Please Graduate Roadster 8901

[Straversi]

This is a long overdue graduation thread as I now have 1,000 miles on the car but better late than never.

I love this car! If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing.

Love the Coyote/TKO-600/IRS drivetrain. Thank you Mike Forte.

I had a pretty good build plan in place when I started but I didn't have a strict budget or timeline and found myself at the forum's mercy to spend money on aftermarket options. Thanks to all of the forum vendors. I'm pretty sure I bought something from all of you and I am happy with the quality, service and responsiveness I received from all of the vendors. I won't list them all since they are all called out in my build thread as the components were installed.

I love the paint. Huge thanks to Jeff Miller! No matter what you do as a builder, the paint is what people notice first and last. Blue and white is not for everyone, but this is the car that I've seen in my head since I was a kid and now it sits in my garage. Still unbelievable.

Thank you to Paul (EdwardB). Your 20th anniversary build thread helped me and inspired me beyond description. Thanks to Dave Hodgkins, WareagleScott, Gumball, Jeff Kleiner and to the entire forum community. I would not have taken on this project if I hadn't come across this forum and realized that there would be an amazing level of help available if I got stuck.

Last of the thanks goes to Dave Smith and the FFR team. The MK-IV is a great car. If you buy one completed, you are getting an amazing machine. If you are fortunate enough to build one, what a fantastic experience.


Here are a few photos and quick video of my completed car at one of my favorite spots. Not a bad place to be on New Year's Eve, 2018.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=99965&d=1546366356

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=93821&d=1537383373

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=93816&d=1537383198

Short video.

https://youtu.be/Co8R7ivWN9I


Last Thoughts:

As I was packing up my receipts and documents I came across this magazine. I find it fitting to end this thread with the magazine that got this all started for me.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=99959&d=1546362735

I had never bought or even seen a Kit Car Magazine before, but I saw this in a grocery store and the caption "You Can Do It" grabbed me. I bought it, read it cover-to-cover about a 100 times. I think I fished it out of the trash a dozen time as my wife couldn't believe I still wanted it. But this was the beginning of a great experience for me. This magazine unveiled the brand new Mark-IV, explained the SB-100 registration process, showed me that the wiring was doable and described the FFR community with a write up on the 4th annual Huntington Beach Cruise-In.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=99964&d=1546362805

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=99963&d=1546362793

I think that was 7 or 8 years ago. When Dave Hodgkins showed me that you could modify these cars for the big and tall, there were no more barriers to overcome.


Lastly, thanks to my wife Dana. What was that...., order another one? Thanks dear!

-Steve

[boat737]

Good job Steve. I've finally got mine back off the jack stands, and is running again. Time for some cruises with you.

[slpro1207]

Congratulations of finishing a fantastic looking MK4. Wish you many years of fun with it.

[cnutting]

Looks great, love the seats!

[CraigS]

Very nicely done. Pls tell us more about the seats.

[edwardb]

Congrats Steve. Looks awesome. Even if it's blue. ;) Lots of cool touches. The intake on the Coyote is especially nice. Thanks for the shout out. I have a blast doing the build threads and really rewarding to see others get something from them. Be safe and have fun with it.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Congrats Steve! It was great to have met up with you at Huntington Beach and SEMA and is fantastic to see the car all wrapped up---it's exceptional :)

Jeff

[WIS89]

Steve-

As others have already remarked, the car is exceptional!! I really enjoyed following along on your build, and I take pride in saying that I stole a couple of your ideas!

Congratulations on getting her all wrapped up! I know you will get tons of enjoyment from her.

Regards,

Steve

[cgundermann]

Congratulations Steve! Looks beautiful and never gets old driving her! Love the seats and the intake.

Chris

[cv2065]

Congrats Steve and enjoy! Thanks for the advice with my build along the way....

[Paul2STL]

Congratulations Steve,

Very nice quality build she looks AWESOME!! I love the blue. I am headed down tomorrow morning from Tacoma, WA to pick mine up at Jeff's its blue also. You cant go wrong with blue on these cars. I took some inspirations from you on my build. Thanks again for the license plate 3D printer file. I love the dimple die you used all around your car.

[BadAsp427]

Congratulations.... As I think I've told you, your build thread was the very first one that I started reading. Have been back to it many times, and of course Paul's... But this is about your awesome car... I look forward to the privileged and opportunity to some day park my roadster in the same parking lot as yours...

[Garry Bopp]

Beautiful build! One to be proud of. Hope you enjoy her for many happy miles.

Garry

[Straversi]

Very nicely done. Pls tell us more about the seats.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and responses. Very much appreciated.

Gary,
Those are the basic Kirkey Vintage seats but I reshaped the sides with some guidance from (Gumball) Chris. I have some photos on page 4 of my build thread.

I had a very good upholstery shop do the leather work with the stainless steel grommets. The idea was to emulate the look of the racing GT-40 seats. I added seat heaters and I built a fan into the back of the seat backs so they blow through the grommets for functioning ventilated seats. This wasn’t really necessary but I had the idea and wanted to see if I could pull it off. They work quite well. More details and photos on page 6 of the thread.
-Steve

[Vspeeds]

Steve
Congratulations. Great job.
Eddie

[KDubU]

Congrats, very nice! I like what you did with the Coyote, it looks more old school.

[CVOBill]

The car looks great Steve, Congrats.

[GoDadGo]

I'm a Keep It Simple Stupid<>Less Is More kind of guy, but man you nailed an over the top build with style and elegance.
Amazing, Simply Amazing So Please Share With Us Your Kool Kustom Kirkey Upholstery Konfiguration If You Don't Mind!
So many subtle touches make your over the top build appear to be understated.
Elegantly Amazing Indeed!

[Gumball]

Steve -

What a beautiful end result - you're sure to enjoy the ride in that car! Awesome job on the interior, too - love what you did with the seat covers.

[Joe390]

Congratulations Steve...
Looks Awesome..!!

[wareaglescott]

Great job Steve. Really enjoyed following this build!

[Texas Driver]

OUTSTANDING looking build. Love the Door Threshold trim idea for the trans tunnel. (Probably going to copy that idea)
Enjoy......You have some of the best roads and scenery to enjoy in that beauty.

[Straversi]

I'm a Keep It Simple Stupid<>Less Is More kind of guy, but man you nailed an over the top build with style and elegance.
Amazing, Simply Amazing So Please Share With Us Your Kool Kustom Kirkey Upholstery Konfiguration If You Don't Mind!
So many subtle touches make your over the top build appear to be understated.
Elegantly Amazing Indeed!
Thank you for the comments. Always great to hear from The Dell.

Most of these photos are in the build thread and there are more for those inclined to page back...

Original concept and sketches.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91299&d=1534201193

Before and after shot of the reshaped sides. (Idea borrowed directly from Gumball)
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=82522&d=1520983699

Air plenum attached to the back of the seat.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91285&d=1534199066

12 x 1" holes in the seat back for ventilation. I mounted my seat directly to the floor with two 5/16" bolts through the seat pan into nut insets in the 2 x 2 frame. Also put a bolt directly through the seat back into the 2" upright frame tube with nutsert. Made an odd trapezoidal spacer for the gap. This presented a challenge for the upholsterer. He had to make his seat pads removable so I could get to the bolts. The grommets in the seat back pad had to align with my vent holes.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91286&d=1534199078

The upholsterer made a cover that slipped over the back and sides. The seat pads are held in place with snaps on the back and under the lip in front and with velcro. The bottom pad has an aluminum base. He was worried that if it was just a cushion it would distort over time.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91296&d=1534199257

Finished seat. He was going to do the edges with piping like the original seats but when he saw how I have to press myself out of these seats to get out (tall man exit), he felt like the stitched edges would hold up better than piping.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91295&d=1534199245

Installed. The seat heaters are above the grommets in the seat back and behind the grommets in the seat bottom.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91294&d=1534199198

Overall, super please with how these turned out.

[Straversi]

OUTSTANDING looking build. Love the Door Threshold trim idea for the trans tunnel. (Probably going to copy that idea)
Enjoy......You have some of the best roads and scenery to enjoy in that beauty.

Thanks,
It doesn't jump out in photos but that's one of my favorite mods.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=90874&d=1533662910
-Steve

[RR20AC]

Very Special build! Thanks for all the updates and great seeing it at Huntington Beach. Finishing these works of art only leads to the next step. Enjoy the heck out of it. Jim

[RJD]

Gorgeous! Congratulations and happy cruisin.

[mlewis]

Awesome build !!

Lots of really nice touches.

Enjoy !

[DANW]

Very nice, love all the details and colors is dynamite..
Dan

[j.miller]

Well done brother.....this is one tight build....TIGHT ! TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT !....now, go run down a peacock just cause ya can (inside comment guys, don't try to understand)...da bat