[Wildhorse65]

I finally got around to getting my export brace with shock mounts drawn up, and cut out. I’ve got probably a good 8hrs of fabrication and welding work to get it finished up, but here is a little teaser.

 

[Dan Babb]

I think unless you put a bead down the center or put a lip on the edges, it will wind up flexing and not perform as expected.

 

[Wildhorse65]

I think unless you put a bead down the center or put a lip on the edges, it will wind up flexing and not perform as expected.

Not to worry... it’s not even close to being done... there will be no flex when it’s complete, and 10x stronger and better looking than the stamped steel junk.

 

[Wildhorse65]

Got a chance to work on it a bit this afternoon.

 

[BlakeTX]

Dimples look cool.

 

[myfirstcar66]

That's pretty cool. Powder coating it?

 

[2nd 66]

Looks cool vintage aircraft'ish maybe ,strength wise :shrug:

 

[Tom65]

I like the work for sure. I am not being critical as I cannot put my hands on it but it just seems like it will flex where the "I-beam" ends near the shock tower and at the firewall.....better than stock none-the-less.

 

[Lightning]

Very creative, I like the look more than the run of the mill tubular stiff with rod ends.

 

[Boxhead]

Looks good but as already mentioned I really question its rigidity.

 

[Wildhorse65]

This is being made from 1/8” chromoly plate. The 6-1” dimpled holes will create an amazing amount of structural integrity, along with the plating around the edges. The shock tower areas will have 3/16” fabricated, welded on upper shock mounts, which will also add rigidity. I come from a background of building off-road race cars for the past 18 years, so this is on the easier side of what I am used to designing to stand up to stress.

 

[Mustmatt]

This is being made from 1/8” chromoly plate. The 6-1” dimpled holes will create an amazing amount of structural integrity, along with the plating around the edges. The shock tower areas will have 3/16” fabricated, welded on upper shock mounts, which will also add rigidity. I come from a background of building off-road race cars for the past 18 years, so this is on the easier side of what I am used to designing to stand up to stress.

It looks great so far!

 

[Russstang]

No tech here

This is being made from 1/8” chromoly plate. The 6-1” dimpled holes will create an amazing amount of structural integrity, along with the plating around the edges. The shock tower areas will have 3/16” fabricated, welded on upper shock mounts, which will also add rigidity. I come from a background of building off-road race cars for the past 18 years, so this is on the easier side of what I am used to designing to stand up to stress.

Looks good. Although the strength you mentioned is no doubt there, it would be more aesthetically pleasing to my eye if the plating on the edges continued and wrapped onto the tower plates, even if it decreased gradually to keep from messing with the plates lying flat on the towers. That would also add a bit more strength to the place that keeps drawing folks' eyes the place where they think it will flex. Of course, MY opinion is just that. You have the knowledge and the skills to get it thus far.

 

[Westmus]

Don't underestimate the original export brace design. It was designed by the Ford engineers that had all info available about strenght and flex in the body. The guy that once did all that flex testing/measuring on a Mustang coupe in his garage saw the proof. The orignal export brace alone removed 30% of all torsional movement i the body, front to rear.

 

[Wildhorse65]

Don't underestimate the original export brace design. It was designed by the Ford engineers that had all info available about strenght and flex in the body. The guy that once did all that flex testing/measuring on a Mustang coupe in his garage saw the proof. The orignal export brace alone removed 30% of all torsional movement i the body, front to rear.

I do agree with you. However, there is always room for improvement, in looks and functionality.

 

[Wildhorse65]

This peice is only partially assembled. It will most likely be boxed all the way around, it all just depends on how it fits around the towers. Once it’s rig welded up, I’ll Powdercoat it a matte silver to match with the brushed aluminum theme I want under the hood.

 

[Westmus]

I do agree with you. However, there is always room for improvement, in looks and functionality.

I just reacted on your "and 10x stronger .... than the stamped steel junk." qoute. That "stamped steel junk" are actually very clever engineering with focus on function, not fancy looks. I'm sure you can make something that looks more hi-tech, but do it actually make the car drive better?

 

[PJS289]

Nice look, inspired and pleasing to the eye! Of course all those mad fabricating skills are lost if the two layers of 14 gauge steel at the firewall are not up to snuff! If I'm not mistaken did Shelby not add a ?10 gauge angle underneath the seams at the firewall on his export braced cars? For my '68 I personally custom fab'd and fit a 3/16" plate/angle for the underside of the factory firewall flange-seams to 'sandwich' it all together to beef up the area for my repop export brace. Keep the updates coming Looks Great!

 

[Dan Babb]

Shelby added a piece on top of the lip and slapped a bunch of seam sealer on it. Then put the export brace over that.

Here’s a pic I took of an original car that was at the Shelby Collection in Boulder, CO

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Westmus]

Shelby added a piece on top of the lip and slapped a bunch of seam sealer on it. Then put the export brace over that.

Wrong... that added plate was engineered by Ford and was mounted on all export cars. The sloppy welding and sealing was done at the Ford assembly lines. The reinforced mounting brackets for the shocks on Shelby's, was also used on all export cars. Ford simply delivered the unfinish cars to Shelby with the export reinforcement package added.