Boz's 33

[esff32]

It's coming along Boz. It looks awesome.

[wallace18]

Really looking good Boz! way to go!

[Boz1911]

Thanks Tom and Evan. I'm working on interior panels now to cover some holes like the door hinge mount area, the excess holes by the seat belt mounts and anywhere I can see light through the car.

[esff32]

Sounds good. I would like to see what you come up with for those areas.

[Boz1911]

Nothing fancy just some plates like so. Had to make a little spacer for the trunk rod after carpet was installed.

I'm glad to be on this forum where people understand it takes hours to put wire loom on your battery cables and add some additional supports.............

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[Boz1911]

Final assembly is a slow go but I try to accomplish something every day. I have to admit I hate wiring and the harness I made for the gauges really isn't working out so every work/play session I do some more clean up under the dash. I've been hesitant to eliminate any wires up to this point but obviously there are several that won't be utilized in my application. I did find though that grinding the bolt heads off the trunk and hood latch bolts make aligning them much easier. I had painted the insides of the engine bay side panels silver but when I installed them they looked terrible so I just went with flat black and I really like the contrast better. Turned my former body cart into a parts bin for the 64 Fairlane. This cart has been a handy accessory and it was free from Kroger to boot.

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[wallace18]

Boy! those are some serious cylinder heads for sure.

[esff32]

All I can say is Wow Boz. It looks incredible. Nice job. I wish you were able to get it out to HB so I could see it in person. Well done.

[Boz1911]

All I can say is Wow Boz. It looks incredible. Nice job. I wish you were able to get it out to HB so I could see it in person. Well done.

Thanks Evan, wish I had some of the custom touches yours does, I do have some ideas floating around though. I did get my paperwork filled out for my title finally, plan on mailing out Friday. Congrats on being legal by the way.

[Boz1911]

Boy! those are some serious cylinder heads for sure.

Those are for the 557 econo-motor I'm building. The block is probably ready but I'm not. The 33 has priority.

[crspdsk8]

Looking good Boz, great work!!

[Boz1911]

Looking good Boz, great work!!

Thanks she's getting there.

A little thing to not do. I had the trunk release cable snug, with the intention of removing all the slack and tightening up after final adjustments. I was adjusting the latch and yes you guessed it, the cable came loose. So now I have a finished trunk locked and no way to open it.
I tried to loosen the trunk hinges and access the latch to no avail. My last hope was to drill a hole in the bottom behind the latch bracket and flip the latch with a screw driver. Thank goodness that worked and it didn't make any mess since that piece of carpet behind the bracket is an individual piece. I used a chrome plug to seal the hole and now I'll always have an emergency access point should anything happen to the cable.

[Tim Whittaker]

Just a thought Boz,

I have a small diameter cable that runs down from the trunk latch with a loop on it can that be accessed under the car. it can be easily hidden. Pictures on my build page.

I also made the sheet metal cover plate for the 3 link removable to access the trunk for such an event and adjusting trunk hinge arms. I have a solenoid trunk release, so I took extra precautions.

Looks GREAT Boz !!!!

[Boz1911]

Thanks Tim, the 3-link cover is good idea. This access hole is neat and tidy though should something like that happen again.

Got the interior matted finally, takes a lot more material than you realize. Got the carpet installed, now it's back to cleaning up the wiring..........

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[bbksv]

Looks good Boz...how do you like that Thermo tec stuff?

[Boz1911]

Looks good Boz...how do you like that Thermo tec stuff?
Thanks,
Its reasonably priced and sticks extremely well. I used two boxes for the interior. I plan on using it again on my 64 Fairlane

[wallace18]

Looks good Boz. What are you using on the waterfall behind the seats?

[Boz1911]

Looks good Boz. What are you using on the waterfall behind the seats?

I used the mat up to the fuel tank and undercoat on the back of the waterfall. I also used weatherstrip between the waterfall and the body. I've heard that glass to glass contact will make noise.

[Boz1911]

Got a little done today. Insulated the doors and door panels and made some striker bolt covers. Also felt the trunk was a bit bland and I didn't really have any good use for the really nice FF emblems so I added an old school tool box with the FF emblem. I do plan on attaching it to the floor and put a few tools in it.

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[esff32]

Nice striker covers, might have to steal that one Boz. Speaking of the trunk...my trunk lid doesn't even match the radius of the body. I'm probably going to have to fabricate something like Erik Hansen used on his, nothing like adding more to my plate. :rolleyes: Looks like you are coming to the end, it looks incredible.

[Boz1911]

Thanks Evan, there is still a lot to do, and I've been putting off the final wiring. Guess I need to make some kind of check list. My trunk lid fit is okay but not perfect, if I can't get it a little better some supports may also be in order also.

[Tim Whittaker]

Evan,

I might have something for the trunk lid. If you'd like. give me a call.

[esff32]

Will do Tim. Thanks

[Boz1911]

Took me only a few minutes to realize I did not like the push pin plan on the door panels. The flanges on my doors are too thin for the pins to go in or be removed without damage. Since most of the car is assembled with polished stainless button head bolts, I just continued the theme. I will say the doors now sound and feel like real doors.

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[Boz1911]

Just been doing all the little things on my to do list. Got most of the wiring cleaned up, made my third gauge harness, replaced the tiny indicator lights with some regular size ones. Got the roll bar final mounted and reinstalled the windshield to see the "roadster" version. Really looks like two different cars with or without the top. Still need to install the footbox and forward trans tunnel carpet. I still had a gap above the front of the tunnel I could see light through so I made some plates to fit that area, also made some covers for the trunk hinges where they go into the car. I didn't care for just slit the carpet method. I lined them with leather so the hinges rotate through the leather and are sorta gapless now.

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[Boz1911]

I am at the pinnacle of frustration. Working today on the 33 I picked up some fuel for the Fairlane. Since I had a couple extra gallons I put the extra in the 33. A little while later I noticed a drip on the floor and sure enough it was fuel. Pulled the seats, roll bar and waterfall and of course this POS tank leaks at the sending unit. I finally got the mess cleaned up (what's accessible) but now I have to find a freaking seal that won't leak.
For anyone buying a 33 do NOT use the FF tank, it is a giant piece of crap and has caused me nothing but headaches. I'm committed to this thing now but what a failure in design. I can't believe FF allows something this dangerous and noxious to even be considered as a critical part of a vehicle.

[esff32]

I feel your frustration Boz. I went through the same thing. I decided to give the FFR tank a shot regretted the decision. I switched to the Boyd but still am having issues with the sending unit reading accurately. Hang in there bud.

[wallace18]

Sorry to hear about your leak. I was lucky and went with the boyd tank right away. I really do not understand why FFR does not fix this problem. 818 guys are suffering the same. I guess it is just one of those things. I do think I read in some thread about using a round seal to fix the leak.

[Boz1911]

Thanks Tom and Evan, headed out this morning to find something better. Thank goodness for an electric fuel pump to drain the overage. I had a line at the firewall that I could disconnect and drain into a fuel can. I've removed the seal, although I don't like tapping on metal with a bunch of raw gas sitting under the sender. I have some brass punches I use for gun work so I used one of those to avoid spark. My whole car and shop smell like fuel now, momma's not any happier than I am.

[Tom Veale]

....." Really looks like two different cars with or without the top........"

I completely agree. Hard Top, Roadster and even Soft Top all seem to change the car's personality.

Very pretty car! I probably would have two toned my car in a similar fashion, but my wife said I already had too many gray cars! (Passat W8, Touareg, '61 Jag Mk II) So, she convinced me to try some new colors. :cool:

Best regards, Tom

[Boz1911]

Tom, I'm jealous of your new soft top, they look great !!

I found a suitable O-ring today for the sending unit and that seems to have cured the leak problem. Looking at the old one it was tapered after having been installed so long, no wonder it leaked, with the taper, basically the only sealing was from sharp edge contact. I did make use of the unexpected teardown time. I sanded and buffed the waterfall, installed some chrome plugs for the roll bar pin access and made some cables to remove the pins. And since I've been too lazy to order the trim pieces for the seat belts I made some. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

[Boz1911]

A couple pics of the seatbelt and trunk hinge covers.

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[Boz1911]

Added the orange stripe, turned out a little more subdued than I thought but it is growing on me. Also glued the upholstery back on the surround piece and the bottom of the seats. Don't know what type of adhesive they used but it did not stick very well. Anyone got any ideas for the headliner? I ordered a larger piece of material so that I could roll the edges around some type of backing to give it a more finished look. I was planning on using aluminum but I'd rather save that to use for the console. I need something light and no more than a 1/4 inch thick. Also need ideas for a headlight disconnect without cutting the side panels.



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[wallace18]

Absolutely a beautiful job. Well done!

[esff32]

Awesome Boz! Looks incredible.

[Boz1911]

Thanks Tom and Evan, you guys keep me motivated, not only with your comments but trying to duplicate some of the great work you do. Really looking forward to the coupe build Tom.
Picked up a new toy yesterday, mostly for working on the Fairlane though. I did get the spool gun with it, hope it works like you say Evan. Still looking for the perfect headlight disconnect solution though.

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[wallace18]

Thanks Tom and Evan, you guys keep me motivated, not only with your comments but trying to duplicate some of the great work you do. Really looking forward to the coupe build Tom.
Picked up a new toy yesterday, mostly for working on the Fairlane though. I did get the spool gun with it, hope it works like you say Evan. Still looking for the perfect headlight disconnect solution though.

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I got the same unit. I just change out spools when I do Alum. You can look at what I did to my side panels. This allowed me to pull them and leave the headlight alone.

[Boz1911]

Got the headliner installed finally. And since my wife was helping me reinstall the hardtop I used vacuum caps on the studs to protect the car in case she didn't follow instructions, which seems to happen a lot.......

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[esff32]

Thanks Tom and Evan, you guys keep me motivated, not only with your comments but trying to duplicate some of the great work you do. Really looking forward to the coupe build Tom.
Picked up a new toy yesterday, mostly for working on the Fairlane though. I did get the spool gun with it, hope it works like you say Evan. Still looking for the perfect headlight disconnect solution though.

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Nice setup Boz, that ought to work out just fine for you. If you have any welding questions, please dont hesitate to ask. Metal prep is the key, especially when using aluminum.

Evan

[iflyfast]

Wow. Great build thread. I just read the whole thing from start to finish. Really nice work.

I’m currently in the planning stages. Hope to order a kit in the next few weeks. I had a 408 engine in a cobra that I had built years ago, and I loved that engine. I thought I had read in some other posts that there would be hood clearance issues with this engine. Also, read that there would be clearance issues for the power steering.

I was wondering if you could share some details of you engine installation. I’m interested in which intake manifold, air cleaner, engine mounts, headers, and oil pan you used. Also, how much room is left between the top of the air cleaner and the hood? Did you use the standard FFR hood? I read your oil pan hangs down about an inch. Did you have any other clearance issues?

Sorry about my long winded first post. Thanks for your help.

[Boz1911]

Thanks Fast, I'm using a Edelbrock RPM air gap manifold with a 14X3 Air cleaner. Realistically I have no hood clearance left with the standard hood. The optional hood would have been a better fit. All the engine install stuff is included with the kit. I did the install by myself and although everything is tight the fit is great. Any shorty small block headers will work but do get them ceramic coated. My engine has a stud girdle installed so my oil pan selection was limited to the Canton 7 quart pan that does hang down below the frame. Good luck and enjoy the ride !!

[WIS89]

Boz-

Awesome build, really looks terrific! I like the orange stripe, I think it sets the colors perfectly.

The headliner looks great as well. I have enjoyed your build thread.

Thanks for the cool thread.

Regards,

Steve

[iflyfast]

Thanks Fast, I'm using a Edelbrock RPM air gap manifold with a 14X3 Air cleaner. Realistically I have no hood clearance left with the standard hood. The optional hood would have been a better fit. All the engine install stuff is included with the kit. I did the install by myself and although everything is tight the fit is great. Any shorty small block headers will work but do get them ceramic coated. My engine has a stud girdle installed so my oil pan selection was limited to the Canton 7 quart pan that does hang down below the frame. Good luck and enjoy the ride !!

Thanks. That helps a lot.

[Boz1911]

Boz-

Awesome build, really looks terrific! I like the orange stripe, I think it sets the colors perfectly.

The headliner looks great as well. I have enjoyed your build thread.

Thanks for the cool thread.

Regards,

Steve

Wow, very kind of you Steve, thanks. I feel like I'm an average builder that's getting better all the time and that's really the point of my thread.

[Boz1911]

Didn't really like the way FF suggested the roll bar pins should be installed so here's the way I did it, good or bad....you can stuff the cable in the hole and fish it out if needed.

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[Boz1911]

Well I have been having some trials and tribulations with fuel lately. My fuel pressure has been getting worse and worse. I replaced the fuel pressure gauge and the pump to no avail. Finally pulled the seats and waterfall and found the main feed line was loose, I guess it's been gradually loosening up. Got that tightened (thank god for crows foot wrenches). Everything seemed okay but still had some issues. Woke up yesterday to find fuel on my garage floor. After cleaning that up I found my Summit canister fuel filter was leaking from the canister seal. I was able to tighten that up and now all is finally well. I figured it was break time so I spent the rest of the day porting the intake manifold for the 557 motor. Just needed to vent, thanks........

[wallace18]

Well I have been having some trials and tribulations with fuel lately. My fuel pressure has been getting worse and worse. I replaced the fuel pressure gauge and the pump to no avail. Finally pulled the seats and waterfall and found the main feed line was loose, I guess it's been gradually loosening up. Got that tightened (thank god for crows foot wrenches). Everything seemed okay but still had some issues. Woke up yesterday to find fuel on my garage floor. After cleaning that up I found my Summit canister fuel filter was leaking from the canister seal. I was able to tighten that up and now all is finally well. I figured it was break time so I spent the rest of the day porting the intake manifold for the 557 motor. Just needed to vent, thanks........

Glad you found the leak before something bad happened. I went over everything on the 33 after 250 miles. Well worth the time.

[VD2021]

Your build thread has quickly become my favorite.

To me, it just feels like what a kit build should be........All of the work done in one's garage. With a kit entering and (after hours of hard work) a beautiful, drivable work of art, in its place.

Impressive and nicely done....

[Boz1911]

As always, the kind words are greatly appreciated. After the fixes I did a little test drive and the car is fast. At a 25 mph roll she'll light the tires when you nail the go pedal.

[hdnik]

Your build thread has quickly become my favorite.

To me, it just feels like what a kit build should be........All of the work done in one's garage. With a kit entering and (after hours of hard work) a beautiful, drivable work of art, in its place.

Impressive and nicely done....

Well said ! Couldn't agree more. Take your time, do it once, do it right and do it yourself !

[Boz1911]

Thanks Nik, I wish I was the electrical superstar you are !!. Been following your electrical adventures, impressive to say the least.

I finally had someone work on the car besides myself. The glass guy came by today and charged me 85.00 to install the glass. Now that I watched I would surely attempt it myself but for the price I couldn't beat it. I also picked another toy, a 1973 Jeep Commando with 63k original miles. She drives like the Queen Mary, a little terrifying at first but than you get your sea legs and it's not so bad.

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[Tom Veale]

I also picked another toy, a 1973 Jeep Commando with 63k original miles. She drives like the Queen Mary, a little terrifying at first but than you get your sea legs and it's not so bad.

So, it being a Commando and driving like the Queen Mary, do you need to pass Navy Seal training now?
:)

[hdnik]

Thanks Nik, I wish I was the electrical superstar you are !!. Been following your electrical adventures, impressive to say the least.

I finally had someone work on the car besides myself. The glass guy came by today and charged me 85.00 to install the glass. Now that I watched I would surely attempt it myself but for the price I couldn't beat it. I also picked another toy, a 1973 Jeep Commando with 63k original miles. She drives like the Queen Mary, a little terrifying at first but than you get your sea legs and it's not so bad.

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being a a jeep dealer all I have to say is WOW.... In fact let me say that again backwards... WOW! Love it

[Arrowhead]

really nice build! Love the two tone. How did you attach the headliner?

[WIS89]

I love the '33 as I have told you, but I am curious to see how the Commando turns out!

She looks like she is in pretty great shape for her age.

I hope you keep us updated. Great find!

Regards,

Steve

[Boz1911]

really nice build! Love the two tone. How did you attach the headliner?
Thanks Arrowhead, wish I had a blower though !!

As far as the headliner I ordered a new piece off Ebay. I then cut the FF part to fit my top perfectly (which it did not). I then cut the Ebay part approximately 1.5-2 inches larger all around. Glued the two pieces together (Sticky Stuff) and using contact cement I carefully rolled the new headliner over the FF part. That made the edges rolled instead of just die cut. After positioning the headliner on the top I glued from the center out, again with Sticky Stuff and used contact cement on any part of the edge I thought might not be secure. Not sure if I described that very well but the result is a headliner that's double thickness and has a rolled edge.

[Boz1911]

I love the '33 as I have told you, but I am curious to see how the Commando turns out!

She looks like she is in pretty great shape for her age.

I hope you keep us updated. Great find!

Regards,

Steve

Not sure exactly what my plans for her are yet, resto or just keep as a survivor. I will say I did a full tune up on her (parts were included) including points and condenser. Wow that's been a long time since I've done that. I also found a previous repair on the fuel line that was leaking but thanks to some leftover fuel line from my 33 kit I made and bent a new steel line and now she purrs like a kitten.