Harwood says it's coated.

http://www.eharwood.com/catalog/product.php?productID=130

Now, they say "stock cut" or "flush cut". Stock cut is for using the stock trim. Am I going to reuse the stock rubber gasket? (I'm really asking). Flush cut is oversized. I'm betting it will be easier to screw down the stock size glass, and glue the rubber gasket back in place, but I could be wrong.

Anyone have any input?

Also, am I farther ahead to just get a painless wiring harness for the engine, a moroso fused switch panel to bolt to the roll cage and then gut everything but the brake lights?

The Five Star Lexan I've been using is always oversized - adds cut to size and finish steps to the install. If you can get stock size definitely go for that.

No need for trim - remove all the trim and bolt the Lexan down with some thin weatherstrip. I use weld nuts in the front, bolt/nuts in the rear. #6 with flange cup washers:


(IMG:http://www.blainefabrication.com/projects/fowler/IMG_2543.JPG)

(IMG:http://www.blainefabrication.com/projects/fowler/IMG_2549.JPG)

If you have 30-40hrs to invest, it is possible to get the stock harness near the weight of a Painless, but it will still be >15yrs old. Eric's car uses a FAST harness, with pieces of the OEM harness grafted in for brake light, ABS, and mirror circuits. Blue Sea 12 position fusebox at the far end of the electrical panel:

(IMG:http://www.blainefabrication.com/projects/fowler/IMG_2544.JPG)

Maybe not painless, but yeah, you might be depending how much your time is worth. Like Alan said I've probably already spend 40+ hours on mine and still looks like crap (extra lengths that need to be bundled in a loop etc), and I'll have probably another 20 in it to get it looking good with a new fuse panel etc. Now if I were to do it again it would take me 1/5th the time because most of the work is learning and tracing the circuits and I would have started with a new panel from the start. I fiddled with the factory panel too long. It is a rat’s nest DISASTER. Ditch that thing right away.

If it were me I wouldn't do Painless because the panel comes pre-wired and then you have to make the connection to all the individual plugs etc which is a bigger PIA than it may seem. I bought a Centech panel http://www.centechwire.com/catalog/panels/pdp1b.shtml that I will feed the factory harness into. I prefer that over a pre-wired panel since you can get all your wires tightly routed to the panel, bundled, and secured then the last thing to do is cut them to length and feed them into the panel. IMO, that will end up a better quality appearance.

If you want a full harness and panel that is the opposite of the Painless (connectors connected, but not panel) check out these places:
http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BB%2D99
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/wiring_kits.html
http://www.kwikwire.com/wh_14CircuitStreetrodwiring.html

Or you can save some money and go half way like I am doing.

Another word of caution about the Painless TPI engine harness is I've heard that they don't use a VSS circuit which may give you some issues.



Alan, that car looks fan-freaking-tastic. Nice job as always. Do you make your own lexan supports? Are you a 5 star dealer?

http://www.painlessperformance.com/webcata...archField=60103

It says they have a VSS input?

Thanks, Stan. Yes on both questions.

On the instrument panel - note those vertical supports on each side that attach to the IP about 1/2way up - those are pivot points. There is a lock arm on the bottom next to the starter button - loosen one screw to release the lock arm, and the whole IP flips 180deg to put the backside facing the driver. Quicker and easier than pulling the windshield to fiddle with instruments.

Ok, good. The "TPI and TBI Engine Swaping Manual" that my dad got years ago said that Painless did not have a VSS. Its good that they added it.

More progress (slow, but I'll take anything right now).

I made rear floor plates. They aren't spectacularly pretty, but I think they'll do once they are fully welded in place.

The dash is almost completely loose. I have to get a few last connections and it's going to be out on the floor.


And if anyone has a good idea about cutting these SFC's out...let me know. I'm sure I'll come up with something, but it's not looking like too much fun.

The best thing I can think of is a die grinder & thin cut off wheels. Try to cut mostly on the SFC as much as possible. Find Stan's post when he cut his off for a look see. Have fun or get Stan to do it. He's practiced lately (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif)
Terry

This post has been edited by TSHACK: Apr 6 2009, 05:10 AM

That job sucks (unless you have a lift, it might suck a little less). I like you TB but you'd have to pay me a lot lot lot of beer, chicken wings, and pizza to do that job for you.

Like TSHACK said, thin cut off wheels and cut the SFC rather than the chassis. I had to use a Dremel in a few places that the big boy couldn't reach.

Get a face shield. Plan on laying on your back getting showered with metal shavings. I covered my tires with a towel to protect them from the metal that was flying directly at them and I ended up starting the towel on fire once or 2x. Plywood would be better. I also tapped up the openings to the shocks to keep metal out of them and covered the rest of the "sensitive stuff" as best as I could. Removed the rod end LCA's.

I had some sheet metal repair work to do in the LF corner since I "welded the SFC's in a little too good".

I noticed the underside of your car is free of undercoat and looks rust free. NICE!

I feel bad sometimes when I remember that I'm building a race car out of a truly beautiful, rust free, never wrecked (that I can tell) '92 Z28 hardtop that was a factory 5.7 car. It is almost too nice to be a race car, but it needed too much $$$ in "stuff" to be a street car. So, it's going to the track.

I'm thinking a 7" cut off wheel in an angle grinder should get through most of that.

And, I can get wings and beer and pizza. There is a great wing place between my house and Jegs (2 miles?). You know you want to come visit...

Two words - Plasma. Cutter. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

I'll ask about that used one for sale if ya want. You'll need air though (not that you're not just waiting for a reason).

I doubt they have enough beer wings and pizza.

I used a 4.5" wheel myself. I don't think my grinder has enough grunt for a 7", and you might find that the 7" will get in the way sometimes

They have LOTS of wings...

I was going to buy a 7" angle grinder. A 4.5" will not reach the back side of the tubes on my SFC's. I did pick up some 14" long sawzall blades to try first. I've got 3 sawzalls and that saves me buying a grinder.

And yes, check on that plasma cutter.

Not to worry, I'm making a street car out of my 1991 Formula. Hopefully Alan will have some pics of that soon!

I LOVE Formula's. Ahh, I miss my '89.

I have many 4/4.5" angle grinders (Makita FTW!) and a Milwaukee 7" - the 7" rarely gets used 'cause it doesn't fit anywhere. The thin cutoff wheels from McMaster are working the best for me.

Are you saying that the SFC's are welded both to the sill pinch weld and to the pan? Don't worry too much about getting into the pinch weld flange - try to stay below the spot welds. Once they are off you can clean up the whole pinch weld and seam weld it. If the SFC's are welded to the pan, too, that will be a bitch - weld material is deadly on sawzall blades, but that is probably the only way you're going to get in there. Might try a tungsten carbide blade.

Ditto what everybody else wrote about protecting yourself and the rest of the car/shop from hot grinding slag. You WILL start a fire doing this job - keep a jug of water or a water soaked towel handy.

Plasma cutter isn't the best for this kind of work - cutting thru thick/irregularly shaped stuff can cause the flame to get redirected places you don't want it to go, even back at the operator.

This post has been edited by Blainefab: Apr 6 2009, 07:42 PM

I also miss my '89 Formula a white with black interior 350 "Wednesday" car. This '91 is going to make me feel better about selling that car! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Plates look good.

Dash is easier to deal with after column removal, and column removal easier before dash is dropped.

Alan,

I was thinking of a 7" to cut through the SFC (cut it off of the plate) by the rear LCA mount. A 4.5" angle won't get clear through that pipe. I can buzz the welds off of the pinch weld, no problem. It's cutting the front and rear loose that's likely going to be no fun.



Thanks! I had some concerns as I was working that out. I almost tossed the first one and started over. But I think they'll hold. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



Now you tell me. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif) (I didn't really ask, I just did things my way, as I tend to do).

Well, the center roof support has been removed, the main hoop is fitted, 4 of the floor plates fitted and the SFC's have been cut off of the car. A local chassis shop welded them in, and they were really in there. I used a 4 1/2" angle grinder with cut off wheels and a sawzall with a 14" demolition blade to reach the things that needed reached and cut the stuff that needed cut. I need to clean up the cuts and grind out some leftovers, but overall, it went well. I only have a few spots where the cutoff wheel cut into the chassis and I can fix those with a quick blast of the mig welder. I completed the job without starting any fires. I had some smoke rolling out of a few places for a while, but no fire. I did managed to get enough grinding slag on my welding gloves that I felt my hand starting to burn inside the glove. So, wearing a cheap pair of harbor freight welding gloves while grinding (and a face sheild) was probably one of my better ideas (I wasn't tearing up my good welding gloves for that job). The garage floor is one serious mess of grinding slag and cutoff wheel dust.

I dropped the exhaust to get the one SFC out. While I was under the car, I noticed that I seem to have power steering fluid "everywhere". I think I overfilled it the last time, but I'm going to have to clean things up and find the source of this leak, if there is one. This may be a good reason to just go through the car in the near future.

I'll try to get some photos once I get back out to the garage. It's been a long day and I'm going to get some sleep. But any progress is good progress.