Brandon's 33 Build Thread #799

[Gsnipe]

Hello Everyone,
I received kit #799 back in June of 2015 and have been slowly working on it since then. With the first start around the corner, I figured it was time to assemble a build thread on this forum.

Here's the main parts list:
408 Windsor
Tremec TKO 600
Wilwood front and rear brakes
FiTech MeanStreet EFI setup
Moser 3-link rearend with TSD differential and 3.54 gears
Unisteer power steering
McLeod clutch
BBK headers
Vinyl Wrap

Before I start posting, I want to say thanks to all of you that have contributed here and on the other forum. The advice, talent and builds are incredible.

-Brandon

[Gsnipe]

Unfortunately, I was not in town to receive the kit. My neighbors were kind enough to make sure she landed safely at home.

I ended up having a backorder list of probably 20 or 30 items. Getting all of those parts took a few months and several phone calls. My advice to you new guys, make sure you check every single item on that list including nuts and bolts. I was surprised to find that even some of the prepackaged bolt bags were missing items.

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[Gsnipe]

I routed my rear brake lines to the drivers side and then the passengers as the manual stated. I also did the same with my fronts (which is not stated in the manual. They suggest a T split first). This makes me somewhat uncomfortable but hydraulic fluid theory tells me I should be ok. Any objections?

I did not have to cut or flare any lines with the lengths that FF recommended. This was very helpful since flaring brake lines can be a PITA.

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[Gsnipe]

Once I got the firewall & frame center line, I drilled it in a few places, reversed it and cleco'ed it to the frame so I could then trace the outline on both sides. This helped me visualize how I was going to do my drilling pattern. I left out drilling the inner diagonals on purpose to give it a cleaner look.

It's about this time in the build that my wife and I learn that we're going to have our first child. This puts a different timeline on the build to say the least.

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[Gsnipe]

I started by assembling a good amount of the front end and firewall before powder coating those pieces because I was concerned about scratches. In hindsight, I probably would have painted those first and then installed them with tape & care.

Like many of you, I had to grind down several of the large nuts that attach the control arms so that they would fit snugly against the holder brackets. The welds and proximity to the upper frame bars were causing them to not seat correctly.

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[Gsnipe]

The steering proved to be a bit of a pain. Be prepared to cut things more than once in order to get them to fit smoothly. Lots of trial and error here. It helps if you have somebody turn the wheel while you inspect the linkage for any binding... then rinse and repeat.

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[Gsnipe]

Moser 3-link rear end with TSD differential
This setup has 8.8 ends (to work with the Wilwoods) with +1 inch on each side for extra wheel clearance.
51946

Wildwood brake bracket and Moser axle retainer bracket.
51947

Nut won't work if the bolt comes in from the outside.
51952

Here's the three brackets seated. The bolt ended up being too close to the axle shaft to fit.
51949

Had to grind down the bolts to sit against the axle shaft.
51954

After the bolt grinding and adding the axle retainer bracket, the test fit proved they weren't long enough for my liking. I replaced them with some longer grade 8 bolts after I painted everything.
51955

Notice the seats on the press in studs. This caused the rotors to not fit flush. I had to drill out the lug holes a bit to get them to sit.
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Here is the rotor backwards test fitting to see if they'll lay flat. After some very light grinding on all 10 holes, the rotors finally fit.
51956

The wheel spacers provided by Moser weren't big enough to fill the gap between the bearing and the retainer bracket. I had to have them send some larger ones in the mail.
51953

[Gsnipe]

I used POR-15 to paint the rear end and panhard bar. IMO, it looks pretty nice and darn close to the powdercoat used by FF. I used the main brush-on coating and their gloss black Top Coat spray.

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There aren't many pictures of the actual install. Thanks to Jason (3dguy) for helping to get it in smoothly.
51964

[Gsnipe]

After months of deliberation between a 302, 351 and a Coyote... I ended up ordering a 408w. =)

I went with the 351 for the following reasons. 1) The sound 2) Easily upgradeable HP wise 3) Less expensive than Coyote 4) Over 400hp

I went with a long block for these reasons. 1) No desire to build and balance a shortblock 2) Preferred something already dyno'ed with a warranty 3) Still bare enough to tackle some of the engine build myself with items I prefer

With those deciding factors in mind, I ended up going with a Blueprint setup from Jeg's. I was somewhat hesitant to go with them at first but after speaking with them and several other companies/builders, I decided to give them a try. Jeg's price matched it with another vendor which sealed the deal.

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[myjones]

[QUOTE=Gsnipe;231611]
]51926[ATTACH=CONFIG]QUOTE]
The square chassis tube in this shot seems to be a running change. Can you confirm where that is on the chassis from a different angle?
Love all the pictures in your post, very helpful.
Dale Berry Hemi431

[Gsnipe]

Are you referring to the cutout on the lower 3-link bracket? Another lower serial # builder noticed that when checking the car out. The rearend pumpkin sits directly above that. Here's a pic that might help...
51977

[myjones]

Are you referring to the cutout on the lower 3-link bracket? Another lower serial # builder noticed that when checking the car out. The rearend pumpkin sits directly above that. Here's a pic that might help... 51977

That picture from a different angle cleared it up. Mine is a 4 link car but that lower link does seem to be a different design than earlier serial # cars.
Thanks
Dale Berry 7.0L Hemi33

[wrp]

Fabulous build

[Gsnipe]

The flywheel is by RAM and it was delivered without dowel pins. I read in a few places that they really help to eliminate clutch chatter so 3 were ordered. Installation was made much easier by putting them in the freezer for 12 hours or so. Once those were massaged in , I installed the clutch disc and pressure plate using the supplied tool. Next came the bell housing along with the clutch fork. I made sure to pay special attention to the throwout bearing install. It's easy to see how it can be installed incorrectly. Once that was complete, a buddy helped lift the tranny into place. Done.

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[Gsnipe]

At this point in the build, I want to give you guys an idea of how those first 5 or so months unfolded for me. It might help those considering the 33.
I was having a blast 80% of the time and banging my head 20% of the time.

Gsnipe's FF '33 Top 10

1) They will start to know your name at the hardware store. You will become a nut & bolt expert quickly.

2) Many tools will have already been bought. Some that allowed you to get to the next step and some you probably won't need yet, later or ever. There's always something you can buy that fits perfectly but you don't always have to do that if you can improvise.

3) Wheel and tire selection is fun but painful. There are only 700 options out there... and that's for tires alone. Wheels are another
story, especially if you consider custom built wheels. Height, Backspacing, Bolt Pattern, Staggered, Double Staggered, Reverse Dish, Step Lip. The list goes on... Oh what? Did you say you want fenders? You should probably take a seat.

4) Engine selection was not as easy as one would expect. There are a ton of builders out there and everybody has an opinion on
what shop or setup works/sucks. Proceed cautiously. Find someone that you can communicate with.

5) The manual is a suggestion, not a guide. There is much to be desired. The forums and pictures posted will fill the gaps. See #6

6) Internet and forum searching will become a lil excessive. There are two forums related to the 33 and neither is very active (I'm guilty myself. I think there are a lot of 33 builders out there lurking right now. I'd like to encourage you guys to start posting more. We should return the favor for future builders) Now the 818 or the MKs? There's plenty of action going on over in those forums and it's good to go peruse those sections for ideas and tips.

7) Waffling between assembling it naked or painted slows progress.

8) Mount body panels first or go-kart first? You'll understand after you learn of Dr. Ruth's wisdom.

9) Breaking down boxes sucks.

10) Backorders are real and they will slow you down. You will have about 10 projects going at this point.

I say all of this in good humor because I'm finding the build to be enjoyable. The '33 is a canvas that allows you to do just about anything you want.

-Brandon

[erlihemi]

Nice build Brandon ! There's a couple top ten lists floating around. Some common themes are occurring. Maybe FFR is paying attention.

[Gsnipe]

Thank you. Yeah, I've seen a few of those lists. I wasn't taking aim. FF has updated the exhaust, the coilovers and the IRS in the past year so they seem to be paying attention.

[Gsnipe]

With the engine ready to go in, it was time to mount the firewall which meant it needed to be covered or painted. I considered going with something like a patina'd copper cover but decided on just powder coating it black with the intention of maybe trying something like that later. I tore down the front end and sent about 25 pieces off to the powder coater.

A week or so later, everything came back with a nice gloss black coating that matched the frame pretty well. There were lots of holes that needed to be drilled out and brackets expanded but this was to be expected. Reassembly started and then quickly came to a halt when paint was found inside the first 1 or 2 sets of threads on 2 of the lower control arm tubes. It did NOT come off easily. I ended up using all sorts of tools (dremels, screwdrivers, sandpaper) and chemicals (brake cleaner, acetone) to get those clean. In the end, the paint came off using a wire bit on the dremel. Be sure to tell your powder coater to cork all threads. Mine did for most but happened to miss two.

I greased all the pivot tubes and tightened everything down. The front end was finished up with some red energy suspension dust boots which look pretty awesome if you ask me. The coilovers are upside down or right side up... I've read conflicting answers.

To attach the firewall, I considered rivnuts or tapping the tubes to make everything detachable but decided to mount it permanently in the end. The firewaall went on with some 3/16 multi-grip black rivets and with some silicone to seal up everything nicely. A side note... Before it was powder coated, the firewall was notched 3/4 inch or so on the low passenger side so it would fit correctly up top where it meets the body. Thanks to those who discovered that.

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[wallace18]

Looking good!