Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas

by driveit Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:04 pm

Always wanted to clean up the engine bay and smooth the firewall, but did not want to loose my wipers or heater.

1. Anyone have any tips or pics of this being done?

2. Heard that there may be a way to reverse mount these so that they are on the inside of the car under the dash. Any truth to this?

Thanks and God bless,
Chris

by Joe73 Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:45 pm

I dont think you'll be able to do it with the wiper motor. The area behind the wiper motor is empty and the linkage is in there.

by driveit Tue Apr 02, 2013 8:56 am

Anyone have any tips at all on this subject at all?

I have been toying with the idea of making a panel to hide everything bolted or protruding from the firewall and fitting it around the engine.

All comments are appreciated!

by jerry46765 Tue Apr 02, 2013 11:24 am

Get a copy of the latest street rodder magazine. There are a number of companies making compact heat/cool systems, southern air, hypercool, restomod air, and others. I can't find the ad, but someone also makes a cable driven wiper motor for street rods. It could be mounted anywhere.

If you are going to have heat/cool, you will have stuff going through the firewall. Keep in mind, some of this stuff is crazy money. Unless you are building a show circuit car, which then you don't need heat/cool, I'm not sure there would be much upside, and proabably won't be as sorted as oem stuff. Plus, if you have ever driven a car without heat in a mild climate, no defrost really sucks. Where does it end, you could hide the brake booster/master cylinder too.

At 60mph, you don't really notice that stuff hanging on the firewall...

by Brainstain Tue Apr 02, 2013 1:41 pm

If you're gonna smooth out the heat/ac you usually only drive it when it's nice. Therefore you don't really need the wipers. Smooth those off too.

by Bruisr Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:06 pm

Even with the a/c, heater, and wipers gone, the firewall has so many different "elevations" and "depressions" I found it hard to do using a single piece of material. I finally decided to give up on the idea. I don't know how to work sheetmetal and figured the results weren't worth the effort. But, I think the idea is a good one, just beyond my capabilities.

by driveit Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:49 am

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I plan to drive this thing as much as possible once I put it on a gas guzzling diet and I live in Kentucky so the weather is like a rollercoaster with its ups and downs in temperature. So I will need that heater and those wipers. Just want to make things look a bit nicer.

Thanks again and God bless,
Chris

by driveit Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:36 am

Looking over an awesome thread that I follow over at Pro-Touring.com I found a few good pics of how this guy cleaned up his firewall. I just noticed that he has no heat though. I need heat and want to add ac soon. Looks really nice though.

http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/83706-1973-Pontiac-Grand-Am-LS7-Swap/page1

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas <img src=

www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=57065&d=1332570400" />
Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas <img src=

www.pro-touring.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=57066&d=1332570401" />
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Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas Pic210

If anyone has any other ideas, photos or anything to add please do.

by 74Malibu383 Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:43 am

Weld up all the holes, do some body work, and install vintage air w/bulk head fitting.
Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas 2012-019

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas 2012-020

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by driveit Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:23 pm

i like that one!

by Oldschool454 Wed Aug 06, 2014 3:06 pm

I have a smooth firewall and no heat/ac. Driving in mildly cold temps is ok because the engine heat comes through the firewall and fender/fiberglass doors. It keeps me cozy. lol

by Mcarlo77 Wed Aug 06, 2014 3:24 pm

The noticeable difference on 74Malibu383's firewall is that it actually looks like it could have come from the factory that way (very nice job, btw!). The first car's firewall looks like he slapped some rather poor fitting sheet metal on it. Guess that would be fine if you were going for the circle track car look. Just my opinion...

by Oldschool454 Wed Aug 06, 2014 3:29 pm

Mcarlo77 wrote:The noticeable difference on 74Malibu383's firewall is that it actually looks like it could have come from the factory that way (very nice job, btw!). The first car's firewall looks like he slapped some rather poor fitting sheet metal on it. Guess that would be fine if you were going for the circle track car look. Just my opinion...

I like the circle track car look. lol

by driveit Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:39 pm

Oldschool454 wrote:
Mcarlo77 wrote:The noticeable difference on 74Malibu383's firewall is that it actually looks like it could have come from the factory that way (very nice job, btw!). The first car's firewall looks like he slapped some rather poor fitting sheet metal on it. Guess that would be fine if you were going for the circle track car look. Just my opinion...
I like the circle track car look. lol

Me too!

by Oldschool454 Wed Aug 06, 2014 5:19 pm

And having had my car apart to that point I know how tough the contours of the firewall are to work with, unless you're a pretty good metal worker (guess I'm not. lol). I think that guy did a pretty nice job making it flat and cutting it to fit and especially making all those bends to accomodate the wiper motor and such. Or maybe I just have low standards... Hahah!

by driveit Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:04 pm

Oldschool454 wrote:And having had my car apart to that point I know how tough the contours of the firewall are to work with, unless you're a pretty good metal worker (guess I'm not. lol). I think that guy did a pretty nice job making it flat and cutting it to fit and especially making all those bends to accomodate the wiper motor and such. Or maybe I just have low standards... Hahah!

Got pics of yours?

by 77mali Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:15 pm

Mcarlo77 wrote:The noticeable difference on 74Malibu383's firewall is that it actually looks like it could have come from the factory that way (very nice job, btw!). The first car's firewall looks like he slapped some rather poor fitting sheet metal on it. Guess that would be fine if you were going for the circle track car look. Just my opinion...

I'm in total agreement there! I don't like the look of the totally flat firewalls with no contours at all ... but I hate my A/C & blower motor housing worse! Neutral

by Oldschool454 Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:07 pm

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas Dsc04111

I don't have any pics of making it but this is an older pic I found of it. To be honest it was just an easy cheap fix for not having any heat or a/c stuff or wipers. Just a sheet of aluminum I had laying around. Not anything show quality but good enough for a race car that gets driven on the street. lol

by Oldschool454 Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:14 pm

If you have the time and $ and want to do it the right way I would do what 74malibu383 did though. Especially if you want to keep the a/c like you were saying. But I know that's not within everyone's means of doing.

by 74Malibu383 Thu Aug 07, 2014 5:32 pm

Mcarlo77 wrote:The noticeable difference on 74Malibu383's firewall is that it actually looks like it could have come from the factory that way (very nice job, btw!). The first car's firewall looks like he slapped some rather poor fitting sheet metal on it. Guess that would be fine if you were going for the circle track car look. Just my opinion...

Thank you. And yes, it was a lot of work! Well worth it to me.

It's all a matter of opinion and to each their own. The "bolt on" look was not what I was going for, but it looks like he did a good job.

by orange Juiced Sat Aug 09, 2014 8:32 pm

Here's mine

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas 996

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas 997

by Oldschool454 Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:38 pm

Nice! Looks like you put a lot of time into that. Looks smooth

by pila Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:28 pm

The fire wall on my Elco project is hard to see ! But it's in there someplace ! Very Happy

I'm into function more than the show car thing I guess Very Happy

by driveit Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:08 pm

I am kinda somewhere in between. I am sure it will look really nice when I first get it done. I will shine it up from time to time and then I will drive it everywhere. Mud, snow, ice, gravel, dirt, salt, you name it. This car will get it. I just want to drive it.

I like all of these. Mine is mostly stock right now. I am not sure which route I will take. I know that I still want everything to work, so unless I can hide everything somewhere else mine won't be as slick as some of these. Keep the tips and pics coming.

by dynchel Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:30 pm

Firewall Smooth Info Questions and Ideas IMG_20140811_142557684_zpswfxuyl9l

A factory base model has a somewhat clean firewall. No a/c or brake booster. Years ago I figured this was a warm weather car so I didn't want the "ugly" heater hoses so I eliminated them also.

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