When most of us wake up in the morning, we all want to have a clean look so most of us guys need to shave. Believe it or not, this is the same philosophy that some of us use on our rides! Shaving off a few items will help the appearance of your ride and clean up its overall look. Even trimming down the door handles can help to streamline the body lines of your ride. In this month's tech article, we are going to shave the firewall to clean up the look of an engine compartment. Most classics had air boxes for the AC and heating system that were part of the engine compartment. Well, modern technology has allowed us to have the same system in half the size, and we are now able to place it under the dash, instead of having it in the engine compartment. Today's tech will allow us the space to upgrade in the future, helping our setup replace a vintage "air-under-dash" system, in favor of installing a serpentine system that will really "bling out" the engine. With metal fabrication crucial to our success in this project, we needed to see the experts, so we called upon Dragn' Shop of Cypress, CA. The Dragn' Shop is no stranger to metal fabrication, as they have worked on everything from custom dashes to chop tops. With that said, you know that shaving a firewall is par for the course for the Dragn' shop team. Now follow along, as Joseph of the Dragn' Shop cleans up this firewall and shows us how a few hours' work can clean up the appearance of an engine compartment. 1 We needed to make sure that the firewall was clean, so a stencil could be properly made fraom masking paper. Remember that with a bigger panel, there is less work that needs to be done during the body work portion of the firewall shave.1 We needed to make sure that the firewall was clean, so a stencil could be properly mad 2 The stencil didn't take long to create, and was made to be transferred onto sheet metal. It was refurbished and made to work for the 235.2 The stencil didn't take long to create, and was made to be transferred onto sheet meta 3 18-gauge sheet metal was used to cover most of the stock firewall. Metal sheers allowed us to cut the panel down to what was needed.3 18-gauge sheet metal was used to cover most of the stock firewall. Metal sheers allowed 4 Welding a big piece or section of metal like this can be tricky, so the sheet metal was test fitted to make sure that it could be welded into place.4 Welding a big piece or section of metal like this can be tricky, so the sheet metal was 5 Before welding the panel to the firewall, it was cleaned and taken down to the bare metal to assure a solid bond.5 Before welding the panel to the firewall, it was cleaned and taken down to the bare met 6 The panel was spot-welded and using a dolly hammer, Joseph made sure that the sheet metal was flush to the surface, in order to avoid warping the finish.6 The panel was spot-welded and using a dolly hammer, Joseph made sure that the sheet met 7 Once the panel was tack welded on, it was welded in sections to keep the heat to a minimum.7 Once the panel was tack welded on, it was welded in sections to keep the heat to a mini 8 The welds were grinded down to a smooth finish to make the panel transition as easy as possible. This stage needs to be done with finesse, as if you grind too much, you will risk breaking the weld.8 The welds were grinded down to a smooth finish to make the panel transition as easy as 9 The panel was wiped down with lacquer thinner, and with a clean surface, it was now ready to receive body filler.9 The panel was wiped down with lacquer thinner, and with a clean surface, it was now rea 10 Using a spreader, the body filler was spread on and left to cure, so that it could be properly shaped.10 Using a spreader, the body filler was spread on and left to cure, so that it could be 11 Using an assortment of sand paper will help you to make any shape needed in your desired build.11 Using an assortment of sand paper will help you to make any shape needed in your desir 12 The firewall was ready to be sealed and painted, in order to match the exterior of the vehicle.12 The firewall was ready to be sealed and painted, in order to match the exterior of the SOURCE Dragn' Shop 5510 Danny Ave. Cypress CA 90630 562-467-3248 By Saul Vargas Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
