1957 Firewall Cover
1. Prepare your firewall by removing the front fenders, engine, transmission, brake components, hood, and any other brackets or items extending from the plane of the main firewall surface.
2. Remove all carpeting, padding and other flammable materials; including the wiring from inside the vehicle.
3. All ribs on either side of the master cylinder mount and on the passenger side must be flattened or cut out and replaced with a back-up plate. We sell a kit for this purpose made from 3/16” cold rolled steel.
4. Cut off the heater air box flange as needed to flatten the area into the same plane as the firewall base surface.
5. Leave one outboard rib on each side – all the other high points need to be trimmed flush and backed up as needed.
6. Use a sawsall, Makita type cutting blade, or plasma cutting equipment to remove material.
7. MIG or TIG welding is recommended.
8. Use a long straight edge across face of firewall to check for flatness – some hammer work is usually needed to take care of the high spots.
9. Tack weld in position and weld short sections to avoid warpage.
10. Take your time welding, moving side to side, then welding completely around the inside and outside. Making tack welds at the bottom is okay.
11. Use a 3M sealer to seal up all the unused holes and the bottom to prevent moisture from entering between the old and new firewall surfaces.
14. Leave steering column in position if possible or mark a reference to get the best fit at the firewall notch for the column.
1955 and 1956 Firewall Cover
1. Perpare firewall by removing or flattening out all raised surfaces, bracket tabs, and rib braces including the rib inboard of the master cylinder mounting position.
-To flatten the ribs,
Split the ribs down the middle vertically with a cutting disc or sawsall type tool.
Use a body hammer and dolly to flatten the area
Reweld in the middle where the cut was made
-To remove the ribs
Requires our Rib backup kit (sold seperately)
Cut along the edge of the rib as shown below17
You can use a hammer and dolly to flatten the corner areas down instead of remove them completely
Clamp the rib backup kit pieces behind the firewall in their appropriate locations and weld
Welding the Firewall Cover
1. Clean the paint, debris, and any other material away from the areas to be welded. Set the panels in place and mark around the edges to verify the contact area of the welds.
2. Install the driver's side first.
Adjust the panel by pivoting on the master cylinder studs to find the best fit. Every car is different so the holes are intentionally oversize slightly.
Use the hood hinge bolts and the master cylinder bolts to hold the panel in place. Don't over tighten to avoid distortion.
If you're using a clutch rod, heater holes, or any other stock holes, now is the time to cut them out of the panel and make them accessable before you go any further.
3. Tack weld around the edges roughly 2 inches apart while checking for flatness. It is not necessary to weld the bottom edges 100%. It can be sealed later with any vehicle grade body sealer.
4. Fit the passengers side panel.
It may overlap in the center/top area, just trim the excess carefully.
Use the same method as the drivers side
TO BE FINISHED AT A LATER DATE
-Earle Williams