Matt's '36 Hotrod Truck build

[ztoolman44]

Ordered my truck kit April 10th. Ship date will be in July sometime. The FFR guys said it could be sooner but the dedicated garage is still under construction so I asked for a later date.

Plan is to use the running gear from a '94 SN95 Cobra I picked up a while back to get started. I'm sure it will snowball to bigger and better eventually but I want this to be a driver not a show truck.

If there are any others building a FFR vehicle in southern interior BC let me know. I may need some assistance along the way and I'm always up to help out when I can.

Matt

[ztoolman44]

While I waiting for my truck I am working to complete my garage so I guess it is still part of the build. Also learning how to put pictures on here for when the build starts.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=106683&d=1556994191https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=106684&d=1556994239https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=106713&d=1556995104

Let's see if that worked.

[ztoolman44]

Success! Lots more pics in the gallery but you get the idea. Separate garage just for my stuff. Will pour the slab next and get the hardi-board on. Then electrical, insulation and drywall. Followed by lots of storage and a hot rod truck!

[ztoolman44]

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Still playing with inserting pictures. Found a big rock when I dug the foundation for the garage.

[herb fraser]

Looking Good !

[ztoolman44]

Been busy with the kid graduating from college but I did get some work done. I was able to pour the floor and apron and started to build a loft for much needed storage.

[ztoolman44]

Just got notice my kit will be ready July 6th!

[Stillwater35]

That's so exciting!

[ztoolman44]

Got the call from Stewart, expected delivery first week in August. Finally got power to the shop and some storage built but I'm not quite ready so gotta get going!

[ztoolman44]

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Shout out to Stewart and Factory Five for their professionalism. Stayed in touch constantly and the shipment arrived on time. We met in a parking lot across the border and loaded everything into the trailer. No muss, no fuss and only a few things on back order. Had all my paperwork from Transport Canada arranged thru Factory Five for an easy trip into Canada, just had to pay the taxes. Getting exciting now!

[ztoolman44]

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Safety announcement for those who buy their chassis uncoated, these CNC cut pieces are sharp! While I was walking around the shop carrying a box, I smacked into the upper control arm mount with my shin. Didn't even hit it that hard but it made a mess. So.... I will be going over all of the sharp edges with a flap wheel and file before moving on. I've put padding on those areas for now LOL.

[herb fraser]

Holy Crap !!!
Looks terrible , How you doing, OK?
Herb

[ztoolman44]

Holy Crap !!!
Looks terrible , How you doing, OK?
Herb

All good, just a few stitches. Really didn't hurt that bad to be honest. Got the first bit of blood sweat and tears out of the way.

[bnelson]

All good, just a few stitches. Really didn't hurt that bad to be honest. Got the first bit of blood sweat and tears out of the way.

Man that looked brutal :( My girls gave me a bunch of retro signs for the shop. One is (Busted Knuckle Garage). Think I need to send that one to you! Good luck with build :)

[sperger72]

ouch

[rponfick]

This will not be the last of blood issues in the garage. Be safe out there.
Ralph

[ztoolman44]

Last of the back ordered parts arrived. Everything is in the shop now. Thanks again to Factory Five. Everything came Fed-Ex 2 day express to Canada which was overkill but appreciated. Looking forward to this winter when I will have time to get to work on this thing.

[ztoolman44]

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Finally got the exterior finished. Ready to start the build.

[ztoolman44]

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Finally getting a chance to get to work on this. Using the upper holes for mock up, the lower holes interfere with the bolt on the lower control arm. Other than that, everything fit just fine.

[Alaskan]

FYI if you let them know (Tony at FFR) that you are using the lower holes, they will send you different LCA mounts with longer tabs that will not contact the frame.


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Finally getting a chance to get to work on this. Using the upper holes for mock up, the lower holes interfere with the bolt on the lower control arm. Other than that, everything fit just fine.

[ztoolman44]

Cool, good to know. I'll give them a call.

Thanks

[ztoolman44]

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Got the front half of a roller! Had to try on the wheels and a fender just for fun.

[Pat Landymore]

Looking great!
That’s some wild patina on the fender, do you have a full set like that?

[sperger72]

Better watch out for those metal termites. They look bad. Cool fender

Zach

[ztoolman44]

Looking great!
That’s some wild patina on the fender, do you have a full set like that?

I have a whole truck like that. I'm going to be using an original 1936 Chevy pickup for the body on this. I really like the chassis but never been a fan of fiberglass so I figured I'd see how it goes. Already had the truck and a mustang so...

[ztoolman44]

Better watch out for those metal termites. They look bad. Cool fender

Zach

LOL. Yeah, someone cut out a crack at some point in time. That is the worst part of the metal on the whole truck. I'll be doing plenty of body modifications to make it fit the chassis so whats one more repair?

[sperger72]

Will be cool

[ztoolman44]

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Got the rear end cleaned up a bit. Should have pulled the axles and backing plates from the get go. Once I did that, it was so much easier to get the grinder in where I needed it.

[Pat Landymore]

That’s looking great!

[McGuyver]

I still have to track down a rear end for mine so thanks for the pointers.

[RuffShod]

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Got the rear end cleaned up a bit. Should have pulled the axles and backing plates from the get go. Once I did that, it was so much easier to get the grinder in where I needed it.

Perfect! Thanks for the post!

[ztoolman44]

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Being stuck at work has its advantages. Finally getting to upload some photos from the past few weeks.

Tore into the donor motor to take a peek. I drove the car into the shop without issue and plan to just reseal it and give it a quick paint job. Inside looks great.

Trying to keep this a budget build as much as possible.

[ztoolman44]

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Forgot to include this one.

[wallace18]

Looks super clean inside for sure. :cool:

[ztoolman44]

Looks super clean inside for sure. :cool:

Gotta admit I was surprised. Took those pictures without touching a thing, not even a wipe with a rag.

[Higgybulin]

Hey man, you still on this project?!
Higgy

[ztoolman44]

Hey man, you still on this project?!
Higgy

Yes indeed. Been busy this summer so not much progress, just some minor assembly. Plan to do more over the winter.

[ztoolman44]

Finally back on this thing. Put the links on the rear end, assembled the rear shocks and put them on the car. Waiting for axle seals before I put the brakes on and slide the whole thing under the chassis

[Pat Landymore]

That’s looking great Matt!
Noticed some very meaty tires in the background....
Do you have plans for NOS or Boost in your future?
��

[ztoolman44]

While putting the rear end together (2014 V6) I came to realize that the rear rotors are larger than the supplied front rotors. I though that was weird so I pulled the mounts, calipers and rotors from my donor parts stash and realized that the 1994 Cobra stuff fits fine and has much larger rotors. Hmmm. Might have to rebuild the cobra stuff and sell off the FFR supplied parts. Any opinions on this from the gallery?

[ztoolman44]

Also threw on the steering column, shafts and steering wheel. Most things fit great, the uppermost shaft seems a bit short. Where all of the other shafts are fully seated, the top one is about an inch short and I have to center it between the two u-joints. Might be able to play with that a bit on final assembly, just mocking up for now. Turns very smoothly with no binding at all. Definitely going to need stops installed, its a drift car right now till the tires contact the control arms.

[ztoolman44]

That’s looking great Matt!
Noticed some very meaty tires in the background....
Do you have plans for NOS or Boost in your future?
��

Lol, those were on the truck when I bought it. It had a typical 80's hot rod set up. Camaro clip in the front with 14" rally wheels and those giant Craigers on the rear. I gave the old frame to a guy in town with a bunch of old cars for future trade but kept the rims. They are just too cool.140695

Very interested in adding boost down the road though. Just want to get it all together first.

[McGuyver]

Cobra brakes would be a nice upgrade. Find you a rebuild kit for the calipers and resurface or replace the rotors and you will be good to go. Make sure your wheels will clear the larger calipers, should not be a problem if running 17” or larger. Nice to see you progressing on the build!

[ztoolman44]

Cobra brakes would be a nice upgrade. Find you a rebuild kit for the calipers and resurface or replace the rotors and you will be good to go. Make sure your wheels will clear the larger calipers, should not be a problem if running 17” or larger. Nice to see you progressing on the build!

That's my thoughts as well. I'm going to use the Cobra rims for now so no issues there. Thanks

[Pat Landymore]

I had the same issue with my upper steering shaft.

Partly because I’m paranoid, I drilled counter bores at each set screw location so they would truly bite well into the shaft, then Locktited them. Ended up purchasing bulk shaft material and making my own upper shaft so that everything felt correct in my mind.

[RuffShod]

I'm not sure on the brakes....but I can tell you that you are gonna have trouble with your pinion flange. I had the same one and it does not fit the driveshaft or driveshaft adapter. I had to order a 2009 GT500 pinion flange (6-bolt).

[ztoolman44]

I had the same issue with my upper steering shaft.

Partly because I’m paranoid, I drilled counter bores at each set screw location so they would truly bite well into the shaft, then Locktited them. Ended up purchasing bulk shaft material and making my own upper shaft so that everything felt correct in my mind.

Yeah, it makes it to the set screws but I am not comfortable with that. My plan was to make a longer shaft.

[ztoolman44]

I'm not sure on the brakes....but I can tell you that you are gonna have trouble with your pinion flange. I had the same one and it does not fit the driveshaft or driveshaft adapter. I had to order a 2009 GT500 pinion flange (6-bolt).

Agreed. My plan is to change the pinion flange to a u-joint and get rid of all the adapter stuff. Since I am modifying the driveshaft anyway, might as well just put a proper end on there. Thanks.

[ztoolman44]

Decided to go with the Cobra brakes in the front. Rebuild kit with pistons for ~$25. If anyone needs some brand new GT stuff that comes with the FFR kit, let me know. Rotors, calipers, brackets- willing to make a someone a sweet deal. LOL

[ztoolman44]

Think I came up with a method for cleaning old hardware. Not a big fan of painting nuts and bolts. Let's see how these last.

[RuffShod]

Think I came up with a method for cleaning old hardware. Not a big fan of painting nuts and bolts. Let's see how these last.

Did you apply any heat to them? I am wondering because I am getting into cerakote and anodizing and the end process is heat.

Just curious....

[ztoolman44]

Did you apply any heat to them? I am wondering because I am getting into cerakote and anodizing and the end process is heat.

Just curious....

I considered doing a hot process but decided with suspension and brakes it would be safer to try a cold process. Essentially just bluing like you would with a gun.

[ztoolman44]

My donor rear end did not come with brakes. Ordered new from Summit and installed then put the rear under the truck.

[ztoolman44]

Finally have a roller. Felt like a big victory to get to this stage and push the rig out into the sunlight.

[ztoolman44]

Received the parts to rebuild the front calipers. Went with the VHT paint system and had zero issues. Lots of prep plus the appropriate "baking" process and it seems to be holding well and looks great. Time will tell.

[ztoolman44]

Installed. The 1994 Cobra parts fit perfectly. Rebuild parts from Rockauto.

[Pat Landymore]

Your project is looking great!!

One question tho...isn’t that a gas oven in your photos?


I’d be concerned that a gas oven plus paint fumes flashing off is a nice invitation for a visit from Mr. Ka Boom!! LOL 😂

Sure you had that all under control.., 😁👍🏼
Cheers,
Pat

[ztoolman44]

Your project is looking great!!

One question tho...isn’t that a gas oven in your photos?


I’d be concerned that a gas oven plus paint fumes flashing off is a nice invitation for a visit from Mr. Ka Boom!! LOL ��

Sure you had that all under control.., ������
Cheers,
Pat

Lol, yeah I did do some soul searching first but the firefighter in me concluded that there shouldn't be a difference in a gas or electric oven in regard to the flammability of the off gassing so why not give it a go. If the paint is safe to bake at a given temperature is must not be anywhere near reaching the flash point of the vapors so why would it matter if the heat is generated by fire or induction? Not sure if the flames have a temp higher than the element during the heat up portion but I got the oven to temp first then put the items in there.

Now the smell in the house when the wife got home had me more worried.

[ztoolman44]

Been quietly working away in the shop when I have a minute here and there. No wild build here, just trying to be budget conscious so only repair what is broken or obviously worn. Trying very hard to stop project creep, you know the ol', "while I'm this far, might as well do this or that". Getting ready to marry the engine and trans and get them in so I can start on the body. Needed those in for fabrication of the big items like firewall, floors, trans tunnel etc. I'll get most of the fab work done before plumbing and wiring anything but did not want to mock up with a bunch of dirty bits.

[Pat Landymore]

Wow, those look brand new! Nice work 👍🏼👍🏼

[ztoolman44]

A few more glamour shots. Will be installing the new clutch and putting them in the car when I get home next week. Hope to get the drive shaft modified as well then on to the body mods and get this thing looking like a truck.

[Pat Landymore]

Awesome work!! All factory fresh goodness 👍🏼👍🏼

[ztoolman44]

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Got the engine and trans back together and in the chassis.

[ztoolman44]

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Only one small issue and that is the passenger side header hits the motor mount bracket. Could be resolved with a BFH but I am hoping the community has some words of wisdom or alternative part options. I want to keep this on budget but am not entirely convinced that a dented header is the best way to proceed.

Brand new motor mounts and everything else lines up so I am not able to wiggle the engine to one side or the other. It is where it is. The trans is sitting on a new trans mount and everything appears to be at the correct level in relation to the chassis. I tried flipping the trans cross member and it just made thing all out of whack so I believe it is installed correctly.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[ztoolman44]

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The supplied kit adapter did not fit the 2014 rear end or the 1994 drive shaft so after looking at options I decided to just get rid of the whole lot and bought a new yoke. Much cleaner and cheaper than trying to cobble a bunch of parts together. Time to send the driveshaft off to be shortened.

Heading back to work for a few weeks but it is almost time to start forming some metal and making this thing into a truck.

[JimLev]

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Only one small issue and that is the passenger side header hits the motor mount bracket. Could be resolved with a BFH but I am hoping the community has some words of wisdom or alternative part options. I want to keep this on budget but am not entirely convinced that a dented header is the best way to proceed.


MotorTrend has a series called Engine Masters where they did exactly that. They dyno the engine then used a BFH to dent a header tube then measured the HP/torque again. IIRC it was only down 2 HP or less.

[ztoolman44]

Saw that episode and feel like it is a viable option, just not an attractive one. Hoping for someone to tell me that there are some other factory manifolds or inexpensive headers.

[RuffShod]

I had the same driveshaft issue. I bought a new pinion flange.

[ztoolman44]

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Before I cut out the firewall, I made some templates to have some reference points for later.

[ztoolman44]

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The firewall was full of shoddy repairs and the attempt to fill the fuel neck is rough but otherwise only one small area to patch.

[ztoolman44]

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This cab is an entirely different shape than the FFR cab and the roll bar will not work as is. So off it comes.

[ztoolman44]

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Before I cut out the floor and firewall of the cab and then section it, I need to lock in the door openings. Overall the length from firewall to back of cab is pretty close however I will need to widen the entire thing by almost a foot. I am using the chassis as a table to have the cab at a convenient work height.

[Higgybulin]

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This cab is an entirely different shape than the FFR cab and the roll bar will not work as is. So off it comes.

Get that man a Bud Light!!
Reminds me of my old Ford!
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[ztoolman44]

I had the same driveshaft issue. I bought a new pinion flange.

I just cut the whole piece out. I'll fab up a new drive shaft hoop later.

Edit- I thought you were talking about the spot where the driveshaft hit the cross member. On the rear end I changed to a 1330 style pinion yoke and had my drive shaft rebuilt to fit. Got rid off all the weird Ford stuff.

[Pat Landymore]

Nice update Matt!

When you say widen by a foot…are you talking about the entire cab?😳

Or do you just need to reshape the bottom to clear the FFR frame rails?

All in all, major kudos for taking on the version of the project I now wish I had!

It’s looking great 👍🏼

[ztoolman44]

Nice update Matt!

When you say widen by a foot…are you talking about the entire cab?��

Or do you just need to reshape the bottom to clear the FFR frame rails?

All in all, major kudos for taking on the version of the project I now wish I had!

It’s looking great ����

Widen by a foot is just what it sounds like. The truck cab is much narrower than the chassis, especially at the firewall (around 12 inches). I will need to stretch the distance between the A-pillars about eight inches or so. The rear of the cab is not as drastic, maybe 2 inches. Distance from the firewall to the back of the cab is pretty close. It appears as though FFR squared up the cab and started the angle to the grill at the A-pillar. The original cab is kind of wedge shaped from back of cab all the way to the grill.

[ztoolman44]

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In order to lock in the door dimensions, I need to install the rockers. In order to install the rockers, I need to install the doors. Well, the hinges are over 80 years old and needed some love before they would give consistent gaps. They did not want to come out without a fight though.

[ztoolman44]

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Turns out the doors were just as wonky as the hinges. Tried to get the big dents and twists out so that the hinges slide in without binding and the frames fit the door openings the best I can. No more oil canning so I must be on the right track.

I'll tackle the small dents and fill holes down the road. Plenty of welding to come.

[Salty Chief 35]

That’s awesome, definitely going to watch your thread with great interest.
Jeremie

[Warped5]

Lol, yeah I did do some soul searching first but the firefighter in me concluded that there shouldn't be a difference in a gas or electric oven in regard to the flammability of the off gassing so why not give it a go. If the paint is safe to bake at a given temperature is must not be anywhere near reaching the flash point of the vapors so why would it matter if the heat is generated by fire or induction? Not sure if the flames have a temp higher than the element during the heat up portion but I got the oven to temp first then put the items in there.

Now the smell in the house when the wife got home had me more worried.

I was regularly baking paint in a previous lifetime and had the same concerns. Looked for and found an electric countertop oven for $15 at a yard sale. Worked great and the wife is happy, too.

[RuffShod]

I don't know if I already asked you....

What are you doing for a bed? I am going to build my own out of sheet metal.

[ztoolman44]

I don't know if I already asked you....

What are you doing for a bed? I am going to build my own out of sheet metal.

When I bought the truck it was missing the bed. Everywhere I looked, the bed was gonna cost more than the truck did. I started watching the local ads and found that the cheapest way to buy a bed is to find one that was made into a trailer back in the day. People almost give them away because the frames are usually homemade and junk. I found a 1930s GMC and a 1950s Chevy step side bed, paid $150 for one and the other was free if I hauled it away. Ill be taking the good parts from each to make the bed for this truck. The GMC has the old school look I want but has a metal floor that is all dented and rusty. The 50's bed has the wood floor rails and bits so I will modify that floor to use. The width is close enough to make it all work.

You can also buy reproduction parts online to build a new steel bed but they were spendy and I like using old junk where I can.

[ztoolman44]

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Been busy lately but plugging away on the A-pillars here and there so I can get these door openings finalized before cutting the cab. 1 step forward, 2 steps back at this point but still progress.