Firewall Hump Reduction

Kirk Evans ... Amerisport Industries of Perrysburg Ohio

Amerisport

From my understanding there is only one pro. It provides extra room for your passenger. There are no cons. I have sat in the passenger seat of a car with the bulkhead reduction kit and it certainly makes a difference. I would suspect the reason you don't see more Amerisport kits installed is it can get pricey. If you don't regularly carry a passenger that needs the extra room. Why bother.

Doug M

You can make your own but it involves a bunch of re-engineering on your own.

If you are looking for a kit, I'd say Evans also. He recently was working on a new one.

The reason you don't see many is because of the cost and because if there ever was a one person car built with a "jump seat" it's the Pantera.

That seat is really pretty good evidence that the Cleveland engine was not what the original power plant consideration was?

That's in interesting point - I kept thinking "Why didn't they just make the car 4" longer so all that H/W doesn't poke forward into the cabin?"

If the original design had a different engine planned, maybe the configuration makes sense...

But what engine would it have been?

Thanks -

Rocky

PS> I hope I'm not taking these posts off track!

More likely that the original thought was that it would be like the Mangusta with the 289/302.

That is about the most compact v8 engine I can think of. Today with a 347 stroker built into it and some better breathing heads then from 1965, it would be my choice over the Cleveland because of the size issue. You can use a Probe kit and wind up with 355.

I think the 351c block configuration with the integral pump housing cast into the block was never expected.

In other words it must have been that the car was already designed waiting for the engine package.

Why exactly the car couldn't have been 2" longer , I don't know but you never fool with the design that was derived at and considered successful.

We could push it further and fit in the 427 Ford which some have done, and then it is different again?

In the 1970 time frame, the Cleveland was a brand new concept. Unexpected in some ways.

Definitely bulkier then the 302 and if a 302 is a small block then the Cleveland is something else. Maybe a medium block?

Don't know really. My guess is as good as yours?

I looked at buying a bulkhead reduction kit from Kirk Evans and also one from Dennis Quella in Castle Rock, CO but eventually just decided to build one myself.

It does take some minor engineering but it really was not that difficult. To speed up the process I bought the alternator relocation bracket from Quella and a one wire GM alternator through another source. I then built the "doghouse cover", etc.

To each his own, but I think that 4 inches or so is worth a mile inside this car. It makes the car feel much larger inside and gives it a more symmetrical feel. Now I can also access the front of the engine without having to remove the seats.


If anyone is entertaining this modification I would highly recommend it. Here is a link to a thread that I created on my bulkhead reduction kit build. Bulkhead reduction kit thread

Devin

I put Kirk's kit in my car. The install is relatively painless. You do need the rotary compressor. I had to purchase idler pullies from IPSCO. One to replace my original and a kit that allows tensioning of the Waterpump belt. Kirk said he had not run into this problem before but there's a reason Mark (IPSCO) makes them. Even with the tensioner pullies I still had to pull the crank and waterpump pullies to get the belts on, they're a tight fit. I also fabricated an adjustable tensioning bracket for the alternator. Kirk recommends this in the instructions but it is not necessary. I did the GM 12Si alternator conversion at the same time, Kirk helped with this too. Now that I think about it and spell it all out it was a fair amount of work but the result is awesome and if you didn't know you wouldn't know. You know!

Steve

Side view

quote:

Originally posted by T.Solo:
Side view

This is a picture of the waterpump idler pully from IPSCO. This is not my car but that doesn't matter for this purpose.

Steve

Steve,

This is off topic - but what seats are you running in your car? They kind of remind me of 348 seats but I thought I would ask. Also did they require any mods to make them fit? Thanks.

Devin

A picture is worth a thousand words, thanks Steve.

I've purchased Kirk's kit too, but haven't installed it yet.

-G

quote:

Originally posted by Garvino:
Steve,

This is off topic - but what seats are you running in your car? They kind of remind me of 348 seats but I thought I would ask. Also did they require any mods to make them fit? Thanks.

Devin

Devin,

I don't want to HiJack the thread. Ferrari 355 Spider seats. Modified Sparco rails.

(Edit) I placed my seat details in the Seat Sticky.

Steve

On the subject of HUMP reduction

What Hump?

Matt, PM sent.

just reflexs POWER when a engine seems to big for the carrying car , i love humps around

Would anybody have some photos of firewall hump reduction without the ac system? What needs to be done then?

Guys
Thank you all for the informative and humorous responses.The pictures are worth a 1000 words. This was my first post and I can't believe the responses. I dont know why I waited so long. I will definitely be asking more questions.

Cheers,

Matt

P.S. 1972 PRE L 2463.

I installed a Kirk Evans kit in a customers car and recommend them.
Devin, you did a very nice job of yours. Here's one I did recently - it's not very eligant but it uses the original parts. I run a French seam down the edge and it looks fine. Dont forget it's nearly hidden behind the seats.
I put some Porsche Cayman seats in this group 4. They are extremely comfortable but at least twice the weight of an original Pantera seat. They dont fit the floor pan either so lots of metal work needed.


Johnny

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I cut it in the hump in half and push the two pieces together. Then drilled and pop rivets . Picket up a piece of lexand plastic to fill in open space . Had the hole thing covered in leather and .For three hunder dollars looks great. cost 300.00 and about three hours of work. Plus three hours to install bracket on motor.