1970 Grabber Green Project

[stangme428 33]

man the skills!!! nice... very nice!!:punk:

[Grabber70Mach 107]

As usual very impressive work.

[Grabber70Mach 107]

As usual very impressive work.

[latoracing 256]

Not that I didn't spend all day at work with a hood on, I came home and spent an hour or two filling up holes in the rocker assembly. I use to weld galvanized sheet metal at a previous job, and I still remember how much I don't like it. Once again, welding several layers of material together sometimes makes a gas pocket and pooooof!! Your weld puddle is all over the pace, and all over you. I have just a few with some turds hanging out of the welds, but most did as they were told.

 

 

I also fully welded the rear of the inner rocker to the rear torque box, to match the other side. I have seen other people install these inner rockers and use a tab method to hold them to the box. I made it more fun, and got to run a long bead of weld along the side of the rocker.

 

 

Now the front torque box install, more full welds and no galvanized metal, YEA!!! :punk:

[latoracing 256]

Not that I didn't spend all day at work with a hood on, I came home and spent an hour or two filling up holes in the rocker assembly. I use to weld galvanized sheet metal at a previous job, and I still remember how much I don't like it. Once again, welding several layers of material together sometimes makes a gas pocket and pooooof!! Your weld puddle is all over the pace, and all over you. I have just a few with some turds hanging out of the welds, but most did as they were told.

 

 

I also fully welded the rear of the inner rocker to the rear torque box, to match the other side. I have seen other people install these inner rockers and use a tab method to hold them to the box. I made it more fun, and got to run a long bead of weld along the side of the rocker.

 

 

Now the front torque box install, more full welds and no galvanized metal, YEA!!! :punk:

[RPM 1,190]

Nice fab work. I feel your pain on the galvanized welds as I recently installed convertible inner rockers on my Mach.

 

Bob

[RPM 1,190]

Nice fab work. I feel your pain on the galvanized welds as I recently installed convertible inner rockers on my Mach.

 

Bob

[Snookman35 10]

Absolutely Amazing, keep up the good work. And I have learned a lot for the coupe to fastback conversion that I'm starting thanks.

[Snookman35 10]

Absolutely Amazing, keep up the good work. And I have learned a lot for the coupe to fastback conversion that I'm starting thanks.

[latoracing 256]

I have been neglecting my project for the past couple of days, school, after work projects, and other obligations have kept me quite busy. Installed my outer portion of my torque box the other evening, and didn't take the time to post pics. It went in with out a bunch of trouble. It was Swiss cheesed, primed, and fried into place, just like the other side. It was also fully welded along with the rosette welds.

 

 

 

 

 

Came home after work, got my honey do list done, and got back on the lid. I did some trimming, cause I don't like how the tabs work close to the inner rocker, then put a bunch of holes in it. I also made my tie strip since the only thing connecting the box to the frame rail at the top is the fire wall extension. Makes me feel better, if it does nothing else. Coated all the parts with more epoxy, and let it set up for a few minutes. Welded my strap to the frame rail flange first, then installed the lid. I am going to fill in the hole on the left side, I think it looks dumb, and get the tabs all seam welded as well. I will get that finished up, then it is on to the fire wall extension replacement. I also have to fix a nice crunchy area just outboard of the apron on the fire wall, stupid mice...

 

[latoracing 256]

Happy 4th to all!! I got to do a little today, most of it quite tedious and time consuming. I was fitting my fire wall extension mainly, along with repairing the PO hatchet job around this torque box area. You want to talk about something not lining up, this takes the cake. Wow, I could have started with a flat piece of 18ga and been farther along than I am. Areas around the steering column, and the hole where the speedo cable goes through the fire wall, not even in the same zip code. It is getting there, just aggravating to have to remold this TiChenaNom crap, but it will work, and once again, no one will know it was a pain once carpet is over it. I did go ahead and install my tubing in my frame rail, along with the little patch in the torque box lid, on the left side. It is all ready for more epoxy, once the extension is beaten into shape. Just like back in the day of working on F-4 Phantoms, "Beat to fit, Paint to match"

 

:punk:

 

[latoracing 256]

It was a nice rainy (off and on) type of day today. Between 10,000 odd jobs, I worked a little on my fire wall extension, and got it installed. I went ahead and primed the torque box areas the last time I was out messing around, and drilled / punched my extension.

 

 

 

Stuck the sheet metal on with some screws. and tacked it in place, then welded it up. I had only one area where it needed to be butt welded,(upper left) the rest I flanged (towards the tunnel) along with the several plug welds on top of the torque box.

 

 

A little grinding, and more epoxy will cap this off, but I might wait till I get my floor in before doing that.

 

I started tying up all the loose ends that need to be fixed before I get the floor in the works. I needed to patch a couple of holes, and fix a few cracks in shock mount area. Those were pretty quick, and uneventful projects. I am also going to install the "dog house" for the 3-link interference in the general area. I am not going to use the one supplied with the suspension, don't like the way it looks (no offence to Shaun), going to attempt a larger version of the way the original metal looks, only 1" higher. It will be much bigger, but I will have fun. Making templates for it now, show some pics of it as it progresses. Getting closer to the floor install, can't wait to play with that. No more Flintstone floor!!!

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

great work. are you going to run the factory emergency brake setup or an aftermarket type?

[1969vert 55]

You do know you will have to buy convertible carpet for the car to clear the inner rockers....and the floor side flanges goes down not up like coupes and fastbacks...the only full floors that i found are for coupes and fastbacks... so you will have to modify the floor you have pictured a few pages back...good luck...and keep up the good work...I have about 1 to 2 years before I repair my grabber green fastback...

[latoracing 256]

I have intensions of running a tunnel mount parking brake, I cut the mount off on the floor extension when I installed it. I will be installing a full cage in the car and the front down tube would render the stock parking brake inoperable.

 

As for the carpet, I realized when I started the convertible addition to the car that I would be running everything convertible for that area. I am also installing a one piece seat riser (heavily modified of course) which the 69 / 70 models didn't have. I will have a bunch of fun putting this together.

 

The one piece floor was doomed to be modified when it arrived at the house. I don't know if I will turn the flanges down, or just cut them off and weld them to the bottom of the rockers. Hope to be messing with that in a few weekends. But the area in the rear where the floor meats the inner wheel house will be moved over to clear the tubs, which I have all ready made a template for. Bunches of details, and things to think through...

[latoracing 256]

Been working on my version of the "dog house" for the 3-link to have clearance and not crash the bottom of the car. I have it ready to transfer to metal as of this afternoon. I don't know if I like it any better or not, it looks like a small space ship is sitting on my sail panel right over where the rear end is. I am going to make it, but I don't know if I'll install it, the things you do when you modify....

 

I broke out the saw bucks and moved the floor from it's position against the wall, and got to work. I marked the areas I wanted to modify for the mini tub area. I made some card board templates the other day, with a couple of checks of where I wanted them to go, I marked the areas to trim and re-flange.

 

 

With it all marked up, I sketched out the flange I wanted to leave, flattened the existing flange flat almost half way, and cut off what was not needed. A little trimming, and it was time to start the new flange. I have drilled my inner wheel houses, hope they line up with my new flanges on the floor, if not, then these formed flanges will be removed and flat steel will be welded in place... you get the idea. I used my shot bag to dampen the hammer noise while I was beating on the floor, it was quite loud with out it. I started with my universal sheet metal tool (adjustable wrench), best sheet metal tool ever made, and got a good crease on my sharpie mark. Using several different shaped hammers, I worked the flange from the center out, to stretch the metal, and not get any wrinkles.

 

 

I wanted to keep the shape of the floor contour as close to the way it came as possible. The duck bill vice grips are to keep that area from rolling down. A bunch of hammering (these plastic hammers from Eastwood are light) so moving the metal is sorta slow, but the results are worth it

 

 

I will trim the flange, if I can, once I get this floor in the car for fitting. I started turning the rocker flanges down, I might cut them off and just weld it to the bottom of the rockers, which I am going to do any way. The convertible rockers are 2.375" wide, and some areas towards the rear are going to have to be massaged just a little to look right. Still no big deal. I am curious on how to get it in the car fitting over the rear torque boxes, under the rockers, and over the trans brace, guess it will have to sort of fold a little until it gets under the rockers. Don't know, but I'm fixing to find out. (first one piece floor pan install)

 

:punk:

[latoracing 256]

Just a little bit on the hot side lately, but got to do a little more to my pan. I re-flanged the inner wheel house area, after some trimming, just like the other side, turned out nice.

 

I have been looking at my Ford weld and sealant manual some and noticed that the floors on a 70 vert were welded to the lower part of the inner frame rail, and did not have a flange to the pinch weld area. I might be crazy, or looking at another part, but it doesn't matter now. I marked the outer flange area, minus 1/4", and chopped it off, on both sides. I was going to weld it to the bottom of the rockers, regardless if there was a flange, but this way is a little less work, and will not diminish the strength of the pan / car. It will also get stitch welded as well.

 

I wanted to see how the seat risers looked while I had it sitting there, at a decent work height. It is not a good way to mock up these parts, as the pan is sitting differently than in the car, but it gives me an idea of where, and how they sorta align. I have the regular '70 seat risers that came with the floor (which was nice, since I didn't know it came with them) that I am going to use, with a little bit of a twist. The outside of these risers will have to be trimmed, as well as bent to fit with the inner rockers. They got marked at 2 3/8" from inside of the flange. My inner rocker's have the backing plate on them, which I didn't remove, so the extra .070" ish per side has to be accounted for as well.

 

 

My twist is using a '65-'68 Convertible one piece seat riser, and cutting it up to use the center portion, in conjunction with the '70 risers. Now, I know that some of you are wondering, just why would I cut up a perfectly good $150.00 part?

 

 

The seat risers on these things are almost 1" taller than the '70's, which would be bad, cause I am 6', and I don't want to drive with my head in the head liner. So the Idea is to loose the taller parts, and install the modified '70 parts, just because I can. Gona have to do a bunch of measuring on this to get it right. If I screw up, there is a bunch of wasted parts and money, so I guess I'll have to not screw up. Does the car need this center part, probably not. Will I have to run '68 vert carpet? Probably should. Guess I need to get the pan in the car before any of this will be able to get under way, That's next...

 

:punk:

[Mike65 475]

Nice work.

 

 

Couldn't you just use the one piece that CJ Pony Parts sells for 69/70 Coupe/Fastback part #-3647YJ @ $209.99.

[latoracing 256]

I could have, and probably should have. I bought all this stuff last year when it was on sale, and there was a conflict with the one piece risers. I don't quite remember the issue, but it will be OK. Thanx for the link Mike...

[RPM 1,190]

Nice work, as always! I grafted the hump piece also from a one piece conv riser. Since ALL of the one piece risers are 1" higher ( at least all those that NPD sells, I went into their Ventura, Ca store and checked them) I had to cut reliefs at the outer edges of the trimmed hump in order to bend them down and weld to the stock seat risers. I cut the conv seat riser just inside the inner seat bolt holes. If I could download pics I would.

 

Bob

Edited July 24, 2013 by RPM

[latoracing 256]

Bob, yea that was the issue. My brain is cooked from a massive overload of a new project at work. I got the conv. riser so I could see how it attached to the rockers. I need to get my tunnel mounted parking brake so I can get it in as well (things to remember...)

[RPM 1,190]

With the trans tunnel being double wall when using the conv riser hump, adding the parking brake there should be quite the project. Do you have any preliminary plans or ideas?

Fyi, the only differences in all of the one piece seat risers that I could see and measure, was width. The coupe and fb versions are wider because they don't have the inner rockers.

 

Bob

[latoracing 256]

I've messed with Fox body Mustangs for the last several years, and like the way a '92 ish, self adjusting mech. works. I might attempt to use one of those, with a portion of the Fox's tunnel at the mounting point. This is another first for me, as I have to adapt a puck type mechanical caliper to my Floater housing (no mechanical system for the brake set up I have). I have seen the '05 handle in several cars, that might be the second option. Before I trash the one piece riser, I am going to look at how, and where to mount the handle, along with the possibility of using the Fox cables as well. Just a theory, could go aftermarket, but the Ford stuff is cheep, and I can get my hands on parts in about 10 min. for little of nothing. Gotta get this pan in the car first. Lots of details to play with, also need to get some seats to go in this as well...

[latoracing 256]

That wasn't to hard...

 

 

 

 

Had to go and try it, couldn't wait any more. I thought about calling one of my buddies to come over, but I picked it up, and shoved it through the windshield opening. Crawled underneath the car and slid the pan back to where the wheel housings were touching, and crawled out. The rocker's made it interesting, but the pass. side went under first, then a little prying on the driver's, and pop... there we have it. I have to move it around a little, and make it fit a little better, but for 15 min. of sweat, not to shabby. This is MUCH better than welding in long pans, MUCH BETTER!!!

 

:punk:

[latoracing 256]

Took the pan back out of the car last night to fix some issues with the rear fitment. I also marked the areas that needed to be drilled / punched for the rosette welds. The areas are all laid out with hole patterns, along with the tweeking of a tab or two. I am going to scotch brite the bottom before I install the pan for the last time. I might fit it one more time before I apply a nice primer coat on the mating surfaces, just to make shure all is well. I've probably missed something, it is better to doubble check.

 

I went ahead and ordered the last major sheet metal piece I need to get in place ( one piece cowl ) as the one on the car is gone (stupid rats). I need some aprons for the engine bay area, I am thinking about making some, we'll see, if not then I'll have to get those on the way as well. Just about to get done with the Major rust repair, yea!!!