Greek Guys' Garage Roadster Build #9509 (Nice shoutout on Insta about my build)

[JohnK]

Hey Chris. Yes, the three pieces on the left in that photo are the Forte's transmission spacers (https://fortesparts.com/product/tremec-tko-transmission-spacer-kit/). You can buy them individually, or as a set of three with longer bolts.

[JohnK]

I've been away from the build for a few months. We bought a new house in early December, so between preparing a house to sell, packing, moving, unpacking, getting the new house put together and hosting two large Greek families for the holidays, it was pretty crazy for a bit. We took a little time to take a deep breath after all of that, and now I'm ready to make the final big push and get this build over the finish line. I've had the body in storage since the start of the project as I didn't have space in the old garage to store it, so today was the day to finally get the body out of storage and bring it home.

It's been a bit since it saw the light of day.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163819&d=1647057840

I called up my friend Michael at South Bay Towing. He's helped me several times throughout the build, including the initial delivery (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?31167-Greek-Guys-Garage-Roadster-Build-9509-(glove-box-finished)&p=355717&viewfull=1#post355717) from Stewart Transport. He was almost as excited as me to see the body coming back home.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163818&d=1647057840

The whole process went very smoothly and quickly, and the body is now in the garage with the car, and ready for initial tweaking and fitting.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163817&d=1647057840

I know that many folks here do some or most of the body prep on their own but I'm not planning to do a lot to the body before sending it off for paint. A guy's got to know his limitations, and bodywork is not an area I have any experience in so I'm opting to leave most of it to the pros. I'll do some preliminary fitting of lights, perhaps side vents, trim the dash and rear wall lips so I can get the body on, and then call it good enough. So this should go pretty quickly and with any luck be off to paint in the next few weeks.

[Springsyeti]

Nice build!

[Fman]

John are you sending it off to Ken or Jeff M.?

[460.465USMC]

Good to see you back on the build, John! That's got to be a good feeling to be so close to body/paint!

[JohnK]

I've been doing some preliminary work on the body prior to fitting it to the chassis for the first time. I started by trimming the front cowl lip at the dash by 1/4" to provide clearance for the leather dash. It may ultimately need more trimming than that, but this will hopefully allow me to fit the body without damaging the leather dash.

Next, I sanded the entire underside of the body. It will eventually all get coated with some sort of undercoating, so I was mainly trying to get rid of all loose glass fibers and random junk. I did the bulk of the sanding with 80 grit pads on the random orbital sander and followed up with 60 grit paper by hand in all the edges and crevices. A full tyvek suit and respirator on the first day of the year that it's been over 80 degrees was not super-fun, but it's finished.

I'm going to flip it over and put it on the buck again, and fit all the lights before I drop it on the chassis for the first time.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164393&d=1648001961

[facultyofmusic]

Looking professional!

[Tooth]

Really glad I found this thread. My "delivery date" is 7/2. Plan on a coyote build, and could only hope for mine to come out half as good as your build is so far.

[JohnK]

Thank you! This forum is such a wealth of knowledge. I couldn't have done this without everyone's help and input. Congratulations on your upcoming delivery.

[BadAsp427]

It will be amazing when you are done. Your attention to some of the smaller details may or may not be seen by anyone after it is all together, but you will know.... You will Know....

[JohnK]

The last couple of days I've been working on fitting headlights and signal lights, plus a few other things. Here are a few quick updates.

Headlights: I started by cutting out the template for the headlight bucket that is in the back of the manual and comparing that to the holes that are pre-cut on the body. It was pretty close, but needed a little massaging. The holes are purposely cut undersized so they can be tweaked as needed to get the best fit.

Here's how the holes compared to the template:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164551&d=1648258100

I used a sharpie to highlight the areas I needed to trim away:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164550&d=1648258100

... and with a little work with a drum sanding attachment on the cordless drill and some small files, the headlight buckets were soon in place.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164549&d=1648258080

In this photo you can also see the signal lights and wire mesh screens on the oil cooler and brake duct openings. I'm not hugely impressed with the quality of the lenses and rings on the signal lights, so those will be getting replaced shortly. The wire mesh screens are in place temporarily. They'll get powder coated before final installation.

And here's one of the headlights all put together.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164548&d=1648258080

From a few feet away, the reproduction Lucas PL700 headlights are a pretty nice touch. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection both headlights had some issues.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164547&d=1648258080

The Lucas emblems on both headlights I received were crooked. (insert Lucas joke here). The shop I bought these from was very apologetic and the replacements have already been shipped to me, so no big deal. Plenty of time to swap these out with (hopefully) better ones.

After the headlights and signal lights, I installed the license plate bracket and light, along with the blank-off panel in the trunk.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164545&d=1648258080

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164546&d=1648258080

I'm on the clock now, as I have an appointment to drop off the car at the shop that will be doing the body/paint in a little over two weeks so I need to keep plugging away at the punch list of items, but good progress so far.

[Fman]

Looking great John, smart move doing all fitment prior to paint. Highly recommend upgrading the bulb on the Lucas tri-bar to LED, the halogen bulbs are not super great for light output. I ended up using these 6000 LM which are plug and play and really helped increase light output.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TQLK6SH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[JohnK]

Thanks Travis. I didn't mention it in the previous update, but I have upgraded all the lighting to LED using the Watsons Streetworks kit. Seems like nice stuff. Here are the headlight bulbs they provide. There's a separate driver for each headlight bulb that I still need to mount to the back of the headlight bucket, but I can do that later while the car is off at paint.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164563&d=1648306424

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164562&d=1648306424

[460.465USMC]

Exciting stuff, John, as you get ever closer to body/paint! Good tip on using the headlight template to examine/fix fitment of the buckets.

Couple questions: (1) did you make your own blank-off panel? I've been tossing around which way to go on that one. (2) Would you mind sharing your source for the front turn signal lenses and trim rings? And the mesh? Thanks in advance.

[JohnK]

hey Chris. Sure, happy to share:

Lots of folks make their own trunk blank-off. it's a pretty simple piece but Dark Water Customs makes one and it's reasonably priced so I went that route. Here's the link. (http://www.darkwatercustoms.com/buildrequest.php#!/Trunk-Access-Panel/p/474080/category=185862) He doesn't operate like a true store. He'll take names on a waiting list for a particular part and when he gets enough names he'll run a batch. So you may have to wait a bit to get it, depending on whether he has any in stock or not.

For the front turn signal lenses and trim rings, I'm going to go with these (https://jollyrogersmotors.com/store/p/770-Lucas-L539-Clear-Lens-Rim-Pair-New.html) from Rogers Motors. I'd been eyeing them for a bit, and in another thread I posted a few others have used them and reported that they're better quality than the FFR pieces. My upgraded LED signal marker bulbs are amber so I can go with the clear lenses on these, but if needed they also carry NOS amber lenses.

The oil cooler mesh (https://www.breezeautomotive.com/shop/grille-oil-cooler-opening-mk-4-expanded-aluminum/) and brake duct mesh (https://www.breezeautomotive.com/shop/brake-duct-grilles-mk4-expanded-aluminum/) I bought from Breeze. I had previously bought the brake duct screens from FFR with the kit but FFR doesn't offer a screen for the oil cooler opening (that I'm aware of) and I wanted all three screens to match so I ordered these and will be selling the FFR screens.

I hope that helps.

-John

[JohnK]

Apologies in advance - this will be a bit long-winded and in multiple posts, and there are a few questions at the end that I'd love some input on.

----------------

A while back I read about quick release mounting plates for installing the windshield which allow the windshield to be held in place with two hardened quick-release pins. These sounded intriguing but there was not a lot of information available about them. I decided to order a set to check them out and they arrived last week. In planning how best to install these, I posted a separate thread with some questions here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?42437-Windshield-quick-release-bracket-installation-questions). I got some good input from folks and had some follow-up discussion with fellow builder SJDave. Dave has offered his machining services in the past, so I decided to take him up on the offer with a (hopefully) simple request to make me a couple of locating tools so I could center the quick release windshield brackets on the existing windshield mounting holes on the frame. I sent him this napkin sketch of sorts and a few dimensions:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164653&d=1648435246

... and the next day he stopped by for a visit and dropped these off. Huge thanks to Dave for the help with these! I really appreciate it.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164648&d=1648434530

The larger-diameter end centers in the slot in the quick release bracket and the smaller-diameter end fits in the holes in the frame:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164649&d=1648434530

I had to trim off a couple of corners on each bracket and relocate two of the four mounting holes to different spots, but with the help of the locating tools the quick release brackets are now centered on the frame mounting holes and the channel that the windshield post slides into is set at the exact angle as the holes in the frame.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164647&d=1648434530

Here's another view from the backside of the bracket, showing the handle of the quick-release pin.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164646&d=1648434504

The drivers-side plate went in very similarly. Worth noting that I can reach the handle and remove the pin simply by reaching up from under the dash into the space above the fuse box. No need to drop the fuse box to reach the handle. This will (in theory) make future removal/installation of the windshield very simple and quick.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164645&d=1648434504

(continued)

[JohnK]

(continued)

... so next it was time to try fitting the windshield. I started by attaching the windshield side posts to the windshield, attempting to be extremely careful not to strip out the threads in the brass strips. Despite all the warnings and extreme care, I still stripped one hole. Not a big deal, as the Whitby stainless steel strips are on their way and will get swapped out.

After attaching the side posts, I attempted to slide them into the channels in the quick release brackets and it was immediately evident that I would need to shim the brackets out to be wide enough for the windshield posts to slide in. For test-fitting purposes, I added some washers on the PS side bracket (since it's easier to access). I have some hardened washers that happen to be almost exactly 0.10 inch thick. It took two washers to get the brackets spaced far enough apart to be able to finally slide the windshield into place.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164644&d=1648434504

However (here's where the questions come) in looking at how the posts fit it appears that they are twisted, with the rearward edge of the post angled inboard from the leading edge.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164643&d=1648434504

I've read in other threads that folks have had to bend and twist the windshield posts to get them aligned properly. Does it seem reasonable that I should have to twist them to get them to be straight front-to-back? If so, how best to do this? These seem like pretty stout pieces, and I've also heard that the chrome plating is pretty brittle so I'm not super-excited about attempting to twist (or untwist) them.

The other option that I'm contemplating is to compensate for this twist with the shims I'm going to fabricate. I've ordered some 0.10" thick Delrin sheet that I'm going to use to make the shims, It would be pretty simple to taper the shims to compensate for the front-to-back twist of the posts, thereby avoiding the need to try to bend the posts. Anyone have any thoughts about this approach?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Despite the need for some additional tweaking of the fit, it was pretty cool to see the windshield in place.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164642&d=1648434504

[Jeff Kleiner]

Unless I missed something I'm wondering how you determined the windshield placement without having the body on and in it's final position.

Jeff

[JohnK]

Unless I missed something I'm wondering how you determined the windshield placement without having the body on and in it's final position.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Are you referring to front/back, side/side, or just up/down position? The first two I'm basing on the position of the frame brackets and the mounting holes on the frame brackets. I have not yet determined up/down position and haven't drilled the holes in the windshield posts for the quick-release pins, if that's what you're asking. As you said, I will not do that until my body/paint guy has finalized body position.

-John

[Jeff Kleiner]

Hi Jeff,

Are you referring to front/back, side/side, or just up/down position? The first two I'm basing on the position of the frame brackets and the mounting holes on the frame brackets. I have not yet determined up/down position and haven't drilled the holes in the windshield posts for the quick-release pins, if that's what you're asking. As you said, I will not do that until my body/paint guy has finalized body position.

-John

Up/down and to a lesser extent angle. I thought you had already locked it all down but you clarified that it can still be adjusted vertically so you’ll be good!

Jeff

[JohnK]

Angle is fixed at this point (matches the holes in the frame) but up/down has not been set yet. Thanks for confirming that I haven't done something dumb.

[facultyofmusic]

Angle is fixed at this point (matches the holes in the frame) but up/down has not been set yet. Thanks for confirming that I haven't done something dumb.

Curious as to how the updown adjustment works. Will there be multiple holes for the pin to go through?

[JohnK]

Curious as to how the updown adjustment works. Will there be multiple holes for the pin to go through?

No, I will just wait to mark and drill the one hole in each windshield post until after the body is in its final position. For now the windshield slides into the brackets and bottoms out since I haven't trimmed the posts at all.

[Fman]

John, did you talk to Ken about all these windshield mods you are adding? He has done over 900 of these cars and knows the tricks to setting the windshield. Just my .02

[JohnK]

My stainless steel windshield strips finally arrived from Whitby yesterday, so I got back to work finishing up the windshield install. In doing some more research and trading some more messages with SJDave, I realized that it's not uncommon for the windshield posts to be both twisted and out of parallel, and that fixing both of these issues was critical to being able to set the windshield in place with no stress on the glass.

The posts were both twisted and splayed outward.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164814&d=1648761739

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164813&d=1648761739

After several on/off cycles and "massaging" with a big crescent wrench I was able to get both posts to less than 0.5 degree twist and pretty much parallel to each other. The stainless steel strips are definitely more robust than the brass ones but I still wanted to limit the number of times I installed and removed the side posts, so I called this good enough. Prior to correcting the side post alignment I needed about 0.20 inch of shims to be able to insert the windshield into the brackets. After realigning them I was hoping to reduce the amount I needed to shim. It turns out that I didn't need any shims, and the posts slid right in to the brackets. I'm pretty happy about that.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164812&d=1648761739

It's a nice snug fit with no slop, but the posts slide in and out very easily. I then trimmed 2.5" off the ends of the posts at a 45 degree angle, as suggested by Mike Everson here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?33025-MK4-Windshield-Installation-Tips-Myths-and-Realities&p=376424&viewfull=1#post376424).

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164810&d=1648761739

The only thing remaining to do on the windshield install is to drill the hole for the quick-release pins once the body is in its final position.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164811&d=1648761739

All in all, this was quite a bit more work than I anticipated but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

[JohnK]

I'm going to break this update up into a couple of posts.

The final thing I wanted to do before fitting the body onto the chassis for the first time was to install the side louvers. I decided to install them as several others have done by bonding studs to the body with HSRF. Nothing ground-breaking here, just following in the footsteps of those that have done this before me. The only small tweak I made was in fabricating some new, more robust brackets for the louvers out of proper aluminum angle rather than the bent sheet metal pieces that come with the FFR louvers. The brackets are attached to the louvers with 10-32 SS screws. I put two washers between the louvers and brackets to keep the brackets off the bent tabs of the louver slats. Here they are ready to be bonded in place.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164978&d=1649025942

I made templates of the louvers and taped them in place. The factory-cut holes pretty much dictate where the louvers must go, but they're undersized like all the other holes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164982&d=1649025942

I centered the louvers as best as I could relative to the existing holes, and will leave it to the pro's to massage the holes to their final dimensions.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164981&d=1649025942

The studs got bonded with HSRF to the inside of the body, and I made an absolute mess of it so no photos (hey, it's my build thread so I can skip the ugly stuff, right?! :p). Not that it really matters, as it'll get covered with undercoating after paint. HSRF definitely takes some experience to work with.

(continued)

[JohnK]

(continued)

With the louver installation complete, it was FINALLY time to install the body for the first time. I removed side pipes, roll bars, windshield, seats, steering wheel, etc. and taped up the edge of the dash very well. After reviewing the game plan with my wife and kids, it was time to go for it. With four people it's very drama-free. It took us just a couple of minutes to drop the body in place. The fit is absolutely terrible but I didn't expect it to fit well without any bulb seal or weatherstrip in place - I just need to get the body on the chassis. Nonetheless, it's incredible to see the body on after 3+ years.

I have an appointment to take the car up to Ken Pike a week from tomorrow, and will let him take it from here. He'll have the chassis for ~3 weeks to do body fitting and gapping and then I'll go back and retrieve the chassis so I can continue with carpet, seat install and other details while he continues body and paint.


Here are some photos, because... why not.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164979&d=1649025942

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164986&d=1649025963

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164985&d=1649025963

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164984&d=1649025963

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=164983&d=1649025963

[Blitzboy54]

Looking great John. This was by far the most fun part for me to date. When it starts looking like a real boy.

Pipes look sharp. Really going to pop against that blue if that is still the plan

[JohnK]

Thanks Jesse. My wife joked yesterday, "Wait... you've been building a car this whole time?!"

The plan is still a bit up in the air but it will definitely be more of a race-inspired theme vs. a "street" scheme.

[JB in NOVA]

Looks great, John. Nice work!

[JohnK]

A few weeks ago, SJDave invited me to join a group of fellow FFR builders at one of their regular Saturday morning breakfast get-togethers. They actually meet at a restaurant that's only about a half mile from my house. I had a chance to meet a bunch of great guys and check out some very nice builds. One of the guys there, who actually built the second FFR spec racer ever (and first on the West coast) along with a hot rod and Mk4 roadster, offered to let me borrow his enclosed trailer to haul my car up to Ken Pike, and I took him up on his very generous offer.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165316&d=1649644157

I drove down to meet him and pick up the trailer this morning. I've spent the last few weeks putting some finishing touches on the build, along with doing a detailed inventory of everything I'm sending to Ken along with the car. Today was finally the day to load everything up in the trailer. It's actually a bit emotional to see the car sitting in the trailer, ready to go off for body and paint. I've spent the last three years making this build the best I possibly could and I've taken it as far as I can, and it's now time to hand it off to someone to put the finishing touches on it.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165315&d=1649644157

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll be on the road to make the 170 mile drive up to Ken Pike's place.

[facultyofmusic]

Godspeed John.

[Blitzboy54]

That is generous on the trailer. Good for you on making it this far. The sitting around and waiting can be excruciating.

What's the color scheme, have you settled on it yet or still figuring it out?

[CABulldog]

What's the color scheme, have you settled on it yet or still figuring it out?

As one of those at the breakfast the other day it was nice to meet you as well, although mine was just delivered at that point. Are you going to paint it to match your awesome mustang?

James

[JohnK]

Hey James, it was great meeting you at breakfast also. The color scheme of the Mustang (Nightmist blue w/Wimbledon White stripes) is one of my all-time favorite combinations but I decided to go with something different for the roadster. (more on that below)

Today was the big day! I had the trailer all loaded up, along with a TON of parts in the back of the SUV (far more than I thought Ken needed but better safe than sorry). The forecast was for rain and wind - exactly what you want when towing a trailer 170 miles each way. :( I had rain the whole way there, and then 30-40 mph cross winds the whole way home but made the trip safe and sound.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165357&d=1649727916

Ken and I went over my plans for the car, and went through all the parts I brought and pulled out what he needed and threw what he didn't need back in the SUV.

The paint scheme for the car is based on CSX3040, which Sotheby's sold at auction in in 2018 for nearly $3M. :eek:

https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az18/arizona/lots/r212-1966-shelby-427-cobra-semi-competition/616914

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165358&d=1649727916

I'm going with the stripes and meatballs on the hood, trunk and sides (no numbers). For the actual body color of the car, I'm going to pay homage to my favorite car of all time - the 300SL gullwing, and go with Mercedes DB180 Silbergrau (silver grey). It's a very light, creamy and warm silver with very small metal flecks. It is the silver color that Mercedes used from the 50's up to 1971, and has a very vintage look.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165359&d=1649727916

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165360&d=1649727916

I'm going to pair that with Wimbledon White for the stripes and meatballs. I discussed this with Ken and he tried to look it up in his paint recipe computer, but nothing turned up. He texted his distributor, and 5 minutes later the guy came back with the paint code for it! I asked Ken if he could make a spray-out for me sometime, as I'd love to see it in person. "Sure, hold on..." 30 minutes later I had a spray out of the color! How's that for service?!

Here it is sitting on my MacBook for reference. The white splotch on the stick is the Wimbledon White.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165361&d=1649727916

So now I wait...

Ken will have the body and chassis for a few weeks to fit and gap all the pieces properly, and then I'll go back to retrieve the chassis and continue with work on that (carpet, etc.)

[460.465USMC]

Congrats on reaching this point on your build, John! Well done. I like your color choices. It's going to look fantastic!

[JB in NOVA]

I can't wait to see it!

[JohnK]

Quick update - a few weeks ago in a separate thread (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?42485-Front-signal-markers-Generic-vs-real-Lucas-L539&p=488340#post488340) I posted about upgrading the front signal markers from the FFR-provided units to reproduction Lucas L539's with clear lenses. I was very happy with the quality of the replacement units, so I decided to check out their reproductions of the L692's (https://jollyrogersmotors.com/store/p/813-Lucas-L691/L692-Lamp-Pair-New.html) for the rear brake/signal lights. These are the dual round lights that were used on the pre-25th anniversary cars, not the rectangular lights that FFR now ships. I received the replacements the other day, so I wanted to post a quick comparison photo.

Reproduction unit on top, FFR-provided light on the bottom:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165571&d=1650208744

Reproduction unit on left, FFR-provided light on right:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=165572&d=1650209489

The plastic lenses are pretty similar. The Rogers Motors lenses are a bit taller but overall no significant difference to note. The chrome trim rings, however, are significantly better. Of interest, they also feature the "authentic" Lucas bullet connectors (not that it matters, just interesting). At $70 per pair, these are a bit of a pricier upgrade than the front signal lights but still a nice upgrade.

[WIS89]

John-

Thanks for the update on getting the car off to paint; what a frustrating and exciting time -- quite the contrast of emotions. Happy that it is getting painted, yet frustrated that it is out of your hands, and you have to wait so long to get it back!

I love your color selection!! That silver is such a classic color, and with the white combination, it is going to be outstanding! I hope you will get progress pictures that we can all drool over.

Congratulations again, and I look forward to seeing your updates!

Regards,

Steve

[facultyofmusic]

Hey John, any plans for the engine cover? I just watched this video of Paul (edwardb)'s daytona build (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2pLNjTEJOM) where he had the engine cover painted to match the exterior paint and it looks pretty freakin good. Would be kool to paint your engine color with the Mercedes grey and wimbleton white around the in-take runners. :P

[JohnK]

The body and chassis have been at Ken's place for several weeks now, and he's been plugging away at door/hood/trunk fitment, gapping and body prep. I just received this photo from him today. Tomorrow's the day that I'll be going back up there to pick up the chassis and bring it home to continue working on it while Ken continues on with body and paint.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167271&d=1653531651

I'm looking forward to having the chassis back home so I'll have something to tinker with.



Hey John, any plans for the engine cover? I just watched this video of Paul (edwardb)'s daytona build (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2pLNjTEJOM) where he had the engine cover painted to match the exterior paint and it looks pretty freakin good. Would be kool to paint your engine color with the Mercedes grey and wimbleton white around the in-take runners. :P

Yes, I do plan to paint the engine cover. I've been playing around with a few different ideas. No final decision yet.

[JohnK]

As I mentioned in the last post, today was the day I was going to go back up to Ken Pike's to pick up the chassis from him. I had asked Ken if he could leave the body on the chassis until I got there so I could see the body on the car. Here are a few shots of the work he's done so far. He's been focusing on the things that need to get done with the body on the chassis - things like doors/hood/trunk being fitted and all the panels being leveled and blended. The parting lines have been smoothed out and filled. Things that can be done with the body off the chassis, like trimming fender edges and whatnot have not been done yet. Nonetheless, it's a huge difference from how I dropped it off a few weeks ago.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167319&d=1653623307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167318&d=1653623307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167317&d=1653623307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167316&d=1653623307


After a quick look around at some of the other cars Ken has in the shop at the moment (8-9 roadsters, a couple of coupes, a gorgeous Corvette and a sweet hot rod that he was just finishing up) it was time to load the chassis on the trailer and head home.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=167315&d=1653623307

[JohnK]

This will be a quick update. It's been a while since I've posted an update because, well... it's been a while since there's been anything to update. I've been on my upholstery guy's calendar to take the chassis in for carpet for a bit now. He was tied up with a few cars for the Pebble Beach Concours and the Good Guys show. Once he was finished with those cars, he was able to get me in to the shop. I popped in a few times to check progress and go over questions they had, and they finished the carpet work a couple of days ago.

I had a particular aesthetic in mind for the carpet, which ties into some of the other elements in the build. I was going for a somewhat "period correct" feel, though not necessarily correct to a Shelby Cobra. The look draws on some of my other favorite cars, namely vintage Porsche's and Mercedes from the 50's and 60's. In that vein, the carpet is what you might see in a classic Mercedes or Porsche of that era, a German wool square weave carpet in charcoal color. The binding is all done in black leather to match the leather on the seats and dash. Overall, they far exceeded my expectations with the carpet (as they did with the dash and seats.). Here are a couple of mediocre snapshots to give you a flavor. It's tough to capture dark grey with an iPhone camera. It's actually a bit darker in person. There are a TON of cool details in the work they did. I'll save those for another update (perhaps the graduation thread) when I bust out the DSLR for some proper photos. Anyway, here it is.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=173203&d=1664586893

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=173204&d=1664586893

[460.465USMC]

Looks really good, John! Haven't seen carpet like that in a Roadster. Nice touch!

[facultyofmusic]

Love the colour consistency here. Everything seem to blend together! What a cute fire extinguisher too!

[JohnK]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!


What a cute fire extinguisher too!

Hahaha - that's funny! Never thought of it that way. I guess it is a cute little extinguisher. Hopefully it'll never be needed.

[JohnK]

Today I finally got around to completing the radiator protection screen. And by completing, I mean I finally, FINALLY made a decision on which approach I wanted to take. This is definitely one of elements where the amount of thought and research (and angst) I put into it is completely disproportionate to the impact of this part on the overall build. "Nice radiator protection screen" said nobody, ever. Despite that, I've been kicking around a couple of different approaches for a while now. One was the Nomex honeycomb that lots of folks have used with great success. Another was some sort of metal screen. Ultimately I chose the latter. I decided to go with a stainless steel screen so that I could leave it bare without concern about corrosion. I really wanted to avoid having to paint whatever solution I came up with, as it would likely need to be re-painted down the road due to all the debris impact it will undoubtedly take. The stainless steel screen is absurdly strong. I used most of a cutoff wheel trimming it to size. Rather than making a frame for the screen, I simply trimmed the edges with a high temperature black rubber trim for a sleeker, more minimalist look. The top is held in by clips, while the bottom is screwed into the Breeze lower radiator mount. It's locked in there very solidly, and can come out easily by removing the three screws at the bottom, if the need should ever arise.

Here are the McMaster part numbers, in case anyone is interested:

304 Stainless Steel Perforated Sheet
Staggered Holes, 0.048" Thick, 0.156" Hole Diameter, 24" x 24"
9358T59 (https://www.mcmaster.com/#9358T59)

High-Temperature Trim
Black Rubber, 1/16" Wide X 1/4" High Inside, 10 ft. Length
4869A7 (https://www.mcmaster.com/#4869A75)


https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=173438&d=1665103032

And a close-up of the screen material to give a better sense for hole size:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=173437&d=1665103032

[460.465USMC]

I've been doing some preliminary work on the body prior to fitting it to the chassis for the first time. I started by trimming the front cowl lip at the dash by 1/4" to provide clearance for the leather dash. It may ultimately need more trimming than that, but this will hopefully allow me to fit the body without damaging the leather dash.

John, I'm glad you mentioned the trimming of the front cowl lip, as it wasn't on my radar. Do you think this trimming can be down with a hand saw, or is an air/electric saw required. I hope the former, because I don't have the latter.

[JohnK]

Chris, I did it the slow and safe way - with a random orbital sander and some 80 grit paper. Scribe a line first and then just work your way down to it with the sander. It's messy and slow, but far less likely to screw something up by overtrimming. I'm sure the pro's do it with a cutoff wheel or pneumatic saw, but they've done it hundreds of times. Just wear a good respirator and a tyvek suit with a hood when sanding fiberglass.

[Chopper]

Nice clean radiator screen, looks great!

[orangecruz]

Chris, I did it the slow and safe way - with a random orbital sander and some 80 grit paper. Scribe a line first and then just work your way down to it with the sander. It's messy and slow, but far less likely to screw something up by overtrimming. I'm sure the pro's do it with a cutoff wheel or pneumatic saw, but they've done it hundreds of times. Just wear a good respirator and a tyvek suit with a hood when sanding fiberglass.

awesome build with amazing attention to detail , cant wait to see more

[JohnK]

She's been painted! Here are some photos I received yesterday. Still needs to be color sanded and clear coated so it will be a few weeks before I bring the chassis back to have the body put on, but the finish line is in sight now.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=176314&d=1670172612

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=176317&d=1670172612

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=176316&d=1670172612

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=176315&d=1670172612

[facultyofmusic]

Didn't know you got red side-stripes too!!!

[JohnK]

Yes, I thought I'd give it a little pop of color. The rest of the car is primarily greys and blacks (blacked out wheels, black side pipes, etc.) so the red team stripes give it a little flair. The red is Ford racing red to match the red Wilwood calipers.

[M. Townsend]

Always thought silver was a great color for these cars. Going to be a stunner when piloted down the road.

[John Ibele]

Wow, that's looking great, John. You've got a really clean build and it's been fun watching it come together.

[mmklaxer]

Very sharp!

[Tooth]

Car is going to be amazing. I love the color.

[Blitzboy54]

Love the rookie stripe and the meatballs. Well done sir, real work of art.

[JohnK]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! As you all know, picking a paint scheme is one of the most excruciating decisions in the build process so I'm pretty thrilled with how it's turning out so far. I can't wait to see it completed and on the chassis.

[toadster]

LOVE IT! I saw Ken post this over the weekend - didn't know it was yours, DAMN that's gorgeous!!!

[460.465USMC]

Congrats, John. She's a looker! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[JohnK]

I just received this video from Ken. Color sanding and final clear are done now. Getting closer... :)


https://youtube.com/shorts/sYwaYR9EXfw?feature=share

Not sure why the YT video isn't showing up here. I think YT classified it as a "short" due to the length of video, so it doesn't seem embed in the forum like a regular YT video.

[zee]

That's an amazing paint job. Your entire build is an inspiration.

[Fman]

Awesome! Great color scheme, the red stripes really add a nice pop. Ken sure does some amazing work... what a great early Xmas present! Cant wait to see it all put together.

[JohnK]

Thank you both. Zee, I really appreciate it. I drew a lot of inspiration from some incredible builds that came before me. This forum is an invaluable resource. Travis, yes Ken does an incredible job. Every paint job of his that I've seen has been stunning.

[JohnK]

Here's a small update before a big day. I'm taking the chassis to Ken on Wednesday to have the painted body put on, so I'm wrapping up a few final small items that need to get done before body install. One of these was completing the roll bar installation. I planned to install the 520 Speedworks blind roll bar fasteners (https://520speedworks.com/shop/ols/products/bolt-less-roll-bar-kit-15-inch), but before I could install those I wanted to re-coat the bars in gloss black. I got the roll bars back from the powder coater (along with a few other small parts) a few days ago, and I finally had some time today to get out to the garage, install the blind fasteners, and drill the rear leg mounting holes. The 520 Speedworks blind fasteners are a really nice, clean solution to avoid having to drill the "Frankenstein bolt" at the top of the rear leg of the roll bar. It was a bit nerve-wracking drilling my newly powder coated bars but everything turned out fine, and that's one more thing crossed off the list.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177230&d=1672108174

Just a few more small items on the to-do list, then I'll load the car into the trailer tomorrow evening and head up to Yuba City Wednesday morning.

[JohnK]

As I mentioned in yesterday's update, I'm taking the chassis up to Ken tomorrow to have the painted body installed. I had a few last-minute punch list items to take care of. One of these was gluing the foam insulation on the outside of the footboxes to prevent engine compartment heat from entering the cockpit. Thanks to Jeff K for the idea from this post (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?10438-Prepping-for-Final-Body-Install-Have-Question-About-Footbox-Foam&p=103194&viewfull=1#post103194). My local Ace Hardware had the exact insulation in stock, along with the 3M Super 77 spray adhesive.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177260&d=1672190956

I was a little reluctant to go with a spray adhesive, as I was worried about getting adhesive overspray on everything but I decided to just mask really well and go for it, and it turned out fine.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177262&d=1672190974

I doubled up the foam on each side, leaving a gap for the channel that the windshield post will go into. Here's the completed driver side:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177261&d=1672190956

... and the passenger side:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177258&d=1672190956

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177259&d=1672190956

The foam compresses down to a minimal thickness, so it will conform nicely to the underside of the body and hopefully keep all the heat out.

With that done, there was nothing left to do but load her up the trailer. We finally got a break in the rain around 5PM so it was a bit of a scramble to get her loaded up while I still had a bit of light out, but she's ready to go now. I can't wait to get my first look at the painted body tomorrow! The next update should hopefully be with the body on for the final time.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177257&d=1672190956

[460.465USMC]

Thanks for keeping us up to speed, John. Big day today. I'm excited for you.

I made a note of the air conditioner weather seal. Thanks. I hope to be at that stage in a few months.

[facultyofmusic]

Finally!! Let's see it! Don't keep us waiting too long!

Question about the foam. Is that a part of the standard procedures or suggested by Ken Pike?

[JohnK]

Sorry, no "body on" shots yet. Ken was wrapping up another car when I arrived yesterday so I dropped off the chassis and some parts and we chatted for a bit and I took off. It should be ready for me to pick up in a few days.

FFR does provide some foam in the kit and it's mentioned in the manual right before final body mounting, but most accounts I've read say that the foam that's in the kit is just OK. Not really thick enough, and too firm to really compress well and conform to the body properly. Some people put pool noodles in that gap. You want to put something in there, or else you'll have hot engine bay air blowing into the cockpit.

[JohnK]

That was a looooong day of towing a trailer in the wind and rain, but we made it up and back to Ken's place today and brought the car home safe and sound. My wife accompanied me for the trip, which was a lot of fun. Here are a couple of quick shots from the shop before we loaded her up. It was very wet and dark when we got home so I'll wait until we have a break in the weather tomorrow to unload her from the trailer.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177438&d=1672454833

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177437&d=1672454833

[460.465USMC]

She's looking gooooood, John! Wow. Given the weather conditions, glad you got her home safe and sound.

[Jonathan D]

Looking really great! Can't wait to see more pics!

[Ted G]

Love it and love those red accent stripes!!

[toadster]

amazing!!!!

[Fman]

WOW!!! Great color scheme, won't be long now... you are on the final stretch! :cool:

[JohnK]

Thanks everyone! I'm thrilled to finally have it painted and back home. I've been chipping away at final assembly over the last few days. I've split up my punch list into items that need to get done to get the car drivable and ready to begin the CA SB100 title/registration process, and then items that I can be doing in parallel or after registration. Here are a few of the items I've been working on.

Fuel filler: This is the ********** Accessories Le Mans cap with built-in locking gas cap. This is an impressively-built piece and weights quite a bit more than the FFR unit and feels very robust.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177752&d=1672971174

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177756&d=1672971174

Here's the underside, showing the filler cap grounded to the frame.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177755&d=1672971174

The tail lights and license plate light/bracket are now installed and wired. These are the replacement L692's previously mentioned in this pos (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?31167-Greek-Guys-Garage-Roadster-Build-9509-(back-home-safe-and-sound)&p=489614&viewfull=1#post489614)t.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177754&d=1672971174

Getting the license plate light installed and wired allowed me to install the Dark Water Customs trunk blank-off plate.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177758&d=1672971193

I used 1/8" soft-material rivets from McMaster to rivet the blank-off panel to the trunk lid, and put a few layers of tape on the tip of the rivet puller in case it slipped.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177753&d=1672971174

The windshield trim plates required a little trimming at the front. As provided, they were too long and sat on top of the windshield gasket. Rather than cutting the windshield gasket I decided to trim the plates down a bit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177757&d=1672971193

We've got rain in the forecast for the next 16 days so it appears I'll have plenty of quality garage time to keep working away on the punch list.

[Fman]

Nice custom touch to have stripes on the underside of your trunk lid! and your Darkwater plate also painted to match... John, really nice attention to detail.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Here's the underside, showing the filler cap grounded to the frame.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=177755&d=1672971174




Looking good!

I suggest that you move the chassis end of your ground strap---that's right where the flange of the rear splash panel mounts. Drill out one of those rivets that attaches the trunk side panel to the tube that angles downward and put it there.

Cheers,
Jeff

[JohnK]

Thanks Jeff!

[Blitzboy54]

That sir is one sexy son of a ****

[Ted G]

From one "Greek Guy" to another, I will say "Ti Kaneis" to you and say I loved watching your build! I am pretty close behind you and hope to see your build in the Sacramento area group someday!

Ted

[JohnK]

Yiassou Ted! Thank you very much. We have family in Rocklin so I'm up that way from time to time. I'd love to meet up with you and some of the other Sacramento-area builders some time.

[CABulldog]

Hey John, I would add some greek myself but all I can remember from college are the cuss words :) which is most of what I knew anyway. The paint is looking amazing looking forward to seeing you driving around the local area in her. I did have the awesome chance to see the car while the body was in paint, the work that John has done is amazing and looks so good.

[JohnK]

Thanks so much! Inching closer to completion every day.

[JohnK]

A few days ago I tried test-fitting the side pipes with less than stellar results, as described in this thread (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44958-Side-pipe-fit-issues). The long and short of it is that attempting to get the side pipes to fit without major surgery on the painted body will require replacing the current headers with new ones that offer greater adjustability. So the last couple of day's I've been working on the unenviable task of removing the old headers while I wait for the new ones to arrive.

How many different variations of 8mm hex wrenches, extensions and swivels does it take to remove the headers on a coyote? This many:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178074&d=1673658662

It was as tight as I expected it would be, but with a little patience and perseverance they both finally came out, and no blood was shed:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178075&d=1673658662

When I installed these headers, I used Remflex gaskets (P/N 3069). I like that the Remflex gaskets are designed to crush down to roughly 50% of their original thickness to conform to any surface irregularities, and have some "springiness" that eliminates the need to retorque header bolts after initial install. In examining the gaskets after removing the headers, I was pretty impressed. They only require 20 ft/lb of torque when installing, and you can see how the gasket crushed and conformed to the header and cylinder head:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178070&d=1673658643

They are a multi-layer construction, so removing them was a bit messy and time-consuming. If you're unlucky when you try to peel them off, you only get about half the gasket:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178071&d=1673658643

Fortunately, my local auto parts store had this little scraper along with plastic non-marring blades that were perfect for scraping off the gasket without scratching up the cylinder head:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178069&d=1673658643

After a whole bunch of scraping I was down to this. Pretty good, but not great:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178072&d=1673658643

I went back over everything with some grey ultra-fine Scotch Brite pads and got them looking like this. That's much better. Almost ready for the new headers now:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178073&d=1673658643

[cc2Arider]

Nice attention to detail! :)

Craig C

[JohnK]

I started off the day doing a little paperwork. I've had a drawer in the toolbox that I've been putting packing slips, invoices, instructions and whatnot for four years now. It was finally time to take that mountain of papers and organize it in preparation for titling the car. Now every invoice for the car is organized alphabetically, and I've pulled together all the receipts and other documents that I need to start the CA SB100 process. I also filled out all the DMV paperwork, so as soon as the car is physically complete enough, I'll be ready to head on down to the DMV to start the process.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178122&d=1673745404

With that done, I headed out to the garage. I've been trying to find a more elegant solution to be able to connect a battery charger without having to open the hood and without having a wire pigtail dangling around somewhere. I was surfing the web one night looking for solutions and happened to marvel at the elegant simplicity of the MagSafe charger that was plugged into my MacBook Pro. "there has to be something similar for 12v connections," I thought. Sure enough, there is. It's not particularly cheap, and not readily available in the US, but this little bit of expensive unobtainium just landed on my doorstep today. This is the MagCode PowerPort and PowerClip (https://www.rosenberger.com/product/magcode/). These seem to be widely available in Europe but not in the US, but I was able to find an eBay retailer that sells them.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178121&d=1673745404

The receptacle and spring-loaded protective cover will get mounted high up on the ReplicaParts radiator surround, where it can only be seen if you stick your head in the snout of the car. The receptacle will get wired directly to the battery. I picked up an SAE cable that I used to make the pigtail connector

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178120&d=1673745404

This is what it all looks like when it's connected. The plug end magnetically attaches to the port. The magnets also activate a contact in the receptacle, so it's only "hot" when the port is connected to it. It's a pretty clever little bit of engineering, and it will make plugging the car into the charger a bit cleaner and simpler.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178119&d=1673745404

[danmas]

That is really a sweet idea. I hadn't even thought about that problem set. I am adding it to my BOM. Great post, thank you!

[i.e.427]

We put the charging pigtail in the glovebox for those builds we do with a front mounted battery.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=178307&d=1674180072

[facultyofmusic]

Hey John, I have a question about the windshield mounting brackets from Mike Everson. I haven't drilled the pin holes in my windshield arms yet because the body's still at the shop, so right now the posts are just resting inside the brackets. I notice quite a lot of movement back and forth with the windshield and when I go-kart it I can definitely hear the windshield posts rattling inside the brackets. I see you've installed your windshield with the body on. Do you notice a lot of windshield play or rattles? I'm currenting wondering if I should go with the old method of tapping the windshield posts and securing it with the 2 bolts.

[JohnK]

Hey Daniel. I'm assuming you mean Mike Forte's quick release windshield brackets (https://fortesparts.com/product/factory-5-quick-release-windshield-brackets/). No, I don't notice any rattling or any movement at all. Even before the posts were drilled and pins installed after the body was on, the windshield posts were pretty secure in the brackets (other than being able to slide up and down). Now that the pins are in, the windshield feels every bit as solid as if it's bolted in. Do you have any sense for which dimension on the brackets is too large?

[facultyofmusic]

Yes! I meant Mike Forte (no wonder it felt weird typing that). The play I speak of is front-to-back. For example if I sit in the driver seat and try to move the windshield left and right it would be very solid, but if I push the top of the windshield frame I can push it forward by about an inch. When I let go it would fall back down to its resting position.

[JohnK]

That's very strange, and not my experience at all. Sounds like the slot in the QR bracket is wider than the posts of your windshield. I guess the good news is that if the windshield is pretty tight side-to-side, then once the pin is drilled and inserted it should resolve the front to back looseness.

[facultyofmusic]

Thanks John, I'll look into ways to tighten mine down further. Glad you're not having the same issues!

[JohnK]

Progress on final assembly had slowed a bit, as I was waiting on some parts to come back from powder coat, and was also waiting for the new Gas-N headers to arrive. Everything arrived on Monday so I've been able to make some progress over the last few days.

With the Replica Parts radiator surround back from PC, I was able to install it along with the MagCode power port mentioned previously. Here are a couple of photos showing the power port with and without the magnetic charging connector. It's tucked up nice and high so it's not visible unless you stick your head in the snout. Because the charging connector is keyed and magnetic, you don't need to be able to see the port to connect. You just reach in and flip up the spring-loaded cover and the connector snaps into place. Very nice, clean and accessible while staying out of sight.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180060&d=1676517218

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180059&d=1676517218

I was also able to install the upper radiator shroud, which really cleaned up the area around the radiator.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180061&d=1676517218

Here's the front end, now nearly complete. Some of the details are: Breeze brake duct and oil cooler opening wire mesh (PC'ed black), replica Lucas Tri-Bar headlights with Watson's Streetworks LED's, and the previously mentioned replacement clear-lens L539 marker lights (with amber LED bulbs). I trimmed the quick jack tubes down to get the QJ's closer to the body and then cleaned up the tubes with some scotchbrite to give them a nice brushed finish, and then installed them with 7/16-20 threaded rod and stainless steel acorn nuts for a nice finished look.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180062&d=1676517218

Next up is test-fitting the new Gas-N headers and identifying what I will need in the way of custom collectors to get the pipes to fit properly.

[460.465USMC]

Dang! Looking really good, John. It's really coming together so well. I appreciate your continued documentation.

[John Ibele]

Wow John, the detail shots of the finishing touches are fantastic. You’ve made a gorgeous machine. And that silver has me revisiting a bunch of colors I thought I’d ruled out. Thanks for that :rolleyes:

[JohnK]

Thanks guys. I'm really excited to get it wrapped up and finally be able to enjoy driving it, but if I'm honest I'm really going to miss the build process. I've been trolling BaT for a while now looking for a "next project". :D

[Fman]

Looking good! I am curious to your feedback on the upper radiator shroud after you drive the car for awhile (hotter summer months), I found it to block a lot of cool air coming into the engine compartment while the car was moving forward so I removed it. Dropped the engine bay temp about 20 degrees after I removed it. Maybe you will have different results.

[facultyofmusic]

I love the last picture of the front of the car. It's so clean! The clear turn signal lens were definitely a good touch. Just a lovely black, silver, and shades of clear. Question: How did you install the replicaparts radiator aluminum? I don't see any rivets there!


Thanks guys. I'm really excited to get it wrapped up and finally be able to enjoy driving it, but if I'm honest I'm really going to miss the build process. I've been trolling BaT for a while now looking for a "next project". :D

Hey you got that mustang ;)

[JohnK]

Thanks Travis. Yes, I recall reading about your experience with the upper radiator shroud in your build thread. I installed it anyway, primarily because I'd already drill the 3/4" cross tube for it. :p We'll see if it causes any issues. From what I've read here, the coyote runs cooler than your 427 so hopefully under-hood heat won't be an issue, but the shroud is easy enough to remove down the road if necessary.

Hey Daniel - thanks so much. The radiator surround is held on with two rivets at the upper corners and then just wedged between the body and radiator with some bulb seal to hold it in place. It doesn't sound like much but if it's trimmed properly it fits in there pretty snugly and doesn't move around at all. It definitely gives a nice clean finished look to the radiator opening.

The thought of doing a full restomod on the '67 Mustang has crossed my mind more than once. However, every time I watch one of those YT videos where they acid dip a classic car and it comes out looking like a big ball of Swiss cheese gives me pause. I'm not sure I want to sign up for a ton of sheet metal repair, though that could be the catalyst to get me to finally learn to weld like I've always wanted.

This car (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-porsche-356a-1600-10/) keeps catching my eye, and it's just up the road in Mountain View. The thought of restoring a Porsche 356A is soooooo tempting, but I think there's more missing than remaining on that car.

[CABulldog]

The thought of doing a full restomod on the '67 Mustang has crossed my mind more than once. However, every time I watch one of those YT videos where they acid dip a classic car and it comes out looking like a big ball of Swiss cheese gives me pause. I'm not sure I want to sign up for a ton of sheet metal repair, though that could be the catalyst to get me to finally learn to weld like I've always wanted.

This car (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-porsche-356a-1600-10/) keeps catching my eye, and it's just up the road in Mountain View. The thought of restoring a Porsche 356A is soooooo tempting, but I think there's more missing than remaining on that car.

If I can weld with a mig welder anyone can. I had not done any welding since secondary school when I was in year 8 or 9 (I don't know the US grade system to ages so I can not relate) so that would be somewhere between 12 to 14 years old, so about 30 years ago (god that makes me feel old). I was able to weld with the oxy actalene touch, but burned a hole with the spot welder, awful with the TIG and the MIG. I simply watched a few videos and listened to other advice. My welding is not pretty but I can grind and it will come out ok. If you want to have a go I can figure something out for you to give it a try.

That Porsche looks like a great project, I would say go for it.

[nucjd19]

Looks AMAZING!!!! What an amazing build! I am so impressed with you r attention to detail.

[JohnK]

The progress on final assembly continues! My punch list of 37 items I needed to complete before being able to begin the titling/registration process is now down to three items: 1) permanently attaching the seats, 2) finishing the installation of the wipers, and 3) getting the header/sidepipe situation sorted out. That last item is far and away the most involved of the three remaining items.

My new Gas-N headers arrived a few days ago, and I got them installed pretty painlessly (or as painless as installing coyote headers can be.). The PS header went in easy-peasy. The DS one not so much, but they're now both in. I installed them with fresh Remflex gaskets and Stage8 locking fasteners.

Before installation, I took a moment to do a quick comparison of the Gas-N headers to the GP Headers units. The DS header dimensions looked pretty similar between the two units but I was pretty surprised (and pleased) to see that the PS Gas-N header was a full inch shorter than the GP Headers unit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180362&d=1677042460

This difference, by itself, was going to solve a lot of problems for me. I decided to tackle the relatively easier PS first. Here's the operating room all prepped and ready to go.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180361&d=1677042460

A really nice feature of the Gas-N headers is that all the bolt holes are open-ended so I was able to put the gasket in place and start all the lower bolts, then slip the header in place and then install the upper bolts. This resulted in far less juggling and awkwardness trying to get the gasket and header positioned.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180360&d=1677042460

The Stage8 fasteners are a change from the hex socket head bolts I used the first time. Having both an external and internal hex on the bolt heads gave me some added flexibility in torquing all the bolts. I first snugged them all down, and then torqued them in stages starting at 10 ft/lbs, then 15 ft/lbs and finally 20 ft/lbs (then went around once more at 20 ft/lbs.) I'll wait to heat cycle the engine a few times before retorquing the bolts and installing the locking hardware.

Getting the new headers installed was a big step, but far from the complete solution. In talking with Georgie, he explained that they can make custom offset collectors, and this is likely the route I'd need to go down in order to be able to install the side pipes without cutting into the painted body. I wanted to be able to mock up exactly how much offset I'd need built into each collector more accurately than just holding the side pipe in place and eyeballing some measurements so I decided to take some 6" x 6" x 1/4" aluminum plate and mock up a mount for each side pipe. I started by marking the center line in both directions on the plate, and then drilling and countersinking the two side holes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180359&d=1677042460

I then attached this plate to the collector and, with the help of my son and a friend, got the side pipe positioned exactly where I want it to sit and marked the top and bottom holes on the plate.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180357&d=1677042441

I then drilled the top and bottom holes, countersunk on the opposite side, and was able to mount the side pipe in the desired position.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180356&d=1677042441

This gave me the flexibility to dial in the vertical and horizontal angle of the side pipe relative to the body using the swiveling ball flange on the header, and also dial in the vertical and horizontal position of the side pipe within the cutout as it exits the body with the offset.

Here you can see that the required offset on the PS is 1-3/16" toward the rear. The DS is much better, only requiring 5/16" offset to get it perfectly positioned.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180355&d=1677042441

We'll see what Georgie has to say about all of this tomorrow. If he can build me collectors with this amount of offset, I will be able to get the pipes positioned perfectly without having to touch the painted cutouts, which will be a massive relief.

In the meantime, I'll get back to working on the seats and wipers.

[JohnK]

Just a quick update: I had short chat with Georgie and explained to him what I needed, and he said, "sure, no problem. We can do that." I'm going to have a more in-depth FaceTime call with him and his head engineer in a few days to go over everything in detail and go from there, but it sounds like we're on the right track here.

[facultyofmusic]

I know you said removing and reinstalling the headers wasn't that bad but I can't help but to think you're being modest. Installing them was enough of a pain WITHOUT the body on! You've got the patience of a saint! :p It's great to see gas'n helping you out. I remember a while ago we talked about having a cat on the header was preferable since it gets rid of some of the smells. Sad to see we you to let that go. :(

Keep going man!

[JohnK]

The lift definitely helps. With the car on the lift and front wheels off I was able to get to all 8 bolts on the PS header and 5 of the 8 bolts on the DS standing next to the car. The three rearmost bolts on the DS header (two on the top and one on the bottom) I had to reach from underneath, and those were definitely a bit more tricky. I have a small in/lb torque wrench that I normally use for my carbon fiber bicycles, that goes to 240 in/lb (20 ft/lb). It's much smaller than all my other torque wrenches and was perfect for this job, as the Remflex gaskets specify a 20 ft/lb torque spec. No way I could have gotten a normal torque wrench onto half of the DS bolts. One of the bolts on the DS required a crows foot adapter to get to. All the others just needed some combination of swivels and extensions. All in all, not as bad as I'd feared.

I am a little bummed to have to lose the cats, especially after how much $$ I put into those headers with the Jet-Hot coating, but given the trade-off of keeping the cats or cutting into the painted body, I'll lose the cats.

Are you back home, and more importantly is your painted car back home? ;)

[Tom Welch]

Thanks Travis. Yes, I recall reading about your experience with the upper radiator shroud in your build thread. I installed it anyway, primarily because I'd already drill the 3/4" cross tube for it. :p We'll see if it causes any issues. From what I've read here, the coyote runs cooler than your 427 so hopefully under-hood heat won't be an issue, but the shroud is easy enough to remove down the road if necessary.

Hey Daniel - thanks so much. The radiator surround is held on with two rivets at the upper corners and then just wedged between the body and radiator with some bulb seal to hold it in place. It doesn't sound like much but if it's trimmed properly it fits in there pretty snugly and doesn't move around at all. It definitely gives a nice clean finished look to the radiator opening.

The thought of doing a full restomod on the '67 Mustang has crossed my mind more than once. However, every time I watch one of those YT videos where they acid dip a classic car and it comes out looking like a big ball of Swiss cheese gives me pause. I'm not sure I want to sign up for a ton of sheet metal repair, though that could be the catalyst to get me to finally learn to weld like I've always wanted.

This car (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-porsche-356a-1600-10/) keeps catching my eye, and it's just up the road in Mountain View. The thought of restoring a Porsche 356A is soooooo tempting, but I think there's more missing than remaining on that car.


I really like that radiator surround. Did you fabricate it yourself? If so do you have a pattern you can share?

Thanks,
Tom

[JohnK]

I really like that radiator surround. Did you fabricate it yourself? If so do you have a pattern you can share?

Thanks,
Tom

Thanks so much Tom. No, I can't take credit for it. I bought it from Mike Everson (ReplicaParts). Here's a link to it. (http://replicaparts.com/Roadster%20aluminum%20panel%20page.htm)

[JohnK]

My punch list of items that I need to complete in order to start the CA title/registration process is now down to one item - getting the header and side pipe situation sorted. I have another list of a dozen or so other items I need to complete to call the car "finished" so I'll keep plugging away at those while we're working on the exhaust.

I won't bore everyone with all the details of final assembly, as most of it is pretty textbook and has been discussed elsewhere in great detail. One item I did want to give an update on is the installation of the Specialty Power Windows wiper kit (WWK-2), which I just wrapped up. I had posted here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?31167-Greek-Guys-Garage-Roadster-Build-9509-(fun-with-headers!)&p=422720&viewfull=1#post422720) previously about successfully wiring the wiper motor to a Lucas 2 position + park toggle switch. The rest of the installation mostly resembles the installation of the FFR wiper kit. Of note, I had purchased the FFR wiper kit as part of my initial purchase. The only parts I ended up using out of the FFR wiper kit are the two chrome bezels, so now I have a nearly-complete FFR wiper kit for sale. I'm sure someone can use most of the parts as spares so it'll show up in the classifieds sometime soon, or PM me if you're interested.

This is what the wiper gearboxes look like, and how they're installed in the body. They're quite a bit more robust than the FFR units. The shaft is narrower - 3/8" vs. 5/8" for the FFR units, so the holes in the body needed to be drilled in the same locations and at the same angles but smaller diameter. To properly position them, I used some 3/8" ID/ 3/4" OD spacer stock on the backside of the gearbox (underhood), cut at a 45* angle. On the outside, I used 3/8" ID/ 5/8" OD spacer stock to center the gearbox shaft in the chrome bezel. The gearbox shafts can be cut to length but I chose to leave them original length and just dial in the fit using the threaded nut on the bottom side.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180971&d=1677692817

Here's what it looks like all ready to install:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180975&d=1677692838

The WWK2 kit comes with 5/8" aluminum tubing, which was easy to bend by hand, and put some simple single flares onto using the Eastwood flaring tool. It's a bit tricky getting decent photos of the whole thing installed, so pardon the bad photos but here's what it all looks like under the cowl.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180970&d=1677692817

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180974&d=1677692817

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180973&d=1677692817

The trickiest part was that small S-bend section connecting the motor with the first gearbox. Getting everything positioned and getting the radiuses in the bends large enough to not interfere with the smooth operation of the wipers took a few attempts but I finally got it right on the last piece of tubing I had. Phew.

The splines on the ends of the gearboxes are a finer pitch than the ones on the FFR gearboxes, which meant I couldn't use the FFR-supplied wiper arms. These are the Specialty Power Windows stainless steel wiper arms (P/N SSPR). The DS arm sat at the correct angle to the bottom of the windshield. The PS arm needed a little adjusting with a propane torch to sit properly, but they now both sit nicely. Now I just need to polish out the heat marks on the PS arm.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=180972&d=1677692817

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Here's a quick video of something you'd never attempt with the FFR wipers... running them on a dry windshield.


https://youtu.be/dy-UVf7kM8Y

Edit: One other item of note for anyone else installing this kit in a roadster - the sweep of the WWK2 kit is adjustable anywhere from 90 degrees to 160 degrees in 10 degree increments. I initially set the sweep to 120 degrees but that was too much and the blades were running onto the chrome windshield frame at the end of the sweep. I dialed it back to 100 degree sweep, which is what's shown in the video. I could probably have pushed it to 110 degrees, but disassembling the entire motor to adjust sweep is a giant mess as it's all packed with grease so I'm quite content with 100 degrees of sweep.

[Blitzboy54]

IM stunned at how quiet they are. That's really good stuff. I may retro fit mine.

[JohnK]

Yeah, they really are pretty solid-feeling and sounding. It's unlikely I'll need them a whole lot but nice to know I actually have a set of wipers that will work properly if needed.

[F500guy]

Did the kit contain a chrome bezel for the front, why did you chose to use FF? If I decided to trade this for the FF kit, would I need something for that? That is way cheaper than the FF kit.

[JohnK]

No, unfortunately there were no bezels included in the Specialty Power Windows kit, which is why I chose to use the FFR pieces. They do list a 45 degree bezel on their accessory page (https://www.specialtypowerwindows.com/windshield-wiper-accessories), but there's no photo so I can't say for sure if it would work or not. I have spoken with them on the phone a few times and they were extremely nice and helpful, so if you're considering it you should give them a call. I'm sure they have a photo of the bezels they could send you.

Edit: The 45 degree bezels that Specialty Power windows sells appear to be unfinished aluminum, but it looks like chrome 45 degree bezels similar to the FFR ones are available here (https://www.csxparts.com/p-1296-wiper-gear-box-outer-trim-with-gasket-and-nut.aspx). I've ordered various parts from them before and have always received parts quickly.

[Fman]

Those wipers look legit and high quality, nice work! No surprise from your build, everything is top notch... really one amazing car you have put together. I also hope I get to check out your car sometime in the future!

[Lidodrip]

Great job with the wiper install! I am using the same Specialty Power Windows wiper kit. I was wondering what size wipers you used? Also, are those arms considered "bent right"?

Thanks,
James

[JohnK]

Hey James. Yes, the wiper arm direction is from the perspective of sitting in the drivers seat, so these are "bent right" (P/N SSBR). FWIW - the length of the arms is adjustable, and I extended them to their max length. The wiper blades are 10" stainless steel flex arms for curved glass (P/N SS10). I hope that helps.

-John

[JohnK]

I spent some time over the last few days buttoning up the rear wheel wells. I started off by making a couple of filler panels for the gap at the front of the wheel wells. These would eventually be totally covered up by the wheel well liners so I just kept it simple and didn't bother painting them. It's debatable whether they're even really necessary with wheel well liners but it's peace of mind to have that gap closed up.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181447&d=1678588182

Next up were the splash guards. I didn't want to have bolts visible on the lower rocker attaching the splash guards, so I bonded some studs using HSRF. I started by locating the position of the studs and cleaning off the sprayed on bed liner with a wire wheel on a Dremel, down to clean fiberglass. I roughed that up with 80 grit and then attached the studs with HSRF.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181451&d=1678588200

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181450&d=1678588182

Since I was planning to also install wheel well liners, I wanted the splash guards set far enough back in the wheel well to leave enough room for the liners. It took a little bit of trimming but I was able to set them back a couple of inches further than shown in the manual.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181448&d=1678588182

The last step was to install the wheel well liners. These are Alex's wheel well liners. I think they're one of the last sets he made before he stopped making them. I actually sent these to Shane at VRaptor Speedworks a while back and he used them to make the templates for the liners he now sells, so all of you that have bought Shane's liners have a copy of mine. :p I like how the liners clean up the look of the wheel wells, but I had a small concern about how (for lack of a better term) "plasticky" they sound when tapping on them so I decided to put a layer of Dynaliner sound damping on the back side of the liners. Probably overkill, but they definitely have a more solid, muted sound now when tapping on them. Will it make any noticeable difference when driving? Who knows.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181449&d=1678588182

Here they are installed.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181446&d=1678588182

Since the rear wheels were off, I wrapped up the day spending some quality time cleaning red dust off the entire rear underside of the car. Holy cow - that stuff got everywhere. I'm sure I'll still be cleaning out red dust years from now.

[facultyofmusic]

Been waiting for this one!

Did the trimming of the splash guard panel help with wheel well liner fitment? I too was wondering if the wheels will rub if I keep the splash guard in the stock location.

[JohnK]

No, even with the splash guards in their "normal" location I don't believe there's any concern with tires rubbing on the liners. At least I haven't heard of any, and in looking at how the tire/wheel fits in the wheel well I can't see how it would. My main motivation was that I didn't want to see the bulb seal on the liners anywhere near the fender lip.

[Ted G]

Looking great and I also am considering these liners.

[JohnK]

I visited my local DMV today to begin the California SB100 registration process. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has posted about their experience going through this. What is very clear is that if I didn't know how the process was supposed to work, I would have gotten absolutely nowhere today. I showed up 10 minutes early for my appointment, and was met by a lady at the front door that provides people with their line number. She asked what I was there for, and then told me I needed to bring the car to start the process. :( I explained to her that unless she was willing to issue me a temporary permit, I needed to first submit my application and pay the fees. She shrugged and gave me a number and told me to go sit and wait. I was finally called to one of the windows, and began to explain again that I wanted to begin the SB100 process to register a newly built kit car. (Deer in the headlights stare) " I've never done that before. Hold on." The employee walks over to his co-worker at the next window and literally begs him to trade customers, offering to take 2-3 of his customers in exchange for dealing with me. No deal. He comes back with a sheepish smile and asks to see my paperwork. After a few minutes of shuffling through it, he goes off to talk to his manager. He comes back, asks me a few questions, types a few things in the computer, and goes off to talk to his manager again. This happened three or four more times. When he returned again he asked me to sign a form and showed me the list of fees that I would have to pay. Mind you, he never asked to see any receipts for any of the costs I listed on the "statement of construction" form. He then informed me that he would be keeping the FFR metal VIN tag. "Uh... no, you're not. That gets riveted to the car." "Ah, OK. Make sure you do that." (sigh) After writing a check and gathering up all my paperwork, I was sent over to another window to see the manager about getting a temporary operating permit. The manager is apparently the one person that actually knows about the SB100 process, as she walked me through the next steps before handing me the permit. All in all, a pretty comical experience but I got what I needed. Fees paid, application process started, and a 90 day operating permit. :cool: The manager must have been in a good mood. I've never heard of anyone getting anything longer than a 30 day temporary permit.

My takeaways from today's visit for those that are reading this and will be going through the CA SB100 process:

- Show up being intimately familiar with the SB100 process. You will need to be the subject matter expert because there's a high likelihood that the person you're dealing with will know nothing about it.
- Don't be afraid to correct them politely. "No, you can't keep my metal VIN tag." "No, I'm not going to drive my car over here without an operating permit." and so on...
- Less paperwork is better. The statement of construction asks for costs for the kit, engine, trans, and "other components". I put the bare minimum on the form and didn't offer up any receipts until asked... and I was never asked. Easy peasy.

I also found out that the DMV can do VIN verification so that saves me a trip to the local CHP office. That's good because they're typically booked 3-4 weeks out. Now that I've started the SB100 process, I can just come back to the DMV without an appt. for the VIN verification any time I want.

I'm sure that there are more thrills in store as I work my way through this process, but it was a decent enough start. I came home and celebrated by riveting on the FFR VIN tag.

[Ted G]

Thanks for this John,

I am thinking of starting this in April or May, just before Ken finishes my paint. I'll be following closely. I also know of another FFR guy who got a 90 day permit and another who got 3 one-day permits. Good for you!!

[facultyofmusic]

...

Here they are installed.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181446&d=1678588182

Hey John, would you mind showing a few pictures of how you attached the wheel-well liners to the cockpit side of the wheel well? I tried mocking it up yesterday and couldn't figure out what the correct angle is. Also, did you drill into the cockpit to attach them?

I'm trying to figure out the front ones too. With the "FFMetal F-panel" that allows for bigger wheels the FFR provided panels simply won't fit and I'm wondering if I need them at all. It seems redundant having the aluminum panel there being completely blocked off by the liners. Have you had any luck designing your solution for the front wheels?

[JohnK]

Hey Daniel. Sure, here's a photo of one of the front ends of the rear wheel well liners.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181908&d=1679417710

I'm not sure what holes (if any) Shane's liners have pre-drilled. Alex's liners have three holes at the front end of each rear liner, but I only used the bottom two holes to attach them. I did drill through the cockpit wall to attach them. I didn't want to see a nut on either end, so I used some "sex bolts" (binding barrels and screws) from McMaster, along with a washer on the wheel well side. These are 316 stainless steel with a black oxide coating, McMaster P/N 96960A356 (https://www.mcmaster.com/96960a356/).

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181907&d=1679417710

Here's the view from the cockpit side. They're basically invisible.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181909&d=1679417710

I'm still sorting out my approach for the front splash guards. Even with the FFR F-panels many folks have reported that the front splash guards are not a great fit. I agree with you that the FFMetal fat tire F-panels complicate matters even further on getting a decent fit. I also questioned whether I even need them if I'm going to install wheel well liners but I like how the splash guards clean up the look from the engine compartment side, and I also think they're useful as an attachment point for the rear of the liners. So far I've been working on the drivers side front. I've trimmed a considerable amount off and I've gotten the upper half of the splash guard to fit properly. One other concern I have is if I want to use the tab to attach the bottom of the splash guard to the body, that puts the splash guard pretty close to the fender lip. With bulb seal on the splash guard, it would push the wheel well liner out to the edge of the fender (or past it). I *think* that my solution is going to be to only install bulb seal on the upper half of the splash guard and trim the lower half back enough to create a gap that the bulb seal on the wheel well liners can nest into. Not sure if any of this makes any sense. I don't have any photos at the moment, as it's all a work in progress but I'll update as I go. I probably won't have any time to work on it until Thursday, and I can only really mock up at the moment as I want to wait to install the new collectors from Georgie and get side pipe fitment finalized before I install the splash guards and liners for good. Man, that was a lot of words to basically say that I don't have a clear idea yet, and it'll be a little while before I do. :p

[Fman]

I visited my local DMV today to begin the California SB100 registration process. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has posted about their experience going through this. What is very clear is that if I didn't know how the process was supposed to work, I would have gotten absolutely nowhere today. I showed up 10 minutes early for my appointment, and was met by a lady at the front door that provides people with their line number. She asked what I was there for, and then told me I needed to bring the car to start the process. :( I explained to her that unless she was willing to issue me a temporary permit, I needed to first submit my application and pay the fees. She shrugged and gave me a number and told me to go sit and wait. I was finally called to one of the windows, and began to explain again that I wanted to begin the SB100 process to register a newly built kit car. (Deer in the headlights stare) " I've never done that before. Hold on." The employee walks over to his co-worker at the next window and literally begs him to trade customers, offering to take 2-3 of his customers in exchange for dealing with me. No deal. He comes back with a sheepish smile and asks to see my paperwork. After a few minutes of shuffling through it, he goes off to talk to his manager. He comes back, asks me a few questions, types a few things in the computer, and goes off to talk to his manager again. This happened three or four more times. When he returned again he asked me to sign a form and showed me the list of fees that I would have to pay. Mind you, he never asked to see any receipts for any of the costs I listed on the "statement of construction" form. He then informed me that he would be keeping the FFR metal VIN tag. "Uh... no, you're not. That gets riveted to the car." "Ah, OK. Make sure you do that." (sigh) After writing a check and gathering up all my paperwork, I was sent over to another window to see the manager about getting a temporary operating permit. The manager is apparently the one person that actually knows about the SB100 process, as she walked me through the next steps before handing me the permit. All in all, a pretty comical experience but I got what I needed. Fees paid, application process started, and a 90 day operating permit. :cool: The manager must have been in a good mood. I've never heard of anyone getting anything longer than a 30 day temporary permit.

My takeaways from today's visit for those that are reading this and will be going through the CA SB100 process:

- Show up being intimately familiar with the SB100 process. You will need to be the subject matter expert because there's a high likelihood that the person you're dealing with will know nothing about it.
- Don't be afraid to correct them politely. "No, you can't keep my metal VIN tag." "No, I'm not going to drive my car over here without an operating permit." and so on...
- Less paperwork is better. The statement of construction asks for costs for the kit, engine, trans, and "other components". I put the bare minimum on the form and didn't offer up any receipts until asked... and I was never asked. Easy peasy.

I also found out that the DMV can do VIN verification so that saves me a trip to the local CHP office. That's good because they're typically booked 3-4 weeks out. Now that I've started the SB100 process, I can just come back to the DMV without an appt. for the VIN verification any time I want.

I'm sure that there are more thrills in store as I work my way through this process, but it was a decent enough start. I came home and celebrated by riveting on the FFR VIN tag.

Choose wisely for your brake and tail light inspection shop, some will actually set up cones and record stopping distances. Not that I did not want to have safe brakes more so did not want some yahoo locking up my tires driving my car. We have a guy in our area that everyone goes to who does the shine the flashlight at the brakes test :cool: I also found the CHP inspection to be painless, took me about half hour for them to review my paper work and stamp the new VIN. Biggest delay was getting the BAR appointment for smog inspection. Glad you are making progress and can now drive it, time to get her out on the road John and start racking up some miles!!!

[compuatic]

Hi John, Beautiful build. I am local in Sunnyvale and hope to meet you at some point. Question: where did you get the grab handle mounted on the dash?

[JohnK]

Thanks so much! Looking forward to meeting you some time.

The grab handle is made by Eddie Marine. P/N 275-24P. It's available at a number of places, including Summit Racing here (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edm-275-24p).

[compuatic]

Perfect thank you. Off topic, the SB100 process will be a test of patience. Start early!

[JohnK]

It's been a little while since my last update, but there's been a lot going on behind the scenes. As previously discussed, the final fitting of side pipes has been a bit problematic. Soon after posting my initial questions about the problems I was experiencing in another thread, I was contacted by Georgie from Gas-N offering to help. We spoke several times and came up with a plan, which involved replacing my headers with new Gas-N headers with adjustable ball flanges, as well as fabricating custom offset collectors to address my specific fit issues.

At this point, I want to give a huge shout out and a massive thank you! to Georgie. Were it not for his help the only other option would have been for me to make some pretty substantial and unsightly cuts to the body to be able to fit the side pipes. Through this whole process, Georgie has been incredibly generous and helpful, and I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

The process of getting the fit dialed in was an iterative one. We started with the standard coyote headers and collectors, and mocked up how much offset I needed on each side. That's documented above in previous posts. After that was determined a set of custom collectors was made. Here's the first version of those custom collectors. Offset collector on the left, stock collector on the right:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183227&d=1681997457

These collectors had the correct amount of offset, but were too long and placed the flanges right up against the body, so unfortunately these wouldn't work. I sent these back to Georgie and they made me a second set with the same offset, but with the length of the original collectors. Here's what version 2 looks like:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183226&d=1681997457

That's some serious custom fabrication work right there! Initial test fitting indicated that the drivers side pipe was now positioned perfectly and was ready for final installation. The passenger side pipe was still positioned a little too far forward in the body cutout, but because these collectors are shorter I have room to work with. A mockup revealed that a couple of Breeze offset wedges will rotate the ball flange backward enough to be able to position the pipe perfectly in the cutout. More on that in a future post.

Now on to final assembly of the drivers side pipe. I opted to use Permaflex Ultra Copper RTV instead of a gasket on the header to side pipe flange. Per Permaflex' instructions, I started by laying a bead of RTV on the flange.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183225&d=1681997234

Permaflex advise not to let this set up at all. It needs to be assembled "wet," but initial installation should only be with bolts finger-tight just to the point that the RTV oozes out of the joint a little bit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183224&d=1681997234

This is then left to set up for one hour, and then torqued to spec and left to cure for 24 hours. I chose to use 18-8 SS bolts (3/8"-16) with brass nuts. For final assembly I also put a dab of ultra copper RTV on the threads of the bolts to act as an anti-seize and a thread locker. After torquing the bolts to spec I installed a second jam nut on each bolt.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183223&d=1681997234

Once the RTV has cured for 24 hours whatever has oozed out can be easily broken off, leaving a nice clean joint. Here's the DS pipe ready for installation.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183222&d=1681997234

Phew! It's been quite the process to get to this point. We're currently out of town for a few days but by the time I'm back home my Breeze wedges should be there and I can begin final assembly of the passenger side pipe. First "real" drive can't be far off now!

[toadster]

It's been a little while since my last update, but there's been a lot going on behind the scenes. As previously discussed, the final fitting of side pipes has been a bit problematic. Soon after posting my initial questions about the problems I was experiencing in another thread, I was contacted by Georgie from Gas-N offering to help. We spoke several times and came up with a plan, which involved replacing my headers with new Gas-N headers with adjustable ball flanges, as well as fabricating custom offset collectors to address my specific fit issues.

At this point, I want to give a huge shout out and a massive thank you! to Georgie. Were it not for his help the only other option would have been for me to make some pretty substantial and unsightly cuts to the body to be able to fit the side pipes. Through this whole process, Georgie has been incredibly generous and helpful, and I owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

The process of getting the fit dialed in was an iterative one. We started with the standard coyote headers and collectors, and mocked up how much offset I needed on each side. That's documented above in previous posts. After that was determined a set of custom collectors was made. Here's the first version of those custom collectors. Offset collector on the left, stock collector on the right:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183227&d=1681997457

These collectors had the correct amount of offset, but were too long and placed the flanges right up against the body, so unfortunately these wouldn't work. I sent these back to Georgie and they made me a second set with the same offset, but with the length of the original collectors. Here's what version 2 looks like:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183226&d=1681997457

That's some serious custom fabrication work right there! Initial test fitting indicated that the drivers side pipe was now positioned perfectly and was ready for final installation. The passenger side pipe was still positioned a little too far forward in the body cutout, but because these collectors are shorter I have room to work with. A mockup revealed that a couple of Breeze offset wedges will rotate the ball flange backward enough to be able to position the pipe perfectly in the cutout. More on that in a future post.

Now on to final assembly of the drivers side pipe. I opted to use Permaflex Ultra Copper RTV instead of a gasket on the header to side pipe flange. Per Permaflex' instructions, I started by laying a bead of RTV on the flange.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183225&d=1681997234

Permaflex advise not to let this set up at all. It needs to be assembled "wet," but initial installation should only be with bolts finger-tight just to the point that the RTV oozes out of the joint a little bit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183224&d=1681997234

This is then left to set up for one hour, and then torqued to spec and left to cure for 24 hours. I chose to use 18-8 SS bolts (3/8"-16) with brass nuts. For final assembly I also put a dab of ultra copper RTV on the threads of the bolts to act as an anti-seize and a thread locker. After torquing the bolts to spec I installed a second jam nut on each bolt.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183223&d=1681997234

Once the RTV has cured for 24 hours whatever has oozed out can be easily broken off, leaving a nice clean joint. Here's the DS pipe ready for installation.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183222&d=1681997234

Phew! It's been quite the process to get to this point. We're currently out of town for a few days but by the time I'm back home my Breeze wedges should be there and I can begin final assembly of the passenger side pipe. First "real" drive can't be far off now!

looks amazing! Kudos on a fantastic build!

[JohnK]

I'll start off with another thank you, this time to all the folks that helped out with my request for exhaust wedges. I realized that I needed a few wedges to get the passenger side pipe positioned properly. Between Mark at Breeze, Daniel (facultyofmusic), cfriedman67 and Georgie I came home from last week's travel to a nice assortment of wedges. After a bit of experimentation and trying out various combinations of wedges while trying to optimize four different pipe fit variables I settled on three large offset wedges (1/4" tapering to 1/16" each). The final assembly followed the same process as the driver side, but was a bit more complicated to put together. Here's the final combination of offset collector and wedge sandwich:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183499&d=1682399718

Not the prettiest to look at, but as you'll see in a moment the ends justify the means. The installation of the exhaust hangers was pretty straightforward. I followed Edwardb's suggestion to use heavy duty 5/16-18 rivet nuts (McMaster P/N 95105A155 (https://www.mcmaster.com/95105A155/)) for the two hanger bolts, rather than running them all the way through the 2" tube into the footwell. I also picked up a compact rivet nut installation tool (https://www.mcmaster.com/96349A407/), which made installing the rivet nuts much easier. I also used SS flange button head screws with SS acorn nuts on the hanger to pipe attachments. Nothing terribly exciting, but it matches the fastener choices throughout the rest of the build.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183498&d=1682399718

So after all the angst, hand-wringing, design iterations, hunting down of wedges and freakish amalgams of parts... was it worth it? Well, yes. Here's the drivers side pipe fit now:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183496&d=1682399718

... and the passenger side:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183497&d=1682399718

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183495&d=1682399718

If you've been following along through all of this you'll remember that I couldn't even bolt up the passenger side pipe before. Now both pipes fit perfectly into what are effectively the cutouts that came with the body from FFR without any further enlargement or massaging. They are also perfectly parallel to the body, within an 1/8" of each other in distance from the body, and within 1/16" of each other in height. It's certainly not how I would have chosen to go about fitting side pipes but the fact that I was able to get them to fit into the original body cutouts is a testament to Georgie and his incredible generosity and expertise.

You know what really sucks? Having to wait 24 hours for ultra copper RTV to cure.

First drive tomorrow!

[Fman]

Awesome, those pipes look perfect... nice work on hanging in there for the long haul. One item I had issues with is the pipes sagging about 3/4" in the rear with the Gas 'N rubber mount they supply with the brackets. That rubber mount would heat up and not hold well. I ended up using heavy duty exhaust straps from AutoZone and cut a small piece of .040 alum to help support them better and this took care of the issue. Hopefully you won't have this problem.

Have fun on your first drive!!!! :cool:

[Blitzboy54]

Looks great. Need some whole body glamour shots.

[460.465USMC]

Sweeeeet! Turned out really nice, John. (I would have expected no less from your build). I'm with Blitzboy on the request for more pictures, and dare I suggest a short video? Top notch quality, sir.

Quick question: I don't recall if you had your side exhaust ceramic coated, or Jet Hot? I like the finish on it.

[JohnK]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm so happy with how the side pipes turned out, even though they cost me a few months' delay. There are a few more details to button up before "proper" glamour shots, but I'll snap a few photos once she's out in the sunshine. I haven't yet installed the spinners on the wheels and probably won't until after alignment. I also need to install the front elephant ears and wheel well liners after I heat cycle the engine a few times and install the Stage8 locks on the header bolts. I have a few locations in mind for photo shoots once she's 100%.

Chris - the pipes are Jet Hot coated satin black.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Not without challenges but I'm sure happy to hear that you were able to get the pipes sorted out!

Jeff

[Ted G]

Looking great! Now get over here to the Sacramento area and show it off!

[toadster]

gorgeous! amazed by your handiwork!

[JohnK]

Took her out for a coffee this morning and snapped a few pics. All I can say is "wow". This is going to be fun. ;) Here's her first photo in the sunshine.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183531&d=1682438518

[460.465USMC]

Wow! Beautiful. Really like the red hash marks as well. Thanks for posting, John.

[Blitzboy54]

I second Chris’s comment. Just an absolutely gorgeous car.

Enjoy it.

[JohnK]

Thanks so much for the kind words everyone! Much appreciated.

I took her out for a quick spin this afternoon and dropped by the DMV to take care of the VIN verification. For those future builders reading this thread, ignore what I previously said about the DMV being able to do VIN verification. Despite having been told this by three separate DMV employees (including the manager) on my previous visit this is not the case. For new builds being titled through the SB100 process, only the CHP can verify the VIN. Oh well, appt made for May 4 at the San Jose CHP station. Thank goodness for that 90 day temporary operating permit.

[facultyofmusic]

It's amazing to know that your car is one of those that look amazing both from 5 feet away and from 5 inches away. People will go WOW when they walk toward it and when they see the superb quality of the dashboard, console, carpeting, and the other small things they'll go WAAAAAAOOOOOWWWWWW :p

Sorry that happened at the DMV. The CHP office at San Jose is super efficient and you'll be outta there in no time. It's a long drive tho...

P.S. A lady (can't say who) at the DMV leaned over and whispered to me when I was at the counter "just don't fill in the date. if they catch you say you forgot." LOL!

[Rsnake]

Car looks stunning! Love the color combo.
Let's plan an Alice's get together on May 13th so we can check it out.

[compuatic]

Looks fantastic! If I had to nitpick, find. Way to turn the windshield and headlight bezels to black instead of chrome.

[JohnK]

Looks fantastic! If I had to nitpick, find. Way to turn the windshield and headlight bezels to black instead of chrome.

Thanks so much! There are quite a few roadsters with blacked-out trim and it's definitely a cool look. However, I'm going for a more "period" look. My inspiration for the aesthetics of the build is CSX3040. I've obviously deviated a bit with modern touches like 18" wheels and I went with red team stripes to match the red Wilwood calipers but the paint scheme and choice of black vs. chrome on exterior trim comes from this beauty:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=151919&d=1628604494

[compuatic]

Understood! the black wheels and roll bar threw me off

[mosh1999]

I just started reading and it looks like a quality build. I see you are using the double adjustable shocks, don't they use the upper rear mounting hole?

[JohnK]

I just started reading and it looks like a quality build. I see you are using the double adjustable shocks, don't they use the upper rear mounting hole?

Well... yes, they do. :o I'm blaming the FFR instructions. The manual does have a mention of mounting the silver double-adjustable shocks in the top hole but the supplemental Koni IRS instructions available on the instructions page make no mention. I must have been relying on the supplemental instructions as taking precedence over the manual. In any case, thanks for catching that (after I spent a couple of hours tweaking ride height yesterday :p). Anyway, they're in the top holes now, and I've gotten really good at adjusting ride height.

Since I had the wheels off, I decided to install the spinners. Big thanks to SJDave for his beautifully machined spinner hub locks. These things are brilliantly over engineered. They have three pointy-tipped set screws that tighten into the wheel, and another three flat-tipped set screws that tighten against the spinner hub to lock it in place.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183631&d=1682634332

Installation is very easy. You put the spinner hub in place and then the lock ring and tighten down all the set screws with a little dab of blue loctite on each one, and you're good to go.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183630&d=1682634332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=183629&d=1682634332

One more thing checked off the to-do list.

[compuatic]

John, Which DMV did you go to?

[JohnK]

I went to the Los Gatos DMV. It's the closest to me, and according to other builders this DMV has done a lot of SB100 registrations and was supposed to be more familiar with the process than other DMV's in the area. I don't know if they've had turnover recently or if I just got unlucky but everyone I spoke with, from desk clerks to managers, didn't know the process well at all.

[compuatic]

Thanks. I've been dealing with Los Gatos as well and am dealing with several issues. People are trying to be helpful but unfortunately don't have the knowledge to do so.

[JohnK]

We had a few sunny days last week before the rain came back, so I've had a chance to take the car out for a few short drives now. I've been mainly focusing on getting ride height dialed in before I take it in for alignment on Friday, but I had a chance to get a few other items sorted out as well. First off, after heat cycling the engine a few times, I re-torqued the header bolts and installed the locks on the Stage8 fasteners.

One item I've noticed in this short time I've been driving it is that the pipes are starting to sag a bit. When I was installing them I was worried that this might happen. Even when I tightened down the collars on the ball flanges as much as I dared, the pipes could still be moved fairly easily by hand. Sure enough, after a few drives they had definitely shifted from where I had set them. I remembered that Dark Water Customs made an exhaust hanger to support older j-pipe/catalytic converter setups that also had a ball flange. Their website indicates that they're not currently taking orders but I figured it couldn't hurt to send Chris an e-mail asking if he had any exhaust hangers sitting around that he wouldn't mind selling to me. He replied within a day and offered to build me a set. I wasn't sure how they would fit, as they weren't intended for the newer-style ball flange headers. I was hoping I could modify them in some way to get them to fit, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that they were almost a perfect bolt-on. I needed to replace one of the eye bolts on each side with a longer one from the local hardware store and adjust the angle of the brackets that bolt to the collectors, but other than that they fit right up and work perfectly! Now the header end of the pipes is far more stable. The back end of the pipes is still not as solid as I'd like. I think I may play around with heavy-duty replacement rubber isolators on the side pipe hangers under the floor to see if I can get the back end of the pipes to not droop, but this is a definite improvement already. Stay tuned for more...

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184009&d=1683171602

[egchewy79]

I put some tension on the end of my pipes when putting on my under-car hangers, just to make sure there was some tension on the rubber isolater, when drilling the bolt location.

[Ted G]

Hey John,

Take a look at FMan's post regarding sagging pipes. I think he also added a strip of aluminum to this. I think this will help you out as well:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?35778-Fmans-Dart-427-build-9818-Compound-302-purdy-pipes!-)&p=454638&viewfull=1#post454638

Ted

[Jeff Kleiner]

Well done John! You might consider adding a bolt or stop to prevent the "U" portion of the upper hanger from moving. I've gotten some cars in with Darkwater hangers which have a similar upper loop and on at least one of them it was able to slide down (forward) on the angled square tube which released the tension and let the pipe droop.

For anyone else who is considering adding a front hanger I've made similar ones that attach just a little differently:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181943&d=1679580697

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181945&d=1679580735

Jeff

[JohnK]

Thanks so much Jeff! Adding a stop to that upper U bracket to keep it from sliding is a great idea. Much appreciated.

Ted - yes, I saw Travis' mod and he also PM'ed me yesterday. That's definitely a good option to consider.

egchewy - I actually did that, but apparently not enough. Those hangers are just too stretchy to be effective, IMO.

What I'm considering at the moment are these (https://www.amazon.com/Norsmic-Diameter-0-47inch-Universal-Insulator/dp/B07WVGZ8S7/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=xgiSy&content-id=amzn1.sym.1bcf206d-941a-4dd9-9560-bdaa3c824953&pf_rd_p=1bcf206d-941a-4dd9-9560-bdaa3c824953&pf_rd_r=4K0FJCSFKZR4027NSA64&pd_rd_wg=wjFST&pd_rd_r=e85798d0-cbe6-4f00-8f45-d7c6ebaf956f&pd_rd_i=B07WVGZ8S7&th=1) exhaust hangers. The cutaway view shows a stainless steel band around the perimeter of the hanger, which would prevent them from stretching while still allowing the hanger to provide some vibration isolation. I haven't checked the dimensions of this hanger vs. what I currently have so I'll need to confirm that they'll fit but for $10/ea they seem like they're worth a try.

184027

[JohnK]

I went to the DMV today to get my SB100 sequence number. I need the certificate from Sacramento in order to schedule an appointment with the BAR referee station for the smog check. After waiting for an hour and a half, I had the pleasure of speaking with a lady that knew nothing about SB100 and frankly couldn't be bothered to help me. After another 30 minute wait while her manager called Sacramento, I was told I need a brake and light inspection before they'll issue me a sequence number. I explained to her politely that I've never heard of this requirement to get a sequence number. B&L comes later in the process. She was unmoved and insistent that "this is what Sacramento said." And that was that. There goes two useless hours of my life I won't get back.

I'm now 2 for 2 on taking the car out and getting caught in unexpected rain showers. At least I know the wipers work well now.

On a positive note, I did get the car aligned today. Here's the before and after specs that demonstrate pretty clearly that I have no future as an alignment guy. This explains why the car felt so squirrelly before. Even in just the short drive home (that I got rained on) I could feel a massive difference in how stable the car felt. I can't wait to get it back out for a proper drive. In addition to aligning the car, the shop re-set ride height with my driver weight accounted for (and a half full tank of gas). Here are the specs I requested:

Ride height (with 170# driver weight):
Front: 3-3/4"
Rear: 4-1/8"

Front alignment:
Camber: -0.75*
Caster: 7* - 8*
Toe in: 3/32" total

Rear alignment:
Camber: -0.5*
Toe in: 1/16" total


https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184098&d=1683328344

[Jeff Kleiner]

Perfect numbers John!

Jeff

[compuatic]

John, where did you go for alignment?

[JohnK]

I went to BR Racing (https://www.brrperformance.com) in Los Gatos. Definitely not the cheapest for this sort of work, but very knowledgeable. They do a lot of tuning and race prep for all the exotics and European cars around here (tons of Porsche work) and they also do all the alignment work for Panavia (http://panavia.com) so they have a lot of experience with cobra replicas of all sorts as well as GT40's and other cool stuff. They also run their own race team. Bruce is the guy you want to talk to there.

[JohnK]

I've been making some good progress on the CA SB100 process over the last several days. Thanks to Daniel's (facultyofmusic) recommendation for a shop that will do a brake and lamp inspection on a kit car, and another visit to my good friends at the DMV, I now have a SPCNS sequence number. In case anyone is wondering, I'm #74 out of 500 for the year so I'm guessing there's no risk of them running out of sequence numbers this year.

In between all of that, I've been chipping away at other to-do items and taking the car out for progressively longer and more spirited drives. I still need to properly bed in the brakes and set front/rear bias so I'm still being a bit careful.

One item I'm happy to have wrapped up is the exhaust system mods to get rid of the saggy pipes. In a previous post I showed the DWC exhaust hangers on the headers. These really helped stabilize the ball flange on the headers, but the pipes were still drooping at the ends. After experimenting with a few different approaches I think I've come across a solution that will work very well. I picked up some heavy duty stainless steel cable ties (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DLB8Q1S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1) and a tensioning and cutting tool (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1KPFMX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) from Amazon, and wrapped each of four rubber isolators.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184397&d=1683857308

Here's the front rubber isolator on the DWC exhaust hanger:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184396&d=1683857308

Here's the rear rubber isolator with the cable tie reinforcement.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184395&d=1683857308

Now all the rubber isolators still provide vibration absorption and allow some play, but they have no stretch so the pipes are more constrained in their ability to flex vertically. I'm calling this one done!

Some good friends of ours sent me a very thoughtful gift recently, and they will come in very "handy" (sorry) on those chilly morning drives in the Santa Cruz mountains. What does everyone need in the glovebox of their classic British-styled roadster? Why, a pair of Dents leather driving gloves. These are even touchscreen friendly. That's pretty much all that will fit in this glovebox anyway. :p

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184394&d=1683857308

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184393&d=1683857308

[Ted G]

I like the isolator tips and may use this. Also, love the gloves!!!

[compuatic]

looking great John!

[JohnK]

Got this nice little shoutout tonight from the wonderful folks at BR Racing in Los Gatos, who did my ride height setup and alignment the other day. They've seen a ton of cobra replicas come through the shop, so this means a lot. :o

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsUv5JRhPo1/

[toadster]

wow John that's awesome - such cool pics too!

[460.465USMC]

Well deserved, John. You set the bar really high on your build. It's been so much fun (and so much help to me!) to see it come together these last couple of years. I'm a bit jealous of the shop: they got to see it up close and in person.