63 corvair

[supersmitty]

Installed my battery kill switch

Well I got my battery kill switch mounted behind where my rear license plate goes to hide it. I have a bracket that I picked up to mount the plate to that allows the plate to flip down. I also removed the front floor me and my buddy had made a few years ago to add some braces and mounts and to redo the floor. I didn't particularly care for how we made it and I think I can make a much neater and cleaner one. Not that anyone will ever really see it when the car is done, but I just can't help myself.

New switch to be installed


Support to be cut and removed


New box fitted


Rough opening for the switch behind the plate mounting surface


Hole welded and cleaned up


Box welded and cleaned up


Switch mounted

 

[supersmitty]

Old floor removed

 

[supersmitty]

Didn't get much done today. Had to work on my sisrer's and the wife's car. Got a couple hours in. I wasn't able to take any pics but I got the beginning of the floor supports made. I will take some pics this week. Thanks for the coments!

 

[earthman]

So much fabrication, but you look to be doing a good job of it.
Look forward to seeing a video of this on the road.

 

[supersmitty]

Thanks earthman. This is the most ambitious and challenging build I have ever done. I restored a 65 ford f100 about 5 years ago but that didn't really require much fab or welding. So this one had become a complete learning experience![S Had a question though, has anyone used one of those brake pedal brackets from speedway that allows you to mount the brake booster and master under the dash 90 degrees from the pedal? I am possibly considering this setup do to the fact that I have very little space in the engine compartment. Plus I have yet to run the steering column and shaft. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[supersmitty]

One down..

Well I got a few hours tonight to work. Looks like a busy rest of the week and weekend. Oh well. Heres what I got done.

Finished up the first piece of my floor supports.




Made up the frame bracket for my passenger front body mount


Did the old hockey puck test fit


Mount bracket welded to the frame


Body bracket made up


Bracket welded to the body and the two bolted together with the hockey puck in between. Not my cleanest welds. The body mostly gave me trouble. I don't think I had enough of the metal cleaned off.

 

[supersmitty]

What else I have been up to

So part of the reason I had not posted in a while is my future work space. I am a bit further along than this pic. I will have to post a current one soon. Can't wait till its done so I don't have to travel to work on my cars.

 

[bkvail]

So part of the reason I had not posted in a while is my future work space. I am a bit further along than this pic. I will have to post a current one soon. Can't wait till its done so I don't have to travel to work on my cars.

YAY for a SHOP!!! Lucky lucky! We work on our project under a carport, LOL

 

[supersmitty]

Ah yea I here ya there. Did that for a while. A bit too cold here for it though, after a while. That and the snow seems to cave them in after a while.

 

[Todd]

Shop and car look good. Keep at it!

 

[Skip]

The biggest expense on my current project was $13K for my shop.[

Totally worth it![cl

 

[supersmitty]

I am hoping to be at about 9k when I am done. Doing most of it myself has helped but I am at the point where I don't wanna mess with pouring concrete. Leave that to the professional.
Skip how big is your shop?!

 

[Skip]

I am hoping to be at about 9k when I am done. Doing most of it myself has helped but I am at the point where I don't wanna mess with pouring concrete. Leave that to the professional.
Skip how big is your shop?!

Big is a relative term, my friend. NOT big enough, for sure.

My lovely city of Portland, OR will only let a guy have about a 24x24. Worse yet, it can only be 10 feet to mid eve. If I wanted to apply for a variance ($300 with no guarantees of getting it) I could have maybe gotten something a bit larger. Oh well, I love it anyway. I can fit one project and my shop equipment in it and feel crowded.

 

[supersmitty]

Sounds like the same situation I am gonna have here. Mine is 20 x 20. My problem is that I have 2 vehicles to go in there plus my equipment! Already looking into a small shed to put one of the two in so I have some work room.

 

[Old Iron]

Any shop is better than no shop at all!!!
When I was 23, I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor lady who let me use her 1 car garage. It felt like heaven compared to lying on the ground.

 

[supersmitty]

Any shop is better than no shop at all!!!
When I was 23, I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor lady who let me use her 1 car garage. It felt like heaven compared to lying on the ground.

Very true! I shouldn't complain. My parents have been nice enough to let me use there's in the meantime.

Here is the latest progress. Awaiting siding and once the ground thaws the floor will be poured.

 

[Torchie]

In my neck of the woods that we be too nice for most of the houses.[ddd
Going to be a good looking shop.
I can't even remember all the times I worked out in the driveway under a car wit a tarp thrown over it to sort of block out the weather.
Torchie

 

[AZRodDave]

Oh sure, go ahead, rub it in ...

Any shop is better than no shop at all!!!
When I was 23, I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor lady who let me use her 1 car garage. It felt like heaven compared to lying on the ground.

In my neck of the woods that we be too nice for most of the houses.[ddd
Going to be a good looking shop.
I can't even remember all the times I worked out in the driveway under a car wit a tarp thrown over it to sort of block out the weather.
Torchie

Not complaining mind you, but I'm still groveling around in the dirt. And happily so! At least there is an awning overhead and some shade from the brutal sun. Walls and a floor would be a HUGE step up! And a lift, and ...

 

[supersmitty]

Yea a lift would be nice but definitely not in the budget! Besides where is the fun in that? Skip do you have any pics of your shop? I am trying to layout my work space so I know where to run power and air lines. Thanks for all the comments. Hope to at least get back on the car soon.

 

[Skip]

Yea a lift would be nice but definitely not in the budget! Besides where is the fun in that? Skip do you have any pics of your shop? I am trying to layout my work space so I know where to run power and air lines. Thanks for all the comments. Hope to at least get back on the car soon.

I need to take pics.

The actual workspace is laid out with tools and equipment and junk piled up in half of the shop and the other half is for the car. Work benches and toolboxes on the car side wall and the back. Tire and wheel racks up close to the rafters along the back wall. floor to ceiling pegboard on all walls. It offers the regular places to hang stuff and also helps with sound deadening to some extent. I also managed to squeek a bit of storage space down the center of the room in the rafters.


The easiest way to explain my shop wiring is as follows.
I tapped into the house fuse box and ran a circuit out to a 100 amp sub-panel in the shop. then...

Three outlet circuits (12-3). One down the left wall, one down the middle of the shop, and one down the right wall. Outlets are spaced about every four feet on the right and left walls, and an outlet in the center of the front wall, one on the overhead beam in the middle of the shop, and then split on the back wall like a "T" with outlets in the center, and half way to each outside wall. All outlets are higher than workbench level.

Then I ran two lighting circuits (14-3) overhead down the middle of each half of the shop with outlets centered in about the quarters. Fluorescent lights are plugged into those.

I also ran a 220 circuit for the compressor in one corner, and one to the middle of the shop on the overhead beam for the welder. These are 8-3+G, because I got a deal on a roll of the stuff. 10-3+G would have been enough. I plan on putting another 220 outlet right by the garage door for those times when I need to do some welding outside. [

I ran an air line from the compressor overhead to the middle of the shop, where there is a roll-up reel thingy.

I can reach any part of the shop with air or electricity and light.

A bit of overkill on the outlets, but, as there is only me working in there most of the time, there is no chance of overloading a circuit.

Hope that paints a usable picture. I'll try to get some pictures of the mess.