gearbox tunnel fabrication

ferny Club Retro Rides Member Posts: 984 Club RR Member Number: 13	gearbox tunnel fabrication ferny @ferny Club Retro Rides Member 13
	Jun 30, 2014 7:42:54 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I thought I'd throw this out as I know some of you have played around with this sort of thing so I'm hoping to tap into your experiences. Although I'm quite happy to drive around without a gearbox tunnel cover I suspect passengers and men in nipple hats may not look upon it too kindly, so I've got to make one and after painting the floorpan seems an ideal time... I'm going through my options and I'm wondering which would be the best. It'll still be removable with access holes for speedo cable and oil. The bulkhead is pre-'62 Herald, so not Vitesse shaped, needs to be longer and the gear stick is in a different place as is the handbrake and seats which could have a bearing on things. pro - already the correct shape for the bulkhead, already has a hole in it, would simply need cutting and extending with fibreglass, cheapest option con - tatty, impregnated in oil, already 50+ years old (probably), weak, may need a tweak where it finishes/handbrake/seats, might end up falling apart and a load of poop pro - already the correct shape for the bulkhead, already has a hole in it, would simply need cutting and extending with fibreglass, strong con - not cheap (£45 +extra money for parts and delivery), may need a tweak where it finishes/handbrake/seats pro - strong, can be welded to the body tub if I choose, cheap (£30ish worth of metal, probably), can be any shape I choose con - will take a lot of time and patience, will require insulation to stop noise pro - quick, easy, can be any shape I want, similar cost to steel, effectively pre-insulated by the wood, sounds like a laugh to make, strong con - messy, potential fire hazard but I'm not so sure as if it were then my plastic bag of lambs wool I had before would have caught fire? pro - light, can be any shape I want con - messy, more awkward than using the plywood if I use duct tape as a buck or summit and if I make it plywood form to base it on why not leave it there Thoughts? I do like the idea of making one out of plywood then lashings of fibreglass over the top, but I've not seen that done before and there must be a reason.
	Last Edit: Jun 30, 2014 7:44:18 GMT by ferny 1968 Triumph Herald - 1964 Triumph 2000 - 1982 Triumph Acclaim - ~~1991 Mazda MX5~~ blueyedmuffin.co.uk

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MrSpeedy East Midlands www.vintagediesels.co.uk Posts: 4,786	gearbox tunnel fabrication MrSpeedy @mrspeedy
	Jul 4, 2014 16:24:11 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Having done something similar a couple of times, for the Vitesse I opted for the new fibreglass option and modified that. Simply cut the back out of it and fabricated a simple aluminium extension that was self tapping screwed into place (soon to be replaced with RivNuts) and then Gaffa taped to seal up For me, it was a no brainer. A steel one would be a fair bit more weight. Welding in is a big no no for me. Access from underneath is pretty poor at best. If and when you need to remove the box/clutch, you would really regret it if you welded in the tunnel. Starting from scratch seemed pointless. I built one out of 6mm marine ply for my Sprintfire years ago, but that never got used much! lol One thing tho, make it as good a fit as you can. It's surprising how much heat can come through the smallest of gaps and just how much air/fumes gets pushed through at speed. Invest in some good quality heat reflecting material to line it with
	Last Edit: Jul 4, 2014 16:24:59 GMT by MrSpeedy 1969 Triumph Vitesse WIP retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=62127 1962 Ford Thames 400E Turbo diesel retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=62145 1993 Mercedes S124 300TD

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composimmonite Posted a lot Posts: 4,681	gearbox tunnel fabrication composimmonite @composimmonite
	Jul 4, 2014 17:34:38 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Why not wrap gearbox in bubble wrap then drape an old sheet or blanket over the shape. Pour and work in fibreglass resin then leave to go off. Later lay up a couple of layers of matting. Paul H


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Deleted Posts: 0	gearbox tunnel fabricationDeleted @Deleted
	Jul 6, 2014 21:26:57 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	I Like Pauls idea of making a GRP one but if you haven't worked with the fibreglass before it is messy and time consuming so I'm going to suggest buying the GRP one and modifying it. I have just made one for a Spitfire using an old Dolomite one which was fair amount of work and looks great now its hidden by the carpet.


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