How many miles to get the bugs worked out?

[juddster]

I am a few weeks out to get my MKIV back from Jeff Miller and will have the finally assembly left. Curious on how many miles I need to put on the car to shake off the bugs. I'm sure there is a wide variety of answers here, but what should I expect early on? What should I look for?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[rich grsc]

If you built it correctly and did it well, none. I looked for issues well before it went to paint.

[juddster]

If you built it correctly and did it well, none. I looked for issues well before it went to paint.


That's good to know.

[Papa]

My experience is that little things will pop up along the way, and you just work them as they come. Some examples:

1. Rattle coming from the rear of the car that turned out to be the fuel tank moving around a bit (tightened the straps and fixed that)
2. Fuel leaking when I jacked up the driver's side of the car (torn filler tube seal that needed to be replaced)
3. Ball joint boots that were not seating properly (replaced with better quality)

My point is, these cars are all different, so just pay attention to EVERYTHING for the first several drives. Do regular inspections for torque on bolts (witness marks make this simple), look for any leaks, lose stuff, unusual wear, etc. After three seasons on the road, I'm pretty confident that my car is sorted, but still do at least one good wipe down and inspection each driving season.

[MB750]

In my opinion, there's literally hundreds of things that could leave you marooned on the side of the road. You'd go crazy trying to prevent all them from potentially happening.

My school of thought: I'm using an applicable amount of "due diligence" during my build to prevent as much as possible. The rest of the unknowns can be assumed by AAA with towing coverage. Also, stick around 75 miles from home until you're confident in your build. I think that's the free cap for AAA towing.

[Ted G]

I've got about 100 miles on my go-cart and found a few little things along the way. My paint should be done next week and glad it took a little longer than he thought. That way, I was sure to get a lot of the bugs out. I even pulled all my red Koni shocks and made sure they were set to the same setting. Much easier with the body off!

I am also trying to get my alignment done before body goes back on.

[FLPBFoot]

I put almost 2,000 miles on mine driving in gel coat. Found numerous small items and it was completely sorted out around 750 to 1,000 miles. Am currently building another Roadster and will do exactly the same. Drive it in gel coat.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Every car that I've built has gone to the owner with fewer than 5 miles on them. Two of them immediately made the 500 mile trip to and from the London Show. None have had problems. On the other hand I've had cars come to me for paint with hundreds, even thousands of miles and some of them I wouldn't feel comfortable in leaving the driveway. As has been said, they're all different and it depends on the builder and their diligence.

Jeff

[Hellion]

Jeff hit it right on the head - the builder and their diligence. We're all human, but some of us are certainly better than others when it comes to this. Regardless if it's a fresh build or an older one, owner due diligence is the key to continued safety and reliability AFTER you get the keys. Be safe and enjoy your new ride, juddster - may the Cobra be with you! :D