Firewalls

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 13:13

Right I am cracking on with my mk1 now and getting all the front end steering and suspension off and painted up! I want toi drop the axle and get that all painted up too!

Anyway for some reason the previous owner of my car decided to cut out all the metal behind the seats and rear parcel shelf! I thought this was for strengthing the shell!?

Can i replace this with sheets of ally to make it a fire wall type job or does it need to be replaced and then covered over??

**Retromotorsport** · 09-08-2004, 13:26

How much has been cut away? As long as the outer shape is there you'll be ok, can you stick a pic up

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 13:36

I will have a lok and see what i have here, have deffo got on on the laptop though!!

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 13:39

Bugger i wiped them all off my memory key to copy some quality porn...... i mean work onto there!!

I will post up some pics tonight! How much needs to still be there?? Have you got any pics to see how much is meant to be left??

**mattmk1** · 09-08-2004, 13:46

one second, glad u bought this up, i have the same problem

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 14:21

Mine is cut back a lot more than that! See on the right hand side of the picture, just below the window there is that tear drop shape, mine is cut back to about there all the wat round!!

**mattmk1** · 09-08-2004, 14:29

im still trying to work out why anyone would just chop it all off in the first place

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 15:04

Well the guy i bought it off said it was going to get 5 linked which is why he cut it all out!?

No Idea mate to be honest it is a pain in the arse, as i just want to get on with it but things like this just set me back a bit more!

Won't even go into the bodge that someone did so that the cross member bolts up!! :grr

**Retromotorsport** · 09-08-2004, 16:48

ooo-eerrrr, mmmmm, well, errmmmm, personanally I would start fabricating a new top shelf, when the turrets go in they provide the sides. So you have some choices,, put the cover and the back seat in and make sure no one sits in there, find a new rear shelf, or get the card out and start making templates.you can see from the pic above where it has to go, and i would continue it down about 2" to give you a folded edge to aid strength.
Good Luck, Gary

**EscortDan** · 09-08-2004, 17:17

Ohhh dear!!

The thing is i don't have any back seats!!

lol this just gets better and better!!

Why oh why do people do such silly things!! Feck, arse, womens knickers!!!!

**M11rf** · 09-08-2004, 17:24

Mine was the same when i got it...
It was that bad i had to cut the lot out,,, yes everything apart from the boot hinge hangers...
Going to put a strut brace in the back just to tighten it back up...

**GP4** · 09-08-2004, 21:03

Must 'ave been the mutha of all sub-woofers.....

Si...

**mattmk1** · 09-08-2004, 22:29

LOL, very funny, makes me feel a whole lot better

I also have no rear seats - my car sounds very similar to 'escortdans' - perhaps they were bodged/hacked up/ ruined by the same person in a previous ownership

I too have no rear seat or parcel shelf, so i think ill just firewall the back end. Do you think theres enough metal left in my car just to firewall the bak and not have to rebuild the arcel shelf thing??
Also, if your firewalling the rear, how far would you normally extend the firewall out?? - would you just stick to the normal shape of the parcel shlf/seat back thing, or would you bring the firewall out further - to the rear seat mounts on the floor - cant remember 'proper' names!!

cheers

**Retromotorsport** · 10-08-2004, 09:15

A proper firewall will have plates bonded to the rear 1/4 and wheel arch to fill the gap there, if you both take your time with some card or cardboard making patterns you'll end up with something that you like. Then cut this from ally or steel, just don't rush it.