Project Austin street gasser.

[1946Austin]

Looks great. Sweet ride.

Thanks! Just a few little tweaks to get it where I want it now.

[1_slo_gen_2]

Totally perfect. Well done sir!

[1946Austin]

Totally perfect. Well done sir!

Thank you 1 slo gen 2!

[1946Austin]

Ever since I put the new cam in I've basically had almost no brakes! They felt like typical power brakes do when the engine is off. I was afraid the new cam might be too long a duration and create a low vacuum situation, and it did. I tried a vacuum reservoir, but that didn't help.
So today I decided to do something about it. I pulled the Subaru master and removed the power booster. Then I gutted the booster to get the adjustable rod off the back, and the round tipped rod to the master off the front.
I was going to bolt the master to the firewall, but the master and pedal assembly have different patterns on each side of the booster, plus I'd have to rework the brake lines to get them to fit again. Instead I went to the metal yard and got a piece of heavy wall 5"x5" box tubing and cut a couple inches out of the middle of it. After that I welded it back together and made a template for each side to match the firewall and master cylinder. Used a hole saw to open a large hole in the center on each side, then cut the bottom edge at an angle to make better clearance for pulling the valve covers. Once I had things mocked up I measured the distance on the rod and welded a section in the middle to make up what I lost with the power booster gone. This keeps the adjustable rod for pedal height, which is always a good thing to have.
A little paint and some stainless steel hardware and it's back in place. Brakes work great as a manual system, and the pedal ratio is 6 to 1 so shouldn't have to exert a bunch of pressure to lock things up in a panic stop!

[1946Austin]

Built a small aluminum cover to hide all the bolts inside the new bracket. Just something simple to cover things and dress it a bit:


We've got our first run this Sunday, so it will get a short trip to the get together.

[SuperBuickGuy]

you going to have it at the Roadster show this year?

[1946Austin]

you going to have it at the Roadster show this year?

I wanted to put it in, but deadline for entry registration is Feb. 15th, and I was still assembling it at that point, so couldn't send pics for pre approval by the board. I had it in there last year when it was barely streetable, and it looked like a barn find. Had quite a few people fooled into thinking it was an old 60's gasser that I'd found and cleaned up for the show, even though I had pictures and story of the build right beside the car. Seems car guys don't read, they just looked at the pictures and assumed they were old build pictures too.
Had the Austin out for it's first run since the engine and bodywork, and a friend wanted me to take him for a spin so he could video it. Should have warmed it up first, as it's really cold blooded with no choke, but here's a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_jPGnVtz0w

[1946Austin]

The Harwood buckets have proven to not be good for much more than 1/4 mile drives! Very uncomfortable after an hour drive, and probably because of the 1/2" padding. I liked the look, but since I plan to drive it a lot they have to go.


I'm going with CJ5 seats, as they're very narrow and at 19" wide will fit my narrow 42" cab.

[1946Austin]

Spent the day today removing the old racing buckets and then seeing what it would take to install the CJ5 buckets. Put about 5" of wood under the frames and it's close, but needs another inch or so in back, and probably 2" in front to get the correct seat angle.
Once I had things close I cut a bunch of 1.75" box tubing I had in the scrap bin, and tacked it together. Drilled the mounting pattern and bolted them to the seats for a tet fit prior to final welding. The bases are wider than the old ones, and sit too close to the tunnel, so had to make the base on the tunnel side of the floor offset in 1.5" to clear the tunnel. Refitted them with the offset and they looked good to go. Did a test sitting, and they feel right for height, so went ahead and welded them up.
Tomorrow I'll finish painting the frames and then drill new mounting holes. My radio was under the old seats in an aluminum plate I fabbed, so still need to figure how to mount it again under the new seats.

[1946Austin]

Got the frames installed and bolted the new seats in. Relocated the lap belts and shoulder harnesses, which work much better with the new seats and frames. 2" of snow today, so no trips around the block to see how the seats feel, but a trial in the garage tells me they'll be much more comfortable!