Kirkham Motorsports Assembly Manual

David Kirkham · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 10:28 AM

Rear of KMP0521

David Kirkham · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 10:31 AM

The first thing to do is to look at the car and seal up any holes in the firewall. Years ago, we had a friend, Chuck, who came to the shop and showed us his Nova he used for drag racing. When he opened the hood to show off his engine my brother, Thomas, noticed a BIG 4 inch hole in his firewall where the heater used to be. (Drag racers like to remove EVERYTHING from their car. They are crazy about removing just a few pounds. Funny thing is most of them could go to the gym and remove 50 pounds off their own rear end and get a much cheaper and better effect...I digress). Anyway, my brother saw the hole and informed him, "There is a reason they call it a firewall. If you have an engine fire, you will roast." Indeed that very weekend we saw on the evening news Life Flight had been called to the track. We knew Chuck was racing a Nova that looked too much like the black burned out bomb on the evening news...

When we went to visit him in the the University of Utah's burn unit, he was burned so badly we didn't recognize him. He searched our eyes and kept asking how he looked (they don't allow mirrors in the burn unit). He spent months in recovery. Fortunately, he finally finished therapy with full use of all the parts that got burned and remarkably little scarring. Luckily, his face was almost entirely spared because of his helmet and thanks to the excellent staff at the University of Utah Burn Unit who cared for him. Of course, as his friend, we now call him "Chuck Roast." So, anyone who works on a Kirkham, or any other cool car...SEAL YOUR FIREWALLS!

David

I just had a GREAT question PM'd to me.

David,

Don't want to mess up your thread with a question like this, so I thought I'd ask it offline: what do you use to caulk with?

After your stern lecture/story on sealing the firewall which I heartily endorse I must ask: is your caulking fireproof?

Not being critical, just asking,

Gents:

These are the EXACT questions I welcome people asking. PLEASE don't be shy...post any questions on the Assembly Manual Questions Thread

We use 100% silicon caulking because it has a very high temperature resistance. Is it "fire proof?" Well, no, but neither are you at 400 degrees! It is all about getting time to get out.

This is what we use. Notice it is HIGH TEMPERATURE!

David Kirkham · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 11:56 AM

You have to seal up all the little holes and cracks where the panels don't fit together perfectly; or, where two panels come together. Make sure you fill up any holes in the floor or foot boxes as well. We use standard high temp silicon in a caulking gun.

David

David Kirkham · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 12:15 PM

The first item of business it putting in the wiring harness. You want to put the wiring in NOW because nothing is in the way and the harness strings through the entire car.

In this picture, you are looking at the engine firewall. You are standing at the front of the car looking back across the engine bay. The hole in the firewall just above the foot box (the white box with the black Kirkham data tag on it) on the RIGHT side of the CAR is for the part of the harness that goes to the alternator, head lights, and MSD wires.

I suppose NOW is the best time to define LEFT and RIGHT. Whenever we say left or right, we are ALWAYS referring to the left or right side of the car--not the photo. (If we are referring to the left or right side of a photo we will very explicitly say just that.) By convention, LEFT and RIGHT is designated as if you were driving the car. That is why cars in England, Australia, and many other countries are called Right Hand Drive cars--the steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car.

David

David Kirkham · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 12:18 PM

Close up of the hole.

David Kirkham · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 12:29 PM

Left side hole.

The wiring goes in the hole closest to the center. The wiper tube and the sending unit wiring from the dash goes through the outboard hole.

The big round hole in the top of the foot box (to the right (in the photo) of the 3/4 x 3/4 square tubing) is for the fresh can from the fresh air system which will be installed later.

The funny shaped hole in the front corner of the foot box is for the accelerator pedal assembly which will be installed later.

You can see the stainless heat shields which were installed in Poland on the foot boxes.

and close up.

David Kirkham · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 01:15 PM

Next put the wiring harness in the cockpit of your car. All of the wiring is strung from the right side of the car.

David Kirkham · #8 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 01:26 PM

Put the fuse box on the right foot box floor. Drape the left-forward part of the harness (headlights, wiper motor, horn, fan) UNDER the tube in the center of the car (under the windshield cowl) and string the harness through the INBOARD hold in the firewall (pictured in the above photos). You run the harness UNDER the tubes in case you ever have to take the harness out again for some reason. Remember to put in the grommet when you get the fuse box bolted in.

Take the right-forward part of the harness and string it through the hole in the firewall above the right foot box. Remember to put in the grommet when you get the fuse box bolted in.