My 70 Nova project (Formerly looking at this mustang)

[alloy]

Sure, maybe "My 70 nova project".

I am making progress. Today I made the a-arm insert on the Fadal. Didn't take long.

And I've found one more thing the PO did, he for some odd reason removed the brake master cylinder push rod and lost it. Not a big deal, but why?

You know the PO probably has lots of free time now with the Nova gone, I'm sure he would give you a good rate. Since he's a chiropractor maybe he could work on your vehicle and give you a tune up also.

 

[JimDawson]

You know the PO probably has lots of free time now with the Nova gone, I'm sure he would give you a good rate. Since he's a chiropractor maybe he could work on your vehicle and give you a tune up also.

Let's hope his ''body work'' is better than his mechanicing.

I'll fix the title.

 

[34_40]

Ok, didn't get the stang or the camino. Got something better Had to drag it 300 miles home today. 600 mile round trip is a long one in a single day.
I'm hoping to get this finished by summer.

Famous last words... Of course you know it'll take twice as long and cost you twice as much as you estimate right???
Good luck with it. from the first pics I see some basic headaches to overcome. Should be a good ride at the end tho'..

 

[alloy]

Definitely famous last words.

Yeah, at first glance the car was 85% and I was overly optimistic. And it could be done sooner if I cut corners and there wasn't so much hidden damage and missing parts. I don't have to do the floor boards, or clean and paint the sub frame, do the firewall, the Ford 9", the T56. I don't want to be embarrassed to open the hood. I'm not sure how many builds like this I have left in me, but I've never done one half assed. And I'm enjoying coming up with solutions to the problems I come up against.

I have modified hundreds of T56's and it's about time I ran one in something I own. And I've come up with a conversion part for it I can sell, and I'm working on a low mount setup for the alternator. And a mount for a type II power steering pump. I'm hoping I can sell the brackets for these. Once I have them programmed and set up it's a simple matter to make more.

 

[34_40]

I'm certain there's nothing that you come up against that you won't overcome. I'll be watching to see your solutions and offer my encouragement...

not that you'll need it !

 

[alloy]

I need all the encouragement I can get.

Just a little while ago on Grabcad I found a full cad model of an LS engine. It's very complete.

It's going to be a huge help in making parts for the alternator and PS pump mounts.

If anyone wants a copy of the file I can try and send it to you.

 

[alloy]

As I said before I'm going with a T56 and LS 6.0 in my 70.

I need to cut the floor brace for shifter clearance and I've seen one persons solutions to this, but I'm looking for alternatives.

I'm doing both driver and passenger floor boards right now and this would be the perfect time to reinforce the floor.


The first pic is one persons solution to the problem. I'm not sure if this is the best solution. I'm thinking about going under the floor board along the back of the brace with possibly some square tubing all the way across the floor to the rails to tie everything in, or a piece of 1/2" plate cut out to match the contour of the floor bottom and welded in. and have it be about 24" wide. Ideally I'd like to go the full width of the car with a piece of square tubing. I know I can't bend square tubing with a HF bender, but I could pie cut it to fit the contour. I've not cut the floor yet for the T56, still thinking about which way I want to go. Maybe go with a 1/4" piece on top, and the tubing on bottom. Overkill right?


I've made a crude sketch on an existing pic of what I'm thinking about for my under floor brace. I wouldn't go full width of the floor pan with the plate, maybe 24 inches but would with square tubing. I just don't know where I can get the tubing bent, but I could pie cut the tubing and have it welded up I truly suck at welding, bu I was considering one of those HF flux core wire welders. The new floor pans are really thin. You can't get any that are thick like OE is.

Any thoughts or ideas you may have on this would be appreciated. I've posted here about this because machinists I think would have a better knowledge of material strengths than guys on a car forum would.

I picked up my sub frame yesterday from the sand blaster. It looks great and only cost me $80. They were really nice there. Treated me like I was a very important customer. Maybe it's because I'm old

 

[34_40]

I like the work done in the first pic. clean simple and effective. In the second pic where you traced an area in blue, I think I'd simply use a piece of the same plate that was overlayed onto the floor and "sister" it onto the area you've circled in blue. Weld in on (edges and some center rosettes) again, simple but effective.

 

[alloy]

The reason I'm thinking of over killing it is that same cross member mounts the rear two bolts (total 4 of them) of front the subframe. A lot of twisting and turning going on there, (especially how I plan on driving it) and I'm screwing with what the engineers designed. ( I do that all the time anyway) but not with a unibody and suspension. And I just happen to have a really nice drag strip about 3 miles from me and what the wife doesn'tknow about it won't hurt her right?

These cars were available with a 454 and seemed to have held up well for 50 years. Just haven't seen one with a cut and reinforced cross member over long term.

I was thinking about doing the same as you said, then I realized about the sub frame mounts. Still on the fence for right now.

 

[34_40]

well, because of the tranny you cannot add structure forward of that member,, so you better thicken what's there or replace forward of that location.
Are you adding a rollbar? that would help offset any twisting as well. And I was just thinking that maybe some tube above the floor ahead of the seats could be hidden into the mix? Just thinking out loud... sorta/kinda...