I am working on my 31 Plymouth coupe, street strip car, and I want to make the top half of the firewall removable to access the 3 master cylinders, or have an access panel. I want it to look good and seal well against fire. Any ideas? Same thing for the floor, I want to be able to quickly and easily remove the tunnel to get at the trans. Also need any hints on the best way to design and build a structure for under the floor, to support the seams and the seats. Any suggestions are appreciated. Here are some pics so you can see what I'm dealing with. Thanks, Joel

I use the dzus(sp)self ejecting ones
for the fasteners.. on my stuff I rolled
the tunnel and put 1/4" thick foam tape
as a seal
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mor-71530/overview/
EDIT
I did the removeable trans tunnel on the race car
out of alum.. and the street rod is alum also but
its all welded(no removeable tunnel on it)..if I
would have made it removeable I would have had to
take a bunch of dash board out of it to get at the
tunnel... but then again... I didnt expect to have
to pull the trans... but that sure didnt happen

Hemi_Joel,

I would put the brake master cylinder under the floor, and a hydraulic cylinder Clutch mounted on the firewall...

Your car would be very similar to a Model A, and Jerry at Pete & Jakes would be able to give you some guidance.

The transmission you have chosen is huge for a '30's car, and most would have put a Richmond T10, which would give you a lot more room in the foot area.

Is this going to be a hot rod or a race car?

Just my 2 cents.

BR, Mark

Oh, if it is a hot rod, then wood ply floor panels would be pretty cool, and removable...just a thought

Yes, the Dzus are really cute and traditional, and that's where the car's budget went: braided lines etc.
A quality Riv-Nut in the inner panel works very well for 5% of the price, ue a 12 point stainless Allen for show.

When deciding how to seal the join, I wouldn't trust any material not specifically rated both fire retardant (or suppressant) and petroleum solvent proof. I happened to be there when someone working on a running car with the hood up, and had a pressurized gas line leak, splashed the firewall, and the gas instantly dissolved the caulk/sealers and wicked into the driver's compartment in 10 seconds (luckily not on fire).

Thanks for the help so far, please keep it coming.
Lockjaw, it will be street and strip. I think it will need a steel floor to pass tech, not wood. Yes the T56 Magnum is huge, but I need the 700# torque rating, and the overdrive will really help when it is going down the highway with the 4.20 gears.

Alum will pass tech... I'll look to see if I
have any pics of how I did the race car... but
the alum has a minimum spec on thickness

+1 on riv-nuts. Cheap and easy. I use stainless button heads.

Here are a few pics of my floor. It is removable.
Mark

A couple more pics

I like it!
Running anything that will fit through a bead roller isn't just nice cosmetically, it cuts down on "drumming" and noise transmission, helps your fasteners stay tight.

Remember, when (if) you run a carpet try to arrange it so that it separates (comes apart) where the floor panels do to minimize R&R time.

For a mixed use car, I add aluminum-foil backed jute (inexpensive) padding to the floor under the carpet to keep my feet comfortable but it's pretty thick; remember to factor this is when measuring.

I had a jeep that the shifter boot had a crack in it, it got so hot in the cabin area that it was almost unbearable to drive. If you have any air leaks from the firewall or floor boards, it will be miserable to drive. Tim

I know those are Auto Meter gauges... but
what series.. I'm looking for a new set with
the elec speedo

Has to be steel under the driver

Mine sure isnt and it passes tech and they have been
in it many times... maybe in your go fast class its
required
EDIT
Did they start that recently

Depends on the spec. I believe any spec quicker than 8.50 now requires .024 steel on drivers side

Mike,
The gauges are Pro Comp Ultra Lite.

Mark

Thanks Mark.... how deep is the speedo head

rope seal found on wood burning stoves and safe doors is fire proof works well for a seal

Mike ,
the gauge is about 3" deep past the dash face (1/8") but with the supplied Autometer mount, and wiring it is closer to 4". That could be reduced some I am sure, by trimming the mount, and using different mounting nuts, and electrical connectors. I modified the depth of the dash to make room.

Mark