I plan to use a 32-inch tall tire and I selected a pair of tubs available from Competition Engineering ( #C3008 ) in kit form which measure 38 inches long by 19 inches tall by 23.25 inches wide. The tubs come in a flat box and require assembly. Before you assemble them, though, you need to take the flat vertical pieces and place them in the car against the frame rails and decide at what height they will be installed. I made a centerline mark on the bottom edge of the panels and lined that up with the line on the frame rail. Then I used a metal square and the calibrated eyeball to decide the height of the tubs. Then I made sure the bottom of the panels were parallel with the frame rail bottoms and temporarily clamped them to the rails. Then I drilled a series of 1/8” holes along the panels into the rails.

I then installed a temporary fastener called a “Cleco” to hold them into position. Whoever invented the Cleco should be knighted or something. If you don’t have these, go buy them! By simply pushing the end of the Cleco in with the handy installation tool the shaft that goes into the holes gets smaller and allows removal. When you release the pin the wedge inside the shaft makes the pin larger and stays put in the hole. They are very handy.

Here is the partially assembled Pittsburgh seam used to form a wheel tub. The extra material is folded and hammered over the vertical panels.

So, with the panels held firmly in position I used a marker to trace the backside of the panels to the shape of the frame rail bottoms. I then removed the panels and used my hand shears to cut the extra material away at the line. After reinstalling the panels to the frame rails I used the provided pieces of cardboard in the tub boxes to make templates of the actual round housing part of the tubs. I found I had a little more sheet metal trimming of the existing interior metal to do and once that was handled it was a matter of trial and error getting the cardboard into roughly the desired contours of the quarter panels. Once I was close I lined up the square edge of the cardboard to the edge of the steel inner tub panels and used duct tape to secure them together. Then I continued trimming the contoured edge of the cardboard trying to match the shape of the inside of the rear quarters. I tried to leave an even ¼” gap between the cardboard and the quarter panel as I went. Once I was satisfied with the templates I made a couple of witness marks on the cardboard and the steel panels so that I could keep them oriented to each other out of the car.

This is the work of art otherwise known as the stock floor tunnel reinstalled into the car. The white poster board pieces are the templates for the connecting pieces.

The next task was to assemble the sheet metal tubs. If you have the assistance of a friend that would be great. I, of course, put them together myself at around 8:00 pm. Go figure. They use what is called a “Pittsburgh” seam to attach the flat panel part of the tub to the radial part. It really is a pretty neat way of attachment and is also very secure. Basically, the radial part has a pre-bent groove on the edge and the flat panels have a 90-degree bend that gets installed into the groove. Then, you bend over the extra material of the groove over the edge and gently hammer it tight. Doing this by yourself is a handful but it can be done.

After assembling both tubs I laid the pieces of cardboard template over the steel and lined up my witness marks. I then used a black marker and traced the shape onto the steel and then used the hand sheer to remove the extra material. I then installed the all steel tubs into the car, with a little more fine trimming of course, and temporarily secured them with Clecos. It was picture time then and time for a much deserved break. It is amazing how the feeling of accomplishment can re-energize a person.