Eric's 33 Build #583

[kraftee]

Last Tuesday, I left my summer house in Western NY State for the 6-hour drive to Wareham. Stayed overnight and arrived at FF Headquarters bright and early at 9:00AM. After a tour of the factory with Jason, we set to work loading the kit onto my little 12' open trailer. Everything was well packed and ready, so we hit the road at about 11 for the 1,250 mile drive home. Drove all day and all night and pulled into my driveway in Gainesville, Florida at about 7AM Thursday morning. By noon the trailer was in the shop and all the boxes were unloaded onto the floor.

Over the next few days, my buddies came over to help unload the car and remove the body, I removed the engine, transmission and rear end from my donor car, did a detailed inventory and condensed everything down to about 15 boxes. I also sent lots of stuff to the powdercoater's, cut the quad shock mounts off of the axle and organized my shop to begin the build in earnest.

A little about me: I am a middle aged, semi-retired guy with deep roots in the car business. My dad was with Mercedes for years, and owned a large dealership in Pompano Beach, Florida, where I cut my teeth in the auto biz right after college. He sold that store in 1988, which put my two brothers and I out of work. So, in 1990, we purchased a defunct Mercedes - Buick - Jeep/Eagle dealership in Gainesville. Ten years later we added Nissan, Olds and Volvo in Tallahassee. Along the way, we raced Mustangs and then Porsches in the IMSA professional road racing series. I was crew chief and built the cars, my two brothers and dad drove. In 2005, I decided to retire from the automobile business and sold the Gainesville store. Six months later, my brothers bought me out of the Tallahassee dealership. Since then, I have returned to metal sculpture, which is something that I have done since high school - however, now it is pretty much a full-time thing. I work mostly with copper and specialize in marine gamefish, turtles, lighthouses, etc. If you're interested, my website is www.copperlife.net and my facebook page is www.facebook.com/copperlife. My family has also always been into boating, so, after selling the stores, my wife and I were looking to purchase a Great Harbour cruising trawler from local boatbuilder Mirage Manufacturing. Our plan was to spend a lot more time down island in the Bahamas, but Ken Fickett, the owner of the company, convinced me it might be fun for me to join him and be his sales manager. So eight years later, I have sold lots of trawlers and have tens of thousands of miles aboard them at sea. I also have my 100-ton US Coast Guard license and a Class A Bahamian Captain's License and spend about 2-3 months every year captaining cruising charters in the Bahamas.

I have a great shop behind my house and have always had restoration/build projects going. In the '90s, I spent a lot of time restoring vintage motocross bikes (still another hobby - I have a full-on motocross track here on the property.) But over the past ten winters I have worked on mostly car and boat projects - first a Donzi 18, then a '55 Chris Craft mahogany runabout, and most lately, a '67 Buick Wildcat convertible. But now it's time for a new project.

I guess that leads us back to the Factory Five 33. So, here are the specifics of this build: My donor car is the last survivor of our old Mustang IMSA Firehawk series race cars. This particular car was a theft recovery built from the ground up as a "showroom stock" race car - which, translated, means we cheated our A55ES off on the build! After we retired it, we used it only sporadically for track days (we had mounted two race seats and harness sets in it - the kids LOVED riding in it on the race track.) One of my brothers also raced it a few times in the NASA CMC Mustang Series, but since about 2008, it has been parked in a field behind the family Nissan dealership. Anyway, the '89 5.0 EFI is pretty much stock - other than some more cheating: flow honed intake, exhaust porting, a whole bunch of head work, lightened and matched pistons and rods, Ford "Skunkworks" computer, etc. Still basically stock, I would guess it puts out maybe 30 or so more horsepower than stock. It needs a LOT of cleaning up as, while it languished in the field, a family of rats used the space under the plenum as a home - and ate pretty much every wire off the EFI harness! The transmission is an excellent Tremec 3550 with Steeda Tri-Ax shifter. We kept breaking the tailshaft housings on those damned T5s (even the so-called "world class" T5), so we gave up and went to the Tremec - never got caught, either. The rear is a Ford 8.8 with Auburn locker and 3.73 gears (still more cheating).

I ordered the 33 kit with hardtop, power windows, power steering, the EFI harness (of course), rear exit tail pipes, chrome tilt column, powdercoated frame, gas tank delete (already have my Boyd Tank), and racing harness delete (I HATE HATE HATE 5-point harnesses in street cars - going with a 3-point retractable setup.)

I have also ordered a hydraulic clutch setup from Mike Forte and power brakes and air conditioning from Whitby. I am going with 15" wheels and 50-series tires to help the ride quality and also to give it a little more of an old-school '70s look. I want my beautiful wife of 31 years to maybe actually LIKE riding in this thing. I have had plenty of "uncivilized" cars that she hated with a passion! No need to autocross or race this one - had my fill of that over the years. In fact, this build is going to be pretty pedestrian by the standards of this forum. Some of you guys do AMAZING custom work. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here; gonna do some of the mods and upgrades I have read about here on the forum, but pretty much going with a standard Factory Five looking build. Standard interior (with NO friggin roll bar) and simple, two-tone pearl white over pearl yellow paint job.

So that's where I stand right now. I have pretty much retired from selling boats (although I am still captaining charters in the spring and summer), but I still have lots of copper work to do. I do about a dozen outdoor art festivals a year here in Florida and my website generates lots of work. So, much as I want to, I can't work full-time on the 33. Even so, this promises to be a pretty quick build. There were not many pieces backordered from FF (whew!) and Tom Wallace is right up the road about 10 miles. If I get stuck, I'll just give him a call!

Looking forward to spending lots more hours out in my shop!

ERIC

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[wallace18]

Glad to hear you had a safe trip home. I know you are going to enjoy the build. I am always available for any help you need. Have fun.

[jayguy]

What a great donor to start with, and sounds like it's going to be a fun car for you. I'll be watching the build, I'm sure you'll be doing some nice things no matter how "pedestrian" you might think it's going to be. :)

I mean, you are a metal artist, aren't you? You have to put at least a little of that talent into this car. :D

[68GT500MAN]

Sounds like a great plan and you are ready to start the assembly process. Congratulations.
Doug

[WIS89]

Eric-

Best of luck on the start of your build! I love your "donor," as I am sure it will be a reliable and retains a whole lot of "go fast" left inside of her!

I too think you need to use some of your metal working artistry in your car. There are lots of places where your talents could really shine.

Good luck with everything, and please keep us updated!

Regards,

Steve

[kraftee]

Thanks for the good wishes guys. Well, today the UPS guy arrived with presents: My wheels and tires - which I ordered from Summit less than 48 hours ago - showed up mounted and balanced. Amazing. Since I am using 15" wheels, I was a bit apprehensive about front caliper clearance, but as you can see by the photos below, no worries. I have at least 3/4" of clearance.

I am using the rear brake package off my donor race car. They are the Ford Motorsports rear disc conversion package for 80s fox Mustangs. 10.15" vented rotors and Mark VII calipers on Motorsports brackets. Trouble is, the rotors are drilled for the 4-lug axles and I cannot find any properly sized rotors for my new five-lug axles. So, since I have several new sets of these rotors in stock, I am just going to have a local machine shop drill them for the 5 on 4.5 pattern. I KNOW these brakes will fit into my 15" wheels!

My 8.8 is all blasted and painted and just waiting for new axles to be ready to slip in. Still waiting for FF to send me my rear upper links (when they get them back from the powdercoater's this week), but no word on when I might receive the front lower control arm linkage adjusters...

So, the plan is to pick up my first batch of powdercoated items tomorrow morning and get as far as I can on the suspension. Still have plenty of clean-up and painting to do on the engine and transmission.
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[68GT500MAN]

I have 15" wheels on mine with (as you point out) plenty of clearance for the brakes.
Doug

[wallace18]

I really like those old school tires and wheels! They will look great on the car. I'll have my car at the Trenton car show this Saturday. Good to see you having so much fun on the build.

[kraftee]

What time is the show in Trenton? Maybe I'll stop by.

[wallace18]

What time is the show in Trenton? Maybe I'll stop by. It is from 9 to 3. It is on 47. If you are coming from Gville go W on Newberry Rd. to light in Trenton turn right and then right again on 47. About 1-2 miles down on the right.

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

I really like those old school tires and wheels! They will look great on the car. I'll have my car at the Trenton car show this Saturday. Good to see you having so much fun on the build.

Wallace18, does this mean you have your 33 registered and street legal now?

Steve

[kraftee]

Getting some momentum - but still waiting for a few pieces to arrive from FF, Whitby, and Forte...

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[wallace18]

Looking good! I like the motorcycles, too cool! I think your build is going faster than mine!

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom - well I am almost 10 days into the build and have suspension, brakes, and most of steering powdercoated and assembled. So, I guess that's the easy part!

[kraftee]

After talking to Tom Wallace this weekend about the trials and tribulations of registering his 33 here in North Florida, I was a bit nervous about proving ownership of my donor parts. You see, we bought about four or five Fox Mustangs to race in the Firehawk series over the ten years or so we did that. Plus, some of these were totaled and rebuilt with theft recovery unibodies. And we bought several more 5-liter EFI motors from wrecked cars, etc. I think we had about 7 or 8 of them in rotation over the years. So I had NO idea which block I was putting into the Hot Rod - it just happens to be the only one we have left. Obviously, since this particular body was a theft recovery, I have no title or anything for THAT. And the records of purchase are way long gone.

Well, I dug out the few remaining Mustang MSOs (Manufacturers Statement of Origin) that I still had in my old files, and lo and behold, I have one that matches the block! It seems this block is out of the very first Mustang 5.0 we bought for the race team! Pretty cool. And, most importantly, I can prove ownership! Whew!

[wallace18]

I think someone upstairs was looking out for you on that one. That will make things easier on you for sure.

[kraftee]

If you're like me, I think the spoke design on the FFR steering wheel is beautiful. BUT, I think the black plastic half rim with chrome (read: VERY HOT in summertime Florida) back looks cheesy as hell. Problem is, a decent looking replacement is hundreds of dollars probably better spent elsewhere. So, I bought the proper sized Wheelskin from AutoBarn.com and laced it on. Voila! Now I have a beautiful black leather cover on the wheel that looks factory. Bonus is it makes the wheel rim just a bit larger and more comfortable. Twenty minute install that anyone can do - and they come in lots of colors.

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[kraftee]

Build Update - Day 16. Finished the motor and tranny and got them installed. Here are some before and after pics of the motor.
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Still waiting for my power brake kit from Whitby and the correct adapter plate for my juice clutch from Forte. But making really good progress...

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ERIC

[wallace18]

Looking Good! Now you can sit in it and make Vroom ,vroom noises. LOL. Keep up the good work. Did you solve you P/S clearance problem?

[kraftee]

Yep, already been making the engine noises - so enthusiastically that I had to wipe spit off of the firewall! After I talked to you on the phone, I realized that I had to use the included transmission mount spacers in order to lift the tailshaft high enough for the driveshaft to work. That added a little bit of p/s motor clearance (at least the engine wasn't resting on it anymore). Then I clearanced the mount holes just a bit. I now have about 3/8" of air between the oil pan and the p/s motor. Hopefully, that's enough.

[kraftee]

Been working quite a bit on the build - between getting sculptures finished for the upcoming show season. Put the body on with a couple friends last weekend in order to check tire clearance and fit the firewall. I was able to lift off the body on Wednesday by myself with the chainfall in my shop. Finally got my juice clutch kit from Mike Forte and installed it. VERY nice. I think it - along with my Whitby power brake kit - should make for a very nice driving hot rod. I also mounted and plumbed the Boyd gas tank and finished the steering linkage. The portion between the power steering motor and the rack seems very tight. Anyone have any advice? Leave it this way? Remove it and extend the bolt reliefs in the little DD shaft to shorten things up? So, I attached the firewall with 10-32 button head ss screws. I used many fewer than some firewalls I have seen. Is there any real reason to use more? The firewall is on VERY solidly
Installing the wiring harnesses begins tomorrow.

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ERIC

[wallace18]

Firewall looks super clean. You will be fine as is IMO. Everything is looking nice and clean. You sure are doing a fine job.

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom!

[robboy]

After talking to Tom Wallace this weekend about the trials and tribulations of registering his 33 here in North Florida, I was a bit nervous about proving ownership of my donor parts. You see, we bought about four or five Fox Mustangs to race in the Firehawk series over the ten years or so we did that. Plus, some of these were totaled and rebuilt with theft recovery unibodies. And we bought several more 5-liter EFI motors from wrecked cars, etc. I think we had about 7 or 8 of them in rotation over the years. So I had NO idea which block I was putting into the Hot Rod - it just happens to be the only one we have left. Obviously, since this particular body was a theft recovery, I have no title or anything for THAT. And the records of purchase are way long gone.

Well, I dug out the few remaining Mustang MSOs (Manufacturers Statement of Origin) that I still had in my old files, and lo and behold, I have one that matches the block! It seems this block is out of the very first Mustang 5.0 we bought for the race team! Pretty cool. And, most importantly, I can prove ownership! Whew!

You don't need to do all of that in Florida. I just registered my 33 and all I needed was the MSO, proof of insurance, invoice from FF5 for sales tax, and title application form. Couldn't have been easier and took all of 30 minutes even with the State employee going back and forth to her supervisor to ask questions. No receipts and no inspection. This car is a Replica in the eyes of the State of Florida. A kit car is something like an Excalibur where an existing chassis from GM or whoever has a different body on it.

[kraftee]

Well, had to slow down a bit on the build as I am stuck waiting for some parts. PLUS, I have a bunch of sculpture commissions that I have been working on. PLUS, getting my sculpture inventory built up for the upcoming art festival season. But, I still managed to find time to get a few things done...

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[wallace18]

Looking good! Seatbelt setup should work great. Aircleaner looks good too. I heard through the grapevine you are spending lots of time on the car. LOL.

[bil1024]

Lookin good! Love to do a hotrod someday

[kraftee]

...also got the fuse block mounted, the brake lines plumbed (mostly - still waiting on the power brake booster), and the wiring harnesses laid out and temporarily zip-tied on.

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[68GT500MAN]

The seatbelt setup looks great. What belt are you using?
Doug

[kraftee]

The belts came from Wesco Performance. It's their Roadster kit with the chrome aircraft-style buckles and extra long (14") buckle end. About $80 per side with hardware. I used part of the included hardware along with some heavy steel I had laying around to weld up the retractor mounts. They actually wrap under the 1" bar and through bolt. Then the retractor simply bolts to the upper tab. Everything is in shear - some of it in double shear. I am no engineer, but if I hit something hard enough to fail these mounts? Well, let's just say that is going to be the least of my problems...

Here are a few more pics of the mounts.

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[kraftee]

Had a chance to do some more work on the hot rod today. Got all the sheet metal fitted and drilled. Also fitted and installed the trans tunnel. Used 10-32 rivnuts and button head ss screws. Damn, I drilled a lot of holes today...2230422305

[wallace18]

Had a chance to do some more work on the hot rod today. Got all the sheet metal fitted and drilled. Also fitted and installed the trans tunnel. Used 10-32 rivnuts and button head ss screws. Damn, I drilled a lot of holes today...2230422305

Looks good! I know what you mean about drilling holes. I bought a drill from Lowes and got the warranty. So far I have had them replace it 2x at no cost to me. Well worth the few extra bucks up front.

[kraftee]

Got some presents from the UPS guy yesterday evening - the power brake setup and air conditioning from Whitby, plus the Alternator bracket and E-Brake cables from Summit. So, got the e-brake cables mounted up - the Wilwood universal kit is SO much easier than using the FFR setup that we installed at build school. No futzing around with all those goofy clevises. Just push the cables through the block, tighten the set screws, and trim off the excess cable. The cable block bolts right up to the rod eye at the end of the handbrake assembly. Simple.

The Whitby power brake/master cylinder assembly is a work of art. It almost installed itself. I LOVE when pieces fit together with no coercion! I know a lot of guys don't like the look of a vacuum brake booster on their sacred firewalls, but I actually think the setup looks great. It also allows me to put my fuse block in the space normally reserved for the brake reservoirs. Lift off the aluminum cowl panel and, Voila!, I can get to my fuses and relays without having to climb under the dash. Think I will install that aluminum cowl panel with ceramic magnets. Just gotta finish plumbing the last of the brake lines, bleed 'em and I am done with the brakes. Should finish that today.

Also installed the clutch reservoir and bled the new Forte hydraulic clutch setup. Also a flawless kit. I simply used one of the FFR-supplied Wilwood master cylinders with Mike's external slave kit.

Finally, made a pattern for my "glovebox". I have not yet seen a console installed on one of these 33's that I like - and since I will definitely need SOMEWHERE to keep cell phones, wallets, umbrella, etc.- I am using the space that FFR thoughtfully leaves behind the seats. I SURE would not want my battery there after all! That's why mine is in the trunk. So, used structural foam to make a pattern for a 24" x 6 1/2" x 9" glove box that will slide right into that space. Heading to the boat factory in a few minutes to make a Formica mold so I can have the guys lay up my glovebox. I will definitely post pics when finished.


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[68GT500MAN]

That power brake assembly does look good!

[wallace18]

You are getting oh so close to making engine noises. Good job.

[kraftee]

The mufflers and exhaust pipes arrived from Factory Five yesterday; So, last night I installed them - along with the rear exit exhaust. One of the valuable things I learned at the Build School was to modify the hangers so that if you ever want to remove the exhaust, you can get to the nuts from below. Used the pics I took at Build School to figure out exactly how to bend the mounts. Everything went together without too much trouble. VERY happy with the look.

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[wallace18]

The exhaust is so pretty it is a shame you can't see it when the car is done. Only on the lift. LOL.

[kraftee]

Yep, the exhaust is beautiful - but I don't have a lift (like you.) So when I put the floors in, it's gone from sight!

Got the glovebox prototype molded today. It is gonna be a great piece. Big enough for a folded jacket, collapsible umbrella, cell phones, chargers, etc. Made some marks and ground away a bit on this prototype, so it's back to the boat factory Monday morning, hopefully to lay up the finished mold. Then I should have a nice gelcoated piece that slides right into the space. Haven't decided on what the final access is going to be. My gut feeling is I will just carpet it inside with black and leave the center section between the seats open. We'll see. In the meantime, here is what we are starting with:

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[kraftee]

Got my Boese Engineering billet gauge panel today. Unbelievable quality for the price. Mounted the gauges and indicator LEDs to see how they would look. Beautiful. Also had a handful of red gauge LEDs left over from the Livorsi instruments I put in my Donzi. Fit right into the Autometer bayonet mounts. Hopefully, this will cure the gauge "washout" at night that some have complained about.

Also finally opened up and took stock of the Whitby AC kit. The new Vintage Air Mini Gen II evaporator box is awesome. Compared to the other Vintage Air units I have seen in the other build threads, the blower motor is MUCH smaller - and best of all, the ac and heater hose connections are on the BOTTOM right of the unit. Should make plumbing it a breeze (pun intended.)

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[hdnik]

Eric. It's nice to see another build using the power brake set up from Jeff Collins at Whitby. When I did mine back in May it was kind of a gamble. I agree it frees up some valuable real estate under the dash for electronics... I my case the ISIS modules.

Had you considered a proportioning valve set up of any kind. I couldn't get anyone to bounce the idea off of so I went with this adjustable set up. Your build is moving quite a bit faster than mine, hopefully we can share some information on this.

[kraftee]

Hi Nick. Yep, I bought the power brake kit after seeing it on your thread, I was going to add the proportioning valve as you did, but after talking with Jeff, he seemed to think it was unnecessary. We'll see. I can always add it later. If I EVER get my backordered EFI harness from FFR, I will be ready to go-kart very quickly. Obviously I will post my findings when that happens. ERIC

[kraftee]

Well, had a few days this week to work on the 33. STILL waiting for the EFI harness, but FFR PROMISES to have one to me by midweek...we'll see. Also expecting the final pieces to my air conditioning kit so I can finish THAT part of the build. After that, GO-KART! I should also have the final rear glove box part that we have been working on. Very excited about having that space to use.

So, this week I basically tidied up a few things and, as parts have been trickling in, finished up a few others. Insulated the entire firewall with Eastwood Thermocoustic. I also insulated both sides of the Kootenai Footbox Panels and the Everson Inner Firewall. I Installed the gas pedal on the foot box panel and ran the cable. I had to rivet a section of square steel tubing under panel to support the gas pedal, but everything fit up beautifully and the pedals are all in the proper positions. If you look closely at the pic, you can see that I mounted the dimmer switch right at the bottom of that panel and ran the wiring behind it. Works great.

I sprayed the undersides of all my aluminum interior panels with rubberized undercoating and wrapped my mufflers with black heat wrap. Hopefully, the combination of everything I've done to insulate the car will keep the interior fairly comfortable - even here in Florida. Finally, I finished some wiring and installed the radiator/condensor/grill assembly. Does anyone else have a slight issue with fitment of the grille to the chassis with the condensor mounted (along with the obligatory 1/2" spacers)? I think I can overcome it, but we'll see when bodywork starts... Oh, installed a Steeda bump steer kit too. You can see it in the last pic. That's about it. Can't wait to get my parts later this week, so I can continue to make some REAL progress. ERIC

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[esff32]

Eric, would you mind sharing the part #s for the steeda bump steer kit that you purchased. Thanks very much.

Evan

[EricatHeritage]

Well, had a few days this week to work on the 33. STILL waiting for the EFI harness, but FFR PROMISES to have one to me by midweek...we'll see.

Well, it must be the guys with the first name of Eric have there EFI wiring harness on backorder. I feel your pain. I've been waiting since late August for my EFI harness for my roadster build. That being said, I did get an email with the FEDEX confirmation something had been shipped and would arrive tomorrow.

Hope you get your harness soon!

Eric

[kraftee]

Evan, I bought the manual rack '79-04 kit 555-8105. Simple 10-minute bolt-on.

[kraftee]

Well, Eric, Jason tells me that I should have my harness this week - sometime. Of course, I don't have a FedEx confirmation on anything yet...

[esff32]

Thanks Eric, i appreciate the info.

[kraftee]

Good, productive day today. Got the first glove box off the new mold and installed it. WORKS GREAT! Slides right into the space where Factory Five thinks the battery ought to go - and gives me 24" x 9" x 6" of good, dry, safe storage behind the seats. I decided to leave the entire front open, but left a 1" lip on the bottom to keep things from sliding out of the box. From the driver seat I can easily reach between the seats and access whatever is in the glove box. I also installed my master switch in the back top part of the box. Completely hidden, but easy to reach from the driver seat. You can see it in some of the pics. Needless to say, I am very happy with how it all worked out. So, that is all I was waiting for to finish installing the interior sheet metal, driveshaft tunnel and Eastwood Thermo-Coustic padding. Got it all finished today. Still waiting for AC parts and for the damned EFI harness, but at least I can sit in the driver seat, push the pedals and make Vroom Vroom noises...

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[kraftee]

AAAAARRRGH! I wish, just once, that SOMEONE at FFR would do what they PROMISED they were going to do, WHEN they PROMISED they were going to do it... Guess I won't be seeing my harness until at least Tuesday.

[kraftee]

Well, today was a busy day - but doing sculptures, not Hot Rod stuff. Got another show coming up in a week. Anyway, I was able to get my gauges and gauge panel fitted to the body. Also took a shot of the seat belts installed.

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[David Hodgkins]

Looking good! Nice progress!

:)

[wallace18]

Looking good Erik. I sent you a PM

[kraftee]

FINALLY got my EFI harness yesterday (VERY long story on how that came to arrive this weekend...) At any rate, got it installed on the car. Looks great! Now I just have to call Ron Francis tomorrow with some questions on integrating it into the main harness...

[kraftee]

Finally have pretty much all my air conditioning system parts, so today was a busy day. Did the hard lines on the condenser and secured them to the fan shroud as per the excellent advice of Tom Wallace. Finished the assembly of the grille, radiator, condenser, and hood mounts - then mounted the assembly. I like the non-painted condenser MUCH better than FFR's black-painted unit. Also mounted the compressor, receiver/dryer, evaporator, and plumbed most of the system. Still missing some heater hose connections at the firewall, but I'll get those tomorrow - and will also have all my ac hoses crimped. Wired everything but the trinary switch on the receiver/dryer. Will also do that tomorrow. I really like the new Mini Gen II Vintage Air evaporator. It really cleans up the hose mess under the dash. On that subject, I pretty much have the large mass of underdash wiring wrangled and tied down. All fuses and relays will be easily accessible from the removable cowl panel. I need to buy some of those neodymium magnets at Radio Shack to put together a simple hold-down system.

Last week I was able to get the billet gauge panel shaped to match the curve of the dash. I was also able to finish the gauge/lights wiring and the electronic controls for the air conditioning. Everything should just plug right in when I mount up the body next week to begin fitting doors, hood, trunk, etc. I also got my seat sliders from Glide Engineering. They work great and the bonus is that they lift the seats about 2.5" up off the floor. Really feels more comfortable behind the wheel now.

Probably another day of finishing up the ac install tomorrow, then there's nothing left except to start the thing up and see if it runs. I think I'll wait until I have my buddies over on Sunday. We're going to be doing laps all day on my MX track, but most of them are into cars too, so should be a good group for the 33's first start.

ERIC

[kraftee]

...and a few more pics... Anyone else having problems with the uploader on this forum today? Having to load pics one at a time. What a pain...

[wallace18]

Looking good Erik! Let me know when you plan on starting it up. I may come by.

[kraftee]

One other thing I just remembered: When I went to install my fuel filler in the body, it basically fell apart in my hands. Tom Wallace (wallace18) had the same problem. The outside ring is just superglued to the filler neck! I don't know how many others have discovered this, but I am guessing it is not TOO huge a problem as long as your rubber filler hose is stiff enough to hold everything up when you shove a gas pump handle into the neck. Tom drilled, tapped and screwed his back together. That is probably the best way to go about repairing it, but I didn't like the look of all those screws. Plus, it's a lot of work with tiny little taps! So I decided to go with JB Weld. I am quite sure it isn't going to come apart now. Hell, back in the 80s, we used JB Weld to build up an internal engine casting on a '31 Mercedes Mannheim we were restoring. Good stuff. So my suggestion to anyone with a build in progress is to take a close look at your fuel filler to make sure it's secure.

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom. Probably going to start it Sunday afternoon. I'll let you know for sure.

[kraftee]

Well, finished pretty much everything and filled the radiator with coolant. The Vintage Air Mini Gen II is a mixed blessing. On one hand, with all the connections under the blower, you don't have miles of hoses routing all over the evaporator and blower. But on the other hand, the outlets are REALLY close to the firewall manifold. Routing these tiny short hoses is a nightmare. But, after a couple trips to CarQuest for various heater hose elbows and 180s, the job is finished and I am very happy with it. Also, used several multi plugs to simplify the connections to the dash when the body is set back on. Looks like first start is still scheduled for Sunday.

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[kraftee]

Well, since the donor EFI 302 for my hot rod came out of one of our old race cars, you would naturally assume that I pulled it apart to check for wear/damage/etc. before painting it and installing it in my new build. Right? Nope. I rolled the dice since the car seemed to run perfectly the last time it was raced...FIVE years ago. Had all my buddies over today to help/watch the first start. Added a few gallons of high-test, connected the battery and turned the key. No starter noise. Nothing except running fuel pump. Which continued to run and run. Hmm. Stuck injector? Maybe one of my cylinders was filling with fuel? Pulled the plugs out to see if any were wet. One was. With water. crap. Remembered the clutch safety switch, pushed the clutch in and bumped the starter to turn the motor over for just a second - and sprayed nasty, smelly water all over everything out of the number 8 spark plug hole. Double crap. Pulled the head to find the cylinder full of water. In short, the motor is junk. Time for Plan B - whatever that is...

2345123452

[wallace18]

Sorry to hear that. Engine factory is a good quick source. I had great dealings with them.

[kraftee]

Okay. Plan B is in effect. I am trying to stay to some semblance of a budget on this build - and a new engine obviously was not figured in! The junk motor is a 1988 Mustang HO 5.0 with some head work, intake work, and a Speed Density EFI system. We actually found the Speed Density system to make more horsepower than the Mass Air system for "showroom stock" racing. Plus, it makes for a simpler, cleaner induction system in the very limited space we have on these cars. So, my choices here were to build a much stouter 5.0 - which would involve converting to Mass Air, plus all the requisite performance stuff. I ABSOLUTELY want to retain EFI. I figure my budget for a motor like that would have to be around five grand - if I built it myself - seven to eight grand if I bought one from one of the many performance engine builders out there. So, I will save that for some time down the road when I am bored and need another project.

My second choice was to just replace the junk long block with a remanufactured engine. Summit carries a reman stock HO 5.0 long block and it's only $1,800 delivered to my door. So, pulled the trigger on that this morning. It MIGHT be here by Friday - and if it is, it WILL be running by Sunday afternoon. So the whole ordeal will only have cost me one week plus about two grand. I can live with that - and even justify it to the wife! In fact, she actually feels really bad for me that this happened. Which is nice.

[wallace18]

Sounds like a good alternative you came up with. Let me know if you need any help.

[kraftee]

Sitting here on the couch half-watching TV and half-mulling over my current engine woes. Since my new long block is on its way (I'm yanking the old engine out tomorrow) THAT part of my engine starting problem is dealt with. So, I started thinking about the constant fuel pump running issue. I think I have figured it out. Maybe one of you EFI gurus can let me know if my logic is sound: I am guessing, since there is no pressure switch in the fuel circuit, that the EEC must have some kind of built-in timer to shut off the pump after the normal 2-second prime. Right? Welllllll, when I finally got my Ron Francis EFI harness, I had already powered the fuel pump through the chassis harness. I asked the tech at Ron Francis if I needed to disconnect that and power the fuel pump through the EFI harness. He said no, it didn't really matter where the fuel pump got its power. I think that was a mistake. My guess is that if I clip the power wire going from the main harness and replace it with the (pink) fuel pump wire on the EFI harness, all will be right with the world - at least as far as the fuel pump is concerned. Does any of that make sense? ERIC

[wallace18]

As long as you keep the fuel pump circuit in line with the shock sensor you should be good. That sensor cuts power in case of an accident. IMO.

[kraftee]

Yep, the inertia switch ALSO had to be switched to the pink plug from the EEC NOW, when my new motor is installed, the fuel pump should do its two-second prime thing when the key is swtiched on. Of course, since the system has been opened, I'll jump the inertia switch at the EEC test plug and run the fuel pump for 30 seconds or so before trying to start the car.

[kraftee]

Engine is out. Inertia switch and fuel pump are now wired correctly through the EEC. Just gotta wait for Summit to ship me my new long block...

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[crspdsk8]

Sorry to hear about your engine Eric. Hopefully your able to get your new block and back in the car soon! Looking forward to seeing and hearing about your first start with the new engine and hope all goes well as it should!

[kraftee]

OK. Got my new longblock yesterday afternoon. Painted it and installed intake, pan, timing cover, etc. Installation tomorrow. Hopefully by tomorrow night I'll be back where I was a week or so ago! Pictures tomorrow.

[crspdsk8]

OK. Got my new longblock yesterday afternoon. Painted it and installed intake, pan, timing cover, etc. Installation tomorrow. Hopefully by tomorrow night I'll be back where I was a week or so ago! Pictures tomorrow.
Good news! Hope it all goes well looking and forward to hearing about your 1st start!

[kraftee]

Woo hoo! Engine is in and bolted up. Now, since we have company for the Holidays, I will have to get up at oh-dark-thirty to bolt all the accessories on and connect everything - and bolt the grill/radiator back on. Want to start it this week! I promise to take pics tomorrow...

[kraftee]

Back to where I was about 10 days ago. Of course, I only have a couple days before we head back to our New York place for Christmas. So, my guess is that first start will have to wait until just before New Year's. Oh well, hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

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[wallace18]

33 looks bad a** with the hood off! Love the wheels and tires.

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom. I am REALLY liking how this thing is turning out. Before I head to the frozen north for the Holidays (tomorrow night), I wanted to solicit some opinions from you guys. I understand that - especially with underdrive pulleys - I am going to have to get some heat out of the engine compartment. To that end, I have looked at some of the different louver and vent designs that have been posted on the forums. I am thinking of going with something simple like the side of a 30's Mercedes 500K or 540K. Especially on the Sindelfingen bodied special roadsters, they had triple horizontal mesh vents on the hood sides. Look at the pics; I put some blue tape where I am thinking of cutting. What do you guys think?

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[wallace18]

Looks sweet! I would do it in a heartbeat.

[mcrumay]

Eric,
Did you check out Run Cool hood louvers. Hoodlouvers.com. They have some wider louvers than I have seen on other sites.

Mike

[kraftee]

Thanks Mike. Yep, I've been to that site before. That was my first thought - but I am still leaning towards doing something with the mesh screen. Now I have to figure out what kind of mesh I want... Tom, where did you get your screen from?

[Robert Andrew]

I like the stainless steel mesh look alot, but I think the rectangular grilles need to be scaled back, in relationship to the size of the hood sides. My taste leans towards using those elements as subtle, but always functional accents, that don't jump out at you, but tell you something is different, and are noticed on closer examination. An extended tear drop shaped, staggered in length and width might be interesting. Just my humble opinion. Also a nice touch would be a nice radiused edge on the opening. A router with a radiused bit, might speed that up, after the openings are cut and sanded. They will be really cool no matter how you build them. Build them the way you like them, that's what our hobby is all about. Different strokes for different folks.

[wallace18]

custom cargrills .comfor the mesh

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom. Looks like they have a great assortment of mesh styles. And thanks for your input Robert. I will try scaling back the size of the rectangular patterns to see how I like them. It's hard to see in the pictures, but I have radiused the lower corners of the rectangles in the rear and the upper corners in the front. I like that look. Also, the front and rear edges of the rectangles follow the same line as the front and rear of the side panels. However, when it's all said and done, these openings are less for a styling accent than they are for both cooling - AND for being able to see the sides of the engine a bit. My plan is to use at least a 70% open mesh to that end. ERIC

[Robert Andrew]

The glove box is a great idea. Storage in the car is going to be very valuable space. You did a nice job engineering it. Are you going to make them available to other builders?

[kraftee]

Absolutely Robert. We have a mold now, so can make them. I am actually shocked that someone else hadn't already done this. Especially since lots of other builders have moved their battery to the trunk - which absolutely wastes all that space beneath the fuel tank. All I can say is that I am VERY happy with the amount of space that this box gives me - and also with the easy access. $95 plus shipping. Let me know if anybody wants one. ERIC

[wallace18]

Erik, Whats up. I am missing seeing your posts.

[kraftee]

Hi Guys.

Well, I suppose I should let everyone know why my fast-build seems to have come to a screeching halt. After picking up my kit in September, I worked like a maniac to get to the point of the car being a driver by early December. At that point, I took a break as my wife and I headed up to our lake place in the great white north to enjoy a white Christmas. While there, I was contacted by an old friend from Pompano Beach. Seems one of his department heads had moved on and he was wondering if he could coax me out of retirement to take over the job. Well the challenge (and pay) was just too tempting, so soon after returning to Gainesville from New York, my wife and I packed a few things, rented a place on the beach in Pompano, and "moved" south. So, I am now Director of Sales & Marketing for Roll N Lock Corporation, manufacturer of aluminum retractable pickup truck tonneau covers. It's a job that's right up my alley, but requires lots of travel (we sell in over 40 countries, worldwide) and leaves me precious little time to make the 4.5 hour drive back and forth to my Gainesville shop to work on the Hot Rod.

However, I have been able sneak in a day or two here and there and have accomplished getting the bodywork started. I trimmed and mounted the deck lid, mounted the roadster windshield - and then this past weekend was able to get started on the doors. The passenger door is now mounted, adjusted and working perfectly (a BIG thanks to Erik Hansen for his excellent videos.) I also made the decision to dump the hard top and power windows, since they were just going to take way too much time to complete. Besides, being back in South Florida, I figured having a top-down roadster would be much more fun. So, I bit the bullet and purchased the Rod Tops top and side curtains (FOUR GRAND...YIKES!)

My hope is that I can still finish this thing by early summer and bring it down here. I'll try to be a bit more communicative and will start posting pics again. In the meantime, here's a shot of the windshield and passenger door...

ERIC


28015

[kraftee]

...by the way, has anyone else come across this little problem? Like many people, I used my belt sander to knock down the body "seams" - including the joint on top of the door where the inside and outside halves are joined. As I got it almost flat, the fiberglass joining the two pieces literally flaked away, leaving...CLAY. They didn't even clean the clay from the top of the parts before throwing a strip of fiberglass on to join the panels. Shoddy, shoddy, shoddy. Although I truly do like this kit, I am less and less impressed with FFR (and their obvious lack of quality control) as I get into the bodywork...

[ehansen007]

Hmm, don't recall that one. But I would report it. I've met the glass guy and he's as hard a worker as any but we all make mistakes. It would help FFR QC a great deal if you notified them. There should be no clay under glass, ever!

[kraftee]

Yeah, I was pretty appalled to find clay under glass, but I doubt that I will bother to contact FFR. I tell you Erik, a few months ago, when I was having issues with FFR not living up to what they promised in terms of shipping parts, I basically told myself that I was DONE with them. Especially after having no luck getting Dave to show enough interest to answer a call or even return a call or an email. Well, I ordered my soft top from them a few weeks ago, but only because there is no other way to get one. My original plan was to build this 33 and then build a Daytona Coupe. But I think I will look for another challenge after the Hot Rod is finished.

[wallace18]

Yeah, I was pretty appalled to find clay under glass, but I doubt that I will bother to contact FFR. I tell you Erik, a few months ago, when I was having issues with FFR not living up to what they promised in terms of shipping parts, I basically told myself that I was DONE with them. Especially after having no luck getting Dave to show enough interest to answer a call or even return a call or an email. Well, I ordered my soft top from them a few weeks ago, but only because there is no other way to get one. My original plan was to build this 33 and then build a Daytona Coupe. But I think I will look for another challenge after the Hot Rod is finished.

So sorry to hear your problems. I did not have any like yours. I feel bad since you looked at mine and made the decision to build a 33. I would email Tony Zullo or Joe Scott and at least let them know what you are having problems with. I realize you are very frustrated and such. Being in the car biz as long as you were you know how sometimes stuff happens. We just don't like it to happen to us. There was a fair amount of fiberglass work and massaging on mine to get it right. Part of the build. Thanks for the update. Best of luck in your new job and with the 33.

[kraftee]

Don't feel bad about it Tom. I am still glad I am building this car and the concept is excellent. I am also very pleased to have had your invaluable help and insights along the way. I just think that, for the price, there should be MUCH better quality control and customer service. Not only that, but I am also not a fan of Factory Five's obvious "whatever the market will bear" pricing policy. Case in point is the new 818 soft top: $2,500 for the top plus $500 for the side curtains. Sure looks to be a more complicated piece to build than the relatively simple 33 top. Yet, they price the 33 top A THOUSAND DOLLARS higher. Someone correct me here if I am wrong, but either FFR is losing money on the 818 top (highly unlikely) or they are gouging the crap out of the (typically older and wealthier?) Hot Rod builders. Just my opinion - but then what do I know? I just owned and operated new car dealerships representing seven different franchises over a 25 year stretch, then became operations and sales manager for a FIBERGLASS boat manufacturer, then became sales director for a truck accessories MANUFACTURER. Yep, I'm probably not educated enough to form an opinion when it comes to manufacturing or the car industry...

[Boz1911]

I also had some issues with the door seams. Mine showed up or rather I noticed them after priming. I ended up adding several layers of glass cloth to the top inside of the door for strength and something for body filler to attach to. Not an easy task when you really can't see it. My biggest problem was the hardtop being 1/2 inch different from side to side. I ended up filing a body line in the left pillar to match the door opening. All in all though, I am very pleased with the kit though and have enjoyed building it.
Sorry about the issues you're having. I pretty much called weekly to check on backordered parts during the build and finally did receive everything.

[kraftee]

Yep Boz, the hardtop fitment - just sitting there on the body - looked like it was going to be a freakin' nightmare. That's pretty much the main reason I went the "easy" way and ordered the soft top! Your suggestion of adding glass to the underside of the top of the door is excellent. I was worried about reinforcing that seam - since it is pretty much just full of clay! By the way, I've been following your build. GREAT job. I admire the hell out of you for tackling ALL the bodywork and paintwork. Having done just a little of that over the years, I decided that I hate it enough to pay whatever it costs to have someone else do it! My paint plan is very similar to yours: two-tone with the break just above the body feature line. My plan is to use metallic yellow below and bright silver above. ERIC

[Boz1911]

Thanks, my goal was to do as much as possible by myself. The only help I've had so far has been lifting the body on and off.
The soft top looks great on these cars in the pics and I considered that option but as the budget blew way past what I anticipated I relegated myself to work with what I have.
I just cut strips of mat for the doors and basically installed them blind but it seemed to work, messy job though. I also added several layers of mat and cloth to the rear of the hardtop to get it to fit better also. It ended up fitting great but it was a long road to get there. Two k for a top that poorly made seems a bit on the high side, thank goodness I only paid a grand for it.
I wish I had envisioned some of the custom stuff you've done, they are very cool. Good luck with Roll N Lock, they make a nice product !!

[MT-ED]

Not a fan of rubber-band tires on rods, so your setup looks absolutely right-on as far as I'm concerned. Dying to see the stance of the car when you get it on the ground.
Would you please mind listing the wheel widths and offsets, plus the tire sizes. I tried reading from your photos, but I couldn't even make out the tire manufacturer.
Your car is shaping up beautifully. I love the glove-box idea............so logical and I think it makes sense to have the battery more accessible. Love your side panel vent idea too. I think it will complement and enhance the car while being very functional too.

Not long from the go-cart stage :cool:

Martin.

[kraftee]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the kind words - we obviously think very much alike! Wheels are Summit Pulsar Polished. Rears 15" x 10" with 4.5" Backspacing. Fronts 15" x 7" with 4.0" Backspacing. Tires are Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R radials. Rears 28 x 12.00R15LT. Fronts 26 x 8.00R15LT. Ordered them from Summit on a Monday afternoon. UPS delivered them to me on Wednesday late morning - mounted and balanced. Just a little over $1,300 total. A smoking hot deal from deal-land if you ask me. By the way, I did have to use 1/4" spacers on the front wheels so they would clear the calipers. Next time I'm home I'll set the thing on the ground and take a photo. In my opinion, the stance is perfect.

ERIC

[kraftee]

...and to continue my griping about FFR... I recently opened the box containing my roadster windshield for the very first time (yeah, I know, should have opened it when I first brought it home - but I was only planning to use the hardtop). It was packed very well with lots of form-fitting styrofoam. Unfortunately, after cleaning it, I found that there are two fairly deep vertical scratches. Each of them about 3" long. One right in the middle of the driver's view - and one right in the middle of the passenger view. Oh well, I ground down the frame (LONG process) to make it fit my cowl anyway. I hope the scratches polish out...

[MT-ED]

Thanks Eric. I thought they were Mickeys.........sort of recognized the tread pattern. I'm a long way from a build (if I ever get there) but all information is useful to get the look I want. Definitely want rake in the stance, so knowing specifics is really useful thanks. I would be looking at a different wheel, but your sizes/offsets are about what I was thinking and they do look right. What sort of clearance between inner sidewall and the body do you have at the rear?

Sorry to hear about your continuing woes. This windshield issue is just ridiculous IMO. Why bother protecting so well something that's already damaged.........and why even ship it in the first place?

Martin.

[kraftee]

I have the narrowest of the Fox Mustang rear axles (59.25") Next time I am in the shop, I will measure the actual clearance - although I have to tell you that I am very happy with it.

As far as the windshield problem, in fairness to FFR, I am pretty sure that they get the windshields in sealed boxes directly from China. It was just kind of felt like adding insult to injury...

[kraftee]

Looking forward to getting back to my shop in Gainesville this evening. My Rod Tops soft top is due to arrive tomorrow and I will have about a half day to hopefully get that installed. Anybody who as installed a soft top have any tips other than what is on the instructions?

[kraftee]

Woo hoo! The Rod Tops roadster top showed up today. Gorgeous. I have an art show in Melbourne that I have to head for tomorrow, but I will get up VERY early to fit up the soft top. Pics to come.

[kraftee]

Got the Rod Tops soft top and side curtains installed. Simple, two hour deal. BEAUTIFULLY crafted piece. And I think it looks pretty sweet on the car...


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[kraftee]

Managed to squeeze in another day of work on the hot rod build. Got the driver door mounted and adjusted, and the waterfall fitted. I had a bit of a shock when I went to stow the new soft top in the trunk. It doesn't fit. I didn't remove my battery to check, but it appears THAT is where one corner of the long bag (holding the top and header) must go. ***A NOTE to any builder intending to use a soft top AND relocate the battery to the trunk: Put the battery on the DRIVER side of the upper shelf. I know, I know, that goes against logic since you usually want to put that weight opposite the driver, but placing the battery there SHOULD allow you to stow the entire soft top kit into the trunk.

At any rate, I have no intention of moving the battery at this point. So I came up with a solution that will work for me. By leaving the three-piece belt bows attached to the car, I can strap the long bag right behind the seats. In this way I should be able to travel with the top down and still have it available to secure the car at night. Everything else fits easily into the trunk and, in fact, this setup will save me a couple minutes in erecting the top in the event of rain.

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[Boz1911]

Looks awesome !!

[wallace18]

Looking good Erik!

[WIS89]

Erik-

I love that top! It looks great on the '33, and I like your storage solution. It looks like it would be simple to put in place when needed.

It also looks like it buttons up pretty tight with the side curtains in place.

Thanks for showing us the top.

Regards,

Steve

[kraftee]

Thanks guys! Since posting the pics of my soft top stowage plan, I have put a bit more thought into making it work even better. I am going to have my local upholstery shop make me a nice, snug-fitting boot cover that snaps onto the back of the belt bows (just like the top does) and then clips behind the seats. Should make the whole thing look like it was designed that way. Of course, all that will happen AFTER I get the car finished and painted, but once it is made, I'll post pics, obviously.

[kraftee]

Had a couple days to do a bit more work. Bolted the seats in (with the Glide Engineering tracks), installed the Carolina Customs suicide pins in the doors, fitted the hood, and fitted the nose cone. Just have to cut the side panels for the mesh, fit them, do the door top panel repair to get rid of the clay. Then do the final gaps on all the panels - and she'll be ready for the body shop!

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[Tim Whittaker]

Looks great Erik !!!

[wallace18]

Looks good! I like how you did your door pin. Cool idea!

[kraftee]

Had one day to work on the body after returning from New York. Fitted one side panel and cut for mesh. Loving it.

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[Boz1911]

Looks cool and creative!! How did you attach the mesh on the inside?

[wallace18]

Awesome job! I really like the shape you chose for the cutouts.

[kraftee]

Thanks guys. Boz, right now the mesh is just taped on. After the car is painted I will decide whether to use silicone or epoxy to more permanently attach it.

[wallace18]

Thanks guys. Boz, right now the mesh is just taped on. After the car is painted I will decide whether to use silicone or epoxy to more permanently attach it.

I used 3M panel bond on my 33 and Vette. It works great. But you need a special gun to mix it.

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom. We have some version of that permanent 3M goo with the mixing gun at the boat plant. I'll probably end up using that.

[kraftee]

Back on it when time permits. First drive with body on coming up in about a week!

[wallace18]

It is about time! LOL. Keep up on the pics.

[kraftee]

Back on it this weekend. Got the hood completely fitted and installed. Had the same problem as some others with the gas shocks really pushing up on the hood corners - so trashed them and installed 11 1/2" SS cables with loops swaged on. Otherwise, the hood really went together rather easier than I thought it would. Also got the engine idling properly. Had to replace my brand-new, two-year-old Whitby booster to do so (massive internal vacuum leak.) Replaced the clutch master cylinder hose with the red one that FF sent out a long time ago. Figured out how I am going to fold up my Rod Tops top for driving. Going to have a canvas boot made to cover it. Even with the side curtains stowed, it gives me LOTS of room in the trunk (well, most of what's there anyway!) Otherwise, just a lot of loose ends. Loving the red dash lights and my cool 33 Florida license plate. Assuming my buddy ever gets here to help me do a final brake bleed, I may even drive it tonight...

[wallace18]

Looking good Erik!

[kraftee]

Well, I got to drive the car for the first time last night. Found out five things. ONE: I am amazed at how apparently quick this thing is with a simple '88 EFI 302 engine. Granted, the 3.73 rear end contributes to that feeling - plus, it has had some head work and intake flow-honing - but still... TWO: One of the reasons it seems so fast is that the throttle body seems to be a bit "sticky" and the pedal is pretty much an on/off switch! Scary. I'll have to work on that today. THREE: The full-on Detroit Locker rear end (remember, this thing came out of one of our old race cars) doesn't seem to be a big problem. Steered a full-lock turnaround at the cul-de-sac and, aside from a little chatter, it seems driveable. FOUR: The stock mufflers are NOT blowing a bunch of fiberglass - as many have reported - and they sound GREAT. Nice and mellow. I wrapped them thoroughly with black header wrap before installation - and maybe that has something to do with it? FIVE: As Tom Wallace warned me, the Wilwood brake master cylinder that I used with Mike Forte's push-type slave cylinder doesn't move enough fluid. Really graunches trying to put it into gear - especially reverse. But all-in-all, I am pleased. The car moves under its own power!

[Warden]

Congratulations! !! That had to be a great feeling!

[wallace18]

get a 1 1/8" master for the clutch. works great in my coupe.

[kraftee]

Hey Tom, Where did you buy your master cylinder?

[wallace18]

I got part # from Wilwood and ordered it from Speedway.

[kraftee]

Don't happen to remember that part number, do you :confused:

[wallace18]

Don't happen to remember that part number, do you :confused:

260-10376 (wilwood #) it is different style. They do not make a 1 1/8" in the style the kit has. You will have to modify some stuff. It does bolt up to the pedal mount though. I ended up with the reservoir inside my footbox and made a access panel for it there is remote options though.

[kraftee]

Well, got back to Gainesville this weekend and worked a bit on the hot rod to get the new Wilwood 1" clutch master cylinder installed. I must say, removing the old one was a HUGE PITA. Not much room behind the dash - especially since I have my fuse block mounted above it (so I can access fuses/relays from the cowl panel.) Discovered that there is no way to pull the MC back far enough to get it off the mounting studs. It hits the back of the dash. So, I had to remove the bottom stud. NO fun, since there was no room to use a stud puller and the stud was assembled to the frame with red Loctite. So, it was a 1/16th of a turn at a time with vise grips. Took awhile. Once the stud was out, the push rod was unscrewed from the pedal block, and the clutch line was removed, I was able to BARELY maneuver the thing off the upper stud.

The new master is about an inch shorter, mounts slightly lower, and everything connects to a different location. That means that it was much easier to slip into place. I used a hardened bolt instead of a stud on the bottom - in case I ever have to change it again! The bonus to the new master is that, a year or so ago, after I had drilled my dash for instruments and ac vents (body OFF the frame), I discovered that I had drilled the driver side ac vent hole right at the clutch master - so I was going to have to fill the gaping hole and drill another. Well, the new MC is out of the way enough that I was able to attach the ac hose to the vent with no problem!

After bleeding and testing the clutch to make sure everything functioned properly, I took the car for a short drive. Other than some lingering brake issues (I will deal with that on my next trip up), it was a complete success. I am still not sure about the Detroit Locker - in fact I am pretty sure I am going to yank it out and sell it. If anyone on the forum has a track car and wants to swap their plain, old Ford Trac-Lok diff for the Locker, I am happy to trade even-up. You just pay the freight.

Now, I just need to trailer the car to Ocala for titling inspection and then get it to my temporary warehouse/man cave in South Florida so I can get to work in earnest. I need to finish this thing!

[wallace18]

Car looks cool even in gelcoat.

[kraftee]

Whoo Hoo!!! Official Florida Title in hand! Thanks so much Tom Wallace for all the advice!!! Took all morning Thursday, but it is titled as a 1933 Replica. Now, to HAND CARRY my 1933 YOM Florida license plate to Tallahassee to get my registration completed.

Also, rented warehouse space down in Pompano Beach for six months or so. I am sharing the space with a buddy who is re-restoring his all-steel '34 Ford 2-door sedan hot rod - and another buddy working on his full-race Elco. So, I'll be loading the car onto the trailer tomorrow morning for the 300-mile tow south. Looking forward to getting the bodywork completed and the car painted!

[wallace18]

Congrats!

[H R Lucky]

Eric & Tom,
I am going to use Toms suggestion of getting a 1 1/8 master for my hydraulic clutch (hydraulic throwout bearing) as I am not getting enough travel with the .75 in. clutch master that I have installed.
Did either of you use a remote reservoir? Like on the firewall or other location away from the master cylinder?
If so, what kind of a fitting did you use to replace the included reservoir & connection to your hose to the reservoir? I have my reservoirs mounted on the firewall. I see I can get an adapter for the 11/16 - 20 thread input hole to a -3AN male but does someone make an adapter from -3 AN male to a 3/8 barb for the hose to my remote reservoir on the firewall?

Eric, congratulations on getting your title & plates.

thanks,
Nevin

[wallace18]

Eric & Tom,
I am going to use Toms suggestion of getting a 1 1/8 master for my hydraulic clutch (hydraulic throwout bearing) as I am not getting enough travel with the .75 in. clutch master that I have installed.
Did either of you use a remote reservoir? Like on the firewall or other location away from the master cylinder?
If so, what kind of a fitting did you use to replace the included reservoir & connection to your hose to the reservoir? I have my reservoirs mounted on the firewall. I see I can get an adapter for the 11/16 - 20 thread input hole to a -3AN male but does someone make an adapter from -3 AN male to a 3/8 barb for the hose to my remote reservoir on the firewall?

Eric, congratulations on getting your title & plates.

thanks,
Nevin

I did not use a remote res. Give Wilwood a call on Monday. They should be able to help you out.

[kraftee]

I bought my 1" Wilwood master cylinder directly from Mike Forte. It came with an adapter for a remote reservoir. You can see the adapter just above the MC in the attached photo - it just pushes on over the O-ringed reservoir mount. I also used the polished stainless brake reservoir that came with the FF kit and mounted it on the firewall. I have found that the 1" MC has plenty of throw and my clutch functions perfectly. I am glad I didn't go larger as the pedal effort is a bit high even with the 1".

ERIC

[kraftee]

I made it to Pompano towing the Hot Rod yesterday evening. Here in Florida we have had a cold front stall over the State, so, of course, it poured rain the entire 320-mile trip. I was a bit worried because I had not ever driven (or towed) the car with the top up and side curtains installed. I figured I would have to spend a couple days drying everything out when I got the thing unloaded into my warehouse. Surprise! Only a few drops of water got into the car - at the bottom front corners of the side curtains. I am amazed, and quite frankly, impressed with how watertight this Rod Tops top is.

On that same subject, a couple months ago, I noticed the top stacks (bows) had a bunch of corrosion that had formed under the powdercoat. I called Chad at Rod Tops and he said to send them back. He replaced them at no charge and said it was the first time he had seen this - probably due to improper preparation by his powdercoater. Keep in mind that I bought this top from FFR OVER a year ago. Great service and a great product.

[kraftee]

Finally got a chance to put a few hours into the bodywork on the 33. Spent most of the time fiberglassing and shaping the chin and extending the side panels to meet the bottom of the grill. Pretty happy with the results.

[H R Lucky]

Eric,
I just noticed your tow vehicle in your warehouse picture, It looks like a 32 - 34 tudor, nice! Have you had it long? how about some more pictures of it.

thanks,
Nevin

[kraftee]

Hi Nevin,

I just looked at the pic you are referring to and it DOES look like I am towing the 33 with the Tudor! Actually, that 34 Sedan belongs to a buddy of mine that I share the warehouse with and the trailer is just backed in behind the Ford (I tow with my new toy - a new Nissan Titan XD diesel.) Anyway, the 34 is a hot rod that my buddy built about 35 years ago. Nice, typical 80's rod: all-steel body and fenders, ZZ4 crate SBC, turbo 350, tweed interior (hey, it was in style then!), Jag IRS, Deuce Factory 4-bar, knock-off wires, GM sunroof, NO chop. Great running car, but the lacquer is all checked, the chrome is pitted and it's looking a bit tired. So it's time for a re-resto. He is taking it back down to bare metal and going to repaint it black. Wheels will change, replacing interior, removing sunroof and welding in a new steel top... Still hasn't decided whether to stay with the IRS and put in a Heidts IFS, or put in a 9-inch rear and stay with the 4-bar. Here are a few pics from this weekend.

[H R Lucky]

It looks like he has a good start on it, nice!


Nevin

[wrp]

I'd really like to know more about the 11 1/2" cables with loops swagger on. What does that actually mean? BTW I am wrestling around with hood fitment and function as well.

[kraftee]

wrp,

The struts really only serve two purposes. First, they allow the hood to "pop" up when you pull the release lever. But their main purpose, as far as I can tell, is to limit the hinge travel to keep the hood from lifting up, over, and hitting the grill. Once I decided that the gas struts were NOT going to work on the hood, I knew I needed something to control the travel of the hinges. So, after some measuring, I decided that 11 1/2 inches was the proper length for some travel-limiting cables. I used standard stranded stainless cable that I had laying around (kind of like you would find inside a motorcycle throttle cable.) I needed to make small loops in each end so that I could attach it to the same positions where the gas struts would attach. So, I "swaged" (crimped) small metal ferrules onto each end (see photo below.)

I initially just looped the ends over the ball mounts that were there for the struts. But I was concerned that there was nothing positively holding the cables on, so I removed the ball mounts and just ran a bolt through the loop ends with a large washer and then put a lock nut on the other end. Worked perfectly.

I will say that the only drawback to this system is that the hood does not "pop" up when you pull the hood release lever. You must go lift the front of the hood away from the latch to begin the opening process. Fortunately, there is a bit of friction in the hood cable, so the release lever stays in the release position until you push it back. That allows me to open the hood with no problem.

Kind of a long, roundabout explanation for a very simple process. I should be over at the man-cave later this week and will take a few pictures to better explain the setup.

ERIC

[wrp]

Thanks Eric. I am looking hard at the push pins vice the internal lock. Might not be as elegant but I still like the idea of using the hinges if for no other reason than to manage the hood while it is open. Look forward to the pictures

[tenmodelt]

Thanks for posting this. The gas struts are a real pain. Mine don't push the hood up when you release the latch, but they keep the front so high you can't properly adjust the pins in the back to get a good fit. When the front is up the pins don't line up as the bottom of the hood is hitting the side panels in the back. I'll be installing this fix as well. Thanks, John

[kraftee]

Hi John,

You're welcome. Do you need me to take any pics of the cables on the car? I continue to be very happy with the setup. I think I will take a short video of the process of opening and closing the hood with the cables instead of struts.

Eric

[kraftee]

Back at it a bit. Finished the trunk today.

[wallace18]

Trunk is looking good.

[kraftee]

Interior is about finished...

[wallace18]

Wow! looks fantastic! great job for sure.

[kraftee]

Well, I got sidetracked for a month or so restoring a motorcycle - but finished that and got back on the hot rod last week. As of today - and just in time for Hurricane Matthew - we are finally ready to go to the paint shop on Monday!!!

[kraftee]

With the car at the paint shop, I figured I would take care of some other stuff - like polishing the windshield frame. Damn, like much of the supplied hardware, it's pretty much a piece of chinese crap. Full of pores and grinding marks. Oh well, coarse paper to get most of the deep scratches out of the frame, then work all the way to 4,000 grit. Final polish with white rouge. Came out okay.

On the subject of crappy components, the headlight buckets and clamps had chrome just literally flaking off of them. So ordered some stainless Dietz buckets and Delta glass headlight assemblies with Xenon bulbs and integral turn signals. Lots of cutting and grinding on the bucket edges to get everything to fit, but WOW are they brighter and whiter than the el cheapo plastic headlights supplied by FFR. They don't have a provision for parking lights, but no big deal, I used some orange LED strips on the edge of the grill shell for that. Having only 4 wires coming out of the headlights is sure a LOT easier to fish through!

[wallace18]

Windshield looks great!

[Mblueye33]

I have been following your build for a few months .... question did you do remove the glass when you polished the windshield frame? I would like to do the windshield and the grill.

[kraftee]

Sorry it took me so long to respond - I have been delivering a yacht and was incommunicado for a week! To answer your question, no, I didn't remove the glass - way too scary for me! I double masked the glass on both sides of the windshield and was very careful. I did all sanding by hand - and only used a power drill to do the final polish. Besides, I wasn't going for a chrome-like show finish. I wanted sort of a satin effect for both the windshield and the grill. I am pleased with the outcome - in spite of the pores and flaws in the crappy windshield frame.

[Mblueye33]

Thx for the help..... your frame look a lot better

[kraftee]

Well, today marks two months at the body shop. I was there yesterday and they have the back half of the main body and many of the parts ready to prime or in primer. Still have to work on the cowl, dash, and lowers. I visit the body shop at least once a week so they don't ignore it too much. Back when I was a new car dealer here in town, this body shop did all the body and paint work for us and our customers. They do great work and the owner has been a friend for almost 30 years. He is doing this job for me as a favor and giving me a "brother-in-law deal" on the work - so I really can't b1tch much about the time it is taking. Hopefully the work will be finished in three weeks or so... I'll try to remember to take pics next time I am there.

[kraftee]

Stopped by the body shop today to check on progress and take pics. They have been working a bit on it and tell me they should have a lot of time next week to put into it... At least most of the parts have been worked and have the first epoxy primer on them. More work to come and then some hi-build primer, etc., etc., etc. Getting anxious to finish this thing!

[wallace18]

Panels are looking great! Who is your painter if I may ask?

[kraftee]

Hi Tom. Having it painted at Bob Sturm's GT Motorcars. His best guy, Shannon, is the only one touching my car.

[kraftee]

Stopped by the body shop today for my weekly visit. Progress being made! Should be ready for paint in the next couple weeks. I hope.

[kraftee]

Well, stopped by the body shop again this morning. I am going to have to stop saying, "Hoping to have the car finished in the next couple weeks." It is slowly, glacially, inexorably approaching time to put the paint on, but the shop is using the car as "fill work" (I knew this going in) and Shannon, the body man working on it, is a friggin' perfectionist. So, it will be done when it is done - and it will be gorgeous. Here are a few of today's shots. Getting the trunk fair and fitted is the second to last step (he hasn't done anything to the waterfall yet.)

[kraftee]

Well, I went by the body shop this afternoon and the body work is finally finished. Shannon is about to put the final coat of primer on the car and then start laying color on late this week or early next. Getting closer!

[H R Lucky]

Eric,
Any particular reason why they left the body on the frame to paint it, I have not painted mine yet but I noticed a lot of guys take the body off and paint it on a buck along with hanging the doors, hood, & sides etc. I suppose one thing is you won't have to worry about scratching the body putting it back on the frame.

thanks,
Nevin

[kraftee]

Leaving the body on was my decision. After having it on and off the car several times, I felt there was a pretty good chance that I would damage it reinstalling after paint. Plus, I wanted my body guy to be able to actually mount the doors, hood, and trunk on the car when working them to be sure of best panel alignment - and to eliminate possible interference when opening doors or trunk.

Body work was the part of this project that most concerned me. I tried to fit and gap the panels as best I could. As it turns out, I made LOTS of mistakes in fitting the panels. If they had painted the body off the car, the end result would be far inferior to what I am getting this way. So far, I think it was the right decision for me and my lousy body-fitting skills!

ERIC

[kraftee]

Finally! We are getting color! They have started spraying parts with ground coat. Areas that will be completely hidden when the car is temporarily assembled for the full painting are also getting the translucent mid-coats (like the underside of the hood.) Not great light in the booth - but loving the color!

[erlihemi]

Looks great Eric!

[Barrel]

Very impressive Eric. I love that red you have chosen and those engine side panels will look grouse. (adjective : Austral/NZ informal.)
Pleased to see that you kept the doors and their frames assembled for the paint job too.
Cheers,
Neil

[wallace18]

Looks Great! I like the red better than the yellow.

[kraftee]

Stopped by for my weekly visit at the body shop and all the pieces (except the body itself) now have the metallic red base coat on them - with the translucent mid coats and clear on the undersides and edges. Shannon is going to put the car into the booth on Friday - and it won't come out until it is painted. So, he'll paint it with base coat, do the dash, trunk lips, and door jambs with mid coats and then clear the whole thing to protect it. He'll also paint the underside of the trunk lid and the waterfall. On Sunday morning, I plan to go in to help him finish up. We'll reassemble all the panels onto the car, scuff the whole thing and then he will lay on the midcoats. Finally, we'll disassemble the body panels and everything will get clear coated. Monday, everything will come out of the booth and it should be ready to buff. Getting pretty excited about finally completing this project!

[kraftee]

....AND we are in the booth and starting to put color on the body! Groundcoats and clearcoat to protect until Sunday morning, when we scuff it, hang the body panels, and then start laying on the midcoats!

[Dodgeman]

Eric,
Did you mount the body permanently before paint? I am thinking on doing the same.

[kraftee]

Yes. Felt like it was the best way to get uniform paint coverage and to prevent damaging it on re-install. It was a b1tch to mask, but I think it was the way to go, for me.

[wallace18]

Looking good!

[kraftee]

So I spent the entire day at the body shop helping painter and bodyman extraordinaire, Shannon Woodruff, finish the painting on my 33. We started by DA'ing and scuffing the entire body and all the body parts to get them ready for their midcoats. We had put some clearcoat on to protect the groundcoats on Friday evening and needed to knock the gloss off so that the midcoats would adhere properly. When Shannon was finally happy with the scuffing, we assembled all the body parts loosely onto the car. After lots of wiping down and blowing off, Shannon laid on an "orientation" coat of clear, then three midcoats of the translucent red. We then disassembled the body again in order to back tape it and paint all the door jambs, underhood area, trunk lips, etc. with midcoats. The reason for all this is that Shannon was very concerned that the color would not match perfectly unless all the panels were mounted where the were going to stay when the all-important mid-color-coats were applied.

So, at this point, pretty much everything was ready for final clear coating. Shannon cleared the body and a few smaller parts, then, once it had set, we pulled all the tape off, put the wheels back on, and pulled it out of the booth. After taking pictures and drooling over the beautiful paint, we loaded the rest of the body parts into the booth for their final clear coats. Since Friday evening, the car has gotten a total of 14 coats of primer, groundcoat, orientation coat, midcoat, and clearcoat.

So the car will stay at the body shop this week until it's ready for sanding and buffing. Then I get it back for final assembly. Can't wait.

[kraftee]

Some more of today's pics.

[erlihemi]

Eric, wow what a weekend! I probably will be painting mine with body on also. The Red looks great and deep. Ready for summer cruising now!

[wrp]

Really looking good

[kraftee]

Stopped by the body shop yesterday. Shannon has finished the waterfall and also the inside of the trunk lid. He says that he should be able to sand and buff the body itself early in the week so that I can bring it home and begin installing instruments, clean the interior, and get it ready for the body panels at the end of the week. I am also upgrading my speed density EFI system to mass air - with 30 lb injectors, 75mm throttle body, 76mm MAF. That way it will be ready for the inevitable performance mods - camshaft, heads, etc.

[kraftee]

WOW! When we finished painting the car last Sunday evening, I told Shannon that it didn't really need sanding and buffing. Was I ever wrong. I picked up the car today and the newly buffed paint looks deep enough to reach your hand into! I can now begin reassembly of the main body while Shannon finishes sanding and buffing the hood, trunk, doors, hood sides, etc.

I spent over 25 years as a Mercedes-Benz dealer and I can honestly say that this is the most beautiful paint job I have ever seen. Blown away by the quality of the work. Pictures do NOT do it justice. Now, if I can just avoid scratching it...

[wallace18]

Very Nice !

[erlihemi]

Super!

[WIS89]

Eric-

WOW, great looking paint job! It came out just terrific.

I look forward to seeing her all back together.

Great paint choice, and great choice of painter; well done!

Regards,

Steve

[Mick Scarborough]

nice

[Svtfreak]

Dat color tho!

[kraftee]

Yes. Ford Ruby Red Pearlcoat. Ford color (Glasurit Paint though) + Ford engine + Ford rear end = "Ford" Hot Rod!

It's killing me now waiting for the other body panels to be sanded and buffed. So, just working away at little things. I am also waiting for my Mass-Air conversion parts (updating from Speed-Density EFI). So, more waiting - then I will be gone on business...hopefully, everything will be ready when I get back in a week and a half...

[kraftee]

So, took the red eye back from Seattle last night. Tried to get some sleep, but, unfortunately the baby three rows up screamed bloody murder all night. Not fun. But, in the spirit of trying to stay awake until bed time tonight (hopefully avoiding getting lagged), I picked up the newly sanded and buffed doors at the body shop this afternoon and set to work.

Before I headed to Seattle last weekend, I had already pulled off the fiberglass blasting FFR mufflers. It was a GIGANTIC pain. Ended up having to disassemble the entire system and sledge hammer the mufflers off of the pipes. Prior to reinstall, I wrapped the new Flowmaster Delta 40s with Heatshield Products' "Muffler Armor". Supposed to reduce heat by 70%. Hope it works - it was pricey enough! Anyway, the install went pretty smoothly, only having to trim a total of about an inch from the front and rear pipes to make them fit the slightly longer mufflers. They sure look more purposeful than the originals - and I KNOW they won't choke me to death on fiberglass particles!

I am waiting for my new Mass Air computer to get here (hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday) so that I can climb under the dash and change out the old Speed Density computer. So, since I will need lots of room for legs to stick out of the door of the car for that project, I decided to only mount the passenger door today. And since Shannon was kind enough to fit the doors during bodywork and drill index holes in the hinges and door frames, the door literally fell into place with just a little moving around until the finish nails dropped through their holes.

All in all, a really good day for one tired guy and a very red hot rod!

Eric

[wallace18]

Boy! That is looking great!

[DaveS53]

A well done custom paint job should look far better than any paint job on a production car.

Next time you need muffler insulation, try this. My kit had enough to wrap all the way around two oval muffler and put two layers on top. Maybe I bought a kit for each muffler.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-010455/overview/

[kraftee]

I don't really want to offer FFR a ton of free advertising, so I have pretty much decided not to put the colorful badges on the car. I also decided I did not like the FFR logo in the middle of my steering wheel. So I filled the horn button with JB Weld, sanded it smooth and made a vinyl sticker that, I think, really looks great and sets off the interior.

[erlihemi]

That's cool! I have a Plymouth horn button for mine and I may do similar for the wheel caps.

[kraftee]

So in the continuing saga of "Body Shop Keeps Teasing Eric by Getting One Piece Per Week Sanded and Buffed", I picked up the waterfall and installed it today. I used fender welting between the waterfall and the body. Looks great and gets rid of that raw edge. As soon as the car is all together, I'm taking her to my upholstery shop for them to fabricate a convertible top boot and also a removable pad similar to the one that comes with the car, but narrow enough that it will work with my Rod Tops soft top in place. That should make the seat belt slots a little less obnoxious.

In the pictures, you can also make out the fiberglass "glove compartment" behind the seats where FFR intended the battery to go (mine's in the trunk.) The last pic shows the inside of the compartment with the hidden master ignition cutoff. There's a 1" lip at the front of the box to keep stuff from sliding out, and the box is carpeted. VERY happy with how that all came out!

[kraftee]

Really loving the Hagan Fatties. Worth every cent.

[H R Lucky]

Great Job Eric, it really looks nice.

Nevin

[kraftee]

Thanks Nevin. The hard work and waiting are starting to be worth it as the painted body comes together - ever so slowly.

I picked up the hood side pieces on Friday afternoon and just installed them this morning - along with the headlights. Some time back, I cut the hood sides so that they would be removable without having to remove the headlights (which is a royal PITA as you all know.) So that means the little forward corners and headlights are now installed permanently! The hood sides themselves will come back off this afternoon so that I can take them to the boat factory tomorrow and glue in the mesh with Plexus methacrylate. Then, I'll spray the backs of the hood sides with flat black and reinstall. When I was at the body shop, Shannon showed me that the hood and trunk lids are already sanded and just need to be final buffed. So, I SHOULD have everything sometime early next week. Fingers crossed.. I am really ready to finish this car!

Meanwhile, I.S.T. keeps jerking me around with my fuel injection parts. After pitching a fit that it's been over a month, they finally sent half the stuff on Friday. Of that stuff, half of IT is wrong. REALLY beginning to wish I had bought everything from Summit! Oh well. The car will eventually run again, I'm pretty sure...

You can see the headlights pretty well in the pictures. I don't know if I mentioned it before (probably - I'm just too lazy to go back and re-read my posts), but the FFR chrome headlights started flaking off large sections of chrome after about a year, so I bought some very nice Deitz-type stainless headlight buckets from Speedway - and then adapted their Delta Xenon lights with integral LED turn signals. Ended up having to put bigger, brighter LED amber turn signal bulbs in the headlights and it was a LOT of cutting and grinding to adapt the Deitz buckets for horizontal mounting. But the end result is worth it. HUGE increase in the amount of light produced. Who knows, this hot rod might even be safe to drive at night! BTW, since I used the integral LEDs on the headlights for turn signals, I just glued some amber LED strips onto the bottom of the grille (visible in the last pic) as parking lights. You really can't see the strips at all unless you are looking for them from directly above - or they're on!

[kraftee]

When I installed the standard FFR door sills, I really didn't care for the sharp, unfinished outer edge. So I bought some cheap fender welting from Speedway and glued it to the back side of the sills. REALLY happy with how it came out.

[kraftee]

Parking lights.

[H R Lucky]

The sills look good with the welting on. I don't think I received any door sills from FFR, what box were they in?

[kraftee]

According to my FFR inventory list, they were part of Group 33254 "Hot Rod Mounted Aluminum". So they must have been taped to the body, I guess. Been WAY too long for me to remember! If it helps, the FFR #s are 33927 and 33928.

[H R Lucky]

Thanks Eric, I'll check my inventory sheets.

[kraftee]

Bonded the mesh into the side panels today with Acralock 2-part methacrylate adhesive. VERY tough stuff. Some boat manufacturers use it to glue stringers into hulls. We use it to bond the hardtop onto the cabin of our new TT35. Suffice to say, the mesh ain't going anywhere!

[wallace18]

Where do you get that stuff? I need to get some for my GTM.

[wrp]

Love the Sills, I have the Dr. Ruth Sills but I like the full length of these

[kraftee]

Hey Tom. The mesh came from a company called Custom Car Grills. www.customcargrills.com. How much do you need as I have some left over that you are welcome to.

[wallace18]

Hey Tom. The mesh came from a company called Custom Car Grills. www.customcargrills.com. How much do you need as I have some left over that you are welcome to.

Not the mesh but the stuff you used to glue it in place. Thanks.

[kraftee]

Ah. No problem. We can sell you a tube set with mixer and loan you the gun (need it back in a couple days though - we glue the roofs onto the boats with it!) I think that a tube set is about $40. Enough to do a 3/8" bead maybe 25' long. I used one entire set of tubes for the six sections of mesh in my hood sides. Give me a call if you want to come by the boat factory to pick up - or I could bring it out one evening. Up to you. We're out by the airport, behind the original Sonny's.

[erlihemi]

Nice job!! A little syntactic foam under the body and you can go amphibious...

[wallace18]

Ah. No problem. We can sell you a tube set with mixer and loan you the gun (need it back in a couple days though - we glue the roofs onto the boats with it!) I think that a tube set is about $40. Enough to do a 3/8" bead maybe 25' long. I used one entire set of tubes for the six sections of mesh in my hood sides. Give me a call if you want to come by the boat factory to pick up - or I could bring it out one evening. Up to you. We're out by the airport, behind the original Sonny's.

10/4 I won't need it for some time. I thought I could buy the stuff. I will contact you at a later date. Car is looking fantastic! I want to see it in person when done. Looks Like I may be doing a customer 33 build in next few weeks.

[kraftee]

Just let me know. I'd be happy to bring it up to your shop (that way I get to see the GTM project!) As far as completing my 33 goes, I expect to have the hood and deck lid today or tomorrow - and the last of the fuel injection pieces by Friday. So hopefully, the car will be drive-able this weekend! Then I just need to take it to L&S Upholstery so that they can make the soft top "parade boot".

[kraftee]

Picked up the hood and deck lid today and bolted them up. Finally finished with bodywork! Just have to re-hang driver door when I finish working under the dash.

[kraftee]

A few more pictures as we close in on completing this long-term project. FINALLY got the new EEC-IV for the mass air system upgrade. Allowed me to button up the dashboard. Now I am just waiting for a few small pieces from Summit (hopefully today) to complete the plumbing on the mass air intake system. Then a few little items at the upholsterer's and I am DONE!

[kraftee]

Well, UPS seems to have lost my aluminum elbows and tubes for my mass air conversion (they claim severe weather. Where?) No matter, had plenty of things to do. Followed Dr. Ruth's instructions and did a quickie garage floor alignment. Also changed out my springs. About a year ago, I bought a set of 9" 250 lb. QA1 springs for my rear Konis. The plan was to replace the front 500 lb. springs with the 350 lb. take-offs from the rear. I have been dreading this operation - but it was actually pretty straightforward, with one BIG exception: DO NOT install the front upper shock bolt the way FFR recommends. If you put it through from the front, you will have a heck of a time trying to remove the bolt to change springs (or shocks) once the radiator is in. Especially if you use a fan shroud and tend to lean your grille back a bit farther than normal (like I did.) Instead, put it through with the NUT end closest to the fan. Obviously, that's the way I re-installed everything. Took a couple hours to take apart - and only 15 minutes to reassemble. If that is not clear, I would be happy to post pics tomorrow. But right now, I'm tired and need a beer...

[kraftee]

Mass Air conversion is almost complete. Still waiting for the Idle Air Control. Supposedly shipped from Rhode Island today. Maybe I'll be driving this weekend!

[wallace18]

Hope you get some good weather to drive in.

[kraftee]

One of the little details that I have been trying to figure out, is how to get out of the car. The little chrome nubs that FFR calls inside door handles work fine from outside - since you're just reaching in and pushing them down. However, when seated inside the car, you have to stretch forward and awkwardly try to push down on the button. I can do it, but my wife has shorter arms and just can't manage it. She doesn't have enough strength in her hand to push down on the tiny button.

I found these cool little 3" levers on eBay for $21 - including shipping. They come with three adapters (splined, square, and round.) I just drilled out the round adapters so that they slip over the little chrome door handle nubs, tighten all the set screws, and a slight push down on the handle pops the door right open! Works way better than I ever thought it would. Looks pretty trick too. I'll now need to polish my billet suicide pin levers though..

[wrp]

That is what I was looking for much nicer than my current solution

[DaveS53]

Try a neat-knob setup from Watson's. There are many styles of knobs and with a cable, they can be placed anywhere. With the right leverage setup, very little effort is required to unlatch. On my car, it's a one finger job. Sometimes, the latch is the problem. I had autoloc brand bear claw latches that were both difficult to open and prone to opening by themselves. A change to Tri-mark latches fixed that. Most hot rod latches are either a 2-rotor or single rotor style that are interchangeable.

Once the door panels have been drilled, it will require new ones to change the setup. That's one reason I chose to use aluminum for all of my upholstery panels. Any of them can be made from a 2' x 4' piece of 3003 aluminum that costs under $30.

http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/latches-hinges/cables-releases?page=2

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=8089&step=4&showunits=inches&id=753&top_cat=60

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a540/dashepherd298/DSC00770_zpseovlslai.jpg (http://s1282.photobucket.com/user/dashepherd298/media/DSC00770_zpseovlslai.jpg.html)

[kraftee]

Okay, I am sure that worked great for your non FFR hot rod with a cable release, but for the NON-CABLE direct knob setup on FFR 33s built after mid-year 2013, this $21 solution looks great and works with one finger also.

[kraftee]

Finally.

[DaveS53]

You can change any latch to work with a cable. Even a handle like yours can have a short lever arm and a cable connected to it. I have both an electric operator and the cable hooked to my latch.

Your finished car looks great!

[wrp]

Okay, I am sure that worked great for your non FFR hot rod with a cable release, but for the NON-CABLE direct knob setup on FFR 33s built after mid-year 2013, this $21 solution looks great and works with one finger also.I agree

[wallace18]

Car came out fantastic!
You should be proud. :cool:

[crspdsk8]

Car turned out awesome! Great Job!

[H R Lucky]

Looks great Eric, only thing I would add is wipers (since they are mandatory in Pa.)
Now put some miles on it and SMILE!

[kraftee]

Thanks Tom, Charles, and Nevin!

[CVOBill]

Looks great Eric!

CVOBill

[TxMike64]

Looks great! How do you like the soft top? Is there much buffeting inside at speed?

[kraftee]

Thanks again guys. The soft top does not seem to generate any buffeting and actually, surprisingly little wind. So my wife's hair doesn't get blown around. Which means she is happy to ride in it. Which makes me very happy!

[kraftee]

First local Cruise-In this past Saturday evening. It was #583's actual "debut", but since it wasn't actually a "show" - there were no trophies. But I did win the 50/50 drawing! Plus, Tom Wallace was there with his incredible FFR Roadster. Perfect night all around.

[wallace18]

I was there and Eric's 33 is better in person than pictures. He should be proud of such a great job done. Super car!

[kraftee]

I have been driving the 33 quite a bit - and it steers straight, doesn't vibrate, pull, or do anything bad. But still, the only alignment it has had is one I did on the floor with string, tape measure, and level as per Dan Ruth's instructions. He says, if done carefully, this can give you every bit as good an alignment as one on an actual alignment rack. However, I still doubted myself. Well, today I finally took it to "The Alignment Guy", who put it on his Hunter alignment machine - and said it was just about perfect! Go figure. I had him tweak the settings just a bit to make it even closer to "perfect", but the fact remains, it would have been just fine. The only issue is that my 4-link rear is a bit out of whack. One wheel is toed slightly in and, of course, the other is toed out. He said it's not enough to worry about - but I still might splurge and buy some of the adjustable links with spherical ends. Anyone have any recommendations on which are the best way to go? Breeze? Gordon Levy? Spohn?

[partsman]

Great job Eric. Awesome looking 33, enjoy it!

[Tampa33Build]

Drove up from Tampa yesterday to see Eric's car. As Tom stated pictures do not do it justice, great looking 33. Eric also gave me many tips for my build.
Thanks again Eric.

[H R Lucky]

Eric,
Dan Ruth also sells adjustable upper & lower control arms, I have a set on my Hot Rod & was able to get the rear wheels centered in the wheel wells rather easily.

Nevin

[kraftee]

Thanks for reminding me about Dan's adjustable links, Nevin. I'll call him this week.

And thanks for the kind words Neil and partsman. Neil, it was great meeting you and your wife on Sunday. I will enjoy watching your build progress!

Eric

[kraftee]

I mentioned awhile back that I was unhappy with the throttle cable - both the pressure it took to "pop" it past idle and, well, the length of the thing - about 48" - looped around under the plenum and back against firewall. The throttle plate itself fits into the throttle body perfectly with a very smooth actuation and no "tight" spot coming off fully closed. I considered upgrading to a linkage - but the thought of pulling the engine to drill mounting holes in the firewall did not appeal to me. So I spent $54 and purchased a Lokar Hi-Tech braided throttle cable assembly from Jeg's. The part number is 625-TC-1000HT and it is designed to fit early EFI Mustangs. The cable housing is braided SS and lined with nylon. The cable itself is nylon coated. Slick as ice on glass. It's a significantly larger diameter cable and has much more robust ends on it. Nice billet clevis for the throttle pedal, billet firewall pass-through, billet three-adjustment mount, and billet snap-on ball-end mount. Plus, the EFI-end set screw assembly is much better thought-out and more robust. So it is less likely to fray and make the cable unusable if you decide it's too long and need to cut it again. Finally, the cable housing is about 24" long - which is perfect. Makes a nice smooth S-bend between firewall and throttle mount.

It works GREAT. I recommend this upgrade to any builder. Obviously, the part number I quoted is perfect for anyone using an 80's-early 90's five liter Ford with factory EFI, but they sell lots of different configurations. The peace of mind that comes with having such a robust set-up WAY overcomes the additional purchase price.

[HVACMAN]

I have been driving the 33 quite a bit - and it steers straight, doesn't vibrate, pull, or do anything bad. But still, the only alignment it has had is one I did on the floor with string, tape measure, and level as per Dan Ruth's instructions. He says, if done carefully, this can give you every bit as good an alignment as one on an actual alignment rack. However, I still doubted myself. Well, today I finally took it to "The Alignment Guy", who put it on his Hunter alignment machine - and said it was just about perfect! Go figure. I had him tweak the settings just a bit to make it even closer to "perfect", but the fact remains, it would have been just fine. The only issue is that my 4-link rear is a bit out of whack. One wheel is toed slightly in and, of course, the other is toed out. He said it's not enough to worry about - but I still might splurge and buy some of the adjustable links with spherical ends. Anyone have any recommendations on which are the best way to go? Breeze? Gordon Levy? Spohn?

I also went with the set that Dan sells. They fit like a dream.

[kraftee]

As I have said before, I really love the Rod Tops soft top. However, with my Optima battery in the way, that long header bow and attached soft top just will not fit into the trunk. Even if there was some way to make it fit, that would leave exactly zero room in the trunk for chairs, coolers, etc. That means I just can't go far from home with the top off - since I live in Florida - and it rains here pretty much every afternoon!

So I had my favorite local trim shop make me a really clever (their idea, actually) little boot/bag that the top and header bow roll up and zip into. Then this boot/bag simply snaps to the belt bows that stay on the car also. Looks great IMHO, and means I only have the two side bow stacks, bows, and side curtains in the trunk. Leaves PLENTY of room for two folding chairs and a small cooler!

I also did not like the way the top of the waterfall is finished with all those screws - and basically a raw edge. I tried putting some welting there, but it still was not a satisfactory solution. The FFR-supplied padded trim piece is okay, but I would have to remove it and store it somewhere in order to put the top up! It also results in being able to see that unfinished waterfall top again from inside the car. Besides, it is notched for the 4-point racing harnesses (which I deleted on my order) and my 3-point retractable harnesses exit the waterfall in a different place! So I had the trim shop cut that little sucker down and modify it so the gap was correct for my seat belts. Then they ripped the 1-inch padding off of it and re-padded it with more reasonable 1/2" foam, finally re-covering it with a nice pebble-grain vinyl that matches the seats. Velcro'ed on, it looks incredible and never has to be removed!

I am really happy with the results. Now I can drive my car with the top down and put the top up anytime weather threatens (as long as I have about 10-minutes warning - or a bridge to hide under while I assemble the top!) At a show I can either leave the top in its boot on the car - or remove it and set it on the ground with my stuff.

[H R Lucky]

Looks awesome Eric, and practical also.


Nevin

[wallace18]

Very Nice!

[TDSapp]

Kraftee,


Did you also install A\C on your car? Someone said something in another thread and it got me wondering about the effectiveness of the A\C units with the rag tops. My wife used to have a 93 Cavalier that had a rag top and when up and the A\C was going there was no problem here in the Texas heat. The A\C was good enough and the top was insulated well.


Considering the heat here in the DFW area I just want to know what to expect.

[WIS89]

Eric-

That's a great looking solution! I really like the practicality of having the top always with you, especially as you pointed out the almost daily rainfall you experience.

It also looks terrific, which I am sure pleases you a great deal. Thanks so much for sharing, and well done!

Regards,

Steve

[mia65cobra]

That boot cover is a great solution...looks great!

[kraftee]

Thanks guys,

Appreciate the encouragement. It came out much better than i even hoped.

Tim, I have lived in Florida for almost 45 years and ALL my convertibles must have air conditioning! True, the AC has to work a bit harder than it would with an insulated hardtop, but (even with the side curtains out) my wife is much happier with some cold air blowing on her! I even like running the air conditioning with the top down. Again, that cold air blowing on your body helps a LOT. I wouldn't have a convertible without AC in Florida (or Texas, or Georgia, or...pretty much anywhere!)

One other thing; The Vintage Air system also gives you HEAT for those cold winter days (yeah, we get some cold days here in North Florida.)

Eric

[kraftee]

...and Tim, I saw you were discussing stereo systems over on wallace18's current build thread. Didn't want to hijack that thread so I thought I would post this here. I bought a Kenwood Bluetooth bridgeable amp and installed it behind the passenger seat on the floor. It comes with a nice wired remote head (mountable if you have a console - I don't.) Even with just two 6" Infinity door speakers, it sounds amazing, even at 70mph with the top down. It is also dead simple: I simply open my iTunes app on my phone and pick a mix or artist (or open Pandora - but then there is the cellular data charge to deal with.) Then, all day, whenever I start the car, it automatically starts playing my chosen music. Everything shuts off when I turn off the key - and my phone goes into pause mode. Pretty awesome and I can adjust the volume, skip tracks, etc., with my little wired remote that lies next to the transmission tunnel. My phone stays in my pocket.

It's the best hidden sound solution I have seen so far.

[kraftee]

LOVING the hitch I bought from Erik Hansen. Turns the 33 into a pretty decent unit to haul a light trailer - especially a vintage one loaded with vintage trail bikes!

[H R Lucky]

Really looks good Erik,
I have 2 questions: 1. do you have a 3 link rear or 4 link? reason I'm asking is for the trailer hitch, I am making my own from Eric Hansens plans & he wasn't sure it will fit my 4 link rear, so I may have to do some modifying. 2. can you give me some details on how you got your radiator overflow tank installed next to the radiator? I don't seem to have enough room there to get it installed.

thanks,
Nevin

[Dodgeman]

...and Tim, I saw you were discussing stereo systems over on wallace18's current build thread. Didn't want to hijack that thread so I thought I would post this here. I bought a Kenwood Bluetooth bridgeable amp and installed it behind the passenger seat on the floor. It comes with a nice wired remote head (mountable if you have a console - I don't.) Even with just two 6" Infinity door speakers, it sounds amazing, even at 70mph with the top down. It is also dead simple: I simply open my iTunes app on my phone and pick a mix or artist (or open Pandora - but then there is the cellular data charge to deal with.) Then, all day, whenever I start the car, it automatically starts playing my chosen music. Everything shuts off when I turn off the key - and my phone goes into pause mode. Pretty awesome and I can adjust the volume, skip tracks, etc., with my little wired remote that lies next to the transmission tunnel. My phone stays in my pocket.

It's the best hidden sound solution I have seen so far.

Kraftee,
The sound system you installed (Kenwood bluetooth bridgeable amp) do you happen to remember the model number?

Thanks,
Bob

[kraftee]

Nevin,

I have the 4-link and it fits just fine. Even though Erik says you don't really need to use the upper support bars, I installed them on my car. They are installed well above the upward travel limit of the upper links in the stock 4-link rear end. The end result is a very sano-looking installation that doesn't really detract from the rear end of the car (in my opinion.) The bonus is that the bars help support the sheet metal trunk floor. Here are a few photos that show the finished product.

Eric

[kraftee]

Hey Bob,

The Kenwood system is KAC-M1824BT. Pretty sure I bought it from Crutchfield. Sounds great with just two Infinity Kappa Reference Series door speakers - even at 70mph with the top down! Mounted behind the passenger seat and the remote is unobtrusive, easy to hide, and simple to operate while driving.

Eric

[kraftee]

Nevin,

Here are some pics from a few months ago when you could see how it is mounted. Mounted it directly to Mike Everson's radiator shroud.

[H R Lucky]

Erik,
thanks for the info on the trailer hitch.
on the overflow tank, I can't even get mine to fit without hitting the head light wires & the suspension, I will have to re-investigate what my obstruction is.

thanks again,
Nevin

[kraftee]

Nevin,

The key was mounting it a bit lower. When you look at pic 4 in the post above, you can see a rivnut mounted a few inches above the lower mount. That was my first attempt. Didn't work mounted that high. Once you install it low enough (with spacers as shown), you will probably have to twist it one way or the other just slightly to bend the mount tabs and clear everything. Now, you will notice I did NOT use the gas shocks on my hood hinges, but instead went with stainless braided cables as hood limiters on each side. Pretty sure the gas shocks would not allow mounting where I did.

Eric

[kraftee]

I have had several builders contact me about more pictures and details on the soft top boot. I had this made by the local trim shop - who specialize in vintage cars and have done trim work for me for 30 years. Good people. Anyway, my problem was that I simply could not stow the top itself in my trunk because of my battery location. That long wooden header bow being permanently attached to the top was the problem. So, whenever going anywhere, I would have to leave the soft top up - or at home.

When using the boot, the top rolls up and zips into the boot, which is then snapped onto the belt bows just like the soft top itself. There are two additional straps that snap right inside the door jamb. The purpose of these is to keep the boot snugly down in position while driving. That leaves only the three bows, the two little tensioner rods, and the two side stacks to stow away while travelling top down. In the first pic below, you can see how little trunk space is taken up by this. Of course, if you have side curtains, they stow nicely too (second pic.) Leaves the entire lower part of the trunk open for all your stuff.

7408174080

Of course, if you go to shows and travel like I do, you will have much more stuff in your trunk. Here is how I usually travel: In the first pic, you can see a decent-sized toolbag along with towels and rags in the very rear of the trunk, plus two foldable chairs. The second pic shows all the previous stuff, plus all the top pieces, plus cleaning fluids and chamois (behind battery), and a small cooler. Note that there is STILL plenty of room for an overnight bag. The final pic adds the side curtains.

740847408374082