1955 - 1959 Chevy Trucks Firewall Install Part II - Firewall Fixin', Take Two

This new cut line was then marked in chalk...

...and trimmed to size using a four-inch grinder with a cutting disc.

The rust was removed from the edge of the floor panel using a rotary wire brush, and if you're thinking this tool could inflict some pain, you'd be right. This is one tool you don't want to remove the guard from!

Not only is the owner of the truck local to KA Custom, but he owns a number of other similar trucks, so Kevin simply went over and took his pick of trans covers to replace the bent original. Actually his pick consisted of just this one, as all the others had been butchered to fit four-speeds! The correctly shaped cover was required to ascertain the shape of the recess was correct and level.

With all edges cleaned and de-rusted where applicable, Kevin could start measuring for the new panels.

A cardboard template of one half of the required replacement panel was cut out and checked for fit before transferring the shape to 18 gauge sheet steel.

A sheetmetal shear was used to cut one side of the panel...

...while electric shears made short work of the long section. A small section at one end to fill in the gap left at each side of the lower section of the replacement firewall meant this cut couldn't be made on the shear.

With the panel trimmed to shape, a brake was used to fold a 45 degree bend along its lower edge where it will meet the original floorpan.

The new panels will be spot welded in place, so Kevin used this pneumatic punch to make the holes rather than tediously drill each one.

This is the section I was referring to in caption 14, filling the gap left where the replacement firewall doesn't quite come to the edges at its lowermost section.

A length of 2x1-inch wood was used to level both sides of the original floor as it just so happened to be a perfect fit between the floor and the chassis. The new panels were then held in place with self-tapping screws prior to welding. This is the right-hand panel, deliberately left over-long where it meets the trans cover recess.