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Passenger Footbox Mod - UPDATE 2 - Interference Fixed

8K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  jdl902 
#1 ·
UPDATE 2 - See pics further down for my header interference fix.

UPDATE - I installed my engine/tranny to check for clearance today and the 4-into-4's do hit the footbox. No big deal since I thought they might. I'll post my fix as soon as I get it done. I can't say if the normal Mustang headers would also hit or not.

Just finished doing up the sheet metal for my passenger footbox mod. Made new top, bottom and front panels. Modified original inboard panel. Will check for clearance issues with the 4-into-4's when I install the engine. If there is any problem I will make a scalloped insert (something like the reverse of the Mark II steering covers).











Cheers, Rod

[ July 13, 2005, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: dv/dt ]
 
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#3 ·
Thanks Sergio! Trying to get all my planned mods out of the way first. Only one left is to drop the trunk down and then the rest should go relatively quickly. Also have a bit to finish up on my E-brake mod and then I'll post pics. That one is turning out really well (at least I think so)! Lots of drilling left to do.

Those 4.6's eat up a lot of space don't they. From the looks of your video the other day I'd say that, in your case, the trade off is worth it! Only took 45 minutes to download that one at 54K! :D

Cheers, Rod
 
#4 ·
Hey DV, nice pc of work, copied it down for "work to do" list. Seems as though there is decent space in drivers side (for my feet anyway) but sure don't want anything more for the wife to complain about (I didn't get her a roll bar).
 
#6 ·
Rod,
It's a great mod! I have been looking at the footbox for a long time and trying to figure out how actually to do a mod.
Please describe what tools you used and how you did it.
I have been thinking to extend the foobox to same length as the driver's, do you see any problem with that?
Arne
 
#7 ·
Rod,
It's a great mod! I have been looking at my footbox for a long time and trying to figure out how actually to do a mod.
Please describe what tools you used and how you did it.
I have been thinking to extend the foobox to same length as the driver's, do you see any problem with that?
Arne
 
#8 ·
Great mod Rod. Looks like you have access to a break. Wish I did. Makes the bends look so much better. Also, kudos for just replacing the pieces rather than splicing like I did. Makes the overall job look so much better.
Paul
 
#9 ·
Wantdat, Thanks! Since your using a 302 you might be interested in my free driver's side footbox mod as well.

TonyTiger, Thanks!

colcarlmiss, I'll try and post some drwaings of the new panels in the next couple of days. I don't know if you could extend it further forward and this far inboard without hitting the pipes. I doubt it. Others have done a forward extension (but narrower) so do a search on "passenger footbox mod" and you should find some info. I'm not even sure I won't have some interference as it is.

Champ, Wish I had a metal brake! All the bends were done by clamping a 3' x 3" x 1/8" steel bar to the piece and then pounding it over with a rubber mallet. Long cuts were done using the same piece of steel as a straight edge and cutting it with a pneumatic nibbler.

Off to work on the car.

Cheers, Rod
 
#10 ·
dv/dt,Thanks!
Great information! I have been looking at different bending brakes, but they are pretty pricy for one foot box mod.
I already have a nibbler and I will buy the steel bar right away. I have not bought my engine yet, but I will get a small block 302/351 and a Mass-Flo fuel injection. I presume the engine then will by symmetrical, so the passenger foot box can have the same length as the driver, but I am not sure.
Maybe somebody futher along in the build can advise.
Arne
 
#11 ·
Hi Arne,
The drive train is offset to the passenger side a bit which is why I am not sure if I will have enough clearance. If not I will have a bit more work ahead of my but nothing major. When you get the steel bar you wil notice that one edge is sharper and the other is rounded a bit because of how they are cut with a shear. You want to bend using the more rounded edge as 6061-T6 can crack if bend to sharply. The nibbler is a great little tool but has a mind of it's own if you don't use an guide to run it against.

Cheers, Rod

[ June 05, 2005, 02:08 AM: Message edited by: dv/dt ]
 
#12 ·
Here are the drawings for the panels I made.

Black lines are the outline (cut).
Red/brown lines are construction lines (no bend or cut)
Magenta lines are bend lines (note carefully which way to bend).







For the inboard side panel cut the top flange to match the bend in the new top panel. Bend on a line from that cut to the begining of the cutout for the 4" tube at the bottom. Once bent mock everything up and then mark the front edge of the inboard panel to match the front of the new box shape.

Cheers, Rod
 
#15 ·
colcarlmiss, your welcome! For the bottom I copied the FFR piece and extended the front inboard corner which results in a non-square corners. Not sure why they do it that way but you could probably square it up. Looks OK as is though.

Jeff, I know what you mean, I am currently trying to do all the mods that I might regret not doing later. Dropped trunk mod is next.

Cheers, Rod
 
#16 ·
Rod,

Nice work, great work, awesome work ... saved already on my HD, for the future! Do the same for the trunk, too.

Gotta get up to see you and the build soon. will call you.

BHill
 
#17 ·
Sergio:

I made the same footbox mod on my 4.6 SOHC. Here are a couple of pictures. The only thing is I am using the stock headers and I think it would work with the shorty headers but I don't know about the 4 into 4's. Also you have to leave about 3/4 of an inch between the 4 inch frame tube and the inside aluminum wall. Here are some pictures.



 
#18 ·
UPDATE - I installed my engine/tranny to check for clearance today and the 4-into-4's do hit the footbox. No big deal since I thought they might. I'll post my fix as soon as I get it done. I can't say if the normal Mustang headers would also hit or not.

Cheers, Rod
 
#19 ·
Here are the pics of my fix for the header interference.

Formed this out of 0.040" aluminium. I'm not sure of the spec since it was a piece I had lying around but it was not 6061_T6 which could not have been formed like this.


Interior shot showing thet the fix did not take away very much from the space added by the original mod.


This is the finished patch with some heat shield installed.




Some pics showing the header clearance.








Cheers, Rod
 
#20 ·
Thats a nice mod for the headers. You can find an old stump, hollow it out for a dish, then heat up the aluminum with a weed torch or torch, then use a wooden mallet to form the piece as you want it. When heated up any metal can be shaped to a desired profile, just make sure that it's not zink coated because the zink becomes toxic when it gases off from the heat. You can form press metal when heated as well with dies, hammers, swedges and whatnot!

Nice work!
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the detail drawings, you will make me a "hero" when my wife sees this mod!!!!! She may even be able to get into the drivers "tunnel" so I'm not sure I want to do that..
 
#23 ·
VERY nice work.I dropped the floor on the drivers side of my MkI and will be looking at the psgr side this winter.You car is a later version but still helps me figure how to do it.My wife is 6ft but I'm 5'10" so there is usually some comment or at least exagerated body english from her when she's the psgr.Thanks for the info
 
#25 ·
Hey Rod,

could you give some dimensions from the face of the exhaust ports on the head to the modified footbox? I've got shorty headers (insert manhood joke here) and want to figure out what sort of clearance I'd have going with this mod.

You've got to wonder if it would cost FFR that much extra to have two footbox options so us righteous small block dudes wouldn't have to put up with the mod engine compromises.

If you have anymore mods in mind let me know, we have a sheet metal shop at work we could spend a weekend in.

Jason
 
#26 ·
Jason,
Here you go:



Ruler is backwards so 5" from the header surface to the footbox at the 3rd port.

An actual metal shop! You mean I wouldn't have to bend stuff over a piece of angle iron on my lap? I'd be spoiled!! May take you up on that.

Cheers, Rod
 
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