Exhausted! Custom Exhaust How-To

When I wrote my 2010 Car Project Wish List, Get a new exhaust system on was top priority. I’m glad to report that this past week I tackled the first item on my list! I certainly can’t take the credit on this one, because I had a lot of help! B&C Industries down in Anaheim put their skill and expertise to work in crafting a top quality custom exhaust system for Studebaker, along with tons of help from Matt over at Department of Customz also.

As I’d previously explained Stude’s exhaust:

The pipes that went on my car were originally shaped for a different model Studebaker. This means I’ve got an ugly exhaust system taking a good 6” under my car’s profile – yuck! It’s also taken a good beating on the asphalt because of that, which has resulted in both mufflers been torn open! Take that and worn out Hooker headers and you’ve got crazy noise and a less-than-healthy exhaust system.

“Less-than-healthy” is an understatement. We’re talking nearly-unbearable noise, exhaust fumes pouring into the passenger area, and a slight embarrassment anytime I drove anywhere “car people” would be. (It sounded so bad that even a panhandler told me to “keep my change for Mr.Muffler-man”!!!) In short, I was exhausted.

Looking at these few pictures should give you at least a little bit of an idea of what I’d been living with the past three years that Stude’s been on the road. The entire system was just kinda pieced together very haphazardly. This only added to the numerous other holes in the system. And then combine that to tons of miles and bumps passed out on the road and you’ve got one ugly picture.

I can best describe the change in my hot rod since the new exhaust system was put in by saying its like Stude’s got a new pair of lungs. She has much more power and response. I’m no longer left coughing in the driver’s seat from the fumes. And oh my gosh, does she sound amazing! Amazing! I knew that a new exhaust system was going to make a big difference, but I think my expectations for improvement were far exceeded!

I’m excited to bring you all the info in an Exhaust 101 article coming soon. I’ll share not only what I learned about exhaust but I’ll also go through the process of custom-making a new system for my car. All the way down to the actual making of headers and making of a muffler. It’s not many a car enthusiast that gets to be this involved in the process!

I couldn’t be more impressed with the work and quality that goes into the exhaust components crafted by B&C Industries. I’m excited to show you what I got to be a part of in creating one darn nice custom hot rod exhaust for Stude – and of course there’ll be a brag-video so you can hear it all in action! Check back soon, and until then, happy trails!

B & C Industries

538 E Central Park Avenue South
Anaheim, CA 92802-1472
(714) 635-3622

bcindustriesinc.com

1955 Chevy Gasser spotted at Lowes Parking Lot

So, February in Utah isn’t a great time to bust out the street driven Gasser, you’d think, but the owner of this ’55 Gasser called “Hemi Hunter” gets a big high 5 for doing just that.  Of course, it is the warmest day since November 22, it was a balmy 46.  Ha ha  I’ve got no info except for the pics I took.  But its a gorgeous example of an early 60′s Gasser built to run on the street.

This car was immaculate!  Cherry black paint, all the correct Gasser mods, like radiused rear fender, bumperless, big long tube headers, no front fender wells to block the headers and straight front axle.  Those keystone mags set the car off nicely as well.  Rad!!!

“Hemi Hunter” is right, that’s what a 502ci big block will get ya.

Love the gold lettering.  Period correct and Rad!

Super clean, that’s the word that comes to mind.  I dig the scoop sittin’ under the vette hood bulge.

That paint is reflecting everything.  Wow!  Dig that vette hood bulge/scoop and big street meats in the rear!

I dig the white steering wheel and white accents.  That interior is so clean!  There’s that word again, CLEAN.

…and one more pic for your hot rod enjoyment.

So, all in all, an amazing find for a Saturday morning in February.  If you own this ride, comment below and help us with the info and history of this car.

Is that “Barnes and Sperry” name a tribute or is this the same car from back in the day?  See this link to Gasser Madness website and let me know if you guys think this is the same car?

Car Interior 102 – Rebuilding Your Seats

Looking at this picture now, I can no longer imagine my original plans were to simply slap some seat covers on and call it a day. I changed my mind when I realized these ol’ seats had been rat-infested and that the majority of my time spent with my car would be sitting in the driver’s seat! Making over my car’s interior was one of the first jobs I tackled alone on my 1955 Studebaker. Whenever I open the door and sit on my plush and sturdy bench seat, I’m thankful that I took the time.

This article is just one of an entire series focusing on how-to rebuild your car’s interior yourself, next up will be Car Interior 103 – Auto Upholstery. Before we get to upholstering, let’s make sure you’ve got a good foundation to put that pretty new fabric on. Following the steps below will get ya ready to ride in style and comfort!

1.) Pull the seats out of your car.

You can’t very well work on those seats while they’re still inside the car! This job is easiest when you’ve got plenty of room to work. Having a friend to help with the lifting is a big bonus too!

Most every seat is going to made a differently, so spend some time observing how yours are put together. In my car, I have to slide out the bottom seat parts before being able to unbolt the frames of the upper seat parts.

2.) If the car floor needs any work, now’s the time to do it.

If you have any floorboard holes or weaknesses, this is the step where you’d want to get them taken care of. You’ll also want to clean it and I would really suggest adding a noise-dampener layer as well.

First I vacuumed and mopped up debris then followed with a good degreaser such as Purple Power. To stop a small amount of rust that had began, I used a rust-stop chemical. Then I was ready to apply the noise-dampener. There are many different noise/temperature protectors to choose from ranging from brush on (like I used) to cut & tape. These vary in price and quality, so now what your needs are and look around.

3.) Strip the seats down to the frame.

It’s demolition time. I found it helpful to take pictures along the way – so when I got curious about how something was originally put together later on during this process, I had hard proof of it!

First I tore apart the original upholstery and unlayered the levels of padding. If your upholstery is in good enough shape to use as patterns for next time, be very careful in handling it. Keep all upholstery in solid pieces, using small scissors or a seam ripper to separate each piece. When all this is finished you should have a bare metal frame with springs and other foundational elements attached (many cars may have some sort of burlap/jute underlayer also.)

4.) Do necessary mending to seat frame.

I didn’t have any problems with my seat frame in its original condition, so you’ll have to be the judge on your project. However, if springs appear to be out of place or there is excessive rust, you’ll need to do some work on that before refoaming. Sometimes springs can just be re-wired back into the correct position. Other times you may need to replace a spring – or perhaps the entire seat.

If you’re putting a different seat into your ride, be sure to take very good measurements. It needs to fit inside (with doors closed) and put you at the correct ride-height when driving.

5.) Get your foam ready.

As much as I can tell, everybody uses foam material to build seats with nowadays. The stuff that was on my seats originally was a small layer of foam with a larger layer of cottony stuff on top…but to replace it I used only foam. This can be purchased at a car upholstery supply shop. I was able to find one within 20-miles of my house by checking internet listings.

Bring a picture of your project along with you, so the people working in the shop can best advise you on what materials you’ll need. Or, like my friend Luis said, discuss your project with a professional car-interior person and they’ll probably have tips, suggestions, and resources for you. (For example, MyRideisMe member MikeyBigBlock has offered to answer upholstery questions!)

The supply shop I went to advised I use 2-layers of thick foam (although 1 probably would’ve worked better) covered with 1-layer of thinner, less dense foam.

6.) Rebuild your seats with the new foam.

Paying attention to where padding was at on your seats when you took them apart, reapply the new foam. On my seat-bottoms I used 2 layers of thick foam – using upholstery glue to hold them together (although don’t depend on the glue to hold.) The upper-seats only got one layer of thinner foam. This foam needed to be wrapped around the top and sides on my seats. I made this work by cutting a triangle shape out of the foam at the top corners. Remember that ultimately it’s the upholstery that is going to keep everything in its proper place.

When all the foam was on, I used a razor blade to round off the front bench seats edges. Take great care in ensuring that the foam is smooth in all areas. If there’s a bump or ledge anywhere, it’s not going to disappear when you put upholstery over it!

7.) If you haven’t already done it, choose your fabrics and get ready to upholster!

There is a lot of variety in car interiors. If you need any help planning out what color scheme or look to give your car interior – take a look around at various cars interior’s during your next car show. They range from single, solid color to fancy patterns and more.

I’ll be talking more about choosing your fabrics and upholstering your seats in my next article, Car Interior 103 – Auto Upholstery. If you have any questions or suggestions, leave a comment below…until then, good luck and happy trails!

Car Interior 101- Redoing a Classic Car

Happy 2010!! Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get down to business! And for Grease Girl that means giving you more of what I originally set out for…to help the beginning car person get involved in the garage! While I hope my Studebaker wish list will provide the topics for some great how-to articles over the coming months, I’ve got a few tech how-to’s up my sleeve already.

Next to mechanics, paint is priority for most. However its my opinion that interior is more important, particularly if its a daily driver. Far more hours are spent sitting on the inside than viewing the paint outside, right!?! So what better place to start this year off than with the very first job I tackled on my Studebaker – the interior!

Get ready for a whole series of articles this month on redoing your classic car’s interior. Before jumping in, I thought I’d start with a few tips from a pro. Luis Loyola was kind enough to have me over to his shop, Loyola Auto Interiors, and share with us some terrific expert advice.

So sit down, relax, and get ready to get to work!

Salt Flats Speed Shop: Traditional Hot Rod Builder

Salt Flats Speed Shop in Orem, Utah is run by Chris Davenport, a metal fabrication and finishing craftsman and hot rod builder who is dedicated to building 1930′s traditional hot rods.  Chris has been in business officially for about 2 years now and is attracting more and more customers as the word gets out about his affordable, high quality craftsmanship.

“Need a Chop, a roof insert, fender, or a quarter panel? Well you’ve come to the right place. We’ll fix all your cars issues, and have it looking as good in “bare metal” as it did when it was made.”

Chris (in the white shirt) showing us around his shop in Orem.  This is a customers 3 window coupe with suicide doors.  We dropped in on Chris Thanksgiving week.  He willingly took an hour or more to give us the full shop tour.  He explained all his tools, showed us all his projects and talked shop.  I could tell Chris is passionate about hot rods!

I had emailed Chris letting him know that a friend and I wanted to drop in and check out his shop.  My friend, Gary, has a 1928 Model A Pickup of his own and found Salt Flats Speed Shop on the Jalopy Journal forums, which is where I originally spotted Chris’ handy work as well.

I checked out Chris’ website saltflatsspeedshop.com and was amazed at the craftsmanship and skill involved in the metal repair and custom fabrication I saw in his projects page.

Chris is building his own Salt Flats Speed Shop 1932 Model A Tudor Sedan to show off what he can do.  Please take a few minutes to see his detailed H.A.M.B. ’32 Tudor build thread.  My favorite project at the shop was Chris’ ’32 Tudor.  If you’re subscribed to the build thread like me, you’ll know that he’s planning on taking the car to Speedweek 2010 and actually racing on the Salt.  Chris has period correct frame and body modifications underway, including a 4.5″ to 5.5″ chop top (amount of chop not totally decided), a ’32 pickup grille, schroeder steering box, ’40 Ford steelies with dirtrack Firestones and a hot 8 BA Flathead V8 with a race cam, Edelbrock heads, an Offy 2 carb intake setup and 5 speed behind it (hey, might as well take advantage of modern tech’ for better mpg and driveability).

To build an old school hot rod, you gotta have old school metal working tools.  Let’s take a peek at Salt Flats Speed Shop’s tools of the trade shall we…

Here are just some of the metal working tools used to perform any number of repairs or fabrication.  Close up of an English Wheel (used to put a crown in a door skin or roof insert), standard millin/drilling station and a Lenox Nibbler (Louvers, shrinking and shearing and beads).

I liked this shelf hanging on the wall full of rolling dies in many shapes and sizes.  Chris said he can replicate any body line from the 20′s, 30′s and 40′s with his equipment.

Chris is doing some restoration and repair (R&R ha ha) on a friends Porsche project.  Cool rotissiere stand!  Chris made that too!  Obviously!

Here’s a look from one end of the shop to the other to get a look at some of the project cars.  You’ve got the 32 Tudor, a 3 window coupe, the Porsche, the aluminum 1940 Willy’s (that’s right, aluminum) and another 3 window coupe.  So cool!  Lots of bare metal in this shop!

I believe most of these are spoken for, but that is a nice collection of Model A Pickup cabs ready to be turned into hot rods.

This last picture is cool.  A closeup of the die set on that Lenox Nibbler that will do wonders with a flat sheet of steel.

So there you have a quick glance at Salt Flats Speed Shop.  Check out their website and 32 Tudor build thread.  I hope to bring more of the ’32 Tudor to MyRideisMe.com in 2010.

Go and visit  theSalt Flats Speed Shop Website

Hechtspeed

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