427 SBF Coupe R Build

[GT_Rich]

Hi all, it was suggested in another thread that I make an introduction and build thread. I have a Coupe R on order and I'm currently working on the driveline and collecting parts. This will be a race car. I'm still contemplating whether I even go through the effort of titling it.

Quick background: I've been a forum member for over a decade and had plans to build a Coupe around 2010. I had parted out a few foxbodies and had a complete driveline ready to go. About this same time my wife and I started talking about kids and I decided building a car without a backseat would be a bad idea. I ended up building a 65 Mustang convertible. We still have it and it has become my wife's race car. A few years later I built a 62 Mercury Comet and that has been my race car. We do a lot of autocross together in CAM-T class, along with a little bit of time attack style road racing (point to pass, not wheel to wheel racing). Both cars are pro-touring style builds that do great on the street. I have 20k miles on the Comet and I would say at least half of them are with my kids in the back seat.

Fast forward to now and FFR has the Gen 3 and an R model. I am 6'2" and happy to see the Gen 3 design with a little extra room. I took the plunge and placed an order in late November. The idea is for this to replace the Comet as my race car and put that car back to mostly street duty.

Basics of the build are as follows:
Coupe R chassis
427 small block Ford
Holley Stealth Terminator X fuel injection system
Close ratio TKX
3-link 8.8 rear with 31 spline axles and a TrueTrac
Ordered with no brakes. Will use Brembo four piston fixed caliper brakes front and rear with 13" Cobra rotors.

Ordered with no shocks or springs. Will custom order Viking triple adjustable shocks. I have a bunch of different springs around here. Will probably start off in the 900/600 f/r range.
18x10.5 wheels front and rear with 315 rubber.

I spent the last half of 2021 putting together the engine. Here are the details:
Dart SHP block
4.125" bore x 4.00" stroke
Lunati forged crank (internal balance) Scat rods with ARP2000 bolts
Wiseco forged pistons
12.3:1 compression for E85
TrickFlow 205 11R heads
TrickFlow Stage 3 cam
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, heavily ported
Champ rear sump pan from Gordon Levy
Drop engine mounts from Gordon as well

I personally spec's this out and blue printed it. Select fit bearings for nominal clearances. I'll include some in process pics along with where I'm at right now, which is wiring up the injection system. The Terminator X system has 6 available inputs for data logging so I am adding sensors to monitor fuel and oil pressure, oil, power steering, and trans temperature, and finally vehicle speed.

If you've read this far thanks for that and I hope you enjoy the build.

Rich
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[GT_Rich]

As the engine sits now. Note the extreme drop base. It's a true 1.75" drop and I had to clearance it in a couple spots to make it fit
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[GT_Rich]

This is the wheel I'm running. Picked them up on a sale from American Muscle on Black Friday. 18x10.5 +23 offset (6.7 BS).

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[Jim1855]

A 427w brother. Good show! I run a very similar drop base air cleaner, works well.
I like the wheels.
Jim

[GT_Rich]

One more thing, I have an Instagram account I use solely for car stuff. It's @custom_comet if you're interested in following along. I will be updating it more regularly than this thread.

[2FAST4U]

That is going to be one sweet ride!

[Logan]

Welcome Rich! Followed your IG this morning too, thanks for the follow back (even though I never post anything there lol).

I like the plan! You're one of the few putting a 427 into the Gen3 Coupe-R. What tires do you run in CAM-T currently, and what do you plan for this build (which I assume you intend to run in CAM-S)?

[GT_Rich]

We currently run Falken RT660s on the Mustang. Good tire. On our second set. On the Comet I run the Kenda KR20A. Long story sorta short is our local club is sponsored by Kenda. The Kenda US tech center is nearby and they use our equipment and location for testing. They sponsor a few of us in return for tire feedback. They are in the middle of a redesign for this tire and looking to make it more geared for autocross. I'll use them on the Daytona if they want to give them to me, but currently they don't make a 315 size.

How can a Daytona run in CAM-S? Rules put us in XP, which is a totally awful index. Is there other documentation that says we can run CAM-S?

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[Logan]

CAM is still a provisional trio of classes as far as the SCCA is concerned. There is a group of events called the CAM Challenge, but its a parallel series not associated with National SCCA tours. CAM classes are also not eligible for championship jackets at SCCA Solo Nationals either. The rules are entirely fit onto a single sheet of paper, and the whole point is "Front engine RWD American cars, run whatcha brung". The Cobra Daytona certainly fits that ethos.

The actual CAM-S rules specifically allow the 1965-67 Cobra roadster replica "kit cars". It is up to interpretation if that applies to the Cobra Daytona, although most folks seem to agree that it does. My suggestion is to confer with your fellow CAM competitors in your local region to see if anyone has a problem with you running in CAM-S. I have talked to the other drivers in my region and none have any issue with my Cobra Daytona running with them in CAM-S. If a tube-chassis Cobra with no roof is allowed, the same car with a roof (and more weight) is just as fair. If they do have a problem with it, you can always run XP.... which if you do, you might as well run Hoosiers. Yeah, the PAX sucks in XP, so why not shoot for top raw/FTD instead of worrying about getting beat by a Miata in PAX? Like I said, CAM is a local playground, you can't climb the ladder all the way to a championship jacket in Lincoln anyway.

Current SCCA CAM Rules:
Eligible Vehicles
• Must be either a domestic automobile or truck (pick-up or SUV) of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FE/RWD) configuration (no electric-powered vehicles).
• Must be licensed and insured, as well as fully “street legal” (working lights, etc.).
• Must have “full-size” windshield similar to the original from the manufacturer. Side and rear glass must be present if original for the vehicle. Lexan® or equivalent may be used.
• Must pass the mandatory safety inspection (tech) of Section 3, Vehicles, and must be comply with Appendix I, Sound Measurement Procedures, of the 2022 SCCA National Solo Rules.
• Excluded: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (2019); Dodge/SRT Viper (2013-17); Jeep military/CJ/Wrangler models.

CAM-S (Sports)(all eligible vehicles):
• Sports cars, sedans/coupes, trucks, and 1965-67 Cobra roadster replica “kit cars” with seating for 2 or more adults
• Interior floor covering may be removed
• Weight without driver, minimum:
• Corvette (1984-2019); Viper: 2900 lbs
• All other cars: 2500 lbs
• Additional weight for Lexan front windshield: +150 lbs

Link:
https://www.scca.com/announcements/339-2022-cam-category-rules-posted

[GT_Rich]

Since my engine build is finished up it's time to start on the rear end. This rear came from a local junkyard. I cut off the quad shock brackets and the upper 4-link brackets. Wire wheeled everything and got it into a ready to paint condition.

I have a setup tube for an 8.8 that I use to check straightness. This rear had about 0.2 deg of positive camber on both sides. I placed a TIG weld on the top of the tube to try to warp it back to straight. This is a true guess and check operation. I was able to get it pretty close. Less than 0.1 degrees of camber now and tow looks dead neutral. I also checked backlash and pattern on the 3.27 gear set that it came with as I plan to use them and want to get them back to the same spot once I swap the ring gear onto a 31 spline TrueTrac.

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[GT_Rich]

Steward picked up my kit today. Delivery scheduled for this Thursday (9/8/22). I haven't updated this thread in a while. I finished up the rear end many months ago. This includes off the shelf Brembo calipers, 13" Cobra rotors, and a bracket I designed to make it work.

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[GT_Rich]

My kit finally arrived! Got it on the lift, took inventory, and removed the body. I have a significant number of items missing, so decided to pull the body right away and knock out as much rivet work as possible.
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[GT_Rich]

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8.8 that I built. Breeze lower arms. Adjustable links in place of shocks for now to setup everything at ride height.

[GT_Rich]

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For now setup at ride height with adjustable links. Brembo 4 piston calipers from a Caddy ATS. Cobra front rotors. Race ride height with upper arm in the "wrong" spot for more camber gain.

[GT_Rich]

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On the ground as a roller. All front aluminum is installed. DEI Floor and Tunnel Shield used for insulation on the inside of the footboxes. Pedals setup and installed. Radiator and Breeze shroud installed.

This was an Aug 5 build date and I still need major items like fastener kit, steering shaft, headers, gauges, hatch glass. So, I'm going to keep riveting panels and hope for the best.

[GT_Rich]

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Driver position set. Made an offset column mount to center wheel and get height where I wanted it. Super solid feel this way. Ididit quick release hub welded to a standard 3/4 dd shaft.

[GT_Rich]

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Fuel system is complete! I will be running E85 and needed something that would not only survive long term and be reliable but also deliver enough fuel for approximately 600 hp (which is about the volume of 800 hp on gas).

After a lot of consideration I decided to run a surge tank. So, in the fuel tank I have a Walbro 400 lph pump that feeds the surge tank, which has a 525 lph Walbro "hellcat" pump. Both are E85 compliant. All fuel lines and fittings are from Vibrant Performance and these are Teflon lined hoses. The filter is from Aeromotive and is a PN specific to E85 usage. All the aluminum components such as the surge tank are completely anodized. Hopefully this all holds up for a long long time.

[GT_Rich]

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I am putting the battery in the back RH side of the car so this space is available for something useful. This is a Derale fan driven remote mount fluid cooler I am using for engine oil. Then, I piggy backed onto it another Derale Fluid cooler I am using for power steering. The engine oil cooler will be plumbed with -10 AN braided nylon hose and the power steering will be 3/8 rubber hose.

[GT_Rich]

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Engine is in the car! I am using drop mounts but had to use a 1/4" shim between the mount and frame saddles to keep the oil pan flush with the frame rails.

[Jacob McCrea]

Looks great, and really reminds me of when mine was coming together.

[Jim1855]

I like it but then I'm a sucker for 427ci 351W motors and coupes.
Jim

[GT_Rich]

Here is a walk around update video I made. At around the 2 minute mark I go in the car and show how the Silver Sport front shift location for a TKX fits the chassis.

https://youtu.be/zl1q1yYnnEM

[DesertSn8ke]

Thanks for the walk around video. Looks like a great shifter solution. I might have to follow your lead there. Nice to see how you got the 351 block in there. I debated going that route, but I think a 363 will make all the power I want with less fitment issues, and with more induction choices. Though really, your 427 with the Performer RPM is gonna be amazing.

[GT_Rich]

If you go the STX shifter route, I highly recommend this shift arm:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/SKM-SRRT01

It's the right height, hardened SS, machined to fit Tremec bolt pattern, and should work with FFR provided boot.
Nice piece for the money. You'll have to grind about 3/16" off the bottom of it to clear the shift boot, but not a big deal.

[burchfieldb]

Here is a walk around update video I made. At around the 2 minute mark I go in the car and show how the Silver Sport front shift location for a TKX fits the chassis.

https://youtu.be/zl1q1yYnnEM
Thanks for the video super cool and helpful. Where did you get you stuff for the radiator tubes and fittings?

[GT_Rich]

Thanks for the video super cool and helpful. Where did you get you stuff for the radiator tubes and fittings?

I'm glad it helped. Aluminum bent tubes came from frozenboost.com. I've used that source for many years. They also have most of the silicone fittings but prices are better on ebay from the various Chinese sellers. You can find each fitting for about $7. I used Gates Powergrip heat shrink hose clamps. Again, eBay.

All tube is 1.5". All Powergrip clamps are 1.75 to 2.00" range. All silicone couplers are 1.5 except for the one at the water pump. That is a 1.75 to 1.5" 45 degree reducer.

Total cost of that stuff was around $150. Less than half the cost of Boig Cool Tubes and you get the ability to tweak angles. I used tbolt clamps at the ends of each run.

[JimStone]

Your car is looking great! I appreciate your thread and it's been very helpful as I plan my build. That STX shift looks sick and is now on my shopping list. It solves a really disturbing problem of having to cut the cross member.

[GT_Rich]

Since a few people found the last video useful, I made another one. This one is specific to "trunk" mounting a battery.

https://youtu.be/XjM86g-wN7Y

[GT_Rich]

Another video update. First time on the scales! I'm trying to guess final weight in this video and I show a list of items and weights. Maybe folks can let me know what I've forgotten.

https://youtu.be/mUhU6U_Z15Q

[Gordon Levy]

There are a few pretty heavy things not considered. Give me a buzz and we can talk.

[GT_Rich]

Another video for anyone that cares. More wiring tips.

https://youtu.be/_OmAz4ZyQgc

[GT_Rich]

It runs!

https://youtu.be/v4wTzleTvlg

[DesertSn8ke]

Amazing. Congratulations! Can't wait till I'm at that point.

[GT_Rich]

Some random progress pics. Engine bay is finally complete. Most of my wiring behind the dash is done, too. I go karted for the first time a couple days ago. I am hoping to do it again tomorrow and maybe get a video.

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[Skuzzy]

Looking good. That is some good size rubber on the front!

[GT_Rich]

Looking good. That is some good size rubber on the front!

Those are just temporary wheels from another car. They are 285. Planning to run 315 front and rear.

[Skuzzy]

Those are just temporary wheels from another car. They are 285. Planning to run 315 front and rear.

315 front and rear?!!?!? Whoa! I did not think you could squeeze 315's up front.

[GT_Rich]

315 front and rear?!!?!? Whoa! I did not think you could squeeze 315's up front.

Yes, many have done either 295 or 315s on 18x11 front rims. Take a peak at Logan's wheel and tire thread which is actually near the top right now in the main Coupe forum. I plan to use 10.5" wide wheels because I bought them on an extremely discounted sale.

[GT_Rich]

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Time to start body work. This is what I am starting with.

[GT_Rich]

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After a day of sanding. Lots of fill work ahead. Mold alignment was not good.

[freds]

Brings back lots of unpleasant memories!

[GT_Rich]

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More body work tonight. Decided to sand the parting lines in the quarter windows. This body is a joke. Everywhere I look I have gel coat chipping away and huge voids. This is simply lazy builders and piss poor quality control from FFR. No other reason for this. Are they all this bad?

[edwardb]

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More body work tonight. Decided to sand the parting lines in the quarter windows. This body is a joke. Everywhere I look I have gel coat chipping away and huge voids. This is simply lazy builders and piss poor quality control from FFR. No other reason for this. Are they all this bad?

Mine (#59) looked almost the same. Repaired with a bunch of HSRF and my body shop got everything to match on the outside. It wasn't pretty. My understanding is the molds have been reworked and newer ones don't have these issues. Plus I understand they made an all new mold for the cowl. Hopefully fixed some of the asymmetry I fought with. Along with others... No excuses for FFR, because they also own vendor quality, but I assume you know these pieces are made by an outside vendor. FFR molding only makes smaller parts. For the Coupe, that's the doors and the spoiler. Hang in there. The finished product is worth it.

[Skuzzy]

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More body work tonight. Decided to sand the parting lines in the quarter windows. This body is a joke. Everywhere I look I have gel coat chipping away and huge voids. This is simply lazy builders and piss poor quality control from FFR. No other reason for this. Are they all this bad?

Mine is. Matter of fact there are places in the body where there is no fiberglass in the resin. The largest spot is in the roof and is about 6" in diameter. Thin enough I can push my finger through it. The hood came from a new mold, but suffers from the same inconsistent thickness of the resin and places where no fiberglass is. Broke it in a few places while trying to lift it around the grill/radiator opening, just from its own weight.

Along the edges I measured thickness variances from 1/32" to 5/32" of an inch in thickness.

The gel coat thickness is all over the place. From 1/64" to 1/16" in thickness. There are voids all over the place.

Also noted there appears to be no long strand roving used at all (if there is any, it was used randomly). This will mean there will be "dimples" in a few years where there is fiberglass matt. The matt that is there appears to have been laid in randomly. Minimally, there should be, at least two continuous runs at 45 degrees of each other. It is more like a patchwork quilt.

Some of these issues cannot be fixed (the lack of long strand roving use is the biggest concern). I am considering making my own body and just trashing this one. I have to say I am really surprised Factory Five would allow something like this to leave the factory. It is some of the worst fiberglass work I have ever seen. There really is no excuse for it. They are not a new company trying to get established.

[edwardb]

Mine is. Matter of fact there are places in the body where there is no fiberglass in the resin. The largest spot is in the roof and is about 6" in diameter. Thin enough I can push my finger through it. The hood came from a new mold, but suffers from the same inconsistent thickness of the resin and places where no fiberglass is. Broke it in a few places while trying to lift it around the grill/radiator opening, just from its own weight.

Along the edges I measured thickness variances from 1/32" to 5/32" of an inch in thickness.

The gel coat thickness is all over the place. From 1/64" to 1/16" in thickness. There are voids all over the place.

Also noted there appears to be no long strand roving used at all (if there is any, it was used randomly). This will mean there will be "dimples" in a few years where there is fiberglass matt. The matt that is there appears to have been laid in randomly. Minimally, there should be, at least two continuous runs at 45 degrees of each other. It is more like a patchwork quilt.

Some of these issues cannot be fixed (the lack of long strand roving use is the biggest concern). I am considering making my own body and just trashing this one. I have to say I am really surprised Factory Five would allow something like this to leave the factory. It is some of the worst fiberglass work I have ever seen. There really is no excuse for it. They are not a new company trying to get established.

Did you report this to Factory Five and give them a chance to make it right? Over the years, I've seen major quality escapes like this be addressed, including complete bodies, frames, etc. Not on the scale of a full size body, but the front fender on my truck build (a relatively large part) was defective. I sent pictures and they replaced it without question. Required an LTL shipment, but they took care of it.

[GT_Rich]

Well, skuzzy, mine sounds better than yours. It all at least seems structurally sound.

I did not know these weren't made in house. I complained about mine to Dave Smith when I received it. I was told it seems worse than it is and a body shop will have no problems with it. Well, I am the body shop, and the more I work on it, the worse it seems.

I will say the nose appears to be better quality. Mold alignment looks better and edges seem solid. It's just the body that is crap.

[Skuzzy]

Did you report this to Factory Five and give them a chance to make it right? Over the years, I've seen major quality escapes like this be addressed, including complete bodies, frames, etc. Not on the scale of a full size body, but the front fender on my truck build (a relatively large part) was defective. I sent pictures and they replaced it without question. Required an LTL shipment, but they took care of it.

I did and never got a response about it. I get responses about parts issues and those have been addressed very quickly.

After reading some of the other stories about the bodies from others, I just took it to mean this is just the way it is. It is a shame the quality of the fiberglass work does not match the quality of the metal work.

I have to figure out some way to make this work. One option I can explore is to do a patchwork rebuild of the body. This entails making molds of sections, cutting those sections out, then put the mold into place, gel coat, long strand roving and resin. Once the entire body is done, go back and add the fiberglass matt in. Tricky process subject to warping.

I have to comment, if I had known about the inconsistent fiberglass work, I would have looked for another kit alternative.

[GT_Rich]

Mine (#59) looked almost the same. Repaired with a bunch of HSRF and my body shop got everything to match on the outside. It wasn't pretty. My understanding is the molds have been reworked and newer ones don't have these issues. Plus I understand they made an all new mold for the cowl. Hopefully fixed some of the asymmetry I fought with. Along with others... No excuses for FFR, because they also own vendor quality, but I assume you know these pieces are made by an outside vendor. FFR molding only makes smaller parts. For the Coupe, that's the doors and the spoiler. Hang in there. The finished product is worth it.

This is on a reworked/ new mold design. This kit was delivered in September.

When you repaired with HSRF, did you grind these bad areas way down or just chip out anything loose and pack in filler?

[edwardb]

This is on a reworked/ new mold design. This kit was delivered in September.

When you repaired with HSRF, did you grind these bad areas way down or just chip out anything loose and pack in filler?

That's unfortunate. Would have thought (hoped) the new mold setup would have better results. For my repairs, I removed anything that was loose and also worked to uncover any voids, etc. Then filled with HSRF. Took several passes with filing and sanding to get things built back up. Note I didn't mess with the misaligned sections on the outside. The body/paint shop fixed that. I don't know the specific details. But they ground things done some then used either resin or epoxy type fillers to build things up and get even. They said it was too much to use only the usual polyester body fillers, e.g. Rage, etc.

[Namrups]

Sorry to hear about your body issues. My coupe was delivered June of 2022. Having read some of the horror stories I was very impressed with my body. I did not have any of the issues you have described.

[burchfieldb]

I received mine the end of September and have not touch it yet. I guess we will see how bad it is.

[GT_Rich]

I have a tire sponsorship with Kenda Tire. Their tech center is local to me and the track they use for testing is the same one as our local autocross club. This week, in the middle of winter, the weather cooperated enough for them to rent out the track and I did engine break in and tuning. I was making third gear passes while datalogging and making changes between runs. Third gear gets up to near 120 mph in a hurry. Here's a quick video. I short shift 1st and 2nd because there was no traction.

https://youtube.com/shorts/3sIRw5InWJQ?feature=share

[GT_Rich]

Another body work update.

https://youtu.be/0EisyZs3ln8

[GT_Rich]

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Almost ready for primer. I used three different fillers depending on usage. Between the three, I used a gallon of total product to get to this point, and I'm pretty efficient with it.

[rhk118]

Love the videos and progress Rich, car is fantastic and I really appreciate the details you provide in the videos. Very clean and thought out build. Sorry to hear about the body issues that part scares me, but is a long way off. Mine was delivered in May of last year so thinking it might be one of the old bodies, but it is what it is.

Question on your transmission tunnel aluminum cover with the centered shifter hole location - is that an aluminum part you made yourself? Seems most make it themselves but wondering if there is a more precise way than me trying to fab one myself in my garage from a bigger sheet...

[GT_Rich]

Love the videos and progress Rich, car is fantastic and I really appreciate the details you provide in the videos. Very clean and thought out build. Sorry to hear about the body issues that part scares me, but is a long way off. Mine was delivered in May of last year so thinking it might be one of the old bodies, but it is what it is.

Question on your transmission tunnel aluminum cover with the centered shifter hole location - is that an aluminum part you made yourself? Seems most make it themselves but wondering if there is a more precise way than me trying to fab one myself in my garage from a bigger sheet...

Thanks for the kind words. Most of my updates go without a reply on here so sometimes I wonder if anyone is looking at this thread. I put all this stuff on social media anyways, so updating here is no big deal.

I fabricated all three transmission tunnel pieces, as my tunnel is not welded in square and the ones from FFR did not fit at all. They all needed built with a little bit of skew to go them.

After doing this body work and looking at other builds, I am certain there are/have been at least three body molds for a Gen 3 Coupe. I believe mine was built from the first updated mold, and there is a second updated mold that clearly had better alignment between pieces. The first mold design is obvious because there's an extra parting line above the doors.

[lewma]

Thanks for the kind words. Most of my updates go without a reply on here so sometimes I wonder if anyone is looking at this thread. I put all this stuff on social media anyways, so updating here is no big deal.

I fabricated all three transmission tunnel pieces, as my tunnel is not welded in square and the ones from FFR did not fit at all. They all needed built with a little bit of skew to go them.

After doing this body work and looking at other builds, I am certain there are/have been at least three body molds for a Gen 3 Coupe. I believe mine was built from the first updated mold, and there is a second updated mold that clearly had better alignment between pieces. The first mold design is obvious because there's an extra parting line above the doors.

Thanks for posting Rich. Following along with your bodywork as I'm just starting that task myself. Total novice with fiberglass and bodywork in general.

mark

[GT_Rich]

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[GT_Rich]

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Two posts worth of pictures in primer. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. In the last two pics, I skimmed all the pin holes with filter while the urethane high build primer was within the window for filler application.

[Namrups]

Looks good!!!

[rhk118]

Yeah, looks great Rich! Regarding posts I've been following along the entire time (pretty much every thread on the front page). I think all the active builders are checking out everyone else's threads constantly but not always commenting. I find when I've done something a little off or post a direct question then I get replys. Looking at your build so far you have built your car like I planned on building mine, I just have never worked on cars before so I truly don't know what I don't know and as they say there is always a better way (didn't mean for that to sound like a bumper sticker!). Would love to see how your corner weights shake out as well once its all together, because you hinted at adding weight and these things are so light I imagine some ballast could really help with handling. I'm following you and a lot of folks on IG as well. I appreciate the posts here.

Nice clean lines on those rear quarter window areas.

[q4stix]

Most of my updates go without a reply on here so sometimes I wonder if anyone is looking at this thread. I put all this stuff on social media anyways, so updating here is no big deal.


Guilty party here. I like to see what other people are doing but many times it's skimming and then getting back to work from lunch or someone has already commented. Keep posting though, I live vicariously through others while I'm slowly working on my own coupe.
-Matt

[GT_Rich]

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Sprayed U-POL Raptor bedliner those evening. One heavy coat. First time using this stuff and I have no complaints.

[GT_Rich]

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Some pics I forgot to post from last month. Safety first!

[burchfieldb]

Looking real nice!

[rhk118]

Very clean. For the anti-submarine belt (5 point) is that just bolted to the frame rail there? Currently I have the Corbeau's so will need to likely only use 4 points, but lately I've been questioning that choice in seat and maybe want more head protection/helmeted support with my new neck issue...

[GT_Rich]

Very clean. For the anti-submarine belt (5 point) is that just bolted to the frame rail there? Currently I have the Corbeau's so will need to likely only use 4 points, but lately I've been questioning that choice in seat and maybe want more head protection/helmeted support with my new neck issue...
It's bolted through the seat pan, very close to the front lip of the pan with the 90 degree bend.

[GT_Rich]

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The body is painted! See video for walk around.

https://youtu.be/1UplViqdJmU

[GT_Rich]

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Installed the body last night! Installed the rear air ducts today. For anyone fitting these, a simple way to find their correct location is to hold them against the inside of the body. You'll find that the curvature of the air duct is only happy/home in one spot.

The rear of the body is in place. I was no where close to the 10.25" height called out in the manual. If I pull up on the body with all the force I'm willing to give it, I flex the hell out of it and get to about 10", and it looks terrible. This is installed at 9.25" and generally things look to be in the right place.

[Skuzzy]

Looks good!

[GT_Rich]

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Started fitting the nose today. Despite fighting competing problems, the best fit came out decent. I have to laugh though. The body is as far to the rear as the slotted rear body mounts will go, and the nose is as far forward in the hinge slots as that adjustment allowed. Combined, I think that's about 2" of adjustment necessary to get the pontoon lined up with the wheel opening, both of which are tooled surfaces. That's a bit pathetic.

[jamminj]

what are you doing for an e-brake

[GT_Rich]

what are you doing for an e-brake
A 2x4, 4x4, or maybe a fancy block of rubber from Harbor Freight.

[jamminj]

ok i like it
i may use 4 piston Brembo's in the back also but I'm thinking about fabing a drive line e-brake.

[Kbl7td]

What is the make/style and size of those temporary wheels?

[GT_Rich]

What is the make/style and size of those temporary wheels?

American Muscle brand. GT500 I believe is the style. They are 18x10 with a +45 offset. I have 1" spacers up front and 2" in the back.

[GT_Rich]

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Fit more parts this week. Doors, R bumper, and splitter. I'm a fairly OCD person, so despite this being a race car, I wanted all my gaps to be good. So, I spent a lot of time getting these doors dialed in.

On the passenger side, I had to pull the pontoon inboard as far as I could fit with it in an attempt to line up the bottom of the nose and it was still a half inch off. I used a clamp on the pontoon to hold the nose outboard, over stretching it by about a half inch. Then I used a heat gun to warm up and relax the nose. It actually worked as they now pretty much align.

[GT_Rich]

More stuff going on the car. Windshield, top of dash, and seat covers all installed. On an R model the dash is two pieces. I sectioned the top piece and made a rivnut plate to join it back up. This allows me to remove and install it with the glass installed. In fact, the entire dash is easily removable as I have everything installed with 10-32 button head screws.

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[Cincy123]

Very nice!

[Skuzzy]

Looking good GT_Rich!

[James Morse]

Do you have inspection there, just wondered if it will make it thru (if you do) with the cage bar at the windshield or if they will way it's obstructing.
Seems like SCCA rules say it has to be street legal.

[GT_Rich]

Do you have inspection there, just wondered if it will make it thru (if you do) with the cage bar at the windshield or if they will way it's obstructing.
Seems like SCCA rules say it has to be street legal.

We have inspection in Ohio. Before I ordered an R model, I called to confirm this would be okay and the answer was no problem. Fingers crossed for when I go to get this done

[GT_Rich]

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Catching up this post with a bunch of recent progress. The nose, doors, and R bumper are all painted. Here are a few pics.

[GT_Rich]

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Like the underside of the body, I used UPOL Raptor on the doors, nose, and back side of bumper. I really love that stuff.

[Skuzzy]

Dang it, I wish my hood had an interior panel. It looks so much better than without it. Probably a lot stronger as well.

Looking good GT_Rich!

[GT_Rich]

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Did some assembly last night. It's starting to hit me that the car I've visualized for the last 20ish years is sitting in my garage, just about ready to go race.

Right now it's a lot of in your face red, but I plan to cover a good chunk of that up with vinyl. The in lays on the front bumper will be black, and there will be a wide black stripe down the center of the car with thin white stripes on each side of it. Then, of course, Kenda Tires livery all over the car.

[Skuzzy]

Looks really nice GT_Rich! Which projector headlights did you go with?

[compuatic]

GT_Rich, coming along nicely. I would assume that since this is still a build in progress, you don’t know how well that custom bracket and Brembos in the back work? I’m considering something similar for my mark3 roadster. Are you willing to share the design file and source where you got them fabricated?

[GT_Rich]

GT_Rich, coming along nicely. I would assume that since this is still a build in progress, you don’t know how well that custom bracket and Brembos in the back work? I’m considering something similar for my mark3 roadster. Are you willing to share the design file and source where you got them fabricated?

I am hoping to race this coming weekend. Will let you know. I have no problem sharing it.

[GT_Rich]

Sponsor decals are on. First time out in daylight with the body on. Quick walk around...
https://youtube.com/shorts/T1r3hq4lZ1M?feature=share

[GT_Rich]

The look of this car is pretty much finished. Vinyl stripes, sponsor decals, correct wheels. I raced it last weekend and overall was very satisfied. I'll start posting race updates in separate threads. I guess this build thread is "done". Received kit in September and finished in March. Under 7 months! All work done by me in my home garage, including body work and paint.

[q4stix]

It looks great! Awesome to see another one complete and already hitting the track

[Namrups]

Looks great! Enjoy it now!!

[F500guy]

love the color!

[compuatic]

How are the brakes working out?

[GT_Rich]

How are the brakes working out?

Not completely sorted out yet but showing lots of potential. Since you asked I will give more detail. The Brembo calipers I am using were explained elsewhere, but the fronts are from a 2013 Caddy ATS and the rear are from a 2015 V8 Camaro. Rock Auto sells them new for a fair price. Rotors are 2003 Cobra front rotors (I use the same rotor front and rear, 13" vented). Pads are Hawk HP Plus. Master cylinder is 3/4" front and 5/8" rear. The bias is very good. I am near halfway on the balance bar right now so plenty of available adjustment

I have two issues at play. The first is I can't get the darn bleeders to completely seal up. Such a stupid problem. All 8 bleeders seem to "weep" a little when hot and under hard braking. The rears have seemed to stop after torquing them really tight while hot. On the fronts I wasn't comfortable going any tighter so I swapped to a brass bleeders, hoping it will conform a little on shape and also expand with temperature similar to aluminum. I will find out tomorrow. Second issue is I am getting a touch of what feels like pad knockback but it might be leaking fluid. TBD.

[Skuzzy]

Great looking car. Nice work.

[DesertSn8ke]

Another brake question. I’m also looking at installing a cable adjuster for the balance bar. I noticed in your pictures it looks like you went straight out the side of the foot box then back through the firewall with yours. Did you cut a slot in the aluminum to allow for fwd/aft movement of the balance bar, or just drill a hole? It looks to me I would also need to notch the front right mount for the pedal box for clearance. Just curious how you went about it.

[GT_Rich]

Another brake question. I’m also looking at installing a cable adjuster for the balance bar. I noticed in your pictures it looks like you went straight out the side of the foot box then back through the firewall with yours. Did you cut a slot in the aluminum to allow for fwd/aft movement of the balance bar, or just drill a hole? It looks to me I would also need to notch the front right mount for the pedal box for clearance. Just curious how you went about it.

I cut a slot after brakes were bled and final pedal height was determined, as all this matters. I cut the slot intentionally tall so there was room for weatherstripping above and below the cable. I used the same stuff as used to seal radiator ducting to nose. And, yes, I also had to notch some of the pedal mounting on the frame. I did all of that before mounting the aluminum panels.187312

[DesertSn8ke]

Thanks, you've confirmed my thinking on how that would work if I go that route. I'm also looking at using one of the Tilton 90 deg. adapters to keep the cable run inside the foot box. I'd put it on drivers right, and run the cable almost straight back to the dash. Or... as straight as possible to wherever there is room to mount the knob. I haven't mocked up the dash yet.

[Namrups]

Thanks, you've confirmed my thinking on how that would work if I go that route. I'm also looking at using one of the Tilton 90 deg. adapters to keep the cable run inside the foot box. I'd put it on drivers right, and run the cable almost straight back to the dash. Or... as straight as possible to wherever there is room to mount the knob. I haven't mocked up the dash yet.

I tried that adapter. I could not get it to work. Just not enough room.

[GT_Rich]

I tried that adapter. I could not get it to work. Just not enough room.

Same here. The 90 degree adapters do not work. What I have works really well. It's smooth enough to operate during an autocross lap.

[DesertSn8ke]

Good to know. I guess I will not waste time and money trying the adapter then. Do you feel like your weather strip solution is effective keeping the heat out? The only other choice seems to be no adjuster, and removing the top of the foot box to make any needed adjustments. Which.... for street driving would probably be just fine. For changing track conditions and fine tuning on a given day, the cable is obviously the way to go.

[LateApex]

FWIW, I mounted my balance bar adjuster on the left, near the fuse box. I had to grind / shorten the coupler and shorten the balance bar so that I cleared the clutch lever and the tranny tunnel AL, while still yielding all the balance adjustment one might need. One of many "hacks" :-) The trick is to clear the clutch / master cylinder so that there is no rubbing or interference with the cable when one is operating clutch or the brake

I'll dig into my build thread and/or photos - I though I had posted on this hack previously ...

Here you go: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44697-90-degree-Tilton-Adapter-for-Wilwood-Balance-Bar-Adjuster

[GT_Rich]

FWIW, I mounted my balance bar adjuster on the left, near the fuse box. I had to grind / shorten the coupler and shorten the balance bar so that I cleared the clutch lever and the tranny tunnel AL, while still yielding all the balance adjustment one might need. One of many "hacks" :-) The trick is to clear the clutch / master cylinder so that there is no rubbing or interference with the cable when one is operating clutch or the brake

I'll dig into my build thread and/or photos - I though I had posted on this hack previously ...

Here you go: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44697-90-degree-Tilton-Adapter-for-Wilwood-Balance-Bar-Adjuster

I see in this solution you cut some off the balance bar. I don't love that. In my first few months of racing I've used more than 6 turns of adjustment. It's nice to have all of the adjustment to account for things like pad changes or pushrod length changes.

As far as the weatherstrip goes, it works well. I don't notice any additional heat coming in

[LateApex]

[QUOTE=GT_Rich;532884]I see in this solution you cut some off the balance bar. I don't love that. In my first few months of racing I've used more than 6 turns of adjustment. It's nice to have all of the adjustment to account for things like pad changes or pushrod length changes.

Rich, this is quite interesting. Can you elaborate a bit how you modified bias over those first few months, and what the root of those needed changes was? For example, are you applying more bias now to the rears or the fronts? Is tire wear a factor? I had assumed that with appropriate calipers and correct master cylinder sizing, the amount of adjustment needed would be less than 6 turns (Hence I lopped off some of the balance bar instead of going through the tranny tunnel)

Note to self: Go find a skid pad or big-A$$ vacant parking lot and do a better job of calibrating my bias :-)

Thanx for the insight!

[GT_Rich]

[QUOTE=GT_Rich;532884]I see in this solution you cut some off the balance bar. I don't love that. In my first few months of racing I've used more than 6 turns of adjustment. It's nice to have all of the adjustment to account for things like pad changes or pushrod length changes.

Rich, this is quite interesting. Can you elaborate a bit how you modified bias over those first few months, and what the root of those needed changes was? For example, are you applying more bias now to the rears or the fronts? Is tire wear a factor? I had assumed that with appropriate calipers and correct master cylinder sizing, the amount of adjustment needed would be less than 6 turns (Hence I lopped off some of the balance bar instead of going through the tranny tunnel)

Note to self: Go find a skid pad or big-A$$ vacant parking lot and do a better job of calibrating my bias :-)

Thanx for the insight!

Before I even talk about my recent experience I'll share some general info I've learned on other cars. Lots of things change brake bias. Spring rates, shock damping, camber settings, pad compounds, tire compound, track surface, track speeds, driving style, etc. We run an event every year where the first day is a road course with speeds around 130 mph and the next day is an autocross with speeds in the 60s. The road course usually needs 2 or 3 turns more front bias because your transferring more weight to the front when you are stopping from a higher speed. If you put on new pads at only one end of the car, your bias will likely swing all the way to that end until they full bed in. Those are just two common examples.

In my case, I put together a completely unproven brake package. To my knowledge, the rear calipers I am using have never been used on an 8.8 rear end. They are GM calipers for a late model Camaro with Brembo brakes. Furthermore, the rear is still a c-clip axle and folks will say fixed calipers on a c-clip rear are a bad idea.

The c-clip issues were difficult to overcome. I had two different center plugs (the axle keeper plug on an Eaton TrueTrac) machined before I achieved zero axle end play, which is a must. During that time, I lengthened the rear master cylinder pushrod in an effort to bandaid the problem. It definitely helped certain situations but the bias and pedal feel was still inconsistent. My bias was probably 60 percent rear.

I then added a 10 psi residual valve in the rear circuit and this further minimized my pad knockback, which i believe was due to axle deflection under cornering loads. The first event with the residual valve was eye opening (and a** puckering) as the car wanted to spin on corner entry everywhere. I turned the bias to full front and it was still tail happy but drivable.

For the next event I re-baselined my master cylinder pushrod lengths. Basically back to exactly as recommended by Wilwood. I was immediately locking the fronts and had to put in 2 turns of rear bias to get it right.

All this tuning has been with our local autocross club that runs courses about 75 mph. It feels good there but might not have enough front bias for a road course. We run one next month and I will lengthen the front MC pushrod between sessions if needed.

With all that said, my suggestion to anyone that is serious about tracking a car is to have as much brake bias adjustability as you can possibly get.

[GT_Rich]

Here's a lap from this week:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvjCRd5uxRl/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[michael everson]

Any pics of how you handled the door frames to get around the bars?
Thanks Mike

[GT_Rich]

Any pics of how you handled the door frames to get around the bars?
Thanks Mike193526193527193528

Here you go. Unfortunately cutting the door frame is the only option. The door still feels really solid.