I thought they would work the best, time will tell if I was right or wrong.  This is where we are on Project'33.  I'll up-date you as things progress...thanks for hanging in there with us on this.