New to forum, intake/exhaust question

[Guest 1946rust]

After watching them for a couple of years, I finally bought a pair of 46 Dodges very cheap. Both bodies desperately need attention, but I looked up the floorboard rust threads and I think I have that under control. Since I'll be doing all this welding and the car will be in pieces, is there any reason I can't make my own tube headers/intake? Aftermarket stuff is too pricey for me right now, and even those sound like they have carb compatability, etc. issues.

[greg g]

here is a link to a fellow who makes them up out of tubbing. These are early pics, andhis quality of construction has improved from these. The makers name is moose, and he can be reached either through the linked page or on the HAMB forum. There are also a couple of guys one of whom is a participant on this forum who makes dual exhausts and intakes out of stock manifolds. Look for Charlie Ackers in the members list or google rusty hope for his home page.

Here is the lint to MOOSES stuff;

http://homepage.mac.com/rmccombs/StumblinIdles/PhotoAlbum49.html

and a pic of real early stuff. Usto be a fellow on here who had a set from moose, and was pleased with his product and work.

[Guest 1946rust]

Is there any advantage to cast iron manifolds?

[Guest Nile Limbaugh]

The advantage of cast iron over steel tube is in sound deadening. The cast iron doesn't resonate like steel tube so you get more racket from under the hood although I've not heard any I couldn't live with.

[Guest 1946rust]

Alright gentlemen, thanks for straightening me out.

This is kind of off the wall and I doubt I will try it, but has anyone tried making a hard top convertible out of a regular body?

[Guest jjmorrse]

I don't know much about bodywork, but I do know that the convertible frame is much more reinforced to handle the loss of the roof rigidity.

[Guest Nile Limbaugh]

I may have told this story before, but here it is again. I went to high school with a wingnut that owned a 49 Plymouth, a short wheelbase fastback. He went out in the barn one evening with a cutting torch and a six pack and woke up the next morning with a hangover and a roadster! He drove it all winter with no top (Chicago suburbs!) until the thing sagged so badly in the middle that the doors wouldn't open (or wouldn't close, depending on conditions). There's a moral here about making converts out of hardtops. . .

[Guest 1946rust]

Thanks again for the info, I won't be doing that any time soon.