ALUMINUM FOOT BOX PANELS

Working the Aluminum around the foot box is a bit of a challenge. The instructions don't exactly guide you through some important parts of the project. This is one of the most important areas of the build to consider maintenance down the road. Don't be in a hurry to rivet these until absolutely necessary. Consider all the things you are covering up. This is why it's a good idea to trial fit as much as possible and go through the manual several times to see where things will be and what may be difficult to access after the panels are in place.

For the area around the center tunnel , I've decided to take the time to cut out access covers. I've ordered some extra aluminum to use for covers which I will fabricate. To do this, I will fabricate doublers and flush rivet them to the backside of the opening and then install aircraft nutplates to the flanges that extend approximately .5 inches inboard of the opening you see in the photos. A panel that duplicates the opening will be fabricated and drilled with holes for screws that extend through it into the doubler, creating a flush fit. Where possible I am using MS20470AD-4-X solid rivets

Not all panels can or should be solid riveted. Only those that can be installed as assemblies should be solid riveted. In other words, if you can rivet a few pieces together and still slide them into place do it. This way you can do it on the bench and then install them by section vs panel by panel. If you think about it, this will help if removal is required later. Combine sections to the extent possible but keep in mind, solid rivets are more difficult to drill out than the Pop rivets so if you anticipate that a panel may need to be removed later, make sure you think about access for drilling out the rivets. For the assemblies already solid riveted, pop rivets can be used to finish up the job.

NOTE

IMPORTANT: WHEN YOU GET TO THIS AREA, FACTORY FIVE HAS YOU TRACE THE PANEL AND FRAME OUTLINES ONTO THE ADJACENT PANELS. SOME PANELS OVERLAP IN STRANGE WAYS. ALTHOUGH MANY FIT NICELY AND THE FACTORY FIVE INSTALLATION PREVENTS MANY FLANGES FROM BEING EXPOSED, THE OVERLAPS ARE SOMETIMES PROBLEMATIC. SOME HAVE PRELOAD AND LACK CLEARANCE. IN CASES WHERE PRELOAD PREVENTS PROPER SEATING OF PANELS DUE TO RADIUS INTERFERENCE, RELIEVE THE CONTACT AREA MY REMOVING SMALL AMOUNTS OF METAL WITH A FILE. IF IT'S OBVIOUS THAT METAL CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT A LARGE CUTOUT, TRIAL FIT THE PIECES WITH THE FLANGE LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF WHERE FACTORY FIVE HAD THEM.

FOR ALL PANELS THAT HAVE SHARP CORNERS AND RELIEF NOTCHES, DEBURR THESE AREAS. THERE WILL NO DOUBT BE VIBRATION WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE CARS. VIBRATION WILL CAUSE CRACKS AND WREAK HAVOC ON OTHER THINGS LIKE WIRING, COMPONENTS THAT ARE TOUCHING ADJACENT FRAME MEMBERS OR OTHER PARTS AND MANY THINGS THAT ARE NOT DISCUSSED IN THE MANUAL. TAKE THE TIME TO CORRECT THESE AREAS AND MOUNT THEM WITH THIS IN MIND. DEBURR THE CORNERS!

This is the access panel pretty much complete. You can see the stainless screws around the perimeter. The right side and forward paneling will be riveted. Notice the screws on the bottom flanges and vertical frame member. These were installed into 10/32 aluminum rivnuts, similar to the steel rivnuts in the kit but for 10/32 fine thread aircraft hardware. The 10/32 screws are a little more finicky because of the finer threads. I just have alot, so I'm using them. The aluminum rivnuts are fairly tough but we'll see how long they last. I may replace them with steel if screws start becoming difficult to remove and replace over time.

This shows the access with panel removed. Thats alot of room! When installed with the screws, the access panel is as rigid as it would be if it were riveted. The added flanges and solid riveted structure keep things pretty stiff. Notice I kept screws to a minimum. No need to over-do it here because it will create headaches when you have to take the screws out later. The more there are, the more the challenges dealing with them. I used Rivnuts in the floor pan to secure the bottom edge. (Not visible here)

This shows the upper panel that will be permanently installed. Although the upper area of the Evaporator is not accesible, the opening will allow additional access to the tunnel for inspection and some maintenance.

The vertical flanges and fore/aft flanges of the panel that makes up the front of the footbox and attach to the floor and sidewall will also have nutplates for 8/32 screws. They will be tapped to remove the self locking feature for ease of installation and removal of the screws later.

The picture is centered on the forward section of the drivers side sidewall. The forward panel is riveted (line of solid rivets to the right) with the lower flange flush riveted with 3/32 countersunk rivets. The head of the rivets on the small lower flange is on the backside but rests flush on the frame member. You can see the rivet heads in the below photos. I will add a strip of thin dampening material or chafe tape against the frame in that area. I chose not to rivet the panels against the frame tube here because the assembly can be secured adequately with screws and rivnuts around the circumference later. This allows the forward and aft sidewall assembly to be removed for maintenance. This will provide access from your knees back to the area just in front of the engine behind the shifter assembly.

This shows the head of the flush rivets on the back of the panel on the small flange. The flange can be riveted to the frame if you desire but use caution when laying out the rivet line and make sure the panels are positioned correctly with inner and outer flanges fully engaged. Also be sure the aluminum is firmly positioned against the frame to avoid your drill walking and elongating the aluminum. Drilling steel behind aluminum can cause the drill to walk unless firm steady pressure is used to get the drill started in the steel.

Notice the solid aircraft rivets used in some areas. This section can now be slid into place as an assembly - after fabricating the access panel and doubler.

Some of the metal actually fits without preload if you bring the flanges to the outside. When they were placed in the car by Factory Five, some of the overlaps caused the radius of many panels to "jam" into the joining piece. This isn't good and can cause stress in these areas. Under extended vibration, they can crack. You should open up some of the corners and relieve areas where possible by removing some of the metal with a rotary file. Clean up the edges in the radii to prevent cracks.