Glamour Shots.. '62 Valiant Wagon
4/21/24:
I have about 14 hours in the front header pipes / down pipes etc. that connect the headers to the merge collector behind the cross member.
I got both the front and rear header collector pipes down to the suspension level and past the bell housing. The stuff I am making now will be much better than the previous owner's muffler shop garbage with aluminized pipe. poor fitting, leaking boogered MIG welds and clangy pipes that did not allow for a clutch linkage adjustment.
This chassis has to be the most difficult to complete this sort of custom down pipe fabrication on. With the 3 speed column to transmission rods, clutch linkage torque shaft, and giant power steering box, all in close proximity. I did this job on my 64 Dart before. I had slightly more room on that car, and I wanted this iteration to be better, so it is slower going.
I started with some of these:
For the front pipe I left the header collector reducer alone and began burning pipe right onto it.
The front pipe 90°'s down toward the frame rail, then bends again just above the torsion bar.
Here is what that pipe looks like semi completed:
When the gaps are right, the hot glue gun runs like butter:
For the rear pipe that was not possible, no way that long ~5" of stainless reducer would clear what is going on under the car.
So a little slicing and dicing to the stainless works part was needed:
I ended up with about ~ 1" of header reducer. Maybe not Ideal, but required for the packaging of this car - It aint' no E Body or Truck!
]
Little by little..
A lot of work was required to get to this point.
I realized that Here, I needed to order some more 45° Mandel bends to complete the job. So they are ordered.
Just another 2-3 feet to get from that monstrosity of front pipes, pie cuts, and bends to here:
But that will be the easy part (probably)!
These pipes sure look goofy because I have yet to figure out where to cut and at what angle, and if I need some more pie cuts it there too.
See you next time!
4/21/24:
I have about 14 hours in the front header pipes / down pipes etc. that connect the headers to the merge collector behind the cross member.
I got both the front and rear header collector pipes down to the suspension level and past the bell housing. The stuff I am making now will be much better than the previous owner's muffler shop garbage with aluminized pipe. poor fitting, leaking boogered MIG welds and clangy pipes that did not allow for a clutch linkage adjustment.
This chassis has to be the most difficult to complete this sort of custom down pipe fabrication on. With the 3 speed column to transmission rods, clutch linkage torque shaft, and giant power steering box, all in close proximity. I did this job on my 64 Dart before. I had slightly more room on that car, and I wanted this iteration to be better, so it is slower going.
I started with some of these:
For the front pipe I left the header collector reducer alone and began burning pipe right onto it.
The front pipe 90°'s down toward the frame rail, then bends again just above the torsion bar.
Here is what that pipe looks like semi completed:
When the gaps are right, the hot glue gun runs like butter:
For the rear pipe that was not possible, no way that long ~5" of stainless reducer would clear what is going on under the car.
So a little slicing and dicing to the stainless works part was needed:
I ended up with about ~ 1" of header reducer. Maybe not Ideal, but required for the packaging of this car - It aint' no E Body or Truck!
]
Little by little..
A lot of work was required to get to this point.
I realized that Here, I needed to order some more 45° Mandel bends to complete the job. So they are ordered.
Just another 2-3 feet to get from that monstrosity of front pipes, pie cuts, and bends to here:
But that will be the easy part (probably)!
These pipes sure look goofy because I have yet to figure out where to cut and at what angle, and if I need some more pie cuts it there too.
See you next time!