How-To Model A Ford Bucket

Fabricating a new firewall/bulkhead

- Larry O'toole

I’ve lost count of how many times I have looked at the mostly missing firewall of the Model A bucket re-creation, wondering just how I might attack making a new one to suit this project. The original firewall had been roughly gas-axed away to clear some former engine/transmission combination and had apparently never been completed. Only a few inches of material remained around the edge and it was very ragged along these edges.

Finally the time came to actually do something about it. In doing so, I decided to make my new firewall somewhat of a permanent fixture, more of a combined bulkhead and firewall than just a flat firewall. The original Model A firewall is slightly rounded at its outer edges and curved from top to bottom where it meets and is spot-welded to the leading edge of the cowl side panels. Duplicating that shape in a new firewall would be difficult with my minimal sheet metal working tools, so I elected to retain most of what remained of my original firewall edge, tidy up the opening, and weld in new panels to fit up to the trimmed edge. As you will see, I was also able to shape it to incorporate the transmission tunnel and toe-board.

Work started inside the body frame where I needed to complete the framework to form the front section of the floor. The same 25mm square tube was used for this framework that extends from the forward leg of the main body frame across to the edge of the transmission and back to the centre K member. A stepped section was also made up to fit over the top of the transmission, linking the two sides together and providing a form for the top of the transmission tunnel.