Howdy Everyone. I am eager to get started

[Xundart]

Howdy,

I have been a long time lurker on the forums, but I think that I am finally getting close enough (probably within a year) of ordering my Roadster kit. I decided to finally get serious on my research and planning, so here I am, officially a member.

I consider myself fairly car mechanical capable. My wife and I used to tear up the AutoX tracks back in the late 90s and early 2000s (pre-kids). We mostly raced Neons (don't hold that against me), but I also completely rebuilt a 1980 Fiat 124 Spyder, engine to brakes, so I can say that I have most of the "non-fabricating" skills needed to take on this challenge. My last AutoX car was Honda S2000 and I absolutely loved that car (but I think my wife loved it more), however it was fairly gutless. We are excited to have a 2 seater convertible with some kick.

I have been making car payments to myself for a few years now, and my financial goal for this cobra is within sight. So, here I am and I full of questions. That is where I am starting to get overwhelmed. I have read a few of the build threads, but there are so many of them. I know that it is hard to pick favorites, but are there a few that you all would say are must reads? Also, is there a place where I could find the "agreed upon" best practices for certain obstacles or designs? You know, things every build should do or not do. I am trying to take my own notes on what I am finding, but if something already exists, that would be an awesome place to start.

My final question is regarding ordering the kit. There are many upgrades and options that I am positive about, but quite a few I am not. Some of these things, like wheels for example, I would like to wait and figure out later. I think that some of these options are even available from other vendors. How hard is it to order those parts later in the build? If I can defer some of these things till later, that would really help accelerate my kit ordering and help me avoid buyers regret.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to being a much more active member of this great community!

-Brett

[bil1024]

I would start with the complete kit, you can forgo the wheels and engine for later, as far as upgrades it could depend on your state if you need to add bumpers or wipers, hope this a start

[Sdonnel]

You can pretty much tailor the kit to whatever you want. FFR will always have rims, so don't be in a hurry unless they were to run a sale (not likely in the current state). You can make changes to your order right up until the time you make the final payment. I strongly urge you to review the various builds that are on the forums. These chronological build records will help you pick which options you might want (or need) to make your car exactly what you want. Don't stress about the details. Decide what you want and make a plan from there. Planning is half the fun.

Scott

[Xundart]

I would start with the complete kit, you can forgo the wheels and engine for later, as far as upgrades it could depend on your state if you need to add bumpers or wipers, hope this a start

Thanks.

I was definitely going for the complete kit. For the engine, I have already acquired a 351W roller block that I have "plans" for. The big ticket options I was hoping to defer without really impacting the early->mid build are:


Wheels
Sway Bars
Exhaust side pipes (I think there are other options out there, but I need to do more research)
Wipers


These alone would get me a few extra months earlier, if I can easily add them later.

I would love to wait on the seat choice too, but since those are an "Upgrade", I am guessing it would be better to choose those at order time. I don't see any high back options on the FF order site other than the Comp Aluminum seat, which I don't really want.

-Brett

[Xundart]

You can pretty much tailor the kit to whatever you want. FFR will always have rims, so don't be in a hurry unless they were to run a sale (not likely in the current state). You can make changes to your order right up until the time you make the final payment. I strongly urge you to review the various builds that are on the forums. These chronological build records will help you pick which options you might want (or need) to make your car exactly what you want. Don't stress about the details. Decide what you want and make a plan from there. Planning is half the fun.

Scott

I will say that the planning is fun, but if I spend too much time, I will talk myself into everything. :) Need some budget left over for new tools, too.

[edwardb]

Thanks.

I was definitely going for the complete kit. For the engine, I have already acquired a 351W roller block that I have "plans" for. The big ticket options I was hoping to defer without really impacting the early->mid build are:


Wheels
Sway Bars
Exhaust side pipes (I think there are other options out there, but I need to do more research)
Wipers


These alone would get me a few extra months earlier, if I can easily add them later.

I would love to wait on the seat choice too, but since those are an "Upgrade", I am guessing it would be better to choose those at order time. I don't see any high back options on the FF order site other than the Comp Aluminum seat, which I don't really want.

-Brett

Welcome. If this is all new, will feel like drinking from a fire hose. As Scott said, don't panic too much. As stated, you can make changes to your order right up to the last minute. Maybe you've heard but Factory Five is swamped with orders. Promises dates are about six months out right now. So factor that in. You'll find a number of threads about "must haves" that you can review. Depends on how you plan to use the car and your own appetite for modifications including the added time and cost. Specific comments about the four items you mentioned:

Wheels: The quality of the Factory Five wheels is excellent. Unless you have some specific reason for something different (style, whatever) I'd recommend ordering them with your kit. The shipping for those as standalone won't be cheap. As far as choosing your own, I see a ton of threads where guys are handwringing about the right sizes, offsets, etc. that work. This has all been sorted if you stick with the Factory Five offerings.

Sway Bars: Factory Five offers a front sway bar for all Roadsters, and a rear sway bar for only the IRS version. You'll get different opinions about this. But for street only driving, not really required. If you're going to track or autocross, something to consider. They're not particularly expensive and fairly easily added to a completed build.

Exhaust side pipes: Yes there are several choices beyond Factory Five's. Gas-N (which I've used on every build) are top notch. Boig is another. You can delete the side pipes from your order and get a credit. You can do this with most any part though. But the credit isn't going to be that much. So be prepared. Often you can take delivery of the part and then sell later if you don't end up using and come out even.

Wipers: The Lucas style wipers are "challenging" (being charitable) and mostly only installed if required by local regulations. You've been warned.

Good luck and again, welcome.

[Xundart]

Thank Edward. I just started reading your most recent build thread and it is awesome! I really like that you even took the time to add a TOC, that is so great, especially later on when I am wanting to reference a particular part of your build when my time comes.

I really appreciate your heads up on the FF backlog right now. I didn't realize that they were so far behind on promise dates, but I guess that makes sense. I am not in a big hurry and can be patient (I say that now, but check back after I finally pull the trigger, I doubt I will be able to contain myself at that point)

Finally, thanks for you comments on options. A little more background on my plan: I will do expect to AutoX my Roadster, but want to keep it fairly streetable. I over-did one of my Neons back in the day and while it was nearly unbeatable on the track, it was intolerable on daily basis. As such, I will want to be able to find the right balance through trial and error on those pieces. I do like the FF wheels and will likely go with those. I hadn't considered the additional cost of shipping later, so that is good point. For the exhaust, I will need to find the balance between cool sound and loud sound. The local AutoX club is very strict on db for exhaust, so I will really need to do a lot of research on the best option. I am glad to hear that I can get credit if I choose to delete those from the order. FF seems to really do good by their customers. Finally, I need to see if wipers are required here in Texas (which they likely are :( ) . This car will not ever see rain or likely even a puddle. I would rather not deal with wipers if I could avoid it.

Thanks again!

[Quincy]

You might enjoy this thread for windshield wipers.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?26986-Budget-Removable-Windshield-Wipers#post_308132

Nice people here.

[Xundart]

You might enjoy this thread for windshield wipers.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?26986-Budget-Removable-Windshield-Wipers#post_308132

Nice people here.

This is so awesome! Thanks for pointing me this way.

[RogerDM]

Welcome, Brett! Enjoy the mod projects