My wife gave me a for my birthday over a year ago. It was 50f today and the snow had melted out of the parts car so I finally put the thing to work. Two hours start to finish and this is what I've got - it will be the donor for fixing the missing clutch tube in my 73. Next step is to cut the bottom out so I can get to the clutch tube inside. Fun!

This is what I'm fixing. The last 3" or so of the clutch tube is gone along with a big chunk of the firewall.

Welcome to the club.

Your right arm will never be the same.

Paul

While you are cutting you should take requests. Dibs on the fire wall in the pass.foot well area.

Thanks guys. Parts may be available, but don't hold your breath since I'm not moving very fast on this. It's winter already in Flagstaff and I had to wear long-johns today so that I could be out in the yard working on it. Things don't move too quickly around here for several months at this time of year.

I want to take it apart so that I can salvage as much as possible for reuse. I also am going to use pieces to practice welding once I get a welder. I've got 2 other teeners in my yard that are going to need TLC to restore them and so who knows what I'll use. For me the biggest thing is that I finally got started with it. A journey of a thousand miles...

Ernie, I went to a industrial store. Truck parts, bearings, and stuff like that. I purchased steel tubing used for tractor/trailers for the air brake lines. It was slightly larger in diameter. I slit the last 2" of the tube and squeezed it then welded the slit. This allowed the ferrel on the clutch cable to slide in place as the stock one did. Instant new cable tube. worked for me.....

Rick -

Let me make sure I've got this straight. You had a similar injury to your clutch tube and you solved it by leaving the existing tube in place, but adding another tube to the back end by slitting that tube, sliding it over the stub, and then welding it in place to the existing tube?

This center tunnel had to come out of the scrap car eventually anyway so I don't feel bad about cutting it out, but I had been wondering whether there was a way to repair this without replacing the entire length of the damaged tube.

Is there an issue with your repair of the cable rubbing on the place where the 2 pieces of tubing come together or does it seem to take care of itself because the edges of the stub are smoothed and the cable "centers" itself in the tube?

I responded to your PM.