[marks73ta]

I spent the day making the dash cushion overhang. The original would be way too short now that I'm sitting 11 inches farther back. So, with the dash piece stripped I cut off a 10 inch by 60 inch piece of sheet metal and started working. This is the dash without the cushion support installed.

The cushion support clamped to my work table and the cut piece of metal.

This is my sheet metal bender/brake.

This is the piece after I rolled the edge, then mapped out the end curves, cut them out and rolled the new edges to match the contours of the cushion support.

I'll continue with more info and pics. Mark L

[marks73ta]

This is my curve bender, the front rail on the trailer.

Final assembly before tack welding it all together.

A look from the bottom.

Clamped it in/on the dash.

Got a couple of more installed pics I'll add next. Mark L

[marks73ta]

More pics of the dash extension.


Now I can do something about the gauge and speedometer pod. I can build a flat plate that hangs it down from under the extension, and ties into the steering wheel support. Then fair it back into the old dash. I can still incorporate that headlight housing into the dash ahead of the steering wheel support and fair that back into the old dash. I thought about building a center console with the center going all the way up under the extension (to add some added support to it) and putting a radio and more of the lesser needed gauges in there. Then build a raised box in front of the seat for the shifter assembly, lifting it up and on a rearward tilt so it is easy to operate from the drivers seat. Lots of possibilities. Next I have to glue on some dense foam padding and cover in some soft leather like material I picked up. Mark L

[Tom Vaught]

Keep up the great work, Mark!

Tom Vaught

[aronhk_md]

Looking great Mark! Nicely done, and I like the idea of a console.

[Jack Gifford]

Quite the quillotine the way it stands...

[marks73ta]

Quillotine??? I know what you mean. The only way it could be a problem is if a seat belt/shoulder belt is not worn. I plan to have both and anyone riding on my car/cars wears it. The seats are 11 inches back from stock. That overhang is only an effective 7 inches out to the hard surface from stock, which places the edge even farther away than a stock configuration. To that end I actually thought of building the form out of expanded metal for just that reason. Then I thought that the first time someone leaned forward getting or out would probably crush it. I may use the form to build the entire base out of fiberglass, making it collapsible under a direct impact but strong enough to resist a push or a grab. Still thinking about that. Would be lighter too. Mark L

[marks73ta]

I finally picked my front tire and rim combination. Cragar 15X6 w/2 inch backspace, and 205/75 15 tires. I didn't want too short a tire because the car is so big. Tire has 6 inch tread width and a little over 27 inches tall.




The last pic of course is the more modern rear wheel but it does not look too bad with the combination. When I can get it out of the garage and get a good side shot I'll see if I'll keep that combination or still go for a different rear wheel. Mark L

[aronhk_md]

Damn Mark....the car looks really good in those first pics. Are the tires really as close to the fenders as they appear in the last 2 pics, or is that an optical illusion?

[marks73ta]

Trilaptic Occipital Deflectation actually. You want it to look close so your brain says it is. HA!! Doctor talk, right??? Yeah your right, my intent all long was to cut that fender area away because it is way to intrusive to the eye. But I did not know whether to cut it straight back from the bottom of the headlight bezel or drop down to that fender line about half way down, cut it there and fold it under a little. If you or any one has an opinion for that cut please let me know. I value everyones idea of what would look good/right in that area. Just please don't make it a traditonal gasser bashing. Mark L

[aronhk_md]

Hmmm. I dont know Mark. Personally I think I'd want the entire rear back 3-4 inches, and that would solve the rear I think? The front...any way to stretch the sheetmetal on the front end where it meets the doors? A filler panel on the body in front of the doors would work too but leave another seam.

Actually, just had another thought on the front. If you draw a triangle (like a pyramid with one flat side down) on the piece in front of the front tire......so that the triangle leaves the lip around the wheel well AND the front part where someday you were talking about putting a glass bumper. The tip of the triangle would extend up in a narrow slice until it is approximately as high as the top of the wheelwell.

So you are looking at a very narrow standing triangle slice, with only a several inch wide base. Cut this out and now massage the piece right in front of the tire forward and weld it back together without the slice. Only thing is.....you'd probably have to get rid of the body line on that small piece as it would no longer be straight.

[bryansMtngto]

we ended up massaging mine by about 4 inchs. Used a string from center of axle with wax pencil at a certain measurement to allow for tire clearance. then cut and rolled edge to complete.

[marks73ta]

Well, I must admit. I seem to have ruffled a feather here. This is the PM I received from Scott M. He didn't even have the BALLS to post his comment on the thread.

Originally Posted by Scott M
In order to not butcher perfectly pristine 50 year old Catalina fenders (like you did to the rest of the car), have you considered selling them to an enthusiast who actually appreciates a '63 Catalina?

That way, you can buy fiberglass fenders from VFN that you can mutilate to your heart's content without irreversibly ruining a 50 year old Pontiac fender?

Please tell me you're not going to ruin the remaining good sheetmetal on this car by stretching the rear wheelwells.


Hey Scott. Wait until you see what I have in store for the Cat now. I got the idea from this pic.


I so love the concept of the modifications, and I found a set of old internatonal pickup fenders and John Deere radiator/grill shell to use. If you look closely at the picture you can see they made the trunk into a pickup bed. I was looking for a way to get air to the radiator in my trunk and nothing would work better than an open pickup bed dropped into the trunk. Instead of horns glued on the front end I think I'll go and dig up a whole steers skull out in the desert and attach it to mine. If I only use one motor mount, add a saddle to the air cleaner, and pull acouple of plugs, I can sell bull rides for project money.
I asked for an opinion on modifing the fenders, not a diatribe on how valvueable my car WAS. Too bad the system blocked out naughty little words because with only asterisks in place of the verbage, the real OOOMPH of my reply just isn't the same.

Love, Mark L

[bryansMtngto]

the must be down in Texas. Did a nice job on makling that Vette Look Good!!!!! Guess Im a sucker for custom fab work. Looks like they did a nice job ;-) And Mark I heard the same Type of complaints when i did the work on my GTO. guess what Ignore it. Its your car do what you want.

[marks73ta]

When you deal with a clown you laugh at them right? That's their job. To make you laugh. So you make them think you are enjoying their little act and laugh at them. That way they get to join in with others that they normally would not have the intellegence to converse with. Mark L

[twooldgoats]

........He may not be allowed to post here. Oh well............

Looking forward to seeing your progress at PH in a month or so.

Look closely at my sig picture and you'll see my "pristine" '63 Tempest sheet metal wheel wells stretched six inches to accommodate massive slicks---don't remember getting a permission slip from Scott M. or anybody to do it.

Jim

[marks73ta]

Thanks Jim for the back up. I'm only concerned with the front fender clearence. The rear tires fit the giant rear wheelwells fine, I just have to center them better in the wheelwell. In the pic they are resting up against the front lip with no rear axle under the car. So no need to alter the rears. By the way, according to Scott you guys are all stroking my ego and laughing behind my back. So as long as someone is having fun, I'm all for it. Did you hear the one about........

Mark L

[marks73ta]

Just learned how to use the IGNORE function. First time for everything. Mark L

[BruceWilkie]

Mark, a friend of mine took his 67 SS396 4 spd pristine low mile number match car and built a race car. Fiberglass/lexan everywhere... tube chassis, aluminum firewall and floors, not much left on the car that is original.

20+ years now and he still gets flack from the purists. Few know he salvaged and stored everything and none of our friends care anyway... He says when he's too old to race maybe he might want to put it all back together. He wants it all destroyed/bulldozed when he passes away.

He'd be in your corner for sure! I am.

[marks73ta]

My kind a guy. Thanks Bruce. MArk L