Graduation for 5717

[Jeff Kleiner]

In the fall of 2012 my best buddy Aaron bought a previously started 2006 vintage Mk3 roller from the original owner in Texas. The detailed build thread is here:

http://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-factory-five-roadsters/296075-another-build-thread-5717-a.html


Reader's Digest version; after it arrived we discovered some things that he and I found not to our liking and took the car back down to the bare chassis and started over. It hit the road about a year later and Aaron ran up 4,000 or so miles plus a bunch of autocross runs in gelcoat. In January he brought it to me while I was doing the body and paint on two others and we ganged up on it (I say ganged up on it but the reality is that I left all of the grunt work to him... "grind that"..."sand that"..."clean that"..."fill those pinholes"..."now fill the other thousand finholes"..."now sand that again"...). I sprayed it earlier this month:

http://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-factory-five-roadsters/501569-fresh-blue-white-but-surprise.html

It's all put together now and Aaron brought my car back to me this morning (it resided in his garage while I had 3 others in mine). After installing the windwings and visors there was nothing left to do to 5717 so he drove it home! With that I'd say it's ready to officially graduate!

Details as best as I can recall:

Mark 3 with 3 link, dogleg SN95 spindles and SAI mod, PBR 2 piston front calipers and Cobra rears with a '95 Cobra master and vacuum booster. Upgraded Bilsteins all around, power steering with a 3.0 turn rack. 17" Bullit wheels hold Kumho XS in 255/40 and 315/35.

We fully rebuilt the 5.0 from a Fox body (see build thread for how that all came about) using forged TRW pistons, resized rods w/ARP bolts, polished crank, fresh e7 heads with Ford Racing upgraded springs and E cam. It retains EFI but the EGR, etc. has been ditched. Exhaust is through 4 into 4s and FFR stainless pipes. Aaron's thinking is that in the future we'll either upgrade the heads and intake or simply stuff it with a blower so either way it's got a stout, fresh bottom end to build from. Trans is a new T5z behind a King Cobra clutch.

Inside features 18" kirkeys, expanded driver's and passenger footboxes, rear cockpit cubby and painted dash with a sub panel for all of the switchgear other than turn signals. We put the battery below the upper trunk floor and made a dropped box for the lower level.

Paint is first generation Viper Blue with GM Artic White stripes. Within the stripes are pearl blue ghost flames. They act kind of like a hologram coming and going from view depending on lighting and angle. Our human eye catches the effect much better than the camera. Body mods are rectangular tail lights, hidden trunk hinges, rolled cockpit edges, the molded in hood scoop was cut off and the hole was filled to accept a bolt on version. More holes were cut in the hood for a pair of V-Raptor aluminum louvers.

Some pics:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5441.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5444.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5437.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5445.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5449.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5459.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Aaron5171/100_5447.jpg

Aaron made it home just before the rain hit but I know when it stops he's going to be driving the wheels off of it!

Cheers,
Jeff

[65 Cobra Dude]

Look forward to seeing it and you guys in London. Nice work!

[fordboy]

Whose roll bars did you use ??

[Jeff Kleiner]

Whose roll bars did you use ??

FFR bars chromed locally.

Jeff

[skullandbones]

Great redo, Jeff! Just curious: how much time do you spend on the striping?

Thanks,

WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Great redo, Jeff! Just curious: how much time do you spend on the striping?

Thanks,

WEK.

Thanks Bill! I always find the centerline while the body is on the chassis and look at it for a couple of days adjusting as necessary (trust your eye more than a measuring device!). Here's one with the centerline tape in place during that "stare at it for a while" stage from a few cars ago:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Steve%20J/100_4931.jpg

After I'm happy with it I make references so that I can reestablish it when needed---usually a small hole in the hood and trunk flanges that will later be used for the rubber bumpers or covered by weatherstripping, another that eventually gets covered by the license plate lamp and one at the back of the return in the top of the radiator opening. All told probably about 3 hours for finding center, layout and masking.

Cheers,
Jeff