H- body Firewalls with out motor and acc's

[MIKESMONZA]

I was wondering if any of you Members with Pictures of firewalls with out motors and accesorrys,,,,Would post ,,and leave descritions ,Make and model ,and course of your handy work. If modified leave descriptions also.
I am also working on swaping a latermodel A/C unit in my 75 V8 with A/C Monza car and with parts from a 77 and up and could look at details like the HVAC holes below the cowl, The Vega/Astre firewalls would help others also in seeing the differances in 71 thru 77 models My self included have seen Improvements and with Motors in the way of improvement's not seen,
Also engine compartment side's I learned a lot from PeterPans re-weld of his inner fender panels by adding a little more where the factory left off and increasing the strenght of the front end.Thank's ahead .,,,,Mike

[TopNX75]

Hi Mike,


Hope these help...

The front hoops were tied directly to what was left of the inners. This way the sotck control arms could be retained and attached as factory. A U-shape was also added to the firewall for more distributor room...

See below!

[MIKESMONZA]

That was a Awesome set of Modifications and sheetmetal technique's.,,, Plus the front halved reinforcement for the front suspension and coresuport tied into your roll cage set up.
The new core support looks great also This should get some reply's as well. Mike Thanks for the reply.

[bugdewde]

Here's my '72 Vega that has been modified to accept a later model Monza HVAC system. I only got the heater working and never completed the A/C parts.
The fire wall was cut to fit the lines of the A/C evap that went through the firewall and there was a firewall plate that covered this whole area that the outside components bolted to.
I bought the car this way.... it was done to fit the Buick V8.

[MIKESMONZA]

Dwight;,,,, Yours is a complete contrast,,,with the Buick V8 Swap mounts but showing it and explaining the Modification,
with a Later model A/C install and sheet metal modification into the h-body Vega firewall is a great display of what it looks like before paint,
and the sheet metal cover make's that hole disapear!,,Mike

[monzamess]

Here's my 80 Monza 4-cyl with no A/C after some cleanup and paint:





(not the best pictures, hard to make out details)

[MIKESMONZA]

Thank's that will be a lot Like my picture's
I used a "Hy Gloss" black after,, a De' Greasing Wash and ruff up with a 3-M Abasive cloth,,
I Had to add extra work light under car to install the motor, on the darkness,,, it sucked the "light" out of the Garage and was still shiny ennough to blind you Nice picture of the use of plastic drop cloth shoved into the HVAC Hole Thank's Mike

[peterpan]

these are of my 72 before during welding and after primer and paint

[MIKESMONZA]

PeterPan's engine compartment is the great example of the added weld's needed in most h-bodys reconstruction, The factory welds are good for mostly the original Equipment,,If the welds are still in place and tied in to the base metal with out Gap's, Crack's and Stretch at Side's.
But need to be looked at and re-welded ,, if previously Hot -Rod'ed , or jumped over something with out your consent.

But adding a little insurance "weld" it is beter while you have it apart, And never look back at what you could,
have done to make it stronger later.,,,,Nice pictures,, also show's a lot of Skill.

I am not "critiqueing" any bodys post and pictures,

But this is way better to show the modifications that can be done,and every body has something to add.Thanks Mike

[peterpan]

i did every thing i could think of or that i heard about at the time to make my car as strong as i could with the stock body

and i'm glad i did as i now want to put a 396 in it


my car was still pretty solid but i didn't want to have any problems with it later on

more pictures of what i did can be seen in my garage or my project thread titled peterpans 72 vega

thanks i am very proud of the work i have done on my 72 vega it is by far the jewel of my h-body collection

[MIKESMONZA]

Any body have the Sanderson Header Modification,,, To the passenger side upper controll arm closest to firewall on the engine compartment side ???
Cut,,,,,Notch and Weld.,,,,It help's when making clearance for Headers and Engine Install,,, and repair's Later.,,,
Shot's from side and top and from coresuport toward's firewall ,Mike

[AusRs]

one thing i noticed when i was doing my Monza is cracking around the steering box mount easy enough with everything removed from the car to fix BUT make sure you look for it

[T-FATTY]

Any body have the Sanderson Header Modification,,, To the passenger side upper controll arm closest to firewall on the engine compartment side ???
Cut,,,,,Notch and Weld.,,,,It help's when making clearance for Headers and Engine Install,,, and repair's Later.,,,
Shot's from side and top and from coresuport toward's firewall ,Mike

Mine went in/on with no mods to that area - 1972 Vega with sbc.
My V8 parts car had mods to that area [BFH] with Doug Thoury headers when i bought it.

[BillPappy]

Im useing the Sanderson Headers no Modification was needed. 1980 sunbird

[MIKESMONZA]

On MY 75 Monza V8 with Sanderson's I also had plenty of Clearance,,with out the modification,,1/4 inch,,,away
But it was safer to do it early''''
may be the outer most tube cleared the uppper control arm mount with extra room,,,
to lay the header un bolted,,,, away from the head for removing and changing the large starter from below,,

Then there might be a chance its also increases the engine "Torque Twist clearance",,,
,,,,with extra non contact clearace to body to header with side motormount's on the other h-Body's,,,,

,,,, Not experanced with front engine Mount's I.E. (Alluminum Plate) like Most early h-body's,,,,,,Mike