Advice on taking inventory

[Randy's]

I took delivery of my complete kit earlier this week and, as suggested, I started taking inventory. I opened box one and began checking things off against the Factory Five pull sheets. I'm not sure what I expected but in box one was a zip lock bag with assorted washers, bolts, nuts, etc. I wish I were, but I am not one of those guys that can look at a washer and know it is 5/16", not 3/8'' or what the "Aluminum Center Section" to the steering wheel should look like without either measuring or looking up the picture of the part up in the build manual. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying every minute of it! I just thought I would start a thread to have folks post any helpful advice they may have on taking inventory.

[DadofThree]

Take your time. Learn what those washers and bolts are. You'll need to know at some point anyway.

After counting, place them back in the bag and have the bag back in the original box. It will be very helpful for you in the future (talking year or two) to find those parts.

Go to Home Depot and pick up a "fastener cheat sheet" that they sell in the fastener aisle. It's a plastic 5 x 8 card what will help you tremendously to be able to identify the hardware.

Soon you'll be able to know the difference if you try to learn as you go.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/8-11-16-in-Armour-Technologies-Gauge-TEM-GHO-02/100186831

[Boydster]

I used a printable reference for metric and SAE hardware from here: https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/printable-tools/default.aspx
As for parts that you cant identify, usually its a process of elimination for each box and bag. In the end if ya still cant ID it, post up a pic!

By myself, it took about a week of evenings to do my inventory. I put all the F5 pages in a binder to be able to refer to so I could find things. Some guys put copies on the boxes. Just think of a way to organize that works for you and stick with it.

Good luck and Congratulations!

[edwardb]

Agree 100% with the advice given. Use the exercise to do more than just count stuff. Measure, use something like the gauge mentioned, look at part pictures in the build manual, etc. Time spent now familiarizing yourself with the parts, where and when they're used, etc. will pay off as you progress through the build.

Also, based on what you said and what sounds like your experience level, highly recommend to leave the parts in the boxes they were shipped in. Use the inventory sheets FF provided as your roadmap of where stuff is. As backorder parts arrive, log them and put them in the box they were supposed to be in. I too put the inventory sheets in a binder and use it religiously. Especially early when there are a lot of boxes.

[GFX2043mtu]

Go slow and get a helper to mark things off as you go. I highlighted each item then checked them off as I used them during the build. As you have probably already seen the boxes are marked but not all of the stuff in them is. A bolt gauge is a handy tool for this. I used mine that I got from Fastenal. Also I removed the rivet spacing gauge and set it aside when I found it. So I didn’t have to hunt for it later.

[Randy's]

Thanks guys! I didn't know a "fastener cheat sheet" even existed. I'll pick one up this evening.

[skidd]

Another thing that I also did at Inventory time.. if I found a part that was correctly numbered, and correctly in the item list.. but.. I didn't know exactly what it was.. I too the additional step of looking for it's reference in the build manual. Now I'm familiar with the piece, where it's going to go and when I might need it. Then used a fine sharpie and marked it on the part bag.

[Just puttering]

You may want to check off the inventory item when you pull it from the box to install it. That way when are down to one item you aren't guessing what it is, looking at a long list! Or is it in the box or did i pull it out and its on the bench. Etc.

If you look up a part in the manual put the page number on the inventory list, you wont have to look it up multiple times.

[Clover]

Wow, way to make my inventory feel inferior everyone. I did not measure a thing. Heck, I did not even count everything. I would just looks at the sheet and see 4 A washers and 2 B washers and A was bigger then B. Then I would look in the bag for 4 one size and 2 another size, if those quantities of washers existed, I marked it off. Sometimes I needed to use the process of elimination for a few items in boxes as a lot of my parts were not marked. Once I figure it out, I then mark it for future reference. I also recommend putting all the parts back in the box they came from so you know where to find them when you need them. I am not done with my inventory process, life kind of came crashing down on me when my kit came, but I have only found a few missing pieces out of the first 24 boxes.

[phileas_fogg]

The only thing I have to add comes later in your build. Eventually, you'll have a great big box with a single ziplock bag of bolts in it. You'll be tempted to just throw that ziplock into the next box. Before you succumb to that temptation, write IN A DIFFERENT COLOR SHARPIE "From Box xxx." I'm down to one box now, and I've STILL got a bag that says "From Box 2A" :D.

Also, when you get to a big box with lots of little boxes and/or parts wrapped in brown paper, write on the outside of said little box/brown paper what the part is. It makes finding your hood hinges & your turn signal lamps easy.


John

[Fixit]

Another thing to be aware of...

Have your original order form handy - ensure you get every option item you ordered/paid for.
In the excitement of delivery and inventory I was being very systematic about opening boxes, checking items off against the packing list, confirming the missing items were on my POL list... etc. In the end, everything cross-referenced to either the packing list or the POL list... it was either in my garage or on the POL list.

Until I wanted to mock up & drill the firewall panel for my heater kit. It didn't exist - on the packing list or POL sheets.

I ordered it, paid for it, but nowhere "on paper" was it listed. Nor was it physically in any of the 25 boxes of parts delivered. Totally forgot about it until I needed it.

A quick call to FFR and Sally confirmed I ordered and paid for it, but none of my delivery paperwork listed it. FFR simply forgot to pack or POL it... no paper trail to check off!
(FFR shipped it out pronto and I had it in a day or two, problem solved).

[RJD]

I found a micrometer and calipers helpful when measuring bolts. I labeled each part that wasn't already bagged or labled with tape and perma marker. After inventory, make copies of your inventory sheets and tape them to the outside of each box for easy reference when you go rummaging for parts. This came in handy for me since all my parts were stored in the attic. I also had a binder of the inventoried parts down in the garage that I kept next to the instruction manual for reference. The manual has a page that lists the parts that need powder coating or paint - pull those out and send them out for powder coating or paint them so that they'll be ready when you need them. Lastly, I stored the boxes in the order I would likely have to access them - for example the box with the windshield was way in the back.