Bulkhead Reduction Fab

More pics

Looks good!

Any shots of the front of the engine?

Thanks

Yes, Garvino, if you have pictures with the cover removed please post them. I am intersted in why you still require a driver's side bump-out. Although I am not doing a bulkhead reduction, I am trying to package a rotary A/C compressor and alternator in front of a Ford Big Block, which will require some of the same strategies as those used for the flat bulkhead. The water pump is not an issue for me because I am running an electric.

Thanks,
Matt

Here are a couple pictures of the motor with the alternator and A/C compressor relocated. The reason for the hump in my bulkhead is the water pump and water pump pulley. I also added a pic of my bulkhead when I first started to design it to show how everything sticks through it.

BTW - here is a thread of Pantera with a “flat” bulkhead reduction kit. Click here for Flat Bulkhead Thread The photos of the conversion are about halfway down the page. This specific car is running an electric water pump which allows a single pulley on the crank and no bulky water pump. Therefore, you can run a flat bulkhead.

Another pic

Garvino,

Thanks for the pictures and lead on the flat bulkhead thread. Your work looks fantastic and encourages me with my own project.

I will probably relocate the alternator to the side of the rotary compressor, as you did. I have already purchased the IPSCO Sanden rotary compressor conversion bracket and a Ford alternator so I will need to make my own alternator relocation bracket, sandwiched between the original and IPSCO.

Matt

Matt,

No problem. Let me know if you need any additional pictures.

My bracket for the A/C compressor is also the bracket for the alternator (I am sure that IPSCO builds it for the Pantera vendor I purchased it from). I also have used IPSCO for some parts and have been very happy with their quality and service.

BTW – the alternator is pretty tough to get to unless the car is on a lift. It is basically located behind the passenger seat on the firewall.

I finally had some time this last week to work on my bulkhead reduction again. I started by making an overlay of fiberglass on top of the aluminum bulkhead we welded up.

This fiberglass will be covered with vinyl to match the rest of the interior when finished. I made sure to create a small airspace between the aluminum cover and the new fiberglass piece so that I could put some sound deadener on the aluminum piece. I used a cut up foam mat taped to the aluminum cover to gain this space before working with the fiberglass.

When this was dry, I adhered my fiberglass “bump-out” to a thin piece of MDF that was precut to fit in my firewall opening. After this was in the correct position I covered the MDF with fiberglass cloth and resin.

Finally, I sanded it and put some putty on it to make sure everything ended up smooth.

(Note: In order to remove my aluminum bulkhead without removing the seats I pulled all the vinyl on my original firewall interior piece and cut out the stock “bump-out.” I also had to widen the space approximately one inch on each side so that I can fasten in my new interior piece without encroaching on the area needed to remove the aluminum cover).

Here is a pic of the aluminum bulkhead installed with the sound deadening on it. The original firewall piece that had the center section cut out and widened can be seen behind the driver’s seat.

This is a trial fit of the new fiberglass interior piece. I still have to build my mounting tabs but so far so good.

Nice work!!!

grate job where did you get the waterpump belt tensioner and bracket.

DanW,

I purchased my brackets through Pantera Performance (Quella) in Castle Rock, Colorado. Quella is the closet Pantera Vendor to me at only 683 miles round trip from my front step. I have been to his shop several times and have always been impressed with all the cars he is working on. Also he has always been very helpful with lots of advice and suggestions on my car.

I am sure the other vendors carry similar or if not the same brackets. It looks like I am going to be in California later this year so you can bet that I am going to stop in at the Pantera vendors out there to see what type of goodies they have.

Hi

Great work! Would you consider creating another reduced bulhead cover? I will be installing a rollbar and need access without having to remove the bar.

Thanks,

Wade

Wade,

Kirk Evans fabricates the kits with all the brackets. He now sels them in different stages of completeness/pricing.

If you just want to be able to get to the engine with a roll bar, there is a mod that cust the hump off the bulkhead cover and then you can use velcro to attach it back separately.

Julian

Wade,

Thanks for the compliment. I hope the final product turns out as good as planned. Hopefully, I’ll get my bulkhead finished up pretty quick, along with the other minor stuff on my car, so I can drive it some this summer. I still have some major plans for my car but I am going to put those on the back burner until next winter. I have had my car two years and have not had the enjoyment of driving it for more than on a half a dozen test runs.

As for your request to make another custom bulkhead I just don’t have the time (a wife and two small kids, still remodeling our house, a Pantera, a fastback Mustang, and about a dozen other projects for this summer). I would have the same recommendation as Julian did in purchasing a complete kit from Kirk Evans or another vendor.

I looked at some other kits out there, but personally I probably would have purchased Kirk Evans kit due to the design and metal bulkhead. I ended up building my own for the fun of it and for the fact that my car is turning into the bottomless money pit. However, if you look at my time spent building mine versus dollars saved I probably would have been better off to just purchase the kit.

One other option for you would be me making copies of all my individual template pieces that I used to cut out my aluminum before welding up the bulkhead. Even with my templates I had to do some modifications. This is quite the endeavor but not that big of deal if you have a little patience. You could then copy my process for making the interior cover piece. I am in the process of deciding how to secure mine in the car before I upholster it, but I’ll post that when it is finalized.

Good luck with your endeavor and let me know if I can be of any assistance.