Butters "Winter Upgrades". . Starting a Little Early

[Dantra]

Leaf season is heavily upon me and is eating up most of my weekends. We live in a heavily wooded area.. The woods. Ironically, Saturday, my wife wanted to go drive through Brown County Park and look at.. The leaves and trees lol. I enjoy the time with her, so no complaints. The views there, really are nice but the tress weren't quite at their peak yet. When they are, it really is amazing.

Anyway, Dottie and I did find a little time to remove the back seat, rear carpet and the dreaded AC unit. I'll be welding in subfrane connectors and don't need any fires.

The AC unit is such a beast! 36" long, 11 or so inches deep and probably 12" tall. In Hindsight, it would've been easier to pull prior to increasing the tunnel size lol. Tight! It really wasn't until I realized that the stock ac wasn't going to allow me to run a electronic pedal (Previously bellcrank) that I was going to pull it. When I saw that, I decided that I wasn't gonna fight it and just get an aftermarket system.. It was kinda meh at best anyway.

Once dottie and I had it out.. She insisted that it was play time!

 

[340sFastback]

I had to pull heat AC boxes out of mine to fab up custom trans tunnel for a T56 Magnum 6 spd. Once heat AC back in only 1/8 clearance between heat ducts and tunnel had to squeeze carpet under there. Those factory AC with heat ducts close to trans tunnel can present a lot of challenges for the over drive trans swaps.

 

[Dantra]

I had to pull heat AC boxes out of mine to fab up custom trans tunnel for a T56 Magnum 6 spd. Once heat AC back in only 1/8 clearance between heat ducts and tunnel had to squeeze carpet under there. Those factory AC with heat ducts close to trans tunnel can present a lot of challenges for the over drive trans swaps.

I slid the carpet under there, while trying to figure some kinda console out (bad idea). The carpet did fit without the padding. The biggest issue is there just no way that my electronic pedal was gonna fit. AC Box, right smack dab in the way. I'm getting away from the Bouchillon bellcrank setup with the 8 speed install.

 

[85glht]

Leaf season is heavily upon me and is eating up most of my weekends. We live in a heavily wooded area.. The woods. Ironically, Saturday, my wife wanted to go drive through Brown County Park and look at.. The leaves and trees lol. I enjoy the time with her, so no complaints. The views there, really are nice but the tress weren't quite at their peak yet. When they are, it really is amazing.

Anyway, Dottie and I did find a little time to remove the back seat, rear carpet and the dreaded AC unit. I'll be welding in subfrane connectors and don't need any fires.

The AC unit is such a beast! 36" long, 11 or so inches deep and probably 12" tall. In Hindsight, it would've been easier to pull prior to increasing the tunnel size lol. Tight! It really wasn't until I realized that the stock ac wasn't going to allow me to run a electronic pedal (Previously bellcrank) that I was going to pull it. When I saw that, I decided that I wasn't gonna fight it and just get an aftermarket system.. It was kinda meh at best anyway.

Once dottie and I had it out.. She insisted that it was play time!

View attachment 1716320666

View attachment 1716320667

View attachment 1716320668

View attachment 1716320669

View attachment 1716320670

View attachment 1716320671

At least you had "help" Such a good girl!!

 

[racerjoe]

Leaf season is heavily upon me and is eating up most of my weekends. We live in a heavily wooded area.. The woods. Ironically, Saturday, my wife wanted to go drive through Brown County Park and look at.. The leaves and trees lol. I enjoy the time with her, so no complaints. The views there, really are nice but the tress weren't quite at their peak yet. When they are, it really is amazing.

Anyway, Dottie and I did find a little time to remove the back seat, rear carpet and the dreaded AC unit. I'll be welding in subfrane connectors and don't need any fires.

The AC unit is such a beast! 36" long, 11 or so inches deep and probably 12" tall. In Hindsight, it would've been easier to pull prior to increasing the tunnel size lol. Tight! It really wasn't until I realized that the stock ac wasn't going to allow me to run a electronic pedal (Previously bellcrank) that I was going to pull it. When I saw that, I decided that I wasn't gonna fight it and just get an aftermarket system.. It was kinda meh at best anyway.

Once dottie and I had it out.. She insisted that it was play time!

View attachment 1716320666

View attachment 1716320667

View attachment 1716320668

View attachment 1716320669

View attachment 1716320670

View attachment 1716320671

Do yourself a favor and put some dynomat (or some version of it) on the floor when you're done welding. I recently added some extra jute type insulation on the front floor pans to help keep the heat down from the headers. It make a huge improvement. The console used to get so hot I couldn't lean my leg on it. It stays nice and cool now.

 

[85glht]

Do yourself a favor and put some dynomat (or some version of it) on the floor when you're done welding. I recently added some extra jute type insulation on the front floor pans to help keep the heat down from the headers. It make a huge improvement. The console used to get so hot I couldn't lean my leg on it. It stays nice and cool now.

Helps keep the noise down too

 

[Dantra]

Do yourself a favor and put some dynomat (or some version of it) on the floor when you're done welding. I recently added some extra jute type insulation on the front floor pans to help keep the heat down from the headers. It make a huge improvement. The console used to get so hot I couldn't lean my leg on it. It stays nice and cool now.

Yup, definitely. I tossed that silver stuff in last year when I was coating the floors and putting new carpet in. Had it laying around. Pita to get out but I'm gonna put killmat or dynamat back in place.

 

[DionR]

I've been ruminating on your desire to keep the bench. Maybe you have already given up on it, but I keep thinking about it. Then I tripped over an add for a Lokar shifter that incorporates an electronic rooster comb for shifting electronic transmissions like the 6L80E and it sparked an idea for. And no, they don't show anything for an 8HP.

What if you left the column shift mechanism in place and mounted the floor shifter for the 8HP someplace remotely and shifted it using a cable off the column shift arm? You would have to remove the detents in the 8HP shifter and wouldn't have access to the +/- shifting but maybe it would work?

Just an idea.

 

[Dantra]

I've been ruminating on your desire to keep the bench. Maybe you have already given up on it, but I keep thinking about it. Then I tripped over an add for a Lokar shifter that incorporates an electronic rooster comb for shifting electronic transmissions like the 6L80E and it sparked an idea for. And no, they don't show anything for an 8HP.

What if you left the column shift mechanism in place and mounted the floor shifter for the 8HP someplace remotely and shifted it using a cable off the column shift arm? You would have to remove the detents in the 8HP shifter and wouldn't have access to the +/- shifting but maybe it would work?

Just an idea.

I considered doing something like that with a dial. Space is always a battle with these cars, as you know. Also thought about using a dial behind the dash with an extension rod attached to it, so the rod would poke out the dash.. Put a stock bezel and knob on the rod, so it appears to be just another dash switch of some kind. Still a rotary, just with a better look.

Blake at Sublime, really liked a stock ish console idea that I was working on but I just couldn't accept it. It just looked wrong. I think the shape is most of the problem. Then he said he had an idea.. Just do a boot like "Justin" did. The difference is that my shifter will appear to be a stock 69 shifter instead of the pistol grip and the crazy long throw.

 

[DionR]

I considered doing something like that with a dial. Space is always a battle with these cars, as you know. Also thought about using a dial behind the dash with an extension rod attached to it, so the rod would poke out the dash.. Put a stock bezel and knob on the rod, so it appears to be just another dash switch of some kind. Still a rotary, just with a better look.

Blake at Sublime, really liked a stock ish console idea that I was working on but I just couldn't accept it. It just looked wrong. I think the shape is most of the problem. Then he said he had an idea.. Just do a boot like "Justin" did. The difference is that my shifter will appear to be a stock 69 shifter instead of the pistol grip and the crazy long throw.

View attachment 1716320715

View attachment 1716320716

View attachment 1716320717

View attachment 1716320718

So are you moving away from your bench seat?

I wonder how compact the stock 8HP shifter could be made. Guessing it is just a position sensor and CANBus encoder. Sure seems like someone could make a business out of it. Run the cable through the clutch rod hole in the firewall and mount it vertically to the fire wall. Maybe just a 2"x2"x6" box?

Ah well, just another wild idea to go with all the others I don't have a way to build.

 

[Dantra]

So are you moving away from your bench seat?

I wonder how compact the stock 8HP shifter could be made. Guessing it is just a position sensor and CANBus encoder. Sure seems like someone could make a business out of it. Run the cable through the clutch rod hole in the firewall and mount it vertically to the fire wall. Maybe just a 2"x2"x6" box?

Ah well, just another wild idea to go with all the others I don't have a way to build.

Actually, Russel at Sound German, is working on it (push button shifter). I saw a video on his page the other day of a prototype in testing.. It's "one" of the things he's been working on.

Definitely keeping the bench. I'll just run the 8hp shifter with a boot and a stock appearing handle/knob.. Look how many manual cars came out with a floor shift. So it'll be a similar look.

I'll mock it up and see how it looks.. If I don't like it, I'll go with the dash knob dial idea and paddles

 

[Dantra]

At least you had "help" Such a good girl!!

I told her that you were her biggest fan.. she struck a pose just for you.

 

[DionR]

Actually, Russel at Sound German, is working on it (push button shifter). I saw a video on his page the other day of a prototype in testing.. It's "one" of the things he's been working on.

Definitely keeping the bench. I'll just run the 8hp shifter with a boot and a stock appearing handle/knob.. Look how many manual cars came out with a floor shift. So it'll be a similar look.

Ah! I see it now.

 

[DionR]

For what it's worth, I saw the picture of the cut down console on FB and couldn't decide how I felt about it so I didn't comment. I think I like your shifter boot idea better, now that you mention it.

 

[clementine]

I want add this.. I had the opportunity to hang a little bit with Peter Bergman, at Moparty. We raced, hung out and had a beer or two at the end of the day.. or maybe I had the beer lol. Not one time did he push anything on me or try to sell me anything. The guys around us said "Peter can fix you up" and he might have said "yep", but that was it. It was just a great time with everyone.. Tim (RacerJoe) and Brian (JBrian) are awesome people as well. But it was great to hang with these guys and not feel some obligation or pressure to buy from Peter. I was also able to soak in all kinds of information, just listening to him talk about what cars were doing on the track, giving advice etc. He was there to have fun, just like everyone else.

Guys, I don't know about you.. But that means alot in my book. I've heard the name for years but now that I know the man, he's got my business.

I recently had a similar experience with Brewers over the phone as i deal with some of my clutch problems. Sorry off topic, but another vendor not selling me stuff i don’t need immediately.

Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

Cool build.

 

[85glht]

I told her that you were her biggest fan.. she struck a pose just for you.