Gasser over the frame headers..

[progplastic]

Does anyone know the best way to make over the frame headers for gassers? How about an aftermarket that makes them in resin? the ones from the Mpc'57 chevy gasser style are what i'm looking for.. Thanks, Jim

[Gluhead]

They're not too hard to make. I made these from residential wiring stripped down to the bare copper line. The collector is just a piece of aluminum tubing crimped down around the tubes. I'll be making another set for my '57 Ford here soon, but this time I'll be using aluminum armature wire that you can get at any good crafting store.

The way I figure it, I'm going to have to alter any kit or resin headers to fit me specific application anyway, so why go through the hassle when I can just make them.The key is to have anything that can get in their way in place (temporarily) so I can see exactly how I need to route them. Drill holes into the heads, cut some flanges out, bend 'em up and crimp on the collector. Not much different than the process for making real ones.

If nobody else offers up some good in progress pics before I get to my Ford, I'll be happy to take pics as I go and write up a little tute.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Gluhead

[Ace-Garageguy]

Wow Gluehead, those look great !!

[Dan Helferich]

Nice headers! And an injected W motor!

[progplastic]

Thanks Gluehead.

I have made a few out of solder that looked "ok". I drill corisponding holes in the cylinder head, take four equil lengths of solder guel them at one end to make it a square shape. Then i proced to bend and rout them into the heads from the unglued end. I use polyolfin heat shrink tubing to use at the glued end to make the collector. I just put a piece of round stock aluminum in the other end of the tubing and butt it up against the squared end of solder beore i heat shrink it. Then I spray paint the whole thing before i glue them into the head.They never seem to look as good as how you made yours. Nice job..i am definitley gonna steal your idea. thanks again...Jim

[Gluhead]

Thanks, guys.

Jim, sounds like you've got the process down fine, just need a little more patience to take it where you want them. The only suggestions I can make is in the area of materials. I've done them with solder and heat shrink before, myself, and struggled with the finished piece. I used house wire on this set because that's what I had on hand aside from solder that was the right size...and got lucky that it worked out well. But I'll tell ya, that stuff was hard as nails to get the bends to flow! The aluminum armature wire I mentioned is more stable than the solder but much more workable than the copper. The aluminum was more tedious to work into shape than the heat shrink, but it allowed for far more finishing, and I think that's what made all the difference for me.

Good luck with 'em, and show us how it goes.

[James2]

Styrene rod with a bit of tub'n. I like to bend the rod cold then set it with a heat source.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Really nice, J2.

[progplastic]

Man, you guys build some nice stuff on here..

[Draggon]

Ck out plastruct. Scroll down to page 15. I'm anxious to see someone use these! Would go together just like a 1:1 header kit.

http://www.plastruct.com/picat/TUBING_FITTINGS_9.pdf

[Guest G Holding]

Ck out plastruct. Scroll down to page 15. I'm anxious to see someone use these! Would go together just like a 1:1 header kit.

http://www.plastruct.com/picat/TUBING_FITTINGS_9.pdf

Do you mean pg 35 ?

[W-409]

They are really easy to build from solder. Only those collectors are causing me trouble, but the Headers turned out okay on this one. First I drilled holes for the Headers, glued solder there and after that I just started to bend them.

[progplastic]

Cool lookin 4 door gasser..what is it?

[Draggon]

I just checked, and I dont have a page 35. The bends I was looking at are page 15.

[Guest G Holding]

OK...your link shows ppgs 20 - 38....I will go to the web site.

[W-409]

Cool lookin 4 door gasser..what is it?

It's '59 Simca Vedette Gasser. Resin body made by Air Trax with Miss Deal Studebaker chassis. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65034