Rudy's 72

[Greg72]

Nice work Rudy!!!

Tell me more about that solid cowl... I'm planning to do the same thing on mine since with aftermarket A/C you don't need a fresh air inlet anyway and the cowl seems to be a pine needle magnet more than anything else.

I've already cut out the flapper doors in the kick panels, so it's not like the air could actually GO anywhere even if I left the cowl slots in place.

What was your motivation?

 

[bp71k5]

Did you leave a hole for the washer nozzles?

 

[RudyO]

Welded solid. For nozzles, I plan on JYing a pair from an Intrepid, as they have three directions they spray. The plan is to drill a bunch of holes when (and if) I can get it straightened out so that it fits the windshield again. The middle didn't like much heat and pulled up about 3/4 of an inch. I cut each section and welded it back in before moving on to the next piece.

I debated awhile on the design, and finally settled on a basic oval shape. Length-wise, it will be shorter than the factory openings by about six inches on each side. After looking at a couple vehicles, I think the holes will end up being about 1/4 diameter.

I actually did this a couple months ago, but the Blazer went on the back burner due to lifes twists. Did manage to get my tubing bender built, but now I want to modify that and then paint it.

P.S. the motivation comes from not wanting to fabricate those air boxes again. For some stupid azz reason, I picked the most god awful area to tinker with and learn to weld on- the cowl section. The motivation on this piece was not to let bigger materials collect around the boxes again. Most cowls are stamped for aesthetic reasons. I feel the airflow is not too important due to it not being sealed. Though the base of the windshield is pry the best low pressure spot you can get.

That being said, I feel I bit off more than I can tackle. I picture the final outcome (aesthetics) as not quite as I had planned. I suspect that there is a very slight curve that I hadn't accounted for that will affect the fitment. In my head, I know what I want, but in reality, I don't have the knowledge to make it work yet. For me, I have to tackle the problem at hand before I can move on. I feel I hit a failure here.

 

[70jimmy]

Hmmm I am gonna have to steal that idea on the intrepid wipers with squirters.

My body work guy came to me afterward and said do you know what these go to? Holding the squirt tubes. Oh well the new ones will work better anyway.

 

[RudyO]

Not wipers with squirters. Both on an Intrepid are stand alone. Intrepid squirters are mounted about 3 inches from the edge of the hood, about inline with the person riding in the seat. Each sprays enough in a fan that they could have probably mounted one directly in the middle to cover the whole windshield. The field of fire is that wide.

On the Intrepid hood, there is a notch in the underhood bracing. I put my pinky in there, and I can feel the wiper fluid line but nothing where the squirter should mount to the hood. Almost thinking its mounted with doublesided tape. Hoping to find an Intrepid with a crunched hood so I can do a lil prying to see how it was built. May even grab the complete reservoir, just because I can spray people standing by the trunk on my DD.

Only other concern is gonna be the slant of the cowl vs the slant of the windshield. The rake is totally different so may have to build up some angle on the cowl first...

 

[GRINCH]

Why not use the wiper arms off a 90 K5. (Possibly other years). They have the squirters mounted to the arms. Works better in the wind. The tube comes up through the hole by the wiper and runs through the arm and has a squirter about midway.

 

[RudyO]

Thought about the sprayers built into the arms. Sold my 90, so never got the chance to test the fitting. I really like the principle of it all, but I feel the sprayers mounted on the cowl (triangulated spray) will break up more of the heavy stuff.

After JYing today, I realized the 2nd gen Intrepid had the pieces I was looking for. BTW, the nozzles are clip in, with the body of the nozzle holding it in place (I pried).

 

[scottishdave]

where did you go

 

[RudyO]

Still here. Been doing a bit of O/T and playing catch up... Cept that work is not paying the O/T in a timely manner. Just started vacation a couple days ago, so will try to get going on the project again. That cowl is a P.I.T.A.. I'm still trying to straighten it (off and on). Can't get it to conform to the base of the windshield..