Mike in Texas FFR Roadster Build - She's Alive! (Again) (Again) [Archive] - Page 2

Mike.Bray

06-02-2023, 03:33 PM

After what seems like bodywork and sanding f-o-r-e-v-e-r Project Cobra is finally in the paint booth and getting some actual color applied. We're going with a kandy blue basecoat from HOK and doing spray outs we found just spraying it over primer didn't give the look we wanted. When we tried it over a silver coat it really popped. It's just WOW! Unfortunately with a silver undercoating there is absolutely zero margin for flaws in the bodywork so we spent a little extra in that department trying to get it as close to perfect as possible. I've never seen a Brinks truck in a funeral procession so it's okay.

We're going for a color that when parked in a gaggle of blue cars ours will be the BLUE one lol

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Mike.Bray

06-22-2023, 04:36 PM

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Its Bruce

06-22-2023, 04:50 PM

Beautiful!

Gizmosrcool

06-23-2023, 09:37 AM

Wow. Electric blue. Very nice.

Blitzboy54

06-23-2023, 10:52 AM

That really pops. Somehow found a way to make the most common cobra color unique. Well done

Mike.Bray

06-23-2023, 11:09 AM

That really pops. Somehow found a way to make the most common cobra color unique. Well done

Thanks! If we're parked with 50 blue Cobras we wanted to be the Blue one lol

The color is actually a kandy basecoat from House of Kolor. I bet we did 15-20 sprayouts before we found this one. I have to agree, it does pop!

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Jeff Kleiner

06-23-2023, 01:39 PM

Very intense blue! What did you settle on for the stripes? I see they painted with the body on.

Jeff

Mike.Bray

06-23-2023, 02:13 PM

Very intense blue! What did you settle on for the stripes? I see they painted with the body on.

Jeff

The stripes are Tesla white Jeff. We looked at a lot of whites and that one seemed to work the best with the blue.

Gizmosrcool

08-20-2023, 12:57 PM

Hi Mike.

Ur build is full of great work and hopefully the body is back shortly. That will be exciting.

I have a similar fuel system setup with the same filter. Quick question. Did you get a chance to see how you can access the filter with the body on? Assuming you can get to it through the wheel well? To be able to tighten any leaks or replace the filter?

Thx. Tom

Mike.Bray

08-21-2023, 08:07 AM

Mike.Bray

11-07-2023, 06:41 PM

An overdo and lengthy update.

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Most of the time that weak link is me but not this time. My wife and I debated shipping the car off to one of the experienced and well known painters that specialize in FFR cars but in the end we both felt more comfortable keeping it close. After all, it's a somewhat small simple kit car so how hard can it be? A good friend of mine and a real car guy is the general manager at Classic Recreations/Shelby Garage near me. I talked to him and he recommended a local company that's family owned and does some really nice custom cars. I met with them, saw some amazing fabrication and finished cars, and made a deal.

They had some free time back in January so I took the body out to have it roughed in. It came back filled and primed, it was easily 80% there in about 60 hours. Looking very good.

In March I took the assembled car back to finish up and paint. Unfortunately the guy heading up the body shop left so a new guy took over. TBH I never had a warm fuzzy feeling about the new guy but I had to place my faith in the company. I didn't realize at the time this wanker was going to be a major weak link in my chain.

My wife (and I) knew we wanted blue and we looked at a ton of different shades, all pigment colors. Found a few we liked but they were still lacking the intense wow factor we wanted. I should mention this shop is standardized on PPG paints which is fine, between their brands they can do tons of colors. I should also mention one thing, they always stressed to us not to mix brands and stay within PPG. One day my wife and I are out checking bodywork progress and talking colors with the owners. We were telling them (again) we wanted a blue with serious wow, a color that when we parked with 50 other blue cars ours would be the BLUE one lol They pulled out a panel with a House of Kolor kandy basecoat on it, definitely a wow color. Started doing some research and had a few chats with HoK. Also talked to the painters at Classic Recreations as they use HoK almost exclusively. Settled on their Cobalt Blue (https://www.houseofkolor.com/kolors/detail/index.html?id=HOK000566-01&ref=kolors) and took a sample out for them to do some sprayouts.

For those of you not familiar with kandy pants, it's basically a clear base with a dye and special effects added for pearl effects. So unlike pigment paints it has a translucent look to it. What this means is the color under it combined with the number of coats affects the finished color and appearance. We did sprayouts over dark and light color primers but it just wasn't quite there for us. Their other panter that's been there a long time and is a wounded warrior (God bless) offered up an idea, try a silver base instead of primer. That was it, a deep intense gorgeous blue that you couldn't help but say WOW when you saw it.

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We're all set and uber-excited. Finished up the bodywork, sprayed the silver base, sprayed the Cobalt Blue, and applied a couple coats of clear.

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We had discussed how to apply the stripes with me recommending the method they do over at Classic and I think most of the painters on this forum do. Mask, spray the stripes, mask, spray the rest of the car. The wanker painter said he "couldn't" do it that way which I did not understand. Even though I knew he was wrong I'm not going to push the issue and tell the "expert" how to do his job. In the end the company has to make the final decisions and stand behind them. Tesla white stripes were applied on top of the blue.

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The car looked gorgeous and about a week later it all went south. Story to be continued....

Bill Elliott

11-07-2023, 11:02 PM

Sorry to hear you are having problems. It's really frustrating after all your hard work to get to the final stage and have these problems. Hope it all ends up ok for you.

cv2065

11-07-2023, 11:25 PM

Sorry to hear that Mike. Did the blue bleed through the white?

egchewy79

11-08-2023, 07:46 AM

waiting to see what they had to do to correct the issue...

Mike.Bray

11-08-2023, 10:27 AM

Part two of the paint saga.

The car is looking brilliant and all is right with the world. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel but little did we realize that light was an oncoming train! About a week later we got a call to come out and look at something. Yep, the blue is bleeding through the white stripes. We started looking into the process the painter had used and I also made a couple of calls to Reed the main tech guy at HoK. Kind of interesting what we found.

After applying the blue he sprayed a couple coats of clear to seal it. He had to sand the clear before painting the stripes so it ended up with maybe one coat of clear thickness. On top of this he sprayed the stripes. Remember earlier how I said kandy paints have dyes and not pigment? Well one thickness of clear is not enough to stop the dye from bleeding through which was what we were seeing, nice blue tinted stripes. Now, it is fundamentally possible to apply the stripes over the kandy as long as it is properly sealed. One coat of clear is not enough. Three to four coats would do it. HoK also sell sealers that could be applied before the stripes. The issue was when the wanker painter decided to paint stripes on top of the color he had a concern about the thickness that was building up. So instead of painting the stripes and color "side by side" as I strongly suggested he went with his method and got into all kinds of trouble when he tried to control the buildup.

From here there was an option to sand down the stripes, apply HoK sealer, and respray the white. This would have worked but the mismatch in thickness between the color and stripes would be a concern. But for reasons known only to him he starts sanding down the entire car. This is when the next problem showed up.

kirby

11-08-2023, 02:14 PM

Oh Man. I am sorry to hear this. It sounds like a nightmare. I am sure you experienced other setbacks along the way but to have one like this right at the finish line would frustrate me to no end.

RoadRacer

11-08-2023, 03:25 PM

omg, this is hard to read. :(

it looked so good a few posts back...

Jeff Kleiner

11-08-2023, 04:13 PM

And people wonder why we painters drink :p As Jeff da Bat Miller once told me “A gallon of paint is just 132 ounces of problems looking for a place to happen”

Jeff

Mike.Bray

11-08-2023, 04:13 PM

Part three of the great paint saga of 2023.

Ultimately we had an even bigger setback on the horizon which we're thankful for catching when we did. As this wonderful clueless painter was sanding down the car some delamination between the blue and the silver base started to appear. Paints are chemicals and different brands are formulated to work together and this is one thing the shop owner stressed many times is not to mix paints. Guess what? That's exactly what he did, applied a PPG silver base and then an HoK kandy over it. Two different brands of paint and they were not happy with each other. At this point no choice but to strip everything off and go back to primer. And fire the painter.

The company has hired a new painter and we had a meeting with him the other day. Very experienced, more than 30 years, and knows both PPG and HoK very well. We really like him, can tell just by talking he knows his stuff. When we told him about how the previous painter did the stripes he raised an eyebrow and said Why? This guy is giving me a nice warm fuzzy feeling.

So at this point the car is in primer and ready to go back in the booth. If there's a silver lining once the bleed through showed up and the root cause was diagnosed I stopped paying, all of this rework is being covered by the shop so I'm paid in full. We're hoping to have it complete in November but if it stretches into December that's fine, there's still some work to do and probably won't be much driving until spring anyway. And we're confident it's going to be spectacular.

JayOH

11-08-2023, 05:25 PM

In the end, glad you caught the issue before taking back possession of the car and that it is being properly taken care of.

RoadRacer

11-08-2023, 06:23 PM

Kudos to that company.. they took a big hit..

Ted G

11-08-2023, 07:06 PM

Oh man, that was hard to read for sure. Hoping the new painter does the right thing.... your car is going to look great!

Mike.Bray

11-08-2023, 07:09 PM

Kudos to that company.. they took a big hit..

That is true and I'm glad they had the integrity to stand up and take care of it. I've thought about it quite a bit and I'm at peace. They are the ones who said they could and had done HoK paint. All I did was supply the paint, every decision from there was by made by them. I questioned several of their decisions but in the end I did not want to dictate to them how to do their job as that could affect their warranty. Don't tell a professional how to do their job.

maclonchas

11-08-2023, 09:38 PM

Mike,

Glad to see that a solution and path forward is on the horizon. I am going with Mr. Kleiner because of issues that you have raised. Now to just get my car to first start this month.

Cheers

Bill

Mike.Bray

11-09-2023, 10:50 AM

I am going with Mr. Kleiner because of issues that you have raised.

You certainly can't go wrong with Jeff. We looked long and hard at both Jeff and Ken Pike but in the end we just didn't want to ship "our baby" when we felt we could get paint & bodywork done here locally in DFW. And there are shops here locally experienced with FFR cars, Brent's Customs in Lewisville and Grubbs Performance are a couple.

We chose the shop we did based on:

It was highly recommended by a close friend that's the GM of Classic Recreations & Shelby Garage. He also used to service them when he was with FAST.

I liked the owners, literally a "mom & pop" business. And they're very much car people.

It's local.

They do outstanding work, everything from street rods to 50's customs all they way up to restoring million dollar Ferraris.

I got a warm fuzzy feeling from them.

Like I said things started out fine and then there was a change in personnel which caused everything to go south. Ultimately people are what make a business and if the original painter had not left I'm confident none of the issues we had would have occurred. The company had to scramble to find a replacement painter and I know from personal experience hiring is always a crap shoot at best. They just happened to hire one that talked a good line but had a room temperature IQ and made a series of unfortunate decisions. The advantage of my going with a good size family business is they have the ethics to do the right thing as well as the means which they are. I'm very confident my car is going to turn out to be over the top so it will all work out in the end.

cc2Arider

11-09-2023, 12:32 PM

Jeff Kleiner

11-09-2023, 12:52 PM

Hey Mike / Jeff,

Is the recommendation to paint the stripes first because of the paint itself (metallic or not), or because it is easier to mask if done that way?

I ask because some of us want a metallic stripe with a solid color for the rest (opposite of the "traditional" layout)...

Thanks,

Craig C

Much less masking. No issues with putting solid over metallic and vice-versa.

Mike talked to me when this situation first happened and it was a bit of an outlier which wouldn't have occurred had the stripe color been laid down prior to the color with the dye. As the base flashes off the dye wants to "float" on top of pigments and pearls/metallics and rise to the top (it's what creates the depth to the custom colors that I use from Randy Borcherding's Painthouse Texas). I imagine when the clear on the blue was sanded it was cracked open down to the base color and when the solvent in the white hit it the dye reactivated and migrated to the top.

Jeff

Mike.Bray

11-09-2023, 02:10 PM

I do R&D work in my day job so by nature I tend to do a lot of research for my projects including this car. When it comes to painters I learned that each has his or her own style and don't try to change it. Same for how stripes are painted, each painter does it his or her own way and don't try to change it.

With stripes the huge majority of painters I talked to painted the stripes first and the color second so that the two colors are "side by side" so to speak. From my (limited) experience painting and more so as an engineer this method just makes the most sense to me. For sure in my case this would have eliminated the bleed thru issue.

Nigel Allen

11-09-2023, 04:51 PM

"had a room temperature IQ "

Celsius or Farenheit?:rolleyes:

Nigel Allen

11-09-2023, 05:24 PM

"had a room temperature IQ "

Celsius or Farenheit?:rolleyes:

buttsjim

11-13-2023, 09:03 AM

Your workmanship has been meticulous from the very start--it's such a shame that when you got to the finish line and had to depend on someone else, that the work was sub-standard. It's good to hear that the car will be properly re-painted by a painter in which you have high confidence. Your finished Cobra is going to be a beauty, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it!

BRRT

11-15-2023, 01:10 PM

Hi Mike,

Like others said, that was just painful to read. I cannot imagine the anxiety and disappointment you felt. Unbelievable.
Hope things are getting better.

Mike.Bray

11-15-2023, 04:56 PM

Like others said, that was just painful to read. I cannot imagine the anxiety and disappointment you felt. Unbelievable.
Hope things are getting better.

Jeff, at this stage of my life each day I wake up I count as a win so things like this don't really bother my like they used to. Things always work out for the best in my experience and it will here again.

Mike.Bray

12-05-2023, 03:46 PM

Another update on the paint. The company I'm using is standardized on PPG brand paints which are good quality. We were looking for something a little different than a pigment paint and the owner showed us a panel they had done with House of Kolor kandy basecoat. He said they are happy to do HoK and spray it on a regular basis. So we headed down the HoK path with their Cobalt blue.

In my previous posts I detailed how the wanker painter screwed everything up by mixing paint brands and attempting to apply the stripes on top of the kandy blue. Since the mistakes made are crystal clear to me it seems an easy fix, don't mix paint brands and don't try to spray stripes on top of the color. I wrote a 6 page document documenting where things went wrong and the correct path going forward. I detailed the paint codes for the silver base, Cobalt blue basecoat, stripes, and the final clearcoat. I also supplied names and contact information for the main & local HoK techs.

A few weeks ago we received a call to come out and discuss colors with their new painter. As I mentioned earlier we like this new guy and with 30 years of experience he knows what he's doing. The owner hit us up that they wanted to change from HoK to PPG because of all the issues they had even though they were self-induced and not the fault of the paint. I still had the sample sprayout and was able to get the company to agree that is the color and we didn't really care how he got there. I also added I knew PPG had a range of candy paints called Radiance and while they might match the shade I didn't think they would match the effects and finished appearance. They felt confident they could and went to work.

Here we are 6 weeks later and today I was informed they have conceded they cannot match the HoK with PPG. Best part of this was hearing my wife tell me I was right:) They have met with the local HoK rep that I recommended months ago and have ordered paint from HoK to do my car. Round and round we go and right back where we started. I am happy we're back to a standard off the shelf color and not a special mix.

RoadRacer

12-05-2023, 05:52 PM

There's not a WOW button, so.. WOW.

> Best part of this was hearing my wife tell me I was right

Amen! Make the most of it.

Mbufford

12-05-2023, 07:13 PM

So glad they finally decided to do exactly what they originally contracted to do!

jklapp

12-06-2023, 09:11 PM

Hi Mike - I like the SS lines you ran in the footbox. What diameter is the line that runs from the footbox to the reservoirs? Thanks, Joel

I don't work on Fridays so with the holiday I had a nice long weekend to work on my newly delivered kit. Separated out all of the parts I'm not going to use and took them to storage. Then took about 100 pictures of the aluminum before stripping it off. Planning on taking a load to the anodize shop tomorrow.

Now down to the bare frame.
https://www.imagecoast.com/images/MichaelBray1/20220528105451mediumrotated.jpg

Started assembling the front suspension and steering rack using the Breeze centering kit which worked great by the way. FFR says my lower control arms are in assembly so I'm about as far as I can go on the front suspension for now.
https://www.imagecoast.com/images/MichaelBray1/20220528183815mediumrotated.jpg

Next I got the pedal assembly put together, mounted, and master cylinders installed and adjusted. In the interest of complete overkill I'm running hard lines from the reservoirs to the MC.
https://www.imagecoast.com/images/MichaelBray1/20220530162407mediumrotated.jpg

https://www.imagecoast.com/images/MichaelBray1/20220530162400mediumrotated.jpg

Also got the steering shaft assembled but the top pillow block bearing is on the POL list. Not going to wait on that so I've ordered one from McMaster.

I'd like to get the rear end mounted but FFR didn't pack one of the traction lock brackets for the solid axle. Supposedly they are going to ship one out to me this week.

Mike.Bray

12-06-2023, 10:18 PM

-4 or 1/4" tubes feeding the master cylinders.

Mike.Bray

12-12-2023, 01:16 PM

It's been a few months since I've had a positive update but got one today, the car is in the paint booth and getting a coat of HoK Orion Silver base applied. We're moving forward again!

Mike.Bray

12-12-2023, 05:15 PM

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Jeff Kleiner

12-12-2023, 05:34 PM

So, they’re doing all of this body on?

Jeff

Mike.Bray

12-12-2023, 05:43 PM

So, they’re doing all of this body on?

Jeff

Yes Jeff, couldn't convince them how easy it was to take the body off. I'm just happy they finally agreed to go with the original HoK paint I selected so figured I'd pick my battles lol.

buttsjim

12-13-2023, 07:17 AM

I'm lovin' it already--can't wait to see it finished!

Mike.Bray

12-13-2023, 04:44 PM

The Cobalt Blue looks spectacular in the sun!

https://youtube.com/shorts/QzBncQ2gZjs?si=JqFXVcDFw2IluMYL

egchewy79

12-13-2023, 06:35 PM

Damn!!! That is an electric blue!

Papa

12-13-2023, 07:55 PM

The Cobalt Blue looks spectacular in the sun!

https://youtube.com/shorts/QzBncQ2gZjs?si=JqFXVcDFw2IluMYL

So they are doing the stripes over the blue again? I would have thought they would have put them down first this time.

Mike.Bray

12-13-2023, 08:48 PM

So they are doing the stripes over the blue again? I would have thought they would have put them down first this time.

Believe me I asked that question! This time they are working directly with the HoK technical people and they recommended this way. HoK has a nice sealer, I'm betting they're recommending that. I did find out Classic Recreations (https://classic-recreations.com/models/) use a lot of HoK on their reproduction Mustangs and they always apply the stripes on top of the color. In the end I just want a finished product and it's the company's responsibility to deliver it.

Nigel Allen

12-13-2023, 09:09 PM

I love that blue so much, I'll take the car as it is! It just looks fantastic.

Hoping the striping goes well,

Cheers, Nige

Mbufford

12-13-2023, 10:44 PM

So happy for you that this finally working out for the better! That is one sexy car.

Mike.Bray

12-14-2023, 08:36 PM

Got to see the car in person today and it really jumps out at you. Compared it to the spray out and we've got a perfect match.

Everything is House of Kolor; the silver base, the candy blue (4 coats), and the high solids clearcoat. Kind of an interesting process as the maximum time between coats is 4 hours so it made for a long day for the painter. The clearcoat has very high UV protection which is important for candies.

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Justin

01-03-2024, 08:43 AM

I'm excited to see the paint job. Looks great so far.

Mike.Bray

01-16-2024, 03:59 PM

It may be moving at glacier speed but at least it's moving. Stripes have been sprayed, thanks to Jeff Kleiner for the dims.

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buttsjim

01-16-2024, 04:04 PM

It won't be long--even at glacier speed! (Why do I get electrocuted every time I see your Cobra pics?)

Tooth

01-16-2024, 04:54 PM

Looks great.

sdeal0527

01-16-2024, 04:58 PM

It looks awesome Mike!

Ted G

01-16-2024, 06:06 PM

Looking great!!

JimStone

01-20-2024, 12:57 PM

Dang, those colors are spectacular!

Fman

03-13-2024, 09:33 AM

How is your paint coming along? Hopefully they got it all figured out for you.

Mike.Bray

03-13-2024, 10:53 AM

How is your paint coming along? Hopefully they got it all figured out for you.

Ugg! We went out to see the car on Feb 5th, the paint and clearcoat was done and it looked gorgeous. All that was left was buff and assembly of the doors, hood, and deck lid. And here we are over a month later still waiting on Glacier Speed Painters to finish. I swear you have to drive a stick in the ground next to these guys to see if they're moving. We're about to just go get the car and finish it up ourselves. So frustrating!

Fman

03-13-2024, 10:12 PM

Ugg! We went out to see the car on Feb 5th, the paint and clearcoat was done and it looked gorgeous. All that was left was buff and assembly of the doors, hood, and deck lid. And here we are over a month later still waiting on Glacier Speed Painters to finish. I swear you have to drive a stick in the ground next to these guys to see if they're moving. We're about to just go get the car and finish it up ourselves. So frustrating!

I think all body shops seem to work at slow speeds, everyone having their car painted has to play the waiting game in one form or another! Glad they got it all painted up, looking forward to seeing the final pics! :cool:

mrglaeser

03-14-2024, 10:04 AM

Don't know how I missed the last update with the color and stripes. That blue really pops. I can't wait to see some outdoor shots once the glaciers recede. Cobalt and Kandy Blues are high on my list but the wife wants something darker and stands out less. As if a Cobra could hide. She's thinking more like the Indigo Ink Blue that FFR has a car the bring around to shows. Maybe I can convince her of something in the middle like Nissan Aurora Flare Blue.

Mike.Bray

03-14-2024, 10:45 AM

Cobalt and Kandy Blues are high on my list but the wife wants something darker and stands out less.

You might look at the House of Kolor kandy basecoat blues. These are translucent colors like the old school kandies but are a true basecoat paint. They spray and apply like any other basecoat, and surprisingly very affordable. Because they are translucent, what is underneath them and the number of coats affects the finished color. We looked at the Cobalt Blue over a gray primer and a dark primer but the finished blue wasn't what we were looking for. Our finished color is sprayed over a silver, so basically we made it a tri-coat.

You might look at a kandy over primer to get the shade you're looking for.

Here's the Cobalt Blue over silver in the sun. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QzBncQ2gZjs

mrglaeser

03-14-2024, 10:57 AM

You might look at the House of Kolor kandy basecoat blues. These are translucent colors like the old school kandies but are a true basecoat paint. They spray and apply like any other basecoat, and surprisingly very affordable. Because they are translucent, what is underneath them and the number of coats affects the finished color. We looked at the Cobalt Blue over a gray primer and a dark primer but the finished blue wasn't what we were looking for. Our finished color is sprayed over a silver, so basically we made it a tri-coat.

You might look at a kandy over primer to get the shade you're looking for.

Here's the Cobalt Blue over silver in the sun. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QzBncQ2gZjs

Thanks for the suggestion. I will keep this in mind when we get there. Talking about color is fun, but I need to get to first start and finish assembly first!

Railroad

03-15-2024, 02:47 PM

I was not a big fan of the blue, until it got its stripes. Fabulous! I will bet the trim will dress it, even more.

Mike.Bray

04-06-2024, 09:43 AM

I've certainly made my share of not so great decisions in my life but trusting Riggs Fabrication to do my paint & bodywork ranks up near the top. They build nice cars, not Riddler caliber cars, but nice. But they have no clue when it comes to paint. I think they're trying to "do it all" so they're becoming a Jack of all trades - master of none shop. Went through three different painters, massively over budget, and a colossal and very fundamental screwup that is documented earlier in this thread. But after a quick 12 1/2 months my baby came home yesterday, less a couple of boxes of parts that I need to go back and collect.

Yesterday afternoon my good friend was nice enough to pick my car up and bring it to me.

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The wankers at Riggs couldn't even charge the battery for me so we had to find a way to get it up my driveway and into the garage. Fortunately my truck has a winch so that got us most of the way, at least close enough the three of us could then get it into the garage.

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In the end the color turned out spectacular and I really like the stripes. Depending on the angle and lighting they shift from a brilliant white to a silver. It's a neat effect.

So today I'll pull the battery and probably get it exchanged as it doesn't look like it's taking a charge. Then there's a pretty long to-do list to get going on. After sitting on my butt for a year I'm ready. I just hope I can find all of my parts and remember where they go!

Mike.Bray

04-07-2024, 04:10 PM

I got the engine fired up today without much effort and pulled it out onto the driveway so I could spray the engine compartment down. Glacier Speed Painters sent it back dirtier than I can even describe, it's going to take me a month to clean it. Very disappointing.

But on the bright side, it's a nice sunny day here so I got to see it outside in the sun. That blue really sparkles in the sun, it looks amazing.

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cc2Arider

04-07-2024, 05:02 PM

VERY NICE Mike :cool:

Did you get the radiator surround painted white? If so, that is a nice touch! Tough to keep clean, but I suspect with your background building HotRods, not too much out of your wheel-house :)

Craig C

buttsjim

04-07-2024, 06:48 PM

Beautiful! All your pictures look great, but I think that rear three quarter view is my favorite--something about that blue on the rear fenders and deck slope. I hope the issues with the painter are the last of your troubles, and that everything (especially including titling) goes super smooth for you. It's amazing that it's been 12-1/2 months--you're a patient man!

Mike.Bray

04-08-2024, 05:34 PM

Spent the afternoon cleaning and doing some little things now that the car is back home. There's a pretty long list of to-do items, trying not to rush or get overwhelmed. I just need to remember it's like eating an elephant, just take one bite at a time.

Did a test fit of my 3D printed air duct for the footbox cooling. I had to change out the seatbelt mouunting bolts from hex head to button head for a little clearance but that was it, the plenum slipped into place nicely. Now to get the mirror image printed for the DS.

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Mike.Bray

04-08-2024, 05:37 PM

Received my center cap for the steering wheel today, also 3D printed. I think it's going to look nice when it's polished and the background is filled with black.

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Bill Elliott

04-08-2024, 09:23 PM

Glad to see your car is back home with you, that blue is truly one of a kind!! Looks awesome.

zarnold

04-08-2024, 10:05 PM

Your a trooper Mike, way to hang in there. Now back to the fun stuff :)

cv2065

04-08-2024, 10:11 PM

Looks great Mike!!

460.465USMC

04-08-2024, 10:53 PM

But after a quick 12 1/2 months my baby came home yesterday, less a couple of boxes of parts that I need to go back and collect.

Yesterday afternoon my good friend was nice enough to pick my car up and bring it to me.

Congrats on getting it back home, Mike. I was wondering what happened. Sorry to read about your bad experience. I hope things improve going forward. It looks great!

Jeff Kleiner

04-09-2024, 08:26 AM

I know all about what you’ve had to endure so am happy to see that it’s back home, hopefully without too much of a fight.

Jeff

Nigel Allen

04-09-2024, 08:36 AM

Happy to see you moving forward again Mike.

Cheers from down under

Mike.Bray

04-11-2024, 04:34 PM

I went back and forth all through the build whether I should install a battery disconnect or not. Now that the car is mostly assembled and almost finished I've decided to add one. I don't recommend this method though, do it as you're wiring.

Two things convinced me to add it. One, these cars sit more than they are driven and there are small draws on the battery. Second, I'm using the FFR supplied switch with the removable key, a small theft deterrent. I mounted it under the hood which can be locked adding to the theft deterrence.

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Mike.Bray

04-14-2024, 10:15 AM

Had most of yesterday free so worked on checking a few things off my to-do list.

First up, changing out the valve covers. I thought I would like the classic Cobra covers but the more I looked at them the less I liked them. After seeing what Papa Dave did I had to follow suit and I like these a lot better. I think they compliment the stacks better than the Cobra ones and I have to say the quality is top notch. Also slipped in the screens for the stacks, they're advertised to keep out rocks and small animals:)

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Next up, installing the headlights. No big dramas as I had already prepared everything and had pigtails installed through the buckets. The only issue I ran into was on the PS, the paint shop for reasons known only to them removed the Weatherpack connectors from the harness so I had to reinstall them. Of course I got two wires crossed on the three-way connector and didn't have another housing. Thanks to my buddy Terry down the road I was able to borrow one and save a drive to Summit. I really like these headlights, they have built-in halos that I'm using for DRL and turn signals. Notice what's missing from the front of my car?

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Next installed the door panels from Herb's. I really like these, I think they give the car a more finished look and for not a lot of money.

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Also installed the door straps. My wife and I had dyed these black a few months ago and after seeing them on the car I'm glad we did it.

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Taillights and sidepipe hangers are installed. Next up, the oil catch can for the engine and continue cleaning.

Ted G

04-14-2024, 10:29 AM

Looking great Mike!!

Rebostar

04-14-2024, 04:42 PM

Mike, looks great. Back to the fun stuff!.
I love the "missing" turn signals! Where did you find those head lights?
Allyn

Mike.Bray

04-14-2024, 04:57 PM

Mike, looks great. Back to the fun stuff!.
I love the "missing" turn signals! Where did you find those head lights?
Allyn

These are the headlights I used. https://www.carid.com/1965-ford-gt-headlights/lumen-7-round-led-halo-projector-headlights-950696332.html?parentsubmodel[]=SUBMODEL|With+Factory+2-Headlight+System

https://youtu.be/3LabdUfEHVo

Mike.Bray

04-16-2024, 05:35 PM

This afternoon I had a little free time so I worked on the footbox venting system. Attached the blower to the plenum and then fitted a piece of 1" x 4" x 0.125" aluminum RHS to the other end. For reference I made the tube 24" long. Covered the RHS with some marine grade carpet I had, the thin stuff kind of like felt.

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Installed my buttons and ran all the wiring and Weatherpack connectors for the blowers.

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And finally fitted the finished product into the passenger side, plugged in the blower, and test ran it. I have to say I'm reasonable pleased with it. Everything fits really well and there's a decent amount of air blowing into the footbox. It took more work than I thought it would but I enjoy this process.

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JayOH

04-17-2024, 01:21 PM

Mike.Bray

04-17-2024, 02:14 PM

Is the air just going to blow out the end of the rectangular tube towards the front of the foot box or are you going to add an additional feature to send the air towards passenger’s legs/seat?

Better question, is the purpose just to provide passive cooling to the passenger by directing airflow to the foot box to prevent stationary air from heating up too much or is purpose to provide actively cooling by directing air directly towards the passenger to cool?

Yes, the air blows out the end of the rectangular tube into the footbox.

The theory is twofold. First, by pulling (relatively) cool air from behind the seat and blowing it into the footbox it will help keep the area cool as the footboxes tend to heat up from the engine and headers. Second, blowing air into the footbox will slightly increase the pressure inside creating a pressure differential between the inside of the footbox and the engine compartment.

I think blowing relatively cool air into the footbox will help. I doubt if the pressure differential created will be enough to make a difference though. Either way I don't think what I'm doing is going to hurt anything, just remains to be seen how much it helps.

Mike.Bray

04-23-2024, 01:20 PM

Small update, got the steering wheel center insert finished today.

Here's the part raw from the 3D printer. Material is aluminum.

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And here it is after my buddy Matt Bufford did his magic and made my junk look good.

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egchewy79

04-23-2024, 02:30 PM

looking good. love the custom touches.

Mike.Bray

04-24-2024, 05:07 PM

Took a few more bites out of the elephant over the past couple of days.

Started with the windshield. I had previously installed Forte's quick release windshield brackets (https://fortesparts.com/product/factory-5-quick-release-windshield-brackets/), these things are gold.

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My wife and I dropped the windshield in, marked the two holes, and slid it out to drill. I know the frame is brass and how "grabby" brass can be with a twist drill so I used a step drill. It was easy as could be. We dropped it back in and popped the quick release pins in. The entire process took us 30 minutes. Those are Mike Everson's trim rings around the posts.

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Next up mounted the windwings and Breeze rearview mirrors. No drama here, very quick and easy. I do really like these mirrors.

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Next up was the sun visors. I had read horror stories about the FFR provided screws being a smidge too long and cracking the glass so I certainly didn't want that. Decided to do the "Kleiner Sun Visor Mod" using 6-32 square nuts in the channel on the top of the windshield frame with 6-32 x 1/4" flat head screws secured with a little blue Loctite. I still need to insert some vacuum hose in the channel to finish it off.

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And the finished sun visors.

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Mike.Bray

04-24-2024, 05:12 PM

Next up I finished the footbox cooling system on the PS. Wrapped the fan with some sound absorbing material and secured it to the floor. Installed the seat and everything fits really nice. Almost looks factory original.

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Mike.Bray

04-24-2024, 05:26 PM

Did the final alignment on the doors and latches, I think they turned out nice. As others have said, there's a lot of work in the doors.

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While I was in the general area I went ahead and installed the sidepipes. I've been storing them in my wife's office so she was happy.

Added the weather seal for the hood. For reference the large seal is McMaster #93085K14 the the small seal is McMaster #93085K67

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And other than aligning the headlights the frontend is now complete. Installed these grommet (https://metrommp.com/front_bumper_arm_grommets_shelby_cobra_and_kit_car s_ex_17b/)s for the quick jack posts and installed chrome washers & acorn nuts. Also glued the screens in the brake ducts.

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Started on installing the side louvers, will finish them up in the morning. Probably install the hood also.

Ashaw65

04-25-2024, 01:59 PM

Good luck with the build. I'm in Houston and look forward to seeing your blog.

Mike.Bray

04-25-2024, 04:48 PM

Small update today.

I debated back and forth about how to install the side louvers, permanently bond them to the body or make them removable. After seeing how convenient that hole is when installing the sidepipes I decided to make them removable. Ordered up some Rotaloc bonding fasteners (https://www.rotaloc.com/products/bonding-fasteners) and made the louvers removable.

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Next up, installing the Breeze roll bar for the last time. I just don't like the way the FFR bar looks, the paperclip look. The Breeze bar is bigger diameter (1.75" OD) and welds together instead of bolting. You have to fit everything up, weld the diagonal brace on, and then get it finished - chrome in my case. Because it's a welded assembly and larger diameter than the FFR one there are couplers to attach it to the standard roll bar mounts in the chassis. The couplers are just pieces of 1.5" x 0.125" DOM tubing about 8" long. The roll bar and couplers have to be match drilled to the chassis so it can be bolted in. No big deal except the paint shop lost the coupler for the diagonal bar. Ugh. Off the Metal Supermarket for a piece of overpriced tubing, sand the crap out of the OD to get it to slide freely, and match drill everything. A quick three hours later and the roll bar is installed for hopefully the last time.

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Rebostar

04-26-2024, 05:52 PM

Mike
Your car is looking awsome!! Where can I find that cool carbon fiber console cover? I need one!!

Allyn....aka Rebostar

Mike.Bray

04-27-2024, 10:12 AM

Where can I find that cool carbon fiber console cover? I need one!!

Tricked you lol! it's not really carbon fiber. I started with this heavier tunnel top from FFMetal (https://www.ffmetal.com/index.html#prods). It comes blank so you can put the shifter hole where you need it. The FFR-supplied one already has a hole and it's usually in the wrong place. FFMetal also sells the Firewall Forward Kit and Fat Tire "F" panels which I would recommend.

Then I covered it with this stuff from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071VP5VQF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1).

If you're interested I used 10-24 screws from here (https://radrides.com/products/).

Mike

Mike.Bray

04-27-2024, 05:26 PM

Not a lot to report, kind of slowed down some the past couple of days. I'm certainly not as young as I used to be.

Mounted the hood and to my dismay the hinges are all out of adjustment. I just don't understand what the paint shop was thinking, I had spent quite a bit of time aligning the hood and hinges and it was as good as it would ever be. Why they felt they had to adjust it is just beyond me. Not only that, as most of you know the FFR hinges have slots for adjustments, I found door shims stuck in. WTH? Anyway, removed the shims and realigned everything as I had it before.

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My 3D printed cooling fan duct for the DS showed up a few days earlier than expected so I was able to assembly the DS fan system and install it. With that I could install the driver's seat so the interior is looking more and more like a finished car.

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And couldn't resist bolting the steering wheel on and seeing how my center cap looks.

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Mike.Bray

05-02-2024, 03:48 PM

Just a few little updates to report, work has been getting in the way of my project.

Buttoned up a few things under the hood.

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Made and installed the filler pieces in front of the rear wheels. Not sure why Factory Five leaves this opening, certainly not good.

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I've had these power nibblers longer than I can remember and I sure do love them. They really made short work out of cutting the filler panels.

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Reinstalled the front wheels and that about wraps up the front half of the car.

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I have a couple of little things to do under the car at the rear, some cleaning left to do, and bolt in the Drake fire extinguisher bracket (https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Drake-Aluminum-Extinguisher-FIREX-MNT-S-DAG/dp/B08NC1VRXM/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=poP6w&content-id=amzn1.sym.8b590b55-908d-4829-9f90-4c8752768e8b%3Aamzn1.symc.40e6a10e-cbc4-4fa5-81e3-4435ff64d03b&pf_rd_p=8b590b55-908d-4829-9f90-4c8752768e8b&pf_rd_r=800SAEQRX4N9KN82PCPS&pd_rd_wg=p7kH9&pd_rd_r=5232a367-55eb-4e02-a177-c793f9bcfd89&pd_rd_i=B08NC1VRXM). After that I think it will be time to reinstall the rear wheels and drop it back onto the ground.

Mike.Bray

05-04-2024, 06:08 PM

No big milestones to report, still just working on little things. I bought this rearview mirror (https://www.billetspecialties.com/Store/accessories/interior-accessories/interior-mirrors/item/mirror-head-oval-73520/)as it kind of matched the Breeze side mirrors I've got. However, the straight button mount won't work with the extreme rake of the Cobra windshield so I designed and had 3D printed an angled mount to compensate for the angle of the windshield.

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A little polishing, drill & tap a hole, and glue it on with some Loctite 37438 Rearview Mirror Adhesive. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VNAIQ2/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_slice_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

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Next up, the trunk.

Mike.Bray

05-07-2024, 11:08 AM

Trunk Tuesday!

Buttoned up the deck lid today so it's ready to go back on when the rest of the trunk is done. I installed an electric trunk release and ran the wires internally to a Weather Pack connector. Also installed a cover over the opening, but first polished it up a little for some bling.

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This trunk release has a cable for an emergency manual release so I ran it out through the rear of the deck lid behind the license plate.

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Now on to the inside of the trunk.

JayOH

05-08-2024, 08:02 AM

And here it is after my buddy Matt Bufford did his magic and made my junk look good.

https://www.imagecoast.com/images/MichaelBray1/20240423102301medium.jpg

Wow, that looks great. Do you have a friend or local business that does 3D printing in metal or is there an online service you used to have the print made?

Mike.Bray

05-08-2024, 08:53 AM

Wow, that looks great. Do you have a friend or local business that does 3D printing in metal or is there an online service you used to have the print made?

I have both but lately I've been getting all of my 3D printing through a website. Most of the actual printing has been done in China, best cost/quality/delivery. These steering wheel inserts are aluminum with is very difficult to 3D print but they knocked it out of the park.

craig6990

05-08-2024, 09:24 AM

Mike,
Do you have a file you could share for this insert?

Thank You!!

Craig M

Mike.Bray

05-08-2024, 02:57 PM

Day two of Trunk Tuesday.

I had a couple of leftover LED light strips from the under dash lighting so decided to install them in the trunk. I robbed power from the license plate light so they will only illuminate when the lights are on. In theory that's the only time we should need them. To actuate them I "borrowed" a tilt switch from one of my wife's pinball games. I just hope she doesn't notice I'm getting really good:) Mounted the tilt switch to the hinge like this.

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And tested it.

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And finally did a final alignment on the deck lid.

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BTW, just kidding about using the tilt switch from my wife's pinball machine. I actually used this one (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/comus-international/ag3011-77c/7497020).

Mike.Bray

05-11-2024, 10:08 AM

One final post on the trunk lid. Since I was using an electric latch mechanism from a Ford Taurus determining where the latch pin needed to be was a bit of a challenge. My first idea was to have my wife crawl inside the trunk and mark it but she objected to that for some reason. Guess I should have installed a drop trunk. There's not a lot of leeway where you can drill the hole in the body so I just kind of centered it. From there I figured I could angle the pin up or down some to find the ideal position. Off to Ace Hardware to get a #10 screw x 4" long (cheapest I've ever got out of that place) and installed it through the hole supported on the other end by an adjustable parallel from my machinist days. Actually ended up dropping the latch mechanism some and angling the latch pin up slightly but was able to nail it.

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In my previous post I said I had done a final alignment of the trunk lid. I lied. My wife pointed out it could be better, her eagle eyes are both a blessing and a curse sometimes. So a little more tweaking, pass inspection this time, and now ready to say the trunk is done. BTW, the trunk is opened by a pushbutton on the dash, in the video she's using the manual cable release so we know it works.

https://youtu.be/LZdzMovaAqY

Jeff Kleiner

05-11-2024, 11:15 AM

...My first idea was to have my wife crawl inside the trunk and mark it but she objected to that for some reason.

Mike, surely you've heard that if you want to know who really loves you, lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car then let them out an hour later and see who is happy to see you.

Jeff

Mike.Bray

05-11-2024, 08:07 PM

Didn't do a lot today, other things got in the way. My wife helped button up the Thermotec and carpet in the DS footbox, she's a lot more flexible than I am! I have a cool picture of her contorted in the car but it's not very flattering and I've been threatened about it.

Added safety wire to the knockoffs on the pin drive wheels.

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Buttoned up the final little details under the car and got it back on the ground.

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Mike.Bray

05-17-2024, 11:33 AM

We finally got a day of sunshine here in Texas so I was able to pull Project Cobra out for a few quick pictures.

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Mike.Bray

05-17-2024, 11:36 AM

And a few more pictures from today.

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Mike.Bray

05-17-2024, 11:37 AM

Working on the registration process. A few little things to button up and I'm going to call it complete other than driving.

Jeff Kleiner

05-17-2024, 11:41 AM

Looking great Mike :cool:

Jeff

sdeal0527

05-17-2024, 12:00 PM

That is is the Bluest Blue I have ever seen it is very cool! Car looks awesome Mike !

Steve

cv2065

05-17-2024, 12:58 PM

Great job Mike. Happy to see you roll across the finish line!

Mike.Bray

05-17-2024, 01:03 PM

That is is the Bluest Blue I have ever seen it is very cool! Car looks awesome Mike !

Steve

Thanks, that's what we were shooting for! When parked in the middle of 50 blue cars we wanted to be the BLUE one!

Mike.Bray

05-18-2024, 08:14 PM

Tested the daytime running lights, turn signals, flashers, headlights, and high beams today. All good!

https://youtu.be/6E9b8it0uE0

TXeverydayDad

05-18-2024, 09:02 PM

Looking very good Mike!

Mike.Bray

05-20-2024, 05:18 PM

Today I had a chance to run down to Summit and pick up some Power Grip hose clamps and get rid of those ugly worm clamps. I like the way these look, now let's see how they hold up under pressure.

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Mike.Bray

05-25-2024, 12:29 PM

Tested for leaks this morning after installing the Power Grip hose clamps, and just wanted to hear the rumble lol. Waiting on the weather to clear some so can go for more test drives.

https://youtu.be/ZVpmFaoQvkY

buttsjim

05-25-2024, 08:28 PM

My goodness, that rumble sounds SO good!

BTW, where did you find the Carroll Shelby decal? I got some, but they turned out to be stickers and don't look good. I'm looking for one just like yours.

Railroad

05-26-2024, 07:16 AM

All very nice, including the engine rumble. I would throw a hand full of hose clamps in my travel bag, just in case. I cannot get comfortable with the heat to shrink hose clamps.

OB6

05-26-2024, 09:23 AM

All very nice, including the engine rumble. I would throw a hand full of hose clamps in my travel bag, just in case. I cannot get comfortable with the heat to shrink hose clamps.

The powergrip clamps are really not much different than PEX-A fittings in the plumbing world, where pressures are much higher. Biggest difference is the powegrips rely on heat to shrink them, while the PEX-A fittings rely on memory to shrink after being expanded. I love those things, but I'll admit I enjoy sweating copper.

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Mike.Bray

05-26-2024, 01:03 PM

My goodness, that rumble sounds SO good!

BTW, where did you find the Carroll Shelby decal? I got some, but they turned out to be stickers and don't look good. I'm looking for one just like yours.

I don't remember! I thought Amazon but they're not in my order history so there's no telling where I found them.

Update, my wife says I probably bought them from Classic Recreations. I'll have a look the next time I'm up there.

Mike.Bray

06-05-2024, 05:08 PM

When I started my MKIV project a couple of years ago I dug out my ancient Craftsman floor jack and discovered that it no longer functioned. It was probably just low on hydraulic oil but I saw this as an opportunity to replace the very heavy steel jack with a new low profile lightweight aluminum model. Since it's not a tool I will be using everyday and the Cobra is relatively lightweight I opted for a 2 ton aluminum jack from Harbor Freight (https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/jacks-jack-stands/floor-jacks/2-ton-professional-racing-series-aluminum-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-58393.html). I like it, it works great but the pad is relatively small and when jacking against the 4" round frame rail it's not very secure.

I made this new jack pad to contour to the 4" frame rail and be more secure when jacking the car up.

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It's only a little thing but it sure makes me sleep better at night lol

cc2Arider

06-06-2024, 05:46 AM

Mike.Bray

06-06-2024, 09:51 AM

I like this idea Mike. :)

I'd like to make something similar one day, but I'd account for the thickness of a rubber pad (maybe 1/8") and then reduce the "wrap-around" height of the metal by about 1/2"...

Did you make it with powder metal on a 3D printer?

Craig C

Thanks Craig. Yes, I modeled it and had it 3D printed from aluminum.

I did account for an 1/8" rubber pad and I have the rubber, just haven't put it in yet. The wife has the garage full of cabinets and doors painting. Did give me a chance to try out the car cover she bought me for Christmas.

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Mike.Bray

06-09-2024, 10:35 AM

Well, faster than a speeding turtle I'm approaching the end of this project. I'm in the process of registration now so fingers crossed it will be titled and street legal very soon. If anyone is interested I thought I would take this opportunity to recap my build in the next few posts.

Part 1, Factory Five Order.

50013 MK IV Complete Kit

16613 Powdercoated Chassis

13242 Pin-Drive Front Suspension

12508 Pin-Drive Lower Front Arms

14758 3-Link Rear Suspension

16799 Power Steering Components

13083 302-351 Engine/Trans Mount Kit

16794 351W Stainless Headers

14932 Stainless Side Exhaust

16350 31 Spline 11.25" Driveshaft

34158 Hydraulic Clutch Master Cylinder Kit

12070 Body Cut-Outs

12049 Wind Wings

12042 Sun Visors

12453 Battery Cut-Off Switch

15154 Mk IV Logo Floormats

16004 FFR GPS Gauge Set

16213 Black Leather Seats

12469 Brake Duct Wire Mesh

16590 Trunk Gas Strut Kit

Mike.Bray

06-09-2024, 10:44 AM

Part 2, Forte

Moser 8.8 Fox Narrowed Rear End (for pin-drive)

Wilwood 140-7146-DR Brakes

Tremec TKX TCET18084 5 Speed Transmission

Seat Heaters

In-tank Fuel Pump

Quick Release Windshield Brackets

Mike.Bray

06-09-2024, 11:48 AM

Part 3, Engine

Dart SHP 351W Block, 9.5" deck, bored 0.030 over

SCAT Forged Rotating Assembly, Stroked to 393CI, 10:1 CR, Internally Balanced

Aluminum Heads, ProMaxx Project X, 210CC Intake Runners, 56CC Chambers, 2.08" Intake & 1.60" Exhaust

Comp 4816-8 Pushrod Guideplates

ARP 134-7104 Rocker Arm Studs

Comp 2618 Valve Springs

Comp 35-775-8 Hyd Roller Cam

Comp 8931-16 Hyd Lifters

Comp 7957-16 Pushrods

Trick Flow 51400510 Roller Rockers

Comp 2138 Timing Chain

Comp 4705-16 Valve Spring Locators

Comp 795-16 Steel Retainers

Comp 614-16 Valve Locks

Comp 503-16 Valve Seals

Aviaid 155-55363 Oil Pan

Melling M-83 Oil Pump

Summit 5-60-04-201 Timing Cover

ATI 918949 Timing Pointer

Flowkooler 1653 Water Pump

ATI 918920 Harmonic Balancer

Ram 1529LW Flywheel

Ram 88794HDT Clutch Kit

Tremec TCEP8639 Bellhousing

Ford 401-1106-A Spacer Plate

Tilton 60-6102 Hyd Throwout Bearing

Borla 200074 50mm EFI Throttle Body Induction

FAST 303000 XFI Sportsman ECU

CSR Performance 9111C-CSR Billet Thermostat Housing

Holley 565-201 Duel Sync Distributor

MSD 82073 Ignition Coil

Holley 6415 MSD 6EFI Ignition

NGK BKR6E Spark Plugs

Ford Performance M-12259-C302 Plug Wires

Ford Performance 302-138 Valve Covers

Moroso 93163 Oil Pan Gasket

Moroso 93060 Valve Cover Gaskets

Cometic C5511-030 Head Gaskets

Remflex 3083 Exhaust Gaskets

Ford M-6674-351 Oil Pan Reinforcement Rails

Powermaster 9503 Starter

March P560 One-Wire Alternator

CVF GM Type II Power Steering Pump

All ARP Studs & Bolts

Mike.Bray

06-09-2024, 05:31 PM

Part 4, Breeze. Spending the big money now.

21101 Steering Rack Travel Limit

35048 Gas Pedal Kit (Russ Thompson)

35303 Billet Side View Mirrors

35376 Remote Brake Balance Bar Adjuster

35438 Roll Bar Kit

70031 Radiator Cowl Cover Kit

70551 Lower Radiator Support Kit

70558 Hinged Radiator Mounting Kit

70561 Battery Mount Kit

70602 Seat Mounts

70634 Offset Rack Mounting Kit

70648 Vent Check Valve

70730 Rod End Lower Control Arms

70752 Cubby Kit

70772 Radiator Fan Shroud

70783 Lower Radiator Hose Kit

70785 Lower Radiator Hose Bracket

Mike.Bray

06-11-2024, 05:01 PM

Part 5, Brakes, Wheels, Tires, and Small Stuff

Vintage Wheels Pin-Drive Wheels, 17x9 & 17x11

NT555 G2 275/40 R17 Nitto Tires

NT555 G2 315/35 R17 Nitto Tires

140-9107-DR Wilwood Brakes

Hawk Brake Pads

TIL-76-750 Tilton Master Cylinder (Front Brakes)

TIL-76-812 Tilton Master Cylinder (Clutch)

TIL-76-1000 Tilton Master Cylinder (Rear Brakes)

Triple XXXL Scotts Remote Brake Reservoir

PBS-I-0 Guard Dawg Keyless Start

RT Turn Signal Kit

E-Stopp Electric Emergency Brake

WIL-330-9371 Wilwood E Brake Cables

FFMetal Forward Firewall Kit

FFMetal Transmission Tunnel Top

SB7HLG201D-CHR Lumen 7" LED Headlights w/Halos

105390 Flex-A-Lite Electric Fan

Cobra Herb Door Panels

Finish Line Side Vent Louvers

Boatload of stainless steel tubing & fittings for brake & fuel lines

Electric trunk latch from Ford Taurus

JMD

06-12-2024, 07:46 PM

Congrats on your completion! Great summary at the end, I may have to borrow that format when I get to that point. Just don't go back and add up how much it all cost...I'm certainly not going to for mine.

Happy driving!

Mike.Bray

06-14-2024, 08:29 AM

Just don't go back and add up how much it all cost...I'm certainly not going to for mine.!

Oh I know exactly how much I've spent, I have a spreadsheet with everything listed on it. Actually, I have two spreadsheets. One with the actual costs and a second one with "adjusted" costs that I show my wife.

Mike.Bray

06-23-2024, 05:53 PM

I'm finally to one of the last steps, registration. I've hired a company to do most of the process for me and will get a bonded title with the process. What I've paid for their service is recouped in lower taxes having to be paid. It's a long story but I'll basically end up paying tax on about what the kit cost, which was never taxed in the first place, and not the value of the completed car.

Next week I have to take the car to get a VIN inspection by the state. The state examines the car, verifies the VIN number on the chassis, and matches it to the MSO and my receipt from Factory Five. It's part of the state's anti-theft program so I'm fine with that. On the way back from the VIN inspection we'll stop by a truckstop and get a certified weight.

The final step for me is a safety inspection with an ASE certified Master Tech which I've got set up for right after the 4th of July. After that I take my package to the DMV to apply for the title and pick up my plates (and pay my tax). At this point the car will be legal to drive.

Between the VIN inspection/weight and ASE inspection we've got an appointment with a photographer for some studio pictures and videos. This is being covered off by my painter so not costing me anything. I am excited to see how they turn out, I've seen this guy's work and I'm sure he'll make my hunk of junk look good.

One note for you builders in Texas, if you have insurance and a regular state inspection you can get a 30 day temporary tag. You can do this three times for a total of 90 days.

Mike.Bray

06-23-2024, 06:17 PM

Test & Tune

My wife and I have been going out in the evenings and test driving around the neighborhood. Knock on wood, so far it's gone well.

After each test we've made it home and parked in the garage.

My wife grins from ear to ear while riding and hasn't suffered a snakebite yet.

Had a small space between the body and DS footbox that was venting hot air in. Got that sealed up and it looks like both footboxes are sealed well now. And insulated well, we've been test driving in 90+ degree heat in shorts and not noticing any real heat in the footboxes (my wife has been in flip flops).

Found a loose connection in one of the DRLs, easy fix.

Permanently mounted the touchscreen for the Sportsman ECU, it's got some nice live data that can be monitored. Been watching the O2 correction, very small so I know my main fuel map is close.

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I like the Hawk brake pads but they're not bedded yet.

The engine is very responsive, and scary. Like a Cobra should be.

So far it drives straight and true, I think the alignment is pretty close but need to recheck the toe.

All of the gauges including the GPS speedo are working. Fuel level seems to be accurate.

I love the feeling of the power steering, so thankful for the forum convincing me to add it.

Anyone, and I mean anyone that is outside when we cruise by literally stops what they're doing and watches us. Most wave and kids chase us.

Driving shoes are much better than loafers, especially with manual brakes lol

Car is tight, responsive, and an absolute blast to drive.

buttsjim

06-24-2024, 08:17 AM

Its Bruce

06-24-2024, 01:25 PM

Is it being titled/plated as an assembled vehicle?

Mike.Bray

06-24-2024, 02:18 PM

Is it being titled/plated as an assembled vehicle?

Yes, it is "assembled from parts" as a replica kit car from Factory Five. I'll get either Classic or Antique plates so it will be exempt from annual inspections and the yearly registration fee will be something like $15.

https://classicautotitle.com/home

buttsjim

06-24-2024, 03:19 PM

Its Bruce

06-24-2024, 03:42 PM

Yes, it is "assembled from parts" as a replica kit car from Factory Five. I'll get either Classic or Antique plates so it will be exempt from annual inspections and the yearly registration fee will be something like $15.

https://classicautotitle.com/home

I doubt it. It'll most likely say Custom Vehicle. For anyone else's future reference, a Texas VIN inspection is not required for these kits when registering as an assembled vehicle...

All assembled vehicles require VIN verification to assist the department in establishing the identifying number of the vehicle for titling purposes. If the vehicle identification number is assigned by the maker of the kit or a manufacturer for a replica, custom vehicle, street rod, or glider kit, the applicant will not be required to obtain a Law Enforcement Identification Number Inspection (Form VTR-68). VIN verification in this case will be established by the identifying number provided on the Certificate of Origin or MCO.

Mike.Bray

06-24-2024, 04:26 PM

I doubt it. It'll most likely say Custom Vehicle. For anyone else's future reference, a Texas VIN inspection is not required for these kits when registering as an assembled vehicle...

On the bonded title application the Make is listed as ASVE, Assembled Vehicle. It is not going in as a custom vehicle. The model is listed as a Replica 1965 Shelby Cobra and I'll be getting custom plates which means I will not have to get an annual inspection. Getting custom plates also exempts the vehicle from having to meet current smog and safety standards. Note, by custom plates I'm not talking about personal plates although I do have an option to get those.

As for the VIN inspection, it is on the DMV check list for assembled kit cars so I'm getting it done. You may be correct that it's not needed but I'm not going to take a chance, better to have the form 68a and not need it than need it and not have it. As my attorney said, anyone can walk up with a certificate of origin, the state wants more than that has always been her experience. She's been doing this for 12 years and has done several Factory Five cars, I'm going to do what she says to the letter.

Update

Got some clarification from the DMV today about the VIN inspection. There are instances where it is not required. For us this would be if we bought the kit from FFR so we are the original owner and we have the original certificate of origin. So far so good, most Factory Five builders won't need the VIN inspection. And if the manufacturer assigned a VIN number and it's stamped on the frame like Factory Five does most of the time a VIN inspection is not required. So we're still good. Not all kit manufacturers do this though.

In my case I gave Factory Five my name as "Mike Bray" as that's what I go by. My legal name is Michael Bray though. Because this creates a discrepancy I need to have another form saying we are one and the same which upsets the DMV's little apple cart. BTW, this form is not available online. So to be safe and hopefully go through on the first try I'm going to go ahead with it. As I said, better to have it and not need it than have someone at the DMV asking for the form 68a and not having it.

Now we should all be clear as mud:)

Mike.Bray

06-25-2024, 05:15 PM

Added the one accessory today that I hope I never need.

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Mike.Bray

06-27-2024, 12:30 PM

This morning took the car out to get the VIN inspection by the state. It's still unclear in my case whether this is required or not, the trooper doing the inspection wasn't even sure. As I already had an appointment and everything was set up I played it safe and got it. Maybe I wasted my time and $40 but I guess we'll see.

Was in and out in about an hour, certainly pays to get there early. Judging from the line people that got there later were not going to be so lucky. The state trooper that did my inspection was a super nice guy and was gushing all over the Cobra. After he confirmed the VIN numbers and my paperwork he asked if he could take some pictures (I think for his son). These cars are certainly attention getters!

Since we were in and out of the VIN inspection in good time we went to a truck stop to get a certified weight which the state requires.

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With half a tank of gas came up to 2600lbs, a little heavier than I was expecting. I'm obviously going to need more power:)

Now the car is at the studio for some professional pictures and videos. Sometime next week we should be able to take it over for the ASE safety inspection. After that it's time to visit my local DMV and complete this project. YooHoo!

egchewy79

06-27-2024, 04:05 PM

Seems heavier than most. Is that with or without the driver? You clearly need more carbon fiber:)

Mike.Bray

06-27-2024, 04:38 PM

Seems heavier than most. Is that with or without the driver? You clearly need more carbon fiber:)

I think the driver was standing on one of the scales, the certificate says 180lbs on the front axle and 2480lbs on the rear. Oops.

Mike.Bray

06-27-2024, 04:39 PM

Picture time!

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Rebostar

06-27-2024, 05:58 PM

Mike.
I got your message on the roll bar.

Not sure I can describe this very well but I'll try. If you leave the end of the diagonal brace as it is you'll need to really enlarge the opening in the body to get the Breeze bar in when it's welded together. Obviously the bar is going to drop straight in. If you look at the weldment from the side, draw a vertical line on the end of the diagonal brace and cut that piece out so when you drop it in you don't need as big of an opening in the body. I might have to do a sketch:)

Mike Everson has trim rings for the Breeze bar.

Mike, Thanks for the heads up. I have a pair of Mike Everson's trim rings. On the rear brace,... If I understand you correctly, I should cut the rear bar parallel with the lower section of the hoop. This would make it appear as a 45' cut on the tube. That would allow the roll bar assembly to come straight up once the slider section is up into the rear bar.
Question: How far below the body does the upper slider bolt live once I drill the two slider holes. I'm concerned about that bolt hitting the body or trim rings.
Allyn

JMD

06-29-2024, 11:08 AM

That is is the Bluest Blue I have ever seen it is very cool! Car looks awesome Mike !

Steve

For real. So blue. Good work.

Rebostar

06-29-2024, 05:51 PM

Mike,
Sure looks good.....I noticed its BLUE!!!!

On the roll bar. Next time you get a chance can you measure the distance between the bottom side of the top of the hoop just in from the fishmouth cut on the rear down tube, to the top of the rear trim ring. I'm having nightmares about cutting mine to short. I measured mine and tried to estimate where on the body it will be, but without installing the body it was a fools errand. I transfered the the angle of the lower hoop to the rear down tube and it still looks like I'm to short and the 45' cut will stick out of the trim ring. Not gonna cut it till I'm 100% sure. I was thinking I'd give Mark a call on Monday.

Allyn
201128201129

Mike.Bray

06-30-2024, 08:57 AM

Mike.Bray

07-06-2024, 04:12 PM

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Mike.Bray

07-12-2024, 04:21 PM

Rebostar

07-12-2024, 07:22 PM

Got back in town today and picked up the paperwork for my required ASE inspection. This is the last missing piece that I need, now I can compile everything and head to the DMV for registration and tags. Fingers crossed I'll be legal in a few days.

Mike
Good luck with the ASE inspection. I hope you have "a guy with a clue" lined up. I've heard a couple horror stories out of Texas. Let us know how it went. Here in Oregon the the DMV guy just thumbs through the build book, walks out to make sure it looks like a car with all the big pieces installed and gives you a thumbs up!
Allyn

Mike.Bray

07-12-2024, 10:21 PM

Mike
Good luck with the ASE inspection. I hope you have "a guy with a clue" lined up. I've heard a couple horror stories out of Texas. Let us know how it went. Here in Oregon the the DMV guy just thumbs through the build book, walks out to make sure it looks like a car with all the big pieces installed and gives you a thumbs up!
Allyn

ASE inspection is done! I was picking up the completed forms from the ASE tech, sailed through with no issues.

Nigel Allen

07-13-2024, 06:17 AM

Nice one Mike! Wishing you wide open roads.

Cheers,

Nige

Rebostar

07-13-2024, 04:52 PM

Good on ya Mike. If I ever get to Texas and see a giant grin driving down the road making an ungodly racket I'll know it's you!

Mike.Bray

07-18-2024, 10:33 AM

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Jeff Kleiner

07-18-2024, 11:03 AM

Nice pics Mike!

Jeff

Mike.Bray

07-18-2024, 11:07 AM

Thanks Jeff!

TXeverydayDad

07-18-2024, 09:12 PM

It looks great Mike!

Mike.Bray

07-21-2024, 06:06 PM

A compilation of my build from delivery to completion.

https://youtu.be/VyGAgsWj27g

Mike.Bray

07-28-2024, 12:52 PM

While waiting on the DMV to do their thing with my paperwork we've been doing some test & tune drives around the neighborhood. This was last night.

https://youtu.be/sdwA13zF_rY

One thing I will add as I build up miles on the car, I am SO GLAD the forum convinced me to go with power steering!! Anyone on the fence about this one, do it! You will not regret it.

Mike.Bray

07-31-2024, 04:28 PM

Registration & Title Process

I received my approved paperwork back from the DMV this week so headed down to the local tax office this morning to see about getting my car registered and titled. There's a small tax office not far from me that's never very busy so I headed there with my stack of papers and no appointment. I only had to wait about 15 minutes before being called. Very fortunately the clerk helping me had done a couple of new registrations before so she was on it. She did have to reference the state manual a couple of times but no big deal.

Bruce in Houston pointed out that per the state manual an assembled vehicle with an MSO and an assigned VIN number from the kit manufacturer, a VIN inspection is not required in Texas. The attorney I hired to process the paperwork for me said it is, it's on the check list. The DMV sent back a checklist on my paperwork and the VIN inspection (VTR-68-A) is checked. Whether this is checked because I submitted the VTR-68-A or it's because they actually require it IDK. So, while I was at the tax office today I asked the lady and she said she wants to see it. A little further research today revealed that while the state may be King the tax office is God lol. All I can say at this point is I still don't know if you need a VIN inspection in Texas for these cars or not, it appears to be up to the tax office?

The other question that came up was if any tax was due. I've spoken to a few FFR builders here in Texas and it seems about split on whether they paid tax or not. The kit from Factory Five is not taxed and some builders have paid tax on this. In the Texas Motor Vehicle Tax Guide it says for Homebuilt or Shop-Made motor vehicles there is no initial tax for the builder as no sale of a motor vehicle has occurred. The gray area in this is the MSO and a VIN assigned by FFR, is this considered a motor vehicle or not. I had a copy of the tax code printed out and was all ready to make my argument but it never came up. The clerk had me put the sales price as what I paid Factory Five and then check the Exemption box and say "Built by Owner". Whether the clerk didn't understand the tax code or the tax code does include kit cars or if it was just my charming personality again IDK. But I was pleased as punch to get my registration all done for about $100

At the end of the day I walked out 45 minutes after arriving with registration and a temporary tag so I can (legally) drive now. The state will send me my permanent tags and title in 2-3 weeks.

It was definitely a good day!

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Its Bruce

07-31-2024, 05:07 PM

Mike.Bray

08-01-2024, 09:48 AM

Congrats Mike. I'm still very interested to see what your custom plates consist of. I still stand by not needing the VIN inspection, and perhaps both of us are charming, but I wrote "VEHICLE IS ASSEMBLED FROM ALL NEW COMPONENTS" in my exemption box and paid $0 taxes as well.

It felt surreal to think that, after that registration process, I was allowed to drive it anywhere I wanted. Enjoy that.

I looked into the tax deal a little more and I believe they are correct in not charging tax. The tax code says tax is to be collected on the sale of a motor vehicle. The kit from Factory Five, even though it has an MSO and a VIN number, is most definitely not a motor vehicle. It would not pass a safety inspection and cannot be registered as is. The county tax office is responsible for collecting registration fees and sales tax on vehicle sales only. As Factory Five did not charge sales tax there could be use tax due but that's not the responsible of the County Tax Assessor-Collector.

My registration says the following which I suspect is pretty similar to what you have.

Plate Type: Custom Vehicle PLT
Organization: Custom Vehicle
Year: 2023
Make: ASVE
Body Style: RD
Model: Replica 1965 Shelby Cobra

Getting in and out of there with my registration complete and a temp tag in hand did feel surreal! I certainly had a spring in my step for the rest of the day. TBH the registration process was the only part of the build that I was worried about, I think mainly because so much of it was out of my control. So it was a huge relief to have everything go so smoothly.

Mike

Windsor

08-08-2024, 10:27 PM

Congrats on the hurdle!

A little further research today revealed that while the state may be King the tax office is God lol.

"The power to tax involves the power to destroy" -- John Marshall (SCOTUS)

so.. yeah. :)

Mike.Bray

08-09-2024, 08:18 AM

Since I'm in the more money than brains group I had my MKIV drawn for fun. Might get a Tee shirt printed:)

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Mike.Bray

08-22-2024, 09:33 PM

Received my title in the mail today. That's about it for this project for now.

Nigel Allen

08-22-2024, 11:43 PM

Nice one Mike. I hope you will stick around on the forum, you have great knowledge to share.

Cheers to many miles of happy driving.

Nige

Mike.Bray

08-23-2024, 09:47 AM

Nice one Mike. I hope you will stick around on the forum, you have great knowledge to share.

Cheers to many miles of happy driving.

Nige

Thanks Nigel, I plan on sticking around. I got a lot out of the forum so now I should give back some.

Mike

Mike.Bray

10-05-2024, 06:06 PM

Project Cobra has been running well and my wife and I are enjoying tooling around in it. It's had a small and annoying oil leak from the rear of the pan and unfortunately it started getting worse so I decided to address it. I've never been real pleased with the pan I had so this looked like a good time to update it. Talking to my buddy Ted I decided to go with an Aviaid 155-55363 (https://aviaid.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/ws_oilpns_sbf-ss2.html) 6.5" deep model. Of course it's not in stock so it's probably another week or so out.

When I dropped the old pan I was able to confirm there was not any oil in the bellhousing so that's great news. But what I did discover is a machining error with the rear main cap that has required a clever engineer solution. I'll detail all of this after I get the new and leak-free pan installed.

In the meantime I've changed out the brake pads to Wilwood BP-20 looking for a little more bite and stopping power. It's obvious from sight and feel that these are softer than my old pads so I'm excited to see how they feel. Hopefully these will test the shoulder belts.

I've been very happy with my DIY alignment except for the steering wheel being slightly off center, enough to bother my OCD. So today I redid the toe adjustment and centered the steering wheel. We'll see how it drives and do a final toe adjustment after a few miles.

And finally, cup holders. This is something I debated about throughout the build, should I or shouldn't I. Finally decided to go ahead, it will be a convenient place for my key FOB. Went with these (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00911UWSE?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1) nice little ones. I don't think they look too bad but need to add some Thermo-Tec on the back side of them.

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That's it for now.

Mike.Bray

11-18-2024, 05:14 PM

Need to do some updates to the engine so pulled it out the other day. More to come...

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Rebostar

11-18-2024, 06:47 PM

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!(horrified scream!)

Justin

11-18-2024, 09:14 PM

What's the plan for the engine? Other than the new pan.

Mike.Bray

11-19-2024, 05:13 PM

One of the updates I've had on my list is the cylinder heads. I built this engine right in the middle of COVID with lots of supply chain issues meaning the heads I was able to get weren't really what I wanted. I looked at a lot of options like AFR, Trick Flow, and Brodix and settled on ProMaxx, they seemed like the most bang for the buck and more than fine for a street engine. ProMaxx are an interesting company, they get their castings form China (like most these days) but do all of the machine work in their facilities here in the States. I must say, the quality of the castings is very high. I went with their Project X series, 210cc intake runners that flow over 300 CFM at my max valve lift. https://promaxxperformance.com/product/project-x-sbf-210/

I ordered them bare with 56cc chambers, another reason I didn't like the old heads. These will boost my static CR to about 10.5:1. Installed some hi-flow stainless valves and a bunch of ARP & Comp Cams hardware to match my Comp hyd roller cam. I think these heads are going to be really nice and work well with my combination.

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PNWTim

11-19-2024, 05:26 PM

I believe with that combo they can also state "made or assembled in U.S.A." The number of large scale aluminum casting companies still in existence in the US that can compete with overseas production are few and far between. Good for them utilizing the best of both worlds.

Rebostar

11-19-2024, 06:08 PM

Awsome looking Heads ya got there Mike. Looks like your gonna have a screamer. Flowing 210 ya better buy stock in Sunoco. But at 10.5 :1 you can at least still use pump premium. I went with the built up Edlebrock 205's as AFR only had 195's which was my 1st choice. Your gonna put down some rubber thats for sure. I'll be waiting on vids when you get it back in.
Happy Trails

Justin

11-20-2024, 10:05 AM

That will wake it up. I'm not going to dig through the webs and see what you had but 300@.600 is a great head for a bigger engine. What Cam do you have? What lifters? Back in the day I ran a fully ported TFS Highport with some beehives and ti hardware. I had a cam grind from Jon Bennett and spun it 7200 all the time even though it was hydraulic. When I switched to a NA combo I upped the compression, solid cam and matching springs, valves and spun that engine to 8200. The VE was still asking for more so I'm sure I could have spun it faster but it got hard to hold my breath, even at 8200. That old 363 made 580rwhp. Fun times!

Mike.Bray

11-20-2024, 10:19 AM

Entropy

11-22-2024, 01:32 PM

Just want to say thanks for the detailed build thread Mike, super helpful and fun to follow along.

Mike.Bray

12-03-2024, 05:25 PM

In my detective work on the oil leak I found the rear main cap was machined wrong. Actually it was probably correct in it's rough machined state but was decked before line boring. What this did was move the CL of the OD and seal groove away from the CL of the crankshaft like this:

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This meant the gap between the bearing cap seal groove and the oil pan was not uniform, it was greater at the peak than at the sides.

Once I had good measurements and knew what was going on I could deal with it. Me being me I designed and 3D printed a special seal from silicone that looked like this:

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The seal fit perfectly but my shiny new Aviaid oil pan did not, it wouldn't clear the 4 bolt rear main. Drat! Put everything back together with the original fabricated aluminum pan and crossed my fingers.

Ah but it wasn't to be, still had that pesky leak from the rear of the engine so decided to just pull it and get to the bottom of the problem. When I pulled it apart and inspected everything the rear cam plug was dry, rear main seal was dry, and the rear pan seal area was dry. So I'm staring at the rear of the engine scratching my head when my lovely wife comes out to the garage to see what I'm doing. I'm telling her how I'm baffled and she spots this with her eagle eyes.

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In the rear of this block is a hole drilled from the side into an oil galley. If you look closely at the picture you can see it's broken through the casting. A bright light goes on, here it is! It was pretty small but being in a pressured area it doesn't take much of an opening to lose a lot of oil.

Mike.Bray

12-03-2024, 05:50 PM

Now that the problem was known I had to decide what to do about it. I thought about getting the block brazed up but with the hole being in a pressurized oil galley who knows how well that would work. Plus I still had the issue of the rear main cap being machined wrong. I could have installed a new and correct main cap but of course the block would then need to lone bored and honed. I plan on keeping this car for awhile so decided to bite the bullet and fix it right.

Since the pandemic has moved on and supply chain issues have pretty much gone away I started searching for another block. Dart has their SHP series which are designed for street use and are not as heavy duty or expensive as their Iron Eagle. And it has Cleveland size mains so my existing rotating assembly would work.

https://www.dartheads.com/shop/blocks/small-block-ford/sbf-shp-blocks/dart-31375135/

Did some looking around and found one in stock with free shipping and no tax. Was able to get my hands on it in less than a week. Took it straight to my local machine shop who bored it 0.030 over, line honed the mains, decked it 0.010, and installed all of the freeze plugs. I was able to pick it up on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so good timing (family eat and then leave) lol

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Been working on the assembly over the past week. Installed new rings and bearings since I had it down. I'm very impressed with this Dart block, definitely top notch stuff.

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My fancy new Aviaid oil pan fit nicely with a Moroso one piece gasket.

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I'm not a big fan of aluminum roller rockers on the street but Summit had some real nice Trick Flows on sale so decided to give them a go. Just hope I don't get a fatigue crack in one of them.

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danmas

12-03-2024, 07:41 PM

You would have been a fun dad/grandpa to have. You are quite talented. Very fun watching your build thread.....

gbranham

12-03-2024, 08:15 PM

Looking good, Mike. Building engines is so much fun. I also used the 1.6 TFS rockers. They seem to be pretty solid. At $450, they ought to be!

Mike.Bray

12-05-2024, 04:43 PM

Slowly marching forward with the new engine. The Aviaid oil pan is steel and Ford makes these nifty reinforcing rails (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011E5YQ5O?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title) for steel pans so I decided to install a set. They work like a big washer and evenly distribute the clamping force from the nuts.

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Next up filled it with Comp Cams Break In oil (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-1590), pan spec says 6 quarts but that doesn't include the filter so added 7 quarts. Then got my drill motor and primed the oil system to check pressure and look for leaks. Funny thing about gear pumps, they won't build pressure when spinning in the wrong direction. Duh!

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From there bolted on the flywheel/clutch/bellhousing and stabbed the Tremec.

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Next step, drop it back in.

gbranham

12-05-2024, 04:51 PM

What's taking you so long? :)

Mike.Bray

12-06-2024, 11:05 AM

What's taking you so long? :)

It's been bitter cold down here in Texas the past week, sometimes all the way down in the low 40's in the mornings. Without a heater in the garage have to wait on some warmth to get going:)

Mike.Bray

12-07-2024, 06:31 PM

Had a productive couple of days. Yesterday my wife helped me and we dropped the "somewhat new" engine and trans back into the car.

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Tip of the day for you, if like most here you're using a HF 2T hoist it doesn't quite have enough reach with the body on the car. Had to make an extension from some 2x2 tubing to extend the boom about 18" or so. However, now the rear of the hoist gets really light when a SBF/Tremec is hanging off the end so to be safe we added some ballast to the rear of it.

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All of this worked great until we tried to move it. The two of us were barely strong enough to move it and then it was in very small increments. We managed to get it roughly in position and ended up moving the car during the drop in as it was much easier. From start to finish it only took about an hour to get it dropped in. A good quality leveler (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/wmr-w41036) is an absolute must.

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Today I dropped on the stack EFI on and torqued it down. Installed the fuel lines, power steering pump, PS lines, throttle cable, and valve covers. Under the car installed the transmission support frame, transmission bolts, and driveshaft. Topped off the Tremec with fluid so it's good to go.

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Rebostar

12-07-2024, 07:28 PM

Looks good! VROOM VROOM tomorrow?

gbranham

12-07-2024, 07:37 PM

It's been bitter cold down here in Texas the past week, sometimes all the way down in the low 40's in the mornings. Without a heater in the garage have to wait on some warmth to get going:)

Hah..."bitter cold". We had lows at 12 degrees this week. My neighbor is from Lake Jackson, Texas...on the Gulf. He was a hurtin unit this week.

Mike.Bray

12-15-2024, 01:54 PM

Over the last couple of days buttoned everything up on the new and improved engine and fired it up. Locked out the timing to 20 degrees in the ECU and set the distributor, borrowed my wife's eagle eyes to make sure we got it on the mark. One thing I did was re-clock the distributor to a better orientation with the Borla stacks. Now all of the plug wires are the wrong length so going to redo them this afternoon.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Z6fe29wFXuM?feature=share

Mike.Bray

12-15-2024, 06:59 PM

Since I re-clocked the distributor to work better with the Borla stacks I needed to redo the plug wires. Went with these 9mm wires (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-12259-C302) from Ford Racing. I think they're really nice in that they are cut to length and numbered. Got the blue to match the car.

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cv2065

12-15-2024, 07:22 PM

Looks and sounds great Mike!

Nigel Allen

12-15-2024, 11:05 PM

Fancy!

Jeff Kleiner

12-16-2024, 09:53 AM

Hah..."bitter cold". We had lows at 12 degrees this week. My neighbor is from Lake Jackson, Texas...on the Gulf. He was a hurtin unit this week.

Yeah! I guess it's all in perspective! After daily highs in the low teens and even some single digit nights last week we got above 40 degrees yesterday so I threw the shop doors up and enjoyed the "balmy" temperatures :)

Jeff

Blitzboy54

12-16-2024, 12:14 PM

Bitter... lol

Mike.Bray

12-16-2024, 04:16 PM

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OB6

12-30-2024, 09:20 PM

I got a chance to take a ride in Mike's car today. As his caption says, she's alive... very alive indeed!

Mike.Bray

03-01-2025, 05:42 PM

Small update. Ever since I updated my engine with the new Dart block and Promaxx heads it's been running good but I could tell by the feel and the EFI data that something wasn't quite right. It felt like a vacuum leak but the normal tests didn't show anything. I finally took the plunge and pulled the intake to have a look at everything.

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Here's what I found. If you look close you can see the intake gaskets had slipped down slightly during installation of the intake creating small vacuum leaks from the lifter valley. UGH Don't worry, I cleaned all of the coolant out before reassembly.

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Just FYI if any of you ever do Borla stack injection on a 351W, the intake has a weird feature that prevents you from using standard intake gaskets. You have to use ones with smaller openings for the water jackets like Edelbrock #7219. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-7219

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If you use standard gaskets they uncover a small area that allows coolant into the lifter valley. I don't know why it's like this but not a good thing!

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When I went back together I used some Edelbrock Gasgacinch, basically contact cement for engines. This stuff has been around forever and is great for just this kind of situation.

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Got it all back together and it's running better than it ever has. Nice lopy 750 RPM idle and very crisp throttle response. And all of the data from the ECU looks perfect.