need a little help

[71dusterdan]

hey guys i really could use a little help, with some direction altering mods on the duster. i know i still need to post some pics, i have them on a cd if someone could walk me threw it. anyways. we have the cage nearing completion, i am at a standstill trying to decide on the struts into the engine compartment. the only place i can run them would be through my dashboard/ gauge panel. this will end up eliminating any hope of air circulation in the pass. compartment. granted i wasn't gonna have more than a blower motor. it also cancels out the vents under the dash. on a duster there are vents with doors under the dash, that you could toss a pop can in. it draws fresh air from the cowl, and they work nice. now it has always been planned as a street able track car. so i either lose the ventilation capabilities or else i don't put the forward struts in it. then we go to seats. i bought some ricky ricer seats that looked good and were comfortable. but... i also bought a circle track wheel, requiring a circle track column and quick release. i think i know the answer just hoping maybe i was wrong! i gotta ditch the seats and buy formed non moving hard mount seats and then tie them into the cage, don't i? it is gonna have full harness mounted properly. thinking that spear pointed at my chest, rules out a comfortable movable seat. although i have seen many a car built similarly with ricky ricer style seats. am i ill informed, or just trying to not look reality in the face. thanks Dan:drive2:

[dusterbd13]

we run fixed seats in the track cars, both for regidity and safety. they are REALLY uncomfortable, though, especially the aluminum kirkeys in butt ugly. depends on how much track time vs. how much street time. they are also difficult to get in and out of, but hold you better than any ricky racer ive ever sat in.

as far as the front strut tubes, run them through the firewall, connect them into the UCA mounting area, and tie them toghether across the top of the engine. safest strongest, and most structurally sound way to do it. after all, fresh air dont mean diddly if youre not around to breathe it.
what i would do after running the tubes is cut the retaining ring off the tops of the frsh air vents, make some cardboard enclosures that route the air from the ring to the interior, then 'glass them. you can even make them two piece with a little foam seal in between them and wrap them around the front struts if you'd like that. probably do the same with the factory parts, too.

hope that helps. i know how tight that area is on these old girls.
Michael