Super Chevy – October 2019

34 SUPER CHEVY OCTOBER^2019

With all the work done on the firewall and

transmission tunnel, the firewall brace/

body mount can be reinstalled. The upper

half is trimmed off (unnecessary now

and defeats the purpose of the concept

of a smooth, clean firewall) and is then

rewelded onto the firewall and footwell.

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TECH SMOOTH OPERATION

Minus the final trim on the transmission tunnel section of the new firewall insert (back to where you see the visible welding line),

this is the end result. The builder can now mount the master cylinder and hood hinges wherever desired and mark out a new hole for

the steering column to pass through, instead of the large factory hole for the factory steering column. Holes for climate control and

wiring can now also be set by the builder and made easier to conceal. The new firewall isn’t designed to work with the factory windshield

wiper motor, but since most builders are going with an aftermarket wiper motor or eliminating the system entirely, this isn’t a problem.

The firewall runs $, installed, which is considerably less expensive than having a shop do this later on.

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With the new Real Deal Steel recessed

smoothie firewall you have a depth of

. inches. And since the new recess

is uniform in shape, you have those

. inches across the entire width of

the recess. If you’re fitting an LS or LT

engine, you have more room to clear

the rear coil packs on the valve covers.

If you’re installing an old-school

big-block, you have plenty of room to

clear both the big-block’s extra girth

and distributor. For any engine series

(well, almost any) you have more

room and an easier path to set the

engine back in the chassis to improve

weight distribution and balance for

improved handling.

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We set the dash assembly in place to

show how things look from the inside.

The new firewall won’t interfere with

mounting the usual things behind the

dash (wiring harness, climate system,

stereo, etc.) and in some instances will

even make those installations easier.

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Golden Star Classic

Auto Parts

972.315.3758

goldenstarauto.com

Hot Rod Dynamics

828.381.0391

hotroddynamics.com

Real Deal Steel (RDS)

407.585.1957

realdealsteel.com

SOURCES:

Installing a late-model engine

and transmission into a Tri-Five

Chevy has become even easier

thanks to RDS’s new 4-inch

recessed firewall and enlarged

transmission tunnel.