If you look close at the photo, you can see the top panel is separated a little at the seam to the center section.
As I have to modify the top panel, I'm going to go-ahead and separate the top and bottom from the center section.
This will make it easier to work on each panel.
The back of the top panel is just a bit narrower than the gas tank.
After sand blasting the top, I re-formed the curve on the ends and widened it out to match the tank.
The sides of the Farmall grille has a large rib that extends back onto the hood sides.
the hood will not have a rib on the side so I need to flatten the rib out on the grille.
Here is one side done.
Once both sides are flat, I welded in a patch to close up the hole for the radiator neck.
I also bumped out the dent that was in the right front corner.
Most of the grille slats in the center section were bent and the curve on the upper left side was bent where it attached to the top panel.
Here are photos of the outside and inside.
4-hours later ...
The bottom panel also had some dents in it.
The grille is all welded back together and the hole in the bottom of the grille for the engine crank is filled in.
I haven't decided just how I want to mount the "R/T" emblem so I'll do that later.
This isn't going to get primed until after I'm finished with the mounts and hood.
I built a hinged plate to fit the bottom of the grille.
Here is the hinge plate in the up position.
Then I clamped wood strips to the sides of the gas tank so I could position the grille shell in place.
Here is the bottom of the grille with the hinges just showing underneath.
The inside of the grill sits about 1-1/2 inch in front of the hydraulic pump.
Using my home made sheet metal roller, I formed the sides for the hood.
Once the hood is formed, I then welded it to the grille shell.
The welds are then ground down. I will later fill this area with JB-weld to smooth it out.
"U" brackets are welded to the sides of the hood at the back corners.
Spring clamps were bolted on the gas tank frame to hold the back of the hood down.
I rolled the bottom edge of the hood sides under to match the rolled edge on the grille.
I made up two "quarter round" pieces of sheet metal and welded them on to blend the grille into the front bottom edge of the hood on both sides.
I also made up a support strap on the inside to hold the hood when it is open.
This is made out of a flexible woven metal ground strap.
I cut a section out of the lower right side of the grille and welded in a curved piece of sheet metal.
This is for clearance for the steering drag link when the axle raises up on that side.
Then I used JB-weld to fill where the hood is welded to the grille and to fill in the seems on the grille.
Once this dried and was ground down smooth, I then primed it and put a thin layer of glazing putty on.
This will be sanded with 120 grit and it fills in any scratches from the grinding and hammering.
The grille and hood are sanded and re-primed and ready for final sanding before painting.
The area under the gas tank is all open so the heat blowing off the engine will all blow back on my feet.
That would be nice when the temperature is in the 20s but won't be any fun at all when it is in the 70s.
So I cut out an aluminum firewall to fit in this area.
Rolling a bead into the firewall to give it some added strength and form a design around the edge.
Here's the finished firewall.
The original exhaust ran across the top of the engine in front of the air filter and down one side.
I had wanted to keep that design but couldn't because I mounted an alternator up on top of the engine right where the exhaust use to run.
While I had the air filter off the carb to give me room for fitting the firewall, I got to thinking about my exhaust problem again.
Without the air filter sitting on the engine, there is enough room to run an exhaust pipe across the top of the engine between the carb and the hood.
So, I made a flange that bolts on top of the carb.
Then I welded a section of steel tube to that flange to move the air filter out to the front of the engine.
I also welded a curved piece of pipe to the exhaust flange so it points down along side the head.
On the other exhaust flange, another curved section of pipe is pointed up over the carb.
I then made up a section of pipe that will connect the exhaust pipe on the other side with the hole in the exhaust pipe on this side.
Here is the finished crossover exhaust pipe.
I made up a round steel plate with a hole that would fit the tube coming off the carb.
This plate was welded to the bottom of an automotive air cleaner and then welded to the tube on the carb.
Then I mounted the new air filter to it.
I made up a set of flanges and welded one to the exhaust pipe on the engine and the other to the down pipe that goes to the muffler.
Here is how it looks with the hood on.
I modified it a little once I had removed the FEL so there was more clearance for the front tires.
Here is the finished exhaust.
