Octobersknight's 818 Build

[octobersknight]

Hi everyone. I’ve been working on this build for almost two years now. Sort of. What I really mean is that I bought a donor in September of 2016 with a plan to buy an 818C kit in fall 2017. That didn’t work – it took longer to disassemble the donor and sell parts, so the bank account didn’t fit the kit into that year. I’ve completely gotten rid of the donor now and have shelves of parts to sell and some to keep. I’m almost ready to jump in and buy the kit. So, what follows is a series of entries on the history of the work I’ve done, the things I’ve learned, and shots of the engine work that make me proud. Eventually this thread will catch up to real life.
I’m hoping you follow along and can offer pointers and tips, and answer some silly and serious questions I have along the way. I’ve already messaged a few 818 guys out there and was already lucky enough to meet mikeb75 and see his awesome ride (I’m about 20 minutes away, by the world’s greatest stroke of luck!). And I’ve gone back-and-forth with AZPete about his brilliant A/C work, since I think that’s a must-have. Thanks both!

Now, on to the good stuff:
Here’s the donor – a 2006 WRX wagon, 108k miles with some front passenger door damage. I took a gamble on a Copart auction, sight unseen, going on only the “run-and-drive” description. I think I got lucky! From the engine bay, the previous owner clearly did some minor mods. Exhaust was a 3” pipe from the downpipe back. I wouldn’t find out what other mods were done to the engine until I got further in there …

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[ssssly]

Well from the pic of the engine bay, other than the obvious perrin inlet/ai intake, GFB clone BOV and koyo radiator, looks to have an aftermarket bcs(that blue pigtail isn't stock), aftermarket injectors and possibly aftermarket rails (the brackets from hell that go over the rails have been taken out), could have an aftermarket turbo (the TMIC inlet hose has been extended), the car used to have a bunch of gauges (can see the capped off boost gauge line and there are loose grounds where the oil temp and pressure gauges are normally tapped in), I see what what could be a meth injection port coming out of the passenger's side of the TMIC, the car is lowered and the brakes have been upgraded to the 4/2pots.

Someone has definitely been tinkering with that thing.

As long as it runs you probably got a good deal. About $2000 in upgrades parts visible in those pics alone.

[longislandwrx]

yeah and a ARP sticker, so there's probably some head studs in there also those silicone ebay hoses are good to use for various things.

[AZPete]

Looks like a very nice donor with plenty of upgrades, as ssssly pointed out. At that milage the timing belt should be changed and the prior owner probably had that done since he added so many other goodies, but it'd be good to remove the timing belt covers to make sure. I look forward to following your build thread. When is your kit coming from FFR?

[octobersknight]

Hey all, thanks for chiming in so quickly! Glad to see I'm getting some readers here. it's encouraging and makes me want to post more stuff as fast as I can. I think ssssly nailed most of the upgrades, and longislandwrx also has sharp eyes for the ARP sticker. I don't think the car was lowered, and I think the brakes are the stockers for an '06 WRX steel 4-pots up front and aluminum 2-pots in the rear. I don't know what a bcs is.

I agree AZPete that the timing belt and water pump are items that need attention at that mileage, and I had a plan to take care of it during the engine cleaning. Also, I haven't ordered my kit yet. I have this master plan that I'd like to pick up the kit in early fall, take teh family and have a nice driving vacation to see the New England foliage autumn display. So I think that means an August purchase, but I;m keeping an eye on it. Sadly, the sales barely seem to help the 818, given the limited options and low cost of them.

But first back to my story of the donor breakdown: being the responsible Earthling that I am, I wanted to haul the donor to a nearby auto shop to have the refrigerant extracted (for free!), so i rented a trailer and had my first time hauling anything ... in the wife's truck.

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Just my luck that there was only 0.6 lbs of refrigerant in there ... the truck in the picture leaked twice that the summer before when we had a busted hose! So much for being environmentally conscious. But hey, I know I did the right thing, and I got some towing/loading/unloading experience, and I got to test at least first and reverse (and rowed through all the gears) and I made sure the car ran. I couldn't drive it very far or fast, because the accident that sent it to the auction block had bent the front passenger strut and made the tire rub.

[octobersknight]

I also was lucky enough to stop by the FFR factory a couple times in 2016 on side visits from work trips - once in June and again in September. They're very nice there, and i took a tour both times. The second time I went to go see the 818C in person; but just my luck, it was out for graphics in preparation for SEMA or something. As a consolation, they did show me a coupe packaged for delivery so I could at least see one, and they did let me into the back to see the 818 that had the Ford EcoBoost engine installed (sorry no pics allowed!).

I really think they are an awesome company. I'm a mechanical engineer, and my favorite show is probably How It's Made. In my experience, I really believe that FFR's blend of hand work and technological solutions, as well as a very healthy dose of cleverness, allows their products to be high quality and repeatable. I was very impressed when I went, and it made me want to get started right away! It's no coincidence that I bought my donor between those visits.

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[turbomacncheese]

I think this is going to be a good thread. No idea how your ride is going to turn out, but I can see that you enjoy telling stories. Makes for good reading!

[ssssly]

What field do you work in? I'm currently doing post bac work for mechatronics engineering (motion, controls and manufacturing automation).

The 4pots were only stock on the WRX limiteds. Don't believe any wagons had them from the factory. Could be wrong though.

[octobersknight]

I work in materials (polymers). The subaru parts site has the 4 pots listed as the parts for my car, so I had assumed they were the standard kit.

Anyway, back to the donor breakdown. First thing I wanted to do was remove the doors, to get better access to the interior of the car while clearing it out, and to try to get the doors sold ASAP to make space in my 1-car garage.
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Then it was pull the driver's fender and the hood.
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Next out was the radiator
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Then of course the whole engine and front suspension system (Nov 5th 2016).
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Separating the trans from the engine to get the engine on a stand for checkout and refurb.
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And everything stored neatly for fall/winter so i could take care of the other bits inside the car while keeping (somewhat) warm in the garage (Nov-Dec 2016).
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[octobersknight]

With the engine on a stand, it was time to start stripping the interior for all the goodies I need for the 818.
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Then pull the rear suspension and gas tank to get to the fuel pump and level sender (Jan 15 2017).
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And finally pulling out that monster-spider-of-a-wire-harness (Jan 21 2017).
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As you can see, I've taken the leisurely approach to stripping the donor. I was hoping to sell more parts along the way so that I could have more space and also afford the kit, but since parts were moving slowly, so was I.

[octobersknight]

Stripped donor and a garage full of parts, most to try and sell and a few to keep (May 25 2017).
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There was so much stuff that I had to build shelves to store it all, so I could have enough space to move around and do the engine work I knew I wanted to do (June 5 2017).
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And to hold all the engine parts during engine rebuild, I built a simple but sturdy workbench that had room for the transmission on the bottom shelf. Earlier pictures show the trans stored on the engine stand under the engine, but that prevented my from rotating the engine so it had to move. (June 11 2017)
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[octobersknight]

The best about about the donor teardown and the build process is how excited family and friends get, and how much people want to help out with everything. So far, I've had my son, daughter, dad, wife, and friend Chris help out with everything. I owe them a ton of thanks for their encouragement, support, and hours of hard labor.

[octobersknight]

From looking at the engine, I could tell there was oil leaking past the head gaskets, so I know going in that my goal was to replace those. I also planned to get the heads machined if possible, and replace the water pump and timing belt sicne my donor was just past the 100k mark and I had no idea if the previous owner had done it.

First step is to remove the accessory belts.
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Then the exhaust
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And then remove the crank pulley. You can buy the expensive Subaru tool or use a couple of 3/8 socket extensions and a pry bar to hold it still while you loosen the bolt. Got the idea from someone on NASIOC.
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[octobersknight]

After the crank pulley removal was the turbo removal and inspection.
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Just a few bolts to the support bracket, the oil supply and drain lines, and the coolant supply/drain lines, as well as the air inlet.
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Then, you can take a look at the turbo compressor and turbine, check for shaft play, etc.
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DANG IT! Compressor blades toast. Guess I'll be looking for a new turbo. At least that saves me the trouble of cleaning that godawful lime green paint off of there ...

[octobersknight]

Next step is to take off the timing belt covers and look at the glorious complication beneath. Nothing's aligned properly (yet).
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I could also tell I wasn't the first person in here - note the orange paint marker on the alignment marks to make them stand out. How handy!

So, to align everything, turn the crank sprocket clockwise until all the alignment marks ... ahem ... align.
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Then take off the bottom left (from this view) idler pulley. TA DAAA! The timing belt is loose.
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[AZPete]

Save the old timing belt. You can use it, with clamps & vice grips, to hold the cam sprockets as you loosen the (very tight!!) bolts.
And, later when you put the cam sprockets back on.

[octobersknight]

Thanks AZPete, I did retain it for this exact purpose. Not to get too far ahead of my progress, but that didn't really work out for me because the belt kept slipping and I couldn't find a great place to anchor the belt. That and/or my vice grips just didn't work too well.

[AZPete]

Keep trying with the old timing belt around the crank pulley. Several YouTube videos show how they've used the old timing belt and this one shows using an extractor. I was able to loosen the hex bolt with a breaker bar once I had the timing belt clamped, but it took several tries to get the belt clamped tight so it would hold the cam sprocket. I didn't have to use an extractor or drill so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sID5DWP3Tk

[SurgeVet]

DANG IT! Compressor blades toast. Guess I'll be looking for a new turbo. At least that saves me the trouble of cleaning that godawful lime green paint off of there ...

Have you thought about a twin scroll? I've kind of committed to one and I have no idea how it will work... BTW totally jealous of your clean donor.

[octobersknight]

I'll hang on to the timing belt.

I haven't thought about a twin scroll because I've heard they're not right for our car. Check out the NASIOC thread "Turbo FAQ: Read if you are thinking of upgrading!" For tons of good info.

Yeah I'm pretty stoked about the donor, I feel like I won the lottery, especially given that I only went by 10 pictures. Now if only my luck holds with being able to sell parts ...

[Mitch Wright]

I have a stock EJ205 with a JDM VF37 twin scroll and header. My engine is stock other than deleting the secondary butterfly's and 1000cc injectors. At 14lb of boost it make 260RWHP and at 18lb 285RWHP. Talked to a couple of Subaru buddies that have the same set up on a 2.5 that are really strong (in the low 300rwhp range) and torquey.
I paid $700.00 for the turbo, manifold and STi intercooler.

[ssssly]

Don't know where you heard "they're not right" for a given car.

A twin scroll turbo will always outperform an identical single scroll turbo.

Whether you want to spend the money to install everything required to support a twin scroll turbo is another question.

But if you take 2 turbos that are identical except one is TS and one is not, the TS turbo will always spool faster and maintain full boost longer.

[octobersknight]

Welp, schooled again! Thanks for all the info, guys. In any case, my plan has always been to build this with as much stock stuff as possible. So I decided to hunt craigslist for a used TD04L to match the one I had with busted vanes. I also considered rebuilding my own. It just depends on what gets done first.

[octobersknight]

After taking off the belt idler, I moved to take off all the other things that need to go before the heads come off. Starting with the spark plugs & coils, and then the oil filler neck:
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Notice that duct tape on the filler neck? I ignored it. But once I had the tape off, I think I found part of the oil leak source!
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Then started unplugging fuel injectors, cam position sensors, TGV motor and position sensors, (oil pressure?), etc. to start loosening up the wire harness.
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I found out later that the 2006 WRX doesn't need those rubber/copper washer grommets, so I saved myself quite a bit of dough by not having to buy new ones! Not sure why they're on there in the first place. Also note that the green shields of death are gone from my injector rails. Another time savings!

Finally - I did take TONS of pictures as I went, practically every step of the way so i would know how to go backwards and plug everything back together. In fact, I'm printing all the pictures out and putting them in a binder in reverse order in page protectors as my rebuild manual! I have tons to share if you need them, but to prevent eyes-glazing-over levels of detail, I'll just post the highlights.

[octobersknight]

I took off the A/C compressor next. It worked well when the car was intact, so I'm saving it in the hopes I can follow AZPete's footsteps and get some chill in my 818.
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And in the process of trying to remove the hard fuel supply lines, I busted an old rubber fuel hose.
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Luckily it's a pretty cheap part, and I can pick up stuff (no shipping $) from my local Subaru place, which also has a great online discount rate and is close to work - close enough to pop out at lunch and still make it back in time.

[AZPete]

plug or tape-over the AC compressor ports.

[Dcc2]

Good wrenching and have fun

[octobersknight]

Okay so I just looked up again about the twin scroll turbos to find out why I thought they wouldn't work. The twin scroll case splits the exhaust from each port (head?), so there would need to be some exhaust mods to make it work in the WRX. To me that was a non-starter since I'm trying to keep as much stock as possible to keep costs down. Plus, doesn't that change the character of the boxer rumble? Maybe not if the pipes are built right, but still more expensive ...

[ssssly]

Yes, twin scroll headers are equal length. A good part of the boxer rumble is created by the stock unequal length headers. So it is much less pronounced with twin scroll systems.

The full factory service manuals can be found with a bit of googling. Very helpful when tearing down engines and transmission.

[octobersknight]

After letting the stripped donor sit unsold in the driveway for months last summer/fall, I gave up and decided to have a cutting party.

https://imgur.com/a/a1jRvPG

I then loaded all the pieces into the bed of the pickup and took it to the local scrapyard ... and got a measly $31.50 for my troubles. Ouch. I was sad to see it turn into so much scrap, but no one wanted a stripped wagon chassis as far as I could tell - and I tried all over the place to sell it.

[octobersknight]

Took off the intake manifold. That and the TGV's were painted (not well) with some silver/gray spray paint. That had to go.
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After that, I removed the wire harness.
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Then I removed the hard fuel lines, injectors, fuel rails, and TGVs.
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Next went the oil and coolant line combo, and then the coolant crossover. I found a broken-off bolt in the block where the coolant crossover mounted, so I backed that out with some vice-grips and ordered some new hardware.
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[octobersknight]

After all that, I finally removed the timing belt and cam spockets. I tried the "old timing belt as a clamp" trick, but it was before I watched the video and didn't have much luck with it because I had one vice grip and didn't lock it in the right place. I broke down and bought the 2 Company 23 tools that hold the AVCS intake and non-AVCS exhaust sprockets. Those things work great for a one-person job, but I did manage to chip my RHS exhaust sprocket when I tried to pry it off the camshaft. It stuck on a little due to some surface rust, and a little wiggling got it loose. Add another thing to the list of replacement parts for the engine.

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Also removed the rear timing covers, and one of them had a captured nut that just spun in the plastic. Another item for the shopping list! Then off go the valve covers to check out the cams.
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Looks good, except for the wrench marks on the shafts. At least they're in non-critical areas, and with solid camshafts I wasn't worried about out-of-round damage or anything like that. I tipped the engine up so I could remove the cams and get to the head bolts. You can really see how oily the engine is on the underside.
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Some more shots of the cams being systematically removed. I like how all the parts have marks to show proper orientation. It makes reassembly that much more foolproof.
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Whoever had been in here before was VERY generous with the grey RTV, and I had a heck of a time getting off the front bearing/oil seal land parts (on both sides). With the bearings off, I removed the cams (actually they came off with the front bearings because the RTV stuck the oil seals on the bearing body), valve spring buckets, and then finally got to the head bolts - wait ARP head studs! Hooray!
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Finally I removed the head. SUCCESS!! A first look at the RHS pistons. Plenty of carbon buildup, but great condition for the mileage, and no scoring on the cylinder walls. I'm liking this.
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Repeat other side: Note how the RTV plugged the oil galleys leading to the oil seals. Not good! I made sure to work to avoid this when reassembling.
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[turbomacncheese]

I got my timing covers from an online saab parts store. SUPER great price. Check the engine forum for the website. I shared.

[octobersknight]

thanks @turbomacncheese, I'll take a look!

[turbomacncheese]

I had a free minute, sooooo…..

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?26703-Timing-Covers-from-theSaabSite

[octobersknight]

Thanks, I found it by hunting too. Now I don't have to hunt again - and I bookmarked the site.

[octobersknight]

Okay I've got my engine rebuild done, pics to follow. But I wanted to post that I'm planning to take the plunge and order my kit next week!!

I'm going to visit the factory and test-fit myself into the car in the showroom. They better have it this time, as it's been missing the last couple of trips. I was assured it is there (again), so fingers crossed! Unless there are MAJOR hurdles, I'm planning to place my order right then-and-there. Current orders are about 8 weeks out, so that lands me square in mid-October, which is right where I wanted to be (okay maybe it's late for a fall foliage trip, but it'll be close).

Planning for 818C with options: powder coat, padded dash, full carpets, wiper kit, CF splitter, CF road wing, CF rocker panels. Also planning to get Craig's shifter setup (and buy an MR2 shifter), but I want to set it up facing backwards to minimize cable lengths. Ii know there's a thread about that around here somewhere ...

Any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?

Trying to keep everything else stock - seats, steering wheel, pedals, wheels/tires, mirrors, etc.

[STiPWRD]

Here's a link to the MR2 shifter thread:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?16142-MR2-Shifter

Depending on how tall you are, you may want to consider thinner seats and a thinner fuel tank to gain more leg room. I saw that you mentioned living close to MikeB, which means you're probably not too far from me. Let me know if you'd like to test fit yourself in my 818S with tall man mods. I also did the MR2 mod.

[octobersknight]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it when I have a little more time. I'd love to come test fit myself. I'm 5' 11"ish, 195 lbs., if that helps for comparison. Any availability Thursday night this week?

[STiPWRD]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it when I have a little more time. I'd love to come test fit myself. I'm 5' 11"ish, 195 lbs., if that helps for comparison. Any availability Thursday night this week?

Sure, stop by. I replied to your PM.

[octobersknight]

I almost feel like i don't want to admit this, but I might as well confess - I do, on rare occasions, idiotic things. Example:

The RTV that plugged the oil channels on the cam cover also glued in the oil seals. So to get the camshafts loose from the cover I really had to pull up on them hard. Oily gloves and a hard pull on a heavy object makes for problems. Physics :rolleyes:. One of those suckers went flying out of my hands, bounced off the nearby WRX seats and workbench, fell onto the engine stand leg, then rolled to the floor. Not good. Engine stand has a nice dent where the shaft hit.

So I took it to my machinist buddy, who put it on the lathe and checked the runout. NO PROBLEM. Also, no visible damage on any of the cam lobes themselves. Thank God for solid camshafts and hardened steel - and also for soft(ish) steel engine stands.

[octobersknight]

So now that the camshafts were out and I removed the ARP head nuts/washers, I got my first look at the LH pistons.
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And the head.
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ALL STOP. What in the name of hell is that on the head? Some potentially serious damage. GROAN. Looks like at some point in the past it threw a valve or something. I'm hoping there's not more than the dome damage, because the piston and cylinder walls look okay but some deformation is close to a valve (hopefully not on a valve seat, fingers crossed).
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So here's all my parts laid out nicely on the bench so I can keep track of what's what.
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[octobersknight]

Since the heads were off, it was time to get them faced flat. They were actually very flat when I checked them with a machinist straightedge and feeler gauges (under 0.002" at the worst location, most places were under 0.001"), but I figured better safe than sorry. I also planned on a valve job too, since I know the guides can go south first. And I wanted them to grind the valve seats to make sure I had a good seal - plus check that rear LH to see if I need a new head. I found a place called Rockville Ring & Bearing that was close enough, had good pricing, and a short turnaround time. I took my heads there and they let me snoop around the shop and take some pictures.

What a place! It's a gearhead's dream, and instilled confidence in me that they know what they are doing.
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I feel like I can tell when I've met a kindred spirit, and the two guys there are certainly on that list. They know their stuff, knew all about Subarus and their engines, and asked all the right questions. Plus they caught that the spark plug hole in the damaged LH rear had been re-threaded (correctly) with one of those helicoil inserts. Hope the head is salvageable. At least they can source a relatively cheap one if it's toast.

[octobersknight]

While the heads are off getting machined, i's time to check the oil pump, remove un-needed accessories, get off the old water pump, and clean up the oily/dirty block.
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Including previous head evidence, you can see from the oil pan and where the block splits that whoever rebuilt this engine LOVED RTV. Maybe they have stock in Permatex? I decided to start my engine dress-up with the alternator/ A/C and power steering brackets. I'm using some VHT engine primer and engine enamel that I have left over from previous projects.
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Some piston cleanup:
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[octobersknight]

Alright everyone, I finally took the leap and place the kit order. I took a nice trip with the wife up to New England for a few days and she was gracious enough to stop by Factory Five for a tour. After the tour I sat down with Tony Zullo and placed my order. He talked me through the order and pointed out a few options that I should and shouldn't get based on my needs.

So, here's the details for the kit, which will show up in my signature sometime soon!
Ordered 8/14/18, pickup schedule for 10/6/18
-818 Coupe kit

Options (taking advantage of the sale):
- Chassis powder coat
- Carbon fiber street splitter
- CF rocker panel extensions
- CF diffuser
- CF street spoiler
- polished shifter knob
- adjustable rear lower lateral control arms
- vinyl padded dash/door upgrade
- complete carpet set
- battery cut-off switch
- wiper kit
- aluminum shifter assembly
- complete CV axles (Tony told me his least favorite part of the build was making the Frankenaxles, as has been echoed by a few others so I'm going to skip it all. I do have the wiring harness to contend with still ...)
- harness bar mount
- matte gunmetal wheels

[octobersknight]

I reinstalled the painted brackets on the engine and put the cleaned-up alternator back on as well. I think it looks pretty sharp! I just hope the red paint stays well - it's already flaked off in a couple spots, I guess the self-etching primer doesn't do quite enough on aluminum. I'll have to find another product to prep aluminum well if this doesn't stay on very long.
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I also got my re-decked/cleaned heads (with a valve guide replacement and new seals/lash adjustment) back from Rockville Ring & Bearing a bit ago. I think they look fantastic now!
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Installed new Fel-Pro head gaskets from the set I bought, which has every gasket you could need when rebuilding an engine. Even some you don't. these got great reviews and the brand has a ton of quality history, so I hope they work out right.
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Reinstalled the head, and made sure to use the proper procedure for the ARP head studs. I even bought a HUGE 10 oz jar of assembly lube, and promptly used probably 1/2 oz total ...
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I put black (oil resistant) Permatex gasket maker on front camshaft bracket, and was sure to only use sparing amount to avoid plugging the oil seal oil galleys. I even pulled it off once to check and reapplied. Also, be gentle when torquing these camshaft brackets in place, and the steel botls will easily strip the small-diameter, softer aluminum. I hope I didn't strip any of mine - especially at the front of the front bracket near the oil seal. I then installed the camshaft oil seals (again part of the Fel-Pro pack) using a little oil on the inner rim of the seal, a large socket and gentle mallet tapping - you need to be careful not to roll the lip.
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Then it was apply black Permatex where it says to in the manual on top of the large camshaft bracket, and reinstall the valve cover. Note that I don't use those copper/rubber washers anymore, as they weren't used on the car initially. Again, be careful when tightening to avoid stripping the female threads!
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[AZPete]

"Again, be careful when tightening to avoid stripping the female threads!"
I agree with that warning. Fortunately I didn't learn the hard way when I recently replaced my head gaskets. The owner of the machine shop that resurfaced my heads and did the valve job emphasized how important it is to follow the OE torque specs exactly and he also cautioned me to clean the threads of all re-used bolts on a wire wheel. Fair warning to all who follow!

I also bought the complete set of gaskets and O-rings but it should have come with a note that says some are not needed because the extras kept me awake. :eek:

If you don't have to pass emission tests, you can delete the TGV system or at least the butterfly valves. And, if you are deleting the air pump, keep the pressure sensor on the left solenoid.
Nice work.

[octobersknight]

Yeah I'm a little worried about some of the ones on the large cam bushing piece near the oil seals. I feel like those just never felt very tight and wouldn't get tighter. Debating now whether to peel everything off and helicoil them or to just leave it alone. Probably better safe than sorry?

I hear you about notes about what's not needed!

I did already do a TGV delete that I bought from Craigslist - and I still have my originals just in case. The air pump system was already deleted from the donor. Where can I locate the pressure sensor you mention to verify that I have it?

[octobersknight]

The past couple of weekends I took a bit of a break from car stuff to build a storage crate. Parts still aren't moving very fast on C-list or Ebay. And since I'm picking up the kit in a month (!) I figure I better clear out as much space as possible. So I started by clearing out a place in the backyard that I measured was big enough, but had a pile of old firewood/kindling. So I cleared that, and measured and checked - sure enough the space was nowhere near level enough for what I had planned. Nothing is ever easy. My solution? A mini retaining wall of course! It takes time to dig, level with paver sand, then set the stones. Then wait 4-5 days for adhesive to set. Backfill 8" high with stones, then with soil and level it out. in my case, I topped with weedblock and interlocking bricks, some of which had been there and others I scavenged from other flower bed edging and so forth around the house.

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I think it looks pretty nice, and is an allegory for building the kit - you'll always find something just a little off, and you have to spend time making it right first.

After that I cut all the plywood and 2x4s to make the crate I wanted - 5' 8" long x 3' 3" deep x 4' tall inside. I already had bottom pressure-treated beams that had been laying around for years, and just over 6' long too. Fortuitous.

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I started to put the pieces together up on the platform, and realized I had a space problem. The box fit, but I couldn't next to it, nor could I get much help to move the box as it got heavier and more unwieldy. The build order had to be sides/back/front together, then bottom to back/sides, then front off, then bottom to beams (because they would block access to screw bottom to back/sides), then top, and reinstall removable front. I planned to have the top hinged as well for easier time getting parts out later.

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Needless to say, I gave up on that location after trying to do all kinds of strange rotations with the fours sides together, and figuring out that it would be treacherous to get parts out due to how steep the hill is right by the box. So I took all the sides apart and started over at location choice #2, near the back stairs. Now I'm not going to use that brick platform I spent so much time making! You can see the beams near the box resting on some bricks to eliminate ground contact.

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In this new space, I'm able to tip to get access all around, and still reach the back when all together to install hinges. Much better. I put it the sides together, tipped it up, put the top on and got ready to install beams. The bricks were so out of level due to the ground shape that the top didn't fit right. I then spent a while leveling the bricks by digging out soil and double-stacking some bricks (stealing some from that now unused platform), then tipped the box back down. Then I hard-installed the top, because hinging would make it precarious and much less sturdy. The front is still removable. Then I covered the sucker with some used/ leftover heavy-duty plastic from work to waterproof it. Ta da!

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The final proof will be this weekend, when I attempt to put in all the parts I did rough measurements for to get that box size. I may have to add a shelf inside to keep the large-but-light plastic parts out of the way.

[octobersknight]

Back to the engine: with the heads back on and reassembled, I started reinstalling the oil feed lines.

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Then I looked to the water pump that I bought with the Gates timing belt kit. First I checked the thermostat/valve, then inspected the new water pump sealing surface prior to install.

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Then I went ahead with coolant crossover, and hard oil/coolant lines. I removed the broken stud in the coolant crossover port (lower left in picture) and ran tap in it to make sure the threads were clean.

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Again, here's where having those deconstruction pictures helped make sure I put everything back, and in the same order and place as before.

[octobersknight]

I bought some TGV deletes off of C-list. These were stock TGVs that someone had taken the time to remove all the internals and weld the outer holes and fill the inner holes with Devcon aluminum putty (better thermal expansion match than JB Weld), then polish. I think they were a steal, plus I got to keep my stock ones in case something goes squirrelly with the deletes that makes the engine not run well or fail some state test. I also decided to paint them the same as the brackets I had on, so i cleaned them up and degreased, then used self-etching primer and that high-temp red engine paint.

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I used new gaskets from the Fel-Pro kit and installed the TGV deletes, then grabbed my cleaned/balanced stock injectors back fresh from Witch Hunter Performance to install those.

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I finished installing the fuel rails, hard fuel lines, air intake, and wiring harness.

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Next up: air intake manifold and turbocharger

[AZPete]

Pretty, pretty engine.
Do you know about Wayne's coolant tube mod? It's been considered essential by many of us because it helps a lot when bleeding the system.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?18090-VCP-Cooling-System-Mod

If your air pump was already removed from your donor, and it was running, then either the left air solenoid did not have the atmosphere pressure sensor(some never had it) or the code had already been flashed out of the ECU. Google Subaru Air Pump to see vids about this.

Save your old timing belt so you can use it to hold the cam sprockets as you torque them.

[octobersknight]

I took the stock manifold, which had been spray-painted silver (poorly), and removed the intake valve, fitting, and most hoses. I cleaned it a couple times with brake cleaner to make sure it was degreased and the paint was mostly removed. Then I taped it up and hung it in my basement workshop, ready for painting.

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I decided to use some VHT red engine wrinkle paint on this. I'd used it before, had a little left over (bought more, too, of course), and really liked the look of it in the engine bay. This stuff goes on really thick and gets EVERYWHERE because it's slow-drying as part of its function. Also, the thickness is what determines wrinkle size, so trying to keep even coats all over is tough but necessary.

1 coat: 93703 93704

2 coats: 93705 93704

I did 3 coats total. I let this air dry. You get tighter wrinkles if you oven-bake it, but moving it while wet without touching that parts you care about is a huge pain. And it makes the kitchen smell like melted crayon for hours, plus who knows if it's safe to cook in that oven afterwards?

Anyway, I let it sit for a day or two.

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Then removed the tape.

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I REALLY like the way the silver pops out against the red. Too bad for now all the silver will be hidden.

[octobersknight]

Since I was doing the intake manifold that nice red wrinkle, and I had a clean new-ish turbo, I decided to give it the same treatment to dress it up some.

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Now there's some silver that will be exposed - okay it's under the intake, but it's there!

[Rob T]

Looks really nice....

[turbomacncheese]

Love that paint

[octobersknight]

Thanks for the thumbs-ups on the paint. I really love the stuff too. I've had it in my Mustang engine bay for a couple years, and it really holds up nice.

I installed the TGV deletes with new gaskets fro the Fel-Pro kit, installed all the fuel lines, oil lines, vacuum lines, etc. I also installed the intake tube, intake manifold, and turbo. man that thing is a bear to install with the oil drain line and intake at 90 degrees to each other! but I did get it done. Pics for proof.

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I didn't think enough ahead about removing the flywheel, so it's still on there and I need to get it removed and resurfaced soon. that's a task for another day.

[octobersknight]

I also put the cam sprockets back on and installed the new timing belt and water pump. [Sorry for the rotated sprocket photos, I can't figure out how to turn them]

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After I installed the sprockets I had to turn them a little to get them lined up for timing belt alignment. The camshafts in their relaxed positions don't line up exactly right, and I didn't double-check the manual to insure I was in the right "rest" position. I distinctly remember hearing a metallic sound (maybe a spring compressing/sliding?) as I adjusted the LH intake after having done the exhaust first - or maybe the other way around. I turned all the sprockets clockwise as you're supposed to. I went back to check how the sprockets align to the camshaft pins (see picture) and I think it was only a little turn in both cases to get the sprockets aligned to the timing marks, but I'm really nervous now because it's an interference engine. I haven't bent a valve or something dumb, have I?!? Is there a way to check without disassembling too much?

All buttoned up!

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Notes/thoughts: I really want to replace all the factory rubber lines with some nice silicone ones. I've found some red kits for vacuum and "ancillary" lines that I'm considering. Also, there is a nice red Mishimoto silicone TMIC tubing set I really want. I'll be able to get rid of that horrid christmas theme I have going on now ... although I've also considered running separate colors for oil (black), antifreeze (red), and vacuum (blue). Any opinions? is that going to be too busy?

[STiPWRD]

The engine is looking really nice! One way to test if you bent the valves is by doing a compression test, I've got a tester if you want to borrow it, HF sells them too. You'd just need to bolt the starter on and run it for a few seconds with some jumper cables. Don't forget to add oil to the engine. This can all be done on the engine stand.

I bought one of those mishimoto hose kits but only used about 20% of it. This is probably because I didn't retain any of the emissions related hoses and used oil catch cans instead of some of the stock PCV hoses. There were also some coolant related hoses in that kit but the radiator is not near the engine so I didn't use those either.

[octobersknight]

Sorry for the long delay between posts ... life.

The last thing I wanted to do before kit arrival was to rebuild and paint the brake calipers. Here's what they looked like before and after cleaning:
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I bought some of the G2 epoxy paint and followed the instructions to the letter.
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And then put them back on with the resurfaced rotors.
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[octobersknight]

More pre-kit prep: disassembling the front outer CV joint so that the front wheel bearings stay in place on the kit.

First step was to try to follow the manual. Remove the boot, gently tap it off with a hammer. The ends didn't budge a millimeter. Then I hit it harder. Still nothing. So I went to a nearby auto parts store and rented a slide hammer, which is made just for this sort of thing. Still. No. Dice. The axle ends were on there TIGHT. I'm not sure if I got them a little crooked while hammering or if the circlip got jammed or what. But nothing worked.

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However, since none of the guts need to survive ... time for destructive removal! I was over at a friend's house and he just happened to have a diamond cutoff wheel. He happily attacked the bearings cage and after a few cuts and some twisting and contorting of the joint, we were able to pop the bearing out and get the joints apart!

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[turbomacncheese]

Pipe trick. It's been mentioned several times on here, but NOBODY remembers it until it's too late!!! Seriously, if you are reading this as your research and haven't started your cv disassembly yet STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!!

https://youtu.be/pTooPkTAmIk

The pipe isn't strictly necessary, but you do need something that will square the cage to the axle upon impact, and some amount of room for the axle to fall through. I rigged up a part of the wheel bearing on some plates, set up on my press.

Here is the relevant post on my build thread.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?25278-The-turbomacncheese-build-thread&p=302350&viewfull=1#post302350

[Hobby Racer]

Pipe trick. It's been mentioned several times on here, but NOBODY remembers it until it's too late!!! Seriously, if you are reading this as your research and haven't started your cv disassembly yet STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!!

https://youtu.be/pTooPkTAmIk


I remember seeing this before and never being able to find the YouTube link again, THANKS!

I really think this technique should be added to the FFR manual. Sure would save a lot of grief. Maybe FFR could even provide a piece of tube for the job, couldn't cost much and it would really improve the build experience.

[octobersknight]

I took off and cleaned the steering rack, then "depowered" it and rerouted the hard lines. I'm not a fan of that bend on the right, so I'll run another line once I get some Cu-Ni line.
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Also, I got some brand new front control arms. I did buy a 2006 for those control arms, but didn't realize they were only on the sedan (I bought a wagon). I'll see if I can sell my OEM ones. I plan to clearcoat these new ones to try to keep them pretty as long as possible.

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[octobersknight]

This is more than a month overdue!

I picked up my kit on October 6th, and managed to get in to the office right before closing on the 5th so I could sneak in a tour for my friend and my dad, who had never been to FFR before. During the tour, I got to see the kit with MY NAME ON IT!! :cool:

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The new powdercoat option is pretty slick. It's this nice satin/matte finish, not glossy like before. I really like it.

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Dan and another fellow helped load the chassis on the trailer I borrowed from another friend, and we strapped on all the boxes and filled the bed. the ride home was a bit tight, since we had a cooler and snack box in the cab and I had brought plenty of stuff "in case we might need it". Needless to say, things were jammed on pretty tight everywhere we could fit them - including inside the cab of the car. I met two other fellow builders who loaded up right next to me.
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We made it home with no incidents, except I foolishly left my green paper on the kit and it disappeared in MA on the highway somewhere :(. Unloading was actually quite easy with just two guys and a little bit of smart planning. Fit everything into the garage ... and workshop ... and guest room. I did use the jack-stands-on-furniture-dollies trick and it has worked flawlessly. It helps in a tiny garage and was critical to the successful two-man unload process.

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After going through my inventory over a week to 10 days, there were only about 6 items missing that were indicated as in the kit. Box 6, the packaged aluminum parts, was the most tedious because not all the parts are labeled with numbers. However, by the process of elimination and using the Appendix of the build guide (the "Packaged Aluminum" one, though it'd be nice if there was another rendering with a different look angle), I was able to find/label all the parts that were in there, sans the missing ones. I let FFR know what parts were missing and they cut me a no-cost order, which they will ship with the parts they knew were not in the kit. I talked to them Friday (9 November), and they told me they were getting to October kits this coming week. I'm looking forward to getting all my parts so I can plow ahead full steam.

P.S. carbon fiber parts are gorgeous!

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[octobersknight]

Sorry for the long delay - I've been working on the kit (no time for silly computer updates!) and of course, the holidays.

I started with the firewall install. Absolute first part on the kit was the OEM pedal box plate, which I "Self-Etching Primer" painted and then followed with "Satin Black Roll Bar and Chassis" spray paint. This stuff is really durable and looks great. it's about the same sheen and color as the powder coat! Here's a couple pics of my Dad and I co-installing the very first part on 11/10/2018 (more than a month after kit pickup, ugh.).

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First thing I did was mark the aluminum, drill holes, scuff the outside (forward) surface, and clean them. Then I sprayed on some 3M Professional Rubberized Undercoat (for some heat and sound reduction). it took a couple coats to look good, and used about a can and a half. i did dimple the driver's side panel, but later ended up cutting it out with a hole saw so I could access the rear LCA nut - more on that later.

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I used some black rivets and black silicone to keep the dark theme going. I even got some help from my son. The whole process was made easier by using a pneumatic riveter. i love that thing, and my forearms sure are thanking me for using my brain. I only drilled a few holes that ended up being unreachable, but no big deal. the panels are all in there nicely. I then sealed up everything from the back with the black silicone.

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[octobersknight]

I can't believe it's been so long since i last posted, I've been busy with the kit anyway and just haven't had the time to visit the site.

I flipped the rear black arms that hold the "hurricane" brackets at the rear of the aftermarket Al lower front control arms that I bought, for extra caster. I swapped the hurricanes L-R as told in the manual, and clearcoated the arms to keep them pretty for as long as possible. I used a can of Rust-Oleum 2X automotive acrylic enamel. i got pretty close to spot-on with the first arm's of shock mount holes in terms of centering on the exit circles, but nailed the second arm! Both back plates fit no problem. I did have some fitment issues, as can be found in my other post here, but got that sorted by loosening the rear bushing bolt.

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I built the upper control arms as described, and had to use a vise to install the upper ball joints. I did find a wrench that I borrowed from Home Depot (i.e. buy/use/return in same day) that could handle it, because i didn't pay attention the first time and the through-hole for the cotter pin on the driver's side didn't align with the upper suspension mount - I couldn't get the pin through.

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I installed my spindles with refurbished brakes, and then I built the shocks and installed them as described. The only hiccup was that the threaded bodies were a little tight and I scraped the sticker half off on one of them - oh no! I think I'll hide that one in the back later. Steering rack came next and pretty easy, too.

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The only outstanding item for the front is the swaybar. I ended up getting some Pro-Line mounts for a 17mm swaybar (red urethane, of course), because the bracket on them is flat to match the kit. I couldn't get the OEM brackets flat in a way I liked, despite some filing and bending. it just made them look horrible and I didn't trust them after that. Luckily the aftermarket mounts are cheap and come with some lube to keep that swaybar free to move.

[octobersknight]

After the situation with the font LCA's I read up on tightening the rear bushing nut at ride height - which meant I had to edit my firewall. I simply got a 1.5" hole saw and drilled through the firewall and installed some plastic caps from Amazon, which were slightly too small to fit tightly. Electrical tape to the rescue! Kinda made that hole dishing-out of the driver's side first plate a big waste of time, and actually made the hole drilling and capping much harder ... dang it. No time to mope though! On to the rear of the car!

[octobersknight]

I painted the brackets for the rear brakes the same as all other black parts, with the sating rollbar rattle can paint. That stuff is so great!

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I installed them on the brakes, put the rear spindles on the trailing arms, and used all the OEM hardware except for my new FFR adjustable rear front-links.

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Then I noticed that the passenger side rear link was bent a little by the fork at the scrapyard. Bought a new Dorman one to replace it. Note that it's actually the driver's side arm swapped over for the 818. Then the next step was engine and transmission final prep and install.

[octobersknight]

I did some last-minute engine mods, like Wayne's cooling mod and A/C compressor reinstall, as well as check a couple bolts and take off the flywheel for resurfacing. Also finally bought the new clutch disk.

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After that I tackled the transmission conversion to 2WD. I had to clean and wire-wheel the heck out of the case to make it look presentable. Luckily the front end looked really good too, so I have no worries about the throwout bearings working as intended. Since it's part of the case, if the bearing surface is bad the case is junk.

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After that, the rest of the steps I did as per the manual, and the whole rear plate and center diff came out as one unit with almost no effort. A little win!

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Now I'm stuck as to how to get the rear nut off. i have to somehow push out those four dimples, hold the gears still, and remove the nut with the thing out of the car. I've looked up a couple alternatives but haven't found one that I understand or that works for me. Any suggestions would be very welcome. Maybe I just have to wait until it's installed with driveshafts and such?

102511

[Harley818]

October..... in your last picture into the end of the trans, it looks like you left the bearing race in the top of the casting. Ask my how I know? I did the same thing till someone pointed it out.
Better to get it out now than later. Mine was loose and just about fell out. Not something I would want bouncing around in there.

[STiPWRD]

That rear trans nut comes out easily with an impact gun, the axle shafts don't even need to be held in place. You just have to unpry those dimples with a pick or small screw driver. Subaru recommends replacing that nut (P/N 802622020).

Also, there's a fix if your throw out bearing surfaces get too worn down:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/PDM-Tranquil-TSK2-Case-Saver-Kit-for-Subaru-WRX-Impreza-Forester-Legacy-Turbo/201005899387?epid=1330956310&hash=item2ecce29e7b:g:yXAAAMXQueRRY59y:sc:USPSPrio rity!20175!US!-1:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true
I had to get one of these and it works great.

[octobersknight]

Harley, STi, thanks. I'll look for that bearing race and try to get those dimples out - that has been my challenge trying to figure out how to un-dimple them. I'll let you know how it goes.

[sgarrett]

I echo what STi said. I though it wouldn't come off but once you get those dimples out the impact wrench turns the nut right out. I ended up using a small bladed, long handled screwdriver. Neither the nut or the screwdriver were really usuable again afterwards :). The small punches I had just couldn't get under the dimple.

....and now Harley has made me second guess my bearing race. I thought I had taken it out but now I don't see it in my 'pile of stuff I don't think I need but I am not throwing it away until I am done'. Guess I need to open it back up and double check it.

[Kiwi Dave]

That rear trans nut comes out easily with an impact gun, the axle shafts don't even need to be held in place. You just have to unpry those dimples with a pick or small screw driver. Subaru recommends replacing that nut (P/N 802622020).

Also, there's a fix if your throw out bearing surfaces get too worn down:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/PDM-Tranquil-TSK2-Case-Saver-Kit-for-Subaru-WRX-Impreza-Forester-Legacy-Turbo/201005899387?epid=1330956310&hash=item2ecce29e7b:g:yXAAAMXQueRRY59y:sc:USPSPrio rity!20175!US!-1:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true
I had to get one of these and it works great.

This nut was too big for my 2007 transmission (ask me how I know :)). The part number I needed was 802618010 - available on eBay.

[STiPWRD]

This nut was too big for my 2007 transmission (ask me how I know :)). The part number I needed was 802618010 - available on eBay.

Good catch, the part number I listed was for a 2002 trans.

[octobersknight]

I knocked out the dimples on the old nut and still had a tough time. But, I was able to get the old nut off by holding one old axle stub with a strap wrench, the other with my left hand, and operating the impact wrench with my right. :)

Here's a few pics of my setup:

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Now that Dave and I have the right trans nut - how in the heck are we supposed to apply the required 190+ ft-lb of torque to that sucker? And dimple it? Is that something best left to when it's in the car with axles and functioning brakes? If so, is the back end accessible and easy to work on, including installing the end plate?

Thanks all for the lively discussion and feedback, this community rocks!

[STiPWRD]

Right, I torqued that nut after the trans/axles/brakes were installed in the 818. There's plenty of access. I'd install that rear plate on the trans meanwhile (without RTV) to keep things from landing inside the trans and then remove the plate when you're ready to torque. I used a long flat head screw driver to dimple the nut - a few light taps with a rubber hammer.

[octobersknight]

I was ready to install the engine about 6 weeks ago ... then I got the top off the kit and realized I had always planned to put in a second firewall. And after reading AZPete's suggestions, I knew for sure that I had to do it before installing the engine. So I got to work measuring, paper templating, and drawing the firewall.

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This is the drawing of the firewall pieces as I measured. I am more than happy to send anyone a copy of the pdf I made, or the autocad file too!

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I bought some 0.08" aluminum sheet (24" x 48") from McMaster, which is just the right size - but could go a little bigger if you wanted to have better overlap on the sides for the bottom section. I cut the sheet with my jigsaw and a metal-cutting blade, which was actually much easier than I thought it would be. I checked the fit, and voila!

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After that it was the same process as all the other sheet aluminum - mark the bars on the Al, drill spots in Al, then drill the frame (cleco's rock!). Only this time I also followed others' advice and rivnutted the frame. This is much more time consuming than riveting, but having the panels removable is totally worth it.

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I wanted some good sound and heat insulation, so after looking around I bought a brand called LizardSkin - which has both a sound and a heat control formulation that can be layered for maximum effect (sound first, then heat), followed by a spray can overcoat for extra protection.

I set up the panels in my newly-sealed "spray booth" (i.e. back half of my workshop) and got to work! Those little extra flaps on teh sides near the bottom are just some samples I made of individual layers as well as a full-up, to compare each layers to the full up and a bare Al piece. Just a little bit of show-and-tell for interested parties!

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[octobersknight]

Once the firewall had the finish coat of protective spray, I brought it up to install it. It weighs a total of 12.2 lbs (if anyone's interested). Before installing the parts on the frame, I used 1/4" thick x 1/2" wide silicone teardrop self-stick weatherseal by Frost King in the gaps between the rivnuts. This was to help seal the gaps and to prevent vibration on the panels on the frame.

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I ended up using about 55-60 ribbed #10-24 rivnuts and 3/4"-long, stainless steel, button-head, 1/8" hex-drive bolts. Of course if I had planned this better, I would have aimed for a more package-convenient 50 total ... oh well, I know its secure now. Another thing I did for the bottom panel was to offset the top and bottom screws by about half a spacing. Without any real rationale, I just had the gut feeling that this would prevent and weird flapping modes or something in that bottom section that might happen with evenly-spaced rectangle gaps. Due to it being burned into my brain in engineering school (and it's also apparent in the truss structure of the chassis itself) I went with triangles.

[octobersknight]

In the midst of working the firewall and engine/trans install prep, I worked on the wiring harness. I decided to give it a shot using mechie3's excellent picture list/wire harness how-to, along with the FSM that I learned how to read. The main things I wanted to were label most of the plugs, figure out what went where, and remove unwanted items. Thus, I removed:
- airbag stuff
- rear door sensors
- rear hatch wiper/defroster/open sensor

and that's about it! I kept radio, ABS, A/C and heat, front door "closed" witches, front door connectors (for power locks), accessory power and so forth. I started on 2/28 and took over the guest room, with the explicit agreement with my wife that I would be done my mid=April when we had guests coming who would actually need the room. Here's what it looked like to start.

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In total, I spent just shy of 17 hours (and 3 weeks real-time, finished 3/21) dieting the harness, unwrapping things as I went and then mostly re-wrapping too. I ended up removing about 6+ lbs worth of unneeded wires, connectors, clips, and plastic!

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Honestly the final "clean" harness doesn't look that much different than when I started. But now I know way more about it, more about how to read the manual, and I feel tons more confident about tracing any future issues I might have. I was the most worried about the electrical because it seems so complicated, but I'm much less concerned now. Knowledge is power!

[octobersknight]

After installing almost everything up front, the remaining bit was the front swaybar, using the Pro-thane mounts as previously noted. I painted the swaybar red (of course), removed the front right shock (since it had a scratched sticker anyway, I moved it to the back after swapping springs), and installed the bar. With LOTS of paint nicks and scratches. that thing really does not like to go in there. I temporarily installed the swaybar-to-LCA links as well, assuming I'll have to mess with them once I'm ready to do ride-height tightening.

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Did I mention that the swaybar is in there tight? I don't know how to set it right so that it won't whack other parts - suggestions are welcome!

[DSR-3]

Yea, not much clearance for the sway bar at spring top and hex-link. Adjust it at ride height. I thought for sure they would hit at some point but indicator tape looks clean so far. And in case you were wondering- yes, the front bar is needed. I tried without it at first and the car was quite a handful!
Nice work in your tiny garage space!
*noticed that your sig indicates that you ordered your car in the future...

[octobersknight]

In finally got to install my engine and transmission about a month ago (March 15). I was installing these later than originally expected due to the second firewall work, but my friend Chris was able to swing by on a Friday we both had off to help me put the heart in the beast. First I removed the exhaust from the engine. Then I reinstalled the resurfaced flywheel, new clutch disk, the cleaned pressure plate, and the mostly-ready transmission. I still need to torque the nut on the back of the transmission and gasket-seal on the back plate for it to be complete. I protected as many places as possible with cardboard during the install and was able to install the engine without any issues - and it only took a little bit of wiggling for it to slide in there and sit right.

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[octobersknight]

After engine and transmission install, I worked on butting up the rear suspension. I popped in the complete FFR axles (option!) without too much hassle. I did have to remove the bottom long bolt from the suspension components to give me enough available motion to fit the axle end into the spindle. I put the last upper link into place. I preloaded the rear springs according to Wayne's suggestion - 3" from threaded body bottom to bottom of preload collar. Then I installed the shocks. Now the front and rear suspensions are only awaiting the final torque at ride height and tightening the axle nuts once I have functioning brakes.

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Also, I had an adventure when moving the car to one side of the garage. One of the rear jack stands/dollies decided not to move with the rest, and instead took a nap. Well, the whole car toppled a little. I was terrified.

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Luckily I was able to right it by putting my jack in the corect place and lifting the kit with that. Then I put the jack stand back and all is well. The only damage I noticed is a delamination crack in the driver's B pillar, which I plan to fix with some epoxy.

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[Hobby Racer]

That's a scary thing to have happen. I had it happen when I was building a FFR Roadster. Glad the damage was minimal.

[octobersknight]

After the tipping incident, I worked on my interior aluminum. I marked for the frame tube, drilled the holes, and then masked off the outside portion where the tubes would rest. Then I did another bit of LizardSkin, the same as for my secondary firewall. It was quite a challenge getting all those panels mounted near together so I could get them all in one shot in my basement "paint booth" area!

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Then on to the install of the pedals. Following the manual, I did the brake/clutch install.

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Then when I went to go do the MC install for the brake, I found (as many others have, apparently) that the bolts supplied with the kit are too short, and that the holes are too close to the donor MC "collar." So I bought longer bolts and trimmed the heads to fit nicely. Sadly, now the ugly bolt/nut combo will be on the outside of the car in the front bay. MC install planned after gas pedal install.

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The next step is installing the FBW gas pedal mount ... which meant I had tight quarters for work because the other pedals were in the way! I wish they were in opposite order in the manual. It turns out the space was just too tight for me, so I removed the pedals to install the FBW bracket.

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[octobersknight]

Getting the upper bolts into the brake pedal cluster was tricky getting everything lined up, especially with the way I have my coupe-top "stored" with plywood that covers that access. It did work, though.

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The steering wheel install was a little more ... finicky ... than I was hoping. It took two people (my wife and I) to hold it up and slide-install the splined collar to the steering rack. Then it took some muscle to get the holes in the wheel bracket to line up with the kit plate. I still think my wheel may be a spline off to one side, but I hope that's an easy fix in the not-too-distant future.

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Also decided to replace the fuel pump in-tank filter. It's supposed to be a lifetime filter, but I figured I have access now, so why not knock out one potential hiccup when it's easy to do?

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[octobersknight]

I cut the hole in my secondary rear firewall to make room for the fuel tank fill line. I'm glad I made the secondary firewall removable, or this task would have been very difficult to line up, mark, cut, clean, install the tank, and then slip on the rubber coupling hose section. Some aquarium tubing works just fine as a grommet to protect the fuel tube from the sharp edges of the firewall cut.

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For my extra rear insulation I just bought some "project rolls" of pink panther fiberglass form the local hardware place. It's for 2' gaps, which I figure will compress just fine for the 1.5" gap in my rear firewall space. Pieces were super easy to cut to suit and fit in the right places on the firewall.

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Also, installed a charcoal canister from a Yamaha YP400 scooter in the back corner. I've seen it on other pages and it was recommended by KiwiDave. Super cheap on ebay, sleek, and does the job (so I've heard).

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[octobersknight]

Since I went with 4-point Schroth harnesses, I knew I didn't need the holes for the OEM seat belts. I bought some aluminum sheet and cut it to the same dimensions as the FFR covers sans holes. Siliconed and riveted in place.

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I went to a local shop to try out some seats. i really didn't want to buy some seats without testing (body) fit first. I ended up with Sparco R100 seats, and looked at both the red line and the black vinyl. I ended up going with the black vinyl because the tester felt a little better than the red line, and I didn't want the two reds (seat and harness) to be off enough to look bad. Plus I like the stitch detail and extra Sparco logo on the vinyl seats. i hope I don't regret the decision in the hot months! That Vintage Aire A/C thing better work once I install it ...

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[octobersknight]

I shared working on the next steps and realized reading forward that there are never any instructions to install the corners of the footwell that protect the rad lines and brake/clutch lines. I had to info the corner sidewalls to get the pieces fit, but no big deal.
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After that, I started the brake and clutch line routing. I wanted to keep ABS, so I had to fab a bracket to hold the controller/pump. I cut up the OEM bracket and then cut some aluminum bar stock to fit to the front v in the center.

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Then I installed with silicone and rivets.

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After that it was on to the MCs and line routing.

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I wanted the clutch line to go behind the engine instead of in front and under the intake. So I ran the line to the shock crossbar and made a short removable section of hard line so the engine and trans could be removed if needed. I also used leftover ABS bracket to make a bracket for mounting the clutch flexible line.

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[sgarrett]

Those aluminum pieces that protect the coolant lines got me too. As many have pointed out to me, you should also drill and prep the aluminum pieces that make up the front splash guards around the wheels. Only a couple of them are in the manual and they are at the very end. It seems like it is MUCH easier to do them at the beginning rather than the end.

[octobersknight]

thanks for the advice on the wheel well stuff! I hadn't thought about that yet, and likely would have waited until too late. I haven't checked the latest manual rev (V) to see if they've added these steps in there at the right time. Is there a feedback mechanism on the forums so we can let them know helpful additions/changes?

[STiPWRD]

Is there a feedback mechanism on the forums so we can let them know helpful additions/changes?

That's a good question. Over the years there have been lots of good, common sense, suggestions on the forum of ways that FFR could improve their design, manufacturing process and manual. People have reached out to them directly and sometimes they have made changes, but not always. I just checked the manual rev V and the splash guards are still at the very end. They obviously revise the manual but maybe they just need a fresh set of eyes to review it.

[octobersknight]

Slava, thanks for checking on rev V already. I actually plan to document all the things out of order or unclear and send it to FFR so that hopefully they can track item-by-item to fix in a future rev. If nothing else, at least I can post (or update existing posts) about what to do when for other builders getting started with the kit.

[sgarrett]

I assume you have seen this thread:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?11115-818-assembly-tips-add-yours

We could add stuff to that thread. I think as a general rule the intent of the manuals is that they are sort of guidelines for the build rather than a detailed list of build steps. I have also heard that the 818 manual is much better than the others.

[octobersknight]

I can't believe it's been 9 months since I posted anything! Needless to say, I have not actually been idle. I was sidetracked a bit by some real life stuff - including scratching my impatience itch and bringing a "totaled" salvage car back to working order. It was much faster than waiting on this to run and helps me prove to myself that I'll actually be able to do this. Plus I upgraded from a hatchback to this bigger vehicle, and it's a nice upgrade in power and ride quality too. Strangely, even though it's a model year newer, it doesn't have all the features of my 2012 Focus Ti. But it also sucked up some of my time in the fall, and coupled with my intimidation from getting seat mounts in the 818 delayed my work on the kit for a while.

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[octobersknight]

I ran all the Cu-Ni brake lines from the ABS core to the four corners, hooked up the SS flex lines, and also ran the clutch line. I prototyped with some sire so I could get all the bend lengths correct, but the long runs with bends at both ends made this very challenging. If I did it again, i might put a junction in the center just to make this part easier. I have no idea if I'll ever figure out the right adjustment on the proportioning valves, but they're in there anyway. I also had some custom brake/clutch master cylinder adapters made by a friend for the remote reservoir, since I couldn't find a commercial source. The brackets are ugly, but functional. Made sure all the lines are lower than the hood (crossbar anyway). With some help from the wife, I bled all the lines.

I have a few "extras" and drawings if anyone wants to copy the adapter (not bracket) design. Brackets are easy enough.

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[octobersknight]

I had to make custom brackets for the front flex brake lines. They were far too floppy for my taste, otherwise, and they are more secure (and pretty) this way. Just some simple aluminum angle, a few holes, and matching threaded holes in the front hub carrier.

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[octobersknight]

This, for me, was a very long process, partly because I had to re-learn how to weld and to prove that my welds were strong enough to hold the seats in place. I bought 3/16" steel bars to weld in place on top of the X bracing in the car. I finally found the bolt spacing for my Sparco R100s (it was harder to find than you'd think!). After laying out the bars and the seat template in the car, I started making brackets to raise the seats so I could bolt into the seats and into the bars without going through the X-tubing. I really didn't want anything hanging out of the bottom of the car.

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Then I practiced welding. A lot. I also cut apart my later welds and did some penetration checks. they look pretty good to me, and many hammer tests proved they were strong.

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After more practice, and more practice, I finally bit the bullet and started welding the bars into the car. I welded every possible linear inch on the top that I could. I tried also welding at the bottom, but the undercurve of the tubing plus gravity proved that was a bad idea. I gave that up pretty quickly but came up with a better idea. More on that in the next post.

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[octobersknight]

Here are some close-ups of the seat bar welds. I'm pretty pleased about how they turned out.

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Continuing from last post, I abandoned the idea of welding from the underside. However, I really didn't like the way the welds were only on the top. I thought about worst case scenario - what if all the welds break on the bars in a crash, the seat can just go sliding/flying forwards. So I came up with some additional welded brackets. The extra brackets are made from angle iron and go at the front and read of each bar, welded to the frame under the bar. Then, the bar is bolted through the bracket. This way, even if all the welds break, there is something physical stopping the seats from going forward. About the only situation it doesn't fully counter is a roll-over ... and I've considered bolting through the front/rear tubes for this reason. Even though I really don't like bolting through tubing.

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After the bars were welded in place I could actually fit the seats for a test-run. Before welding, everything moved around too much for proper fitting. I bolted up my brackets and seat spacers for the test fit.

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[octobersknight]

After test fitting the seats and checking alignment, I realized that the initial brackets I made were not going to be needed for the passenger seat (whoops), but I would only have to remake just one of them. I still needed height spacers for the other three positions to ensure the seat was at the proper height for the one remaining bracket (right rear). Also, I needed a lower mount for my seatbelts, so I made some tabs that I welded onto the rear right bracket and rear left spacer. I had to remake the rear right one to adjust the location of the welds and the mounting holes to avoid drilling through the welds - plus I had welded the ear on the wrong direction ...

135599 135598 (front view, looking backwards).

For the driver's seat: after test fitting the seat again and mounting as far back on the bars as I could, I realized I wanted it even further back. I fabricated some extensions bars that line up with the original holes but extend my seat back another 2" or so. The rear mount point is now just behind the rear square tubing, which makes for an interesting installation process to make sure all the bolt get installed and tightened in the proper order. I also welded seat belt tabs onto these rails.

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After the final test fit of both seats, I painted the in-car new bits and the home-made seat brackets.

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[octobersknight]

I rough-installed my zero dB shifter linkage. It looks sick!
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[octobersknight]

Now on to the worst part of everyone's build, or at least most people's (if they didn't get a pre-made harness) - wiring. I have spent probably another 60 hours on this bad boy, mostly just soldering and extending wires. I'm sure I have a bit more to go (door cards for power locks, all rear lights). I've extended these things at least that I can remember: clutch, brake, gas pedal, headlights, fog lights, marker lights, turn signals wiper motor, A/C high side, some ABS sensors, radiator fans. I also ran a heavy-duty cable from battery negative to the starter ground, and made a ground strap from the battery to the frame.

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Also, I found some more forum help AFTER trying to fit some of the fuse boxes ... and found the tip about cutting ~6 wires to move a pair of the boxes up front. I bet that would have saved me some other lengthening operations, but sometimes searching the forums is time-consuming and you don't know what to look for until you get to the problem. I think I'm done enough that I can start putting in aluminum trim after I address plugging the holes by the gas tank that for some reason have no aluminum around them - an old path that FFR never went back and covered, or for the 818R something-or-other? Also, have to do the radiator plumbing and some engine finish work.

[octobersknight]

I had a heck of a time getting the larger outer coupling to fit on the thinner inner coupling on the water pump. I eventually got it, but it was difficult. Thank goodness for WD-40. I ran the corrugated lines from the pump to the back left corner and the upper crossover to the back right. Another thread on this discussion is found at https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?37113-Corrugated-tubing-and-rubber-couplers. My tubing was badly cracked in the bead area, but of course FFR fixed it next day and sent out new ones free of charge. They are awesome. Anyway, the new ones still had very slight cracking but they fit up just fine.

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I ended up getting a single silicone reducer elbow (1.75"-to-1.5") for the right rear because I didn't like the way the corrugated tube bent. (It either forced the hard tube too far forward or it rubbed up against the exhaust heat shield.) The 1.75" is ever so slightly big on the tubing (which is 1.70") but I clamped it pretty good and will be able to tell when I try to pull vacuum later. Other than that, the front tubing gets rubbed by the tires at full lock. I haven't yet tried fitting the aluminum splash guard parts as suggested, and may also end up putting rack limiters on there if I'm not happy. I will wait for my final wheels and tires for that, instead of my donor "burners."

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[Ajzride]

“Personal Lubricant” sold in the “family planning” section at the grocery store is perfect for getting tight fitting parts to slip together. It’s water based instead of silicon or petroleum, so no fear of it causing swelling or degrading of the rubber.

[octobersknight]

Perfect, I'll keep that tip in mind. I was worried about the WD-40 both contaminating the coolant and degrading the rubber. I took also apart a joint and the rubber was a little whitened. Luckily I didn't use much WD-40, and it will be about six weeks between assembly and when I put coolant in, so contamination risk is small.

[octobersknight]

I finally got around to installing the Craigslist intercooler that looks about the size of an STI TMIC. I bought the Mishimoto red silicone hose set because the standard set I had didn't fit. The Mishimoto couplers worked well, but the supplied clamps are pretty rubbish (as most people note). I put the bypass valve back on the intercooler, as I didn't like the look, function, or probable sound of the cheap blow-off valve that the previous owner had. Luckily the OEM bypass was in the trunk of the donor. Also, I hooked up the plumbing for the turbo, manifold, and intake connections. I just have to find a place to put the boost solenoid and then wire it. I also finally got rid of the second-to-last green hose in the engine bay. The final one is really buried and I may just leave it for now.

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I had some aluminum from a trailer fender that got rolled up when a tire popped and split on the road. It's pretty heavy gauge stuff, so I thought it might make a good radiator overflow tank offset bracket. I did some cardboard-aided design and made a bracket out of the ugly aged aluminum. I polished it up and it looks okay ... it's my first polish job and I've certainly learned a lot about preparations for that bit to keep the part looking best.

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I've hooked up all the radiator lines - from Wayne's mod I've also teed in a line from the radiator cap-nipple. I will wait until I place my oil catch cans until I actually install the OEM extra reservoir.

[octobersknight]

I did the prep for install of the underseat floor pan. I decided to make it removable because I didn't trust myself to leave it on there at first try. I knew I'd probably take it off again after installing the seats because I'll forget one thing or another. I installed about 50 #10-24 rivnets and used silicone weatherstrip around them to keep the thing as airtight as possible. I also coated it with LizardSkin sound absorber in the empty bay areas, and will likely also stick some OEM sound insulation under there or something. I haven't thought through exactly how to close the underseat areas off from dust and dropping things in there accidentally, but I'll get there.

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[Ajzride]

DIY powder coating kit from eastwood and a $25 craigslist oven are by far the best money I have spent on this project, would make real quick work of your bracket.

[aquillen]

I asked a local appliance dealer what they do with old trade-in ovens and got "why - you want one?". "Yes", two weeks later they called and said stop by, we have 3 you can pick from... Free!

[octobersknight]

I futzed around some more with the locations of everything like fuse boxes, ECU, and fuel pump controller. I finally got things where I liked, with the fuse boxes near the driver's feet so I can make a door to access them and the ECU/fuel pump control behind the passenger seat in the passenger compartment. I didn't want this ECU hanging out in the hot engine bay all the time. I also installed my ABS G-sensor in the front center area.

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I also realized (very belatedly) that I wanted to keep the gas tank from banging around and getting dust and dirt up through the gaps in the sheet metal. I raised it up and put some Kilmat that I bought under there to keep it quiet and somewhat dampened from road vibrations. I added small aluminum panels as well to close off the large openings by the gas tank, whose function at this point is unknown. I then used black silicone caulk to seal off all the gaps around the tank to prevent dust and such from creeping in there.

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Everywhere the corrugated radiator tubing looked close to rubbing, I put some thick silicone sheets around it and zip-tied it in place.

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[octobersknight]

I polished up the base plate for the FFR aluminum shifter so it would more closely match the shifter mechanism itself.

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[octobersknight]

I made up a small bracket to rigidly mount the otherwise-floating boost control solenoid valve. Through complete and utter serendipity, I managed to size the bracket at the bottom to match the little tab that sticks out from the solenoid. I hadn't considered it in the design and just got lucky! I polished it to make it look nice in the engine bay and silicone/riveted it in place.

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I very quickly realized that putting the access panel and fuse box in the way of the pedals would be a terrible idea. Like really really terrible! So I undid the cuts I made in the driver's side center tunnel (thankfully carpet will cove the Frankenstein stitching) and made a similar one on the passenger size to completely remove the front bit. Then I went ahead and started mocking up a fuse box with some butcher paper since I didn't have cardboard.

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I knew that I wanted this to be somewhat light and stiff so that passengers wouldn't cause too much damage accidentally; I used sheet aluminum for the body, aluminum angle bracket for the inside corners, and aluminum flat stock for the bolted edges. Silicone and rivet construction.

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[octobersknight]

Fit-test the fuse box enclosure near the fuse boxes, and wrapped the boxes themselves with some packaging foam to prevent rattles and damage. The enclosure fits well and I did the rivet-nut and bolt to the center tunnel, and nut/bolt through the floor.

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I made my own larger-diameter harness bar standoffs that were shorter than FFR-supplied one. Polished them using sandpaper and my drill, and I'm pretty happy how they came out overall.

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[octobersknight]

I bent the tab on the parking brake to get the handle base to lie flat on the center tunnel. Install was as in the manual. My brake must have had an aftermarket handle cover because it was an absolute bear to remove. The shifter was a little trickier. The base plate went in well, but then I also had to locate the and drill four holes through the tunnel aluminum for the four underside boltheads to go through.

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The FFR-supplied washers for the aluminum shifter also don't match up with the cuts in the cable-supports. I got three large and one small washer, when I needed two large, one medium, and one small.

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I shaved down one of the large washers by chucking it into my drill and just sanding it to the right size. I got everything to fit and then got on to adjusting the cables. My first attempt at routing them had them too close to the steering wheel. I fixed that later.

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Finally got my transmission nut tightened to about 175 ft-lbs (not the 190 ft-lbs spec but it's all I could do with other bits spinning on their own) and bent the lock ring.

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On mechie3's advice, I drilled another hole closer to the transmission so that my shifter feel would be better. I started adjusting the cables on the zero dB linkage, and found that the only way to get the shifter centered up front and still get in gear had most of my adjustments all the way backed out. I also tried moving the mount location up front using the second location for the fore-aft cable on the shifter. Of course it was a little too far to work in the other direction. I really didn't like the maxed-out adjustments, so I re-adjusted the cables for about the fifth time (!) and made my own adapters to match the zero dB ones. This got my cables to the right lengths, my adjustments not far from center, and my shifter about center up front.

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[octobersknight]

One of the things I finally decided to do was add oil catch cans. After reading, I decided that I wanted either that or an AOS, but leaned towards the catch cans because I didn't want to deal with all the drainback into the crankcase. I'd rather just catch all the gunk and dump it, and be able to inspect it if needed. Just bought a couple cheap baffled ones from the richest man in the world, and they came with many fittings and also some SS wool to add to the capture efficiency. I have two, one for the pressure-side and one for the vacuum side of the PCV. The pressure-side tees in three lines: one from each of the valve covers (and rids me of that horrible metal crossover pipe that just floats there), and one from the PCV.

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I made brackets and mounted them towards the back of the engine bay.

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After taking off my rose-colored glasses, I realized that getting to all the hoses and connections I needed to access required the removal of the intercooler .. grumble grumble. That thing was such a pain to install the first time, largely because of trying to hook up three or four hoses at once. To save some headache I removed the bypass valve first so I only had the two hoses to reconnect in one go (intake manifold and turbo outlet). The PCV itself and vacuum inlet for the intake manifold were much easier to reach without the intercooler in the way. The left can is for PCV vacuum and the right can is for valve cover and PCV pressure. After all the hoses were routed I put the intercooler back on and reconnected everything. I covered the PCV-pressure barb on the intake line with a 5/8" radiator-bypass cap and a hose clamp. I couldn't find any actual vacuum caps that size for a reasonable price or at all locally, and the rad caps seem like pretty much the same thing anyway.

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[Shawn818c]

nice progress!!

[octobersknight]

I'm finally getting to the fun parts! After installing the oil catch cans, the last thing to do before first start was to fill fluids (oil, trans, and coolant) and check for error codes. Of course there's also all the other check to make sure things are all done, like torque lug nuts, suspension bolts, make sure things are greased, etc., but those were all double/triple checks for me at this point.

Upon the advice of Kiwi Dave, I purchased a vacuum radiator fill tool that uses a venturi and shop air. I used it and thought I was going crazy - I couldn't get more than about -5" mercury, which wouldn't hold for any amount of time. I had already capped the extra line that ran to the secondary OEM tank, and verified that that was not the leak (and indeed pulled vacuum. I knew I had a leak somewhere, but no way to find it. I figured the quickest/cheapest way to find it was to just start filling the system with distilled water: at $89 a gallon I didn't mind losing some, and I was going to have to add some anyway to dilute the full-strength coolant I bought anyway. I started filling ... quarter gallon ... half gallon ... nothing. Three-quarters. Look down, and finally a wet floor! I trace the leak luckily to a place I could access, right behind the passenger exhaust up-pipe to the turbo.

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I thought it was leaking some from both the banjo and the lower fitting. After removing the exhaust pipe (with a nut/bolt that refused to separate except with some extreme measures), I found that the lower fitting was oil and the upper one was a banjo that I guess I ad just never torqued when reinstalling the heads. Lesson learned, and better now than later!

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After torqueing the banjo, I was able to pull vacuum and fill the radiator system pretty quickly. It's a wonderful tool. Then I also topped off the spare tank to make sure there was sufficient reserve to pull extra if necessary after the engine was turned over a few times. I used about 1 1/2 gallons of water, 1 1/2 gallons of coolant, and two little bottles of the OEM coolant additive.

[octobersknight]

Alright, I took care of all the last-minute items before first start, like checking suspension bolts for tightness, checking fuel lines, fluid levels, ride height, etc. I primed the oil system by removing the spark plugs and cranking the engine for two minutes in 30-second bursts. I had already put a few drops in each cylinder and the turbo bearing. With the help of my wife, I moved the hardtop into the yard and rolled the go-kart stage car out into the driveway. it was a little surreal to have the car out and the garage "empty" for the first time in over two years!

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I had a couple friends come over to be with me and my family for first start, as well as lots of distant family who couldn't come because of the pandemic. Kiwi Dave form the forum is a local and is maybe a week or two behind me, so he came to visit for the start. My best friend CrispyRX7 also came over - he's a genius with cars and has tons of experience, plus we've been helping each other on our various car journeys, so I made sure he could here for this milestone. See below for the video showing the big day!


https://youtu.be/1mrsjXIEMQo

Long story short, after checking FAS (fuel, air, and spark) it turned out to be a fuel filter-to-outlet grommet that was just old and not sealing well. After we shortcut that I was in business! I've gotten a new grommet and replaced it now.

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[octobersknight]

After my (admittedly very short) first drive, I could tell two things: 1) my toe is WAY off, and 2) my wheels are too close to the frame and will rub well before steering rack lock. On the advice of Kiwi Dave and others, I bought some black aluminum 1" spacers on eBay and installed them on the car. I think they definitely help the look and will help with steering angles. I have to adjust my toe this week - it's 4" right now (!) and needs to be 1/16" total at most. I think this is mostly a consequence of me using a wagon steering rack but using sedan aluminum LCA's. Or not. Either way I have to make some adjustments.

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After that, I want to get this bad boy over to AndrewTech for a real alignment and an engine tune. I probably need to figure out my exhaust first, or at least get close. Also, I need to locate a trailer to haul this down to them.

[octobersknight]

I put together the FFR-supplied exhaust temporarily, along with a horribly-welded bracket to support it just for the AndrewTech alignment and tune that Dave (KiwiDave) and I are getting next week. Thanks again to Mike (mikeb75) for letting us borrow his trailer - this forum is a great way to meet awesome people.

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I also hooked up/married :p the AccessPort to the engine and put on a basic 93-octane tune. AT will update that next week to remove checks for things I no longer have, such as TGVs and the secondary air pump.

142909

In my "test drive" I noticed, aside from horrible toe-in, that I have steering range issues. I have since installed some rack limiters as suggested by others. I'm not sure if they're actually doing anything, but the boots were hell to get back over them. It probably would have been easier if the garage wasn't in the mid-forties, but oh well. I'd love to not need them, but alignment at AT and some aluminum panel install will tell me if i have to keep them or not to limit the range of motion.

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I searched through my pick order list from FFR and my parts boxes and never found the FFR-supplied cutoff switch I ordered. Much too late to ask for it now ... I bought a similar one on Amazon that was much too big and not the aesthetics I was going for, so I got this on/off/out switch instead. I like this one because it's more discrete and mounts on a through hole without the need for bolts. I installed it on my fuse box cover in the passenger footwell, so it's well-hidden. The FFR battery cable was not long enough for me to cut and run to the switch, so I cut off the battery terminal and added a ring terminal to connect to the switch. From there, bought an aftermarket 24" 4 AWG wire pair and did the terminal surgery to add a ring terminal to connect to the switch and re-used the FFR battery terminal. I was able to start with no problems, so it's good to go.

142920

I also bought this heavy-duty wire terminal crimper that you smack with a hammer for crimping.

142921

While I had the seat out (for the hundredth time :/) and all the stuff off to remove the center tunnel, I made measurements to add a wire tray to support the wires as they crossed from back-to-front across gap. I never liked that they just hung loose and would sit on the underseat tray. Some aluminum angle, rivets, and leftover sheet aluminum from where I cut out for the fuse box, and voila, wire tray. It is still easy to remove should I need to access something like the fuel pump relay near the firewall.

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[octobersknight]

As mentioned by many, the dead pedals 7 coolant covers are not covered in the install manual. I thought this was a perfect time to tackle them as I await my trip to AndrewTech and was waiting for Larry (K3LAG) to zero out my cluster. The passenger one was a bear, I had to take off the large side tab to get it tight against all the other sides, so I added a brace/tab to help support it. I also had to cut a large semicircle at the bottom to get it to clear the coolant tube. I'm not sure if anyone else has had to do this or if I just mounted my tubes too high. More on that later. The driver's side was similar except I didn't have to cut off the outside tab. i did have to trim the coolant cover lower tab and add my own extension, though, because the tube mounting kept the cover from touching the floor otherwise.

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Zeroed cluster, thanks Larry (and KiwiDave for arranging/and transport to/from!).

142917

[octobersknight]

Following up on my earlier thread: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?37113-Corrugated-tubing-and-rubber-couplers

I am ready to try to get these in before taking the kart to Andrewtech. The driver's side panel I think I can get to fit if I push on the tubing/hose a little.

142922

The passenger side tubing is a lot worse, see the pictures. Does anyone have experience and/or ideas for how to get this to fit better? Do I have to give the tubing a good shove backwards to make it more flush with the frame?

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[STiPWRD]

I ended up cutting an oval into the splash guard to clear that driver side tube and covering the hole with aluminum tape to protect the tube. Some others have hammered a groove into the splash guard to clear the tube. Although, I had the coolant hard tubes so you may be able to push it back to clear the sheet metal since you have the corrugated tubes, they should be more flexible.

[RPGs818SNA]

I had the same problem, but had already installed the cockpit aluminum. Once attached, the corrugated tube extended beyond the frame and interfered with the tire, not to mention the to be installed splash aluminum. I couldn’t even get the connector hose on the tube on the driver’s side as the tube was tight against the frame.

My solution was to take the tube to a muffler shop and have the front ends bent up and in 7 degrees, 6” back from the tube end. To help them get the bends right, I drew a circle around the tubes 6” from the front end, and with them lying flat on the floor, put a mark at the top of the circle. Then I put a mark 45 degrees down from the top toward the inside of the car, or half way between vertical and horizontal. That mark was the center of the bend. It wasn’t as pretty as the factory bend, but it worked. If I was to do it again, I’d go 10 degrees.

[sgarrett]

I ran into exactly the same issue on both sides and actually backtracked to fix it. I completely repositioned the coolant tubes making sure the bend was inside of the edge of the frame so that I could fit the splash guards into place and not rub my tire. It definitely set me back a lot of time, but in the end it was where I wanted it.

[octobersknight]

Do you have any tips or pictures that show *how* you repositioned them? Did you have to adjust any of your mounting points, or was it just simply a slide backwards in the bracket loops?

[sgarrett]

I mainly needed to slide the whole tube assembly back towards the rear of the car on each side. This meant removing the side fiberglass and changing the angel of the tubes. Just sliding it back made the back end interfere with something (I don't remember what now). So I needed to raise the rear end as I slid it back. Of course, this meant changing the mounting points, which then made the tube interfere with the brake and clutch lines. And then interfered with my seat belt mount. Eventually, I was able to position the tube where I could push the front corrugated section inboards of the frame. This way I could eliminate the tire and splash shields hitting it. Before moving it I think it hung over the edge by at least 3/4".

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[octobersknight]

I've been working, I swear! I'll have some updates posts rolling out over the next few days as I pull together my photos. the summary is that I've been fiddling with the ride height (spring tension), some more electrical, some body panels, and seat re-mounting. Check back soon.

[octobersknight]

Okay, updates as promised! I met up with Kiwi Dave and we borrowed a trailer from MikeB818 and took our go-karts to AndrewTech for some tuning and alignment, way back in March 2021.

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[octobersknight]

I went to a pick-a-part place and picked up the S10 window guides as suggested by so many to help keep the windows of the coupe more manageable. While there I also saw an awesome Porsche head/valve cover so I grabbed that as well. I'll clean up the valve cover and use it as a show piece, and maybe get lucky and sell the loaded head.

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I also grabbed a couple door speakers with tweeters and a cowl panel for my mustang. Those places are real treasure troves if you can find what you want!

[octobersknight]

I followed the excellent build instruction from AZPete along with updates from Kiwi Dave to do my install. I bought all my hardware from a local Vintage Aire seller, who was a great guy and is building some cool stuff in his garage too. I was able to re-use the OEM compressor, along with the VA condenser, drier, electronic switch, fan/evaporator, control panel, and hoses/fittings. The local VA rep also was able to get his contact to weld up the fittings to the hoses so that I had metric on the compressor side and VA (US) size hose fitting on the other. I used some simple aluminum angle iron as the top bracket and made some custom bent straps for the bottom of the condenser to mount it in front of the radiator.

After using the octopus and vacuum pump to fill the system I tried it out and it was ... kinda cold? I'm hoping after a few more runs and cycling the hot/cold that everything will be more efficient and better. I put in the recommended amount of oil/refrigerant, and was getting what seemed like the right pressures. Bleeding the heater core was harder than I thought it would be, maybe because of how high up i mounted my electronic valve and the location of the "h" crossover. I will continue to monitor and top off the overflow bottle as I see it get used. Driving around and running the system helps to jostle out the bubbles.

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[octobersknight]

Ho hum ... more wiring. I decided to add another 12V cigarette port to the existing one, knowing I wanted my fancy backup camera/mirror always powered but still wanted an available port for phone charging or whatever.

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I also purchased a u-build exhaust piping setup. It wasn't much more to get the whole set than to get the few parts I actually needed. So I will definitely have extra for practice and future uses (?). Definitely not stainless steel like I wanted, but it is a coated steel that looks nice. I need to thoroughly remove the "chrome" near where I want to weld, as practice has already showed me. I also purchased a cherry bomb single inlet/dual outlet oval muffler, because I like the look of the dual exhaust and was close to what Slava has already done. Also, I bought a bellmouth turbo exit with a v-band clamp fitting, which will go along nicely with my plan to make all the pieces modular and separable. There is no particular reason why this flexibility is needed, I just like the thought of being able to take apart the pieces as needed for replacement or modification, without having to cut and/or re-weld to the muffler, etc. I had a buddy weld the stainless v-band fittings onto the muffler. The only downside is that my piping welds are going to look absolute trash next to those works of art!

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[STiPWRD]

This is a great excuse to develop those welding skills and worst case, you can always put a DEI wrap around the piping. Practice really is the key with welding - that's been my experience. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

[octobersknight]

I installed the driver's side door frame temporarily, just to see how it fit and how the side sails would (eventually) look with it on there. I needed to see how the whole mechanism was going to work, and I needed to check the length of wire to add for my power locks.

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I received four gratis nut plates from Kiwi Dave, and the two I tried here sure worked like a charm! There is nowhere near the same level of fiddling as with individual nuts, and door frame mounting can easily be done by one person this way. Haven't' done any adjusting or anything, just a rough install, but I'm confident that adjusting it will be way easier too.

[DSR-3]

Credit to you and others who do these builds in the small spaces available!
I was at the vintage races yesterday, and literally 9 of 10 Formula Ford racers have more space in their trailer than I have in my garage! We won't talk about their "investment" in the hobby... Thankfully- it's a luxury not a requirement.

[jbs72697]

I can count myself in that group
Once I get it neatened up a bit I’ll post some pics of my small space and workbench

[octobersknight]

While I was getting ready to update and extend wiring over the winter, I decided to redo how the seats were mounted since they had to come out to access the center tunnel. I was not exactly happy that the only thing between your butt and the ground (or any other nasty road debris) was thin sheet of aluminum and the butt cushion. I wanted to replace the simple bar stock with full steel plate ... which meant spending lots of time grinding out the welds I had worked so hard to get strong an not completely hideous. The good news is they actually were quite strong, flexible (not brittle), and I hadn't burned through the tubing. I was pretty proud to find out those welds were as good as they were!

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It's amazing how many hours of work can be summarized in a few photos! I then bought, cut, cleaned, welded, cleaned again, and painted some 3/16 plate.

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Then came templating for the seats and drilling the holes for my front and back "anti-slide" brackets that I welded in as extra insurance (see front/back tabs in second pic and earlier seat mounting post). I made a paper template and then made the holes in the right places ... except the seats weren't as exact as my holes. Some holes got widened. I also realized afterwards that my installation technique that worked for the bars couldn't work with the plate. I *used to* be able to reach a wrench up under the seat to hold the bolt head from under the car. The plate blocked access. Luckily, the lock washers held the assembly in place while I tightened everything. Otherwise I was going to slot the screw end so I could hold it with a flat-head screwdriver.

169639

Yay, protected butts! (Several long weeks of work smushed into a few paragraphs and six photos.)

[octobersknight]

I installed those pesky inner front aluminum triangles that somehow never made it into the manual. i was only able to fit a few rivets in there, but I made extra holes so the silicone could weep through and create and "rivet" out of caulk. They should hold since there's not going to be much load on them.

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Before installing the passenger seat, I decided to extend the wires for the door open/closed sensors. No idea if I'll ever use them, but at least the connectors will be nearby if I do want to do so. Then I installed the seats (for hopefully one of the last times!)

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My final thought was to modify the center tunnel. I was tired of having to remove the seats to get to the wiring. I decided to liberate the sides from the top to make a 3-piece system, so that I could just pop off the shifter and parking brake to remove the top and access the majority of the wires. Seats can stay in place. Since I'm planning to carpet the tunnel, the carpet should hide the seam pretty well - or I'll figure something out when i get that far!

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[octobersknight]

Before I started figuring out my piping layout and welding the exhaust pipes, I wanted to check the clearance form the muffler to the bumper. So I fit the side sails and the bumper on just for a rough fit check. Man does it start to look like a real car pretty quick when those get on the frame!!!

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I did not like how close the muffler was to the bumper. I decided to modify my hangars by adding a bend to them. Out came the sawzall and the welder. I cut notches and inserted angled filler pieces to bend the hangars without shortening them. I chose the bend location and amount just by eye and fit-up the muffler to make sure the front and back bent the same distance (the bend locations were at different heights on the support, which made things only slightly trickier).

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Clearance is quite a bit better now. As with all things on this car: time will tell if I moved it enough, given limited airflow in the back, or if I'll have to modify somewhere in the distant future to protect the bumper. I do plan to heat-protect the fiberglass somehow, just haven't 100% decided how yet.

[octobersknight]

After adjusting the muffler hangar bracket and centering the muffler, I measured, cut, and welded all the tubing in place. I had to add the v-band clamp rings to each end, and make sure the right ends matched up (remember I made sure the inlet and outlet were opposite to avoid reassembly mixups). getting the left and right sides to be even, looking about the same, and ending up the same distance and height was pretty challenging.

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I also found that routing the turbo outlet was not too hard, but brought the pipe near one of the urethane hangars. I'll need to wrap the pipe and probably also install some king of simple heat shield from all the Al sheet stock I have laying around.

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It looks pretty even to me now. You can see the tips are well behind where the bumper will be. I'll blame it on my lack of foresight - I had cut the outlets pipes before checking the bumper clearance as noted in the last post. Thus, the forward shift of the muffler made my exhaust end up shy of the line. It's okay, though since I plan to install some black tips on there anyway for appearance and maybe sound enhancement. I'll start with some bolt-on ones so I can play with looks, then maybe upgrade to some weld-on ones if the bolt-ons misbehave.

169728

Added the O2 bung on the underside of the turbo downpipe for good looks (i.e. hiding it from rea hatch window view) and keeping it as far from the hot turbo as possible.

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[octobersknight]

I built my own exhaust for several reasons, including different sound, I wanted (another :p) challenge, and I wanted dual-exit. I made a video comparing the two exhaust sounds, which you can see and hear below. The stock FFR one actually sounds quite good. For true apples-to-apples, I'll have to flip the car around to film the new setup in the same location as with the stock exhaust, and do a cold-start and some acceleration sounds. But I really LOVE how it turned out in the end!

Sorry about the shaky stock video clips - I think the exhaust was resonating the Rubbermaid lid where I had the phone propped (or the phone itself)!


https://youtu.be/1Y78DONxxGg

[octobersknight]

I was just looking back and I never posted any of my drive videos! A cardinal sin, if ever there was one!!

For your viewing pleasure, my first real drive with the stock FFR exhaust. Filmed on a mostly-sealed GoPro, so sorry the sound is muffled.


https://youtu.be/XCG1onpjen8

[octobersknight]

Different camera this time (or at least additional) - my cell phone. Sound is better but film centering is ... less good.



https://youtu.be/So9m9pjx3qU

[octobersknight]

I spent some time late winter just wrapping things and cleaning up the appearance to prep for bodywork. I bundled/wrapped wires up front and in the engine compartment. I also installed a fiberglass wrap on the turbo downpipe to enhance looks, keep the engine area somewhat cooler, and protect that urethane hangar.

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I painted some stripes on the muffler sides (using exhaust spray paint) to protect the weld material from rust as much as possible and to add some visual flair to complement all the other red I had going on the engine bay area. I'm really pleased with how the exhaust turned out overall in terms of looks and sound. The finishing touch will be those exhaust tips, eventually.

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Now this thread has nearly caught back up to real time. I'm committed to being better about posting in a more regular and timely fashion.

[octobersknight]

I took the advice of many folks on the forum and decided to coat the inside of the fiberglass body panels with truck bed liner. I started with the side sails, which meant I had to prep the left panel for the gas inlet. I wanted the holes to also be coated in bed liner to hide all the fiberglass and resin as much as possible. I started with raptor bed liner spray, but ended up using about a can for each panel. After that, I decided to switch to the 3M stuff since it is ~33% cheaper.

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I also did the rear bumper, which meant prepping holes for lights. I plan to get an LED brake/rear light to complement all the other LED bulbs.

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As you can tell from the pics, I was overeager to spray and ended up spraying everything before cutting the holes ... which meant I had to re-spray near the holes after cutting to hide the newly-exposed resin and glass. I should have also cut the holes for the mesh at this point but I was hesitant to take that leap at this point. I can always respray the edges with bedliner or paint. I am trying to avoid using the trim pieces if I can, so the exposed edge of the body panel will be seen in front of the mesh.

[octobersknight]

The first step for this bit was to twist the nose support bars as stated in the manual. I knew that paint wouldn't withstand that abuse. Then I painted the nose brackets, lower nose support pieces, support bars, and then installed everything loosely.

172427 172428 172429 172430

[octobersknight]

Pics for the holes after re-spraying the holes in the side sail and rear bumper.

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I also had some blemishes near the rear light holes that I had to patch with body filler.

172432 172434

[octobersknight]

The weather outside got too hot for a while, so I worked in the garage on wiring up the rear lights and reverse/turn signals. I started on the passenger side and used the FFR-supplied bits for this (reverse/TS) as well as some Amazon-bought weatherproof three-pin connectors for the taillights.

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Man am I glad I had a wiring diagram. It took me a while to realize that the term "combination light" really means rear light ... though I have had some strange issues with my lights on testing them. My taillight does not light when I turn on my lights (dash cluster lights fine), but the brake light does work. Any advice??

My turn signal works, though flashing fast because I haven't installed the LED controller yet. The reverse bulb ... well that also lit the turn signal! Huh? I knew that switching the bulb 180 would swap the turn/reverse function, but both being the same? A swap only ended up showing that reverse would light for turn and also reverse! After some digging, it turns out that my one contact is loose in the connector and that I have to adjust the contacts inside the housing (I have to temporarily remove the bulb) once I plug into the wiring harness. My other plug didn't have this problem and that's how I chased down the issue.

[STiPWRD]

I'm loving the exhaust and first drive videos! Looking great!

[octobersknight]

STiPWRD, thanks!

Like many others, I was not a fan of having to remove the headlight lens to access the guts of the lights for maintenance, plus I'm not sure if I want to swap out two DRLs for turn signal bulbs. I want to try it out first to see how it looks. I followed TheHelixx's method for how to do this (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36917-Helixx%92s-818C/page3 post #100) . I bought the same sink undermount clips and the same weatherstripping.

I used the bucket to roughly decide where I wanted to put the clip bases & studs, and I mounted them perpendicular to the light, figuring that the back edge of the clip should hit metal rather than fiberglass only. I mounted them with 2-ton epoxy. I don't understand why the bolt is not welded/attached to the clip. It won't spin now! After that was covering the bases with fiberglass for added strength. While I've done fiberglass and composite work before, it's been vacuum-bag type and never "open" like this. I thought it went pretty well and didn't have any concerns while doing so. I thought the resin working time was alright at ~8-10 minutes, and the glass wet out well. I couldn't get rid of a couple bubbles but I'm not worried about them.

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While I had the glass out and ready, I also performed a repair on the rear bumper driver's side turn signal/ reverse bulb pocket. That pocket cracked at the "corner" when I installed the bulb housing and I wanted to reinforce it to prevent it from happening again.

173680

After glassing in both sets of clips, I did the typical 120-grit sand over everything, clean, wipe, tape, and apply bedliner spray.

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After that cured for a day or so, I applied the weatherstripping and test-fit the buckets. Like Helixx, I had to bend my clip hardware in order for it to reach the threaded areas. One of my clips had to be modified because it needed to reach farther to get the bucket in the right place (can you spot it?).

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I'm really pleased with how they turned out, and will likely make tweaks to the positions once I get ready to install the lights for real. I didn't have to reshape the buckets with a heat gun because the weatherstrip eats up all the gaps.

[octobersknight]

While waiting for stuff to cure, dry, or otherwise be ready to further work, I decided to tackle little bits and pieces that were outstanding. As noted before, I've had taillight issues (yet to be resolved due to my busy-ness, but thanks for the advice on the separate thread everybody!).

I also have that pesky brake light on the cluster that won't got away, so I started chasing that down. I've looked up many posts (McCamera and others) to try to find the source of this little light. Again with this, no luck. I thought I had to ground the parking brake line and the brake reservoir connector, so I opened my wiring tunnel to access the connector. After looking at wiring diagrams and reading other posts, it looks like the opposite is true - ground is light-off, hot is light-on. I checked my parking brake connector and it's functioning properly. The brake fluid sensor connector is open (I've checked connectivity), so that's not the issue. The only remaining thing I see that can trigger it is the ABS, so I'll have to trace that later after the taillight diagnosis/tracing. All of this has been done with the ignition on but no engine running, in case that makes a difference.

Other things I've tackled while waiting include the bronze shoes for the window motor tracks. I followed Art's method (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?20434-Art-s-818-build/page6 post #224) and got some to fit quite well, and I've checked motor function/motion with success. The only weird part is that the design of the two carriages differs because ... different manufacturers change different things as long as they don't affect the function of the item in question. Normally it wouldn't matter, but one of the motor sled assemblies (driver's?) has bits of plastic in locations I would rather have put a show. So instead of a more ideal two-on-one-side, third on opposite side between the other two arrangement, I had to do the opposite side third one further down in an unbalanced fashion. We'll see how it goes, I may have to find a place for a fourth shoe or something for better balance.

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[octobersknight]

I finally got to the bodywork! Yay!! (or not, we'll see how it goes :) )

I had already fitted up the side sails and rear bumper before, so I wanted to get started cutting the vents into the side sails. Like McCamera, I didn't want to use the surrounds, so I could get a cleaner look and a bigger vent area. I used the trim as a guide and then extended the cut area uniformly to as large as I thought I could get while still leaving bonding area at the back.

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I cut the holes with an air body saw, which kinda sucked (jamming) and my air compressor is WAY too small to handle the load. I did get the holes cut, and then I finished the shape with a sanding block, sandpaper, some files, and a Dremel with two sizes of sanding drums. While not absolutely perfect, they're good enough for what I want and will look great except on super close inspection. It's hard to see, but I did repair the backside of the sawcut oopsie on the passenger side with some 2-ton epoxy. I'll take care of the front with body filler later.

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When I went to bond on the mesh portions, I found out my black silicone caulk was plugged and preferred to squirt into the body of the caulk gun rather than out the tube nozzle. Oh joy. Then, I found out all the hardware stores near me were out of black silicone caulk! Stupid COVID supply chain issues. Instead I used clear, which I may later come to regret. But I was impatient and wanted it done.

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[octobersknight]

Once the silicone cured some, I put the side sails in place on the car so i could temporarily install the rear bumper and do side-to-side fitting and front-to-back adjustments. With everything in place, I marked on the underside where I need to drill screw holes (to align with aluminum underseat tray holes and rivnuts) and where the side sail rose above the steel passenger and driver's side frame bars. I trimmed them so the aluminum sill covers would lie flat on the steel square tubing. I could probably alternatively let the fiberglass sag a little. I chose the trim because it gives me more fitting freedom.

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In the meantime, I also started cutting the hole for the rear bumper mesh (again, without the trim piece). After the bumper and trimming problems, though, I gave up on the air saw and just trimmed the side sail fiberglass with a hand hacksaw (the mini-type). It worked really well.

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BUT WAIT! I totally forgot I plan to have my dual exhaust exit from the rear bumper fiberglass, not the mesh! CRUD!!!!!!!!! The only lucky bit is that I hadn't fully cut out the rear vent area. I was able to go back, sand, clean, prep, and fiberglass over the portions I knew I did NOT want cut. I roughly marked the exhaust exits so i could find where to do glass repairs. I used fiberglass cloth (woven) this time for strength. I'll have to use body filler magic on the outside to hide the ugly scars from my hurried mistake.

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[octobersknight]

I finally got my matte black, angled exhaust tips. They are "bolt-on" type but the pinch-type, not the strange "ceiling-fan-glass" three bolt connection that's I've seen so often at the auto-parts stores. They were just simple ones from ebay that didn't require welding, so allowed me to adjust them to get the look I want. I slid them on to get a look and to start figuring out where to cut the rear bumper holes. I want those holes tight around the exhaust for good looks.

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After sliding them all the way inwards, mounting the bumper, marking where the tips were, and doing some measuring, it became clear that my fear was coming true. The right exhaust was tipped inwards toward the center just a bit. Enough to annoy me. You may even see it in the pic above. I removed that exhaust horn and cut it apart, did some test-fitting, marked it, and re-welded it.

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(I hope nobody lost their lunch over that weld pic. I ground it nice afterwards :) ).

With the adjustments in place, I re-measured and re-marked the bumper cut spaces. I drilled out the holes with my 3 1/2" hole saw, re-sprayed that area with the bedliner (to hide the newly-exposed raw fiberglass edge), and mounted the bumper on the car. I installed the tips, made some minor adjustments of the v-band clamp for the right horn, and thought it looked great! I used blue tape just to prevent scratches during installation. I am very pleased with how the whole setup looks, with the tips protruding slightly from the bumper. Everything looks symmetrical to me. Rock on!

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[octobersknight]

Since I was happy with the exhaust tips and exit from the rear bumper, I moved on to installing the mesh. I cut the hole and spent a great deal of time filing and sanding it to make sure it looked symmetric, "square", and had no wavy edges. This also got a spray of bedliner to hide the edges (I actually did the exhaust holes and this at the same time) I then trimmed the mesh and installed it with the usual silicone caulk method.

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Then I put it back on the car, hopefully for good this time! I am so happy with how the whole thing looks now. Just how I was picturing it! I have since also installed the new reverse/turn signal housing after I got a new part from FFR. It's still odd to me how much the screw holes in the housing's ears have to be drilled out in order to accommodate the screws that are supplied.

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I also test-fit the rear door sill aluminum. It seems overly wide to me. When I clamp it to simulate rivets on both side, I get a rainbow-like bulge along the center. Does this happen to anyone else?

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I also installed the door latch brackets behind the fiberglass (the ones they never tell you to install).

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Looking forward towards door installation (as in it's in the future, not that I think I'm going to enjoy it), I left these brackets rather loose. Has anyone installed the OEM latch parts on the brackets and had to move them afterwards? I'm hesitant to just place the parts and drill through the fiberglass willy-nilly, but then I also don't see how I can adjust the doors and get them set without that anchor point for them. Or, once set, how do I adjust the doors afterwards? Advice?

[FFRWRX]

I also test-fit the rear door sill aluminum. It seems overly wide to me. When I clamp it to simulate rivets on both side, I get a rainbow-like bulge along the center. Does this happen to anyone else?


Mine fit fairly tight. Are they designed to go over the thickness of carpet?

[octobersknight]

That's a good question, actually. I did order the carpet kit, but I somewhat doubt that they have special sills for kits with/without carpet option. I'll check my part numbers this evening and post what I find.

[FFRWRX]

I just checked mine again and it is a pretty nice fit with the body panel on the outside and the aluminum on the inside (no carpet). With carpet it will be a pretty tight fit I think. I measured the door sill piece and it is 1.82" (inside) across the sides. This is with me pulling the sides in a bit to make them 90 degrees to the top; they are sprung out a bit.

[idf]

I installed mine with carpet. Definitely a tight fit and bows them out a bit, but works.

[octobersknight]

Mine must be close to the 1.82" because it's just under 1 7/8". All told it's 1/8" fiberglass, 1.5" tube, and 1/16" aluminum, meaning I have about 3/16" of slop. Right now my fiberglass isn't even snugged up tight against the frame. When I squeeze it tight to the frame I have a significant gap, which must be the 3/16" (give or take). The carpet will definitely help eat this up. Do you rivet both inside and outside of the sills to the frame?

[FFRWRX]

Mine aren't installed yet, but I'm not going to rivet either side. Not sure if I'm going to paint them, cover with carbon fibre, hydro-dip, or what. But I'll install them with double-sided tape or something like that so no rivets showing.

Rick

[octobersknight]

The double-sided tape is a good idea. I may do the same to keep them looking clean. It largely depends on how the carpet install goes and how they look together.

[J R Jones]

You might consider Velcro pads. It has worked well for me, with adhesive back. It can be very secure so spot application is appropriate.
No mess to clean-up after panel removal.
jim

[idf]

Mine aren't installed yet, but I'm not going to rivet either side. Not sure if I'm going to paint them, cover with carbon fibre, hydro-dip, or what. But I'll install them with double-sided tape or something like that so no rivets showing.

Rick

Although I had intended to fasten mine in some manner, I never did. They stay in place by the tension from stretching over the carpet. I wrapped mine with carbon fiber look vinyl.

[octobersknight]

The velcro is a great idea! I also like the idea of the wrap on there. I bought a big roll of carbon0fiber look stuff that I haven't used yet and I'm looking for places to use it.

[octobersknight]

Has anyone waited to install the OEM door latch things? I'm afraid to install them now and put them in the wrong place. How do I know where to put them/ there is some adjustability built into the backside brackets, so there is no precise place to put them. Do I have some adjustability later?

[lpmagruder]

Has anyone waited to install the OEM door latch things? I'm afraid to install them now and put them in the wrong place. How do I know where to put them/ there is some adjustability built into the backside brackets, so there is no precise place to put them. Do I have some adjustability later?

At least with my body alignment there was really only one position they fit well vertically with the bracket that goes behind the side sail. I attached both of mine in the middle of the slot and never had to adjust them past there. Both doors fit fine and open/close without rubbing. I loosely followed this guide: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?18352-Tamra-amp-Andrew-s-818-Door-Instructions

If you for whatever reason are off and have to slot out some holes, the brackets are big enough that they'll probably cover any old holes and you'll never notice.

[octobersknight]

Thanks, that's good advice and information. I appreciate it!

[octobersknight]

Back to to forum after a couple weeks of work trips and some time on crutches and hobbling around - almost better now. Basically just tendonitis in/around my ankle (this has happened before but it's been ~5 years).

Prior to installing the front fenders, I installed some of the front wheel well bits that I know were going to be hard to get to later on with the fenders in place. These are some of the parts that are not in the instructions.

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After the test fir to make sure the radiator hoses would fit, I took them off and sprayed them with 3M professional rubberized undercoat spray. I forgot how much that stuff smells like asphalt.

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[octobersknight]

I mounted the front fenders per the instructions, then moved on to the nose insert. I can't seem to currently find the photos for some of this work, but it went pretty much as in the manuals. I did have some challenges getting the bolts & nuts through the right parts in the right places to hold the nose insert to the fender bits, while still leaving room for the hood. I did get it all to work to my satisfaction.

I got the hood lined up where I wanted it, and then started prepping for the zero dB racing front hinge that I bought.

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One thing I don't quite get yet is that there don't seem to be instruction for attaching the upper back or the front under part of the fenders. They just seem to float on the nose supports and the two bolts into the side sails. I have seen photos of the upper fender being bolted to the frame by the upper ears near where the hardtop goes and I will probably do this. but what about the front underside? Do we ever attach it to the nose extensions? Should I wait until I add my front CF lip?

[octobersknight]

I followed the instructions for the hood hinge mounting to the frame. It went as expected, except that it showed me my nose frame is a little asymmetric - shocking, I know :). The hinge is close to the front passenger hood pin ear than the driver's side one. It clears with no problem, so I may just cut off the ear to remove the visual reference.

I chose to use the foam-core and glass approach. I bought a huge 4'x8'x2' sheet of polyisocyanurate foam from Home Depot. That will resist the resin without melting, though removing the foil covering was a bit of a pain. I cut kerfs into the brick to allow for some curvature to match the underside of the hood, then epoxied it into place.

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I sanded the ends to make for a flat area for the cross bar and mounting pads to rest.

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Then I went on to clean it and do the first layer of glass.

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Those of you who know the process will realize I skipped huge step here by mistake!! OOPS! I completely forgot to use body filler to fill the kerfs and smooth the transition from the foam to the hood. So to fix my mistakes and not leave huge voids behind the first layer of glass, I went into remediation mode. I put the hood vertical and drilled a pair of small holes into each voided area. I got a large syringe, made up small batches of resin, and injected it into the voids. Unfortunately, the glass over the voids wasn't fully wetted, so the resin weeped out of the surface, making the entire process a HUGE mess. If took a few rounds to fill all the gaps in there to my satisfaction. I had to let some resin cure before I could continue filling some of the bigger areas. I also had to reorient the hood once or twice to get at some areas, like the block's corners and the corners where the foam meets the hood.

Anyway, in the midst of that fiasco, I measured and marked where the bondable studs needed to go to line up the hood correctly. I epoxied them in place. (You can see my first round of resin fill-up work in this shot as well. I did eventually fill all the voids and get all that blue tape off before the next glass layer.)

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[octobersknight]

The second glass layer went a little easier than the first, mainly because I didn't have any gaps to fill and I knew how much resin I needed. However, because I hadn't used body filler to taper any of the edges or corners, I still had to work hard to avoid bubbles at the sharp edges (both convex and concave) and had to do a "fabric drape" fold at the corners. The corners trapped bubbles because the glass didn't want to stick tightly to itself - too springy. I trimmed and filled the corners later.

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The third layer of glass - over the stud/hinge landing area only, as per instructions - was the easiest yet. Although it was still tough to get the glass to lay flat and tight around the base of the studs, I got it to work to my satisfaction. Further, I slit the cloth at the corners so that I could overlay the corners on top of each other rather than try to fold the whole thing like a tablecloth or bedsheet (hospital corners!).

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While I was at that, I took the sage advice of KiwiDave and reinforced my hood tips/corners with about three layers of glass each, all in one go since it is such a small space. Photos are before, during, and after trimming the excess glass.

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[octobersknight]

The next step in prepping the hood for install was to cut the hood vents and install the mesh bits. M first problem was that the mesh bits didn't fit at all. The contours were all too tight, as if they used the same exact mold to shape the fiberglass and the mesh, and didn't allow for the fiberglass thickness all the way around. I didn't realize this until after I had painted them, of course. I used my welding visegrips with the ~1" pads to flatten the parts and set them aside. All the paint in or near the bends was chipped off - new paint job in my future.

Here is how the mesh parts sat on the hood underside before my modifications:
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I at least use them to decide how/where to mark and cut the hood vent holes. I decided to use the vertical sides as my guide , trying to get rid of almost all the curved area leading to the horizontal. I marked it with a sharpie to help guide my eyes, then drilled the corners so I could get a manual hacksaw blade in there to start the rough cutting. It was very slow going and required lots of hood reorientations to keep it at a convenient working height and comfortable cutting angles.

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Since that first hole took so long and left a little too much edge for sanding, I decided to try my oscillating multi-tool - and now it's my new favorite tool for trimming fiberglass!! It worked really quickly, was maneuverable, and pretty easily controllable.

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After the holes were cut out less roughly, I went to my quarter-sheet random orbit sander to clean up the edges and get them where I wanted. The shape of the hood and the size of my sander made some of the tighter corner areas somewhat tricky, but hand sanding and a fine files helped me get the right shapes I wanted.

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After some checking, tuning, and re-checking, I got my corners to match with tighter radii. (before and after below).

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[cob427sc]

Looking good! Won't be long now before you're on the road.

[octobersknight]

After the mesh cutouts were to my satisfaction, it was time to test-fit the hood and to make sure the hinge studs fit into the hinge correctly, that the hinge operated smoothly and was centered, etc. It looks pretty good on the car! There is a gap at the leading edge, but the hood lip and front fender character lines match up, so it must be a clearance thing and at least it's a uniform gap. If it bugs me later on before painting, I'll fiberglass it.

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I did find one thing that bugged me enough I had to fix it. The lip around the edge of the hood was nowhere near uniform, and it prevented the hood from sitting evenly and fitting with the "flow" of the fender panels. I marked the hood offset at 1/2" (based on the shortest part I found) and then used the oscillating multitool again to trim it. After trimming, it fit even better.

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Once the fit-check was done, I moved on to truck bed liner undercoating the hood. As with all painting, the prep is the long part. Similar to my other efforts on the side sail and the fenders, I wanted to make sure the raw, exposed edges of the fiberglass near the mesh cutouts would be coated by the bed liner spray to look just that bit better and more finished.

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[octobersknight]

After the bedliner dried for a day, I took my flattened hood meshes and worked my best to make sure I had enough overlap all the way around to allow the silicone caulk some purchase to hold the mesh in place. Here are pics from before and after bending to shape.

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Once the meshes were bent to my taste, i repainted them and installed them with the usual silicone caulk/glue method. Then I put the hood on the car to take a look at it.

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After fiddling with the adjustments a bit, I found that there is a bit on the passenger side that is up a little higher than I'd like. But it's forward of the hinge and i don't really have a way to force it down easily. probably only I notice it anyway. I cranked the mounting nuts down tight and removed all the painters tape - the hood is finished. Behold!

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[octobersknight]

I noticed on my hood (last pic above, for example), and on a couple other pics after I went hunting on the forum, that the rear corner on the driver's side is angled too far outward. It must be a mold problem for it to be so repeated. Anyway, that corner prevents the hood from sitting flat when the fenders are in their "relaxed" position. But if I spread them a bit to drop the hood in place, the panel gap on that side becomes wide near the middle and overall is uneven. Grrr. I'm going to have to bolt the top rear of the fenders onto the tab that's there near the hood pin mount and not worry about the gaps for now. Gotta get this on the road - I'm happy with a 80-90% fitment if it means I can drive it sooner!

I'll probably wait until I get the top onto the car to make sure the position looks right and things align. For now, they're mobile enough that I can wiggle the hood to get it to drop into place.

[octobersknight]

Okay last post before spring break. I started installing the LEDs turn signals and white accent lights (not exactly DRLs) into the headlight buckets. Install is quite simple.

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For the wiring connection on the backside, I connected all the accent lights together on one plug per headlight to reduce the clutter and weight. I had not thought ahead about this and already had one connecter per LED "bulb" on the car side, so i went back and reduced this as well.

For those who need the info, I tested the lights on my 12V power supply. The wiring is:
turn signal - part 80948 - black negative, yellow positive
accent light - part 80949 - black negative, yellow or white positive

I used the yellow wire for both and dipped the ends of the white into liquid tape. That should keep it weatherproofed.

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I also started work on the headlight rotation adjustment rings that Art did - he sent me some pics and drawings and I started CADing them. You can see my cardboard and dimensions here:

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I haven't yet confirmed the size of the holes for the light buckets, so make sure you test it first before committing. I'll post updates to this once I try it in a couple weeks.

I cut the rings out of some spare aluminum (maybe 1/16"-1/8" thick) using a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade, going very slow, and then cleaned them up and deburred them for test-fitting.

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[octobersknight]

Just one more quick note on lighting: if you have any troubles with your lights not responding, do the octobersknight dummy-check. Make sure your plugs *inside the steering column* are actually plugged into the switches. Full details here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44002-Tail-lights-not-lighting

An interesting tidbit for those looking for their own turn/reverse lights and sockets, etc.

The socket we want that actually fits the Hella enclosures is actually a Volkswagen Beetle (1998-2010) three-pin turn signal socket and the part number is 7D0953123A. This will fit 1157-style bulbs with the offset pins (BAY15D) and not the ones FFR sent us (BA15D). I picked up a couple sets of cheap ebay LED "switchback" style 1157 bulbs which will give you alternate white or amber. Since these bulbs are non-reversible, I had to verify the correct pinout before wiring to make sure I got the correct color. I wish the supplied Hella sockets had all three pins instead of two with the third one just snapped off ... we could have had much better quality sockets and FFR would have saved some money at the same time. I also found that the VW light socket connects to wire connector part 1J0 973 723.

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Also I wrapped and organized the lighting wires in the rear.

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[octobersknight]

Just posting an update to say I have been working more on the kit, despite appearances here to the contrary. I'm hoping to post a boatload of updates over the next few days with pics to go along.

[octobersknight]

Before messing with the adapter rings I cut, I decided to see how bad the tilt of the headlights was on my kit. I installed the headlights and checked low and high beams against some pieces of cardboard I stood up at the front of the garage for a flat plane with contrast. I noted that indeed the headlights were tipped a little bit, but in the grand scheme of things I just wanted to push to get the headlights installed so I decided to just skip the rings, live with the tilt and used JB weld to hold the ball cups in place. I had tried some two-ton epoxy earlier, but that simply had not bonded at all to whatever plastic the headlight mount plates are (polypropylene?). I also used some black silicone caulk to seal up the gaps between the mount plates and main headlight bucket as best I could. The right side headlight was much harder to fit into the bucket than the left, and I had to do some very minor trimming to get it in there snug.

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Also, I added the door hinge mod to limit opening angle.

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[octobersknight]

Once the headlight buckets & lights were all sorted, I moved on to the headlight lenses. My kit had a slight lump in the perimeter of the lens seating area, so I scraped it off and sat the lenses into their pockets for a fit-check. I have to sand the top corners of both lenses to get them to fit into the molded pockets.

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I also used a heat gun to slightly curve the lenses to try to get a better fit. I am not sure how well it worked - I was too afraid to overheat and melt the lenses, so I was gentle with the heat and flex. The plastic is quite stiff and resistant to bending. They still didn't fit perfectly, but I figured that the adhesive/caulk would take up any of the remaining gap.

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[octobersknight]

I noticed that my rear bumper still had some side-to-side freedom of motion, so I bought a 1/8" fender washer, drilled and riveted the bumper on the underside in the center. No one will see it, and I can remove it once I get the rear diffuser on there instead.

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I installed the door frames and the latches on the 818 frame. Pretty easy to do, especially since I was using the "nut plates" that others have mentioned for attaching the doors to the frame. no fiddling with two wrench while holding the frame!

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I mostly removed the tape from the previous step on the headlight lenses. I used short pieces of blue tape to outline where the fiberglass ledge was on the outside of the lenses. I then transferred this to the inside of the lens with more continuous tape lines, since this is the side getting paint.

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[octobersknight]

I covered the entire interior and exterior of the lenses, except for the border I was painting on the inside of the lenses. I put a few coats of the same satin rollbar paint I've been using everywhere o this kit.

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I did a test-fit of the lenses to visualize how it'd look with the new painted borders. Blech. Too much red showing - i should have made my border a little more generous.

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My solution to this was to paint the red parts black to make it blend into the other black parts in the lens area. I taped, papered, and drop-clothed everything so I could do the paint on the borders - just enough inside so that the red disappeared. No need to paint the entire lip because it'll be hidden by the lens itself.

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Accidental Spider-Man!

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The painted edge gave it the look I was trying to get.

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Then I tested the fit again and then used black silicone caulk to install the lenses. I worked to balance having enough caulk to seal the edges, especially where the gap is larger, with having too much squeeze out and make later painting a real pain.

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[octobersknight]

I didn't want just a plain (scratched) aluminum inner firewall in the passenger cabin. I remembered I had bought some of the Vvivid carbon fiber wrap a long time ago - perfect time to use it! I've never wrapped anything, though, so this would be ... interesting. I deburred the firewall, which had significant burring from the laser cutter. I also bent the end tabs flat again, as they had been bent a little during transport. Then I cleaned the wall front and back with brake cleaner to get rid of all the dirt and oil from the factory. I test-fit the roll which fought me and kept trying to curl, grrrr) only to find that the part is juuuust a little bit wider than the roll. I thought about rolling it the other way and decided I wanted to minimize waste. So I chose to center the roll and planned to do book-matched fiber at the edge tabs since they'll likely be hidden most of the time anyway. Did I mention this is the first time I've ever wrapped anything? I have no idea if big or small is easier, but time to find out!

I was working on the floor because it was the only place I had space to do this work. I started by cutting out the hole for the window so I could work the film around and remove bubbles, plus I wanted the window section still with the paper on it so I could cover the tabs later. I started at the center of the bottom and worked my way to both sides then up and over.

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Then I cut the scraps from the outside edges to put on the tabs.

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I was able to get out all the bubbles, and had no wrinkles! Success (so far)! the only place bubbles later appeared was at the bend upwards. I'm not sure if it's the bend with film tension that caused it, or if the surface texture is different because of the press brake bend there, or if I didn't clean it well. I decided to tackle later to see if poking small holes would work or if I could squeeze them out after it sat over the weekend.

[BigDanSubaru]

I saw that you primed the oil system by removing the spark plugs and cranking the motor for 2 mins in 30 sec intervals. Can the same be done by just unplugging the coil packs and doing the same? Or is removing the spark plugs actually necessary?

Thanks,
Dan

[Hobby Racer]

Removing the plugs allows the engine to spin faster because you have removed the force created during the compression stroke. That also lessens the force on the bearings during the long cranking.

While you can do it without removing the plugs, it is MUCH better to remove them.

[J R Jones]

Removing the plugs allows the engine to spin faster because you have removed the force created during the compression stroke. That also lessens the force on the bearings during the long cranking.

While you can do it without removing the plugs, it is MUCH better to remove them.

Less stress on the starter motor too.
jim

[BigDanSubaru]

Thanks guys! I will remove the plugs when I prime the motor. I am going to also use octobersknight's exhaust design as inspiration as I planned on doing a similar single inlet, dual outlet muffler design. I am going with the "MAGNAFLOW 5 X 8IN. OVAL STRAIGHT-THROUGH PERFORMANCE EXHAUST MUFFLER 12265". Curious why you chose to flip the muffler over so the inlet is further from the turbo. Was that because the bend would have been too tight if you had the inlet closer to the turbo?

[octobersknight]

Thanks all for chiming in on the oil pressure build cranks with no spark plugs. Those were my same thoughts. BigDan, that is exactly why I flipped it. I wanted enough space for the inlet and more importantly the outlets to bend how I wanted using the parts I got in my custom kit (i.e. I didn't want to add any tighter bends or anything). I was following Slava's (STiPWRD) design and that's what he did too - so I went with it. (see https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?13462-NoVa-818-Build/page4 post #127)

[Dave 53]

Flatirons did a thing on priming a new build. Check it out if you want to know more, but my takeaway was... keep the oil filter off until oil starts to flow into a bucket. Then install a dry filter and continue. The no no is adding oil to the filter then screwing it on.

[BigDanSubaru]

Dave, I am worried that with the oil filter off, oil would splash onto the headers. My headers are heat wrapped, so I don't want oil soaking into that or it could cause a fire when things get hot. I suppose I could rig up a funnel or something, but I think I am just going to take the plugs out and give it a shot. I will check out Flatirons and Slava's (STiPWRD) page though. Thanks for the info Dave and octobersknight. I am putting the wiring harness in the car now. I got a little invested in the wire diet and it took longer than anticipated. I am excited for a first start hopefully by the end of the year. That was my new years resolution.

[octobersknight]

I remember the harness dieting days (weeks)! It is a big undertaking. For my part prior to cranking, I kept the oil filter on as well. I never fully drained my engine as I was only doing the head rebuild. The cylinders were never "dried" so I figured all i was doing was refilling the heads and oil galleys there and the cylinders would still have lube from before.

[Dave 53]

Dave, I am worried that with the oil filter off, oil would splash onto the headers. My headers are heat wrapped, so I don't want oil soaking into that or it could cause a fire when things get hot. I suppose I could rig up a funnel or something, but I think I am just going to take the plugs out and give it a shot. I will check out Flatirons and Slava's (STiPWRD) page though. Thanks for the info Dave and octobersknight. I am putting the wiring harness in the car now. I got a little invested in the wire diet and it took longer than anticipated. I am excited for a first start hopefully by the end of the year. That was my new years resolution.


By Flatirons, I mean Flatirons Syndicate...https://www.flatironstuning.com/blog/flatirons-syndicate-motorsport-podcast

Here's the clip I was thinking about.https://www.flatironstuning.com/blog/cant-get-your-subaru-oil-pump-to-prime-what-to-check-and-a-possible-solution

[BigDanSubaru]

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the help in preparing for my first start. I am really close now, and am looking to attempt my first start this Friday (12/15/23). I have two more questions about priming the oil pressure.
1. I have the spark plugs removed. What do I do with the coil packs? Right now, I just have them re-installed finger tight. Can I leave them on, or do I need to remove them entirely and sit them on the bench?
2. What is a good range for the oil pressure to be at before I reinstall the plugs and attempt a first start? I am going to temporarily wire up my oil pressure gauge to check that. My dummy light wont work, since I swapped the OEM sensor for the aftermarket one to run my gauge.

[blomb11]

I would think as long as you dont have the spark plugs installed that would be sufficient. I am pretty sure I had mine plugs and coil packs installed but disconnected the fuel pump and the gas tank was still bone dry while I primed the motor. I used my oil pressure gauge to wait until I started to build oil pressure into the 20-30 PSI range. I have an EJ207 so my pressures are different but I think the point is just to make sure you can build pressure and get oil into the system first before the first real start. It did take multiple cycles (~10+) for about 30 sec with the key on until it would start to build pressure. I got concerned as it took quite a few attempts that something was wrong. Once I got oil pressure I filled up the tank and made sure my fuel pressure gauge showed pressure in the fuel lines and then turned the key. I am not expert on engine building so you can wait to see what others say too.

[lpmagruder]

I'd personally take the coil packs off, it's really easy to do with 1 bolt each and the plugs are color coded so it's easy to plug back in. You're going to get air blowing out the open spark plug holes and it doesn't sound like a great idea jetting that into the spark plug boots.

[BigDanSubaru]

I'd personally take the coil packs off, it's really easy to do with 1 bolt each and the plugs are color coded so it's easy to plug back in. You're going to get air blowing out the open spark plug holes and it doesn't sound like a great idea jetting that into the spark plug boots.

Okay, I think that makes sense and is easy to do. I will remove them and place them on the bench while I am priming the motor. Any idea what oil pressure I should be looking for? It's a 2.5L Turbo from an 07 WRX. I am not sure if priming brings it to normal operating pressure, or if the goal is just to build up some amount of pressure before starting to help with lubrication.

[lpmagruder]

To be honest I've never looked at a pressure gauge when priming, the way I've always had them hooked up they aren't powered during cranking. What blomb said sounds about right, though I'd probably not let the fuel pump run dry. If I've had a motor sitting for a while I usually crank it a bit with no bang (protip, you can make the Subaru ECU supply 0 fuel during cranking over certain throttle percentages, I think the default DBW ECU maps have this). Another quick way to make it not run is to unplug the crank angle sensor.

Once I do that I start it for real. If it doesn't get "real" cold oil pressure (~30 psi depending on motor) in a few seconds I'd kill it and figure out what's going on.

I'm sure there's others here that have a more detailed procedure.

[BigDanSubaru]

Ipmagruder, I have the fuel pump disconnected so it wont run dry why cranking to build oil pressure. Thanks for the reply. Hoping everything turns out okay. Also sorry if I kinda hijacked Octobersknight's thread. I had asked him about it here since I had read about his priming process earlier in the thread. I appreciate all the help everyone has provided, but I also want to be respectful of his thread. Octobersknight, I owe you a round of beers. ;)

[octobersknight]

I finished wrapping the firewall by cutting little tabs all over the back to be able to keep the wrap tight around inside and outside curves. I am relying on the weatherstripping in addition to the adhesive to keep the edges in place. After I did the top and bottom edges (as recommended by mcamera) with weatherstripping, I moved on to the window installation.

As noted by others, it is actually quite tricky to get the window seal rubber to cooperate at first even on the firewall itself. But, with some coaxing you can get it on there. After the seal is in place on the aluminum and cut to size, putting the window in place and absolutely flooding it with WD-40 helps things along nicely. It is still not an easy job, and I was a little hesitant to go overboard with the spray for fear of ruining the wrap adhesive. In any case, with the WD-40 and LOTS of elbow grease (and sweat - both from effort and fear of breaking the glass) I was able to get the window installed and I had a complete firewall ready to install into the car.

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[octobersknight]

Almost forgot to post these pics of this beauty! Obvs. it's still a work in progress, but any chance i get to admire it in all it's glory, I take it!

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Getting the chance to see it in the driveway, and from a distance all around, somehow makes it feel more real. I can't get enough of it, and I can't wait to drive it for real!

[octobersknight]

I did the full walkaround of the top and fenders. I noticed the same thing many people have, namely that the rear fenders need to come in further than the body mounts near the shocks will allow. I'll either bend or cut them. Also, the body sits up too high, so I'll follow mcamera's lead and order some of the quick-latches to hold the top in place at the rear corners and midway back, as well as for the trailing edge of the hood.

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Also, I had to trim the front fender tabs near the windshield. I adjusted the location of the top and rear bumper to make everything look as tight as possible, and at least I made the rear gap consistent. That will take some fiberglassing or something later to close it fully. Moving the top forward to align the door openings and allow for the doors to actually fit pushed the A-pillars into the fender tabs. I've trimmed them once, but may do so again after some more fiddling. I didn't want to overdo it!

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With the top set where I wanted it, I was ready for rear hatch prep & install.

[octobersknight]

The first thing I did for the rear hatch was to file/sand down any thick spots around the rim to allow for the weatherstripping to fit nice and tight all the way around. I installed that with some effort.

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After that, it was on to hinge install. There wasn't really a ton of guidance on where to put the hinges on the roll bar, or how to get them tight with the limited space. I managed to do it somehow. Also, I luckily have the newer hinge design that has two screws to prevent the dreaded hinge slip-rotation. I think the new design works pretty well, but time will tell how it holds up to repeated use.

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Then, with even less guidance on how to install the hinges to the hatch itself, I once again checked the forums for advice. Fellow builders to the rescue! I was told to just be careful because there is metal inside the large upper square pads, but it's thin. I fitted the hatch into the open space, gapped it roughly, and drilled and tapped the holes for the mounting screws.

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At this point I noticed what others have also encountered. The hatch fiberglass extends further up than the window glass, and causes interference with the roof and preventing the hatch from opening further. I trimmed the fiberglass a couple times to get it better. I might do another trim because I don't think it's quite done and I didn't want to overdo it on the first few tries. it's easier to remove than add!

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