| Total
Performance King T Track Roadster - Hot Rod Girl: Part V
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Building
The Total Performance King T |
By Candy and Jim
Rizzo |
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Last month, I started
off the fourth part of this series welcoming everyone back
to "Candy's garage." Well, I guess I spoke too soon.
Since then, my project has been relegated to the back patio-not
a bad thing, I guess, since lately it's been well over 100
degrees out where I live, and to be honest, the confines of
the garage were way too hot for me anyway. But, I'd wager
that Jim's getting a bit jealous because my T is progressing
nicely, while his A was gathering spiderwebs out on the RV
pad, so that may have been one of the reasons behind the move.
Anyway, I guess I'll be finishing the majority of the build
while enjoying the benefits of our Riverside foothill breezes
as Jim gets back out into the garage and tries to make a bit
of headway on his Bruiser-bodied sedan.
With the majority of the upholstery tack strips
'glassed into place and Jim temporarily out of my way (not
that I don't appreciate the help, mind you), I was able to
get back to work on my own. With the chassis under control
and the body mounted, it was time to strike a couple more
chores off what sometimes seems to be a never-ending list.
While Jim was busy fashioning a custom trans tunnel for me,
I stood back and tried to figure out which of the countless
chores I should tackle next. The track nose, hood, and hood-side
installation were jobs I knew I'd need help with, but I figured
I'd be able to handle the steering column and gauge installation
on my own-so that's just what I did. Without further adieu,
let's take a look. |
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| Yep, looks like
I've been evicted. Jim informed me that my workspace had been
confiscated and my roadster relegated to the back patio. At
least it's covered, and actually a lot cooler than the garage,
so maybe I lucked out in that respect. Anyway, there's power
and compressed air back there, so other than the trek back
and forth to the garage for tools, all is well. |
This time around,
I thought I'd tackle the steering column/wheel installation,
and if time and space allowed, the layout and dash prep for
my new set of Aurora gauges. The column tube, shaft, joint,
wheel adapter, and firewall support are all part of the King
T kit, but the cool Grant steering wheel and Maund column
drop were additional traditional-style items I chose to use
to complete the job. |
To start off the install,
Jim helped me out by locating and marking the firewall, so
I could locate the column support and drill the hole for the
steering shaft. Using the pilot hole as a guide, I centered
the support and marked and drilled the support mounting holes. |
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Next, I used the appropriate
hole-saw to create the opening for the shaft, making sure
I cut it at about the same angle that the column would end
up. Doing it in this manner actually creates a slightly elongated
hole that matches the column angle. |
I then test-fit the shaft
assembly to make sure it was lined up correctly-and it was,
almost. |
Since the opening was close,
I installed the column support to see if those mounting holes
positioned it correctly, as well. Luckily, they did. |
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One thing Jim had me do was
trim the column tube to the same angle as the support. This
way, the top edge of the tube wouldn't stick out from the
firewall but would still be firmly and completely seated in
the support. |
As I said earlier, the hole
was almost right on the money; it did need a bit of a touch-up
with a half-round file, though. The steering joint just barely
rubbed the left-hand edge of the opening, but a few strokes
with the file corrected the problem with ease. |
With the shaft in place and
the joint driven home on the splined input shaft of the steering
box, I then slid the column tube over the shaft. The tube
is fitted with internal bushings that keep the shaft centered,
and a set screw on the support holds the tube firmly in the
support. |
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Here's one of the few little
modifications Jim performed on the Total Performance components
supplied in the King T kit. The steering wheel adapter that
Total supplies is made and drilled for a modern-style five-bolt
steering wheel-and since I fell in love with a cool four-spoke
Grant Products wheel, I was bummed when I saw that the three-bolt
mounting style of the wheel didn't match up to the adapter.
Jim saved the day by slicing off the bottom third of the billet
adapter and drilling and tapping it to accept the Grant wheel-my
hero. |
Relieved and pleased that
I'd get to use my wheel, I proceeded to install the traditional-style
Maund column drop I permanently borrowed from Jim (please
don't tell him I took it, though). It was easy, since all
I had to do was drill two mounting holes in the tab on the
hoop Jim had welded up and installed under the cowl a couple
weeks ago. |
I permanently attached the
wheel adapter Jim modified to the Grant wheel using three
1/4-20 bolts and a bit of red Loctite. The assembly slides
easily on and off the keyed steering shaft and is held in
place with a self-locking nut. |
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The final touch to my steering
assembly install was the nice chromed cover that snaps on
the center of the wheel-Jim's pudgy little lap dog, Kitt,
approved, as well. |
Next up was my Aurora gauge
install. I'd looked at a bunch and these really caught my
eye-the traditional black-face styling will fit the traditional
styling I'm shooting for with the roadster, though I may upgrade
to a set of Designer Series in the future. That is, if I can
ever settle on one design, since they offer so many cool ones. |
I started out by finding and
marking a centerline on the dash using a tape measure, a straightedge,
and a silver marker. |
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From there, I determined the
center of the dash and traced out the circle for the speedo,
which will be the center gauge in the cluster. |
I figured I'd get a laugh
out of Jim by adding one of my favorite sayings to the future
home of my speedo, then I sat back to decide on the layout
for the balance of the instruments. |
I decided I'd like the rest
of the gauges in a cluster around the speedo. This way I'd
be able to monitor them all with one quick glance while driving.
Jim's hole-saw set made quick work of readying the dash. |
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Another few minutes cleaning
up the openings allowed the gauges to fit easily but snugly. |
With the gauges slid temporarily
in place, I reinstalled the steering wheel and sat in the
driver's position to make sure I liked the layout-like I had
any choice at this point. They look good to me, and I'll go
into installation steps and details when I get to the point
when I'm ready to do the wiring. For now, I'm happy with the
layout and the Aurora design. |
That will do it for this installment.
Stay tuned, because next month I'll return with a couple more
steps toward the road to completion. And, as always, thanks
for taking the time to check out my project. Remember, the
King T kit is the perfect way to get yourself or someone you
love into the hobby-it doesn't get any better than this! See
ya next month. |
