Wareaglescott's Coyote build thread - INDEX ADDED TO POST #1

[Jeff Kleiner]

SO what is the process when you realize the paint looks so good that you are now scared to drive it?


That is when you end up like my friend Bart. It made him so nuts that he sold his gorgeous black/red stripe roadster with <500 miles on it and bought a Jeep (BTW, we're in a college town also!). He's told me at least 20 times "I wish I had done like you. I'd have saved $10,000 and be having a lot more fun." Don't be like Bart---drive it! :)

Jeff

[wareaglescott]

Sorry if Im wearing y'all out with pictures. It is so exciting to me to see the progress. Daily update shows the final assembly continuing. I really appreciate the guys at Whitby sending me the pics. I went with their upgraded side vents and had them painted to match the body color. You can see them in the second picture. Their process also seems to be to attach the hood scoop late in the game. They said mine was simple with the thick stripe because that made it all one color.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66305&d=1491940118

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66304&d=1491940103

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66306&d=1491940131

[Mick_d]

As I understand it, unless you have a blower/supercharger or carb/ITB setup under that hood scoop, it's a better idea to block it off to keep the engine bay low pressure so it's easier for the motor to breathe. Pushing all that air down from the top will push the air out the bottom, instead of letting it get sucked into the cold air intake. Your motor isn't air-cooled, and having a high-pressure area right behind the radiator can reduce the efficiency of the radiator.

Probably not a serious consideration for a car that will get driven once or twice a week on the street, but if you're going to do some commuting or spending some time on the track, it might be an issue.
Am I wrong? What does the forum think?

[wareaglescott]

Sounds logical to me. This car won't see the track so I am not concerned about it.

Makes me wonder if instead of blocking it off if some people just attach the scoop without cutting a hole in the hood?

[Mick_d]

No idea, but a set of velocity stacks would sure look great inside that hood scoop;)

[42Bfast]

Sorry if Im wearing y'all out with pictures. It is so exciting to me to see the progress. Daily update shows the final assembly continuing. I really appreciate the guys at Whitby sending me the pics. I went with their upgraded side vents and had them painted to match the body color. You can see them in the second picture. Their process also seems to be to attach the hood scoop late in the game. They said mine was simple with the thick stripe because that made it all one color.


http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66305&d=1491940118

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66304&d=1491940103

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66306&d=1491940131

One: I don't think it's possible to wear us out with photos like that!
Two: DANG! That is one beautiful car!
Three: The only thing that would make that car better is if it were being delivered to my house! I am sooooo envious! Love those colors!

[bobl]

I had the same fear after completing mine. But it doesn't take long for the fun of driving to overshadow it. I got a rock chip on the very first drive, so to heck with it, it's Gonna happen. So now I drive it like I stole it!

Bob



Thanks guys!
SO what is the process when you realize the paint looks so good that you are now scared to drive it?
Living in a college town has some dangers. If one of those texting/selfie taking/ snap chatting sorority girls hits me while playing with her phone Im gonna lose it! LOL

[Straversi]

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66246&d=1491864471


Hmmm, square tube frame. Must be a MKIII. I think you might have too much bulb seal. Body seems to be sitting a little high on the frame, IMO. After looking at all the 18" wheels, those original 15s look so small. Great paint though. Can't wait to see her finished.

-Steve

[wareaglescott]

No pictures today but got the word from Whitby and the transport company that I use they will be picking the car up next Thursday and delivering it to me either next Thursday or Friday. Here I am again back to day 1 waiting for my delivery! I think this time the anticipation level is even higher!!
Next Friday is the 21st. I will be off work from then until the 29th. Hope to have the car finished by the 29th and then it will just be waiting for the state to approve my application for the VIN number so I can go get it inspected and registered.

[Vette1972]

Scott, Great you are almost there. When the delivery takes place, I'd put a plate on it and go for a drive! :cool:

Congrats, it's a great car and the color is awesome!

Len

[Jazzman]

As I understand it, unless you have a blower/supercharger or carb/ITB setup under that hood scoop, it's a better idea to block it off to keep the engine bay low pressure so it's easier for the motor to breathe. Pushing all that air down from the top will push the air out the bottom, instead of letting it get sucked into the cold air intake. Your motor isn't air-cooled, and having a high-pressure area right behind the radiator can reduce the efficiency of the radiator.

Probably not a serious consideration for a car that will get driven once or twice a week on the street, but if you're going to do some commuting or spending some time on the track, it might be an issue.
Am I wrong? What does the forum think?

I am far from an expert on this subject, but it has been beaten around in other threads for some time. You can do a search on this and "that other" forum. You will find photos, opinions, speculations, facts, both reasonable and questionable. After reading a lot of them quite a while ago, allow me to summarize what I read: Do whatever you like, it doesn't make much difference that anyone has been able to definitively prove. There is so much air moving in and around the engine and radiator that it doesn't seem to matter that much. I know from my own build that if you use a coyote engine, the air intake is forward and left of the hood scoop area. There are a lot of decisions and choices that go into these projects, but this one doesn't need to take up much brain time!

[Mick_d]

It didn't take much brain time to think about it. I DID say it probably wasn't a serious consideration.

[wareaglescott]

I got another batch of pictures today. It looks amazing. Whitby has made an appointment Monday for alignment at a local shop they use and then their work should be complete. My shipper is picking it up Thursday and will have it to me next Thursday or Friday.

I mailed in my required paperwork for the state to get started on the registration process. In Alabama you submit an application for them to issue you a VIN and title. Then when they approve your application you take it to the state inspector and he will attach the VIN plate and then I can get the license plate at my local tag office. Part of the documentation required is a builders affidavit that lists everything you used. One thing they required was a receipt for the motor showing the serial number. I noticed my coyote receipt did not show a serial number so I called the retailer and asked if they had one associated with my order number. They indicated I needed to call Ford tech support. When I called Ford they indicated the Coyote crate motors do not have serial numbers on them. (randomly the same guy answered that helped me with my wiring harness issue so that was kind of funny). Since the motors where never installed in a car they do not stamp a number on them. Ford emailed me a letter to submit explaining why there was no serial number. The state bureaucracy makes me nervous! Hopefully this will be sufficient to satisfy them. I really included a ton of information and documentation with that affidavit. My strategy was to overwhelm them with information so when they open my package and see how thorough it is they will quickly give it the stamp of approval instead of taking the time to read it all. haha Hopefully that is a sound strategy!

I have called twice inquiring how long the approval process will take. One guy said " a while", the lady I talked to today said "depends on how many we have, maybe a month". I am planning on being ready for inspection in 2 weeks so figured I'd go ahead and send it now in an effort to streamline the timeline as much as possible. I have consulted with the inspector that will look at my car numerous times throughout the build. He has been appreciative of my effort to be properly prepared for him and my interest in building within all the rules. I am hopeful that pays off come inspection time as well! Try to grease the wheels as much as I can along the way! ha

Well here are the pics:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66353&d=1492113676

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66354&d=1492113688

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66356&d=1492113715

[GoDadGo]

Looks Even Better Than Your Original Mock Up Model!

Wow, Wow & Wow!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Looks great!

Jeff

[Vette1972]

Stunning! Really nice job.

Again Congrats!

Len

[Boydster]

That looks fantastic.

[wareaglescott]

Thanks for the nice comments!

[edwardb]

Looks amazing! I see they drilled the holes and mounted the scoop. Finally... Now for the license plate light. Not my thing to be laying out and drilling on finished paint, but I guess they've done a few of these. Hopefully your inspection and registration will go smoothly. I received a letter today from the Michigan Secretary of State office saying my application had been processed and they would be contacting me "soon" with the VIN tag and title. Progress. We may end up being legal and driving about the same time after all. :o

[wareaglescott]

Looks amazing! I see they drilled the holes and mounted the scoop. Finally... Now for the license plate light. Not my thing to be laying out and drilling on finished paint, but I guess they've done a few of these. Hopefully your inspection and registration will go smoothly. I received a letter today from the Michigan Secretary of State office saying my application had been processed and they would be contacting me "soon" with the VIN tag and title. Progress. We may end up being legal and driving about the same time after all. :o

Great news you heard from the state Paul! What will the license plate say?

I will be doing the license plate light. How it sits now they are done with their assembly work. I am nervous about drilling into the body for that! Will be slow and careful. Also will have to drill to mount the lights I guess. Everything I am installing the part will cover the holes so hopefully it will go ok.

[GoDadGo]

I am nervous about drilling into the body! Will be slow and careful.

Cover everything with BLUE TAPE and drill a 1/8" pilot hole for each fastener before moving to the stepped drill bit and it will come out great.

Heck, you fly a Jumbo Jet for a living so drilling a few holes will be child's play.

Good Luck & Have A Happy Easter!

[wareaglescott]

Whitby took the car to get aligned today. That is complete and they sent me these pictures telling me everything is done and it is ready for pickup! My shipper is picking it up Thursday morning and either delivering late Thursday (depending on Atlanta traffic) or first thing Friday. You can find me in the garage this weekend! So excited!!!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66481&d=1492459410

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66482&d=1492459423

Thought it would be fun to post my original concept drawing from the beginning. Changed things up by going a little darker and the stripe pattern change but I am pretty pleased how this is turning out from my original vision.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=55215&d=1466595325

[Vette1972]

Scott,

The car looks great! Enjoy the weekend.

Len

[Brew211]

AMAZING!!!!!
I'm very excited for you!

[GoDadGo]

All I Can Say Is: I'm So Jealous!
..Congratulations & It Won't Be Long Now!

[David Hodgkins]

Oof! That's stating to look kinda MEAN. Those 18's with big Wilwoods... nice! Color matched louvers, the only way to go (IMHO).

Lookin' REALLY good!

:)

[wareaglescott]

Loaded up and headed my way!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66637&d=1492693753

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66636&d=1492693727

Loaded it up on the same trailer 9 months ago today! If anyone is taking their car to Whitby and wants to hire transport this company is based in Greensboro. I have dealt with them 3 times now. Very reasonable price and I highly recommend them. Message me for details.http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56421&d=1469038997

[WIS89]

Scott-

I saw a picture of your car on Whitby's FB page and now here' she looks awesome! Congratulations on getting her home for the weekend. Will you even come out of the garage this weekend? I think I would bring in my sleeping bag...

The color combination really looks terrific, and your stripe is very unique. I look forward to seeing your results from the weekend!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

Well she is home. Cant wipe the smile off my face!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66647&d=1492732399

Drove right into the garage and put it up on jack stands to get to work. My first surprise was now that the body is on I can no longer insert the low profile jack from the front to raise the car for the forward jack stands. The jack is still low enough but will not reach the cross bar with the body in position. That led me to jacking it up at the corners. Previously I would jack the front up put the stands up front. Then jack the rear and insert the rear stands on the highest settings and then jack the front the rest of the way. Now I was doing all sorts of maneuvering to get it up on stands. It actually made me pretty uncomfortable. This will hopefully be the last time I use the jack stands and after this will use the lift. I thought using jack stands would make it easier to install the splash guards.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66650&d=1492732437

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66649&d=1492732423

After that the first thing I had to do was install the custom painted engine cover. Looks amazing!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66648&d=1492732412

Didn't have a lot of time left at that point so I just got organized for tomorrow to spend the day working. Currently 38 items remaining on my final assembly list.
I will say working on the painted body is somewhat intimidating. It looks so great I am nervous about dinging it. I will just take things slow and be very careful. The thought of drilling the holes for the license plate holder is making me a little sick at this point! haha

[Vette1972]

Scott,

The car looks awesome! Really like to engine cover. Congrats!

Len

[wareaglescott]

After seeing the final paint work today I have to say I am really impressed. It really exceeded my expectations and I could not be happier with the work!

I knew when I ordered the car I wanted nothing to do with bodywork. I looked around locally and did not find anyone I was comfortable with. I previously worked with a custom guy in Atlanta who I really like. Spoke to him and he said he would want the entire car for 6 months. Through reading the forums I learned about Whitby Motorcars.

I liked the idea they had their own frame and could concurrently do the body work while I built my part. I had no set time table on the project but knew I did not want to finish the go cart and then have to wait 6 months with it away. Every person I spoke to about Whitby raved about the quality of the work. Three weeks after I took delivery of my kit I shipped the body off to Whitby and was told to expect 6 months.

Today happens to be 9 months to the day that the body left my house. 3 months longer than the initial estimate. Honestly at times I had some frustration in the timetable and received some comments from friends questioning the process and what was taking so long. Jeff advised me I should have the car there for body fitting and assembly at the beginning of March. Because of my schedule and the shippers schedule I ended up getting it to Whitby a little early in late February. The time my go cart was out of my possession was about 8 weeks but would have only been 6 if it were delivered when they requested.

Now that it is complete I would like to make a few comments on that. First off the extra time was definitely worth the wait! The people working at Whitby are really an outstanding group. Work took me to Greensboro periodically and I made 4 visits to the shop. Every visit was great and the group really cares about the product they are putting out. Jeff Collins runs the operation and he told me he would like to do better on the timeline but his first priority is the quality of their work. He said he would not rush on the car before mine to get to mine just like he would not rush on mine to get to the next one. I can really respect that attitude. At one time months ago he told me they had brought on some additional staff and had increased their output. He never said it but from the outside looking in I think they got way behind a while back and are now starting to get caught up. On my first visit there last year they had probably 20 cars/ body waiting for work. I have talked to previous clients of theirs whose cars were there over a year. It seems they are working in the right direction on reducing their time line.

One thing I didn't even understand until about 4 months in was that my car was just waiting in line to be worked on. Some people have the impression they are actively working on your car the entire time it is there and they are incredibly slow. That was my initial impression as well. The simple fact is they have such a good reputation for quality work they just have a very high demand for their service and that created a backlog. Jeff explained every car has different challenges and a set timetable is just not realistic. The problem with taking on cars with all different levels of completion and different amounts of work needed on each one makes the timing variable. They never know what issues they will have to rectify on each car. Keep in mind Whitby isn't just a painter. They will do any work on the car you request. In addition to painting I had them install the windshield and a few other jobs. The installation work on my order took 29 hours of labor. Some cars may take less and some much more. They never know until they get into it. Some builders are lucky and have local resources they can use. I did not happen to find that and felt really limited on my options. Once they started working on my car it went pretty fast. They seem to work on a few cars at a time and let them sit a week or two at certain stages of the process for cure time or whatever. I really don't know anything about the different steps and whether the waiting period is needed or not but after seeing the work at various stages and now the finished project I can say whatever process they use is a good one!

Ultimately my review is this: They are a great group of people who do outstanding work. I am very pleased with my decision to use them. I feel really good about they way they treat their work and the way they treated me. Once they started working on my car Jeff sent me tons of pictures as you can see in this thread. It was really satisfying being able to follow the progress from far away. I am seriously eyeing a Gen 3 coupe project next and if I do it there is no question Whitby will be painting that car. If you are like me and don't find a local option you like I would not hesitate to send your car there.
I give them my highest recommendation and would not hesitate to recommend anyone to have their car painted at Whitby.

[srobinsonx2]

That looks awesome. You have done a great job. 9 months seems like a long time but that is beautiful and worth the wait. Have fun. Im jealous.

[DavidW]

Looks great congratulations. Look into getting a long reach low profile jack, I got one from Harbor Freight and it was able to reach the cross bar with the body on no problem.http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-low-profilelong-reach-steel-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-60678.html

[Jdav]

Whoo hoo! So excited for you Scott

[WIS89]

Scott-

Yes!! She looks great, and she looks perfect in your garage. I think your smile says it all.

I appreciate your write-up in Whitby. Based on other feedback I have read, I think you are spot on. They do very fine work!

I have a hunch that your punch list will get worked through in short order, and the miles will begin to build very quickly.

I look forward to seeing your graduation pics!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

Looks great congratulations. Look into getting a long reach low profile jack, I got one from Harbor Freight and it was able to reach the cross bar with the body on no problem.http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-low-profilelong-reach-steel-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-60678.html

I have that jack. Doesn't work for me. If I put it in from the front it hits the oil cooler opening on the body before getting to the cross member. Maybe my ride height is lower.

[edwardb]

I have that jack. Doesn't work for me. If I put it in from the front it hits the oil cooler opening on the body before getting to the cross member. Maybe my ride height is lower.

Same issue here with the same jack. The oil cooler opening is just too low. I have two of the smallest HF aluminum racing jacks (can't ever have too many jacks it seems...) that will reach the front of the 4-inch frame tubes right behind the tow hooks. I go under the body at an angle outside the oil cooler opening on each side. If only needing to lift a little, that's all that's necessary. If needing to lift more, like to put it on jack stands, then easy enough to then reach under with the big low profile jack. Either way, you have to do a little at a time. Lift the back too high and jacks won't go under the front. Lift the front too high and hard to reach the center section in the back, which is where I lift on that end. When you're all done, your 4-post will hopefully make all this moot.

Your car looks amazing BTW. Have fun getting it finished.

[Jeff Kleiner]

I made a couple of these years ago out of 1 3/4" by 11 7/8" LVL scraps that I had laying around. Gets it high enough for even a non-low profile jack to go under.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/100_4895.jpg

Even with a deep bevel cut they will tend to slide on a painted or smooth floor when the wheels contact them so I added a "tongue" extending about 12" farther than the lower tier. I used 7/16" OSB because I had it (when you build apartments, condos and houses you've pretty much got a never ending supply of this kind of stuff ;)) but 1/4" or 1/2" plywood would do. The wheels will easily roll up onto this thinner surface rather than pushing the ramps and then the weight of the car keeps the whole contraption stationary when the tires hit the bigger step ups.

Cheers,
Jeff

[wareaglescott]

I made a couple of these years ago out of 1 3/4" by 11 7/8" LVL scraps that I had laying around. Gets it high enough for even a non-low profile jack to go under.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/100_4895.jpg

Even with a deep bevel cut they will tend to slide on a painted or smooth floor when the wheels contact them so I added a "tongue" extending about 12" farther than the lower tier. I used 7/16" OSB because I had it (when you build apartments, condos and houses you've pretty much got a never ending supply of this kind of stuff ;)) but 1/4" or 1/2" plywood would do. The wheels will easily roll up onto this thinner surface rather than pushing the ramps and then the weight of the car keeps the whole contraption stationary when the tires hit the bigger step ups.

Cheers,
Jeff

Great Idea Jeff. Thanks for posting. I am considering just dropping the tires onto a section of 2 x10 now that it is already up. I am hoping this will be the last time on jack stands anyways and it will be on my lift in the future.

[wareaglescott]

Spent about 8 hours in the garage today. First thing I did was work on the under door aluminum. The passenger side fit in perfect. Had to trim the drivers side a bit for best fit. It has been a while since I had drilled any aluminum panels. Funny how when I started this build it was a big step for me to drill and rivet a panel. Now I actually know exactly what to do. It amazes me how much you learn doing one of these cars.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66697&d=1492806747

After that I went to install my high back seats. I spent a substantial amount of time on a mounting system for these as shown in posts 262 and 276-278 earlier in the build thread. The most common advice was not to try and mount the high back seats without the body in position. I ended up coming up with a mount location that I thought would work but could not be sure. I also had a back up plan of how I could move them if the body fit caused a problem. It would have been a pain but could have been done. I did expect to need to bend the outside shoulder bolster in for fit. Luckily everything worked out great after the bend. Seat went in just as I hoped and couldn't be any further back. My goal with these seats was to maximize leg room for my 6'3" frame and that worked out great.

I ended up using a larger pipe wrench and sandwiched some boards in between for good force distribution. The seat bent quite easily. I did a little bit at a time and had the seats in and out of the car 4 times until I got it right. Was nerve racking lifting the seat in and out around the fresh paint. I did tape some foam padding on the paint in the danger areas!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66698&d=1492806758

Here you can see how close the fit is on the passenger side(sort of! shadows are killing the detail)
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66699&d=1492806770

For whatever reason the drivers side ended up having a little more room. Mounted both seats as close to the transmission tunnel as I could. It was nice the drivers went in even easier.
After the seats were in I did the under door carpet, hooked up the seat heaters, installed the transmission tunnel and swapped back to my fighter stick shift. The interior is almost done. Need to put the C channel trim under the door but will do that tomorrow after the carpet adhesive is good and dry.http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66700&d=1492806781

Next thing I did was work on the rear lights. I was a little nervous about installing these because I have never drilled, cut or done anything with the fiberglass body and learning on the freshly painted body was less than optimal!! I had the precut holes from FFR. I was surprised how much I had to enlarge the holes to make the light sit flush. Also a tough reach to the backside of the lights to tighten the nuts. I did two and will save the other side for tomorrow.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66704&d=1492806840

[wareaglescott]

I also installed the door panels today. These are the panels that ********** sells. They looked nice coming out of the package. The instructions that come with them include screws to attach them to the door. On the advice of EdwardB I went another direction. I used the 3m dual lock reclosable fastener tape.
I bought it on amazon. They have a couple different kinds. This one has an acrylic adhesive. The website showed that being able to withstand higher temps so i thought it was a good option.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66701&d=1492806792

I applied both sides of the tape to the back of the panel. Also on EdwardBs suggestion when I was doing the under door carpet I brushed on some of the same adhesive we used for the carpet to the inside of the door. Once that got tacky I took the wrap off of the 3M tape and stuck it to the door. It seems really well adhered. I don't anticipate it coming off. Maybe it will but I preferred to try it without screwing into the door.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66702&d=1492806815

Here they are installed. That is it for today. Look forward to getting back at it tomorrow!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66703&d=1492806825

[Vette1972]

Scott,

Really nice looking interior and door handles! The car is super nice and you have done a great job. Look forward to pics in the sun! Enjoy!

Len

[wareaglescott]

Scott,

Really nice looking interior and door handles! The car is super nice and you have done a great job. Look forward to pics in the sun! Enjoy!

Len

thanks Len!!!

[Brew211]

unbelievable build, an inspiration!!!

Those door handles are incredible, where did you get them?

[wareaglescott]

unbelievable build, an inspiration!!!

Those door handles are incredible, where did you get them?

Thanks for the nice comment.
Not exactly sure what you are asking? I suspect maybe you meant panels and it autocorrected to handles?? If so the panels come from **********
https://www.**********accessories.com/p-87-door-panel-vinyl.aspx

If you are talking about the interior latches those come with the complete kit.

[Brew211]

Thank you. I didn't realize the chrome latches came with the kit.
Like I said, your build is unbelievable!

[wareaglescott]

Frustrating day today. Just one of those days where nothing seemed to go smoothly and not much got accomplished.

Started off mounting the license plate holder. The directions indicate there is a template in Appendix A of the manual. I have two build manuals of different dates and neither one of them had it in there. FFR instructions really do leave a lot to be desired. Wasn't that big of a problem to make my own. I got it mounted and that went fine. I put it up as high as I could to line up with the area on the body for it. Also did the famous mod to the plate holder. It still seems like I will have to trim the bottom of my plate a small amount.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66741&d=1492896423

My first problem arose when I went to run the harness I had previously layed into the trunk up to connect it to the light. I wasn't sure how to get it into the area between the two layers of the trunk. I drilled a hole where I thought I could get it through. Having a very difficult time making any progress on fishing anything through there. Pretty sure I have drilled in the wrong spot and now have a very ugly hole to look at every time I open the trunk. I was so disgusted with that I just decided to shut the trunk and walk away and come back to the wiring another day.

I did install the C channel trim around the door opening now that my carpet adhesive was all dry from yesterday. No problems there.

Then I went up front to work on the headlights. Those installed pretty good. I had a hard time interpreting the directions on the first one and trying to look at the crappy pictures. Took a while to figure it out. Once I did the second went in very easy. Previously I installed weather pack connectors on all the lights. I didn't consider how the bucket orientation would be and found that I made the length I left to short on the front passenger side. Ended up having to cut the weather pack out and rewire after it was in place. Note to new builders - the light bundle comes out at the top of the bucket so consider that when you are running your wiring.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66743&d=1492896448

Then I went down to the front parking lights. I have the body mounts that these go through on the backside. Whitby had mounted the body and had one screw holding them in position. I had to take those out to drill out the holes and get the light through. Once I go to that I saw the body mount wasn't lining up with the holes the light would be sticking through. I ended up taking the body mount off and drilling it out some so I had some movement available to make it work.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66742&d=1492896436

Now I don't know anything about mounting the body but it seems like it would be darn hard to have the body where you want it and to have those things perfectly aligned with the holes for the light to be centered on the body mounting area. Once I took that off I realized the nose had drooped some and the gap at the hood was looking off. UGHHHH. Worked through getting both of the lights in and the mounts drilled out some and back installed. The hood gap is darn close again but I realized when I put the bumpers on I will be unscrewing those again and will have to get it right then. I would have liked to just done the bumper while I was there but I had not done the radiator aluminum yet and surely don't want the bumper in the way when I try to mess with that. Another first timer suggestion would be to do the radiator aluminum first before moving on to the lights and then bumper. My order here is going to cause me extra work.

Hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow. If anyone has pics of how they ran their trunk harness up to the license plate light please post.

[GoDadGo]

Hang In There & Walk Away If You Get Frustrated!

You Are Almost There So Take Your Time!
Heck, Fly To NOLA & Come Help Me!
That Will Take Your Mind Off Of It!

Again, Hang In There!

[Duke]

Take your time, it's not a race.

I had to modify my front parking brackets too, but mostly removing material on the bracket itself as it interfered with the air scoops I bought from **********. If you haven't bought them yet, do yourself a favor and buy the ********** offset grommets for the front bumper bolts. They are a life saver when trying to align everything and not chip the paint. The front end has about 2" of play in it (up/down) when aligning the brackets/front bumper and you can just hold it up by hand. It's easier with a helper though holding up the front nose and watching the hood alignment.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...If anyone has pics of how they ran their trunk harness up to the license plate light please post.

Here's how I do them:

Wires come along the trunk crossbar and then go into the void between the inner and outer layers of the lid like so:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/100_3134.jpg

I feed them back to the light and make an aluminum cover for the access hole.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/Mk4%207276/100_3133.jpg

Here's wishing you a better day :)

Jeff

[wareaglescott]

Back on track today. I was very pleased with my progress and things went much smoother than yesterday.

I started with the forward splash guards. I had to trim both of them around the perimeter for best fit. Completed the installation on those. I did have one issue with those I will chalk up to a rookie mistake. Following EdwardBs lead as usual I had planned to install those with rivnuts. Early on in the build I installed the rivnuts along the edge of the F panel and drilled the corresponding holes in the splash guard so when the time came it would be simple to just screw them in place. Well once I trimmed the panel for fit my holes no longer lined up. I had to preserve the bent part at the bottom that attaches to the body on the splash guard so there was really on one way to trim and that did not allow me to preserve my holes. Next time I would know better on the pre drill. I also fitted the rear splash guards. Very minimal trimming was needed on those. I have not permanently installed them yet because I have a wiring issue with my brake lights I need to sort out before closing that area up.

I had posted yesterday asking about fishing the license plate wire through the trunk. I appreciate Jeff Kleiner posting the picture. I followed his lead with hole location and grommet. Worked great. I did scuff up the area around the hole while drilling even though I had taped off everything. The grommet covers the damage though so that is good. Turns out 1 of my two bulbs in there did not work so I will have to replace that. I think I damaged it taking the bulb out when I did the license plate mod.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66807&d=1492979777

Next I installed the rear bumper. I had previously done the threaded rod mod so I didn't have to drop the tank to get the bolts in and out. I noticed both EdwardB and Jeff Kleiner had different methods of mounting the bumpers on the rods. I ended up following EdwardB on that one. The only tricky part was getting the nylon lock nut that holds it all together started. Getting my fat fingers in there to start the thread was difficult. Particularly on the top nut on the narrower end of the bumper piece. Once I got it started it worked great using a closed end wrench with an angled head.
You can see what I am describing here with the wrench on the lock nut.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66808&d=1492979787

Visually the rear end is done. Love the way it looks. Just need to square away my light wiring issue tomorrow.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66809&d=1492979799

After that I went to install the side pipe hangers and the Drummer Mike heat shields. The passenger hanger went on with no problem. These are the FFR pipes. The drivers side must sit about a 1/4 higher than the passenger side because the hanger was hitting the frame. I just cut the end off and drilled a new hole. Worked perfect then. This was another occasion where it dawned on me how much I have learned on this project. I remember when I first put the pipes on for the first start that I realized there was an issue with the fit on that hanger and didn't have a clue what to do. This time when I saw it I had a solution in about 2 seconds. The confidence you develop as you proceed with a project like this is really a nice part of the build. Another reminder for anyone reading and unsure of their abilities to build one of these. You can do it and you can learn a ton. I knew almost nothing when I started this build last June!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66810&d=1492979813

Here are the installed pipes and heat shields. I like the safety aspect of the shields but think the visual enhancement is a nice added benefit as well. I think they look really cool.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66811&d=1492979824

Question for tomorrow concerning the brake duct cover pieces. I ordered them, looked at them and noticed they were the same shape as the hole and didn't give it much thought. Figured I would trim them, pop them in the hole and use some silicone to adhere them. Today I pull them out and they are way bigger than the hole. What is the purpose of forming the piece the shape of the hole if it does not fit in there? Am I missing something? What do you do to make them fit?

[Vette1972]

Scott,

The tail looks great! Nice job. Keep up the good work.

Len

[edwardb]

Question for tomorrow concerning the brake duct cover pieces. I ordered them, looked at them and noticed they were the same shape as the hole and didn't give it much thought. Figured I would trim them, pop them in the hole and use some silicone to adhere them. Today I pull them out and they are way bigger than the hole. What is the purpose of forming the piece the shape of the hole if it does not fit in there? Am I missing something? What do you do to make them fit?

Glad to see you making progress. Looks great getting everything all together, doesn't it? I agree those screens could fit better. Trim the edges so the screen fits flush against the back of the duct openings, then glue 'em in wherever the screen contacts the body. May not be too close to the opening, but it doesn't matter. Just put silicone all around wherever they contact. I usually do it two steps. First time just to get the screens held in place. Then a second time to make sure there's a good build-up all around.

[wareaglescott]

Made some more good progress today.

Started off installing the front overriders and bumper. I opted for both bumpers when I ordered the kit. When it came time to install today I decided I just wasn't feeling the look of the front one. I decided just to install the over riders and leave it at that. I like the look.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66833&d=1493068146

After that I did the radiator aluminum. No pictures because they are powder coated black and it is just a dark hole in there. I used the kit supplied pieces. The sides went in nicely with no trimming required. The front piece I had to trim a little at the sides to fit around the bolts/brackets for my breeze lower radiator support kit. I riveted the front piece to the bottom of the radiator. The build manual calls for riveting it to the nose of the body as well. Mine was pretty firmly in position without any rivets and I did not want to put any holes in the body in that position so I did not attach it at the front. Since it carries no structural purpose I did not think that would be a problem. If anyone has a reason why that is a bad idea please speak up.

Next I worked on the brake inlet cover pieces. I was asking about them yesterday. I was thinking about them incorrectly. I thought they were supposed to go up inside the hole in the body. I was backwards. Once I realized they should be turned the other direction it made much more sense. I read silicone works good to hold them in position. I rigged up some zip ties to hold them snuggly in position while the silicone dried. I also painted them body color to match. Since I originally was going to put them in backwards now both sides are painted!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66829&d=1493068101

Since I decided against the front bumper I thought a similar mesh to the brake duct openings would look good for the oiler cooler opening. Ordered one of those up from Breeze.

I then installed the sun visors and wind wings. I had previously assembled them so simply had to bolt them in position. I also got the dark water customs bracket for mounting the mirror on the top of the windshield.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66830&d=1493068113

I like the look of it and think the visibility is as good as you can get with the small mirror. I saw another tip on the forum to buy small diameter vacuum tubing and put it in the trim at the top of the windshield. I did that and you can see it in this picture. To the left of the mirror it is installed and not yet to the right of the mirror. The picture isn't great but it adds a nice finished look.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66832&d=1493068133

After that I mocked up my manually operated windshield wiper. This car will never see rain and I have talked to the state inspector about the requirement for a wiper. He says the code calls for ONE and says nothing about what powers it. I will put it on for the inspection and never see it again after that. I guess I will drive with one hand and shift with another and operate that with my mouth! haha
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66831&d=1493068123

I had an issue with my passenger headlight shining only half intensity. Electrical is certainly not my strong point. I messaged with EdwardB and Jeff Kleiner a couple days ago and both indicated to check the grounds and wiring. EdwardB was nice enough to talk me through testing everything with my multi meter today and we tracked it down to a faulty ground. SO a huge thanks to Paul and Jeff for getting me squared away on that. The generosity of the people on this forum is really great and the help available here really turns some potential frustrations into great learning experiences.

I am getting really close to being done at this point. Have an issue with my rear lights I need to figure out tomorrow and after that is solved I have very few items remaining on my punch list. I am hoping to call it basically complete (for now anyways) in the next couple days!!

[wareaglescott]

Pretty much finished final assembly today.

Still making rookie mistakes. When I wired the rear weather pack connectors a couple months ago I swapped two wires in all of them. This caused my lights to be at full intensity all the time so when the lights were on you could not tell the blinkers or brake lights were activating. Today I fixed all four of those. After that I installed the rear splash guards, put the wheels on and put it on the ground.

My last item to install was the front, rear and fender badges. Spent a lot of time lining them up correctly and they look great.
Also Garry Bopp from the forum was nice enough to send me his extra finish line clear vinyl protectors for the rear fender splats. They are the static cling variety. I put those on to protect from rock chips. I ended up ordering some more permanent film but do not want to install it quite yet because my paint is only about 30 days old. I have read it is best to wait 60-90 days. The finish line pieces went on great. I did have to trim them a little to fit the MK4 body. Thanks Garry!

I still have some very minor items to clean up but for all intensive purposes the car is built and ready for state inspection. I am not ready to call the build thread complete quit yet. I have a friend that is a photographer for USA Today Sports and tomorrow she is coming over to shoot the car. She has mentioned some action shots from moving vehicles and such. She shot the indycar race last Sunday so I think it may be a little underwhelming for her! It should be fun. I took a few pics today when I took the car on a test run but am hoping to really get some good shots tomorrow.

Now I am just waiting for word the state has processed my paperwork so I can get inspected and registered.
Here are a couple pics from today. First time the completed car has seen sunlight!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66869&d=1493144330

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66870&d=1493144347

Cant stop smiling for some reason!!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66871&d=1493144357

[Mick_d]

Looks amaing! Those are 18 inch rims right?

[Vette1972]

Scott,
Car looks great in the sun. Nice color combo. ENJOY!

Len

[wareaglescott]

Looks amaing! Those are 18 inch rims right?

Yes 18"
I originally had the ride height set to 5". When Whitby put the body on they said the wheel gap was a little big and lowered it for looks. The thing really sits low now it seems!

[Straversi]

Congratulations! Beautiful car, quality work. I've enjoyed following your thread and appreciate all that you have contributed. Go out and run the wheels off of her. Oh, and let us know when you order your next project. The over and under line is 8 months.
-Steve

[wareaglescott]

Congratulations! Beautiful car, quality work. I've enjoyed following your thread and appreciate all that you have contributed. Go out and run the wheels off of her. Oh, and let us know when you order your next project. The over and under line is 8 months.
-Steve

Thanks Steve. Cant wait to get registered and do some real driving!

[GoDadGo]

Wow!

[edwardb]

Scott, your Roadster looks great. Really like how the colors all came together. For someone who hadn't done anything like this before, congratulations for taking on a pretty complex build and working through some tough issues. Not that you want to reminisce about that defective Coyote harness too much... You're going to love how your car runs and drives. Approaching 100 miles on mine after another drive today. The Coyote, TKO, new IRS, big Wilwood brakes, BFG Rival S tires, power steering, etc. all work together for a fantastic ride.

[wareaglescott]

I had ordered an oil cooler mesh grill from breeze. That came in yesterday. Painted it to match body color and installed it today.http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66955&d=1493326960

Last night we had a photoshoot scheduled with my photographer friend. She wanted to take some shots with me doing moderate speed drive bys. Made about 10 passes. This was the most I have run the car to date and the most heat in the engine. When I pulled back into the garage I realized I was leaving a drip trail of what appeared to be oil. I freaked out of course. Turns out I just made another rookie mistake. I had to much power steering fluid in the reservoir. This is the first time it had gotten hot and vented overboard. I used the provided FFR reservoir. It did not have a fill to line inside that I could see. I initially filled it to within about 1-1.5" from the top.
Here is the vent hole in the top:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66928&d=1493292451

It made quite a mess but I felt lucky it was nothing serious. Here is the resulting level now.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66954&d=1493326948

That thing is pretty tall and narrow so I guess an inch from the top was just to much. If you are using this reservoir be careful on the level.

We did manage to get some great pictures. I will post more when I do a graduation thread. I like this one. A friend asked me about my sunglasses. My dad saved everything! To go with his fighter control stick from 1968 those are also his Air Force sunglasses from the same time. I enjoy having those to drive my 60s replica car. Car may not be 50 years old but the shifter and glasses are! haha
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66956&d=1493326988

[GoDadGo]

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66956&d=1493326988

You Look So Unhappy With The End Result!

Now Go Drive That Fantastic MK-4 Some More!

[Gromit]

I see one minor problem with your beautiful build.

It's obviously a beautiful build, your obviously very proud and deserve it

Here is the problem as I see it... if you drive it with that big smile on your face I suspect your going to catch a bug or suffer from dry mouth. It's a problem I'm not sure how to fix.

Congratulations on a build well done
Chris aka Gromit

[Railroad]

Nicely done, Scott. That is one sharp unique ride.

[Jdav]

I had the opportunity to make a trip over to see Scotts completed build in person today and it is beautiful. Exceptional work, especially for a first build.
I also want to take the time to publicly thank him for all of documentation he has put into this thread, the additional texts exchanges we have had and his willing ness to let a complete strager come to his house several month ago to see his in progress build so that I could really make the decision on if I wanted to take on a project like this.
As a fellow first time builder and automotive novice, your build has been immensely helpful.

[M3ichael]

Fantastic! Awesome work Scott! Thanks again for all the posts.

[wareaglescott]

Thanks everyone and good seeing you Joel. Look forward to seeing your completed build in the future.

[Jeff Kleiner]

OK, I was going to wait to say this until you did a formal graduation but can't wait---fantastic job, big, BIG congratulations! Enjoy the ride my friend:)

Jeff

[Vette1972]

Scott,

Great Job! Really nice details, Enjoy.

Len

[Bdmac58]

Great looking car, awesome job! Congratulations!

[wareaglescott]

I did a graduation thread on the general forum but thought I'd add the pictures to this thread as well.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67109&d=1493635290

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67110&d=1493635298

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67111&d=1493635309

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67112&d=1493635321

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67113&d=1493635335

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67114&d=1493635344

[wareaglescott]

HIndsight is 20/20

I cant remember who said it but one of my friends here told me “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Going into this build there was a ton of stuff I did not know! When I was in the research phase one of the questions I posted was what did people wish they had done differently or wish they would have known going in? I got a lot of good information from that thread. In the hope that someone will find my thread as useful as I found others I am compiling a list of rookie mistakes, lessons learned and wish I would have knowns. Hopefully this will prove beneficial to other first time builders. Some of this will be really basic but as a rookie it may be helpful.

Here we go:

Post 4 - frame cart - have a plan for how you will get the frame off the frame cart and onto the ground when the time comes. Had my jack stands not extended high enough to lift the frame clear of the cart I am not sure how I would have got the cart out.

#7 - attaching brake hats to rotors - notice the torque specification is inch/lbs and not foot/lbs. Shout out to Jazzman for learning this one the hard way so I didn’t have to!

#35 - I spent a lot of time documenting how the aluminum panels came off. Turns out by the time you drill them and take them on and off you become pretty familiar with the layout and they really go back in pretty easily. Really all you need to pay attention to is how they overlap one another.
Also I predrilled almost all my panels as they came off. This worked great. Only problem I encountered was after I drilled the trunk floor I decided I might like to have the deeper trunk box. Problem was I had already drilled the holes in the cross braces that would have been exposed. I wasn’t willing to look at the holes so that canceled that mod. Think about that before drilling!
Oh and clecos! BUY SOME CLECOS. Work great.

#51 - used EdwardBs suggestion to put rivnuts in the F panels so when the front splash guards were installed they would be easily removable if needed. Problem I encountered was when I went to install them I had to trim the splash guards to fit into the space. This killed the alignment of my predrilled holes for the rivnuts. Need to account for potential panel trimming if you do this.

#66 - changing the rear wheel studs - I was struggling getting them in and out. Bought a pneumatic impact driver and the job was done in 5 minutes.

#85 - I used a heat shield product you cut to size and adhere to the panel. It is a lot easier to adhere the pieces to the footbox panels before installing the panels. Tough to work inside the footbox once they are installed. Also on the drivers footbox I would have installed the carpet that goes on the inside wall and behind the pedals had I known how difficult it was going to be getting the carpet in once the pedals where in place.
Oh and if you are working with a big piece and you need more than two hands to help align it and keep it from sticking before you want it to I DO NOT recommend trying to hold the extra in your mouth! Even just for a second! Lets just say some skin from my inner lip is now included in the build.

#87 - installed the pedal box for the first time. Ended up having to completely take it out to mount the Coyote clutch position switches. If you are using the hydraulic clutch setup you will have to fabricate something for 1 of the 2 switches. Might as well have that done the first time you put the pedal box in.

#108 - rear sway bar and IRS - if you are using this the sway bar comes with longer bolts for mounting the brackets along with the toe adjustment arms. Use the longer bolts the first time you install the toe arms.

#116 - big rookie mistake! - I had the newer style radiator. The build manual only has pictures of the older radiator so I could not compare. I put mine in upside down and didn’t realize it until much later. Be sure you radiator outlets are pointing in the proper direction.

#128 - TKO 600 is shipped with a rubber plug inserted where you would hook up the speedo cable. Since most of us are now using GPS speedos you need to purchase a more permanent plug for that hole. Get this installed before you add fluid.

#152 - brake lines - I figured I just needed to use what was in the kit. The lines at the rear where much longer than I needed. I ended up with a somewhat longer routing than was optimal. Had I known I could have just gone to the local auto store and buy shorter ones I would have done that.

#157 - engine install - I did not have my adjustable crane arm extended all the way out. Didn’t realize I would need full extension until the motor was about 80% of the way in. Had to pull it back and start over after setting the engine down and adjusting. If you are coming at it from the front you will need your arm to be pretty long.

#166 - Ebrake cable mod - do this before you put the transmission in. Trying to remove the handle mount bracket with the transmission in place was miserable!

#170 - trans fluid - the drain plug on my transmission is so tight and the space to access it so limited I can not get the leverage to make it budge. Wish I would have unscrewed it once and put it back in before putting the transmission in the car, I will deal with that when it comes time for a fluid change.

#200 - the lines that come with the FFR coyote power steering option were no good in my opinion. Worked with Mark at Breeze and he developed a kit to replace those. If I were doing it over again I might have passed on that option and sourced it all separately.

#208 - engine ground - would have been much easier to install this to the engine prior to install. Working in the limited space under the car sitting on jack stands made this more difficult than it needed to be.

#213 - harness ground near pedal box - thought I was pretty smart routing the wires through a hole to the grounding point. Then I realized that hole was where the windshield mounted! Had to reroute.

#215 weather pack connectors - I should have left longer lengths of wires when I was attaching them at the corners to the harness. I didnt have the body available when I was doing this and some ended up to short. Caused a lot more work on the final install when I thought I would just be plugging them in. Make sure you have enough length.

#223 - dash padding- the supplied dash padding does not hide much. I made some removable mounts for the dash and they were secured by some flat headed bolts on the front side. I thought the dash pad might conform around them and look flat when I was done. It did not and I can totally see where the bolts are behind the padding. Will probably be redoing this in the future.

#243 - self alignment - I bought the tools and spent quite a bit of time on it. 1. With the IRS I found it quite difficult to get the track correct even if I had the other settings right on. 2. Ultimately Whitby had a shop they used and it wasn’t that pricey so I had it done there. When I saw the report of what my actual settings were that I thought I had done a good job on I was not nearly as close as I thought. One problem is my garage floor may not be exactly level so my starting point was off. I’m sure smarter guys than me can do a much better job at self aligning. Knowing what I know now I will just leave it to the professionals and I have spent a couple hundred on the tools.

#265 coyote vacuum system mod - it is detailed in EdwardBs link in this post. I would highly recommend taking the hose off the rear of the engine before installing the motor. Accessing the double pinch clamp holding that thing on after the engine was installed was miserable. Would be a piece of cake with the motor out of the car.

#282 - because my body work was being done with the body off the car I did the carpet before body install. That worked good. Of course you have to wait until the body is on to install the under door aluminum and last carpet pieces. The transition on those carpet pieces to the pieces it touches is not the best. I would have waited to install all those pieces at the same time for a better final fit.

#303 be aware of how the body will sit in relation to where or how you attach the removable panel on the top of the drivers footbox. I originally had rivets in a position that i would not have been able to access with the body on if I needed to get them out.

[Railroad]

Valuable stuff there. I made a lift of the ones, I need to do before I forget them.

[Jdav]

I'll add one to your list: find a good system that works for you on how to consolidate the knowledge you learn from the forums with the instruction manual.
I know I've saved certain threads, but then forget about them when I'm in the garage and end up not doing the thing I had researched how to do.

And if anyone has a good system, let me know (asking for a friend)

[wareaglescott]

I'll add one to your list: find a good system that works for you on how to consolidate the knowledge you learn from the forums with the instruction manual.
I know I've saved certain threads, but then forget about them when I'm in the garage and end up not doing the thing I had researched how to do.

And if anyone has a good system, let me know (asking for a friend)

My suggestion there would be just go old school and print off a hard copy and insert it into the manual at the appropriate point. Pretty hard to miss that way.
FWIW I had a few of those things I researched and had noted at a different location and failed to include the first time through!

[GFX2043mtu]

I may have missed this in a earlier post but what is the name or code of this charcoal paint color.

[wareaglescott]

I may have missed this in a earlier post but what is the name or code of this charcoal paint color.

Dark labyrinth ppg 923677

[DavidW]

#208 - engine ground - would have been much easier to install this to the engine prior to install. Working in the limited space under the car sitting on jack stands made this more difficult than it needed to be.

Wow you're right, that was a bear. It sure would've been easier to install the ground at the time of the engine install.

[GFX2043mtu]

Thanks for the paint code. I have been having a hard time deciding on the colors that I want.

[Eespensen]

Gorgeous!

[wareaglescott]

Not sure why I thought I was done. Although the car is technically completed (still waiting on the state to process my paperwork) it hasn't taken me long to come up with some small improvements I would like to make.

The first one is the area where two carpet pieces come together over the under door aluminum panels. I did the bulk of my carpet beforehand and just added the under door aluminum and the covering carpet at the end. I was not real pleased how it came together with the piece that was coming up the sidewall by the seat below it. I could pretty clearly see the edges of the two pieces when looking across the car. Also I had concerns about how well this would hold up with people getting in and out.
I went down to Home depot and got some aluminum and made some trim pieces. Here they are cut and bent. I was debating covering them in leather but decided to just go ahead and powder coat them black. I think that should hold up well and will look better.

Here is the piece bent and also one with it laying in position. Will post more when I get them back from powder coat. Plan to attach them with a couple black rivets.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67319&d=1493987115
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67318&d=1493987035

[RaceMattC]

Awesome build! You managed to kill my weekend and 2 mornings at work with the reading of the build thread. Thank you for compiling your thoughts at the end. This will be very helpful. Just a couple of things.

On the alignment: I see you decided to punt to the pros. Don't! Stick with it! Learn to use strings and you won't be sorry. Use your downtime now to fabricate 4 adjustable platforms for a perfectly flat setup. Bonus points if you leave accommodations in for scales down the road. Your lift is the perfect jumping off point since it has those central jacks, everything will go really fast. If you ever want to take your car to the track, it will be invaluable to cornerweight it and adjust the alignment. It makes a huge difference. Also, when all of the tie rod ends start to go bad in a few years, upon replacement, you can do the alignment yourself.

Lastly, you had concerns before about not having power brakes. How did they turn out? Are you glad with the setup or do you wish there was more braking power? I'm considering no power anything for weight savings.

[wareaglescott]

Awesome build! You managed to kill my weekend and 2 mornings at work with the reading of the build thread. Thank you for compiling your thoughts at the end. This will be very helpful. Just a couple of things.

On the alignment: I see you decided to punt to the pros. Don't! Stick with it! Learn to use strings and you won't be sorry. Use your downtime now to fabricate 4 adjustable platforms for a perfectly flat setup. Bonus points if you leave accommodations in for scales down the road. Your lift is the perfect jumping off point since it has those central jacks, everything will go really fast. If you ever want to take your car to the track, it will be invaluable to cornerweight it and adjust the alignment. It makes a huge difference. Also, when all of the tie rod ends start to go bad in a few years, upon replacement, you can do the alignment yourself.

Lastly, you had concerns before about not having power brakes. How did they turn out? Are you glad with the setup or do you wish there was more braking power? I'm considering no power anything for weight savings.

Thanks!
On the brakes it is still to be determined. As I am still waiting on the state to process my paperwork my 90 or so test miles has been all within my neighborhood. I still need to bed the pads. Tried it in my neighborhood one morning but after about the 2nd run to 60 I decided it was not the place and just plain stupid to be going that fast in a residential spot! That is one of my first priorities once I get on the road. From what I can tell they seem like they will be perfectly acceptable. Had a buddy that races and also has an MK3 try them out. He said they felt good to him. Another issue is I have never driven a car with manual brakes so I don't have a frame of reference as to what is normal.

[RaceMattC]

Thanks, keep us updated!

The jury is still out for me too. The only cars I've driven without power brakes are a 65 Mustang (woof, terrible) and a 850 lb Formula Ford (excellent). So my data points are basically useless.

[wareaglescott]

I was a little dissatisfied with the unfinished look from behind of the Kirkey high back seats.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67630&d=1494360715

I have seen some people paint them. I decided to go in a little different direction.
I ordered some of this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E8SBUGI/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Basically a sheet of abs plastic. Got 2 of them. One for each seat.

Then I cut them to fit under the seat cover edges. Didn't have to be super accurate as I had a couple inches margin to play with. I cut out the holes for the shoulder harnesses and then sliced down the middle of some small diameter vacuum tubing to wrap the edges. On the side that was not visible I used some silicone to help secure the vacuum tubing.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67631&d=1494360722

After that I used some 3M double sided tape I had leftover from attaching my exterior badges to secure it in place. Once the cover is pulled over that also helps hold it in position.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67632&d=1494360730

Here is the finished look with the seat back in the car. Really pleased how it looks. Your eye is no longer drawn to the unfinished look of the seat back and cover.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67633&d=1494360744

Not sure I will ever end this build thread. I like doing it and will continue to update as I make future modifications or enhancements to the car.

[Vette1972]

Scott,

The seats look great! Another nice touch on your amazing build. Just a super job for a first time builder, as you have pointed out.

I have a 1972 Corvette with manual steering and brakes. Much heavier than a FF5, I like the feel of both. The feel I get from the road is so solid that it makes cornering the car easy. You only notice the hard steering when parking.

The brakes have always been solid stopping power for me. An old school mechanic helped me get the brakes bled when I bought the car many years ago. He used gravity to initially get air out of the system before we pumped the brake pedal. Once we had solid fluid at each wheel then we pumped them up. Always has worked for me.

Enjoy the super nice car you have built!

Len

[wareaglescott]

My drivers side seat heater stopped working. The way they were integrated into the kirkey seats makes them tough to access. TO properly troubleshoot I ended up taking them both out of the car. Figured out the power supply was fine. After lots of troubleshooting I determined the failure was in this section of the wiring. I did try changing the relay. That did not work. Everything else looked intact and in good condition. I guess I am just jinxed on wiring harnesses after the coyote one and now this. Emailed the manufacturer and they are sending me a new one.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67727&d=1494602616

During the build I ordered some meatballs from finish line that I can take on and off. Still letting the paint cure before I put them on. I don't have intentions of leaving them on all the time but thought I might occasionally just for fun. Layed them on the car just to get a feel for what they would look like. I didn't smooth them down or anything. Not sure how I like the look. I think the positioning that would be optimal would require me to cut them to straddle the hood and or door openings. Right now I am 50/50 on if I will ever actually get them on the car.

Curious what others think of the look?

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67728&d=1494602624

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67729&d=1494602631
Oh and in the corner of the last pic you can see the bumper of my buddies military surplus hummer he bought. We had some fun getting pictures of the cars together.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Scott,
Just as food for thought here's where mine are:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/IMG_4535-1.jpg

Jeff

[wareaglescott]

Exciting news today. I heard from the state inspector and my VIN application has been approved and processed. Next Wednesday I am set up to trailer it down to Montgomery (About 50 miles from here) for inspection and he will install the VIN plate on the chassis. Once that is done and he submits the documents we sign at the time of inspection I can then go to get the license plate. Hopefully next Thursday of Friday.
I may actually be able to go on a real drive next weekend!! Very pumped about that.

[WIS89]

Scott-

Congratulations on the VIN, and soon to be executed license plates!! That has to feel pretty darned good.

Not sure I like the meatballs on your car frankly. In general I am a fan of meatballs on most of these cars. There are some that just look better without them, and yours is one in my opinion. I am not sure if it is the larger center stripe, or the colors, or the comparatively white open space on the meatball. However, I just don't like the look on your car. Your car looks really nice without the distraction of the meatball.

Have you considered a couple of the other decals; NGK, Castrol, etc.(Finish Line sells a pack of them)? I think maybe the smaller decals with less open space, and different colors might be the ticket if you are looking for something to add some interest to the car. Or, just leave it be with no decals. The car looks awesome as she sits!

Just my opinion Scott!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

Scott-

Congratulations on the VIN, and soon to be executed license plates!! That has to feel pretty darned good.

Not sure I like the meatballs on your car frankly. In general I am a fan of meatballs on most of these cars. There are some that just look better without them, and yours is one in my opinion. I am not sure if it is the larger center stripe, or the colors, or the comparatively white open space on the meatball. However, I just don't like the look on your car. Your car looks really nice without the distraction of the meatball.

Have you considered a couple of the other decals; NGK, Castrol, etc.(Finish Line sells a pack of them)? I think maybe the smaller decals with less open space, and different colors might be the ticket if you are looking for something to add some interest to the car. Or, just leave it be with no decals. The car looks awesome as she sits!

Just my opinion Scott!

Regards,

Steve

I looked at the smaller decals but my car has none of the products the decals are representing so I found that kind of corny. I don't think I care for the meatballs much either. Might just put them on once every blue moon for a couple days just because I bought them! Now if anyone is interested in some brand new #7 meatballs message me. I would sell them if I had a reasonable offer.

[The Stig]

Very Nice Scott! Congrats!

Mike

[wareaglescott]

Well one advantage of having a lift is you can get a really good view of everything from the bottom. After looking things over I had two things that were concerning me.

First was the fitting attaching the the hydraulic clutch cable to the cylinder on the side of the transmission. It is above the bottom of the frame rails but it seemed kind of vulnerable to road debris. Must be the pilot in me always preparing for the worst case scenario but I figured I would try and protect this. It would probably take a one in a million hit to actually damage it but I figured this would be easy to fix. I cut a piece of aluminum stock and attached it to the bottom of the transmission A frame on the bottom of the transmission. Bolted it in place. This piece still sits above the bottom of the frame tubes and should be a nice deflector if needed. Hopefully it never will. I sure don't have any plans of off roading!

hahahttp://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67875&d=1494866934

The other thing was the bend in the rear brake line where it exited the lower corner of the drivers footbox. Again it was above the bottom of the frame tubes but seems somewhat vulnerable where it curves out of the footbox. Made a small blocking plate out of scrap steel for that and painted and attached it. There is a lot of black in the picture so I highlighted it in the picture for visibility.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67876&d=1494866944

Whether or not these are improvements I am not really sure. Best I can tell they don't hurt anything and were very easy. I feel a little more comfortable now that I have done it so I guess that makes it worthwhile.

After that I went on and did a little detailing. The car has been painted just about 60 days now. I had read and heard not to put a protectant on it for a few months while the paint cured. Since I am getting inspected this week and hope to be on actual roads this weekend I decided now was a good time. I am a big fan of Adams polishes. I have pretty much a complete line of their products. I started with their paint sealant. After that put down a coat of buttery wax. Those products go on and off so easy! The minimal driving I have done so far I had the rear fender splats covered by the finish line removable protectors. When I took those off to seal and wax they already had some signs of wear. Glad I had them on. I have some XPel film I will be putting on now in those areas. Was waiting for the paint sealant before I applied that.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67877&d=1494866953

Loading up the car and heading for inspection Wednesday. Hope to get my tag on Thursday and be on the road this weekend!!

[wareaglescott]

I got my pieces back from the powder coater I showed in post #583. I was not liking how the two pieces of carpet came together on that edge. So know I have basically covered an aluminum piece with carpet and covered the carpet with aluminum again. Doesn't make the most since but I like how it looks and am much more confident in the long term durability and the overall look. They are shiny and black so hard to get a good picture but here are a couple.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67896&d=1494949388
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67895&d=1494949377

After that I applied my clear film on the rear fender areas and also put some pieces on the center of the oil cooler opening.

Once again the generosity of the FFR community never fails to impress. My buddy that lives locally with an MK3 has a nice enclosed trailer. He is coming over later so we can load mine up to take to the inspection tomorrow. I am used to operating large equipment but have actually never pulled a trailer of any sort. I know its not a big deal but was a little nervous about my maiden journey being loaded up with my brand new Cobra! He is coming back in the morning and is going to go with me. I am sure appreciative of his effort and cant wait to have the inspection done!

[wareaglescott]

Had my inspection today. Well it wasn't much of an inspection. The inspector basically just attached the VIN plate and then we talked about the car for 15 minutes and he took some pics of the car. I think my checking in with him 4-5 times over the course of the build was appreciated by him and at this point he knew he didn't need to see much.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67923&d=1495048143

After that I went to my local tag office. Everything I read indicated I would need to submit receipts for them to determine a value and I would have to pay sales tax on that value. Turns out when she put my VIN in they had somehow already determined a value for their use. Lets just say I walked out of there significantly cheaper (by a couple grand!) than I was expecting. Maybe I misunderstood the process but whatever the case I just smiled, wrote the check and moved on.
I thought long and hard over what license plate I wanted. Had a couple Cobra themed finalist and a couple Aviation based ones to go with my Fighter stick shifter and thought with me being a pilot they would be kind of cool. Took some polls from my friends. The overwhelming choice was TAILWND. When you have a tailwind while flying you are moving faster over the ground than your airspeed so I thought it was a good one. Kind of tied together flying and speed. I was essentially decided on that but for some reason yesterday I changed my mind. Went with FASTJET. I like it. Cost the same to renew it or change it every year so I could always change if I decide against. (temporary tag in the pic)

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67924&d=1495048159

Then I had to make my first short drive. Went about 5 miles down to the gas station. Got a few nice comments while I was there. Going to take my wife out for a ride when she gets home from school. What a great feeling of accomplishment taking the completed car on a drive!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67925&d=1495048168

[Jdav]

Congrats Scott!

[Boydster]

Yes, Congrats Scott. What a great wrap-up to a great build.

[WIS89]

Well done Scott! I like the plate; I think it is fitting.

Car looks terrific, and I look forward to hearing about your journeys.

I hope the bride enjoyed her ride, and enjoys being your navigator going forward.

Great build thread and a great car. Congratulations again!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

In the category of you don't know what you don't know I had an issue with my power steering.
When I would make the slow speed 90 degree turn into the garage I would get some groaning noises and vibration feedback in the steering wheel. Other than that the PS seemed to work fine when driving. I do have the steering rack limiters from breeze installed and verified I had no sort of tire rub at full wheel deflection. I was concerned I had an issue with the pump. On doing some google research I found complaints of ford pumps being noisy. As I had never had this kind of pump, or driven another Cobra for that matter I did not know what feel I should expect in the car.

I queried FFR on my issue and Courtnie sent me a new PS pump. Changed that out today. Wow what a difference. No more groaning or feedback and also the steering under normal driving is about twice as easy. Since I didn't know what I should feel all my driving prior to this point has been with a semi functional PS system. Hard to know what to expect in this situation. I am guessing my pump was somehow operating at reduced output. Glad to have that squared away and now I can enjoy a fully functioning system!

[Wylie Coyote]

In the category of you don't know what you don't know I had an issue with my power steering.
When I would make the slow speed 90 degree turn into the garage I would get some groaning noises and vibration feedback in the steering wheel. Other than that the PS seemed to work fine when driving. I do have the steering rack limiters from breeze installed and verified I had no sort of tire rub at full wheel deflection. I was concerned I had an issue with the pump. On doing some google research I found complaints of ford pumps being noisy. As I had never had this kind of pump, or driven another Cobra for that matter I did not know what feel I should expect in the car.

I queried FFR on my issue and Courtnie sent me a new PS pump. Changed that out today. Wow what a difference. No more groaning or feedback and also the steering under normal driving is about twice as easy. Since I didn't know what I should feel all my driving prior to this point has been with a semi functional PS system. Hard to know what to expect in this situation. I am guessing my pump was somehow operating at reduced output. Glad to have that squared away and now I can enjoy a fully functioning system!

Another good example of how FFR treats their customers. A1 client care has been my experience. Good job Dave.

[Vette1972]

Scott,

Just a superb build! Your build thread is a clear road map for anyone to follow. Nice plate.

Congrats! Now enjoy the sweet fruits of your labors.

Len

[wareaglescott]

I purchased the Drummer Mike's heat shields. I am pretty paranoid about the burn particularly for my wife and I also really like the look of them. Took about a 20 minute drive this morning. Temperature is about 80 degrees. I took some readings with my heat probe about a minute after turning the car off.

You can see the pipe near the exit from the body was about 170
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68120&d=1495462163

The heat shield itself was close to the outside air temp at 86
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68119&d=1495462152

Quite a nice difference. The pipes were not as hot as I would have expected. The last couple miles of the drive were slowly going through the neighborhood at low rpm so I expect the cooled a decent amount from their peak temps. Still I am glad to see a quantifiable difference and glad I have the shields.

I did take one last reading on the exit of the pipe that is just aft of the heat shield. That area was at 115. (Picture did not come out)

[2bking]

That device is not reading the temperature of the pipes exactly because they are shiny. To get a more precise reading a small piece of masking tape needs to be applied so the reflectivity is the same in all places you are measuring. I suspect the pipes reading 170 would sizzle spit and the 115 area would burn your hand. I have heat shields too and they keep most of the burns away. My bare legged granddaughter jumped out of the car one day and burned her calf on the end of the pipe.

[wareaglescott]

That device is not reading the temperature of the pipes exactly because they are shiny. To get a more precise reading a small piece of masking tape needs to be applied so the reflectivity is the same in all places you are measuring. I suspect the pipes reading 170 would sizzle spit and the 115 area would burn your hand. I have heat shields too and they keep most of the burns away. My bare legged granddaughter jumped out of the car one day and burned her calf on the end of the pipe.

That is interesting King. Thanks!
How much variation do you think there would be from the actual temperature?
I guess the point the heat shields do make a nice difference is still valid regardless of the actual temperature. Glad you pointed that out though so I don't lose respect for the actual heat by thinking it is cooler than it is.

[CobraboyDR]

My bare legged granddaughter jumped out of the car one day and burned her calf on the end of the pipe.I call those "snake bites." I was fanatical about warning folks getting out of my SP about leg burns and being careful. It worked about 90% of the time.

[Gene]

I really like those heat shields. I will be looking into them for my car.

[wareaglescott]

I passed 500 miles this morning. Still cant wipe the goofy smile off my face anytime I am driving it. I love the coyote and am so satisfied with my decision to go with it. It fires up and runs so consistently every time I turn the key and I don't have any worries about reliable operation.
I am also loving the IRS. The car rides a lot better and smoother than I anticipated coming into this project. I have nothing to compare to in other Cobras but I sure am pleased with the IRS.

Honestly as a first time builder I was somewhat nervous when setting out on the initial drives. I was confident in the build process and that I had done everything correctly but I still just had the feeling of wow I have never done anything like this before and I am now driving something around I built from scratch. My initial drives were 5-10 miles and I would come home and look everything over very closely. As the miles have built my confidence in the car and what I have done has really grown. Yesterday I had my first trip on the interstate. Took it up to about 85mph. It cruises very nicely in 5th gear and was really enjoyable on the interstate. This morning I took about a 40 mile cruise. Mostly country roads between 40-60mph. It just continues to operate beautifully.

I got my first fuel mileage data after my fill up this morning. Over the last 3/4 tank I averaged 17.44 mpg. I am pretty impressed with that. I don't drive really fast but I do enjoy pretty hard accelerations up to the speed limit +5 quite often. I think if I was driving normally without all the hard accelerations 20mpg would be attainable.

My plan now that I reached 500 miles is to put it up on the lift and go back over everything very thoroughly. Checking all bolts, torques, fluids, lubrication points etc. I will report back if I find any issues.

Up to this point the only issue I have been dealing with is leaking power steering fluid. The trouble spot seems to be at the pump outlet to rack line connection. FFR sent me a new pump which I swapped out about 200 miles ago. That one has definitely made a difference. I still occasionally find some fluid residue under the car but it is very minimal. I will continue to monitor that. I will say with every component on the car the only thing I haven't been real impressed with is the Coyote power steering option I purchased from FFR. As I detailed earlier in the thread I thought the kit provided lines were crap and upgraded those. Now I have had issues with the pump and am not super confident in the long term success of the replacement pump. The kit was priced at $400 and I got it during the half off sale so I really only paid $200. This might be a case of you get what you pay for. Also I notice after i have been driving a while the steering effort increases just a bit. Not sure if that is a function of the fluid getting hot or what to attribute that to. I did see a thread recently discussing PS fluid coolers. I did not opt to install one. Possibly that was a mistake and I will need to address that in the future. The general consensus was the cooler was not needed for a non track car. Anyways, next build I will be looking more thoroughly and power steering options. Might be an area I am willing to spend extra on for a better quality system.

The only other thing I might be trending slightly negative on is the side pipe noise. I am still in the "this is awesome I don't care how loud it is" stage but have had a thought or two slip into my mind wondering if the driving would be more enjoyable with quieter pipes. I can see down the road a couple thousand miles growing tired of the loud pipes. My wife enjoys riding with me and in 4th or 5th gear at 40-60mph it is quite easy for us to converse. With the coyote and my gearing I am running right about 2000rpm in that situation. You can have a normal conversation then. On the flip side in a first gear hard throttle launch it is flat out loud. Dont think she could hear me even if I was yelling during those.

All in it is a blast to drive and I am so pleased with my decision to pursue this project. The personal satisfaction and pride I feel when driving it are tough to beat. If you are reading this and on the fence to build or not I give this project my highest recommendation. Also I like to remind readers that I had essentially zero automotive experience coming into this. This is a project you can do without being an expert mechanic. The help available here is amazing. Really the only problem building a car for a street driver is with the available performance I cant even come close to touching this things potential without being an absolute fool on public roads which I am not willing to do. My plan to never track the car might has to be reevaluated at some point as well. I would like to see what this thing can do.

I do miss the actual build process. (Find myself thinking about that Gen 3 Coupe more and more!) I still have a few mods in mind to accomplish. I have two things on the way that I am excited about and will update the thread when I accomplish those.

[2bking]

I still have a few mods in mind to accomplish. I have two things on the way that I am excited about and will update the thread when I accomplish those.

Let me guess, FFR premium top and head rests?

[Dave Howard]

Great to hear you are enjoying your new ride.

Power Steering....You may want to disconnect it altogether to get a feel for what NO PS is like. In a 2,300 lb car PS is up for debate. I don't have it and have never had an instance where I thought "wish I had that "PS"

I went with Gas-N pipes for a little quieter ride. Still, as the Coyote starts to bark above 2,000 revs and make power above 3,000, everyone in the neighbourhood knows youre coming. At highway speeds, the wind noise will drive you nuts after 30 minutes. I invested in a pair of custom earplugs. $$ well spent.

Ive got +18,000 miles on my 2012 Coyote MkIV. Posted another 600 miles this weekend. Breaking in a new driver. I keep teller her you cant hurt it.

WOOHOO..Looking forward to the 1000 kilometer drive to Columbus and the London Cobra Show next days off. Started praying to the weather gods already.

[wareaglescott]

Let me guess, FFR premium top and head rests?

Haha neither of those.
Pretty sure if I combined my 6'3" body, with my Kirkey high back seats and then had a top on the car it would be darn near impossible to get in and out of. I pretty much stand up in the car and step out as it is now.

Dave I have driven a buddies Mk3 without PS. I am not a fan. Personal preference.

[2bking]

I change out the FFR mufflers to the 30" Slimlines after the first 500 miles. I got tired of the noise and they quietened the exhaust for a much more enjoyable ride. I have the FFR premium top which I have put on and taken off several times but I like the driving experience better with it on. I do remove it for taller passengers because of the difficulty of them getting in and out of the car. I like the shade it provides to keep the Texas sun off the legs and helps the AC keep cool air around the occupants even without the side windows. As far as wind noise I don't think it has bothered me but being 5'-6" I might sit lower behind the windshield than others.

[Dave Howard]

Haha neither of those.
Pretty sure if I combined my 6'3" body, with my Kirkey high back seats and then had a top on the car it would be darn near impossible to get in and out of. I pretty much stand up in the car and step out as it is now.

Dave I have driven a buddies Mk3 without PS. I am not a fan. Personal preference.

Scott, I'm 6'2" and have the premium top. It'll be in London in a couple of weeks. If you're there you should try it.

[wareaglescott]

Scott, I'm 6'2" and have the premium top. It'll be in London in a couple of weeks. If you're there you should try it.

Thanks. I won't be able to make it.
I actually have no interest in a top for the car.
If I did Im sure it would be doable with the regular seats. With the kirkeys that you sit more in than on like the regular seats I don't think it would be much fun getting in and out with a top on.

[redwards69]

I've really enjoyed reading this Scott. My step son and I have wanted to do a Cobra for several years, but other projects have gotten in the way. I'm finishing up a 69 Bronco now, so maybe a Cobra build will come in the next year or so. I first found your build on Instagram and started following. It's top notch all the way and your passion for it really shows. Outstanding job and gorgeous car!
Rick

[wareaglescott]

I've really enjoyed reading this Scott. My step son and I have wanted to do a Cobra for several years, but other projects have gotten in the way. I'm finishing up a 69 Bronco now, so maybe a Cobra build will come in the next year or so. I first found your build on Instagram and started following. It's top notch all the way and your passion for it really shows. Outstanding job and gorgeous car!
Rick

Appreciate the kind words Rick. I love me some instagram! haha Glad you found me on there. Would love to see some pics of that Bronco. What is your instagram name?

[wareaglescott]

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68957&d=1497298720

Put the car up on the lift today. Everything is looking good.

Couple points:
1. Header bolts - I snugged a couple of them up. I used the remflex gaskets but did not take any additional steps to secure them other than tightening to the specified torque. I came across a great thread after I had installed the headers with some good suggestions. Wish I would have seen it before. Once the coyote goes in it is so tight and difficult to access some of those bolt heads that I think at this point I would rather just check them occasionally vs trying to take them completely out to redo. With that being said I have found that some areas of the car are so tight to work on that it is difficult to get a full length wrench on it. My solution has been to buy a cheap wrench in the particular size I need and cut the length in half and grind down the jaws to allow it to fit into small spaces. I have two for specific power steering connections and now I will be doing one in 17mm to make snugging the header bolts easier.

2. Grease - the grease nipple that is on the front lower control arms facing down seems to drip grease. Cant recall the exact stuff I used but when it is hot like it is in the summer the stuff seems to liquify somewhat and drip out. The inside of my front wheels was a mess. Will use different grease next time.

Other than that I am very pleased with everything. Something I failed to mention yesterday regarding the coyote is the fan and running temperature. EdwardB has reported to me and in his thread as well his running temps and fan operation and mine seems to mirror his almost exactly. The fan runs almost continually and the temp gauge never really moves from the 70-85 C range once it gets warmed up. I have been doing numerous 30-40 mile drives with temps between 65-85 F and my speed varies from slow around town to 60mph out in the country for long periods. The motor temp is very constant. The coyote pcm is controlling the fan and it has nothing to do with my temp gauge so that number is just for reference.

All around I am just loving the car and the driving. Did about 30 miles this morning and had a blast.

[redwards69]

What is your instagram name?

slvr02

[wareaglescott]

Well one of my mods I have been waiting on showed up this week and I installed it today. This is one that not everyone will like but i think it looks cool and am quite pleased with it.
I came across the idea of permanent tire stickers from tirestickers.com. They supposedly last the life of the tires. I guess I will be finding out. They have a couple different options about what you can get. I decided I wanted stickers that perfectly covered the existing lettering already on the tires.

The process for that was to take a piece of paper and some crayons and make an etching of the letters. Then I sent them in and they produced them for me. That process took about a week and they were shipped to me.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=69092&d=1497745551

Then I installed them. If you look up tire stickers install on youtube there is a 6 minute video that goes through the process. Somewhat tedious to do 2 on each tire but I am pleased with the results. Really like the little color splash and the overall look. My only concern is the durability but they get good reviews so hopefully they will hold up.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=69093&d=1497745563

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=69094&d=1497745574

I have another custom mod in production and will update when that shows up.

[Boydster]

Thats pretty cool, Scott. Bet it looks good when moving slowly. Cant wait to see whats next.

[wareaglescott]

Well the tire stickers have been tested to 93mph. They don't fly off at that speed.;) I had a wonderful 60 mile cruise this morning out in the country.

Filled up again today. This partial tank I got 19.41 mpg. I accelerate pretty hard to the speed limit most times so I am quite impressed with that mileage.

I am questioning my fuel gauge accuracy.
I put 10.87 gallons in. Just prior to filling up I was showing right at 1/2 tank.

What is the actual capacity of the tank? I was thinking around 16 gallons
I guess with the shape of the tank the needle decline on the gauge probably isn't linear. I knew I had less than 1/2 tank and I will probably just make a habit of gassing up every 200 miles or so. I estimate the range to be closer to 280 to 300 per tank.

Also on my ride today I finally found a road and no traffic situation I felt comfortable with for the brake bedding procedure. I did the 8 hard applications from 65mph as prescribed in the Wilwood instructions. Not much to report after it was complete other than they continue to work. I hardly used them the remainder of the drive. Will see if I notice a difference on hard stops next drive.

[Duke]

I've had 3.5 gallons in the tank and the gauge read zero. When I pulled the sender out and tested it it worked fine. I added another 3 and it showed 1/4 on the gauge. It looked like their needed to be 3-4g in the tank before the the float started to move. This all could have been evaporation over a few months, but I doubt it.

[ZachT]

Scott -

Just got current on your thread. Thanks for the detailed build log. It is a valuable resource that I will refer to in future.

[wareaglescott]

One year ago today. Time flies when you are having fun! Question is what will I be working on in my garage one year from today? I do have that extra spot now that I have the lift.....
I am loving every minute of the driving but do miss the build process.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=55537&d=1467191963

I put this in the thread about the 0-60 function of the GPS speedo but I will post it here as well.
I don't have the confidence or experience to try a 100% launch yet nor did I have an appropriate road but I did go about 75% tonight for a 0-60 run. I clocked a 4.72 on the speedo. Under 4 seconds is certainly attainable. I knew the car was fast but it is pretty cool to see it on the dial!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=69533&d=1498696595

[Boydster]

Hey Scott. This weekend, my brother and I were talking colors and whatnot, he knows I've always loved a dark metallic charcoal grey ever since my 84 SVO.
He texted me and said he found the perfect car that he really loved... and sent me a pic of your car. Yowza.

[wareaglescott]

Hey Scott. This weekend, my brother and I were talking colors and whatnot, he knows I've always loved a dark metallic charcoal grey ever since my 84 SVO.
He texted me and said he found the perfect car that he really loved... and sent me a pic of your car. Yowza.

Ha small world. Where did he find it at?

[Boydster]

Ha small world. Where did he find it at?

Factory 5 website front page. I think he did a Google for grey F5 roadsters.

[wareaglescott]

Turned 1000 miles on the odometer this week. Put it up on the lift again to check things over. Gaining a lot more confidence in this build as everything is running flawlessly at this point. I am so pleased with the decision to go with the Coyote and the modern reliability it offers. Now that it is up and running all I have to do is drive. It is as reliable as any of my other cars and I really enjoy not having a requirement for any sort of tuning because I just don't have much knowledge in that area.
It is probably overkill but I decided I would do the initial oil change at 1000 miles so I accomplished that this morning. From here on out I will just do an annual oil change because I am sure the yearly mileage will be below the recommended change interval mileage. The lift sure makes it easy! :D

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=70434&d=1500041385

The only complaint I have at this point is the noise level. After 20+ years of exposure to jet engines and another 20+ to go before I retire my hearing faces enough threats at work. After 40 years of flying jets my father had very poor hearing so I am sensitive to that and try to protect mine as much as I can. Initially as I was go carting the build I was in the phase of this thing is so awesome I don't care how loud it is. I must say at the 1000 mile point I am over that and the noise level does diminish my enjoyment of the total experience just a bit. I do drive with ear plugs now.
My current setup is the FFR coyote headers, J pipes and polished exhaust.

I decided to pursue a quieter option and have ordered another set of pipes and the flowmaster slimline mufflers. The pipes are currently being cut and welded. I purchased a decibel meter to do a little before and after testing. Below is a short video of the original pipes on startup and under a few revs. My wife took the video standing next to the car with the meter in the approximate position of the passengers ears. The peak level was 110db and that was sitting still and I revved the motor to 5000 rpm. The noise level chart I am using for reference indicates at 112 db you experience hearing damage after 1 minute of exposure. Now of course I have ear plugs in so that is helping but still the noise in motion under a hard acceleration seems much louder. I plan to start a thread on the forum devoted just to noise levels and will report back with more videos and some comparison data before and after I change to the muffled pipes. Will probably be a month or 6 weeks until I have the new pipes on as I have to get them ceramic coated after they are completed and that will be a multi week process.

https://youtu.be/Cv3jevyEkig

[wareaglescott]

Did some additional sound recording today on our drive.
The first video was a moderate acceleration from a stop through first and second gears up to about 50mph. Peak noise level was about 110db.

https://youtu.be/EODCP5eWyPM

The second video is cruising at 60mph in 5th gear at 1900-2000 rpm. That was about 96db. Probably as much from the wind noise as the actual exhaust noise. Pretty easy to converse at this level.

https://youtu.be/labpRrukJYk

[wareaglescott]

Making some progress towards getting some quieter pipes. Through some more outstanding generosity from the forum a member has helped me with the part that was beyond my capabilities since I do not weld. I ordered a set of bare pipes and the flow master slimline mufflers. He made a jig for them, then cut and welded them together and shipped them on to me. The should be a direct bolt on replacement. The overall length is about 2" longer than the original pipes.
Tomorrow I will try a test fit and the next step will be to take them for ceramic coating. I am excited for the progress on this.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71068&d=1501013304

Also had something kind of exciting happen yesterday. My Uncle is a big car guy and out of the blue he texted me and said he was looking through his current issue of Hot Rod magazine and he turned the page and I was staring back at him from the page! I knew FFR had used my photo in their on line advertisements but did not really consider it would show up in print. That was pretty exciting.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71069&d=1501013318

[David Hodgkins]

Another Kudos for you Scott; I noticed our NEW gold vendor Reincarnation Magazine is using your ride in it's banner!

Your ride is getting quite famous! I'll expect to see an article in the mag soon!

:)

PS those pipes look great! I can't wait to see your sound results!

[Vspeeds]

Thanks for sharing your build. I too am going to be in the same boat as you were at the beginning of your project; going in with absolutely zero experience. I'll be referring to your thread often. I'm glad I could still see the posted photos as the Photobucket debacle messed up a lot of my reference threads. Your car is awesome! and the fighter flight stick is even more awesome

[wareaglescott]

I read a lot of threads and opinions on the necessity of a custom engine tune for the Coyote. Strong opinions on both sides.
After 1200 miles on the stock tune my car was running just fine with zero issues. Basically because I cant leave well enough alone i decided to give the custom tune a shot.
Forum member Duke had recommended Lund Racing to me. Also the Ford engineer that helped me with all my wiring harness issues mentioned they have a very solid reputation within the industry when I queried him. For the record Ford is very noncommittal about actually recommending a specific tuner but in a sort of off the record comment the guy I trust indicated if I were going with a custom tune that Lund was a good choice. That was good enough for me.

I went to their website and ordered the tune. They can use either the SCT X4 or Nguage tuning devices. I already owned the X4 so I went with that device to save myself some money from buying the Nguage. My tune was $450. Had I bought the tune and the Nguage I believe it was about $700. (Mac users beware the SCT is not Mac compatible. I am a Mac guy and had to resort to using an old windows machine so that was kind of a pain but it worked. You basically need the computer to load the tune file onto the device and to use for data logging which I will mention shortly.)

When you order the tune you fill out some information on how your car is configured and any engine mods. Obviously in our case we differ from stock on the air intake and exhaust. I specified that and it is also important you specify if you are using a crate motor. After that it took about 7 business days for the to email me the custom tune file.

Once you receive the tune you upload it to the device on the computer and then take the device out and plug it into the car. Loading the tune onto the PCM is quite simple following the on screen instructions and took about 10 minutes.
The way Lund works is they send you a base tune. Then you send them some data logs back and they modify the tune as needed. Then you do some more data logs and they give you the final tune.

Upon loading the base tune my car fired right up as it always has and I took it on a test drive.
First impression....WOW! This is immediately noticeable and quite improved. The engine runs smoother at low rpms, the throttle response is sharper, the overall performance seems noticeably improved on the butt dyno. Honestly in the first 1200 miles I thought the cars performance was a 10 out of 10. Post tune I would say the first 1200 miles was actually at 8.5 and now I am truly at 10 out of 10 for a stock motor.

After a short drive I was ready to do some data logging to get the tune updated.
That consisted of hooking up the tuner to the car and the computer and running the car through a set profile they provided.http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71210&d=1501259740

The profile was:
Idle for 3-5 minutes
While sitting still:
1500 rpm for 10-15 seconds
2500 rpm for 10-15 seconds
3500 rpm for 10-15 seconds
After that go drive and in either 2nd or 3rd gear do a couple slow accelerations from 2500 to 5000 rpm
After that pull over and idle for 1-2 minutes
Then stop the data log, save it and email it to them.

I submitted the data log and in short order they sent me a revised tune to load with instructions for a second data logging session. I loaded the review tune the same way I did the initial tune. (IF you have concerns about this the engines factory tune is saved onto your device and you can revert to factory at any time.)
The profile for the next data log was the same but after the first 2500-5000rpm acceleration they wanted a WOT 2nd gear pull from 2500-7200rpm. (That was fun, hit about 85mph in 2nd gear!)
Once I completed that data log and sent it to them they looked over the data and determined no further adjustments were needed and I was good to go.

I should say they also offer the option of an actual dyno session where they collaborate with the dyno operator and modify your tune that way. I choose the option of doing my own data logging and felt for my road driving needs that was sufficient.

Very, very pleased with the tune. I feel like it really optimized the motors performance. I am also very pleased with Lund and their communications and everyone I dealt with there.

[wareaglescott]

I have really been enjoying driving the car since the tune was installed. I decided to try a 0-60 run today. Honestly I am still timid to go to hard on the equipment. Spent so much time building it I don't want to tear anything up. I was a little more aggressive with the clutch today but still not max performance. I would guess 85% on the launch. Lost traction on the 1st-2nd shift which cost me some time and I shifted just above 6000 instead of pushing to 7000. Still managed a 4.02 and 200.6'. Not bad for something I built in my garage and considering I have no real high performance driving experience. I will get it in the 3s next time. Fun times!!

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/ZnTdHcrDIDI

Picture proof or it didn't happen!
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71606&d=1501594949

[Railroad]

Scott, really enjoyed the ride along. Car, build, tune and pics are very impressive. So glad you got the Lund tune and had good results. I am sure the car has a lot more to give on your 0-60 times. As you get more comfortable, the times will get better.
It does sound like you short shifted 1-2, but you did well.

[CobraboyDR]

Spectacular thread!

[Gromit]

Vicariously living my roadster dreams through threads like this. Thanks for posting the 0-60 Video. With some practice I bet there's a sub 4 second time in that setup.

Chris AKA Gromit

[Boydster]

That machine sounds great!!

[wareaglescott]

Thanks everyone.
I'm sure it can easily do sub 4 seconds. Not sure which is the bigger limiting factor.....my inexperience or tire traction!;)

[Dave Howard]

Tires are fine. Drop the pressure to 10 psi for your next attempt. Once you get a feel for how much power the tires will accept before breaking loose you'll be able to launch and hook up. Try a drag strip for an afternoon. Buckle up and hold on

[carlewms]

Congrats ... looks like it was also great fun!

[Makgecko2017]

Where did you purchase safety loop?

[wareaglescott]

Where did you purchase safety loop?

http://www.metcomotorsports.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MDL2500

[Jacob]

Well you have become quite the celebrity! I pick up a Hot Rod mag last night and there you are in a FFR ad ... I would say this validated your workmanship! Good Job.

[wareaglescott]

Got my pipes with the flow masters welded in back from the ceramic coater:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71837&d=1501962487

My first impression was these things are heavy. Probably at least twice as heavy. Keep in mind my exhaust setup is Coyote shorty headers, J-pipes and then the side pipe. When I installed them I found the rear end of the pipe drooped significantly due to the weight. The bolts up front were all tightened very well. I had some concerns about the factory supplied hangers working. I went ahead and mounted them just as I had for the original pipe but I found the weight overwhelmed the rubber piece and pulled it right to full extension and the pipes drooped about 1.5" at the tail end even hooked up to the hanger. They were hanging way to low.

I determined I needed to do something to support them better. I also wanted to have some small amount of play left so they would not be rigidly mounted and break the mounting tab off of the pipe. I ended up having some spare metal and made a shim of sorts to go behind the rubber piece in the hanger. (the remnants of the fan mounting pieces that came in the kit. About the 4th time I have used sections of those and they are gone now. Sure came in handy).
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71838&d=1501962498

Once I sandwiched that in place I mounted the rest of the hanger as directed in the manual. I only used the top bolt on the tab on the actual pipe itself and used a nylon nut but did not tighten it all the way down so it can rotate around that. That worked great and keeps the pipe right at the level I want it and it has just a little play in it.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71842&d=1501962644

Here is the ceramic coated pipe mounted:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71839&d=1501962525

The finish is slightly different from my polished pipes and my heat shield doesn't match exactly. For now I plan to leave them off. I have read these mufflers will not be as hot. I could possibly have them coated to match. I do like the look of them. Will evaluate that down the road.

This install took longer than anticipated figuring out the hanger solution. Went on a real quick drive Initial impressions of the sound are very good. My neighbor also made a positive comment on the exterior noise as he was out when I pulled back in the driveway. He said it was much quieter but still sounded mean. Exactly what I was going for! I will be doing some sound testing and videos with my decibel meter and will post that info in the coming days.

[wareaglescott]

I did some more videos today with the decibel meter.
The overall impression of the flow master upgrade is very favorable. The substantial difference is at cruise speed. It is quite easy to carry on a normal conversation. The sound is much more enjoyable. During hard acceleration the noise is still there but does not seem as harsh. Basically it is quiet when you want it to be and sounds mean when you want it to be.
Very happy with this upgrade and would definitely recommend it.

I made a movie with all the clips spliced together and the DB information.
https://youtu.be/_BsQtkuzJdE

Here are some numbers:
Startup and Idle inside garage:
Before - 101 After - 98

Startup and idle at various rpms outside:
Before idle - 98 After idle - 86

roughly 3000-5000rpmm:
Before: 105 After - 101

Max observed on high rpm rev while sitting still:
Before - 110 After - 109

Hard acceleration through 1st and 2nd from a stop:
Before - 109 After - 109

Not tested before, numbers with the new pipes:
idle from inside car - 86
Cruise 40 mph, 3rd gear, 2200 rpm - 86
Cruise 50mph, 5th gear, 1600 rpm - 91
Cruise 65mph, 5th gear, 2000 rpm - 95 (I believe the 50 and 65 speeds it is more wind noise than engine noise)

[Vspeeds]

Scott
What model flowmaster did you get?

[Dave Howard]

Scott, have you put together your total costs for the new exhaust? And, did you install the custom side pipes before or after the tune?

[wareaglescott]

Scott
What model flowmaster did you get?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flo-13530320

[wareaglescott]

Scott, have you put together your total costs for the new exhaust? And, did you install the custom side pipes before or after the tune?

Didn't put together a total cost. Stopped counting a while ago ;)
Gonna send the tuner a new set of data logs and he will adjust as needed.

[wareaglescott]

Turns out my mounting system was a bust and resulted in both the J-pipes cracking at the welds in under 50 miles.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71933&d=1502126949

I had those J-pipes welded back together so I could get home and curiously the pipes are now supported just fine without any hangers currently in place. Unsupported in the middle they hang perfectly level with no droop. This leads me to believe the J-pipes were previously weakened prior to this install and had some serious flex in them.

I emailed with Tony at FFR and he indicated the TIG weld on those J-pipes was the weak link and it would be smart to go over those welds with a MIG weld and they should be plenty strong. Since both of my J-pipes failed with cracks and a friend had a new unused pair lying around I am acquiring those and will take them to be MIG welded prior to installing on the car.
I also found a turnbuckle support system that attaches to the pipe flange and a tube rail in the engine compartment to help support the J-pipe. I will be making those improvement when the new J-pipes come in. Probably next week. I will update then.

[Vspeeds]

Thanks for the muffler info.

[wareaglescott]

Since the last update I have made what I hope will be the permanent solution and the pipes seem to be supported much better.

Once again the generosity of the forum community has come through. I obtained an unused pair of J-pipes from a friend and had all the seams welded over to increase the strength of the pipe.

Another friend was kind enough to design a support system that attached from the J-pipe to side pipe flange and ran to a header bolt. Thus allowing a rigid connection to the motor but allowing the pipe to move with the engine. Here is that design:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71964&d=1502183522

While doing some research on people having issues with the J-pipes I also came across another support system that incorporated another one of the hanger rubber pieces. This one attaches to one of the 3/4" frame tubes in the engine compartment and allows for some flex through the rubber piece.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71963&d=1502183380

Both seemed like very good ideas. I believe the first option to be the better one. However the difficulty of installation on that one was harder. I know when I was putting the headers on I had to get all the bolts started before tightening them down. The one I would need to loosen to attach the hanger strap is pretty accessible but the others are not. I think since the other 7 would remain tight I would be able to take the 1 in and out ok but the slight possibility that I would have a problem and be required to access the other bolts would turn an easy install into a serious pain in the rear. Considering that and the fact that I now have the second pair of J-pipes I decided to go ahead with option 2 and monitor it closely moving forward. If I end up with another failure I will go with option 1 at that time.

Here are the hangers I put together (not shown in the picture but at the suggestion of a friend I ended up adding some Jam nuts on the turnbuckles so once I set the length they were locked down at that length and would not be able to turn. Also at the suggestion of the guy at my local nut/bolt shop I replaced the nylon lock nut on the end that gets hot at the pipe flange with an all metal locknut so the nylon doesn't melt.)
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72226&d=1502621296

Here they are installed:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72227&d=1502621309

I am very pleased with how everything is supported now. At the mid pipe support I removed the metal shims I previously made and it has the slight play allowed by the rubber piece. I believe this is a good solution. Will continue to monitor.

Also I have come to realize that I think all my post pipe change sound testing was invalid. Pretty sure the J-pipes were cracked all along and the resulting sound levels were higher. Now that I have this all back together the car is even quieter. I am going to have to do some additional testing to document the new levels. Will report back on that.

Here is a quick sound clip of the pipes with no J-pipe fracture allowing additional noise:
https://youtu.be/AYNReloa3Xc

[Jazzman]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flo-13530320

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose the 30" Flowmaster slimlines? They also make a 24" slimlines. I would assume the 30" models are more quiet than the 24", certainly an advantage. The larger section on the original pipes is 20" long. Just thinkin'!!

[wareaglescott]

Because King used 30s. When King speaks I listen! ;)

[Jazzman]

Because King used 30s. When King speaks I listen! ;)

Absolutely!!

[Yama-Bro]

Another friend was kind enough to design a support system that attached from the J-pipe to side pipe flange and ran to a header bolt. Thus allowing a rigid connection to the motor but allowing the pipe to move with the engine. Here is that design:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71964&d=1502183522



I love the 3D modeling. I use SolidWorks everyday at BluePrint and have been using it since '97. Did your friend model all of that? Or is there a 3D model of the Factory Five Roadster floating around on the internet that I've never heard about? I would love to have a good model to base new designs and ideas on. I've even considered measuring and modeling all the parts in the kit before I put it together, but talked myself out of it fairly quickly.

[WIS89]

Scott-

I'm with Y-B! That modeling looks terrific, and professionally done! I too would love to have a full version if one is available. I tried searching for one some time ago, to help with one of the features I was working on, but came up empty.

Sorry for your exhaust trouble, but hope that it is resolved now! I am going to keep an eye on those slimline pieces. A while back they went on sale, and I elected to wait; very stupid decision on my part. So, I will wait to see if they go on sale again.

Let us know how this new brace works out for you Scott!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

I wanted to add a little something to the dash. I had a local artist airbrush a Cobra fender badge to match my paint colors and adhered it to the passenger side of the dash. Very pleased how it came out.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72417&d=1502898203

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72418&d=1502898216

[Duke]

Very cool, nice touch.

[Straversi]

It's all in the details. Your neighbors, friends and family won't understand how much time and thought goes into each detail. We do!
Good job.

-Steve

[wareaglescott]

I noticed after about 1500 miles my right rear spring had compressed some and I needed to make a ride height adjustment on that corner to correct the visual stance of the car. After I did that when I would accelerate hard the car would head to the left. My theory was I had put to much weight on that right rear corner causing that tire to hook up better than the left rear and thus the thrust vector was sending me left on launches.

I have a local buddy with some scales so he let me borrow them.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72779&d=1503597242

Here are the initial readings:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72778&d=1503597231

Total weight was 2468 pounds. This was with about 1/2 tank of gas. As you can see the rears had quite a large difference which validated my theory on the right rear having more weight on it causing it to have better traction.

I made a series of adjustments. Very easily accomplished thanks to the lift and pneumatic jack. I had it up and down about 10 times. I would lower it onto the wood blocks and roll it forward onto the scales each time. I also did a series of adjustments with 190lbs of dumb bells in the drivers seat. About half my rides I have someone with me.

Here are the numbers after I finished the adjustments:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72780&d=1503597254

I am very pleased how that worked out. I took it on a test drive and the straight line traction on hard launches seems much improved. Honestly with my street driving I am so far away from the handling limits of the car I don't think it will really make a noticeable difference on cornering. I am sure if I were at the limit it would be noticeable. I do enjoy hard accelerations though and am very happy with that improvement.

[GoDadGo]

Scott,

Did you have to make any adjustments to the sway bars or just the coil over springs?
Also, I am surprised that you have so much weight on the front, but I can only assume that the Coyote is a pretty hefty mill.
It seems to be a bit further forward compared to the 302 & 351 SBF builds.
Glad you figured the issue out.

Steve

[wareaglescott]

Scott,

Did you have to make any adjustments to the sway bars or just the coil over springs?
Also, I am surprised that you have so much weight on the front, but I can only assume that the Coyote is a pretty hefty mill.
It seems to be a bit further forward compared to the 302 & 351 SBF builds.
Glad you figured the issue out.

Steve

I just did the springs. I don't know enough to mess with the sway bars. Possibly I should have but I was unsure of the consequences. I'm pleased how it is performing now. Like I said I am a long way from the performance limit so it is good enough for my purposes.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Yer welcome ;)

Jeff

[wareaglescott]

I passed 2000 miles yesterday. Up to 2048 after this mornings drive.
Very impressed with the reliability up to this point. Coming into this project I really anticipated having to spend more time working on the car than I am seeing in actual conditions. In fact I think I may be over maintaining the car (if that is possible) just because I miss the build process. After every drive I pretty much clean it up and then when I raise it on the 4 post lift for storage I take a good look at everything from below. Did a thorough nut and bolt check after 500 and 1500 miles and found nothing that needed attention.

Up to this point these have been my issues:
1. Leaking power steering pump - think is was a bad pump. FFR sent me a replacement pump. Since changing that I have had no problems.
2. Cracked J-pipes - I think that may have been self induced by adding the heavier side pipes with the slim masters welded in. I documented that in the thread and have about 500 miles on since my last modification with no issues.
3. I have a small seep of oil from my oil pan drain plug. Not even enough to drip but just some residue. - This one is also self induced. When I changed the oil I did not realized the washer was a crush washer and I should replace it. I have had that plug on and off about 3 times since new. It is such a minimal amount of residue I will just wait until the next oil change to correct it. I just wipe the minimal residue away when I put it up on the lift.
4. I had a little seepage coming from the fuel line at a connection near the tank. Tightened that up and haven't had any residue since.
5. After about 1400 miles I felt my passenger rear spring had compressed some. I borrowed some scales and adjusted the ride height and balance as I documented in the thread. That seems to be no further issue.
6. I bought an aftermarket turn signal switch. After about 1000 miles the handle broke off in my hand. Ordered a replacement from dell city and swapped that out.

That is it. Extremely pleased with the drivability and reliability of the Coyote. I had some challenges getting it up and going that I documented but since then it is just get in and drive. Cranks up no problem every time and I love it. Just what I was hoping to accomplish in drivability.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Good job Scott!

Jeff

[2bking]

Sounds like a happy customer:o

[wareaglescott]

Apparently the aluminum driveshaft flange they sent out was thicker than before and they have sent longer bolts to install. Nice they keep up with issues like that and sent a fix unsolicited before there is a problem. Be on the lookout for this if you have the IRS option.

Something tells me my driveshaft safety loop is going to be right in the way and this easy job will not be so easy. Riding out tropical storm Irma today so won't be messing with it for a few days.


http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73539&d=1505152178

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73540&d=1505152189

[wareaglescott]

Added the race deck flooring to the garage. Really impressed with the product. Fun to make a custom design online and goes down real easy. Hardest part was moving the lift around it. Here are a few pics:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73624&d=1505322121

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73625&d=1505322135

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73626&d=1505322147

[Yama-Bro]

The garage looks really nice!

[M3ichael]

WOW! That looks nice!

[Boydster]

Wow. Spectacular and CLEEEEAN!

[wareaglescott]

About 2500 now. Car is running great. Zero issues recently.

One thing that has been really surprising in a nice way is the gas mileage I get with the Coyote.
I am kind of a data geek so I like keeping up with it. I drive pretty aggressively up to the speed limit plus 5-10. Occasionally go on the interstate but for no more than 10 miles or so at a time. The majority of my driving on on country roads with 45mph speed limits and around my small town.

The best mileage I have seen at a fill up is 20.18. The worst was the first fill up after I was road legal at 17.44.
The overall average is 18.45 mpg.

For what its worth my 2015 F150 has the 5.0 although tuned very differently. I get 15 mpg on the interstate!

[wareaglescott]

In my constant desire to keep adding to the car I did a small steering wheel mod. I like the look that some of the higher end performance cars and race cars have with the center marking on the steering wheel. Decided to add a little more color to the cockpit and add an orange stripe to mine. Totally not needed for my driving. Purely an aesthetic mod. I like how it looks. This is currently just orange electrical tape. Now that I know I like the look I may look for a better product that I could use although the tape looks fine I think. I still have the wood wheel I can swap out when I don't desire this look since I have the removable wheels.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75580&d=1508419623

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75581&d=1508419677

Finally this week we have had some cooler fall weather. Temps in the mid 60s during the days. This is the driving weather I have been waiting for. It has been absolutely glorious driving this week.
This morning I had time for a 30 minute drive before heading to work. Temp was about 45. First real use of the seat heaters. They worked great. At the end of the drive I found my gloved hands and face getting cold. I think any colder and I will have to take shorter drives. The nice part about living in the south is we rarely have extended time frames with weather below 40. I am optimistic I will be able to drive the car at least some all winter long.

Currently at about 2700 miles and the Coyote is running great. I really enjoy that cool air and it feels more powerful. Probably not enough to actually notice but it seems like it anyways.

[GoDadGo]

My kids got me a new steering wheel for Father's day that has the indicator and I too love the look.
Since the car will be reds, they got a wheel with a red indicator and red stitching.

http://www.grantproducts.com/products/view/808/

Love It & I Am Thrilled That They Purchased It!

[wareaglescott]

My kids got me a new steering wheel for Father's day that has the indicator and I too love the look.
Since the car will be reds, they got a wheel with a red indicator and red stitching.

http://www.grantproducts.com/products/view/808/

Love It & I Am Thrilled That They Purchased It!

That is a good looking wheel Steve. Design is extremely similar to my FFR leather wheel. What is the red stripe made from?
I am sure all my non car friends will ask me what it is for. I am going to come up with some total BS story since they won't know the difference. haha My one neighbor saw my pile of Clecos early on in the build before I even ordered the motor and asked if they were spark plugs! lol

[mach'er]

That is one seriously clean looking garage! What a nice space.

What's the ceiling height in there?

[GoDadGo]

What is the red stripe made from?


The wheel cover is all leather, including the red stripe.
I'm just glad that I can grip it well because of my mishap that occurred this past April.
It is why I was looking to change the wheel when my kids found it in my "Amazon Wish List!"

[wareaglescott]

That is one seriously clean looking garage! What a nice space.

What's the ceiling height in there?

About 14'
I am blessed with a second basement garage that is 1 car wide but 2 deep. All my clutter lives in that one so I can keep the upstairs one looking nice.;)

[wareaglescott]

Made the back cover of the Ford Performance catalog they are giving out at SEMA.
If anyone happens to be there and can get me a couple I will happily pay you for shipping!

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76170&d=1509469930

In other news it is 68 degrees and sunny here today and I am heading out for a ride. Should pass 3000 miles in the next couple days and everything is running beautifully. Really felt like I would have more maintaining to do when I went into this project. Really feeling ready to build a Gen 3 coupe but I have zero desire to get rid of the Cobra and cant justify two completely impractical cars!

[edwardb]

Really feeling ready to build a Gen 3 coupe but I have zero desire to get rid of the Cobra and cant justify two completely impractical cars!

Hey, I resemble that remark... I sold the Gen 3 Coupe on the home front as a "practical" car. After all, it does have a top, real doors, and will have heat and A/C, etc. What more could you ask for? ;)

Congrats on getting your Roadster on the Ford Performance catalog. Very cool.

[Straversi]

Really feeling ready to build a Gen 3 coupe but I have zero desire to get rid of the Cobra and cant justify two completely impractical cars!

Says the guy who ordered a Porsche! Ha, that 911 has 4 seats. Practically a grocery getter. You bought a lift to build cars and then to store more cars. Not fooling anyone.

-Steve

[wareaglescott]

Says the guy who ordered a Porsche! Ha, that 911 has 4 seats. Practically a grocery getter. You bought a lift to build cars and then to store more cars. Not fooling anyone.

-Steve

The Porsche I can drive 90 miles each way to work! It is completely practical. lol
I must hold out a couple years before ordering the Coupe!!!!

[Jazzman]

Says the guy who ordered a Porsche! Ha, that 911 has 4 seats. Practically a grocery getter. You bought a lift to build cars and then to store more cars. Not fooling anyone.

-Steve

What he said!!!

[sbhunter]

Gentleman, I am late to the party. I am loving reading your build threads but am running out of time. I am only partly through a couple of your builds. I am flying to Wareham this Wednesday to order my dream. I would love some quick input on likes and dislikes. I am planning on a complete kit, irs, wilwood all around, coyote + tko from Forte, Kirkey high backs, dual roll bars. Building it to drive and enjoy more than show. I am posting here because the names in the comments are the threads I’m reading. I live in Indiana and am considering full top and heater. Plan is to black out everything with powdercoat. I’m looking at Boig pipes, mid mount shifter, firewall forward, door panels, etc. Particularly I’m interested in opinions on power steering, brakes, clutch vs manual. Also would like to have a glove box but need the heater. I am just starting to post after joining and am not able to start my own threads yet. Sorry for the Shanghai but need the input. What is best to order from FFR and what from elsewhere. My plan is to pound it out this winter and be driving it next summer.

[Straversi]

Gentleman, I am late to the party. I am loving reading your build threads but am running out of time. I am only partly through a couple of your builds. I am flying to Wareham this Wednesday to order my dream. I would love some quick input on likes and dislikes. I am planning on a complete kit, irs, wilwood all around, coyote + tko from Forte, Kirkey high backs, dual roll bars. Building it to drive and enjoy more than show. I am posting here because the names in the comments are the threads I’m reading. I live in Indiana and am considering full top and heater. Plan is to black out everything with powdercoat. I’m looking at Boig pipes, mid mount shifter, firewall forward, door panels, etc. Particularly I’m interested in opinions on power steering, brakes, clutch vs manual. Also would like to have a glove box but need the heater. I am just starting to post after joining and am not able to start my own threads yet. Sorry for the Shanghai but need the input. What is best to order from FFR and what from elsewhere. My plan is to pound it out this winter and be driving it next summer.

Your plans sound great so far. If you are planning on a quick build, keep in mind that all of the "small" modifications can add a lot of time to your build.

I'm very tall and have long arms so I like mid shifter. Feels good to me. It does put the shift lever close to your dash so look at photos of various builds to see if that is what you want/need. Cup holders, fire extinguisher, etc.

I ordered a heater and did not use it (listed in the parts for sale forum if you want one). If you are going with a top, it is a good idea.

I have not seen a firewall forward with a Coyote and heater. There looks like there is room but I can't comment. AL-C is installing a Coyote and heater, no firewall fwd.

I assume you are considering the fwd firewall for a full depth glove box. If you want the glove box look but don't care if it is 4" deep or 2 1/2" deep there are other options. If you order the new pre padded FFR dash it comes with a deep glove box. It would not be too difficult to cut the plastic glove box and modify it to be shallow. You can buy the aluminum FFR street dash and order a deep or shallow glove box from Alex's Custom Roadster Interiors or make your own glove box. Several options with different time commitments.

There are many builds where guys have modified their heaters for more room, for better aesthetics, to not draw air in from the engine compartment, etc. Many discussions to read. Keep your build schedule in mind with these choices.

With the Wilwoods, it think the consensus is you will be fine, no power required. Power steering is highly recommended. I ordered a PS kit from FFR. Ended up selling it because I wanted to use braided stainless hoses and found FFR's difficult to work with. Breeze has kits with everything you need.

I went with a hydraulic clutch based on Mike Forte's recommendations and am very happy but don't have anything to compare with.

Good luck and enjoy.
-Steve

[RR20AC]

Scott, I was just checking on a Speedhut part and noticed they have aviator bezels for our gauges. Thought they would look nice with that stick you have for a shifter. Jim

[wareaglescott]

Scott, I was just checking on a Speedhut part and noticed they have aviator bezels for our gauges. Thought they would look nice with that stick you have for a shifter. Jim

Dang it Jim!!!! I thought I was done spending money on this car. Trying to save for the next one. haha
Will check them out. Thanks for the heads up.

[wareaglescott]

Gentleman, I am late to the party. I am loving reading your build threads but am running out of time. I am only partly through a couple of your builds. I am flying to Wareham this Wednesday to order my dream. I would love some quick input on likes and dislikes. I am planning on a complete kit, irs, wilwood all around, coyote + tko from Forte, Kirkey high backs, dual roll bars. Building it to drive and enjoy more than show. I am posting here because the names in the comments are the threads I’m reading. I live in Indiana and am considering full top and heater. Plan is to black out everything with powdercoat. I’m looking at Boig pipes, mid mount shifter, firewall forward, door panels, etc. Particularly I’m interested in opinions on power steering, brakes, clutch vs manual. Also would like to have a glove box but need the heater. I am just starting to post after joining and am not able to start my own threads yet. Sorry for the Shanghai but need the input. What is best to order from FFR and what from elsewhere. My plan is to pound it out this winter and be driving it next summer.

Sent you a PM

[Dave Howard]

Gentleman, I am late to the party. I am loving reading your build threads but am running out of time. I am only partly through a couple of your builds. I am flying to Wareham this Wednesday to order my dream. I would love some quick input on likes and dislikes. I am planning on a complete kit, irs, wilwood all around, coyote + tko from Forte, Kirkey high backs, dual roll bars. Building it to drive and enjoy more than show. I am posting here because the names in the comments are the threads I’m reading. I live in Indiana and am considering full top and heater. Plan is to black out everything with powdercoat. I’m looking at Boig pipes, mid mount shifter, firewall forward, door panels, etc. Particularly I’m interested in opinions on power steering, brakes, clutch vs manual. Also would like to have a glove box but need the heater. I am just starting to post after joining and am not able to start my own threads yet. Sorry for the Shanghai but need the input. What is best to order from FFR and what from elsewhere. My plan is to pound it out this winter and be driving it next summer.

I built a similar project in 2012, and had the same intentions as yours. Yeah, it'll be a driver more than for show. Every time you're at the gas pumps it's a car show. Take the time during the build to focus on detail and you can have both. I've got over 20,000 miles on mine. Love driving....love showing.
The Wilwoods will stop you plenty fast enough with minimal effort. Power assist in this application is overkill and adds clutter to the engine bay. The firewall forward kits from 3rd party vendors are not designed as a straight "bolt on" with the Coyote drivers side footbox. You will need to mod the piece to fit.
I too wanted a glove box and heater. There isn't room for both unless you modify the heater location. There are easy mods to push the heater core/fan away from the firewall and provide the room required for the glove box. I opted for the heater only. I have the door panels. There is ample storage in these for small thjngs. If you are installing panels, the glove box is aesthetic...IMO..
I don't have power steering and have never had an instance where I wish I had it. The wheels on this 2,300 pound car are easy to turn when the car is standing still. A breeze while it's moving. No PS helps to keep the engine bay free of clutter.
I opted for the manual clutch. More for cost than anything. The cable is supplied with the complete kit and after I had bought other components I was feeling $100-to-death with the extras. NO issues with manual.
I do have the premium top from FFR (Rod Tops) and absolutely love it. You'll never see any negative comment from an owner of these tops. It's a must if you plan to tour. I purchased the premium top because I didn't want to have push buttons along the back on the cockpit.
I must recommend you purchase the Stainless Header 4x1x4 headers to go with the Coyote. A must have.

Yours schedule is agressive but not impossible. All depends when you take delivery, how much free time you have and your experience. It's not hard to put together. There's a couple of steps you want to have a clear head while completing. You don't need any special
skills. Good luck in Wareham

[sbhunter]

Thank you for the responses, here and pm’s. Going to be some tough decisions next week. After much reading here it seems the consensus is the heater isn’t worth the effort. That was the reasoning for the forward dash. I love the look of your door panels and that is plenty of storage without the glove box. Can one of you pm me and explain the build mentor please. Also, is there a listing of owners/builders by location somewhere on here?

[Jeff Kleiner]

sbhunter,
Welcome from another Indiana guy! I'm about an hour south of Indy in Bloomington. Besides my own there are 4 other FFR roadsters in town; 2 that I built, one purchased completed from out of state and another that's in process. I know several owners around the state including a couple in the Indy area. I've built & painted a bunch of these cars---give me a shout or PM if you'd like to chat sometime.

Jeff

[edwardb]

Gentleman, I am late to the party. I am loving reading your build threads but am running out of time. I am only partly through a couple of your builds. I am flying to Wareham this Wednesday to order my dream. I would love some quick input on likes and dislikes. I am planning on a complete kit, irs, wilwood all around, coyote + tko from Forte, Kirkey high backs, dual roll bars. Building it to drive and enjoy more than show. I am posting here because the names in the comments are the threads I’m reading. I live in Indiana and am considering full top and heater. Plan is to black out everything with powdercoat. I’m looking at Boig pipes, mid mount shifter, firewall forward, door panels, etc. Particularly I’m interested in opinions on power steering, brakes, clutch vs manual. Also would like to have a glove box but need the heater. I am just starting to post after joining and am not able to start my own threads yet. Sorry for the Shanghai but need the input. What is best to order from FFR and what from elsewhere. My plan is to pound it out this winter and be driving it next summer.

PM sent.

[wareaglescott]

Not much of an update. Hit 3300 miles the other day. Everything continues to operate wonderfully. Extremely pleased with the reliability of the Coyote setup. Just crank up and go every time no problem.

Had a cool experience yesterday. There is a property out in the country I pass on my rides that has a bunch of old signs and buildings with some old gas pumps. I have been wanting to take some pictures out there and finally decided to leave a note in the owners mailbox asking if I could come out. He called me back the same day and invited me out. Very nice man. Lives on 170 acres. He is 74 years old and has lived there for 73 years. This particular portion of his property he had purchased a bunch of old buildings and had them moved there. He had an amazing sign and antique collection. He gave me a nice tour and left me at it to take some pictures. The building I am parked in front of was a store built in 1900. The interior is amazing. Pretty much set up like it would have been back in the day. He enjoyed seeing the Cobra as well. He had never heard of Factory Five and really enjoyed looking at it. I am really pleased the car has opened a door to make a new friend and see some very cool things I otherwise would have never seen.

Here are a couple pictures:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76915&d=1511186884

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76916&d=1511186897

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76917&d=1511186911

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76918&d=1511186924

[PeteH]

Now that is too cool. Amazing petroliana collection. I am amazed at the great friends I've made, people I've met, and places I have been to because of a simple interest in sports cars. Good times!

[Boydster]

Seeing things like this really makes me wonder where my car is going to take me. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing Scott.

[Vette1972]

Great photos! Really nice story of the property and the gentleman you met. Thanks!

[wareaglescott]

Thanks y'all. My thread has deviated from an actual build thread at this point to more of a blog posting! Not really the intent of this section but hopefully it is ok.

[Yama-Bro]

There are all kinds of good spots for photos in front of those buildings! It would be hard to choose where to park the car.

[Vette1972]

Scott,

Looks like the War Eagle fly high in the Iron Bowl yesterday!! Congrats it was a great game.

Len

[wareaglescott]

Scott,

Looks like the War Eagle fly high in the Iron Bowl yesterday!! Congrats it was a great game.

Len

Thanks Len
We had a blast at the game.

[Scotty's65]

Nice car Scotty and a real nice build blog, I'm doing the planning and parts acquisition for my 2nd build so I'll be using this for reference. I do have one question for you right now.
How "waterproof" are your seat heaters? The reason I ask is I originally had the roadster seats in my MK2 but one track day and I called Wareham and ordered the high backs since I was using as much energy holding myself in the seat as I was driving the course. I was pleasantly surprised how comfy the kirkeys were and they really kept me planted but an unintended consequence was that when I got caught in the rain they would fill right up with water. I drilled a couple of drain holes in them and that helped a bit. I just felt that maybe you should be aware of this because you've installed the heaters.
Again, nice car and great blog

Scott

[wareaglescott]

Nice car Scotty and a real nice build blog, I'm doing the planning and parts acquisition for my 2nd build so I'll be using this for reference. I do have one question for you right now.
How "waterproof" are your seat heaters? The reason I ask is I originally had the roadster seats in my MK2 but one track day and I called Wareham and ordered the high backs since I was using as much energy holding myself in the seat as I was driving the course. I was pleasantly surprised how comfy the kirkeys were and they really kept me planted but an unintended consequence was that when I got caught in the rain they would fill right up with water. I drilled a couple of drain holes in them and that helped a bit. I just felt that maybe you should be aware of this because you've installed the heaters.
Again, nice car and great blog

Scott

Thank you. Well they are listed as waterproof for whatever that is worth. I am very conservative on what weather I drive the car in. People say never say never but I can tell you I will never get caught in a heavy rain so I am not to concerned about it. If there is any possibility of rain the car does not come out.

[Higgybulin]

Well this is my first post!! As you can see by my screen name I haven't ordered my kit YET!! Great job on your build and doing the thread for other newbs to realize the work involved! I will be lurking around and hitting you guys up for answers from time to time. I look forward to joining the club!

[Scotty's65]

Scotty there are two kinds of Roadster drivers - those that have been caught in the rain and those that are going to be caught in the rain...lol

Scott

[wareaglescott]

Scotty there are two kinds of Roadster drivers - those that have been caught in the rain and those that are going to be caught in the rain...lol

Scott

Well like I previously said. If there is ANY chance of rain the car doesn’t come out. I spend a lot of time at work analyzing weather. I’m pretty comfortable with it and operate on the very conservative side when it comes to driving the car. Hard to get caught in the rain when there is a 0% chance of rain.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...Hard to get caught in the rain when there is a 0% chance of rain.

Uh oh, I think you just sealed your fate with that statement! If/when it happens don't worry; rain doesn't hurt them. Gets 'em dirty and the carpet stinks until it dries but they recover just fine :)

Jeff

[Dave Howard]

A little rain makes for a well rounded driving experience. Without experience, you're just reading about it.

[Jazzman]

What's rain? :cool:

[wareaglescott]

I had some paint correction and ceramic coating done yesterday and today. I have been highly impressed with the paint job Whitby did. It always gets great compliments. I had read a lot on ceramic paint coatings on another car forum I participate in. I have a new car on order that I intend to get it on so I figured I would try it out on the cobra first. I have a professional detailer locally that comes highly recommended. In order to apply the ceramic coating it is best to have the paint correction done first to remove any swirl marks or imperfections. This detailer works on a lot of high end cars and was very complimentary of the paint job that Whitby did. He had the car for two days and I was almost shocked when I first saw it. I mean I thought it looked great before but this takes it to an entirely new level. Time will tell how well it will hold up. The product I used is Opti Coat Pro. The manufacturer gives a 5 year warranty on it but honestly with the lack of sitting outdoors or driving in the weather I expect this product to last pretty much forever. I will report back after some driving how it is to clean. Supposedly it stays looking very shiny and almost nothing will stick to it so it is very easy to clean.

The car now has 3700 miles on it and continues to run flawlessly. The reliability and ease of operation of the Coyote matches any other new car I have and I am very pleased with my decision to go with the Coyote.

https://youtu.be/3-DT8kb0qrs

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78105&d=1513978501

[wareaglescott]

Better video of the detailing

https://youtu.be/vp65dnCdMzY

[Higgybulin]

That shine must be blinding in the sun!! Very nice!
And great video!

[RickP]

Wow Scott. That turned out killer. The paint and overall appearance is flawless.

[wareaglescott]

Shout out to forum member Straversi for this idea I copied from his build thread.

When I built the car I was not sure how to anchor the lower radiator tube. I ended up cutting some hose and wrapping the tube and then using zip ties to secure it to the Cross brace on the frame.
Here is the before. It didn't look great but held up for 4000 miles no problem:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79154&d=1515777468

Straversi came up with a much better plan and ordered a snug-fit vibration damping loop clamp from McMaster.
I used a slightly different clamp than Steve. Mine was part # 3177T78
Fit perfect around my lower radiator tube and I used a rivet to attach it to the frame. Probably could have used a rivnut like Steve did so I could just unscrew it but I decided if it needed to come off it would be simple to drill the one rivet out.

Here is the after. Looks much cleaner:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79155&d=1515777480

Also I have a new favorite tool. Perfect if you are working under the car or under a lift and the overhead light is blocked off. It has a magnetic base so you can stick it anywhere and the head articulates in about every direction so you can shine your light wherever you need it. I had not really seen one like this before. It is probably pretty common but I thought I would mention it anyways. Really a great tool. I highly recommend it if you need additional lighting.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79156&d=1515777495

Here is a link for the light on the Sonic Tools USA website. My buddy has the USA distribution for Sonic tools and I really like this stuff!
https://www.sonictoolsusa.com/3-in-1-slim-light-mini

Car has about 4000 miles now. No issues or problems to report. Not getting to drive it nearly as much as I would like with the cold temperatures lately. I don't know how you guys up North that put the cars away all winter do it!

[wareaglescott]

I enjoy posting pics on instagram. (@scottscobra)
A couple months ago an artist/tattoo artist from Columbia (the country not South Carolina) contacted me asking if I would mind if he used my picture to do a painting. I was pleased for him to do it. He contacted me last night with the finished project. He said he had about 80 hours in it. I thought it came out really cool. I really admire people who can create things like this. Wish I had the talent. Would love to buy it from him but he declined and plans to keep it for his art exhibit.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79351&d=1516110997

[Ducky2009]

Pretty cool Scott! Love it

[Higgybulin]

WOW! That is cool.

[wareaglescott]

Had another forum member inquire about the width of my stripe. I made a crude diagram for him so figured it might be worthwhile to post here.

Hopefully it is legible. My outer stripes are 1/2" thick and there is a 1/2" gap between them and the thick single stripe.
The center stripe has quite a few tapers in it to look straight. If my crude drawing is confusing just message me if needed.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=80605&d=1518128530

[RickP]

Here is the after. Looks much cleaner:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=79155&d=1515777480

Scott -

I can't tell you how appreciative I am that you posted this seemingly 'minor' lower rad pipe mount tweak. It's been bothering me ever since I discovered where that metallic rattle sound was coming from while under throttle. My solution was to wrap the pipe with rubber as you did but this solution is way cleaner. Thank you!

Also, the artist's rendition of your roadster is spectacular. Bravo!

RickP

[wareaglescott]

Thanks Rick. Also that credit goes to Straversi. I stole it from his great idea!

[wareaglescott]

A couple months ago I asked about ceramic paint protection products. Got some feed back but not a ton as this is a relatively new concept and has advanced quite rapidly in the last few years. Similar name to ceramic coating of metal pieces but a completely different topic. I went ahead and had it applied to the Cobra and thought I would provide some feedback.

Here is the product I used if you want to read about it. The science is a little beyond me so a basic description is it is a long lasting super protectant that is best to have professionally applied.
https://opticoat.com/

It was not cheap. I paid $400 for a paint correction process to remove any swirls or imperfections and then an additional $800 for the opti coat application. The detailer I used does a lot of high end cars and this is his product of choice. There are certainly others on the market. They have a couple different products. The one I got has a 5 year guarantee. Based on the fact that my car never sits out or is driven in weather and is always garaged he basically told me to expect it to last forever. I asked why the 5 year statement then and he said the manufacturer just says that to limit their liability.

I have been very impressed with the results. It took the shine to the next level and has stayed that way. I have about 400 miles on the car since the application. Probably 15 or so 30 minute drives. My routine used to be to detail the car almost every time I drove it right after pulling in the garage. With the ceramic coating it is almost like nothing sticks to the car. (that is part of the science part I don't understand). I get out looking to clean the car and there is simply nothing to clean off. The minimal things I do see just wipe away so easily. I think long term I will be very pleased with the coating.

Do want to point out that while this is a good paint protectant and keeps the car looking great and easy to clean it does nothing to protect against rock chips. I still have the clear vinyl protecting the front of the rear wheel arches and front of the car. You can apply the coating overt the clear film if you desire.

Here is a picture after the application. No editing of the photo. That is how shiny it looks now.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=80628&d=1518196907

[Higgybulin]

I've read your thread a few times and always go back to the first paragraph in the first post. The fact that you have never done anything like this before is amazing! Your car looks incredible bro! Can't wait to be in the club!
Higgy

[wareaglescott]

I've read your thread a few times and always go back to the first paragraph in the first post. The fact that you have never done anything like this before is amazing! Your car looks incredible bro! Can't wait to be in the club!
Higgy

Thank you.
That is the amazing part about this forum. I had significant help from so many people here. Cant imagine building these things before the forum was around!

[Truthbetold18]

Hey we,re all different. I discovered the forum after my build was completed. Didn't have or make time for forums and build blogs. To busy building a dream cat. Then again, Facebook aint my thing either. Hats off to you guys who are computer savy.

[wareaglescott]

Hey we,re all different. I discovered the forum after my build was completed. Didn't have or make time for forums and build blogs. To busy building a dream cat. Then again, Facebook aint my thing either. Hats off to you guys who are computer savy.

Any pictures of the cat? Didn't know you could build those

[wareaglescott]

This isn't really Cobra related but since completing the build my "build thread" seems to have involved into my Cobra blog so I will throw this one in because I have made mention of it a few times. Got a new garage mate for the Cobra today. Been dreaming of owning a 911 since I was a teenager. Ordered it from the factory Sept 6 and picked it up today. Really enjoying it!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81563&d=1519509376

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81564&d=1519509390

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81565&d=1519509603

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81566&d=1519509655

[edwardb]

Nice looking stable there. Both look great. :D

[Mark Eaton]

Nice!

[Higgybulin]

Hubba Hubba! Now that's a sexy shop!!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Very nice Scott! I've always been a big 911 fan :cool:

Get back to us with your impressions after driving it daily for a while.

Jeff

[WIS89]

Scott-

Nice add brother! That's a really sexy 911. I too have admired them for as long as I can remember! Nice color choice inside and out.

+1 on what Jeff said above; would love to hear what you think after logging some miles.

Congratulations on the stable mate!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

Couple more pics because I enjoy photos so much. Gotta get both my babies in there!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81849&d=1519846202

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81848&d=1519846194

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81847&d=1519846187

[Straversi]

Can't wait to hear what the wife has in mind for her next purchase. Hold on to your wallet, brother!
-Steve

[wareaglescott]

The guys at THERPMSTANDARD.COM came down and did a profile on the Cobra. We had been talking about it for a bit and it just happened my new car showed up the week they were coming so they included that as well. Nice guys trying to get their car site up and running. Please check out the article and watch the youtube.

Article link:
https://www.therpmstandard.com/fast-coyote-powered-cobra/

Youtube link:
https://youtu.be/55DJAEJ42gw

[RR20AC]

Very nice write up Scott. Just have to decide which you want to drive on any given day as they are both comparable in power. Favorite? I’m going to Bob Bondurant racing school in Oct.. Be great to have a fellow forum member there to learn the basics of high performance driving and maybe a license to go have fun on a track some day. Been out and about and these are fun cars. Have about 900 miles on now.

[wareaglescott]

Very nice write up Scott. Just have to decide which you want to drive on any given day as they are both comparable in power. Favorite? I’m going to Bob Bondurant racing school in Oct.. Be great to have a fellow forum member there to learn the basics of high performance driving and maybe a license to go have fun on a track some day. Been out and about and these are fun cars. Have about 900 miles on now.

Porsche is the practical favorite. I can drive it to the airport and leave it for a few days. Cobra is my favorite for local rides :)
Have fun at the race school.

[Chris @ Forma]

Very Nice....Being an old Fart...what my wife calls me....I have a passion for older porsche's. I currently have an '85 Targa, and a first year Boxster. I recently restored the Boxster and am planning on restoring the 85 later this year.

Chris

[wareaglescott]

Very Nice....Being an old Fart...what my wife calls me....I have a passion for older porsche's. I currently have an '85 Targa, and a first year Boxster. I recently restored the Boxster and am planning on restoring the 85 later this year.

Chris

Very cool. I have actually wanted a Porsche way longer than anything else. Am so pleased to finally have one. Would love to check out that 85 Targa if you could message me some pics or put them on the Forma cars instagram!

[CdnCarNut]

Hi Scott,

I've spent a lot of the past 4 days reading this thread during breaks before work, lunchtime, after work, in meetings... (don't tell my boss!). This is an awesome build in terms of detail, quality, and component selection.

I have been on the forum for over a year with the full intention of building a FFR 818. I even have the donor sitting in my driveway for the past year. My original plan was to build the 818 first and then after having that experience build the Cobra. The Cobra has been a dream of mine for over 40 years. I even saw an original 289 Cobra sell for $43k CDN at an auction in 1982, but I was too poor to even consider it. After reading all the difficulties the 818 builders are having with bodywork and windows in the coupe, I'm thinking that the Cobra might be easier and more satisfying -- although more costly. To investigate the build issues on the Cobra, I started to look at some build threads. This is where I found your thread.

Thanks to the details you shared, I have a much clearer view and will discuss my change in path with my CFO (aka wife). This may take a year or two to get the money approved, since we just bought a Porsche Macan (love it!!) which emptied the bank savings a bit.

I understand your love for Cobras and Porsches and firmly believe there's a place for both in one's garage.

FYI, I also got ceramic paint coating on my Porsche. I used Modesta, which is superb and very easy to clean for a daily driver.

Thanks for sharing your journey!

Russ

[wareaglescott]

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of getting the car registered and road legal.

Currently sitting at 4900 miles. Planning on the next oil change at 5000 miles and will give it a pretty thorough once over and service all the grease fittings.
Really no new issues at all. Love the ease and reliability of the coyote. Starts and goes every time without fail. I have definitely achieved my initial goal of a reliable driver. In fact when I built the car I thought I would be spending a lot more time working on and maintaining it. That has not been the case at all. Currently looking for my next project car so I have something to work on.

[GoDadGo]

Scott,

I'm thinking you need to go down the Daytona Path when you do you next build or maybe go old school and build the 33 or possibly the truck.
Hummm, maybe I'll send you the Go-Dad-Go MK-4 since I'm stuck in a rut and can't find the time to work on it. Hummm?

Steve

[Jeff Kleiner]

...Currently looking for my next project car so I have something to work on...

Allow me to make a suggestion; a Modified class autocross car. You're guaranteed to always have something to work on---there is a great amount of truth to the well known statement "There are two types of Mod cars; ones that are broken and ones that are about to break" :)

Congrats on the milestone!

[wareaglescott]

Should have been more specific I guess. haha
My next project is a classic 911. Currently looking for one of those. Looking at a 79 this weekend in Pennsylvania that looks promising.

[RoadRacer]

My next project is a classic 911. Looking at a 79 this weekend in Pennsylvania that looks promising.

Now you're talking! Those Singers!! And this guy https://petrolicious.com/films/kaege-retro-porsche-911-much-more-than-a-restomod

[wareaglescott]

Bought the 79 911 this past weekend. It is getting delivered tomorrow.
I will be doing a build thread on it over on Pelican. I will post a link when I get it started.

The car is in very nice driver condition. Gonna just drive it around this summer and determine what exactly I want to do.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86193&d=1527178568

[edwardb]

Hey Scott. Saw your post and picture of the new ride on Instagram. Looks like a cool project. Won't be able to offer much help this time around. Have fun with it.

Now the biggest challenge of the day will be which one to drive. :cool:

[wareaglescott]

Hey Scott. Saw your post and picture of the new ride on Instagram. Looks like a cool project. Won't be able to offer much help this time around. Have fun with it.

Now the biggest challenge of the day will be which one to drive. :cool:

All I can say is Lord help me find the equivalent of Paul on the Pelican forum! haha
Obviously the help you provided me was priceless. Not sure how I would have built this thing without your input.


In Cobra related news I am stuck at 4900 miles do to rain every day I have been home the last couple weeks. As soon as I hit 5000 I will be giving it a pretty thorough once over, lube job and oil change.

[WIS89]

Scott-

Love the new project; congratulations!! I look forward to the link so I can live vicariously through you!

You are going to need a bigger garage, or have you already sorted that out?

Going restomod, or just a nice updating? Sorry if I missed that detail! I am sure you have seen the work that Singer does. Insane builds, with equally insane budgets I presume!

Good luck with the new project, and I can't wait to follow along with your progress! All the best!

Regards,

Steve