Building a tubular Export Brace

[phlegm]

I'm sure you have all seen the prices companies charge for them. Well I am poor (not really, just no hobby budget) so I decided to build my own. I kicked around the idea with a couple guys on another forum. Took a good hard look at this one
Install a Custom Export Brace for EFI Upgrade to 65-66 Mustangs

And then set out making my own.. please keep in mind that I am not an engineer, I work in IT, and I haven't yet bolted these into the car to test/verify their fit. But that is a minor bit of tweaking if needed.

I must have been slacking when I started, I didn't take any pictures of myself measureing the cowl bolt spacing or the shock tower cap.
At any rate, to get those measurements I laid a tape measure across the bolt heads and guestimated the cowl bolt spacing (its pretty close)
For the Shock tower cap, I put one of my spare ones onto a piece of paper and marked the holes and traced the outline.

From those measurements I grabbed a fresh piece of paper and made these.. All measurements start from the lower left hand bolt hole at 0,0 and all measurements are in US inches. The only change to either of these files has been on the cowl plate, instead of being 1" between the rows of holes, I changed it to 1.25" But I did that on the fly with the guy I was working with, so it isn't reflected in my drawings.
Shock tower plate dimensions

And the cowl plate


Then using my measurements I made a completely new drawing of each part, and made full sized copies, which I cut out and took home to 'test fit' onto my '68 Coupe

(quit judging my ugly underhood, engine runs great)

I know a guy whom I bribed to turn my measurements into CAD (DXF and DWG) files. Then I bribed the plasma guy at work to cut out a set, and bingo! Fresh mount plates. These plates are 3/8", way too thick, but that's what he had on the table at the time, and it was FREE to me, so I went with it. Someday I will have another set made out of either 3/16" or 1/4".

Test them against my hand cut out paper ones.. looks like he did what I asked..

Now I just need to pull my stock Export Brace to measure for swedged tubes from
Speed Partz
I have a set of right and left hand 3/8" rod ends at home from another project eons ago, so I will start with those and see how I feel about things. if I decide it's not big enough, I'll buy 7/16" rod ends and tubes..

Someday I will figure out what I want to do about a tubular export brace as well..

 

[Jonk67]

Good job, I think you could have worked the export brace into the design by extending the tab off the front corner of the shock tower plates to provide a place to bolt to. Much like the tab in your EFI pic link is but at the front. I think it'd be easy enough to clear your carb. pan by mounting it on the underside of the tab so it goes under the base, or use a different base/ carb spacer, etc. to get it to clear. Like this: http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/suspens ... o-bar.html

Jon

 

[phlegm]

You are right, I probably could. But I'm weird and will be attempting to install a motor like this one

or this one

and that straight across bar is most likely going to be exactly in my way!

My eventual goal is to use this on my '67 Mustang with a MPFI/Turbo/300. But I have a couple small sixes (170/200/250) sitting on my shop floor with a stack of 1bbl carbs. All I need are some flanges on the stock intake log and I could build myself a tri-power like in the second pic pretty easily until the 300 is done..

My mustang in the pictures is a '68 Coupe 289/C4 and it will retain the 'original' style export and curved Monte Carlo braces, it is just being used for fitment purposes.

 

[Dave Gallinger]

I'm sure you have all seen the prices companies charge for them. Well I am poor (not really, just no hobby budget) so I decided to build my own. I kicked around the idea with a couple guys on another forum. Took a good hard look at this one
Install a Custom Export Brace for EFI Upgrade to 65-66 Mustangs

And then set out making my own.. please keep in mind that I am not an engineer, I work in IT, and I haven't yet bolted these into the car to test/verify their fit. But that is a minor bit of tweaking if needed.

I must have been slacking when I started, I didn't take any pictures of myself measureing the cowl bolt spacing or the shock tower cap.
At any rate, to get those measurements I laid a tape measure across the bolt heads and guestimated the cowl bolt spacing (its pretty close)
For the Shock tower cap, I put one of my spare ones onto a piece of paper and marked the holes and traced the outline.

From those measurements I grabbed a fresh piece of paper and made these.. All measurements start from the lower left hand bolt hole at 0,0 and all measurements are in US inches. The only change to either of these files has been on the cowl plate, instead of being 1" between the rows of holes, I changed it to 1.25" But I did that on the fly with the guy I was working with, so it isn't reflected in my drawings.
Shock tower plate

And the cowl plate

Then using my measurements I made a completely new drawing of each part, and made full sized copies, which I cut out and took home to 'test fit' onto my '68 Coupe

(quit judging my ugly underhood, engine runs great)

I know a guy whom I bribed to turn my measurements into CAD (DXF and DWG) files. Then I bribed the plasma guy at work to cut out a set, and bingo! Fresh mount plates. These plates are 3/8", way too thick, but that's what he had on the table at the time, and it was FREE to me, so I went with it. Someday I will have another set made out of either 3/16" or 1/4".

Test them against my hand cut out paper ones.. looks like he did what I asked..

Now I just need to pull my stock Export Brace to measure for swedged tubes from
Speed Partz
I have a set of right and left hand 3/8" rod ends at home from another project eons ago, so I will start with those and see how I feel about things. if I decide it's not big enough, I'll buy 7/16" rod ends and tubes..

Someday I will figure out what I want to do about a tubular export brace as well..

Hello, The pictures are not showing up for some reason. Could you post or send the Cad files? Thanks

 

[phlegm]

Sorry I didn't see this until today, I swear I was never notified.
I edited the original post to include links back to the photobucket pictures, I don't know why the embedded ones weren't showing up.

The answer is no, I will NOT send you the CAD files.
The dimensions for the shock tower plate holes are listed above. They start at 0,0 and are referenced from there. The outer shape is up to you.

I will send you a set of plates for the price of shipping (which will be about $5)
Just shoot me a PM and I'll get them in the mail.
-ron