I moved the shifter back one space on the transmission mount and that looked like it would work so then I just removed the shifter and left the mounting bracket so I could start fabbing the transmission tunnel. I made a cardboard mock-up of what I needed and once I had that dialed in then I went about constructing the tunnel out of sheet stock. I wanted to keep the tunnel tight to the transmission, to resolve my gas pedal clearance issue, but I also needed to leave some clearance just to ease installation of the transmission.
I was able to make the main base one-piece but I decided to make the tunnel-portion a separate piece and weld it in place. I cut out of the main base and went ahead and ran a lip around the perimeter of the main base on my bead roller and did a brake/bend for the kicked footwell and clecko'ed it in place to check my clearances. I then fabbed the arched portion bending it using a dead-blow hammer and a large pipe section (that I used to roll the inside corners of the bed). Once I got it formed and dry-fit onto the main base then I started working the tight curved portion at the rear of the tunnel.
After using the hammer and shotbag to rough in the contour in the back portion I then resorted to making a few pie cuts in that section to get the material to shrink a little quicker then welded it up. I really need a planishing hammer and shrinker/stretcher to round out my metal working tools but since this is not a visual piece then this will work.
Next I need to fab the rest of the tunnel and weld it all into place. I also need to make a hole for the shifter and I'll probably have to add a local bulge in the tunnel for the shifter lever arm on one side.
1949 Chevy Panel Truck A Project Journal I'm old but I make up for it by being immature.
