srobinsonx2 Build Thread [Archive]

srobinsonx2

10-02-2016, 06:51 PM

I am about a week in now. Not a lot of excitement to report. I finished the inventory and talked to Factory Five. It sounds like my backordered parts are short lead time items and should have most of the within a few weeks. The time sensitive items are the front lower control arms. Hopefully those show up first. In the mean time I started working on preparing all the bare metal parts for paint. I also started some of the panel fitment. I am going to "buff" all exposed aluminum with a green Scotch Brite pad and then coat with Sharkhide. The "F" panel have one coat and will get the second coat done before the lower control arms how up. Here is a picture of the progress so far
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59278&d=1475450960

While drilling the panels I did discover a couple of interesting items. These may not be new to some of the experienced folks but was new to me so I thought I would share. First items was technique while drilling some of the holes. Drilling through aluminum was pretty easy but I ran into some issues while drilling the holes in the steel chassis. At first I was holding the panels in place and drilling through the pre-drilled holes in the aluminum and into the chassis. I broke a number of drill bits doing so. I ended up removing the aluminum panel and then drilling the holes in the chassis. It appears that leaving the panel in place did not allow the chassis shavings to be adequately removed. This caused binding of the bit and would break. At least that is what it appears to me. If I removed the panel and then drilled the marked holes in the chassis, the bit would eventually dull as expected but did not break.

The second item I discovered was a new tool. I could not find a deburring tool locally and I wanted to get started. During my search I ran across a 3/8" countersink drill bit. It resembled a hand tool I used while reloading bullets to debur brass casings. I bought it, gave it try, and it worked really great. I could quickly debur the aluminum holes. I would simply run my drill at about half speed, apply light pressure, and make 3-4 revolutions. Here is a picture of the bit. Hope this will help others. It was new to me so I thought I would share.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59279&d=1475450960

srobinsonx2

10-10-2016, 08:21 AM

Not a lot of excitement in week 2 of my build. I assembled some of the front suspension but was missing some parts. I got the upper control arms mounted and hung the front shocks. Part of the back ordered items were the lower control arms. They arrived this past week so I was really excited to make some more progress. It turned out I was missing the 4 bolts to mount the front lower control arms so called FF and they said they are in the mail. Hopefully they show up this week. Here is a picture of my progress so far.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59545&d=1476104210

I also painted some of the bare metal parts and have those hanging on the body buck to dry.

If you look under the body buck you will see another delivery I got during the week. My rear end and brakes showed up from Levy Racing. What Gordon Levy sent looks great. The rear end has a set of Wilwood brakes already installed. All I have to do install the rear end per the FF manual. I plan to do that this next week. In the meantime I decided to assemble the front Wilwood rotors which I also got from Gordon. I got the hat and rotor assembled with no problem. The lock wire took a little practice and few redos. But final got both front brakes finished. Here is a picture of one. Let me know if you see something I have done incorrect.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59544&d=1476104200

One final issue. I began mounting the upper arm mount on the rear end. Per the manual I had to drill the flange on the pumpkin in order to mount the front of the upper arm mount. The manual is not real clear about the size and I used a 1/2" drill bit to match the hole in the upper arm mount. After doing this I realized the supplied bolt is 3/8". My fault for not checking this out first. I also found the flange is rather thick and the 2" long 3/8" bolt isn't long enough anyway (won't get full thread capture by the lock nut). I think I will need to replace this bolt. I plan to use a 1/2" bolt that is 2 1/2" long. I don't think this will be an issue but let me know if I am missing something.

srobinsonx2

10-17-2016, 09:40 PM

I was able to spend a lot of time on the build this past week. I have been keeping track of all my time in a spread sheet. I spent 18 hours on the car this week. Pretty good with work and other obligations. So I made progress on two major fronts. I finished the front suspension/brakes and was able to install the rear end. Below is a picture of the three link suspension and rear end installed. The rear end and brakes are from Levy Racing. Gordon was "Johnny on the spot" (as my dad use to say) and answered all my silly questions. The rear end went in pretty easy without much fanfare except the few expletives when I pinched my finger. No major injuries just my hurt pride and sore finger.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59889&d=1476757105
I also finished the front suspension and brakes. The front suspension went on smoothly. The only problem I encountered was finding the correct socket for the axle nut. I searched the forum and as usual found the answer......36mm. The local auto parts store had this on hand so no big delays. The only small delay was getting that thing torqued down. I might have pulled something but it is in place. Let's hope I don't have to remove them.

I did encounter one small fitment issue while assembling the brakes. The wilwood caliper bracket would not line up with the holes on the F5 spindle. See the picture below.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59887&d=1476757102
This might be common knowledge for the more experienced but was new to me. Gordon confirmed I needed to do a bit of grinding on the spindle and the bracket. I tried to concentrate as much grinding as possible on the spindle. I removed small amounts from the spindle on the pre formed "valley" that interfered with the bracket. You can see this "valley" in this pic.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59886&d=1476757101
I used a pneumatic 1/4" grinder with a aluminum oxide bit I found at Home depot. It didn't take long. I painted the exposed metal where I ground the spindle for protection. I got everything completed and here is the final product.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59888&d=1476757104

I did some aluminum panel fitment on the driver side foot box. After fitment and sharkhide on those panels I was ready to call it a week. Hopefully I can keep up the pace. My target is 10-15 hours a week.

If you experts see anything wrong please let me know.

Gordon Levy

10-17-2016, 10:39 PM

Looks good

srobinsonx2

10-25-2016, 05:25 PM

I hope no one minds my weekly posts. I am hoping to get this car complete in 6 months. I know some are thinking that is ambitious but that is my goal. This helps me stay on track. It also allows my to document my build so I can look back and reminisce. I am also keeping track of my hours each day. I have spent a total of 55 hours working on the car this past month. My target is to spend 10-15 hours each week. So far I am on track.

Anyway, I didn't make a lot of progress this week. I spent 15 hours on the car and ran into some issues that took time to work through. More on the issues later. I was able to get the power steering rack and shaft mounted. Not much drama here. It went in very smoothly. I also installed Moog tie rod ends. EdwardB had this on his build and allowed the install without cutting the end of the shafts.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60135&d=1477432541

I also got the aluminum panels permanently installed on the passenger side footbox. As you can tell, I put in plenty of rivets on the passenger side floor. Might be over kill but better safe than sorry.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60134&d=1477432539

The aluminum panel work went smoothly, it just took some time. I discovered quickly I was not going to install hundreds (probably close to a thousand) of rivets by hand. I like to think of myself as efficient not lazy. Yeah that sounds better :rolleyes: As my Dad use to say, "Work smart not hard boy." I initially bought a cheap pneumatic rivet gun (Amazon prime and late nights got me again). It lasted 3 hole rivets. It got returned and I purchased one locally from Northern Tool. Their house brand is called Klutch and so far it has worked well. Time will tell.

My main "opportunities" arose with the pedal box. I have the complete kit and of course the Wilwood pedal box. It comes supplied with a 3/4" and 5/8" master cylinder for the brakes. I have Levy Racing upgraded brakes and he recommends a 3/4" master for both front and rear brakes. I purchased an additonal 3/4" master from Summit. It arrived and I quickly noticed the fittings for the outlet (I am sure there is an official name but I mean the pressure side) was not the same size as the 3/4" supplied by F5. The F5 3/4" MC has a 1/8-27 fitting on the end. There are easily accessible fittings for this size thread to get to 3/16" flared fitting for tubing. The additional MC I bought from Summit had 3/8-24 threads. I have had a hard time finding a 3/8-24 male to 3/16" flared fitting 90. A fitting of this type would match the one supplied by F5 (purely for aesthetics). Well, long story short, I decided to run braided hose from the MC to footbox wall. Fittings for this connection were readily available. I will then use a bulkhead fitting. to transition back to 3/16" tubing. If anyone see issues with this please let me know. I am waiting for the fittings to arrive and will post pictures when I am complete.

My second issue was the accelerator pedal. The problem was I could not find it. Turns out it was never packaged up with my kit. I spent 3-4 hours looking diligently through each box (AGAIN!!) with no luck. I called Factory Five and they confirmed it was not sent. They were very apologetic and hopefully it is on it's way. Great customer service.

Last issue of the week that sucked up a lot of time was the clutch cable. I was originally planning on using the supplied clutch cable from F5. I got all this mocked up on the pedal box and just didn't like the route the cable would take. It will be really close to the headers. I know this has been done alot and I know some experts will say a hydraulic clutch is not necessary. I just think I would feel better and why not help stimulate the economy. Plus it's my car so...:). I talked to Gordon Levy and he recommended the hydraulic clutch kit from Mike Forte. I called Mike and he has them in the mail. Again great service from both. Hopefully I will have some pictures for everyone to review and provide comments on later.

Hopefully more progress this week.

Straversi

10-25-2016, 06:07 PM

Enjoy! I'm not tracking my hours, just trying to have fun as I go. Some days you fly along emptying boxes and completing sub-assemblies. Some days you spend hours making a single bracket and can't figure out where the time went ...and there are time where you just need to just step away (like after drilling a few hundred holes.)

Have fun. will be watching your progress.

-Steve

srobinsonx2

11-06-2016, 10:20 PM

I missed my week 5 update and week 6 is complete. So far I have spent a total of 89 hours on my build. I am keeping up with my goal of 10-15 hours a week. I am averaging just over 14 hours a week. I am making progress but things seems to have slowed down. Alot of work but not the big items like suspension that show obvious progress. The last two weeks seem to have been filled with the same tasks. Mainly completing brakes, hanging the fuel tank, and aluminum panels.

First things first. I traveled for work last week. While I was away from the car for a few days I spent some time researching the next task in the build. Of course that meant prowling the forums. Well I just have to say thanks. As usual the collective knowledge is amazing and I got some great ideas. Of course those ideas meant a new Russ Thompson gas pedal, a FFmetal battery box, a CNC three tank reservoir, and a larger expansion tank for the cooling system. WHEW. I have officially given up on the budget. Well at least I can say I am doing my part to stimulate the economy. Now onto the build.

I have almost all the aluminum panels drilled, test fit, and prepped. I even made a number of patches based on info from this forum. Let me know if I messed any of these up.

I made a patch to stiffen the inside of the driver footbox
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60643&d=1478487454

Also patches for the upper trunk sides. Apparently this aluminum was included in earlier MK4 models (per other threads). They aren't the prettiest I have seen but I plan to lizard skin and carpet. The tape is just for a quick test fit. I will rivet them in place eventually.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60639&d=1478486387

Finally I cut a "notch" for the wiring on the inside of the driver's footbox. I think I made it a little too big so will have to work on something to fill this when all the wiring is complete.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60638&d=1478486385

I finished up the hard brake lines. This is my final mock up for the connection to the drivers side footbox. I decided to use bulkhead fittings (3/16 inverted flare to -3 an) to get through the footbox. I had them lower and they interfered with the clutch pedal. I had to redo them and ended up putting them here. Hopefully this works.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60645&d=1478488180

The rest of the aluminum and brake lines are pretty standard.

I am waiting on parts now. I want to run the fuel lines, mount my electric fuel pump, and install the battery box. I am waiting on all this to arrive. Once this is complete I will silicone and rivet the aluminum and apply lizard skin. Speaking of lizard skin. I order both the sound control and thermal control product along with the application kit from Summit. It arrived quickly as usual but the sound control product had leaked.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60637&d=1478486385
It was a big mess. I was able to salvage the application kit and thermal control product. Summit immediately shipped another two gallons of the sound control so all is good.

Let me know if I am getting ahead of myself or have messed something up. Thanks in advance.

srobinsonx2

11-22-2016, 10:43 PM

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post. I am trying to keep things moving along. I have logged 118.5 hours so far.

First a few small things. May not seem like much they represent new skills sets gained. I got the CNC remote reservoir mocked up. I built an aluminum bracket like others have done. I also tried to mimic the location as others have recommended so hopefully it works out. Let me know if ya'll (I am from Texas) think the location is incorrect and will interfere with the hood.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61273&d=1479870675
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61274&d=1479870676
The bracket was pretty simple to make. I used 2"x4" unequal length L. Was able to easily cut it with a jigsaw and then smoothed the edges with a sanding disc on my die grinder. I then "buffed" it with a scotch brite type conditioning pad with the same die grinder.

I also mounted a FFMetal battery box. It went in very easily per the instructions. In the same picture you can see where I ran the rear harness and fuel lines before permanently mounting the trunk aluminum.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61272&d=1479870674

Below is a picture of the fuel pump mounted at the back and just above the large round lower frame member on the passenger side. I had to make another small bracket for this as well. This time I used plain steel bar. I cut, smoothed and painted it as well. It is mounted with rivets to the frame. Five 3/16" rivets. I am not completely comfortable with that attachment and I think I might weld this bracket in place. I have been looking for an excuse to get a MIG welder and this might be the time to do so. Let me know if you think the rivets are enough or should I go ahead and weld this in place. Either way. I then simply bolted the fuel pump the bracket and ran the fuel lines. The pump and lines came for Levy Racing. Gordon was nice enough to go ahead and send the fuel system components so I could keep things moving.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61279&d=1479871640

Now to some bigger items. I got the undercoat applied to the body. I used the Duplicolor Bed Armour. It is water based, went on easy and really no big issues. I followed the steps used by others and thoroughly washed the underside, taped, and applied. One thing i found was it seemed easier to apply the Bed Armour with a brush instead of the applied roller. The roller was just to big and wouldn't fit the curves. I just used a brush and went to town. I slopped it on pretty quickly. I put two coats everywhere and a third on the wheel wells. I ended up with about a 1/4 of a gallon left. I am keeping that and might apply it to the splash gaurds.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61277&d=1479870680
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61276&d=1479870678

Finally I have all the aluminum permanently mounted and have the car taped/prep'ed for Lizardskin. I am trying to follow the work of EdwardB. I am sure mine won't look as great but I will do my best. Here is a picture of the final tape job. One deviation from those that went before me. I decided to remove the pedal box before spraying. I made sure I could get it back and I think I am good to spray and then install the pedal box. That just seemed much easier than trying to tape the pedal box. After 8 hours,. I have seen enough blue tape for a while. Let me know if you think I have messed up. I probably won't get to spray the Lizardskin until the weekend of Dec 3rd so I have time to reinstall the pedal box if ya'll know something I don't.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61275&d=1479870677

Well I have probably bored everyone enough for one post. Let me know if you see somewhere I have gone wrong. Thanks in advance and I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I have alot to be thankful for: my family, my faith and my country. I am also thankful for the help this group generously gives to a newcomer with a lot of dumb questions. Thank You. God bless.

wareaglescott

11-23-2016, 06:53 AM

Looking good!
Your triple reservoir looks well below the top of the frame rail. That should not be a problem.
Great idea logging the hours. Wish I would have done that.

srobinsonx2

12-06-2016, 11:28 PM

Holidays were good and got some time to make steady progress on the build. I am eleven weeks in and I have logged 144 hours so far. I completed some major milestones and learned a lot. So here we go:

1. Aluminum paneling is complete (except a few small pieces that must wait like splash guards). This allowed me to complete the insulation. I decided to use Lizard Skin. I essentially followed the instructions and the great write up Edwadb provided. It went pretty smooth and I turned out nice. That only advice and I can offer is to follow EdwardB's advice about applying two layers of tape around the edges. I did not (like a bone head) and it required extra work to remove the edge tape. Would have easier to remove while wet. Just a heads up.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61746&d=1481082270
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61745&d=1481082269

2. I got the steering rack centered. I won't try to explain what that means here. Others have done so very well and I would probably mess it up anyway. So, after doing some research, I decided to by the Breeze Offset Bushings. They worked great and I was able to get things centered perfectly. I have exactly the same dimensions on both sides from the inside of the frame rail to the outside of the rod ed/ball joint on the rack at lock on both sides. While I was doing this work I decided to tackle the steering wheel alignment. It appears that most end up with the steering wheel not even close to aligned with the steering centered. I was off a little less than 90 degrees. I was expecting to have the file a spot for the set screw on the spline coming out of the rack. To my surprise, the spline sticking out of the power steering rack was completely round (no flat spot) and had a "channel" all the way around the circumference for the set screw (between two sets of splines). At least the set screw matched up there perfectly. This allowed me to simply orient the steering wheel any way I wanted. Seemed different than what I had read on these forums. I bought the upgraded power steering rack from Factory Five. It was an option when I placed my order. Sorry I didn't get a picture of the spline section while it was off.

3. Got the brakes bled. I followed the directions of others. Bench bled, pressure bled (using CNC pressure cap), and then peddle bled with a helper. I had to do the peddle bleeding process with a helper because I had a little air somewhere following the first two. I think I didn't do a good bench bleed and had some air left in the master cylinder. Anyway, no big deal and I got that knocked out the help of my beautiful assistant (my wife). She did great. Didn't let the peddle up unexpectedly, complain, etc. I might let her drive it when we are done......under supervision of course. :)

4. Started electrical. I got the fuse panel installed, which filled the peddle box up pretty quick. Wow, that's a lot wiring.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61743&d=1481082266
A couple of things occurred to me. One, I need to go ahead and hook up the clutch safety switch. I went ahead and ordered the Painless switch this week. I ordered the one recommend in a number of places on this site and looks alot like the brake light switch already in place. Two, you should mark the holes for the inertia switch, start the self tapping screws with the switch out of the way, and then mount the switch. If you try to do this all at once, you can break a tab off the inertia switch. Ask me how I know. I am such a knuckle head. Anyway, I had to find a replacement. I first called Ron Francis. They recommended a part number SW 4177. This appears to be an ACDelco part and din't look exactly the same. I ended up getting a Carquest part number S9300. I found it at Advanced Auto Parts locally for about $35. It looks exactly like the original and even fit the plug in on the harness.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61742&d=1481082264

5. I started mocking up the dash. Below is pic of the set up. I followed the advice of the site experts and then made final tweaks with it on the car before drilling. I have since put on the vinyl and some of the guages/switches. I will show the final product later. I have labels coming from Carolina Laser to give it a more finished looked.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61744&d=1481082267

Well that is probably enough for now. I am moving along and looking forward to engine install. I hope that can happen around Christmas. I am getting a 347 from Gordon Levy. I will give him a call in the next few weeks to check in. I haven't harassed him in a few weeks anyway, so he is due. Just kidding Gordon. He has been super helpful.

More to follow

srobinsonx2

12-17-2016, 10:37 PM

Week 12 is done and a 178.5 hours logged. I accomplished two task this past week. Part one is the parking brake. I decided to use the Lokar universal parking brake lines. The part number is EC-81FU and I picked it up from summit for around $130. This included the Ford Explorer clips for my rear drum brakes. I paired this with the FFR parking brake handle. Took me a little bit to get the install sorted out. I decided to utilize the FFR recommend cable routing under the round tubular frame. To accomplish this I built a small mounting bracket from some steel bar stock. I used my newly acquired MIG welder to attach the bracket to the round frame tube. Sorry, I do not have a picture. I "forgot" to capture that image. I am by no means a welder and laying on my back, welding one handed, over my head, did not produce the prettiest bead. So it is probably best that you guys don't see that part. My dad always told the difference between a good and a poor welder is that a good welder knows how to use a grinder. Well I took that to heart. Ground everything down and painted it. No one will be the wiser.

Following that fine bit of craftsmanship, cutting the Lokar cables to fit my application was simple. I just followed the instructions and used a dremel tool with a cut off wheel. I routed the cables up the rear frame, secured everything with insulated brake line clamps, and adjusted the rear drum brake pads. I have not worked on rear drum brakes much. Actually never. It took me a bit of searching and quick note from Gordon Levy and I got it figured out. Pretty simple really. Inside the drum (on inside bottom) is a gear type apparatus on an adjusting link. I had to remove a small rubber plugs to get access. This allowed me to tighten the brake pads as needed against the drum. I set them to have just a little contact. My parking brake cable could then be set. This allowed everything to get tight after about three to four clicks on the parking brake handle and have plenty of adjustment.

I first installed the FFR parking brake handle per the instructions. The front mounting tab on the handle goes under the mounting bracket on the frame. This caused the bolts on the handle to contact the transmission tunnel. You can see where the bolt was rubbing in the picture below.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61992&d=1482030279
As you can see, I flipped the bolt on the handle around and that helped a little but didn't solve the problem completely. I then did a search on the forums and found where a couple of folks had actually installed the handle a little differently than the instructions from FFR. I decided to try this and sure enough it made a big difference. It is hard to describe but essentially I flipped the front mounting tab over and remounted. Here is a picture. It is not the best but if you compare it to the build manual you will see the difference.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61991&d=1482030278

Hopefully all of this makes sense and can help others. I will post Part 2 separately.

srobinsonx2

12-17-2016, 11:50 PM

Part 2 is the dash.

Well this was a bit of an adventure. I first glued on the FFR "puffy" vinyl with the recommended 3M 77 per the instructions. I did not do a lot of aluminum prep before this step. I simply cleaned the aluminum with acetone and glued the vinyl down. It held ok and I started mounting the gauges and switches. I discovered three things that most probably know but might help others:

1. The puffy dash makes it difficult to attach the FFR supplied switches. The threads on the toggle switch, headlights, ignition, and wipers are all really to short to accomodate the puffy vinyl. I could get all of them attached but not much thread was available and I just wasn't comfortable with that set up

2. Some of the Autometer gauges fit into the precut dash holes well without any dash material sticking through the back. Others did not and needed a little dash material sticking through. I discovered this after cutting all vinyl at the gauges holes even with the dash. This caused a few of the gauges to have some wiggle room that I didn't like. I was also concerned with the very little bit of vinyl held under the gauges.

3. The 3M 77 glue stuck ok but had a hard time keeping the edges wrapped around the back and bottom. A few of the pie cuts on the back let go after my first mock up.

With these learning's and the fact that I didn't like the puffy look, I decided I needed to redo this portion. After a few hours of forum research I decided on the following setup. I am using marine grade vinyl and premium felt from Joann Fabric. I think the vinyl was $19.99 per yard and the felt was $3.99 per yard. The vinyl was based on recommendations here. The premium felt is what would be used on pool tables and is polyester (per the helpful ladies at Joann). With 80" of both and coupons I found online, I got the material for a little over $40. I also ordered some Welwood Landau Top and Trim HHR Contact Cement. Here is a picture of the 1 gallon container.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61994&d=1482033319

Removing the glue and FFR vinyl was not fun but certainly doable. I used lacquer thinner, GooGone, and elbow grease. I also decided to do a little more prep this time to the aluminum. I sanded the entire front of the dash and the edges on the back with 120 grit on a DA sander. I then cleaning Sharkhide and it worked so well I thought I would give it a try here as well. After drying, I applied the Welwood HHR contact cement with a cheap paint brush. I applied two coats on the felt and one good thick coat on the aluminum dash. I let it dry for 10-15 min per the instructions and then stuck the two together. The bound was instant and very firm. I placed the dash felt down and set a bunch of heavy items on the dash. I let is set up for 24 hours. I tested the bond on the passenger side edge and it was very strong. Of course the felt started to tear and I stopped. I then trimmed the felt flush with the aluninum edge and left the felt over the holes and glove box in place. I thought I would wait and see how everything would fit and trim the felt out of the holes as needed.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61988&d=1482030275

Just a word of advice. This HHR contact cement puts off some pretty strong fumes. I did not wear a respirator (wich I would recommend) and had to stop once of twice for some fresh air. I had the garage door open and a fan going which wasn't really enough. Certainly don't apply this stuff in doors or without ventilation.

The next day I used the Welwood HHR contact cement again to bound the marine grade vinyl. This time I applied two coats on both the felt and the back of the vinyl with a paint brush. Man that adhesive has a strong odor. I spent a little too long in the garage because I was a little loopy by the time I was done. After the 10-15 minute wait I got the two bonded and let it sit overnight. Again the bond was very strong. I tested the strength again and I was not able to pull the vinyl from the felt. Only time and the Texas heat will tell but so far this install is much stronger than the 3M spray adhesive I used before.

This install also has a little higher quality look. Well, not as high quality as leather but better than the puffy look. The vinyl looks about the same as the FFR material but the thinner felt certainly improves the look. For reference the felt I bought is a little over a 1/16th of an inch while the FFR backing is about 3/16th.

When installing the glove box and gauges, I made sure I tucked the pie shaped cuts through the hole like most others have done. I think this will ensure the vinyl is retained behind these devices and resolve my concern. I cut the vinyl and felt flush with the holes on the switches and lights. The thinner backing allowed for the better fitment of the indicator lights and switches.

Two other notes.

I decided to upgrade the FFR toggle switches. I bought replacements from Del City. I bought the heavy duty toggle switches. Pretty simple look and they feel sturdy. I hope these configurations work so all you experts chime in and let me know if I messed up with these switches:
Hazard - DPST (part # 7300013)
Fan - SPST (part # 73020)
Wiper - SPDT on-off-on (part # 7200044) - I am using a relay per the directions from others on this site
High beam - SPDT on-on (part #7200033)
Turn signal - SPDT on-off-on (part #7200044)

I also ordered some switch labels from Carolina Laser. There web page is http://www.legend-plates.com/. Pretty fast turnaround a good quality. Others have used them on this site and I just followed suit.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=61990&d=1482030277

I plan to continue with the electrical. My motor and transmission should be here in early January. I plan to wrap up a few more items by then and be ready to install the power train when it arrives.

As always let me know if you see any major errors or problems. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year.

Vette1972

12-17-2016, 11:57 PM

Nice Job on the dash. Good detail on how you did as well. Merry Christmas! Enjoying following your build.

carlewms

12-18-2016, 03:11 AM

Great work and documentation ... thanks for sharing the details. While I will finish up the car for now with my current dash I anticipate a remake in a future winter project and your ideas will help a lot.

Carl

srobinsonx2

12-29-2016, 08:40 PM

196 hours so far. I didn't get much done with the holidays and travel but did wrap up one issue that has been nagging me. I like the adjustable/removable dash discussed by many on these forums. Of course I decided this after the vinyl application. So the installs like by Jeff K and Edwardb wouldn't really work. I had to find a way to attach bolts to the dash from behind. I tried a number of different products before finding something that worked really well. My idea for the adjustable dash was really stolen from Jeff K. I made brackets similar to his out of aluminum, more detail to follow. I then used a two part epoxy to attach bolts to the back of the dash aluminum. So here was the process.

I first wanted to test and find the best product. I first started with JB Weld and Loctite products from Home Depot. The JB Weld was called Steelstix. The loctite product was metal/concrete epoxy. I applied both to a bolt and try attaching them to a scrap piece of aluminum. After a 24 hour cure, the JB Weld held the best but I could pull the bolt off relatively easy. The weak point wasn't the JB Weld of the Loctite, it was the bond to the aluminum. I then repeated this test but with better surface prep. I sanded the scrap aluminum with 36 grit sandpaper, cleaned with acetone, roughed up even further with a rasp, and then cleaned again with acetone. This time the JB Weld bond to the aluminum was much improved. It took a 50 pound weight to break the bolt off and this time the actual epoxy failed. The loctite was another failure so it was eliminated. If i used three brackets to support the dash, then 50 pounds would probably work but I wanted something I knew would hold up to vibrations over the long haul. I found a source for a product called Belzona. It is an industrial two part epoxy made for metal repair. I have used this in my work to repair a number of metal tanks, pipes, etc in a chemical plant. This stuff is amazing. Anyway, I got a few small packages and decided to use it.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62361&d=1483060090

I did the same prep on the back of the aluminum dash. I had about 3 minutes before the product started firming up and became unworkable. Not a real issue but I had to work fast. Once this product dried it can be "tooled". I had to grind it quite a bit with 36 grit to smooth it down. I didn't do a great job of smoothing because it was taking to long and no one will ever see it (except you guys and me ;)). This stuff is hard.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62359&d=1483060063
Note on the hardware. To increase the surface area for the bond, I used 1/4 x 2" elevator bolts from McMaster Carr item #92670A750. I then used two nuts and two fender washers to sandwich the bracket.

I made the brackets from a piece of aluminum stock I had left over. I cut them 4" long by 2 1/2" wide and made a slot for the dash attachment. I used rivets to attach them to the back of the 3/4" hoop. Here is a pic without the dash.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62362&d=1483061536

I think this will work well. I will let everyone know if I have issues once I start driving.

The remainder of the week was mainly electrical: battery cable, cut off switch, remote battery terminals, bus terminal ,etc. I will post some picture and details for those later.

That should all for now. As always, let me know if you see any major errors or issues.

Courtnie Provencher

12-30-2016, 09:22 AM

Just read through your entire build thread. It's coming along great, you must be wicked pumped about it! I'm really excited to see your final product when all is said and done. Also, love the idea of logging your hours. Keep it up :)

2bking

12-30-2016, 01:16 PM

I just caught up with the posts from the last few months and you are doing a very good job. I like your brackets and the detail you put into them to make the edges finger friendly. You are very neat and spend extra time to do things right. I noticed in post 12 there is a picture of the rear axle. One of the bolts holding the banana bracket looks to have clearance under the head indicating it might not be torqued.

srobinsonx2

12-30-2016, 09:59 PM

Thanks Courtnie! I am very excited. Thanks for all the help with the order and backordered items. Hopefully I will get the engine in a few weeks and will be able to "go-cart" in February.

2bking,

I checked that bolt. It was tight. It was being held up by some weld on the banana bracket. I remove the bolt, ground down the weld, reinstalled, and tightened up. Thanks for the heads up. I need some experienced eyes checking my work. I really appreciated the feedback.

srobinsonx2

12-31-2016, 09:19 PM

Well as 2016 comes to an end I got a big step completed today. I put the body back on for the first time since delivery. I took a brake for wiring and decided to do a test fit. I plan to use this test fitting to get the information I needed to do some minor aluminum panel trimming, body trimming, and verifying locations for items in the engine bay. It went on pretty easy and seems to be pretty close all around. Before I go crazy and start trimming items, I wanted to get some expert eyes on the current location. Here is what I did with the test fit:

1. Put bulb seal on the front firewall, trunk sides, and rear cockpit panels outside of each door frame. I left the bulb seal off the lower trunk panel that runs horizontal along the bottom. I thought it would be easier to get the body off and on without it.
2. I did not have the dash installed.
3. Got it set pretty close to what I think is correct. I did not install the quick jacks. I did verify the holes line up pretty well left to right. The front of course will have to be raised to get the holes to line of vertically
4. Really no contact with the body other than the bulb seal and bottom edge of the body as it wraps under the frame.
5. I went a head and dewaxed/degreased the body with a Duplicolor product I got from Oreilly's.

So here are some pics

Bulb seal on and covered with wax paper for protection.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62437&d=1483235725
Body is on
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62436&d=1483235591
Checking the placement of the remote reservior
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62434&d=1483235590
Picture of the gap for the dash. This is about a 1/4" except on the passenger side. I will smooth this out and make it all the same distance for the hoop.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62432&d=1483235588
The rear cockpit is really tight. The rolled edge is almost touching. I think I need some room for the carpet.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62429&d=1483235585
Jeff K and other experts seem to reference the body in relationship to the door latch. Here is what I have. Seems pretty close to what I have seen.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62438&d=1483235727

A few questions:
1. Does the body look like it is close to the right position front to back?
2. I would like a little more room to fine tune the location. Currently the body is tight against the bulb seal on the back of the trunk sides. I think cutting 1/4 to 3/8" off those two panels would give me that. I see others have done this. Does it make sense in my case?
3. If I do move the body forward a little, I will need to trim the front lip for the dash a little more than planned. If I leave it where it is I will of course need to trim a little off the rear rolled edge. I was considering cutting a little off of both. Does that sound ok?
4. I was going to smooth and straighten out the rolled edges on the cockpit front and back. Is there any reason to wait until just before final body install?
5. I was going to knock down the seams and cut back the wheel well edges. Any reason not to do this while I and doing this other work?

srobinsonx2

01-02-2017, 04:54 PM

I posted this question and build progress on the other forum. I wanted to log it here to capture my build progress and maybe catch some that don't frequent both forums.

So I decided to take a stab at cleaning up the body on my MK4. I am considering tackling the bodywork myself but haven't fully committed. I have read through most of the threads about body work (STL-Scott, JeffK, Jeff Miller) and they give me hope that I could do this. With my new found optimism, I cleaned the body per instructions of the experts. I then attempted to gingerly remove a little of the parting line on the back driver side fender as well as cut away some of the wheel well opening on the back passenger side. I thought this would give me a little more confidence and find out if this is something i can handle.

I used a DA sander with 80 grit on the parting line and stopped because of what I was seeing. I want to make sure what I am seeing is normal and I am not overdoing anything.

I have attached two pictures. One of of the parting line I attempted to smooth down. I saw quite a few voids. I know some had mentioned this but my body appeared to have quite a few. A number of areas also had "soft" gel coat. I assume it was just uncured.

The second picture is of the wheel well. This really got me concerned. I used a die grinder with 80 grit disc to cut back some of the lip. When I did I found quite a large number of voids. I only sanded back about 12-16" of the radius and they were pretty consistent. The gel coat easily flaked away above the voids.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62470&d=1483393892

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62471&d=1483393893

What do you guys think?
1. m I removing the right about of material on the parting lines?
2. Are the voids and soft material in the parting line ok?
3. Are the wheel well voids an issue?

Thanks in advance. I know this body work topic is discussed alot so sorry for the rehash. This is the area of the build I have the least confidence but am the most interested in. I was actually excited to do this part. This is one of the reason I decided to go an head and see what it was like today. Just a little nerve racking.

srobinsonx2

01-12-2017, 10:49 PM

Still plugging along. A little over 230 hours into the build since I started. Wiring really takes longer than you think. I have been trying to solder all connections (other than terminations on switches. That adds quite a bit of time but I think it should provide a more reliable system in the end.

Well, after mounting the body a was able to fit the dash and get it close to where I wanted on the hoop. To make a long story short, the Belzona application I mentioned in my earlier post did not hold up. One of the posts I installed came off the aluminum dash. The Belzona was hard and remained firmly connected to the elevator bolt. It just simply did not hold on the aluminum. I roughed up the aluminum pretty good before application but my surface prep technique must be lacking. Anyway, I decided to go with a slightly different fastening technique and will still provide a removable dash. I saw a few threads on the forums where button head bolts were used along with finish washers. I did something similar. I made four brackets out of 3/4" angle and attached them to the hoop (two 3/16" rivets). I then placed a #10-32 rivnut into the brackets facing the dash. I then used 10-32 bolts the finish washers for attachment.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62691&d=1484278133
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62687&d=1484278122

In the picture you can also see my dash wiring. I am doing my best to clean that up and have a little more work to do.

I also wrapped up the wiring in the engine bay. At least what I could get done without the engine. I used a terminal bus bar for consolidating power. and eliminated the starter solenoid. I will be using a starter with a solenoid and this set up made the look a little neater. I also got the wiper motor installed.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62690&d=1484278131

With the wiper motor installed I went ahead and wired up the relay and switch. Since I replaced the supplied FFR wiper switch with one to match my others, the relay was necessary. I will have to test my wiring but simply followed the directions supplied by others on this forum. I also used the wiring diagram supplied by EdwardB for a chime to indicate I left the lights on. I figured that was a matter of when not if. So over all the wiring is done (courtesy lights, all switches, etc.). I will try and test each circuit this next week. I plan to remove all fuses and test each circuit individually.

Also got the upgrade from Breeze Automotive for the radiator. It comes as three parts, as shroud, an upper bracket, and a lower bracket. I might try and test fit that this weekend in preparation for the engine.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62689&d=1484278129

Finally, I got way way way ahead of myself and tested my new "driving" shoes. I found my tennis shoes a little tight for the pedal layout. These new shoes look a little funny but I think they will work nicely. They are made by Puma and got them off Amazon. They have a relatively hard heel that makes them really pretty neat. Might be something to check out if you are having issues. Ignore all the hair. I keep telling my wife that real men are suppose to be hairy.:cool: She just rolls her eyes and asks me why I don't have more on my head.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62688&d=1484278125

Hopefully I get my engine this next week.

wareaglescott

01-13-2017, 06:22 AM

Looking good.
I have the same shoes! They work great for the tight area.

srobinsonx2

01-13-2017, 09:55 PM

So after finishing up what electrical I could, I decided to do some system tests. I did the following:

1. Installed the battery and verified I had power to the main cut off switch.
2. Pulled all fuses
3. Switched on the main cut off switch and verified I had 12V at the terminal bus bar (I am using this instead of a solenoid)
4. Installed one fuse at a time and tested each circuit
5. Horn worked
6. Brake lights worked (well only one at first) after some switch manipulation
7. Parking lights, headlights (high and low), turn signal, hazards, dash turn and high beam indicators all worked.
8. Verified the "light left on" chime worked. Thanks to EdwardB for the instructions.
9. Shut everything off after snapping this pic
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=62737&d=1484360544

The testing process and set up did not take very long. I simply twisted the appropriate wires together at the for corners and laid them in the trunk and on a table in the front. I only had two real problems. Problem one was the brake lights. They came on and stayed on. I verified that the brake switch attached to the wildwood pedal box was closed meaning it was not depressed all the way. I did a little adjustment and that took care of the issue. Problem two was the passenger rear running and brake light. It did not come on. I checked voltage and all was good. I thought maybe my ground was weak and was about to rig up a quick chasis ground when I decided to check the bulb for grins. Well, no bulb. Easy to solve but a little surprising. FFR got all but one right.

All in all I was pretty happy to only have those two problems. I will try to get the wipers checked out. That is the circuit I am most nervous about. I am using a replacement toggle switch and a relay. Hope it works. Once I check the wiper then I should be basically done wiring with the exception of the high beam indicator. I bought a blue led light from Del City. It is part number 73380. Man that thing is bright. Way too bright. I am going to replace it with a green one (part # 73388DL). I happened to order an extra of each color and should knock that out tomorrow. Anyway, I am getting closer little by little.

I talked to Gordon at Levy Racing and he said my engine is almost done. YEAH!!! He said it should ship mid next week. I asked him to send me a picture to drool over in the mean time. Keeping my fingers crossed I have an engine shortly.

Just had to show off my working electrical.

srobinsonx2

01-28-2017, 10:28 PM

It has been a couple of weeks since my last update. A total of 264 hours on the build. Not a lot of new photogenic work. I have been plugging along at electrical and odd and ends while I wait for my motor. Finally got the call from Gordon Levy. The motor is in route. Should be in shortly. I am pumped up.

While I wait (like a kid before Christmas) I have finished a couple ,well a few key items:

1. I installed and tested the wiper motor. I had some issues initially but finally got them solved. That solution is captured in the following thread in case anyone is interested. http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?23158-Wiper-wiring-issue

2. I also corrected an issue with the fan indicator light. I wanted the indicator light to confirm that the relay was supplying power to the fan (triggered from eitherthe thermo switch or the manual toggle). I initially tied the indicator light to the power wire (blue wire in the Ron Francis Harness front loom). This did indicate when the fan was on but remained lit even after the manual toggle was turned off. This was due to the DC motor continuing to free wheel and essentially functioning as a generator. This fed power to the LED until the fan stopped. This would of course cause the light to come on any time the car was in motion. Not what I was wanting. I contemplated and research solutions such as diode, alternate wiring methods, etc. I finally decided to replace the standard change over relay for the fan with a dual post relay. Essentially the 87 and 87a post are supplied power when the relay is pulled in. The 87 and 87a post are also not connected internally. I made the mistake of order a dual 87 post relay which had the two posts connected internally and that will not work. I ended up finding a relay at Del City. The part number is 73996. I should get this part next week and will confirm if it works or not. I am confident this will fix my issue and wrap up this task

3. I also added lights to the engine bay and trunk. I used the same LED strip lights I used for the courtesy light in the foot boxes. I put the trunk light on the hoop where the trunk hinge is located and the engine bay light on the top cross frame member in the front of the engine bay just above the radiator. They are hooked to the courtesy lights. I thought about using another toggle but thought the courtesy light would make things cleaner. I got the engine and trunk light ideas from BobL. He is on these forums. More on him a little later.

4. I got the breeze seat brackets fitted and all ready to install. With the classic seats supplied with the MK4 complete kit, I was able to use the alternate installation instructions. It took me a little bit of testing to get the exact location and angle I wanted but once I did the system works great. Not much to photograph.

5. I got the Breeze fan shroud and hinge system mocked up and installed. It is back off in prep for the soon to arrive motor. Fan works and the Breeze system is very nice and easy to install.

6. Test fit the body one more time. This allowed me to do a little trimming on the "wings" of the dash. Per a thread on this forum I am going to let the wings kind of float against the lip on the body just in front of the hinge. I tried tucking them behind the hinge but the way I have them now looks a little better to me. So I will see how it goes when I get to drive it. The body is now back on the body buck and probably wont go back on until I get ready to assemble and drive it in gel coat.

7. Cleaned up some wiring behind the dash and tried to organize that mess as much as possible. Did some labeling and wire loom work so that should all be ready to go.

Not much else to update and sorry for no pics.

Last weekend, BobL, another forum member in the area, invited me up to see his car and take a ride. Bob was a great guy, super helpful and has a beautiful car. He has a thread showing the final paint job and assembly. The pictures just don't do his car justice. The blue color he selected is just awesome. Not to mention the fantastic work he did on the car. His work is just great. We took a ride and let me tell.......that thing can fly. He has a pretty hot 347 and it is probably more car than I care to handle. Not only did I get to marvel as his new baby but I got to learn alot in the process. Thanks again Bob.

So hopefully my next update has some pictures of new shiny motor.

bobl

01-29-2017, 12:13 AM

Enjoyed visiting with you last weekend. Can't wait to see your car on the road. I'll try to take a ride and check your car out soon.

Bob

srobinsonx2

01-31-2017, 10:01 PM

So I have been piddle around doing some odds and ends. I decided to get serious about finding a color combo for my car. I have known I wanted red for some time. But what shade and what color stripe? I decided to make some samples to compare. I found the color choices I liked by riding around and looking at cars on the road. I then found the paint code and bought some touch up paint in aerosol cans from a place called Automotivetouchup.com. They really had everything and prices weren't terrible. They even supplied a base, mid, and clear coat for one of the reds I ordered that was a 3 stage paint. I also ordered some "speed shapes" from amazon. At least that is what the item was called. They are these small plastic shapes that are made for paint samples. They were less than $20 and came in a pack of ten. So below are the two options I tested. The one on the left is the way I am leaning. It is darker red with a dark silver (grey actually) stripe.

I would love to here some opinions as I have not decided quite yet.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63509&d=1485917565

Gordon Levy

01-31-2017, 11:53 PM

The one on the left
Your engine left here today

bobl

02-01-2017, 12:34 AM

I vote for the darker colors.

srobinsonx2

02-03-2017, 10:00 PM

My engine arrived. :D

It is a Levy Racing 347. I should get the transmission any day now and hopefully in the car soon.

I have worked on engines before but it has been a long time. I helped my dad rebuild a straight 6 300 for a Ford F150. But I have slept since then so I feel like this is all new to me. Any advice, checklists, instructions, tips, etc. for engine assembly and install would be much appreciated.

I am excited about the engine and chance to learn.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63609&d=1486176827

Overall a good day.

bobl

02-03-2017, 10:33 PM

I was just wondering if you got your engine. Looks nice.

srobinsonx2

02-04-2017, 08:03 PM

After staring at my new engine and dreaming of thundering down the open road, I decided to get some work done. Since I need to wait on my transmission to arrive, I decided to make a change to my emergency brake. I had originally installed the FFR handle and a set of Lokar universal cables (EC-81FU). I know many say it is not a problem but I just didn't like having the cables run under the 4" frame. Probably would never be an issue but ever time I went over a speed bump I would worry and wish I had changed it. So, I ordered a Ford parking brake handle from Breeze along with the "T" bracket.

The handle mounted up perfectly. I wanted to reuse the set of Lokar universal cables installed with the FF handle. The Lokar cables terminate on the handle end with a brass block that holds both cables with a couple of allen set screws. Since the T bracket needs an end of some sort to hold the cable, I decided to cut the brass holder in half and use it as a cable termination. It worked out well. My issue was the Lokar cable length. I had cut them off for the first install and knew that they might be a tad short. Well sure enough the self adjusting mechanism just wouldn't go around quite far enough to grab the first tooth on the that wheel. I thought about defeating the self adjusting mechanism and fashioning up some sort of adjustable linkage but really like the idea of the self adjusting feature. So, another $130 bucks out the door and I have a new set of Lokar cables coming. I might could have found a cheaper set of cables but the Lokars are really nice and easy to cut to the desired link. Plus I now know how to modify them.

One other note. I made a panel to go behind the T bracket. I used a piece of aluminum I had lying around (the cut out from dash for the glove box). I removed the front FFR parking brake bracket and riveted the aluminum panel. Hopefully this will prevent the T bracket from catching.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63618&d=1486254911

My transmission should arrive early this next week. Hopefully I can get the E brake wrapped up and be ready to drop the engine in later next week. It is coming together slowly but surely.

srobinsonx2

02-05-2017, 06:06 PM

So I finally tested my new fan wiring set up from post 28 above. The set up worked great and I no longer get the generator feedback from the spinning DC fan motor. Here is the wiring diagram. Hopefully this helps someone down the road.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63661&d=1486335681

srobinsonx2

02-08-2017, 10:12 PM

19 weeks in. So far I have 287 hours on the build. I received my engine last Friday. I have been tinkering with the motor and finishing up some small items. On the motor I have all the gauge sending units and themostat switch installed. Here are some pictures. The first picture is of the rear sump oil pan with the oil temp sensor installed in the bung on the right (rear of the pan). The bunge on the left will be used for my dipstick.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63837&d=1486608265

The next picture is the oil pressure sending unit. Based on other posts, I found this to be the typical location near the oil filter. I had to get an extension for the sending unit to fit. I got the part for Lat Model Restoration. Here is a link to the part and it work out perfectly.
https://lmr.com/item/LRS-9278A/1979-89-Mustang-Oil-Pressure-Sending-Unit-Extension-50L
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63834&d=1486608259

I also installed the themorstatic switch for the cooling fan and the water temp sending unit. They are both right next to the upper connection point for the radiator.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63836&d=1486608264

I put the motor mounts on but left them loose per the build manual. I also slid the throwout bearing and clutch fork into the bell housing. That is about I can do on the engine until I get my transmission. Hopefully any day now. I run to the front porch each day hoping to see a heavy box. Maybe tomorrow.

I also decided to fit the driver side roll bar. I only have the driver side so just one set up to wrestle with. I had a bit of a struggle to get the rear tube to line up with the front hoop. I ultimately had to put some sweat and muscle into tweaking the mounts on the car. They would not allow the rear tube to line up the connection on the hoop perfectly. I was able to bend the mounts enough to get the following alignment. It is close but not perfect. I might do a little more "adjusting" later to see if I can get it a little closer. This is a part people will see and I would like it to line up correctly. If anyone has any words of wisdom it would be greatly appreciated.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63835&d=1486608262
By the way, that little orange dead blow in the background wasn't near big enough. I needed something with a little more "a$$".

It is coming along. If I get my transmission this week, I am going to try and drop the engine/transmission in this weekend. That will allow me to do the final engine hook ups and start thinking about a first start soon. With a little luck I might be able to get this beast running and go karting by March. Probably optimistic but I am a glass half full kind of guy.

More to come.

srobinsonx2

02-12-2017, 08:38 PM

A very productive week. I got another 13 hours logged for a total of 300. The low end estimates for total hours was 300. I will not make that mark and expect to be somewhere around 350 without body work. Not bad considering I don't have a lot of experience building cars. Anyway, on to the latest progress.

My transmission came in this last week and got it mounted on the bellhousing. I purchased Mike Forte's hydraulic clutch kit. I went ahead and mounted that part since it uses the transmission to bellhousing bolt locations. I had some interference with part of the "ribbing" on my T5. The picture below shows the small cut out needed to get the proper clearance. I used a die grinder with a small bur bit and was very easy.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63919&d=1486943994

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63918&d=1486943992

I also removed the neutral safety switch. It took a little research to even determine what it was. I also found out it could be plugged with a 3/8 flare plug. I found it at Home Depot and was a Watts A-159 plug in the brass fitting section. I used a little teflon thread sealant (the dope not the tape) on the threads to seal it up.

The next day I was able to drop the engine in. I could not round up any of my buddies so I decided to drop the engine in myself. Sorry for no pictures but I was focused on not messing up anything in the engine bay and on the engine. My hands were full and I was in the zone. It went in pretty smooth. I used a lift plat on the intake to pic up the engine. I used the middle hole which allowed the engine to hang lower in the back due to the transmission. I also used a ratchet strap connected to the tail of the transmission and connected to the bottom of the engine lift. Took about 45 minutes and it fell right into place. No big drama thank goodness.

Next I installed the transmission A frame and headers. I think it looks pretty cool. I finally feel like I actually have a car instead of an interesting Fred Flinstone go cart.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63920&d=1486944580

This weekend I went ahead and starting working on the engine components that I couldn't hook up without the engine installed.

1. Clutch - this went in pretty easy. I already had the master cylinder installed. It was the one supplied my Mike Forte. I don't remember the size but something just bigger than 1" is what I remember. I then cut off the small shaft of working cylinder on the clutch fork. I measured this a couple of times, called Mike to confirm, measured again and then made my first cut. I say first cut because I made about three cuts to get it right. I thought it would be easier to take off a little at a time than to make one big cut that was too long. It took a little bit but worked out well. I then bench bled the master (did this on the car) by hooking the braided hose Mike supplied to the master cylinder and then let it sit in the remote reservoir. Took a few pumps of the pedal and it was done. I then wrapped a shop rag around the end of the hose and routed it down to the working cylinder. I lost a little fluid but not too much. Mostly got on me. Once connected, I opened the bleeder on the working cylinder and gravity actually did the work and I had clear fluid with no air bubbled very quickly. First pump of the pedal and the clutch released. I am not an expert on setting up this system so it might need to be tweaked. If you guys have any words of wisdom then please let me know. Sorry but no pics. Not much excitement and other pics of Mike's set up are on this forum. Mine looks exactly the same.

2. Speedometer - I installed the FFR speedometer sending unit. It had a red gear supplied and from what I read the color/size does not matter since the speedometer and odometer will be calibrated when I drive the perscribed 2 miles during the dash unit calibration. So the install was easy and I used a 1/4-20 x 3/4" bolt with a lock washer to hold the unit in place. Again, no pics and not very exciting

3. Power steering - started on this but didn't finish. I mounted the remote fluid reservoir on the driver side F panel. Pretty simple and think it will work well. I started running the hoses. The system was provided by Gordon Levy along with my engine. Really nice system and very complete. The hoses, except for the high pressure hose were braided hoses (fiber not SS) and Fragola lock fittings. I had a hard time getting them to slide on. I tried heat with a little oil for lubrication and no luck. I actually messed up some of the hose and was a little short. The hose I did get completed, I could never get the fittings all the way on anyway. I decided to order some braided SS hose in the same sizes from Summit. I will try my hand at those. I will take some pics of the SS hoses made and installed. Most of the hosing is -6AN with the reservoir to pump inlet being -10AN. Those parts should arrive this week. More to follow.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63928&d=1486946456

4. Starter wiring - I got the starter wired. I am not using the FFR remote solenoid. I am just using the solenoid on the starter. I ran the battery cable directly to the starter and then another battery cable the same size to a terminal bus. I did this per other recommendations and made sense to me. The terminal bus is a Blue Sea Marine unit I bought on Amazon. It was rated for 300 Amps so should be plenty big. The battery wiring to starter and terminal bus was 1 AWG. Should be plenty big. I also connected the blue starter switch wire. I soldered this to the wire on the stater and put on some heat shrink. Still need to put this back in the wire loom. I am not sure how to test this set up and may not be necessary. I think I will just test it when I try my first start.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63930&d=1486946458

5. Engine ground - I connected the engine ground just like the MK4 manual specified. I connected to the motor mount.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=63929&d=1486946457

That is about it about all the big stuff I got done. More updates to follow.

srobinsonx2

02-20-2017, 09:30 PM

I will post again later with the weekly update. Without stringing this out. I got first start today and I am very excited.

I had a little trouble with the timing initially but I called BobL (another local forum member) and he walked me through it. Initially I had to work the throttle a little to keep it running. But after some inspection time (looking for leaks and other abnormalities) I set the timing and it runs a little better. Still not real smooth so I will have to do some research and fine tune it later. But here is the video.

https://youtu.be/81okBAQI0Gk

:D

Gordon Levy

02-20-2017, 10:07 PM

Congrats

wareaglescott

02-21-2017, 06:24 AM

congrats on the first start! Will be looking forward to some go cart video

srobinsonx2

03-05-2017, 02:25 PM

https://youtu.be/PuMNh3tiCJ4

I've been busy and trying to work on the build in my free time so I havent posted an update lately. Here is a go kart video. I have about 5 miles on the car now. I plan to put the body on in the next couple of weeks.

wareaglescott

03-05-2017, 03:08 PM

fun video! First time Ive seen someone mount the camera on their head! haha

srobinsonx2

03-05-2017, 10:15 PM

Yeah. I tried getting some video with my GoPro on the roll bar but it was too shaky. Plus you get a first person perspective.;)

srobinsonx2

03-06-2017, 10:17 PM

It has been a few weeks since my last real update. I have finished week #23 and have logged 349 hours. I have got the car to the go kart stage and manged to get about 5 miles on the odometer. I only have a few issues and will save those until the end. So here is where I am:

Engine: Got the engine lined out enough for it to run reasonably well and drive. I have a 347 from Gordon Levy attached to a T5 transmission. The 347 has power steering, one wire alternator, and integral solenoid on the starter. it went in well and hooked up easy enough. I have the timing set at 14 degrees BTDC at idle (about 900 rpm) and then maxes out at 34 degrees. I have to do some tweaking on the carb to get smooth operation. I called Gordon and he walked me through the basics. I have a Quick fuel SS 750 with electric choke. I had to adjust the idle mix screws by setting the front to 1 full turn open and the back to 1/2 open. I also turned the idle speed screw (the screw right behind the throttle lever on the driver side) in one full term. These adjustments got the engine running better than the "out of the box" set up. Now I just have a choke problem. At least I think I do. I will ask that question later.

Chasis: I have the alignment and pinion angle set. I first set the ride height to 4.75 in the front and 5.25 in the rear. After this I set the pinion angle. The transmission rear flange was right at 0 degrees. I adjusted the pinion angle to 2 degrees down with the upper control arm. Not to tough. The front alignment took about half a day of tweaking and a few explectives but got it done. I bought a Fastrax and it worked really nice. Set camber first at 0.5 degrees. Well actually it is about 0.75 so hopefully that will work. The caster ended up about 7.5 degrees. I didn't have to cut any of the rear upper control arm tube like others have. They are essentially in as far as they can go. Then set the toe to 1/8" in. It took about 3 iterations to get everything set. Checked all the torques and added some more grease.

Miscellaneous: I installed the seats and harnesses on both driver and passenger sides. Also finished he driver side footbox. Ended up using rivnuts on the access panel on the drivers side foot box. That will allow easier access. I also used rivnuts to hold the transmission tunnel on. I put two on each side. I think I will try and use some carpet tape or velcro to hold the carpet down on the trans tunnel which will cover the button head bolts. After that, I finished the bulb seal and weather stripping along the 3/4" frame.

Side pipes: I also installed the Gas N Pipes. The driver side was angled in and right up against the frame. I wanted to test drive the car with these pipes so I wouldn't upset all the neighbors. In order to solve this I called Mark Reynolds at Breeze. He sent me a wedge that moved the rear out 1 1/2". It worked perfectly and they both line up almost perfectly.

Here is a picture of the go Kart.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64784&d=1488855379

So here a few questions:

1. My fuel gauge doesn't seem to read right. I and using the autometer gauges and the level sending units that came with the complete kit. I have put 8 gallons in total. When I first filled it up it read a little over a quarter of a tank which seemed a little low but thought I would worry about it later. I have since cranked it a few times and driven about 7 miles. It now reads less than a quarter of a tank. I can't fathom 7 miles and a few idles would consume 4-5 gallons. If so I will need to plan trips with gas stations every 15-20 miles. I verified the gauge reads the standard ford range (16-158) since at 1/4 tank it had a resistance of about 50 ohms. The level gauge has moved and I can tell it changes as fuel is moving around in the tank (inclines and declines). So what are your thoughts. Should I take the sending unit out of the tank and check it. I could also "stick" the gas level in the tank and estimate about how much fuel I actually have. Other ideas?

2. Carb issue. So the engine starts beautifully from a cold start. I press the throttle all the way down once and release. Then turn the key and it starts almost instantly. When the engine is hot (choke is still open) it starts great and idles well. The issue is when the engine is warm. So the engine itself is warm and the choke has started to close but has not gone all the way shut. The engine struggles to start. It usually takes about 4-5 seconds to fire and then idles really rough. I usually have to feather the throttle to keep it running and get it hot. Once hot and the chokes opens completely it runs great. I am using the same starting sequence each time. Pump the throttle once, release, and start. What do you guys think about the "warm" start issue? The fast idle speed is about 1100-1200. Might be a little low. Would increasing the fast idle speed help at all? Thoughts.

Thanks for the help in advance. I might also post these questions on the other forum as well to see if I get other ideas.

bobl

03-07-2017, 12:00 AM

You probably just need to back off the choke setting a little. After all you do live in Texas!

srobinsonx2

03-07-2017, 10:39 PM

So I watched some videos, read some posts (thanks bobL), and decided I might have a couple of issues with my "carb" tuning. I adjusted the choke so that I get a little leaner mix when it is cold. The choke "butterly" valve (or whatever it is called) is now about 1/8" from being shut when completely cold. Well, Texas cold at about 60 degrees. Sorry to you guys up north. I was up in the midwest last week for work. You really should all move. Something is dreadfully wrong with your weather. Snow and single digits is not fun. ;) Anyway.....

After making that adjustment, I also took some advice from someone on the other forum. Before each start I had been pumping the gas pedal one time slowly. Per that recommendation I decided to try it without pressing the gas. At cold the engine started right up. The choke warm up took maybe 30 seconds or so. I didn't time it but it couldn't have been more than a minute. I let it warm up a couple of minutes and never touch the throttle. When it got warm and with the fast idle still on it was about 1200 rpm. I lightly pressed the throttle and it dropped down to between 900 and 1000 rpm. Perfect. At least that is what all the expert advice said I should have. I then let the engine cool down enough for the choke to partially close. This "warm" start was where I had my problems before. I let it cool say 5-10 minutes (simulate a stop at a gas station for example). I then tried for another start at this warm condition. Did not touch the throttle, just pressed in the clutch and it fired right up. Now I am feeling good. I just need to check the hot re start condition. I drove the go kart down the street to a co workers house. He had been asking me to stop by so he could see it. I drove about 1 mile over there and killed the engine. After a couple of minutes I restarted (without pressing the throttle) and vrooom. It started right up. I will continue to test but I think I am pretty close. The super rich smell at cold and warm start are gone. I also get less visible fumes during warm up. I want to do one more thing to check my carb tuning and that is use a vacuum gauge to set the idle mix screws. I have them set about where Gordon Levy told me to put them. I have never done this vacuum idle mix process before but seems pretty simple based on the videos and instructions I have read. So here is how I am going to do the process. Let me know if i missed something:

1. Find the full mainfold vacuum port on the carb. It appears to be low on the side of the carb body. I will hook the vacuum gauge to that port.
2. Start the engine and let it get up to operating temp.
3. Adjust one screw at a time and see where I get max vacuum. I was going to start at the front driver idle mix screw.
4. Leave the gauge in the same vacuum port and move to he rear driver screw and repeat the process of finding max vacuum.
5. Repeat the same process with out moving the vacuum gauge from the original port for the passenger side.
6. Go back and verify each idle mix screw is providing max vacuum.

Am I missing anything and does that sound right? I know the rpm test is another way but I can make pretty gross adjustments to the idle mix screws without noticing much change in rpm. At least not that I can hear. Hopefully this will help me get it tuned in. Down the road I plan to get a wide band O2 sensor for tuning but that will be later. This is probably overkill but it will be something fun for me to learn. Since I am an engineer I like this stuff.

I also got to trouble shoot the fuel gauge problem. I removed the fuel sending unit and made sure it was functioning. The float moved freely and read 16 ohms at empty and 158 ohms at full (out of the tank with me moving the float). So that works. I then "stuck" the tank. I put a wooden yard stick in the whole where the level sender goes. The height from the bottom of the tank to the top was a little over 4 inches. My liquid level was less than 1 inch. That would make the level of just above E about right. I put the sending unit back in and added 5 gallons. I estimated that should move the level to 1/3 of a tank (14-15 gallon tank). It did and I ended up with a level between 1/4 and 1/2 a tank. I feel much better. I will start tracking mileage and see what I get.

Anyway. I am starting to prep the go kart for the body. I have the weather and bulb seal in place. I have also installed the trunk hinge (figured that would be hard to put on after the body was on). Removed the side pipes and roll bar. The next few days I will try to finish some trimming on the body (cockpit edges and wheel lips). Hopefully I get the body on in the next few weeks. This will allow me to install all the parts, get a temporary tag, do some real road testing, get a certified weight, and get an inspection. This will all lead up to registration. My goal is to have the car registered in April. I would like to then put a couple hundreds miles on the car while in gel coat. This will allow me to do a shake down and make sure I don't want to make any major changes.

Sorry no pictures. Not much exciting to photograph. I will have some pics when the body assembly starts.

srobinsonx2

03-12-2017, 09:10 PM

Week 24 is done. 367 hours total to this point.

Well, I decided I am done with the go kart phase. I only put about 10 miles on the car while in go kart. I live in a small neighborhood and did about all the testing I could. Everything worked well at the limited speeds I got to in my small neighborhood "track". I need to get this thing out on the open road for some real tests. So far I only have a few small mechanical issues to resolve. They are as follows:

1. I installed a pressure gauge in the fuel line as it connects to the rail for the carb. I verified the pressure the 8-10 times I have cranked and run the engine. So that needs to come off and I will fab up a small section of braided line to go from the regulator directly to the fuel rail. Should be pretty easy. I am just waiting on some -6 AN hose ends from Summit.

2. I installed a new fuel pump. The first one (a Summit G3136) started leaking. It appeared to be leaking around the seal on the bottom of the pump. I chalked it up to infant mortality. Got that replaced and the second one looks good so far. Time will tell but I will be a little nervous until I get some miles on the pump.

3. I bought an air cleaner. A K&N Xstream 66-3060. It is 14 in round and 4 in tall and too big. :(. I ordered a shorter one from Summit. It is oval and only two inches tall. I think that will work. I have a 347 (302 SBF). So shouldn't have too much trouble finding an air cleaner.

That should be all the mechanical issues for now. So I moved on to mounting the body. This past week I cut the wheel well lips back and did a little trimming of the cockpit. I had put the body on the chasis a few month ago and marked where I need some trimming. So with reckless abandon (actually I was nervous and quite timid at first), I broke out the sanding drum, orbital DA, and sanding block. The cockpit edge was easy. The wheel well lips took some time. I drew a line around the lip where I wanted to stop sanding. That kept me from getting carried away. I used the sanding drum (1 1/2 in) on my drill. That took off the bulk of the material. I then used my DA to get right to the line. I then used a sanding block to finish them off and round the edges. I used 80 grit to do this portion. In hind sight I could have used something a little more aggressive. Took me a couple evenings after work but finally got it knocked out. They still need some work, especially around the bottom where they transition into the bottom lip. Not sure how to finish those so I decided to wait and think on that. It shouldn't affect the gel coat test mode. Here are some pics. Let me know if I need to change something here.
Front wheel lip
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64988&d=1489369774
Rear of the front wheel lip
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64986&d=1489369772

Quick jacks were next. I used the Finish line grommets and tubes up front. I had to enlarge the holes up front for the grommets to fit. I did with my dremel tool and took it slow. I used the grommet as a template and all worked out. I have the ********** parts for the back didn't put them on right now. I will need to cut the tubes back and was running out of steam with cutting and grinding. Based on pics and instructions from other on this site, I had previously installed a bolt and coupler nut prior to installing the fuel tank. That will allow me to remove the quick jacks without removing the tank. I put the FFR parts on the back for now. Those will get change in the next few weeks.
Front Quick Jacks
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64983&d=1489369770
Rear quick jacks
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64984&d=1489369771

I also got the hood mounted. I had do the trimming and fitment. That took a while. I used the same 80 grit sandpaper on my DA and sanding block. I just took my time, marked where I wanted to trim. It took my a few iterations but I thought I could always take off more but putting it back on would be much harder. The hood hinge went together ok. Some of the shoulder bolts stuck out to far, in other words the shoulder was too long. I used washer to get the hinge parts to fit better. Not snug but removed the slop. I still need to do some tweaking on the hinge to get the hood perfectly lined up. I will do that later this week. Here are some pics of the hood along with the hood pins.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64982&d=1489369769
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=64985&d=1489369771

That last picture is where I finished this weekend. Hopefully I can get the windshield and doors done this next week. If all goes well, I should be able to get a temporary tag in April and be able to drive the car on the open road. It is coming together bit by bit.

srobinsonx2

03-28-2017, 09:08 PM

I haven't posted an update in a couple of weeks. I have been feverishly working on completing the car so I can start my "shake down" period. Like I have mentioned, I would like to get at least a couple hundred miles on the car to identify any issues before I start stripping parts and begin body work. My goal was to have the car complete (sans paint), insured, and registered (temporary) before April 1st. It looks like I will be close but I might make it. HOPEFULLY!!!

I only have a couple of items to complete to be road worthy. I need to install my Metco drive shaft loop, carb spacer/insulator, and the side view mirror. The carb spacer I am using is from Quick Fuel called the Quick Cool Insulator.
https://www.quickfueltechnology.com/specialty-parts/quick-cool-insulator.html

Hopefully it will help with some warm start issues I am having. If not then I will investigate further. I have decided to replace the FFR stock side view mirror with one that clamps on the windshield frame. I saw others doing that and I think I like that better. It is just a small 4" peep mirror. It should arrive tomorrow.

I really only need the registration. In Texas they have a temporary (30 day) registration that I am going to try and get this week. Anyway, I will try and post a more thorough update later. In the mean time here is a photo of the cars current state.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=65751&d=1490752601

bobl

03-29-2017, 12:44 AM

I can't believe how fast you're coming along! In case you didn't know, you can renew that 30 day tag up to 3 times. I got the first one and drove it in gel coat, then got another after it was finished until I got the final registration. It was pretty easy to register, just get all the forms filled out correctly, inspection and take the build manual with you. You'll have to explain to them how to do it most likely!

You going to make it to San Marcos? Hope to see you. I'm heading down in the morning.

Bob

srobinsonx2

04-04-2017, 09:10 PM

Well, week 27 is over and I am going to consider the car mechnically complete. I only have the side louvers left to install and I will do those when I have the body off for bodywork. After 27 weeks I have 405.5 hours on the build. My target was 300 hours at this stage or six months. I just barely made the six months but missed my targeted hours by 30%. OOPS! But I blame you guys. You all started talking about shiny extras and posting cools pictures. It is not my fault. :rolleyes:

Not much actual building took place the past week or two. I have been driving and tinkering with the car. Most of the tinkering was with the carb. I had a number of issues that seemed to change each time I started the car. First was hard starting then warm starting issues. I read a thread called Carb Tuning 101. I read it 3-4 times, got my plan on starting from scratch and then dug in. I set the primary t-slot to be a perfect square. Look at me talking like I know what I am doing. I have a Quick Fuel 750 SS. The t-slots in the primary barrels (I think that is what they are called) were not the same height from the bottom of the carb so I set the blades where only the "lower" one showed a square. I also opened the secondary just slightly by adjusting the allen screw under the baseplate. I only opened the secondaries so I could just barely see the bottom of the t-slot in the secondary barrel. I then set all the idle mix screws 1 1/2 turn out. Mounted the carb back on the car and went for a start. I have an air gap intake and from what I have read they can be difficult to get to idle when cold. I ignored this issue for now by feathering the gas pedal for 30 seconds to a minute until the engine would idle. Didn't idle great but would stay running at about 800-850 rpm. I was using my timing light to monitor the rpms. I then adjusted each idle mix screw an 1/8 of turn until I got to about 950 rpm. It happened that I had to turn the screws in to get the rpms to increase. When I turned them in for the final time the rpms dropped slightly and turned them back out and left them. It certainly sounded much better after this set up than ever before. Not an expert but I was happy. Over the next few days I adjusted the choke and high idle screw to get the engine to start and idle from cold. The engine will now start and idle from cold. It normally idles (kind of rough) at about 1100 and slowly increases to 1500 until it is warm (close to 150 F). At that point I can bump the gas, the carb comes off high idle, and idles nicely at 950 rpm. I am happy for now and will tackle the rest of the tuning when I get an O2 bunge installed in the exhaust. I plan to do this when the body is off for paint. That will give me something to do beside worry about the body.

I have been driving the car and really enjoying it. It is just in gel coat but still fun. I don't want to show it off too much in gel coat. I had rather everyone see it for the first time in all it's colorfully final glory. So my plan is the get the car registered and start disassembly for body work. For those in Texas, there is a great reference in the regional section of this forum that explains the Texas process. I am using that as my guide. I took the car to get a certified weight tonight. I took it to the closest truck stop I could find with a weigh scale. It was about 25 miles away. So I got to really drive the car a ways. This was my first long jaunt away from home base and I was a little nervous. I don't know why because the car ran great and I had no issues. The car weight 2500 lbs (including me and a half tank of gas). So now I am going to collect my necessary paper work, set up an inspection, and try to get this thing officially legal. I hope to get that completed before easter. If that happens then I will be able to start body work in May like I had planned. I plan on tackling the body work myself. There are so many great threads and inspirational stories on here that I am going to tackle this part myself. I found a painter that agreed to paint. Another member, bobL, did the same thing with the same painter and his car turned out beautiful. Hopefully I can duplicate his end results.

So, I have officially broke the 100 mile mark on the odometer, I have a short list of things to fix after the body is off and at the painter, registration is in sight, and I will start body work soon. Hopefully the next time I post I will have a Texas License plate en route and asking questions about body work. In the meantime, evidence of the 100 miles.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66016&d=1491356040

Gordon Levy

04-04-2017, 10:10 PM

Nice, hammer the throttle yet?

RoadRacer

04-04-2017, 11:31 PM

Nice job Shannon, Fun times! Get some more miles on that before you rip it apart :)

srobinsonx2

04-09-2017, 08:41 PM

I made a step towards Title and registration. In Texas there are a couple of ways to register one of these roadsters. I have been following the advice in the following thread by Dave O.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?10490-Texas-Registration-Completed

It has been helpful so far. Part of the process in Texas is to get a safety inspection by an ASE master technician. It took me a little digging to find someone that could do it but found this shop...http://www.thousandoaksautomotive.com/

Well, I passed. I was kind of nervous about this part. The shop was great and really nice. They were actually pretty complimentary of my work so just a little bonus to make me feel good.

I have all the paper work collected and plan to go to the Tax Assessors office next week to attempt title and registration. Once that is done I will start disassembly and bodywork. I am exciting to start this next part so hopefully the registration goes well. If all goes as planned I will start body work in May.

PS. I have 187 miles on the roadster so far with no real issues.

srobinsonx2

04-25-2017, 07:32 PM

Well, I am now legal registered and titled. On April 12th I took all my paperwork (neatly organized) to the local tax assessors office. I brought RTB #004-12 to help walk through the process. The folks at the office were really nice but had never done this before. We were able to figure it out, paid the taxes, and about 20 minutes later I walked out with my temporary tags. I have since received the title in the mail and should get the plates in a couple of weeks (got custom plates). Anyway, I have that part behind me and only have bodywork and paint left.

I have put about 200 miles on the car. I have started a punch list of things to look at and fix while I have the body off for paint. So far it is a short:
- Insulate all holes, cracks, crevices that could possibly allow hot air to enter the footbox/cockpit. I thought I had all these but obviously not.
- Add footbox ventilation. I am probably going to go the powered route with air ducts from the brake vents at the front of the body. I have good plans from this wonderful site.
- Center dash support. It moves a little. Nothing bad but I was it to be solid.
- I have something loose on the passenger side footbox. It makes a slight rattle at times and is annoying
- Recheck all moving parts on the chasis and regrease
- Remove header, apply copper gasket maker, and reinstall with vibe lock bolts (Percy's is the brand name, I think??)
- Install side vent bolts. I am going to use the mounting method Edwardb used in his build thread.

My next step is to start bodywork. I am going to start another thread for that and will put the link here one I get it going.

srobinsonx2

04-25-2017, 09:38 PM

Here is a link to my bodywork thread.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?24274-Srobinsonx2-Bodywork

RoadRacer

04-25-2017, 09:58 PM

Congrats on getting legal - a big step! Doesn't sound too bad a process..

srobinsonx2

08-12-2017, 10:00 PM

Well, I got the body work done. Here is a link to the body work thread

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?24274-Srobinsonx2-Bodywork

Here is picture of the paint

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72224&d=1502592707

Now that I have the paint completed, I moved the chassis back over to the large stall of the garage and started on the carpet. For adhesive I am using the 3M 77 suggested in the manual. On the areas where there might be wear or I need them removable I am going to use a combo of carpet tape and velcro. I will document that as I go. I read a bunch of threads about different methods but this seemed the easiest and is working so far. I was a little concerned about how the carpet would adhere to the Lizard Skin insulation I applied. So far it is holding up. I will let everyone know how it works down the road. Just a couple hours of work this evening.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72223&d=1502592692

So far I have logged 407 hours on the build and 226 on the body work and paint. That is a total of 633 hours. Hopefully I can get this thing wrapped up in the next week of two.

srobinsonx2

08-14-2017, 08:43 PM

So I got going on final assembly. Nothing really ground breaking just putting everything back together that I have assembled at least twice before. :)

I wrapped up the carpet yesterday. I then prepped the chassis for body installation. I got some help from a friend and we got it on. Hopefully for the last time. Also installed the front quick jacks, Mike Everson's radiator aluminum panel, as well as Mike's front license plate bracket. Here is picture

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72326&d=1502760343

It went together well. Here is another picture of the cockpit.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72325&d=1502760331

Sorry for not a lot of details. I am not doing anything new. Everything is either well documented elsewhere or pretty self explanatory. After all the bodywork documentation I feel like I am being lazy by not providing more data. Hopefully I can finish up this week. It will be nice to drive a little after all this work.

srobinsonx2

08-26-2017, 08:26 PM

Well,

I have been wrapping up the final details. This past week I have accomplished the following:
- Hooked up and checked electrical. I had one issue. The drivers's side headlight high beam did not work. A bad connection in the weatherpack I installed. Easy fix.\
- Installed my side pipe heat shield. I got them from Drummermike. They look great and pretty easy to install.
- Fixed a couple of clear coat issues that I discovered. Just a couple of runs and nothing too exciting.

During this past weeks work, I found that the driver's side side pipe was too close to the body. An order to Mark Reynolds at Breeze and that was solved. He quickly packaged and shipped a couple of exhaust wedges that arrived today. I painted and installed the right one and I am now all set. That was the last major piece I was needing. While I waited for the part, I decided to buy a floor lift. My floor jack and jackstands are less than ideal, especially with the body on. I don't have a lot of clearance and had to make a couple of "lifts" in order to get the jack stands in place. I wasn't real comfortable with that set up. And I was looking for a good excuse to buy a lift. I bought a Quick Jack BL5000SLX. Here is a picture during set up.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72852&d=1503795795

Here is a picture half way up.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72854&d=1503797159

I used it today and it is great. I wish I would have bought one of these at the beginning of the build. It gives great access to the entire car.

I also bought another toy. My grease gun was a cheap one I picked up a while back. I decided to try a pnuematic grease gun. I works great and is much easier. It allows me to keep one hand on the grease gun hose while applying grease.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72853&d=1503796044

With my new grease gun and lift, I accomplished three items today. I got everything greased and all the front end and rear end hardware checked. All was tight and I should be good to go. While I had the wheels off, I used some of the left over black bed liner I had from earlier in the build and put another coat on the wheel wells. I thought it would ensure a little more protection and give the wheel wells a finished look. I got the wheels back on and ready to go.

The only really build item I have left is to finish off the quick jacks. They are installed but I just have nylon lock nuts on them now. I order some acorn nuts from McMaster-Carr. They should be here early this next week. That will be an easy item to knock out. Once I get this done, I will call it good. I am excited to start driving but the weather is not cooperating. Hurricane Harvey is keeping everything wet. I will just have to wait until this blows over. I am getting close. Graduation thread will be coming soon.

Long but fun road. I have been at this for about a year now. I have learned a lot and made some new friends. Now it is time to DRIVE!!!!!.

srobinsonx2

08-28-2017, 07:57 PM

Harvey has moved out of the San Antonio area. The sun came out and the cobra decided to come out of it's den and warm in the sun. It's old skin has been shed and the new scale color looks fantastic if I do say so myself. The snake has been hibernating for four long months. The metamorphosis is over and it was time to let the snake roam.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72929&d=1503966638

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72930&d=1503966664

After a long wet weekend, well it rained but I stayed dry and busy in the garage, I could take it no longer. I needed to get the car out and go for a drive. I made one final inspection, eased in the driver's seat, and slid the shiny silver key in the ignition. I lightly touch the gas pedal to reset the high idle on the carb then turned the key. The engine immediately roared to life. It normally takes my engine about a minute to warm up. Once the water temp is up to 150 F, I am good to go. I made a quick loop around the neighborhood, mostly to show the usual garage visitors I was done, but I told my wife it was to give it one final test before her maiden voyage. The short jaunt well great without issues so I then made a short run of about 10 miles. Came home to take the wife for her first ride. She has been nervous about this for a while. She says it is loud, low to the ground, and looks dangerous. She was waiting in the driveway when I returned from the test drive. I think she was excited, just didn't want to admit it. I helped her in, and get strapped up. She jokingly mocked the necessity of the 5 point harness. But, I saw her take a couple of selfies that was mostly harness. I think she secretly thought it was kind of neat. I made a short loop with her. I took it easy at first and she seemed to enjoy it. I only made one "spirited" acceleration and I saw a little smile. When all was said and done she said it wasn't as bad as she thought. We will see how the next drive goes. Regardless, I love it.

A few small items to complete and I will call it good........for now. I am still waiting on the acorn nuts for the quick jacks. I also ordered a H3R extinguisher. Hopefully that comes in this week.

Jacob

08-28-2017, 08:43 PM

congrats...you've done well!

RR20AC

08-28-2017, 11:22 PM

Glad your safe from the storm, your car looks awesome and can't wait to do it. My wife will expect full throttle as we ride the Harley that way. Nice weather there now. I'm hoping I can enjoy mine before weather sets in here.

Jeff Kleiner

08-29-2017, 05:41 AM

Ya' done good :)

Jeff

srobinsonx2

09-05-2017, 09:47 PM

Still working on a few items. It feels like I could continue to tinker forever. When I first started this journey, I wondered why everyone said these cars are never truly done. Well, I think I know what they mean. Anyway, I had a few items to finish up.

Installed a 1/2" phenolic spacer below my carb. I hope this solves a warm start issue I am having. It seems like once my engine is warm, it starts fine if I kill it and then restart it quickly (2-3 minutes). If I let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then try to restart it, I have to turn the engine over quite a bit for it to start. I don't pump the gas pedal as that seems to exacerbate the issue. Cold engine is fine. I also notice that the carb bowls are empty after a drive and checking the engine after it has cooled down. So hopefully this will help. Installed easy.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73305&d=1504664807

Secondly, I finished off the quick jacks. I bought some acorn nuts (cap nuts) from McMaster-Carr to fit my 7/16" bolts and all thread. I used split lock washer under each nut. I used these for two reasons. The split washer will keep the nuts for backing off (obvious) and they also have a smaller outside diameter. These gave a little cleaner appearance than a flat washer.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73304&d=1504664793

I also installed a fire extinguisher. I bought the H3R Halon extinguisher with the flat surface mounting bracket and matching chrome ring. Kind of pricey but it looks nice and is good insurance. I know it won't solve any big issues, but small oil or electrical fires can potentially be addressed before they get out of hand. And it looks cool. I mounted mine under the dash because I have my battery cut off switch mounted on the angled aluminum piece where most mount an extinguisher. I might have done this different if I had to do it over but it will work and looks fine. I might spring for a larger halon extinguisher to put in the trunk but for now I feel a little better.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73303&d=1504664784