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Hotrodders.com Project of the Week
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Part 8: Miscellaneous Interior Items
Here are a few items I made for my interior that are unique. Again, I did these before there were aftermarket options readily available. And, I'd rather do it myself anyway!
The first is the door sills. I used sills from common mid-sized GM cars (late 70's to mid-80's). I found two types at the junk yard. One was very wide and had a highly sculptured profile. However, the one I used is shown in the photo below. It is flat, 1 5/8" wide and 43" long. It came with the GM Fisher Body Napoleonic coach logo glued on but I took it off, drilled a small hole and epoxied brass Willys hat pins there.
(Click photo to enlarge)
Just cut to length and screw to the door sill over the carpet edge, as shown in the photo below.
(Click photo to enlarge)
Next, my heater is a restored Arvin accessory heater from my son's '36 Pontiac as shown in the photo below.
(Click photo to enlarge)
There were dozens of aftermarket designs of these since heaters were not standard factory items in the 30's and 40's. Arvin seems to have been the main supplier, but I have seen many others. The next 7 photos show a few of the designs, but there were many.
(Click photos to enlarge)
Most are fantastic art-deco designs and with a little paint and chrome, are real eye catchers. Regardless of style, they are all built the same. A steel shell, a brass core and a 6v blower motor. Have the core reconditioned at a radiator shop; paint, chrome, or powder coat the shell, and chrome the trim. The motors are usually fine and can be used on a 12v system by installing a 1ohm, 10w resistor in series with one lead. You can still buy 3 speed heater blower motor switches at the auto parts stores. The photo below shows the common construction; comes apart with a few screws.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The item I am most proud of is my gear shifter. I used the unit from a Mustang II. They are self contained and all it takes is a rectangular hole in the floor and 4 screws to mount them, as shown in the photo below.
(Click photo to enlarge)
I welded and filed the shift gate to match the '55 4-speed dual range hydramatic tranny. The photo below shows the push button T handle that isn't hot rod. I got the idea for the following conversion from a rodding magazine but I added an important piece. The knob comes off with an Allen wrench.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the little drift pin and parts for the pushbutton gate actuating mechanism that are removed and discarded. The cable and ball are used in the new design.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the parts necessary for the conversion.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the piece I added to the design and is necessary to keep the tip of the MII shift arm from collapsing and loosening the extension.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the custom made stub shaft (snug but slides easily in the stainless tube) installed on the cable. A light tug on this with the shift knob disengages the handle from the detent gate.
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the stainless tube slipped over the stub shaft ready for the knob. The stainless tube is a firm press fit on the MII shaft end. Like it was made for it!
(Click photo to enlarge)
The photo below shows the finished installation. Looks like a manual tranny shifter but all I need to do is pull up on the "8-ball" knob and I can shift my automatic thru the gears. Note the nifty MII emergency brake handle and the home made boots and boot plate. My upholsterer made the boots and I made the plate from 3/16" aluminum plate and screwed it down with chrome plated Allen screws. The MII brake lever is a self contained unit like the shifter, bolts easily to the floor and comes in a variety of styles: chrome, black rubber, wood grain. The photo shows these components mocked up on my floor boards. The firewall side of the upright board is covered with a sheet of 1/8" aluminum with 5/16" flat head Allen bolts for a substantial look and the floor board is covered in Formica on the bottom.
(Click photo to enlarge)
Click here for Part 9: Water Pump
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