John’s Mk4 Build Thread [Archive] - Page 2

John Ibele

10-31-2022, 10:58 AM

Well, the build number doesn't lie ... it's been 10 years since I got this kit, so this has been a long time coming. Along the way, friends and family would regularly ask me when it would get done. But I was clear from the start that my goal with this project was to simply enjoy working on it when time was available, and let it get done when it gets done.

And yet, lately, the knowledge that life doesn't last forever has turned from a thought into more of a feeling :). Driving instead of building sounds kind of fun too. So the garage time has gone up, which has been a blast. Point is ... this milestone is kind of a big deal. Okay, enough rambling.

My older brother came over from Madison for the weekend to help with alignment. He's in his early 70's, and probably isn't looking to take on a project like this at this point. But he loves helping, and he's definitely a car guy. Without the ride to grade school in his Triumph TR4 all those many years ago I probably wouldn't be tackling this project. As for alignment, I won't give a thorough writeup, because it's been covered so well in other spots. In fact, I took Chris's excellent writeup (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36627-460-465USMC-s-MK4-Build-9890-Cubby-Trunk-Footwell-Lighting-Installed&p=500196&viewfull=1#post500196), printed it out, and used that both for specs and a starting point. It worked great. Thanks Chris!

One note on a tooling item. I had purchased a magnetic mounted caster-camber gauge some time ago, and used it to get rear alignment close by mounting the gauge on the rear rotors. I propped up the rear suspension to something close to ride height and did my adjustments then. Based on my experience that can get you close, but you still need to do final adjustment with wheels on and the car on the ground. I was off some. Plus, front end is not dialed in at all. So, nice magnetic mounted gage in hand, but no clean mounting surface on wheels / tires, what to do? I bought a mounting system which clamps onto the wheels and provides a datum surface for the magnetic gauge, and was very happy with the quality and performance of this tool. I was skeptical of the ~$125 price point and was prepared to be disappointed, but it has decent quality, no slop, and mounts cleanly and firmly to the outside of the rim. Without the magnetic gauge already in hand I probably would have gone the Fasttrax route, but this worked great.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52467103517_ec2a3080c4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nWkBX4)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2nWkBX4) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

We were close to wrapped up for the weekend with alignment pretty much done, but my brother needed to get back on the road to head home. I told him we needed to at least start the engine and hear the rumble. Seat belts weren't in, side pipes had no temporary hangers, fuel fill pipe is held upright with painters tape. So definitely close, but not ready for go kart.

And then, I dunno ... my left foot just decided a slow trip around the block wouldn't hurt anything. And it didn't. What a beautiful day for a major build milestone.

Video (click on picture or this link): (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/52467168096/in/datetaken/)

https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52467168096_961588f4f8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nWkX9u)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2nWkX9u) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

There are always new items to add to the to-do list. Engine wants to die when I engage the clutch (you can hear it when I pull into the driveway) but that should be solved by either an engine tune or some tuning of my feet on the clutch and throttle. My water temp doesn't show on the dash (but CTS registers and Sniper starts the fan, so all good for now). My red dash light doesn't go off when the engine (and alternator) starts.

But that's all to be expected, and for another day. For now I'm just basking in the glow of a big milestone achieved. What an absolute kick. Thanks to all those on the forum who have shared their advice, wisdom and answers along the way. I wouldn't have gotten to this point without you.

facultyofmusic

10-31-2022, 11:42 AM

Loved that big smile! Congratulations! The "oh my god this thing moves" moment is one that I'll never forget.

460.465USMC

10-31-2022, 02:25 PM

Right on, John! Congratulations! Boy, your motor sounds really good...it has that old school lumpy idle sound, which I love. I really like the sound of my Coyote, but it just ain't the same.

Also, glad to hear the good news about your alignment. Now you have bragging rights and another notch on your hot rod resume. :cool: (I tried bragging to my wife about doing my own four-wheel alignment, but so far it's fallen flat...probably sounds similar to "wah, wah, wah..." like the adults on Charlie Brown). Anyway, it's not lost on me. Well done!

John Ibele

11-01-2022, 09:59 AM

Loved that big smile! Congratulations! The "oh my god this thing moves" moment is one that I'll never forget.

Thanks Dan. Great day!

Right on, John! Congratulations! Boy, your motor sounds really good...it has that old school lumpy idle sound, which I love. I really like the sound of my Coyote, but it just ain't the same.

Also, glad to hear the good news about your alignment. Now you have bragging rights and another notch on your hot rod resume. :cool: (I tried bragging to my wife about doing my own four-wheel alignment, but so far it's fallen flat...probably sounds similar to "wah, wah, wah..." like the adults on Charlie Brown). Anyway, it's not lost on me. Well done!

Hey Chris, thanks. Yep, had the first neighbor come over to make 'observations' about the volume coming out of those side pipes, so I'm thinking I'm on the right track :)

But, you're going to love that Coyote. I got a chance to get a ride in Fixit's MK4 last fall, and when he got on it, boy does it start to show its other side. You're going to have all the driveability, plus all the fun. I may have gone that route if the Coyote had been better sorted back when I got my kit. Two different kinds of greatness.

Blitzboy54

11-01-2022, 11:59 AM

John Ibele

11-01-2022, 01:42 PM

John Congratulations on first start AND your go cart. A couple thoughts

1. I would have watched it before today but didn't realize your pictures were actually video links. I had to read through the comments then I was still confused for a while. I then switched computer assuming my work computer was blocking the video. I then finally clicked on the pics and then voila.

Yeah, I love the Flickr model for photos but it's really not a video-friendly site. I editted my post to hopefully make it a bit more obvious.

2. The first, first start video was the best. I jumped too just not as much

Nothing like sharing the first time builder, not-quite-a-car-guy experience. But ... way more of a car guy now. Learning new stuff is fun.

3. I should have blown up my schematics. I have regrets.

Awesome Job John. It's all down hill from here.

My eyes thanked me every day.

Not sure about down hill from here, but I can see title and license next spring looking more and more realistic with every milestone.

Thanks Jesse!

NYMike

11-01-2022, 07:55 PM

Congrats on the first start and unplanned go cart! The reaction to the first start and smiling thumbs up after go carting says it all. Such fun milestones to hit.

John Ibele

11-02-2022, 12:44 PM

Congrats on the first start and unplanned go cart! The reaction to the first start and smiling thumbs up after go carting says it all. Such fun milestones to hit.

Thanks Mike! With that under my belt, plus cutouts and undercoating done today, I should have a pretty easy cruise to title and license when the snow melts next spring.

rthomas98

11-02-2022, 02:06 PM

Great job and sounding great. Question has the permagrin faded yet? I know mine took a few weeks.

John Ibele

11-03-2022, 09:34 AM

Great job and sounding great. Question has the permagrin faded yet? I know mine took a few weeks.

Nope, when it fades I get asked by a friend or family member if they can go for a ride around the block and it gets refreshed again!

John Ibele

11-03-2022, 10:05 AM

Yesterday was the last day I can anticipate being able to work outside until next spring here in MN. So ... a last-minute day off to generate all the dust associated with cutouts. I was hoping I could go all the way through cutouts, body prep and undercoater in one day, which turned out to be a bit ambitious. Still, all the cutouts and associated dust-making are complete, the inside of the body is roughed up in the glossy areas and washed in preparation for application of undercoater.

I printed out two copies of all the templates in the manual and cut them out, then made made my way around the car starting with gas cap and rear lights, then working around to blinkers and front lights. After that I took on the rollbar cutouts, which was the one spot where I simply counted on the sharpie markings placed by FFR. Obviously I'm counting on those being close enough, but I felt pretty confident knowing that the holes are undersized for the bezels I'll be using to go around the rollbars. Other sharpie markings were close but worth redoing, given that it only took a few minutes to tape the paper templates on the frame for remarking.

I think this was the right order, getting used to the tools I was using before tackling the engine bay vents and the side pipe cutouts. As a final step, I trimmed the cockpit roundover 1/4" in front and back to allow a bit more front / back adjustment room for the body when setting it on the frame. I left the wheel well cutouts for the paint / body folks. Those need to be trimmed 1/4" as well.

Tools I used:

hole saws for any holes, but also for engine vent corners and side pipe cutout corners.
pneumatic angle grinder - drum sander to lightly smooth holes and corners, 2" sanding disc to smooth straight lines.
pneumatic recip saw - good for cutting straight lines when the jigsaw wouldn't fit (gap cap opening)
jigsaw with fine tooth blade. Quick and quite easy to keep straight.
hand sander with 60 grit - best for getting a straight line after initial cut with saw.

There are long lists of tools that others recommend, but I was just fine with this limited set.

Finally, for anyone still in the ordering phase: just have FFR do the cutouts. It simply isn't worth your time, and is money well spent. I would do that differently next time, obviously, but I'm happy with the end result. Done now. Moving on!

One shot to show it happened:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52474899460_a1e1543bc4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nX2zpS)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2nX2zpS) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

12-05-2022, 01:20 PM

Bear with me for a minute, if you would. (I know, if you're even reading a post from a 10-year build, you already are).

Remember slotted screws?

Most of us of a certain age learned how to use a screwdriver with those things, and there was nothing to like about the experience. My dad never met a piece of used hardware he didn't like, and in fact spent an alarmingly large portion of his retirement happily straightening bent nails and tossing them into a large Folger's can repurposed into a storage container, so they could be used again. Needless to say, the slotted screws I learned on were worn, never of a standard size, and the screwdrivers available for supposedly turning the things were no better. These were typically similarly worn down, having been put to alternative uses as pry bars and cold chisels, and had the advantage of having dried Elmer's Glue on the butt of the handle, ready to shred the heel of your hand as you put maximum muscle into attempting to overcome the limitations of both fastener and driver.

Still. Something about the slotted screw says 'vintage' to me, and since I'm going with a vintage tribute look to my car, I wanted to use slotted screws in visible areas. I also wanted to continue use of the stainless / black leather theme on the transmission tunnel cover, and came up with the idea of having stainless steel strips on the sides. This would visually separate the black leather on the top from the black carpet below, and would be a nice understated bit of bling amid all that black. Why not attach those strips with some nice slotted screws?

Well, two reasons. One, I'd have to remove the seats to unscrew all those screws to get the tranny top cover off, and while the need for that may be rare, it still sounds like a pain. Second reason (see above): I hate slotted screws.

So I decided to make up some stainless steel strips with countersinks for slotted screw heads, which would be epoxied in place. In other words, a strip with fake slotted screws as decoration.

I looked at the price of polished stainless from McMaster and compared to raw stainless, looked at a few YouTube videos on polishing stainless by hand, and decided to have a go at polishing stainless myself. Warning: this is a very effective way of turning your 1-2 year build into a 10 year build, so like with many things I've done, this is not a recommendation. But with things that are new and enjoyable (at least once) for me, I don't calculate the benefit in terms of my worth in $$ / hour.

After several hours with two bare stainless bars 1/8" x 1" x 31", a countersink bit, a flap disk on a 4" grinder, some polishing / lubricating fluid, and 80, 120, 180, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 5000, and 7000 grit paper, I had something that looked like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52539251813_e95df92a5f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o3Hp8c)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o3Hp8c) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

With the lopped-off slotted screw heads epoxied in place, they looked like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52539179345_d6ca816d34_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o3H2zK)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o3H2zK) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Those turned out great. (Related safety note, just to mention ... did you know that when you grind or use a flap disk on stainless steel, you're releasing hexavalent chromium into the air? Neither did I, until running across that in a metalworking safety video. Seems like a good thing not to do again, at least not without the proper breathing apparatus.)

Now I had to catch up with some other things on the top cover before attaching the strips. First, I needed to finish the inside of the console box I had made, and figure out how to attach it. I decided on covering the inside with the same OEM trunk liner material I used on the trunk, and left the back 2" unglued and sized to tuck under the material on the back of the box. Under that portion I've got two screws attaching the console box to nut-serts I inserted in the tranny tunnel cover. Works slick, easy access, only two screws, and the console box is basically wedged in there anyway, so very solid.

I'm not a cup holder guy, but I wanted something visual in front of the shifter, and figured any '60s tribute vehicle needs to have an ashtray. I looked at ones used in British sports cars of the time and didn't find anything I really liked. Although what I'm using might be more appropriate for a US-made muscle car of the time, I think it looks like it belongs there.

The console box should add a bit more storage, hides the main cutoff switch, and has a USB charging port in the top. Ready for foam and leather.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52510177039_28592e3891_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o19ocZ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o19ocZ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52510176864_15a0f35b7c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o19o9Y)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o19o9Y) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I got some 1/4" foam from a local upholstery shop. Obviously it's got a bit more cushion than the 1/8" I used on the dash, but is nice and firm and a good choice for the top, I think. I cut it at approximately a 45* angle using a fresh utility knife blade. I did this 45 deg cut also at the transition to the portion where the console box sits, and at the ashtray cutout. Here it is glued on, trimmed, and ready for leather. (The stainless strip is just leaning against the side, not fastened to the tranny top yet.)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52539251848_779c37e12b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o3Hp8N)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o3Hp8N) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Leather - second time, same as the first: very nervous about messing something up, and in the end this seems like a pretty forgiving process. With some trimming, things were coming together nicely.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52543506336_6346a021e3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o46cR3)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o46cR3) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

12-05-2022, 01:43 PM

To attach the 1"-wide strips, I decided to use a 3M product:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52539179315_cc29c8acfa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o3H2ze)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o3H2ze) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Before applying this, I trimmed off the bottom 5/8" of leather on the sides of the tranny tunnel cover and cleaned the bare aluminum. I applied the tape next to the leather and left the liner on:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52543800444_8f406d86f3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o47HgS)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o47HgS) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The adhesive is a bit like the black side of the ThermoTec sound / heat material. It is very stretchy but places easily when the liner is still attached. It also trimmed well. Most importantly, it's exactly the same thickness as the leather I used.

Even with all of that, I was paranoid about having only 1/4" of leather attached to the tranny tunnel sides. I masked off a 1/8" strip of leather adjacent to the 3M adhesive, and shot this area with a coat of 3M Super 77, the same spray adhesive I've used for both foam and leather. I masked off a similar area on the back of each stainless strip. That way I captured the edge of the leather with 77 on both the aluminum and the stainless side. It shouldn't go anywhere.

Finally, I peeled off the liner on the 3M adhesive and lined up each stainless strip carefully, knowing you only get one chance ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52544044032_d05665768e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o48XFE)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o48XFE) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52545053078_5c6509ed1c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o4e8D1)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o4e8D1) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52543044952_ce0376acd2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o43QG9)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o43QG9) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Pretty happy with how it looks. I'll ditch the vinyl shifter boot for a leather one at some point, but other than that, it's ready to go. With that, it's time to turn to getting the carpet in.

On a personal note, I should have more time to do that now, and in fact be ready for title and license in the spring. After 32 years of employment with one company, a rarity these days and particularly in high tech, I was invited to seek other opportunities just before Thanksgiving. Not a bad run, and no hard feelings. After managing many layoffs and in this case, planning another one affecting 30% of my team, I was already thinking that happiness was to be found elsewhere, and not within the walls of my employer of long standing.

In the near term, it'll be found at home spending time with the family, and in the garage spending time with the car. It never changes without me and never talks back. It's always fair. I'll figure out the next work chapter sometime after the holidays.

Speaking of holidays, happy holidays, all you builders! Thanks for sharing your great ideas, expertise, helpful hints and encouragement, now and always!

cc2Arider

12-05-2022, 05:22 PM

Hi John,

I really like the effort and the results of your upholstery work. I'm going to be referring back to this thread when I'm ready to do something similar :)

Craig C

John Ibele

12-05-2022, 05:35 PM

Hi John,

I really like the effort and the results of your upholstery work. I'm going to be referring back to this thread when I'm ready to do something similar :)

Craig C

Thanks, Craig. I’m glad someone found something helpful in there!

Blitzboy54

12-06-2022, 01:12 PM

Just gorgeous. It's just so well done. I am really looking forward to seeing the completed car. It's going to be a show stopper.

toadster

12-06-2022, 01:57 PM

that's beautiful!!! ARTWORK!

Ted G

12-06-2022, 02:27 PM

John, I love the stainless strips along the trans tunnel. This may solve a problem I'm having with mine.... oh, and the slotted screws are a nice touch of old school!!

Ray from Long Island

12-06-2022, 02:35 PM

Beautiful !

460.465USMC

12-06-2022, 03:30 PM

Slotted screws? Yep, my Dad must have had hundreds in a hardware organizer I inherited from him. I need to toss them one of these days. Hard to imagine using those on a daily basis.

Your trans tunnel and console box turned out fantastic (it's never too late to take up smoking :p). High quality. You set the bar high.

Sorry to hear about your employment situation. That's a good, long run. I hope this new chapter has a silver lining, and brings about a welcome opportunity for you next year (when you're ready).

John Ibele

12-06-2022, 09:58 PM

You guys are too kind ... great encouragement for someone who gets sidetracked a lot.

One of the things I really like about FFR's take on this car is that it leaves builders free to pursue their own vision for how the car should look, and direct their talents to whatever parts of the build they enjoy the most. That, plus the generally high build quality makes these cars, I think. I love seeing builders' visions unfold in the build threads.

I am really looking forward to seeing the completed car.

Jesse, anytime you're back in MN, give a holler, and you know ... a road trip isn't out of the question ...

that's beautiful!!! ARTWORK!

... thanks Todd ... much easier for me than wiring ... I would have thrown in the towel long ago if I had taken on as much as you have!

This may solve a problem I'm having with mine....

Hey Ted, glad I could help some.

Sorry to hear about your employment situation. That's a good, long run. I hope this new chapter has a silver lining, and brings about a welcome opportunity for you next year (when you're ready).

Hey Chris, thanks. It'll sort itself out, and in the meantime, I've got lots of quality time with family and with the build. As for the hardware organizer, the one at the bottom of this photo is on its third generation. I still haven't filled it with anything usefu!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52547386367_7605f0a575_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o4r6f8)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o4r6f8) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

lukerihl

12-06-2022, 09:58 PM

That tunnel cover looks killer- love the chrome strips. Might be stealing that one

John Ibele

12-06-2022, 10:13 PM

That tunnel cover looks killer- love the chrome strips. Might be stealing that one

By all means, have at it! I think you can get polished ss strips from McMaster, which would save a lot of time.

John Ibele

12-08-2022, 10:41 PM

I started in on carpet prep today, and could tell when laying initial pieces in place to check fit that it was going to be important to make sure all the material behind any carpet seams was black.

I wasn't too jazzed about using spray paint and was looking for a different solution. I picked up a couple of these:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52552059249_0998e4ffa5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o4R3k4)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o4R3k4) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

One marker covers all the seams in the cockpit. It goes on jet black and adheres well even to the unabraded shiny aluminum tape I hit in a few spots. If they have a fine tip I would get one of each; there were a few spots where the corner was inaccessible to the wide tip.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52552310583_93a01e9359_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o4Sk3p)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o4Sk3p) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I'll see what its like when it's dry tomorrow morning, but from what I see so far I'd recommend it.

Nigel Allen

12-08-2022, 11:42 PM

Black gaffer tape worked well for me. Also handy for sticking the sound deadening sheets together.

Countrymile

12-10-2022, 01:18 AM

John Ibele

12-10-2022, 12:16 PM

One of the things that is scaring me the most is the "polish". The finishing touches, the class A parts. I have a few months before I catch up to where you are today, but I'm definitely going to come back here to read up when I get to this point in the build. I really want that transmission tunnel to look professional like you have been able to. Great work!
-Daren

Thanks, Daren! I appreciate the comment. I'm certainly happy with how it turned out, but I'm always wondering why things take me so long. There are so many builders out there who've done amazing work in about 1/10th the time it's taken me ... I'm pretty sure that's the result of doing similar work that transfers to building a car. (As just one example, find one less than flawless photo from this guy (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?43824-what-would-you-want-to-see-on-the-30th-anniversary-edition-car&p=501706&viewfull=1#post501706) ... beautiful.) In my case, woodworking, boat building, model making all transferred after a bit of learning curve to fabbing with aluminum, foam and leather. So doing the interior was the most enjoyable for me. Certainly there was plenty of inspiration and knowledge gained from reading Paul's build threads and many others.

In terms of past skills that transferred to wiring, brake lines, some of the other mechanical stuff ... not so much. And a lot to learn about cars along the way. All of it worthwhile, and part of the satisfaction that comes with the build. Maybe being both fast and good - at least for me - comes build a second, third or fourth build :rolleyes:

John Ibele

12-10-2022, 12:26 PM

Full disclosure: that didn't work very well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554702939_36e1268234_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o55AcV)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o55AcV) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

It'll stay where I don't touch it, but just a glancing touch with the bottom of the carpet takes it off. And in addition, while I was initially concerned about the 3/8" gap on either side of the DS bottom carpet piece, the fact is that I'm not sure you need to black out the corners. While there isn't enough material to get the bottom of the carpet all the way into every corner, I think they're cut that way on purpose ... and in my case, when the two pieces are glued in the right spot, nothing shows in the corner. So I'm leaving the paint as is and moving on.

This, on the other hand, looks like it will work quite well - seat heater harness sitting in the corner between the bottom carpet and the transmission tunnel side. With the Thermo-Tec left a harness-diameter away from the corner and the carpet laid similarly away from the corner, the harness is completely hidden under the carpet fuzz. I was thinking it would need to be stuck in there with carpet adhesive but it's captured quite well, and could be removed and replaced later if needed.

Am I the only one who's gotten way too good at removing Thermo-Tec from spots where I determined I didn't want it? :mad:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554706144_4846d4c9f6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2o55Bab)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2o55Bab) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

egchewy79

12-10-2022, 12:48 PM

I'd consider black duct tape or spray paint. You just don't want that reflective silver to show through.

John Ibele

12-10-2022, 02:32 PM

I'd consider black duct tape or spray paint. You just don't want that reflective silver to show through.

Yep, working for me in the relief areas where I don’t have Thermo-Tec, which is the only possible visible part. But starting from scratch I’d make a different choice.

460.465USMC

12-10-2022, 02:43 PM

Am I the only one who's gotten way too good at removing Thermo-Tec from spots where I determined I didn't want it? :mad:

Not at all. You're in good company with removing that stuff. There is now zero doubt in my mind whether it will peel on its own over time. I've lost track at how many areas I've had to remove it. Most recent was the upper 1/2" of firewall, as it interfered with bulb seal. My firewall is 0.090", just too thick for the F5 supplied bulb seal + heat/sound barrier.

Great to see you're getting some carpet installed. Finishing my carpet made the light at the end of the "will-I-ever-finish-tunnel" much brighter.

John Ibele

01-20-2023, 12:30 PM

It's been a while since an update, what with the holidays and seemingly catching every virus known to man. But I still got some time in the garage.

Carpet is in. A few observations:

I'm really a fan of carpet adhesive for this job. I know others have had good luck with contact adhesives like 3M 77, which I'm a big fan of in other applications. But for a first-timer, the ability to move the carpet around on the adhesive just a bit before rolling it down was huge. I started with Weldwood's All-Weather Outdoor carpet adhesive, but ran a bit short, and confirmed that the supply is simply out, with no scheduled production date according to DAP. So ... finished up with water-based Roberts 6700 based on a forum recommendation, and that worked just as well, minus the smell. Easily available at the local big box, and I'd use it again.
The carpet was actually really well matched to the panels. I trimmed a bit in a few places, but maybe regretted it in as many cases as I found it really necessary. Dry fit multiple times before moving ahead ...
Order matters. With the cockpit bottoms in first, any gaps aren't going to be visible unless your eyes are down on the floor, which doesn't typically happen. I did put black in the corners, but don't think I needed it.

One photo to verify it happened.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52638915080_9574e0fe7f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocwcxo)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocwcxo) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

After carpet, I took care of some other items that I'd been putting off.

Figured out why my temp gauge didn't work. I've got two sensors in the intake manifold, one for the Sniper, one for the gauge. One is right behind the thermostat housing, the other on the driver's side up front. The Sniper was turning on the fan, so I figured that one was working fine, but the Speed Hut sensor wasn't registering on the gauge. The gauge toggled and set when the key was turned on, so it's getting power. Continuity check shows everything okay from gauge up to sensor, so it must be the sensor. Call Speed Hut ... turns out that with identical connectors, I've got my Speed Hut wiring routed to the Holley CTS sensor and vice versa. So ... pure luck I had the Sniper triggering the fan on somewhere around 190C.

The sensors have to stay where they are ... otherwise I'd just swap the sensors. Different size NPT threads, and I'd have to drill out a larger hole in the intake manifold to move the 3/8" NPT Holley sensor to the passenger side, behind the thermostat housing. Not going to do that. So, I'll have to live with the Holley sensor (used to trigger the fan in addition to input to Sniper) on the driver's side, away from the thermostat housing. Not ideal, but something I can live with. Not that that's stopped me from thinking multiple times about why I didn't buy this (https://tdmotion.com/product/427w-ford-ultra-thermostat-housing-kit/)when it was offered on the forum for $165 back in 2019 ... but, you take your licks and keep on moving :)

Tested all my exterior lights. I had checked wiring at the dash, but hadn't done all the weather pack connectors and connected loads. I rejiggered the wiring to allow separate removal of the rear lights (common practice). Everything checked out other than the brights ... a little debugging with the multimeter found a bent spade terminal in my front harness connector - a quick tweak and everything worked.

Pretty happy about that, considering I would have been better off testing each circuit one at a time, earlier in the process. Particularly happy that my dead pedal stomp switch works fine for brights in combination with my wiring for flash-to-pass using the momentary switch on the RT turn stalk. I had tested that circuit before, but without the load in place. Big relief.

Painted and installed the brackets which attach the grab handle on the dash directly to the frame. This serves to bolster both the grab handle and the dash, and both are now rock solid.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52637174797_cb5800884c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocnhdv)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocnhdv) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Looking up at the bottom of the dash, grab handle, glove box and heater (crowded in there). There are jam nuts on the far side of the brackets which you can't see. You also can't see the tab at the end of the angle bracket (toward the bottom of the photo). It sits on the top of the 2x2 frame member, which is tapped for a BHCS to hold it in place.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52638067997_7a86847d06_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocrRJv)

Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocrRJv) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Finally got around to making the steel bits to hold my console box shut and locked, and put nut-serts in the tranny tunnel cover to fasten the console box in place.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52638129985_f2a75ba632_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocsbag)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocsbag) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I had buried a few flat head screws countersunk into the face of the console box with epoxy, to act as studs for these bits. Sorry for the wonky photo from the inside of the console box, meant to take this before installing the box on the tranny cover ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52638129640_d1b233eb5b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocsb4j)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocsb4j) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

So the door finally snaps shut with a satisfying click, and locks with the key. You can see the neo magnet kinda hanging there in space at the top of the opening. Happy to no longer be getting blood blisters handling that thing.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52638473431_9c13235971_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2octWfK)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2octWfK) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

So that leaves me with one punch list item for the dash. I wired my dash with a 'no charge' warning light. It's LED, not incandescent, as are all my dash lights. It's wired with the 510 Ohm resistor in parallel, as called for in the wiring manual. The light is on when the key is turned, which it should be. Problem is it doesn't go off when the motor turns over and the alternator is working (which it is, at least based on voltage while motor is running, and charged battery).

So I stripped some insulation on either side of the light and verified a ~3V drop across the LED. That's enough to light the LED, and (I verified) not enough to light an incandescent bulb. So I think that's the source of my problem there, unless someone has a better explanation. If anyone has used an LED here and it works, that means I've got a different problem.

If that's the case, I'll likely get one of these (http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/sparkright-eclipse-battery-voltage-monitor.php), have it shipped outside the bezel housing, and embed it in the Watson StreetWorks bezel so it matches everything else on the dash.

More in a bit with another post on initial ideas for footbox vents, which is my last interior item before doing an initial fit of the body.

460.465USMC

01-20-2023, 01:00 PM

Congrats on getting the carpet done, John. It was a big Wahoo celebration moment when I completed mine. Lots of work represented in this post. Those little "bits" really add up in time/effort.

P.S. I'm with you on the carpet adhesive. It's a good option.

John Ibele

01-22-2023, 09:42 PM

Last project in the interior before the body goes on is the fresh air vents, so I started figuring out what those will look like over the weekend. I purchased a blast gate and tried to set it up in a number of different positions, but after looking at the different options and reading feedback from those who had used them, I set that approach aside.

I decided the Dickinson Marine Solid Fuel Heater Dampers are a good starting point, and they've been used before. They don't block off flow completely so they'll need some modification to cut off all airflow. But they're a quality product and the damper moves very easily.

There are so many build threads out there with pictures of completed dashboards sitting on the kitchen counter ... I had a dream I'd get kicked off the forum for not having a build thread with a kitchen / dash photo. Weird stuff. Well, I'm not taking my dash out ... so here's the starting point for the fresh air vent, the Dickinson unit and a high-priced component from the HD plumbing aisle. Taken on the island in the kitchen, of course.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52636697942_aa1a6aaa27_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocjQsS)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocjQsS) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Here's the "heavily blueprinted" HD item after some work. I tried 90* but just didn't like how close it was encroaching on the pedal area. It doesn't look far from 90 in this photo ... a bit made a big difference. 90 was fine for my shoe size, but I don't want to cramp the style of some potential future owner.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52642440587_9fc775ca2d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocQgxZ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocQgxZ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The outside is looking okay after tidying up after the hole saw.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52643204984_edcda73fd3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocUbMf)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocUbMf) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The inside looks good too ... there's no way to hit the vent when moving from clutch to dead pedal.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52643425283_be617a2e30_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocVjgv)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocVjgv) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52642449402_082e2f7015_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ocQjaY)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ocQjaY) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Next is to figure out the cable routing. I'm hoping to mount it on the very outside of the 2" square frame member below the dash, but I have to see how everything fits down there first. I should be able to get to that over the next day or two.

Blitzboy54

01-23-2023, 12:38 PM

Looks great John. If I was to make a list of items that I would do differently on my next build Fresh Air Vents would be on it.

cc2Arider

01-23-2023, 04:13 PM

Nice attention to detail :)

Craig C

John Ibele

01-26-2023, 11:50 AM

At AutoZone, I'm sure pretty much every builder gets the same response from the new employee of the week. But I do love my local Ace. Mike's first question when I walk in is always, "you got that car done yet?" which is about the most polite way that question ever gets asked. His next question is, "what can I help you with?", which is a different question from, "may I help you?" He wants to prove he can find a more suitable piece of hardware for the car than I can. And he definitely wants to be able to say that Ace has more in the car than the Super 77 holding the dash covering in place. That's service.

So after telling him, unsuccessfully - twice - that I know what I'm looking for, I tag after him as he moves from the fasteners to the plumbing aisle, and comes up with this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52649780119_c29edc31b9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2odtTkD)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2odtTkD) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Which I never would have thought to look for, but in fact was exactly what I needed. The olive is exactly the right size for the cable conduit on my pull for for the fresh air vents, so it secures the cable housing solidly to the fitting. The other side without the olive in place is a perfect bulkhead connector. I love finds like that.

So after drilling some holes in the Dickinson hardware and making a piece out of some 0.090" aluminum, I ended up with this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52649991113_35560a4b58_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oduY4t)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oduY4t) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Here it is in the closed position:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52649779904_4b98266ae1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2odtTgW)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2odtTgW) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I don't think it needs any mods. The stop is secure and stops the damper in the fully open position. The crank radius allows full closed-to-open actuation in 2", which seems about right. There's no binding. I need to pick out some material to glue to the damper so it fully seals in the closed position and then it's done.

facultyofmusic

02-10-2023, 07:50 PM

So that leaves me with one punch list item for the dash. I wired my dash with a 'no charge' warning light. It's LED, not incandescent, as are all my dash lights. It's wired with the 510 Ohm resistor in parallel, as called for in the wiring manual. The light is on when the key is turned, which it should be. Problem is it doesn't go off when the motor turns over and the alternator is working (which it is, at least based on voltage while motor is running, and charged battery).

Apologies for probably asking the obvious here; I already see a volt gauge on your dash. What is the purpose of a "no charge" LED when you can see if the battery has any juice left from the voltage gauge?

John Ibele

02-10-2023, 10:08 PM

Apologies for probably asking the obvious here; I already see a volt gauge on your dash. What is the purpose of a "no charge" LED when you can see if the battery has any juice left from the voltage gauge?

Just additional precaution in case you aren't keeping a close enough eye on the gauge ... and the light would go on immediately once the alternator stopped working, whereas the voltage from the battery would take some time to show there's a problem. So that gives you more time to pull off at a better spot than the side of the road.

Having said that, I still haven't figured out why my LED is still lit when the alternator is obviously working. I'll wait for >32F temps here in MN to get the car out, start it up, and diagnose. My alternative plan was to use the SparkBright product, but it appears they're no longer in business.

John Ibele

02-12-2023, 11:55 PM

Finished up the PS fresh air vent fixturing today.

I put the pull for the cable control in the middle of the footbox ... not in the way of knees and shins the way I thought it would be, and a straight run to the front.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52675698344_466e515968_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ofLHVA)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ofLHVA) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I put the vent of the top of the box on the PS side, as others have done. Ace had a grommet that fit the cable conduit perfectly.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52675698464_9b4ea6c6ea_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ofLHXE)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ofLHXE) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Unlike on the DS side, the valve isn't a straight run for the cable, so I looped it back up, and made a fixture to hold the cable end. The compression fitting from the plumbing aisle at Ace came in handy again. I used the silicone ducting from Pegasus Racing ... not much more than the neoprene, and good to 450F. No worries about being too close to the headers now.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52686189770_26d7c9cf43_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ogGuEf)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ogGuEf) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52686264733_43cba18aba_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ogGSWH)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ogGSWH) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

A few finishing items and I should be ready to do a trial fit of the body for the first time.

460.465USMC

02-13-2023, 03:38 PM

Nicely done, John. The most professional looking one I can recall seeing.

I hope I don’t regret not doing footbox vents.

John Ibele

02-13-2023, 04:43 PM

Nicely done, John. The most professional looking one I can recall seeing.

I hope I don’t regret not doing footbox vents.

Thanks, Chris. Next up is take #1 on powder coating - will do my best on those fabbed parts. Should be fun.

John Ibele

02-14-2023, 11:25 PM

After considering it for quite awhile, I found myself with a bit of time after the holidays and finally decided to get the few pieces of equipment required to try out powder coating. I've used POR15 and rattle can paint on a bunch of parts, and I've also used a local PC guy who does great work. But ... it seemed like the time to try something new.

The oven was easy ... looked for free ones on the usual local boards, and found a toaster oven for $0 that was close by. The owner decided to drop it off, and apologized for not cleaning it out for me before bringing it over. Gee, that's okay, the price was right. After looking at used spray units I ended up ordering the Eastwood starter unit with two voltage settings. I have a compressor, and with the low CFM and pressures required, just about any unit will do. It was easy to get the hang of using the sprayer to dust the parts with minimal overspray. Small parts are a bit of a challenge, and I did get a small amount of shadowing around the hanger location for some of the parts.

Based on attempt #1 (I decided to forge ahead without even doing a trial piece), this will likely completely replace my use of rattle can paint. The powder is non-toxic and has no smell, any overspray can be swept up and thrown away, or (if you're up for it) collected and reused. I attempted to catch what fell under the parts, but there was so little powder on the floor after spraying I decided to skip it. The biggest odor during cure was the smell of a hot oven. After 20 minutes at 400F, I took out the shelf with all the parts hanging from it, waited for them to cool, and bolted them on. The parts have a very slight orange peel finish, but it's glossy and has a slick feel, and is much more resistant to surface scratches than paint.

So another convert to this process ... I wish I had adopted this some time ago. I'll be happy to use this for things like hood and trunk hinges. For bigger parts (say, the screen for in front of my radiator), I'll still use my PC guy.

Last item for the vents is to cut some acrylic sheet to glue to the butterfly valves, in order to completely shut off airflow through the vents when in the closed position. This will not be a serviceable item once the body is on, so I'm a little concerned about using the right adhesive to permanently bond acrylic to stainless steel. Based on what I've seen so far JB Weld epoxy will get the nod but I'm certainly open to input.

Valve with its like-new powder coated hardware:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52690355383_493fd571ba_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oh4QXa)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oh4QXa) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Blitzboy54

02-14-2023, 11:52 PM

460.465USMC

02-15-2023, 12:30 PM

Yep. Ditto on the PC. It's fun and pretty satisfying to see how the parts turn out. I agree with all the reasons you mentioned, John. Plus, a great option during the winter months (for us northern builders) because it doesn't require minimum temperature or humidity levels like painting. Nice job.

John Ibele

02-15-2023, 04:21 PM

Nicely done as always John. I caught the PC big early. Sometimes I just PC rando me things around the garage for no reason whatsoever.

The fresh air vents look so sharp. On really hot muggy days they will pay dividends.

Yep. Ditto on the PC. It's fun and pretty satisfying to see how the parts turn out. I agree with all the reasons you mentioned, John. Plus, a great option during the winter months (for us northern builders) because it doesn't require minimum temperature or humidity levels like painting. Nice job.

Thanks Jesse and Chris. Yes, it's nice to think about retiring my "spray booth" (consisting of wobbly old card table, large and very black cardboard box, and plastic drop cloth walls hung from the garage door hanger, and closed with painter's tape) - for good. It was time to either upgrade, or set aside the old approach for good.

John Ibele

03-08-2023, 04:50 PM

It's been awhile! So I figured I get the build thread caught up with actual progress.

I had a few last things to do to get the vents working the way I like.

The Dickinson vents can work fine, but take a bit of blueprinting. The last item to take care of was getting a full seal on the vent when in a closed position. I used a sheet of 3/32" or so acrylic sheet epoxied to the stainless butterfly valve, and some adhesive-backed EPDM foam to get a seal around the value in the closed position:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52700764959_602453c533_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ohZcmB)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ohZcmB) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52708808444_fef090fb10_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oiGqpo)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oiGqpo) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The final result is a couple of vents that are free from binding, pull easily, and seal completely. But ... a fair amount of tinkering and fabbing to get there.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52715395249_7401647890_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ojhbqZ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ojhbqZ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

One final surprise ... the Dickinson vents are actually 3" ID, and so is the high temp duct material I purhased. So ... no way to get the duct material over the vent directly. Fortunately and not surprisingly the duct material is compatible with the Spectre air-handling components, which are 3" OD. So the DS side was an easy fix with an addition of another Spectre Performance coupler and a 45* stainless elbow.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52734917686_ee592c16dc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2om1eLJ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2om1eLJ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

03-08-2023, 04:51 PM

I had an oops to get over with my Wilwood brake setup which I wrote about here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?45442-Wilwood-Pedal-Box-Clevis-Clearance). To get that off my mind I figured it was finally time to get the body on the car and begin fitting it.

First I struggled with where to create a mess ... and I really didn't want to do it in the garage. I waited for winter to get off the driveway for a few weeks, and lined up the required help.

Extra carpet / moving pads ... anything is better than a driveway for the body. Son, fiancé and roommate generously offered to hang out for the day and participate in 3 body on / mark / trim / off exercises. Huge help!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52730881614_f3146c6049_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2okDxZh)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2okDxZh) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I had all the other tools, just one more thing needed ... Chris's recent post (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36627-460-465USMC-s-MK4-Build-9890-Door-Latch-Mod-(-quot-Old-quot-Style)&p=513702&viewfull=1#post513702) on all the details and tips that can be gathered up on the forum, and take you beyond what you have in the manual. Thanks Chris!

I did fit #1 with all the weather stripping on, and protection over all of it:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52735357153_6373948445_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2om3upK)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2om3upK) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52735291835_f65a6f48fc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2om39Zz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2om39Zz) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I had marked the aluminum panels with a sharpie when I first received the kit, before removing the body or the panels. This was a build school idea, and results in a line about 3/16" away from the body (weatherstripping seeems to need about 1/4" minimum). I trimmed to these lines before putting the aluminum back on, so I knew most places were going to be close to final fit. Close, but there wasn't enough play to move the body forward enough to get 1/4" of body in front of the top of the door strike plate.

So trim #1 was to take 1/4" off the bottom trunk and the back (vertical portion) of the trunk side panels:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52735132939_a4f2a0b808_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2om2kKZ)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2om2kKZ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I also took a bit off the dash cockpit rollover to allow some additional forward movement of the body.

Fitting #2 gave me what we were looking for, 1/4" of body in front of the strike plate:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52731040655_73331056da_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2okEngn)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2okEngn) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

We marked up the front dash rollover again to make sure we had a clean, even line with respect to the dash. I cleaned that up with the pneumatic angle grinder, and made sure it was reasonably straight using my old 3x21" belt sander with an 80 grit belt.

Fit #3 seemed to fit just fine, with proper positioning of the body front-to-back, good alignment with the rear quick jack fittings, and with some fiddling, good alignment with the front frame members. A check of the fenders with respect to the frame showed we were centered to within 1/32" or so. One frame member could be moved over 3/8" or so for the slots to be centered on the body holes when the body is centered, but that's an easy fix. I expect relative positions to change some when I put the car back down on the wheels, but we should have room for enough adjustment as it is.

We took a few photos, then put the body back on the buck so I could stare down my brake adjustment problem (which is now done!) and tend to a few punch list items.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52730998504_598fc13a80_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2okE9JC)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2okE9JC) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52730881609_6826ca68fd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2okDxZc)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2okDxZc) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

It's great to see the body sitting on the frame for the first time in (many) years, and the engine in its proper surroundings. It's also a good reminder to get all your engine issues settled and maintenance procedures considered ... I have no desire to spend much time leaning over a finished paint job to deal with anything major.

With one more punch list item complete (fix my alternator warning light) I should be ready to to get the body back on to fit the windshield.

460.465USMC

03-09-2023, 02:43 PM

cc2Arider

03-09-2023, 03:00 PM

Nice progress! :)

Craig C

Blitzboy54

03-09-2023, 07:41 PM

I have no desire to spend much time leaning over a finished paint job to deal with anything major.

I learned this the hard way. I wish I had shaken her down longer. At the end of the upcoming season I found a body and paint man that will touch up my finish.

John, she looks great. Congratulations On getting to this point. Such a classy build.

John Ibele

03-09-2023, 11:49 PM

Wahoo! Congrats, John. That's a great feeling, isn't it? I think we're both more than ready to drive our Roadsters. The build is a blast and all, but man, I'm ready to get it on the road. You're one big step closer now.

I couldn't agree more! It's still fun building but I really ready to get the car on the road sometime this spring. I'm thinking the fresh air vents are the last detour I'm going to take.

I have to say, I almost felt guilty using your compilation of all the tips out there on the forum for body fitting. That made it super easy to get the body on, know where to look for areas to trim, and get it dialed in all in a day. That's a big help and I'm sure it will be to others as well.

I learned this the hard way. I wish I had shaken her down longer. At the end of the upcoming season I found a body and paint man that will touch up my finish.

John, she looks great. Congratulations On getting to this point. Such a classy build.

Thanks Jesse ... long time coming but rounding the home stretch, I think. Looking forward to a summer of driving rather than building!

HGs_notes

03-13-2023, 11:49 AM

Looks good, I'm getting real close to getting the body on also. Hopefully within the next few weeks.

John Ibele

03-13-2023, 02:23 PM

I had a buddy join me for a dedicated car day on Friday, something he's been wanting to do for a long time. Having someone join you to work on the car for an entire day isn't something to be arranged casually – many variables from work habits and standards to the particular work to be done that need to line up. Fifteen minutes into our 7:00 am start with coffee and the manual, I knew I had a good match of project and helper. He asked good questions, was hesitant to dive into anything yet very capable … the kind you can turn your back on when he has a tool in his hand. Fun day.

Some work notes:

1.) The body went on and off 3 times during the day with only two of us. The previous weekend (another 3x on / off day) I had 3 helpers and even then, due to insufficient instructions or prep on my part, the frame picked up a few scuffs on the powdercoat. No big deal and it's going to happen sometime somewhere. If you’re working alone with the body suspended or with only two folks, you need to decide how to protect the frame sides as the body comes down. Duct tape the frame side, use pipe insulation on the bottom edge of the body sides, wood rub rails … all can help. The pipe insulation works great, easy on and off (since you need to remove it when you get to the bottom and are ready to slide the sides under the frame.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52740610437_a21c244124_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omvq2B)

Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omvq2B) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52741538555_9c35786c7b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omAaVD)

Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omAaVD) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

2.) We started with unpacking the windshield and hardware and carefully installed the side posts, taking care to only turn the screws until there was the slightest bit of resistance so as not to strip the threads. A quick dry-fit of the side posts to the frame showed that the side posts needed to be cut to length ... we did an angle cut which left them too long, did a bit more research on line. I ended up with 12 ½” inches length which avoided any interference and still left plenty of material below the bottom hole. Obviously cut those when detached from the windshield. I'm sure the 4" grinder would have been faster, but the hacksaw was handy and the cut went quickly this way.

3.) We cut slots in the body for the side posts next. If you are doing cutouts yourself, you can use the marked locations as a good left - right positioning guide, but you should adjust your cutout angle to match the posts when they are mounted on the windshield. They are not parallel with the centerline of the car, and the slots shouldn't be either.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52741379304_226c11776e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omzmzW)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omzmzW) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Totally off topic, but man am I getting lucky with the condition of my 'body work / messy room' on car days! In between it looks like this ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52735245805_a06acbbf6c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2om2ViX)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2om2ViX) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

All right, back on track ...

4.) We had one follow-up item from last weekend. While we got the front of the body centered on the frame, we were at the limit of travel on the slots for the quick jack attachment in the DS frame member. It needed to move 3/8” toward the center of the car to allow more room for adjustment. After disconnecting the Breeze lower mount, some taps with a BFH against a 2/4 scrap held against the thin-walled frame member delivered the needed result.

5.) Fitting one:

[*=1]I hadn’t put weatherstrip on the firewall extension last weekend, so added it this time. That resulted in the body being higher with respect to the frame on the PS than on the DS side, with complete compression of the new weather strip. Also, the notch needed to be deeper to allow the windshield posts to slide into place.

[*=1]Remove body, trim the PS firewall extension, deepen the notch.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52741378689_5423545a6d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omzmpk)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omzmpk) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

6.) Fitting two:

[*=1]Good news: now the left and right sides are approximately the same height above the frame, and the weatherstrip on the firewall extension doesn’t look completely crushed. For the first time, the windshield goes through the slots on the body and clears the frame, but doesn’t allow the desired rake to hit 27” from center of top post screw to top back of door gap. This measurement has been discussed plenty and Jeff Kleiner’s money shots for measurement points can be found here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36484-Correct-Windshield-Angle&p=417023&viewfull=1#post417023).

We did a bit of additional work with rasp and file on the post openings to get the right rake on the windshield. You need to make sure the windshield is sitting firmly down on the body: look for any daylight between the rubber strip and body at the low points near the posts.

[*=1]Bad news: both DS and PS are sitting on the curved portion of the dash.

[*=1]Remove body, trim dash ends.

It doesn’t look like a thing of beauty in this shot, but it cleaned up easily on both sides and the Super 77 is holding after simply wrapping the leather back around the back. This is one of the relatively few times I used a hand nibbler – it was almost as fast as other options, but more importantly, created the kind of mess that was easier to clean up and keep off the dash. I'm sure a good snips would work as well or better here.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52741538495_44d7a573f7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omAaUB)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omAaUB) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

7.) Fitting three:

[*=1]The dash isn’t holding up the body, which is sitting for the most part on the weatherstrip on the firewall. The front of the body is centered with some adjustment room in the quickjack mount slots (although the hood opening doesn’t really allow a whole lot of left / right movement anyway). Most importantly, the windshield is within 1/8” or so of 27” inches on each side.
[*=1] We reached in to mark the holes to be drilled in the side posts, left our adjustable prop stick in place to hold the windshield, took a progress shot and capped it off with beer and peanuts. That's a good day right there! Next up will be drilling the side posts and doing a complete dry fit.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52743976201_19024ef0b6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2omNEy2)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2omNEy2) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

460.465USMC

03-13-2023, 03:47 PM

Great idea on the pipe insulation on the rocker panels while body is put on/off. I'm using PVC pipe, but I think I'll pick up a section of insulation for additional protection.

Congrats on the windshield install. I was smiling as I read it, because I too would put the body on. Make note of the interference areas. Remove body. Remove interfering material. Put body back on. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. I'm pretty sure I'm closing in on ten body on/off sequences.

Great progress.

John Ibele

03-13-2023, 03:56 PM

John Ibele

03-17-2023, 10:05 PM

With the body on, I picked out some other items to work on.

Side mirrors and rear view mirror ... it's fun looking ahead and getting a glimpse of what the finished car will feel like. I took out my bullet mirror and played around with it a bit. I know that many go with the Breeze mirrors on the side posts, and I know they work well. But I really like the side mirrors off the windshield and on the body, so if I can get functional use out of mirrors in that location, I'm going to do it. Loosening the screw in the front of the 'bullet' allows you to adjust the mirror and then lock it down in the desired position. So an adjustable mirror ... kinda. Since I'm likely the only person to be driving the car, it certainly seems like it can work. I can see the blind spot on the driver's side clearly and don't have any of the mirror filled with rear fender, which is useless. So for now, that's the plan. Rear view mirror ... again, unlike most I think it looks just great on the body above the dash, and I seem to get great visibility with it there. Lots of time left to ponder that. Holley has bullet side mirrors with both convex and flat mirrors, so I'll try those out for the passenger side.

Has anyone had a little voice in their head say, "gee, brass is soft, you should be able to gently bend that windshield sidepost so there's no longer 1/32" of daylight between the post and the windshield, and it'll look so much better"? I listened to that voice for about 2 days, and I would say ... think very carefully before you head down that road, and only proceed if you know exactly what you're doing, have done it before, and have the right tools. I'm very happy that I have a sidepost which fits almost EXACTLY the way it did before I fiddled with it. Certainly no worse, but only marginally better, and after considerable ... learning. 'nuff said.

I played around with my dash warning light, which I have hooked up to the alternator. Not sure if many folks still use this wiring option in the FFR / RF wiring instructions. I have the light wired in parallel with a 510 Ohm, 1/4W resistor to the alternator. When the key is on but the engine isn't started, the alternator has no field and voltage delta is around 12V across the dash light, so the light is on. Which is the way it should be. When the the engine is started, the alternator field is excited and the voltage delta should drop to about 3V or less. Which it also does. But the light doesn't go out.

It would if I had stuck with the incandescent lights that came with the kit, but I converted to LED dash lights from Watson Streetworks. I love their look, and set them up to dim at night (when I swear they can sear your eyeballs). Man those things are bright.

Unfortunately, that 3V is enough to light the LED. How about cutting the voltage down by putting a 510 Ohm resistor on that side of the circuit (since I have those handy), in series with the LED? That should cut the voltage down. A few hours of seat-of-the-pants, math-free, empirical electronic experimentation later, some 100k Ohm resistors are on order. Man, those LEDs are efficient (I think I heard that somewhere before...).

That doesn't yield a satisfactory answer. The best I could do with the 100k Ohm resistor in place was a very dim dash light when the alternator was working properly, and a somewhat less dim light when it wasn't.

I have one of these (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019F3BEIO?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) on order, which should give me 12V to the light when the delta between battery and alternator field is >10+ Volts, and 0V to the light when it's less than that. IN other words, a very bright light when something is wrong, and no light if not. Fingers crossed.

While waiting for that to show up, I blueprinted my latches using this thread (https://www.linger.com/cobra/DoorLatchRepair.htm) plus Chris's writeup (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36627-460-465USMC-s-MK4-Build-9890-A-Door-Opens-A-Door-closes&p=518759&viewfull=1#post518759) from a few days ago. Some brief items to highlight after following those threads:

I used an 8-32 tap and screw to hold the knobs in place; those seemed more to scale with the knobs and also left more material around the tapped hole.
Good tip to use the 80 grit on the belt sander to get the carriage bolt head flat.
I did remove the small coil spring, relying only on the plunger spring. I'm figuring if I have the latch set up for free movement and proper alignment all around, I shouldn't need the additional spring.
I used graphite spray to get into all the moving parts.

Photos, to show it happened:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52754004101_fe51b1c430_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2onG4uR)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2onG4uR) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52753466052_3213e27223_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2onDiy9)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2onDiy9) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Jeff Kleiner

03-17-2023, 10:17 PM

John,
Simple fix—-wire an incandescent light in parallel with the LED and tuck it up behind the dash. Nobody will be the wiser and the alternator LED will act like it’s supposed to.

Jeff

John Ibele

03-17-2023, 10:19 PM

John,
Wire an incandescent light in parallel with the LED and tuck it up behind the dash. Nobody will be the wiser and the alternator LED will act like it’s supposed to.

Jeff

Well there's a handy tip. Thanks Jeff!

Fixit

03-20-2023, 05:46 AM

Jeff Kleiner

03-20-2023, 07:30 AM

John Ibele

03-20-2023, 08:15 AM

John... Take a look here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?27544-40-Watt-Garage-6200-miles&p=366059&viewfull=1#post366059) and check your pieces... Like you, I did all the right things & modifications, then it didn't work right.

Thanks Fixit, one more item to steer clear of! I don't know which I have, but now I know to check.

Ah yes, my friend Fixit got the “little hole” spacers. There are also “big hole” spacers which don’t interfere. Luck of the draw which you’ll get but I know da Bat and I both do a little happy dance when we open up the door hardware and find a pair of big hole spacers…and trust me, if you’ve never seen Miller do his happy dance it’s a sight to behold!

So yes, you may need to relieve the spacer or latch but also be aware that when a spacer isn’t used (passenger side only needs one about 50% of the time) the rotating portion often rubs on the fiberglass under the latch and that will need to be cut away.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I'll have to make room for my carriage bolt head regardless if I don't use the spacer. I haven't seen Miller do his happy dance ... lemme think ... you're not asking me to picture that, are you? Isn't that one of those things you can't unsee once you see it?

Jeez these latches. Most heavily blueprinted item in the kit. Wait, there's the e-brake. And the dash, which I did to myself, and the ...

Windsor

03-20-2023, 07:59 PM

Another hack would be to wire three power diodes (e.g. 1N4001) in series, nose-to-tail, and tie them in series with your light circuit.

Each one is a ~1v drop, give or take about .1v.

John Ibele

03-20-2023, 11:38 PM

Another hack would be to wire three power diodes (e.g. 1N4001) in series, nose-to-tail, and tie them in series with your light circuit.

Each one is a ~1v drop, give or take about .1v.

I have my low voltage shutoff in hand and verified it works with 12V down to 3V, so I think I'm good to go. I'm a little puzzled by how your option would work. But, I have a box of 1N4001 and a breadboard ready at hand, easy to play around with that for a bit. Thanks.

John Ibele

03-20-2023, 11:44 PM

Did I say I was done with latches? Get it all gliding smooth as butter, put on the pretty cover, and now it sounds like dragging cast iron over a gravel road. What the heck?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52757168512_c788f12436_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2onYhaE)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2onYhaE) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Remove cover, fine-file the flashing on the inside edges, put a drill bit under the handle lever and bend it down ... okay, good now. Until I have to deal with the small hole spacers.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52758224578_cf96591dfd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oo4G6G)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oo4G6G) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

egchewy79

03-21-2023, 06:06 AM

I had to bend/twist my handle as well as it was rubbing on the cover.

Jeff Kleiner

03-21-2023, 07:15 AM

John Ibele

03-21-2023, 08:41 AM

Ya’all realize that these latches are an example of genuine nineteenth century British engineering, right? I mean, they were originally used on horse drawn carriages so you can’t expect them to be as sophisticated as the more modern British designs…like the wipers.

Jeff

Really. And here I thought I was doing so well putting off any thoughts of wipers, pleasant or otherwise, until I had absolutely nothing left to do :rolleyes:

Ted G

03-21-2023, 11:15 AM

Just about to put on the "new" latches from FFR. I think they might be a bit better than the old ones but, I had to retrofit the old latch tabs.

181904 181905 181906

John Ibele

03-21-2023, 12:12 PM

Just about to put on the "new" latches from FFR. I think they might be a bit better than the old ones but, I had to retrofit the old latch tabs.

181904 181905 181906

Well, something to think about if I get really tired of my 19th Century engineering made for carriages. Nice work, Ted. That looks slick.

John Ibele

03-29-2023, 10:53 PM

I'm continuing to work toward putting the body on for what I hope is the last time, so working on the before-body punchlist items.

First up was the windshield posts. The mounting surfaces of the side posts when mounted on the windshield are definitely not parallel, whereas the mounting surfaces on the car are. Some folks have bent theirs to match the chassis, or at least get them parallel. Without making this a recommendation (you always need to know your limits), I can describe what I did, which has worked out well for me so far.

I set the windshield in the curved foam cradle it was shipped in, which is a really handy caddy until the windshield is in its final home on the car. I leveled the table the windshield was sitting on, and centered the windshield in the cradle. That way I could use the angle gauge directly on the side posts and work toward 0* on each post separately. Here's a picture of the PS post dialed into a 0* angle (or close enough).

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780766644_1b3423330d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq4e51)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq4e51) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

After taking an initial reading, the next step was bending (or twisting, actually). To do the bending, I taped the posts to keep any incidental contact with any other metal from scratching the chrome. I did all bending below the body line only. And always had the posts captured on each side with either soft wood or metal cushioned with a few thicknesses of tape. Here's a shot of a post in the vise:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52779980042_5bebaaa809_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2opZceU)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2opZceU) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

While I was at it, I figured I would try to hit the distance between the mounting surfaces on the chassis, which for me is 50-3/4". I was able to accomplish some of this with my twist on each side post, with only 1/16" - 1/8" to get in place with a couple of bends after getting the mounting surfaces parallel.

I now have two posts parallel to each other, and the desired distance apart along their length. Warning, this is slow, methodical work, and took several hours. I can't tell you that your chrome won't peel off the brass or that other bad things won't happen. You need to be very careful with the screws holding the side posts in the brass strip, as many others have mentioned. But for me, it worked and worked well. Here's a shot showing both the twist and the kink to get to 50-3/4".

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780769194_55f98e22f5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq4ePY)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq4ePY) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

While that was going on, my vinegaroon tea was brewing, eventually reaching a nice mahogany color after 7 days or so. I used part of a roll of 0000 steel wool in a pint mason jar filled with white vinegar, and cling wrap perforated with a few holes to keep the excitement level to a minimum. I did need to push the steel wool back down into the vinegar for a few days, and regularly tapped the jar and swirled it around a bit each time I went out into the garage.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780933550_fca34d87a9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq55FG)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq55FG) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I waited for the right opportunity, with the wife out and about, to bring the operation into the laundry room, stopping in the kitchen for a few coffee filters. I filtered the stuff 3 times or so ... the first one was very slow, and it went quite a bit faster the additional two times. I'm not sure this makes much of a difference to the leather, but I'm pretty sure that the more it's filtered the whiter your stitching is going to be. That's one of the things I was after using this approach vs. black polish.

I skipped any brushwork, figuring I'd just dip the parts briefly into the vinegaroon until they turned dark gray. Then into warm water with a few heaping spoonfuls of baking soda dumped in, then a long rinse under cold water. Those bright dots are actually the original natural leather, which hasn't seen the vinegaroon yet for some reason.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780930960_208c0e742a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq54V3)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq54V3) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

You can see how bright the stitching is, even with the leather already black. They didn't quite stay that way, and I think it may have been from whatever happened when turning them face down in the vinegaroon, or when I swirled them around in the baking soda mix. Wish I could give a more solid direction there (and have that nice bright stitching back) - but still, I think they turned out quite nice. Seat belts were just as easy, and I didn't worry about the belts spending a short time in vinegar and baking soda. With a night to dry out and with some neutral shoe cream I had sitting around, they took a nice shine. That could be the cheapest thing I've done on this car.

Just one word of warning: you'll read that vinegaroon stinks. Mine didn't smell bad while brewing, and even when I poured it out ... initially. But, wet leather that's been soaked in the stuff stinks, and it kept on stinking until it had completely dried out. Once you get them dried out and a bit of shoe cream on them, they'll once again smell like things you'd let near the rest of your car.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52779980097_cf4e65cf79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2opZcfR)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2opZcfR) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

03-29-2023, 11:02 PM

Continuing with the punchlist items, I never did get that tranny tunnel fastened down. My fake fastener strips on the side of the tranny tunnel do absolutely nothing - other than try to look pretty. So I needed another way to hold the cover on, preferably from the underside. I borrowed my approach from one of Paul's build threads, and it worked out quite well. It's a bit of an adventure getting the screws in place, but I figured one last session flat on my back on the creeper for old time's sake wasn't so bad. One highlight, I did manage to dodge the anti-seize treated screws every time they fell to the floor, although my nylon creeper is nicely adorned with silver highlights now. Okay, done with one more item. The picture's a bit wonky due to the wide angle setting, but it shows the front two mounting brackets on the underside of the tranny tunnel, with my ashtray in between. I have a third bracket in the back as well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780930910_5a78c27164_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq54Ub)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq54Ub) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

And, checking one more item off the list - bumpers to hold the body up at the front of the car. I took some 3/4" chunks of wood and slipped them under the body just before I took it off the last time, and that seemed to be what was going to be needed to get the body in the right vertical position for the front mounts to line up. I grabbed some rubber rings that came with some of the air intake components I purchased for my fresh air vents and sliced them into sections. Getting close to putting that body on for good.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52780985223_480b74b8a2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oq5m3B)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oq5m3B) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Jeff Kleiner

03-30-2023, 07:15 AM

Looking good John!

Jeff

cc2Arider

03-30-2023, 06:05 PM

I like the rubber body bumpers :)

Craig C

John Ibele

03-31-2023, 09:38 AM

I like the rubber body bumpers :)

Craig C

Pro tip (see poster directly above you :rolleyes:). Just doin' my best hacking away, trying to follow whatever expert advice I run across!

In this case, it was obvious the body was hanging low with the quickjack bolts in front holding it up. Remove the bolts, and the body was just dangling free with the last support some 1/3 the way up the hood opening. So when the bolts are in place, that foam tape wasn't doing any good on the front 1/3. The bumpers will get you better support, taking some of the weight of the front of the body off the quickjack / overrider bolts & grommets, and also giving you the clearance you need for the hood hinge hardware.

Blitzboy54

04-04-2023, 11:03 AM

I just like saying the word Vinegaroon

John Ibele

04-16-2023, 11:30 AM

It's been a bit since I've updated the build thread, but fortunately the car's gotten attention over the past few weeks.

The first item needs some explanation, otherwise anyone who wandered into the build thread to learn something (fat chance!), or more likely just thought they might be entertained, would conclude that I really never wanted to finish this car in the first place.

The context is: Meeenahsotah, as we say it here. People get a little wobbly here in the end of winter. Michiganders (especially the Yoopers!) and a few others can sympathize. Those with sufficient funds, planning skills and a stack of unread best-sellers in their suitcase flee to someplace warm. Others say something about 'building character' and try to tough it out. Once the state hockey tournament is over and all reasonable risk of another blizzard is behind us, it's just a matter of eying the forecast for the first real spring day.

Then April Fools Day arrived. And the house looked like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52821956469_d1500d0d11_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otGknp)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otGknp) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Such events bring dark thoughts into the minds of even the hardiest of Minnesotans. For me, blissfully without gainful employment for the first time in 32 years and enjoying it all immensely, thoughts turned to what life would be like if I didn't have the car to occupy my time. This in turn conjured up disturbing images of 'running errands' or, God forbid, doing jigsaw puzzles all day with my lovely wife. Who isn't the type to sit around all day doing jigsaw puzzles - just one of the many reasons I think she's lovely.

So after 3 hours of attending to the white stuff, I retreated to the garage, and figured I should come up with a list of truly inconsequential things to attend to so that the build could last forever. Just in case winter did.

Perfect task: the cheesy panel nut that sits under the cheesy knob that comes with the Vintage Air heater. I replaced the knob with a nice chrome one to match the one on the headlight switch. But the cheap panel nut doesn't serve as a decent bezel, and isn't even a distant cousin to the headlight switch panel nut that I polished up, and sits right next to it.

A visit to Ace revealed that the panel nut isn't a 7/16" UNC or UNF, it's actually a 7/16" UNEF. Back to the phone, and the Grainger site, which brought up a nice stainless steel nut of the right thread.

Fortunately, its 3/8" thick - beefy! But too beefy. So I cut it in half ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52821960354_571b05aa55_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otGmwo)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otGmwo) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Which was great ... except while it was the right thickness, it was still too beefy in the other dimensions. Not gonna take much time, mark and shave a bit off each face ... then polish it up ...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52821960319_43c76f9749_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otGmvM)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otGmvM) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Okay, better ... winter done yet? We got another inch this morning, I could keep this up forever ... for instance, notice how I now have a chrome knob, a stainless nut, sitting next to a polished aluminum nut right next door? See what I mean?

John Ibele

04-16-2023, 12:00 PM

Seriously, though, I do want to be driving this car by Memorial Day or thereabouts. And while there's snow on the ground today, ice-out was this week, so pretty soon I'm going to get antsy about being on the road. Without further ado ...

Heater got buttoned up. The defrost on the passenger side is going to be fake ...I'm just not going to come up with some custom thing to get above the heater box. So I used the upper opening on the passenger side for passenger heat.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52791778815_54e4d6392b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2or2EB2)
by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I actually don't know the best method to keep the hoses on their connections but I figured HVAC tape would do. It's engineered to stick and stay, and it doesn't let air through, so I'm calling it good. I also don't know where the heater outlets are supposed to go ... none of my under dash panels are big enough or empty enough, so this will have to do.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52791868320_6475752030_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2or38dd)
by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52791390591_c3ce476529_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oqZFcv)
by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

04-16-2023, 12:40 PM

Next up was the wipers, and I spent a lot of time tweaking these. You can find a number of threads where people have made these work well, many of which leave the details out. So I'll tell you what I did. For me, this was somewhat like the e-brake: not ideal, but with some blueprinting or more significant modifications, can be made to work decently well.

Here's what one looks like when it's been sitting around in a garage for 10 years.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52821956174_44c04d1a6d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otGkhj)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otGkhj) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Shockingly (or maybe not), I'm not cleaning them up. Most importantly, notice that the cable isn't forced to engage with the gear by the housing. I bent the center curved piece of the housing to keep the cable against the gears, with a small allowance for clearance, figuring that if there was any binding when I tightened things up, it was the tubing alignment that needed to be adjusted, not the center piece of the housing. After doing that, it looked like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52822217568_da1f8c2154_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otHEZ7)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otHEZ7) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

That's a good start, but there was a lot of additional bending, filing, creative language ... used to get the tubing in line with cable when positioned this way. One tip, make sure that when your tubing flares are done, there is no way the cable can touch any part of the flared part of the tube: just shouldn't happen. Take any offending material off with a small round file or your favorite Dremel attachment.

When all done, the finished housing looked like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52822182795_6d81164b99_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otHuDz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otHuDz) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I ditched the brass 8-32 screws that came with the wipers and tapped for some 10-32 button head hex screws. Same pitch, larger diameter should give me more engagement surface area. There aren't many threads there but I trust myself not to over-torque. When properly tweaked the setup doesn't bind, and there's no way the cable can pull away from the gear teeth.

One more mod: when you tighten the gear housings onto the car, the threads really want to pull the housing into a 90* entrance / exit with respect to the body, and you don't want that. Anything you can do maintain the angle defined by the drilling jig is worth it. Here's a Paul (edwardb) tip that works well - go to Ace and get some of the square aluminum channel that fits nicely over the housing. Use the drilling jig or a bevel gauge to mark the angle on the channel, and cut it at that angle. You get something that looks like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52822184380_085b17faac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otHv7U)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otHv7U) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I epoxied mine in place after dry fitting everything. No need to have anything moving that shouldn't be moving. Anything you can do to keep these housings at the right angle w.r.t. the body and not moving is worth it.

In addition, I cut out some 1/16" neoprene rubber to go over the square channel, so that the channel doesn't rest directly on the bottom side of the body.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52822184585_4878d7ce5f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2otHvbr)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2otHvbr) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The end result is a system that doesn't make a machine-gun noise when I turn it on, works without any binding, but also can't be stalled out with any amount of finger pressure on the rotating studs coming up from the gear housing. Once I had gotten that far, I stuck on the wipers and ran it dry, and got the same satisfying smooth action. These are as bullet-proof as I can get with what I have on hand, and I can't think of what could make them better (other than getting packed with grease, which I'll do before the last install), so I'm calling it good, and moving on.

Blitzboy54

04-17-2023, 10:43 AM

John Ibele

04-17-2023, 12:31 PM

Hey pal, not to give you anything else to fiddle with but I have the exact same setup for my heater. I have my cockpit vents in the same location. Here is the issue, when it's cold the heater works fantastic. I really like it. But when it's hot and I have it off REALLY hot engine air moves through the blower fan and puts hot air on your lap when in motion. It was 85 this weekend (ducks behind a desk) and I finally figured out what was happening.

There are 2 possible solutions. One is cover the inlet to the blower fan. This is fine, although it requires finding something that already fits or fabricating something. I don't like the idea of needing to go into the engine bay and removing something in order to use my heater. 2nd option is to replace the louvers with something that closes. This is what I am doing I have ordered these and should have them this week. I can't promise this will work but I bet it will. These were the only closing louvers I could find that were the same size and shape. I am assuming I can remove the old ones and replace them in the same plastic holder. I will let you know.

https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/32-40-round-louver-2-duct-hose

Either way this may be something you want to get in front of before paint if possible. I plan to do a general post after I finish to update the community but wanted to give you a heads up.

Hey Jesse, thanks for looking out for me ... good news or bad, it's always best to deal with the reality in front of you! I'll think on that and look for your broader note.

Edit: did a brief search, and I think something like this is what's needed. You'd cut into both hoses, not just the one. In closed position, the coolant would cycle right back to the pump, and the heater would have its own loop (of non-moving coolant). In open position, you have the heater included in the loop, with a bit of a jog through the bypass valve for each hose. Make sure to get the pull to open version, not pull to close.

Old Air Products (https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/25-1018-bypass-heater-valve)25-1018 - Heater Valve (https://www.oldairproducts.com/product/25-1018-bypass-heater-valve)

Further edit: not Jesse's problem, exactly. His valve seems to work fine in closing off the heater core. The problem is that forward movement of the car pushes hot engine bay air through the blower and through the vents. I can't think of a better solution than closeable louvers like he mentioned. I will drive in gelcoat this summer, and will leave what I have in place to see what I experience.

John Ibele

04-23-2023, 01:57 PM

I've been going through my "last time with body off" punch list (at least until Jeff works his magic). The major item left is the radiator screen, which I can hopefully get to later today.

Steering column is double-checked with blue Loctite on the set screw and jam nut connecting the column to the rack.
I noticed when go-karting that the wheel wasn't pointing straight when the car was heading straight. I know I had everything dialed in prior to that, so I must have done toe-in all on one side. Reset so I have exact same number of threads exposed on each tie rod, and I'll recheck toe-in when it's back on the ground. And remember to do the same turning on both inner tie rods.
DS footbox is all buttoned up. No going back now, at least not without drilling out rivets :rolleyes:
I found one item which has been kinda handy. In setting ride height, I was sitting at 4 1/2 inches in back with the collars just making contact with the spring. So no spring compression required for now (although that may change with settling and body on). In the front, I needed to rotate the collars two full turns to hit 4". I could turn the PS side that far, but the DS side was having none of it.

In doing some reading about what lubricant to use to make the collars rotate more easily, I found a coil-over brand (not Koni) which recommended something called Boeshield T-9. It's a light, penetrating lubricant like WD-40, but it has a wax in it which holds lubricant in place. It's become popular with the biking crowd for lubricating chains and yet not picking up grit, dust and dirt. I called the local bike shop, and although they didn't stock it, they were able to order it and have it for me in a few days. I'm at the point of really enjoying not paying shipping when I can.

I applied to all four coil-overs, was able to get the DS front easily to 2 turns, and with the rears, I have to really pay attention because when the collar now makes contact with the spring, there's really no change in friction, it just starts smoothly compressing the spring. So check one more thing off; I'll just have to recheck alignment when I set the car down again.
One final thing, I did some checking on MN's process for getting your car titled, registered and licensed. The state does have a kit car / custom / street rod law, which at least gives you an established path to getting to the result you want. Not surprisingly, no one in the DMV is really an expert on the process, since it gets used so little. So I got a slightly different answer each time I called for information. I finally got someone to send me the 8 step process in email, which isn't necessary to bore anyone with, but to give you an idea, required two trips with the car on a trailer to get inspected - and fail - before getting to the desired end result. Well, if Fixit could do it in 1/2 day and one trip, that's what I'm shooting for.

But I could get behind step one at least, which was to go to the local DMV office with what I had in hand to 'get the registration started'. Photos of all 4 sides of the car, photos of the frame number, engine block stamped number, and transmission tag. Receipts for the major items, but I wasn't interested in bringing in the whole 3 ring binder. So copies of the FFR 'big' order, the engine invoice from my local builder, and the trans / bell / flywheel / clutch ... receipt. Well, the helpful lady behind the counter just kept on going, and I wasn't about to stop her ... I ended up walking out with the registration complete, a VIN assigned (the FFR frame number, which is handy), and temporary plates, all without paying the big tax bill. As far as I can tell almost none of this was by the book, but I'm old enough to know when to stop asking questions.

The permanent plates should come before the temporary plates expire, so that just leaves me with the inspection, after which I should be able to get my title. I'm assuming I'll have to pay the tax pill at that point, but again ... did I say I'm old enough to know when to stop asking questions? Considering how often public official lack of knowledge works in your favor ... I'm taking this as a win :cool:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52840112068_1db3a13003_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oviooY)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oviooY) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52840085050_8091c24ccd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ovifn9)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ovifn9) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

460.465USMC

04-24-2023, 04:01 PM

F500guy

04-24-2023, 04:14 PM

That is sometimes the easiest way to fix a small steering wheel alignment, especially if the rack is pretty well centered.

Railroad

04-24-2023, 05:28 PM

I think you will do well to insulate the fresh air duct and or the header tubes, where they intersect.
That metal sleeve will turn into a heater for your fresh air, IMO.

John Ibele

04-24-2023, 07:38 PM

Congrats on such an excellent start on your MN title/licensing process. That's a win. Thanks for the tip/picture on the T-9 lubricant.

My steering wheel points approx. one hour CCW. It's been that way since I did the alignment. I've been holding off thinking I would wait until final alignment with body on, right before it's licensed and road worthy. Before the alignment, I centered my steering rack and checked lock-to-lock (added spacer to one side to equalize). I assume I can disconnect the steering shaft from the splined shaft at the rack, and rotate it a spline or two CW to center the steering wheel. I believe my tie rod thread exposure is equal. Is my thinking wrong?

Chris, I think your thinking is right. You should be fine. I did the same thing when setting up my steering, and then marked the rack / steering column connection with an ink pen, so I know which spline was exact center, and have it Loctited in. But then I did all my adjusting for toe-in on one side for some reason. When I counted exposed threads on the inner tie rods I had two fewer threads on the side where I did the adjusting. So I've backed that one out by one turn, turned the other in one turn, and should be close to where I need to be once I set it down. Am minor goof and easily corrected.

That is sometimes the easiest way to fix a small steering wheel alignment, especially if the rack is pretty well centered.

Thanks, I figured I wasn't going to run into to trouble that way, particularly since I know how I got there in the first place!

I think you will do well to insulate the fresh air duct and or the header tubes, where they intersect.
That metal sleeve will turn into a heater for your fresh air, IMO.

Thanks Railroad. I've been keeping tabs on Blitzboy's adventures in hot air, and I'm going to try his approach first (blocking off the vent in the summer). I'm driving in gel coat this summer, so there would be other opportunities to work on the stuff under the hood with it fully open later. The ducts can also be insulated if hot air in the cabin is a problem. I think that one on the DS would be fine since the duct material is good to 450F, but it's only a few inches away from the header. I'll probably wrap that with some Relect-a-Gold tape.

John Ibele

04-26-2023, 10:38 PM

I got the body prepped for putting on the car for good (at least until paint) yesterday, knocking off the mold ridges with an 80 grit pad on the angle die grinder, clearancing the windshield side post openings just a bit, and giving the body a good wash.

Today I got the last item on the "body on" punch list done: radiator protection. After scouting out several build threads for ideas, I pretty much copied Toadster's take on a screen, using #6 stainless mesh for the screen, and 1/16" x 1/2" aluminum strip for the frame. It worked out great. Thanks, Toadster!

23" wide x 19-1/2" tall worked well for overall dimensions. The short rivets barely make it through the frame but hold just fine, leaving just a small protrusion on the back of the frame. I used 1/2" nylon spacers with #8 screws to hold the frame on top, drilling through the Breeze upper radiator bracket hinge. On the bottom, I drilled all the way through the Breeze square channel that is part of the lower bracket, and you'll need 2" screws to go through the frame, the 1/2" spacers, the radiator aluminum flange, and the Breeze bracket.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52849999285_8f6bfbfcd5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2owb4we)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2owb4we) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

It's handsome as is, but I am planning on getting the screen powder coated black. The screen is worth considering in place of the mesh I got as an option with the kit for the brake vents. I'll have to do a side by side comparison to see which looks better.

And, to cap off the day, I grabbed a couple of family members after dinner to put the body on one last time. They've gotten to be pros at that. So the body is sitting in just the right spot for the front and rear 7/16" threaded rod to get spun in, and is sitting 1/4" in front of each door latch plate. All set up for fitting doors, trunk and hood next, and a great way to end the day.

John Ibele

05-28-2023, 04:06 PM

Yikes, I haven't posted in forever. The combination of spring actually showing up in MN and wanting to get this car on the road ... something's gotta give! So I figure I should at least get some photos stuffed in here to prove it happened, and maybe there will be a build tip or two in there somewhere.

The body's on for the last time until bodywork and paint. Great to see it in place, and starting to get locked in with threaded rod front and back. All lights are hooked up and function as they did when tested in the go-kart stage. Love that 10* thing going on with the blinker lights ... at least enough to get on the road, but will probably get them straight up and down before body and paint.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925341831_f8dbbe81f8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQdeD)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQdeD) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Rollbars are in with grommets, which really give a nice finished look. I was stressed about the lineup of everything since I did my own cutouts and just cut to Sharpie line made by FFR. Not usually quite that trusting, but worked out great.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925790733_7d128478b7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSvFk)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSvFk) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The fasteners on the DS worked fine, but on the PS, I ended up with one right in line with my weatherstripping on top of the trunk side. With enough persuasion I was able to get a nut (taped into a wrench) under the screw. One of those fun parts of the job, but worked out fine. Better than the photo, which is blurry, but you get the idea.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925727910_31e8ee7290_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSc1b)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSc1b) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

While I was in the wheel wells, I put a breather filter on the end of my gas tank vent hose, which I led over to the DS (you should do that if you haven't), and then looped. With the loop I figured gas isn't going to be lighter than air to get to the top of the loop, then turn heavier than air to get out. I never smelled any gas odor and neither did the MSN (Most Sensitive Nose) in the house, so I'm not concerned. But I don't want spiders in my gas tank, so the breather filter should do it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925726295_5be18d53a2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbwk)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbwk) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Hood is hooked up and in place. I won't go into detail here since I think it's been covered sufficiently in many other threads. I was pleased with the hinge assemblies and the gas shocks that came with the kit. Installation of the shocks caused the hood to sit a bit high in front, but that was quickly addressed with minor hinge mounting adjustments. I gapped all my panels a bit tight ... enough for clearance plus a bit, but leaving Mr. Kleiner room to work the gaps to final dimension. I'll get around to the latches ... someday soon.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52924754527_573d4a691f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCMcDH)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCMcDH) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

05-28-2023, 04:32 PM

Next up: overriders. I've been a bit cavalier about checking the manual for instructions on everything lately, and realized I'm going to get bit if I 'assume' I know what I'm doing. So I did my homework in this case, and checked to see if I was missing anything by not checking the FFR manual for overrider installation. Here we have it:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52933139815_aa3d183d8a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwbiD)
Screenshot 2023-05-28 153720 (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwbiD) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Hey, thanks FFR! Okay, back to my current, possibly-overconfident approach.

First thing you do need to know about the overriders is that there is indeed a front and a rear overrider (which I found out the time-consuming way). The mounting plates are tilted on the front overriders, so they can follow the line of the radiator.

I grabbed the rear units, and had fun torturing my wrists drilling stainless one last time, drilling the threads out and enlarging for my 7/16" threaded rod. I winged it a little in terms of distance from bumper to car (which can be easily changed), but set it up so that I could (1) protect the lights and (2) still get a nut behind the mounting plate. Mission accomplished.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925788903_8e8ce663ef_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSv8M)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSv8M) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The sequence of nuts / washers / threaded rod is pretty straightforward, but here's a couple photos for the archives. In final assembly I'll use sealed washers against the body and sections of stainless tubing for a more finished look. I have some grommets from Finish Line which would allow tubing to go straight through the body, but was advised not to use those. The nuts on either side of the body allow another front / back anchor point for the body, and allow the body to be meshed up with trunk valance. I'll get nyloc nuts in some of those locations, in case you're wondering. And no, the chord isn't permanent either :)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925726080_35437c132f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbsC)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbsC) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925340201_ae67f5e881_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcKx)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcKx) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

In front, I am using the body grommets, and as a result, do need to use my 3/4" stainless tubing now. This edwardb tip helps a lot: use some of that aluminum HVAC tape you used to seal the cockpit and wrap it around the threaded rod to keep it centered.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925494809_be909dcfe3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQZHc)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQZHc) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Here's the finished product, you can see I used some extra washers to get the rake of the overrider to match the line of the radiator exactly. I'll get those on the inside end of the tubing, minimum, or if I'm super-OCD, cut some exact lengths of ss tubing. Did I mention I'm trying to get on the road??

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925340216_177b37219b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcKN)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcKN) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

05-28-2023, 04:54 PM

Next up ... fitting the doors. Nice to see my DS door has the common symptoms, which confirms I'm on the right track. This is before I've done any manipulation of the body under the door, so this is worse than what I ended up with.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925727155_5a8804eb71_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbMa)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSbMa) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

This is a step that requires patience, but you eventually get to a point where you convince yourself you're not going to do any better. I figure you basically want to split the difference between door in on the lower front and door out on the lower rear. With the door in the final location, I did need to bevel the inside edge of the door to keep it from rubbing when opened. It's a little tough to interpret the photo, but the dark portion of the edge is the beveled part, and the bright edge is the very little bit of the edge left 'as gapped'.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52932145742_7713a5469a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDr5Ns)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDr5Ns) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Here's the final gap on the PS, again leaving some material for Mr. Kleiner to work with.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52933186283_aaf10c6816_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwq7P)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwq7P) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

That means its time for latches. Mine were thoroughly blueprinted - make sure you do that, following the numerous threads on the forum. With those in hand the rest is actually kind of a breeze. I mounted the strike plate on the PS side and hung the latch from it, as advised. Marked the holes to mount the latch to the door, drilled, mounted, and everything worked as it should. One thing though. When I made some black nylon spacers of the right length to replace my stack of washers, I couldn't get the same free movement of the latch. It would engage, but not all the way. I put the washer stack in place ... again, great action. So I'll get some aluminum spacer material, cut it to length, powdercoat it black, and I should be set.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52933186268_d494202a54_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwq7y)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDwq7y) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Same drill on the DS, here's a shot of the door after adjusting for the final time and fastening the body below the door. Much better in terms of body filler required, and as good as I'm gonna get.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52932896044_7723b7d64b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDuVQG)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDuVQG) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Okay, doors in, latches in ... gotta do the straps now. Pretty straightforward stuff. I know ... slotted screws. I just think they look right when in a visible spot. And they fit best of all the Ace options for stainless fasteners. I did countersink just a bit deeper into the brackets to get the screws to sit a bit better.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52932739901_365c233ce9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDu8qz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDu8qz) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52932145942_1a6c2a7e85_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oDr5RU)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oDr5RU) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

So, that's it for now. I've got a trunk to fit, some hood latches, and some side pipe cutouts to enlarge. There's a mid-June wedding for our eldest to keep an eye on, but I wouldn't mind take folks for a ride that weekend if I can make it. It's registered, licensed and ready to be insured, so no obstacles there. Just a matter of finding the time. As the neighbor says, it's always reassuring to see the light in our garage burning bright when everyone else has gone to bed ...

mmklaxer

05-28-2023, 05:00 PM

Looking great! It’s hard to keep a build thread going when the free time could be spent building instead of documenting. You’re almost there!

460.465USMC

05-28-2023, 10:00 PM

Yikes, I haven't posted in forever. The combination of spring actually showing up in MN and wanting to get this car on the road ... something's gotta give!

Good progress, John. I'm routing for you to get it drivable in time for the big day. Keep those garage lights burning brightly at night. :p

Rollbars are in with grommets, which really give a nice finished look. I was stressed about the lineup of everything since I did my own cutouts and just cut to Sharpie line made by FFR. Not usually quite that trusting, but worked out great.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925790733_7d128478b7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCSvFk)

Are those the F5 grommets? I ordered from Replicaparts and the rubber washers doesn't look like they will fit tightly around the roll bar like yours do.

John Ibele

05-28-2023, 10:52 PM

Yes Chris, FFR grommets. Turns out I ordered only one set way back when, so I was hoping they’d match, and they do. I’d recommend them.

Fixit

05-29-2023, 06:09 AM

Looking good!

Blitzboy54

05-31-2023, 11:34 AM

Looking great John

John Ibele

06-03-2023, 06:18 PM

Continuing to hang jewelry on the car ...

Trunk is in place, gapped a bit tight all around, and the latch is fit. It takes a while to become convinced that you can get your hands up and in between the frame and the gas tank to get the nut on the end of the latch striker bolt. But it can be done. I still have to do the license plate mod.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52940727802_f0a469b426_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oEc4X1)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oEc4X1) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Gas tank fill cap is in place and hooked up. Slotted screws are temporary; I found some McMaster Fasteners (99926A121 (https://www.mcmaster.com/99926A121/)) that should fit the shallow counterbore nicely. The black dot is where a ball bearing stopped rolling around in the indented part of the body, so that's where the drain hole goes. And thus was the gas cap oriented ... sounds kinda biblical actually ... but heck, at least it saves me from staying awake at night pondering the 'ideal' orientation for the gas cap. Plus, I figured there's not a single pair of parallel or perpendicular lines on this body to begin with ... well, wait ... are there lines, period?? Just curves everywhere! So any orientation is good as long as the paint doesn't get chipped when you spring that latch and let the cap fly open to hear that satisfying 'thunk'.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52941477014_e64ab79dd2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oEfUEs)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oEfUEs) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The kit mirror mounted to the body suits me just fine, and I can see everything I want to see. Getting nuts up to the underside of the body was an adventure, but I was able to thread through all the wiring behind the dash with my longest socket extension. Whew! Not sure what plan B was going to be. If you're fine with self tapping screws this won't be problem.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52941327196_6c3f7d6b75_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oEf98o)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oEf98o) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Same deal with the side mirror ... I like the look of the kit mirror, and I can see everything I want to see when it's properly adjusted. I'll order a convex one for the PS. Getting the washers and nuts on the inside was aided greatly by taping nut and washer into the right size box wrench.

I'm trying to keep as much as possible off the windshield for now, and I'll add what I have to later. I like the clean look. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who start this way, and end up adding.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52946075819_35dae3b470_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oEEtJc)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oEEtJc) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Today starts the work of getting these beauties mounted:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52947542911_1e2285254d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oEMZQT)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oEMZQT) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

cc2Arider

06-04-2023, 05:35 AM

Hi John,

I like the ball bearing trick -- clever! :)

Craig C

John Ibele

08-06-2023, 02:50 PM

I'll own up to it right at the beginning of this post. I wandered a bit away from the proper order of things. See, I went to the MN DMV, and quite surprisingly, walked away with a registration, and this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097961206_a4d29876e5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5VXL)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5VXL) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I know, I like the painter's tape too. It adds a super professional-looking touch. But with all the necessary mechanical stuff buttoned up, it was time to take a few cautious drives mixed in with the final pieces of building.

I'll get to initial driving impressions in a minute, but will briefly mention a few items finishing off the build.

Side pipes: I ordered the GasN side pipes in the touring length, and certainly wasn't displeased by what finally arrived - they're gorgeous. Mounting them required a bit of fiddling here and there. First, while the PS fit reasonably well in terms of exit position from the body, DS was quite high. I was limited by the pin on the PS side ... just couldn't move it any higher to drop the DS side. I swallowed hard and went back for the engine hoist rental one more time, and carefully lifted the engine just off the mounts, and did some work to lengthen the slot for the PS pin, taking care to keep all human body parts out of harm's way if gravity did its worst and for some reason the engine came down the fast way.

Before:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52948445251_b6f63905b2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oESC5t)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oESC5t) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

After:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098172559_7d9a2427ff_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU71MM)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU71MM) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

So, a little touchup paint required, but otherwise no harm done, and it allowed me to get the headers within 1/2" of each other in terms of height relative to body at the exit point.

So far so good, mounted the driver's side first after removing a bit of body in the cutout area and it looked good from just about all angles ... parallel to the body front to back, could level it even with the bottom of the body when looking from the side. Nice.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098446098_dae85f9e3e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU8q6Y)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU8q6Y) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097954991_1ae4efff13_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5U7B)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5U7B) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I marked it, removed it and had the O2 bung welded in the narrow portion of the side pipe after the collector. Nice job by the guy, protected the pipe, cleaned up the weld so it looks nice, fair charge. I thought about depinning the O2 connector, feeding the wires through a neat grommet ... then decided I was building a car, not a piece of art. Plus, the body has to come off; this is the only way I could figure to not hand the paint & body guy a pain in the neck. Other ways to solve this I'm sure, but this worked for me.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097387447_5b1038d1d6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU2Zpn)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU2Zpn) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I hemmed and hawed about using the fasteners that Georgie sent me, and finally ponied up for more ARP jewelry ... along with their clearly communicated torque values. I torqued, heat cycled the pipes a few times, and torqued again ... nothing's moved in quite a few drives now. I was able to use the larger diameter fasteners on both sides and still get the alignment with the body I wanted, so good news there.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098445988_bd116b705d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU8q55)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU8q55) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

08-06-2023, 03:54 PM

PS was a bit more work, because the side pipes needed a wedge, and also a straight to get them a touch away from the body. I accounted for this when I ordered the ARP fasteners (needed longer length than GasN sent me). But pretty straightforward stuff.

Final task (after a few drives) was to get the hangers in place. My front / back alignment of hanger brackets to side pipe attach point wasn't great, but I found that if I switched sides with the hanger brackets, things lined up well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098360590_8206bb67aa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU7YFG)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU7YFG) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I have to say, I'm really happy to be done drilling the last few holes in the frame while lying on my creeper looking up. It was at the upper end of my heat tolerance range the morning I mounted the hangers, but it needed to be done. So, rolling sweat, hot metal chips on the arm (too hot for coveralls) ... all the good stuff. Almost took a nap on the creeper a number of times. There may be another build somewhere off in the future, but if so, it certainly won't be without a lift. Must make me a certified old guy now :)

A few final items before pulling out of the garage. Seat belt grommets on the back of the cockpit, and setting up the belts one last time:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098141769_9b4028cbfc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU6RCV)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU6RCV) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

And, finally, it sees the light of day in something like final form:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097955096_5562a49ec3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5U9q)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5U9q) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The first few drives told me I wasn't going to be driving the rest of the summer and fall without some heat management from the engine bay. I had left the foam off when putting the body on the last time knowing that Jeff could be putting on fresh foam (vs. 10 year old kit-provided foam!) after paint and body work.

However, you can get the same foam from the local big box without the adhesive side, and just jam some lengths of it where the heat is coming through:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097394042_669bb2d8cc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU32n5)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU32n5) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097961111_27b727d3e1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5VW8)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU5VW8) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Done. Decent enough heat management for this summer, and no one will be the wiser:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098141749_ab256d6a7b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU6RCz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU6RCz) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

And that may be a good spot to wind up the real "build" portion of this build thread. When I have unique details or handy items I'll chime in, but so much has been covered so well in so many threads, I'll not waste my time covering old ground. There is certainly more to do: elephant ears. Front-end-of-the-rear-wheel-well panels so I can stop collecting road debris in my cockpit. Concave bullet mirrors for DS and PS, because I just need more scope in my rear views. The license plate mod ... I have the trunk with the 'period correct' trunk, with inadequate vertical distance to allow for US plates. Yes, I could buy a new trunk for $520 which would avoid having to do the mod. To each his own, I'll save the money and have this be one final quirk of the build. Doesn't bother me, for some reason. Doesn't 'period correct' sound so much more desirable than 'doesn't have enough room for US license plate'?

So ... ANYWAY .... I went driving.

First item, I was not looking forward to tackling the challenge of the Sniper. It had run super-rich in my initial go-kart runs, and in fact wouldn't start the last time I had tried to start it before turning my sights to getting the body on. Being out of gas didn't quite make sense, flooding the engine may have been a possibility (not too jazzed about flooding the car and then letting it sit for a long time ...).

So, made sure I had the USB / CAN cable in hand and laptop software loaded, read the Holley forum material and looked at some You Tube videos from Holley and others to begin wrapping my brain around AFR, stoichiometric reactions, fuel table, ignition table, enrichment ...

But first, figured I'd just see if I could start the car this time around, and drive for a bit. And that worked pretty well. Still super rich at first, but once I got it above 160* and it started learning, things began to get better. I cut down the coolant enrichment from 150% to about 125%, which probably helped with cold starts some (thanks, Papa). But for the most part, I've just been letting it learn, and it's going okay. I still plan to look for a bit better mixture at idle and perhaps some better fuel economy at cruise, but it's well down on the priority list for now.

For actual driving impressions:

Noise level: I am very happy with the touring pipes ... they are maybe a bit quieter than the kit-provided steel pipes, but not much. But the harsh treble sounds are gone, and that mellower sound that others have mentioned is definitely there.
Gears: Wow, I like that combination of the 3.55 rear gears, the tall first gear on the T-5z, and the cruising gear I picked for 5th. Combined with my cam choice, I'm not looking for power anywhere ... it behaves well all the way down to 1500 RPM in cruise.
Cam choice - I could have gone a bit more aggressive with cam choice and lost almost nothing. I would have gotten more lift and HP, and still had plenty of torque down low. Having said that, I'm not at all unhappy with my choice, in fact, I can't think of anything I'd want improved. Nice throaty growl at idle, and it just sounds wonderful when you get into the throttle a bit. "A bit" probably means about 5% at this point! There's a wonderful burble from the exhaust during deceleration after a downshift.
Brakes: I wondered how much of an adjustment the manual brakes would be. I have the stock GT brakes in front and the 11.5" in back, with pads picked out for each after extensive reading on the forum. I also made a MC adjustment for the rears on my older 2012 kit. I set the balance bar up according to the Wilwood instructions, and they feel completely predictable. I haven't tried any panic stops, but the 60-0 normal stops have been predictable and don't require any heroics or visits to the gym. Very happy.
Clutch: Cable clutch. Yeah, it's heavy, but not anything I'm going to regret. It does grab pretty quickly, but I'll get used to that fairly soon, I think.
Engine: So many choices behind me in working with my engine builder, but he steered me right in picking components that were consistent with my desire for a well-behaved, drivable car. I'm not going to piss off my neighbors (much ... any more than I already have ...), and I don't think I'll get sick of the sound of that loping 347 on a long cruise.
General: Everything just ... works, and works the way it's supposed to.

I'm glad I spent the time I did on the console cubby, particularly since I don't have door panels yet, and I didn't do a rear cubby. Glasses case, phone, wallet, keys ... it all fits, along with the Holley handheld, and the USB charger hidden on top.
RT (RIP) turn signals, very worthwhile. Mike's steering wheel bezel gives a professional touch. All gauges working well, I have the old style speedo and did my 2 mile run, nothing unexpected. Set the fuel sender to the right mode, filled up the tank and we're at F, good to go.
Going over bumps - no drama, no bump steer, and the IRS is surprisingly comfortable considering how close you sit to the ground.

There will be more to come, but for now, kind of basking in the glow of near-completion. One of these days I'll do the 494 / 694 ring around the Twin Cities, and make sure it'll be ready for some longer trips up to 'da nordland' here in Meeeenah-sotahhhh.

Mike.Bray

08-06-2023, 04:44 PM

I marked it, removed it and had the O2 bung welded in the narrow portion of the side pipe after the collector. Nice job by the guy, protected the pipe, cleaned up the weld so it looks nice, fair charge. I thought about depinning the O2 connector, feeding the wires through a neat grommet ... then decided I was building a car, not a piece of art. Plus, the body has to come off; this is the only way I could figure to not hand the paint & body guy a pain in the neck. Other ways to solve this I'm sure, but this worked for me.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097387447_5b1038d1d6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oU2Zpn)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oU2Zpn) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

It's usually recommended to install the O2 sensor at least 10 degrees above horizontal (wire side up, sensor tip down) to prevent moisture from collecting in the sensor.

Nigel Allen

08-06-2023, 05:48 PM

And another fabulous build hits the road. Congratulations and well done.

Nige

John Ibele

08-06-2023, 05:48 PM

It's usually recommended to install the O2 sensor at least 10 degrees above horizontal (wire side up, sensor tip down) to prevent moisture from collecting in the sensor.

Yes it is, Mike. The roadster build is full of compromises.

John Ibele

08-06-2023, 06:24 PM

And another fabulous build hits the road. Congratulations and well done.

Nige

Thanks, Nigel. It's great to be on the road. Ultimately a very rewarding endeavor, and it's so nice to have the driving experience meet expectations.

460.465USMC

08-06-2023, 09:46 PM

cc2Arider

08-07-2023, 07:55 AM

Congrats John on a well-thought-out build :)

Craig C

P.S: I also really liked your upholstery work and am inspired to make my own "cubbies" now!

Blitzboy54

08-07-2023, 09:41 AM

It's a great build. First class all the way. Congratulations on a tremendous milestone.

I babied mine for almost a year before I got real comfortable with letting it rip. The Sniper "self learn" is a bit oversold. You would see a night and day difference across the board if you hire a tuner. I have 2 seasons now and I love it. Now I am buying a supercharger for Christmas because these cars are never done. :)

John Ibele

08-07-2023, 11:50 AM

Hi John. So good to read your update, and learn you are on the road now. The first drives are such a rewarding part of the build. Congratulations! You put together a fantastic Roadster. Very happy for you.

Has your other half had a ride yet? I bet she gives it a big thumbs up.

Enjoy the rest of driving season. I'm nearing 600 miles, and might just be enjoying each drive a little more than the last one.

Hey Chris! Thanks! I agree. This weekend, I got to take my older brother on a nice ride along the Minnesota River where it joins the Mississippi, across the High Bridge in St. Paul, and back around to Minneapolis. He had a grin on his face the whole way, and the car performed flawlessly. It was probably my ride to grade school in his red Triumph TR-4 which brought on the itch to build this thing so many years ago.

It was great building along with you, comparing notes along the way, and sharing the joys and challenges of such an engaging project - will need some more photos of that beautiful car of yours as it continues to completion!

Congrats John on a well-thought-out build :)

Craig C

P.S: I also really liked your upholstery work and am inspired to make my own "cubbies" now!

Hey Craig - thanks and good to hear! That was one thing I felt I could contribute as a first time builder. I think that woodworking experience at least made me somewhat fearless in taking on fabrication in metal, foam and leather. Definitely one of the most satisfying parts of the build for me.

It's a great build. First class all the way. Congratulations on a tremendous milestone.

I babied mine for almost a year before I got real comfortable with letting it rip. The Sniper "self learn" is a bit oversold. You would see a night and day difference across the board if you hire a tuner. I have 2 seasons now and I love it. Now I am buying a supercharger for Christmas because these cars are never done. :)

Jesse! Thanks for checking in, your build was always an inspiration for me as I continued plodding along :rolleyes:. But, there now, and it is a sweet thing. Definitely understand your comment about the Sniper ... I'll let it do its thing for a while, but at some point it will be time to look at tables and data logs, or just call in a professional. You're not the only one convinced of the value of a professional tune ... and that's true of folks with more refined EFI systems than we have. So, it'll happen at some point. And thank you for the kind comments on the build! As for yours ... still admire both the build quality and the steady progress toward completion, driven with energy, persistence, can-do attitude and optimism. Now to be turned toward a supercharger - 'cause I'm sure you need the added horsepower! :p Good luck and post pictures & progress!

John Ibele

08-17-2023, 03:01 PM

Well, I've been giving rides and gradually expanding my 'sphere of confidence', but other than the Sniper tuning itself (and it does that, guaranteed, more on that in a minute), there's just been nothing wrong or unreliable about the car. It's been a great experience. That's not to say it's done, because I jumped ahead a bit to the driving phase. It still has the elephant ears to go on in front, and the license plate light to hook up, along with trunk lighting. But the major stuff is done, and the other stuff can happen at night when the driving is done.

Shucks, I forgot to hand my daughter the keys to the cabin when I saw her at lunch today; looks like I'll have to go on a crosstown drive around sunset. Did I mention driving this thing is fun??

One thing that is not optional on these cars is front-of-rear-wheel-well ears. It's the one spot where dirt from the tires gets shot right in between the frame and the body, in the direction of the cockpit ... and what doesn't settle on the body right below the door ends up on your lap. Plan on putting these on, no doubt (they get underbody coating when I do touchup on some bare spots):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53122744647_d7376c87ea_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oWgXdt)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oWgXdt) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53123550724_a167604d44_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oWm5Qm)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oWm5Qm) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

One fun story: I've kept in the habit of checking in regularly with my engine builder, who is local. I've asked him questions about all sorts of stuff, and he's always been happy to offer advice and is one of those folks who never seems in a hurry and never seems stressed. A really nice guy, and a great builder with a great reputation locally. He's near the end of his career and has quite a few roadster engine builds under his belt.

I told him I would stop by 'one of these days', and a few weeks ago, that day rolled around. We talked with a guys in the shop for a few minutes and he came out to see the car, and I asked him after a bit if he wanted to go for a ride. I offered to come back some other day to make good on the offer, because we were encroaching on his lunch break. He thought about it for a second, and after mumbling something about checking with the guys in the shop, he said, "heck, I'm the owner, I think I'll just go for a ride."

I started giving him instructions on how to get in the car, and then apologized for stating the obvious, since presumably he'd ridden in more than one of these cars. That's when he dropped the bomb: with all the roadster engines he's built, not one owner had taken him for a ride. I was the lucky first one.

With that knowledge in hand, I knew I needed to head out on the freeway and at least give him a suggestion of how his engine performed in the car. Keep in mind, I'm a cautious guy who's just learning the car, so that meant something like 15% throttle ... but still, enough to let him know what he'd built, and how it worked.

He finished the ride so happy, and very impressed with the car, which I would say is a great endorsement of FFR's choices, options, and design work. It really does ride nicely for a light car, with seats a few inches off the ground, and a few inches in front of the rear axle.

One photo to commemorate the occasion and show it happened. That's one happy owner, and one happy engine builder. Fun day.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53123749430_3717653bf0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oWn6Uj)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oWn6Uj) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Sometime soon I'll do a post on initial Sniper learning. It's a good news story - after initially being disappointed with the Sniper performance, I found some patience and have been rewarded with a car which is indeed dialing itself in. In the meantime, I've been exploring data logging and the laptop software, and improving the tune in some basic ways. I know this isn't blazing any new ground, but those that are completely new to EFI and the Sniper may find it to be of some value.

And a final photo ... that slapdash temporary license plate ... need to erase that memory. Permanent vanity plates came today:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53123550639_c6e173113d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oWm5NT)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oWm5NT) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

There. Much better.

Jeff Kleiner

08-17-2023, 04:08 PM

Nice plate John! Keep having fun until the snow flies :)

Jeff

Blitzboy54

08-17-2023, 08:54 PM

Great idea taking your builder out for a ride. I love the plate.

maclonchas

08-18-2023, 05:41 AM

John,

Do you mind saying which mounting system you bought and magnetic gauge.

Thanks

Bill

John Ibele

08-18-2023, 08:42 AM

John,

Do you mind saying which mounting system you bought and magnetic gauge.

Thanks

Bill

Hey Bill, happy to help. I think this is what you're after, but chime in here or PM me if I'm off base:

Longacre 78260 (https://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=1760&prodid=7218&pagetitle=Caster-%2F-Camber-Gauge-w%2F-Magnetic-Adapter)
Zackman Scientific ZAWG001 (https://zackmanscientific.com/product/zawg001/)

Happy building!

Mike.Bray

08-18-2023, 04:51 PM

maclonchas

08-18-2023, 09:05 PM

Thanks

John Ibele

08-18-2023, 10:08 PM

I used similar items from Amazon that worked well.

To get the caster accurate you need turn plates like these (https://www.eastwood.com/quicktrick-ball-bearing-turn-plates-60004.html?destination=31842&display_order=0&ibx_source=cbs33ch9d5nghaqg09ig&id=31842&item_type=interaction&recommendation_source=platform2&sc_eh=686f468b02eb11321&sc_lid=7244910&sc_llid=43518&sc_src=email_40325&sc_uid=rNwpYrtA3j&ueh=c7dc0cbab87c6b832b793f487645ea88ac131d9914325d d99741c27dcb453682&utm_campaign=email_lowstock_cust_1_of_2&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=wunderkind&utm_term=triggered).

I used the poor man’s route (couple layers of poly with some chassis grease smeared in between). Gets you close … but I don’t know how close. Mine will be dialed in by a local speed shop, if I were dialing things in or doing it regularly I would definitely spring for the plates.

JayOH

11-03-2023, 01:49 PM

John Ibele

11-03-2023, 04:10 PM

I am apparently many years (a decade?) late to the party, but as an asipiring builder (hopefully 2024) I can not overstate how much I enjoyed reading through your thread. From its pure entertainment value, down to those great little build ideas and nuggets, I throughly enjoyed the time spent reading! I’m so happy for you that you are finally able to enjoy your project out on the open road and can’t wait to see what the “final” product looks like after the body receives as much love and attention as the chassis. Bravo!

Wow, what kind note, JayOH! I'm so glad you found it at least somewhat helpful, and when not that, at least hopefully entertaining. I do have a bit of loopy sense of humor at times, so am always conscious of the potential of entertaining no one but myself (and try to avoid that when possible). But the build project is so big, and for me full of so many unknowns (just about everything, to start with), that at least for me it was important to approach it with my sense of humor intact.

I guess one big benefit of being late to the party is reading the build thread from beginning to end without needing a 10-year attention span. You may be the first! So many fine builders and advice-givers have come and gone in that time, and I couldn't have completed this project as successfully without them. Fortunately, many of them still contribute their free and knowledgeable advice. And new builders will always find their own fellow builders going through the journey at the same time.

It has been an immensely rewarding project. The appearance of the completed car is something you can fully predict (other than color, I suppose). The things that are less certain relate to the driving experience, and I couldn't be happier with the combination of careful choices and maybe some luck that resulted in the completed car sitting in my garage. While I still plan to try autocross, this was going to be mainly a street / cruising machine, and as I got further into the build I continued to make choices best aligned with that in mind. For me, anyway, the biggest contributors to a car that drives pretty much like my daily driver were these:

IRS ... way more forgiving and comfortable than I ever expected. Going over bumps, no drama, and not even particularly stiff when combined with the standard roadster seats.
Cam ... pretty mild, and while my 347 makes 420 HP up top, I'm hardly ever going to be spinning up there. Most importantly it's very friendly down low, pulling happily from 1400 rpm, so I can putt through my neighborhood in 4th if I care to, and not tick anyone off with the noise. But lights up like it should when you get into the throttle.
T5 with taller 1st gear and tallest (0.63?) overdrive. Easy shifting, can handle all the torque I plan to give it, geared so that it settles down to a pleasant burble at cruise. Lots of happy cruising.
Power steering ... wouldn't ever go another direction. You give up nothing, including road feel, responsiveness, quickness in autoX. Plus, you get the stability you want and are used to on the highway.
Clutch ... I consider this a big drivability issue. I'm happy with my choice but I think I probably could have done better. It's not bad by any means, but is stiff (cable actuation) and bites pretty quick. Will be much better when I get the last minor stumble out of my Sniper tune.
Brakes ... this is one I would do differently next time and go the Wilwood route, but the fact is, I have absolutely nothing to complain about with the manual kit brakes. Predictable, plenty of stopping power, no fade, they need more pressure than power but that's just fine with me.

Other engine, drive train, and suspension choices were less important for me. Controls were less important also, although having as much as possible like your daily driver still makes a difference. #1 would be having the gauges exactly where I want them and can see them. I spent plenty of time on that when laying out my dashboard. Second would be having the RT turn signals. My console cubby is very useful and practically stuffed on every drive. I don't have a rear cubby, which makes this a must-have for me.

Once again I've wandered well off the topic of a simple thank you, so I may as well combine this with an end of driving season update...

I gradually increased my sphere of confidence in driving the car through the summer, and the miles kept adding up. It was great to have one season in gel coat, when driving in the 'bug' hour just after sunset didn't matter a bit. I did the first oil change at 600 miles, and the magnetic plug had only a smudge about the size of a small pea ... wiped out on a shop rag there were not detectable bits in there, so everything seems fine. I didn't bother to cut the oil filter to do a deeper dive. I kept my commitment to myself and learned everything I could about tuning the Sniper. After 10 tunes I know plenty more, but can also see there will be items a pro can do better and way faster, so a professional tune is somewhere in the cards.

I finished up the driving season with a cruise down the Mississippi on the Wisconsin side of the river, passing 1000 on the odometer along the way. I headed down the East bank to Maiden Rock, then back up to Red Wing, then picked my way on back roads up into the Twin Cities. The car behaved well: comfortable seating position, legs didn't get tired, and the car just likes to cruise. So much fun rowing through the gears when you get into a town or hit a stop sign. And ... who'da thunk ... seems to pass pretty darn well on two lane roads. I've got one thing that needs to get dialed in (or out). When I lift in a corner, I can feel the car moving towards oversteer, so still reminding myself to stay way away from the margins, and keep my inputs nice and smooth. I'll get my alignment done professionally, and then get my sway bars sorted and then should be good to go.

And I think for this season, that's pretty much it. Such a rewarding project, with more to come. It's not graduated. But for now, time to put the car to bed until Kleiner comes calling, and the car should be able to welcome in the 2024 driving season wearing a new color.

Happy building, all! Enjoy the journey, and remember - put down the tools and back away from the car when needed. With a project this big, we all have our moments. Cheers -- John

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53285392636_aef260402d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pbDyN9)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pbDyN9) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

buttsjim

11-04-2023, 01:18 PM

Congratulations on a beautiful build! I look forward to seeing it after paint. And, that last picture you posted is a great motivator for me!

John Ibele

11-04-2023, 02:20 PM

Congratulations on a beautiful build! I look forward to seeing it after paint. And, that last picture you posted is a great motivator for me!

Thanks, Jim - and yeah, the picture pretty much says it all. I can't believe how enjoyable cruising on an open road in an open top car can be. Why didn't I know this? A Prius is my daily driver. 'nuf said.

Blitzboy54

11-06-2023, 02:43 PM

John, have you decided on the color yet?

John Ibele

11-06-2023, 08:51 PM

John, have you decided on the color yet?

Hey Jesse! Still keep coming back to the blue family, but other than knocking out any truly dark blue, I haven't nailed it down. It will be blue, and it will have stripes, probably closely matching the Halibrand wheel color. I plan to have the rollbars painted in that same color. Beyond that ... could be anything from ice blue or silver blue all the way to a dusty blue. Current inspirations are below. But boy, I've already learned to please only myself on this topic. Introduced the topic of color at at large extended family event, and you would've thought I was telling people who they should vote for in the next election. Crazy, won't do that again.

Top Contender: Mazda Eternal Blue Mica:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53315197710_7efc2de2eb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pehjNJ)
Mazda Eternal Blue Mica (https://flic.kr/p/2pehjNJ) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

The old school version - CSX2195 in Guardsman Blue:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53315078974_98b4516eea_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pegHvy)
CSX2195 Guardsman Blue (https://flic.kr/p/2pegHvy) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

KDubU's combo of Viking Blue and Wimbledon White is great:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53315404015_48547173b7.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2peio8H)
Viking Blue and Wimbledon White (https://flic.kr/p/2peio8H) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Frost Blue Metallic 1959 Corvette:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53313859252_ed65323b2b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2peasVS)
Frost Blue Metallic 1959 Corvette (https://flic.kr/p/2peasVS) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Mid-way between those and ice blue - Suzuka Blue Honda S2000:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53314723226_a3d5b59e9c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2peeTKY)
Suzuka Blue Honda S2000 (https://flic.kr/p/2peeTKY) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Austin Healey 100-4 in Ice Blue Metallic:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53313859212_8b3c34d4de_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2peasVb)
Austin Healey 100-4 in Ice Blue Metallic (https://flic.kr/p/2peasVb) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Mustang Silver Blue:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53315197680_f6b2099fd1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pehjNd)
Mustang Silver Blue (https://flic.kr/p/2pehjNd) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Those are the insprirations right now, we'll see where we end up. At some point you just have to make a decision.

Blitzboy54

11-07-2023, 09:27 AM

460.465USMC

11-09-2023, 10:00 PM

So many really nice choices in the blue family. How can you choose? Ditto on Jesse's Vette comment. Love that color!

John Ibele

11-10-2023, 10:19 AM

Same, I told some friends I was considering a yellow and it got weird pretty quick. You are correct in that you are the only one that has to like it. I really like the clubhouse leader as well but they are all great choices. As an aside that 59 Vette is insanely beautiful.

So many really nice choices in the blue family. How can you choose? Ditto on Jesse's Vette comment. Love that color!

Yep, that Vette is a stunner. Also a good reminder to take the glamour shots of your car in the magic hour around sunset.

GTBradley

01-18-2024, 07:10 PM

facultyofmusic

01-18-2024, 11:50 PM

That golden-hour picture of the vette feels like a huuuuuuuge unfair advantage for Frost Blue Metallic. I wonder what the mazda eternal blue mica looks like under the same lighting conditions. :P

John Ibele

01-19-2024, 12:36 PM

I like your taste in car color and cars, John. Remember, while it is true that it’s only you that has to like the color, there is also future you. Forget about it for a while and it will come to in a very convincing way.

Bradley

Thanks Bradley, yeah, pretty much settled on some shade of blue, and when it comes time the choice'll become clear.

That golden-hour picture of the vette feels like a huuuuuuuge unfair advantage for Frost Blue Metallic. I wonder what the mazda eternal blue mica looks like under the same lighting conditions. :P

Dan! I do like that, and found the paint code. And yes, there's an evening cruise through the Mazda new car lot at some point coming up :cool:

John Ibele

01-19-2024, 01:06 PM

Well, the temps are still stuck in the single digits here, the daily swimmers on Lake Nokomis quit punching a hole in the ice when it got to -10F, and the pond hockey tournament decided it would go ahead and put up a brick yard of 2 dozen ice rinks on the lake. So I guess we're having winter after all.

But, the garage is heated, and I have stuff to knock off before the car goes to paint (granted, a few of these items are for after paint). If you can't drive the car I figure you can at least work on it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53469313663_71f431d3db_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psUd7k)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2psUd7k) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

First on my list was to bite the bullet and drain the coolant so I could move the lower radiator tube and hose. It's a nice kit from Breeze, but I unfortunately hooked up the front hose so that there was interference between the front hose and the front sway bar. I figured that had to be dealt with. Better now:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53469497714_88eb688818_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psV9PC)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2psV9PC) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

When I was driving last summer in gel coat I realized two things about the heater. It's great when you want it on. Second, you really want it to go fully off, which it doesn't really do without some work. Any air gap between engine bay and cockpit is going to dump a fair amount of heat onto you, so getting foam to fully seal between body and frame is the place to start. I took care of that, but then found that when you have a heater, hot air still wants to come through the vents even when the heater is 'off'.

First I put in a full heater bypass valve, since the kit-provided valve looks like it still allows some coolant to flow through. I don't know that the full bypass valve helps a ton but I figured it couldn't hurt and would at least eliminate this source of heat.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53469178711_123a8ed0d9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2psTvZz)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2psTvZz) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I'm celebrating that item as the one and only 'one hour job' that ever turned out to be actually a one hour job.

Even if no coolant is flowing, though, the engine bay still wants to push its warm air through the vents when you're moving. So there will still be warm air blowing through the vents unless the vents themselves are completely closed.

The Vintage Air 'Globe' style vents kinda have a closed position, but there's almost 1/16" around the outside of the globe when they're positioned that way:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53473646736_03a6d98e23_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pthqbu)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pthqbu) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I ordered Vintage Air #499193 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0759HMTL2?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) to get a better seal when closed. They're nice enough pieces, not something you'd find in a BMW but certainly OEM quality, and better than the globe pieces in terms of fit / finish in addition to seal. Hopefully that helps cut down on the unwanted hot air during those precious few MN summer driving months.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53473786168_5cfd300fc6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pti8Cu)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pti8Cu) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53472738327_ac2ffbe7d3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ptcL9g)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ptcL9g) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Next up is getting the radiator guard (coarse SS mesh screen in a frame) back from the powder coater and back in place. Should be able to get to that in a few days.

460.465USMC

01-20-2024, 12:00 PM

I'm celebrating that item as the one and only 'one hour job' that ever turned out to be actually a one hour job.

That, my friend, is a rare bird. Not sure if I can count more than one or so during my build.

Speaking of a heated garage, nice to see you're getting to your punch list. Checking off those little nagging items brings outsized satisfaction IMHO. Was hoping to tinker on mine during off-season (AKA WINTER!) as well, but I'm framing/insulating/paneling/painting a "new" garage space (we moved). Can't wait to get some real garage time in again. Enjoy!

John Ibele

01-22-2024, 10:28 AM

The radiator screen is back from powder coating and in place. It's stainless mesh from Pegasus Racing, framed by aluminum strips from the local Ace. Another Paul B. idea, if I hadn't mentioned that. I used nylon standoffs to keep it away from the raised sides of the radiator. It should allow me to fit my side aluminum pieces underneath when I get them fit and powder coated.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53479393747_50e80ee133_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ptMSyT)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ptMSyT) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53479393552_3b18093856_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ptMSvw)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ptMSvw) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53480705975_77b378494f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ptUADv)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2ptUADv) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

John Ibele

03-05-2024, 11:00 AM

Two more items got knocked off the winter punch list ... which is a good thing, since winter here in MN seems quite a bit shorter these days. They had a huge polar plunge event in the lake across the street last weekend, and the big day had a high of 70F. So cruising and new tunes on the Sniper are already competing for available time.

Trunk and trunk lights: got the hinges powder coated, with barely any room to spare in my PC toaster oven.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53495313772_44d48a3111_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pvct35)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pvct35) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

After spending quality time getting the trunk gapped correctly once again, I got the wire loom and gasket put in place and it looks pretty tidy.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53505933162_9db8d12d2a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pw8TP1)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pw8TP1) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Thanks to Matt Glaser I have a section of LED strip encapsulated with silicone bumper which should make for a good trunk light.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53569793985_c856d3a60d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pBMcpF)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pBMcpF) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

I decided not to run dedicated wiring for the trunk light, and instead tapped off the wires going to the license plate light. With this setup, the trunk light will go on whenever the parking lights are on. I still needed a tilt switch so the trunk light would always be off in the closed position ... current capacity is not usually posted for the cheapie switches that are readily available. My first choice was a real winner capable of ... 20 mA. So after debating adding a relay just 'cause it was handy, I looked a bit more and found this tilt switch (https://www.digikey.com/en/htmldatasheets/production/2410820/0/0/1/ag3011-77c-datasheet) from Digi-Key.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53568924100_4c492275b4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pBGJPE)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pBGJPE) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

Overkill, but that's fine. Rated for 1A at 12V, and I won't use more than 0.25A for my 54 LEDs. I mounted it on the aluminum access plate inside the trunk, where it's accessible but not visible.

Gotta keep pushing through those last items. The call from Jeff should be coming soon.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53568681033_2321bfa08b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pBFuyR)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pBFuyR) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

egchewy79

03-05-2024, 12:18 PM

After spending quality time getting the trunk gapped correctly once again, I got the wire loom and gasket put in place and it looks pretty tidy.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53505933162_9db8d12d2a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pw8TP1)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pw8TP1) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

might want to put the seam of your trunk seal at the bottom rather than the top of your opening.

John Ibele

03-05-2024, 02:30 PM

might want to put the seam of your trunk seal at the bottom rather than the top of your opening.

Good call! Although that’s probably not the only mistake I can count on Jeff to fix when he’s working his magic. Thanks for looking out for me, always appreciated.

mrglaeser

03-05-2024, 03:23 PM

John Ibele

03-05-2024, 04:30 PM

Lights look great John! Did you use the crimps or attempt to solder? I've done both and probably will stick to crimps from now on for the LEDs anyway. Also I don't believe in overkill! If you take a trip and get caught out in the dark you can find what you need.

Hey Matt! Solder here ... with painter's tape holding the strip on the bench and then tape holding the wire in place on the contact it was pretty easy. Then shrink tubing over the whole thing for strain relief.

Thanks for the materials! (You have 246 LEDs left ;))

John Ibele

03-25-2024, 08:44 PM

Next up on the winter punch list (which got a boost when winter decided to finally show up): wipers. I had a go at this earlier in the build, but just didn't like the end result, and by the time I was done "blueprinting" (read: trashing) my gearboxes, I was committed to ordering a new pair. Live and learn, and this wasn't that painful.

I determined at the end of all that tweaking that the problem was really the aluminum tubing that came with my (vintage 2012) kit - 3/8", not 5/16", which is really what the gearboxes fit best with. For that matter, so does the cable. So I ordered new gearboxes and picked up some of the coated steel 5/16" tubing from AutoZone, and started over.

First thing I noticed is that my new gearboxes had a longer shaft than the old ones. Not a bad thing; it avoids any interference of the gearbox with the body when the gearboxes are installed. However, I didn't have a handy way of getting the gearboxes to maintain the proper angle with respect to the body. I picked another bright idea from edwardb, and cut some square aluminum channel at the proper angle to attach to each gear box. Epoxied in place they look like this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53597268675_57d70f5eff_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pEd1Fe)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pEd1Fe) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

This time around the alignment of the cable exiting the flared 5/16" tubing and into the gearbox was perfect - no 'adjusting' needed. When you're flaring the tubing, don't forget to put the wiper motor ferrule on the PS side tubing before doing the second flare! Ask me how I know. (And by the way, weren't these kinds of mistakes supposed to taper off near the end of a build?) No worries. Tubing is cheaper than my time, and I'm cheap. And any day in the shop is good day.

After getting the ferrule properly located on the second piece of PS tubing, I liberally brushed chassis grease on the cable, installing each piece of the wiper assembly as I went. I found that the nuts that clamp the gearbox around the tubing are best left only hand tight (with a drop of blue Loctite to keep them from spinning off). For me anyway, it kept the cable well engaged with the gear, but allowed enough play to provide really smooth motion.

I cut some gaskets for both the bottom and the top of the wiper assembly where it touches the body. This also seems to keep things at the right angle and solidly in place when tightened up.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611824594_9dbe5304f4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pFuBDm)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pFuBDm) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53611698643_9df0106b9b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pFtYcM)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pFtYcM) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

And the end result is: ... finally, something I can count on in the rain, if I can't count on staying out of the rain. I can run the wipers on a dry windshield on low speed and nothing stalls, there's no noise, just the hum of the motor. It can be done.

On to the next winter punch list item ... side louvered vents. I didn't like the kit vents. I figured I'd order the assembled vents, but they were on back order. I waited, and waited, and then after reading more about the assembled vents, decided I didn't like those either. Actually, that's not quite true, they're just fine. But in my eager enthusiasm to get the body ready, I did the vent cutouts based on the measurements in the manual, instead of actually waiting for the assembled vents to show up. And the measured cutouts as stated in my manual are not a great fit for the assembled vents.

After some more reading, found these guys mentioned: Roadster 'Oversize' Side Vents (https://vraptorspeedworks.com/roadster-oversize-side-vents/)

I like them. They're just a bit larger than the cutouts I already have in the sides of my roadster, and the center fin doesn't look too busy to me. I couldn't find any photos of them installed ... will post pictures when they're in hand.

John Ibele

05-02-2024, 11:24 AM

I'm continuing to pick off items on the winter punch list while I wait for the call from Jeff. I waited forever for the assembled louvers to get back in stock at FFR, since I wasn't really keen on the kit-provided engine bay louvered vents. Problem is, I had already done my body cutouts, which don't fit the assembled louvered vents all that well. Oops, shoulda caught that one with more reading. In reading up some more and trying to figure out best options, I found a thread in which mentioned this option (https://vraptorspeedworks.com/roadster-oversize-side-vents/). I couldn't find any photos of them installed, but figured I'd give it a try.

They need a slightly larger opening, 5-1/2 high by 8" long. The angle of the parallelogram shape is almost exactly the same as is called for by FFR for the side cutouts. The vents come unassembled and flat, so there's some work required to get them into finished shape. The cut edges are very rough, so you'll need to either grab your favorite Dremel accessory or some hand files to round the edges of all the fins. In other words, forget about the '5 minute assembly time". I've got some sharpie marker lines on the finished vent ... I plan to cut out the relief (left line) to allow more front-to-back positioning capability when I place the vent. Also, you don't have to make the vent as long as called for (right line).

As delivered and after blueprinting / assembly:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53694231855_609f8489cf_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pNLYsc)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pNLYsc) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

When I enlarged the cutouts I used the 'tight' (small radius) corners exactly matching the radius of the cuts on the vents, but that looked too sharp. I lengthened the cutouts on the car slightly to allow for a larger radius corner, which look just right. I'm happy with the choice. They don't look noticeably larger when installed, and they're sturdy and handsome. And - the initial motivator - I've got vents which are a good match for my cutouts now.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53694199330_6862a41841_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pNLNMq)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pNLNMq) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53693756946_d9f9b66944_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pNJxh7)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pNJxh7) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

cc2Arider

05-02-2024, 11:37 AM

Looks good John :)

Craig C

John Ibele

10-15-2024, 09:53 AM

It's been a long time since I posted, but I thought I'd add this item to the build thread ...

I'm at the end of summer number two of having the car on the road, and have been having a blast tuning the Sniper and inventing errands to do around town. The Sniper has been the perfect learning vehicle for tackling EFI, and every limitation I thought it had has turned out to be the result of my lack of tuning knowledge. I'm on tune 17_2 now, with tons of learning under my belt.

I had one scare ... a new tune, and when I put my foot on the gas while on the freeway, I felt one pre-ignition and several smaller detonations. Big scare and not my proudest moment.

Turns out my tune wasn't the problem. The O2 sensor failed, and when it goes, it sends a lean signal. So the closed loop control tries to compensate by adding fuel to what the base fuel table calls for. That richer mixture burns faster, which means pressure builds up way before top dead center. No engine damage that I could tell, and the O2 sensor was an easy replacement. (Make sure your connector is accessible once the car is assembled!).

Not terribly unusual for the O2 sensor to fail, particularly if you ran rich in your early days of Sniper use ... that's pretty typical given the generic tune that folks typically start with, with rich AFR table, rich temperature compensation, etc. In addition to that, you will have a good possibility of condensation in your exhaust, which can come back in droplet form and hit your O2 sensor, which creates a thermal shock which shortens sensor life.

As insurance brought my CL comp limits down to +/- 20%, which should prevent that from happening if the O2 sensor ever fails again. For some additional insurance I also picked up this part, which was talked up on the Holley Sniper tuning forum. A bit spendy but a very nicely machined part. It keeps the O2 sensor in the exhaust airstream, but it has deflectors which should take any liquid present in the exhaust and direct it around the O2 sensor, protecting it from thermal shock.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54001115382_bfce6d90b9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2qgTQeu)
20240809_233833826_iOS 1 (https://flic.kr/p/2qgTQeu) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr

... and on a final note, I 'got the call' from Mr. Kleiner. There's paint in my near future! And if the weather holds, maybe a looong run in the car from Frost Bite Falls, MN down to Bloomington, IN. I trust the car, and have had multiple 300+ mile days, so I know the car and my body would be up for it.