Daily Driver Raunch Wagon

[gasman826]

One '57 has '75 Lincoln booster and the other has '97 Mustang GT booster.  The Lincoln bolt pattern was a bolt in.  The Mustang had an angled mount.  The boosters are universal with an adopter plate.  The Mustang booster adapter was pitched and I made one out of 1/4" flat steel.  I cut the pedal rod, cut threads and screwed on a hiems joint to bolt to the OEM brake pedal.

PIC 1:  adapter plate using OEM bolts in OEM place on top and studs in the adapter plate in the bottom OEM holes
PIC 2:  hiems joint attached to the brake pedal

[gasman826]

Lincoln booster was easier and cheaper due to SAE hose fittings.  Mustang is metric...easier if using metric PS pump and steering gear.

[RICH MUISE]

My booster had a pushrod with an eyebolt type end, so I'm wondering if your's did as well and if you cut it off and threaded the end to accept the heims joint. I tried doing that but was not successful as I couldn't hold the rod tight enough with vise grips to keep it from turning while I was trying to run a die down over it. Is there a better way? Is that pushrod removable somehow without disassembling the complete booster?

[fdlrc]

GREAT INFO! I saw the Mustang GT booster mentioned in another thread but this gives more options.

[gasman826]

The interior is gutted right now to insulate for A/C(including pedal support and booster).  I'll take more pictures. 

[gasman826]

Floors repaired, one outer rocker, AC modifications, and a couple coats of Lizard Skin ceramic.

[fdlrc]

Does Lizard Skin do away with the need to use products like Dyna-Mat? I see they have ceramic coating and sound deadner, and you can apply one over the other. Will you still use a fire wall covering?

[Ford Blue blood]

Gary is that "real" lizard skin or home made? 

I ask because there was an article a few years ago on a hot rod site that showed how to make your own.

[gasman826]

I have two cars with Lizard Skin ceramic for thermal break sprayed on both sides of the floors and firewall.  I have not yet used sound spray.  One interior was completely coated with DynaMat.  I did not like the DynaMat product because it was black.  I like keeping interior lightly colored because it is so much easier to see.  Lizard Skin ceramic comes in two colors.  I use white (PIC) for interior and I will spray the black version on the underside and firewall.  Lizard Skin is easier to install, thinner, much cheaper and much lighter than the butyl materials.  As of yet, Lizard Skin sound is not offered in white so I will be lining the interior with Z-Mat (Eastwood).  Z-Mat is offered with bright foil backing. 

The floors and firewall will be covered on both sides with Lizard Skin and Z-Mat on the interior but no OEM, firewall pad.

I use the trademark Lizard Skin stuff.  It seems expensive but is much cheaper than DynaMat or Z-Mat and much lighter.  I'm sure there are other products...I just have no experience with them.

PIC 1 = the Custom with black Lizard Skin ceramic, top coated with white primer, and covered with black foil DynaMat (the black just sucks the light right up)
PIC 2 = another PIC with black Lizard Skin covered with white primer(all covered later with DynaMat)
PIC 3 = more DynaMat coverage

[gasman826]

Since the Raunch Wagon is a 'work in progress' and will never be a frame-off rebuild, I have to draw a line and stop at some point if for no other reason than winter is only so long and I have to get everything back together for spring.  I will never do another frame-off build  for many reasons but one is that I won't live that long.  Since the Custom is a frame-off and has been for ten years and still counting, I bought the Raunch Wagon as a driver and a mule to use up all the spare '57 parts.  The goal for the wagon is for me to be a steward and keep it for the next generation.  Every winter I select mini projects that I pick from a list that I can complete by spring.  My intention is to drive all summer without opening the hood.
That being said, the Custom had every seam (new and old) rust treated and sealed.  Using new car materials, all crevices and pillars were filled with pillar foam for sound, temperature, and strength.  Since the wagon is a partial project, the roof seams were not rust treated and sealed.  There will be condensation to be drained and future rust repair so it is not time for pillar foam.

PIC = Custom with Lizard Skin ceramic interior and exterior.  The interior is top coated with white primer and the exterior is top coated with tintable bed liner.

[fdlrc]

Very interesting, thank you for the info. I need to ask, is pillar foam some sort of high expansion foam? Is it different than the stuff we use in the house?

[gasman826]

The manufacturers use a high density, non-water absorbing foam to strengthen and insulate hollow channels in the body such as the pillars but also in doors and roof bows.  The 3M or SEM versions are denser and much more expensive than Great Stuff at Lowes.

I just spent the afternoon in the shop.  It reminded me of a couple of things I had forgotten.  Cutting and sealing seams on butyl sheets is slow, tedious, hard work.  I should have sprayed the Lizard Skin sound insulation.  The second thing is that nothing sticks well to the Lizard Skin's textured surface which includes butyl.

[gasman826]

X-Mat (Eastwood) is in.  Tack strips on the 'A' pillar.  AC box with plumbing mounded and wired.  Black Lizard Skin ceramic on the bottom.

[gasman826]

As promised, a couple PICs of tack strip.

[gasman826]

fresh coats of Lizard Skin on the bottom