Model A firewall

[ELpolacko]

We have a build going on here that the owner has let me use my creative talents on. Actually tough to do these days!

The stock firewall was not going to work with the 57 Olds engine even with moving the radiator forward three inches. Most guys build some sort of recess or flip the firewall around, but this build deserves so much more.

Since the car has a '32 Ford vibe going on I wanted a firewall that sort of fit the theme we had going on. One of my guys, Bob started by making some poster board patterns.





After the patterns were made we discussed how to bead roll it. We wanted a pattern similar to the '32 but a bit smaller and simpler to fit the simpler lines of the A. I had already done a bead rolled firewall on my fathers 37 Ford, by the time I was done closing the ends and flattening things out I could have made a stamping.

Dad's firewall:



Bob and I sketched a few things out on the layout pattern and I started drawing up the die to cut out on the CNC, weld it and punch it using my pressbrake.









This was the first test, it turned out very well but did rip the tight pointed ends a bit. The punch was softened a bit and a few more test pieces run before we ran through the real firewall.