Roadster Build School - Any prep?

[Mat1asBEV&ICE]

Hi. Just starting my journey. Not sure if this is the correct forum. I'm going to the build school in September. Anything I should know beforehand to get the most out of the school?

Thank you!

[egchewy79]

download a digital copy of the manual and go through this before the build school.
bring a notebook and take notes.
I never did the build school but imagine it'll build a ton of confidence before you receive your kit.

[Mat1asBEV&ICE]

I was planning on bringing a notebook to take notes. I didn't know there is a digital manual. Do you have the link? I searched on FF website but couldn't find it.

Thank you.

[Tbev]

For the PDF copy of the manual go to the FF website. Click on parts. On the top of the screen click on Shop, click on Roadster, click on assembly manual, click on PDF copy and you can download it after paying for it.

Or you can click on the link that Brrt provided in the next post :)

[BRRT]

https://www.factoryfiveparts.com/15075-mk4-complete-kit-manual-digital-copy-pdf/
If you search around on the web you likely will find an older version. There are periodic updates.

I went to build school last November. It was a great time. The instructors did a great job. They both had Roadsters.
The fellow attendees were an interesting mix of people from varying walks of life. We all were there because of a love for this car.

Take a notebook and have room on your phone for a lot of pics and video. It's an enjoyable experience.

There are several build threads that are very detailed. They are well worth the time to go through. Here are a couple that I enjoyed:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?24916-Papa-s-MKIV-Roadster-Build-9115-(Post-Grad)-One-million-views!!!
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?18591-EdwardBs-Mk4-8674-20th-Anniversary-Build&highlight=edwardb

[Tbev]

I was so looking forward to going to the build school but then stupid Covid hit and they shut down and cancelled my class. By the time they opened back up, and I was comfortable traveling, I was already too far along on my build. It didn't seem to make sense to go at that point. Enjoy it. I hear it is a blast!

[Mat1asBEV&ICE]

Thank you, BRRT. Those are the exact two threads that I have read and taken notes on. But there seem to be an overwhelming number of options. I always want to make the "best" selection and reduce waste and money on the "wrong" parts. A little stressful.

[scrubs]

I went to the school to see if the project was over my head. Met great people, don't regret it....but most stumbles/roadblocks....I sort out on the forum.

[GT53]

Just my $.02 so take it as such. I too had a great time at build school and the instructors were excellent, and I took copious notes and many photos as well. However, (there is always a however)….if I were to start this project all over I would opt to skip the build school for the following reasons:

I don’t know how everyone else processes things but I found that I am constantly searching this forum for nearly EVERY question I have had regardless of the info I got at build school. Yes I had my notes and some photos from build school but when the time came to work on a specific system of the roadster I always ended up right her on this forum. The value I place on this forum far surpasses the value of build school. Some folks have really a good memory and are able to recall specific and sometimes minute details of things they observed but as I have aged my memory for little details that I thought I would remember has gone away. I found myself, as I scratched my head, trying to remember a specific detail about something I learned at build school and about 95% of the time I cut to the chase and came to the Factory Five Forum.

In EVERY case, any question I have had was answered, sometimes literally only a few minutes after I posted the question. The amount of knowledge, insight and experience that some of the guys on this forum possess is incalculable and EVERY one of them will either give you an answer or at least point you in the right direction to get the answer.

In short, the only thing it will cost you to attend build school is a bit of money and some time so I am not trying to put a damper on your attending. I’m just saying that if I had known just how valuable this forum has turned out to be I would opt to skip the build school because my tired old brain just can’t retain stuff like it used to.

Regarding prep for build school, I second what has been stated here so far. Either get the PDF of the build manual, or if you have ordered your kit already, call FF and they will send you the hard copy from your kit. Study the manual as you peruse one of the build threads. The more you understand going in, the better. My preference would be to have a hard copy. You can use it chapter by chapter as the car is built and make notes in the manual on the actual system as you go. (I should have done that but I didn’t) Pictures help as well but I promise you that there isn’t a system on this car that won’t have better photos here on this forum than you will take at build school.

The above is strictly my humble opinion and I encourage you to view it as such. All the best on your build journey.

Greg

[Alec]

I agree with everything said above, and will add this: I really enjoyed the build school. It was fun to meet other (potential) builders, many of which I am still in touch with nearly a year later. Some just received their kits, some are nearly done building like I am. Good to have people you can text with questions or to share triumphs or frustrations. That said, the actual knowledge gained at the build school that you will use in the build is minimal at best. Confidence yes, great memories yes, skills and knowledge, no. Those come from trying and making mistakes and learning from those mistakes, and using this forum. Go have fun, but be prepared for an easy-bake-oven view of the build which is unrealistic at best. Preassemblies that you bolt to the car at the build school are not preassembled at home, and each can take a week or more of assembly, modification, finishing, reading and asking questions, extensive troubleshooting etc etc etc. Prep in advance of attending the school is not necessary in my opinion. but if you email me at adavidson@msm.edu I will send you the build manual PDF.

[BRRT]

One thing I think would make build school better - if they provided a hard copy of the build manual. You could add notes to it as you went through the process.
Even if they had to charge extra it would be a valuable tool. Maybe make it optional.

[phileas_fogg]

What I loved best about the build school is being able to talk about any and all aspects of the build in microscopic detail. For example, how should I orient my brake line brackets? You can raise the question, walk over to the car, mount the bracket on one side horizontally and the other bracket vertically, and then see what kind of bends & stresses you've put on the line. In-tank pump versus on-engine? There are likely several folks in your class that have done both, and you can get way more context and background information in a 15-minute discussion than you can in a 3-line forum post. You'll probably come to the same conclusion in both scenarios, but I personally come away with a better understanding of the issue after the discussion.

So to answer your question, the prep I recommend is to be prepared to discuss in detail the issues about which you have questions. Reading the manual (and the forums) will help you identify those issues.


John

[KayzDad]

One thing I think would make build school better - if they provided a hard copy of the build manual. You could add notes to it as you went through the process.
Even if they had to charge extra it would be a valuable tool. Maybe make it optional.

They no longer provide a hard copy of the manual? It's been 6 years since I attended so things may have changed, but in my class we were all provided a copy of the manual. If this is no longer the case buying the pdf of the build manual will be the best $10 you ever spend.

For me there were three primary benefits of attending the school: 1. My daughter attended with me, and besides being a great shared experience she caught the bug and has been helping me with my build. 2. It gave me the confidence that I can do this before shelling out $30K for the kit and accessories, and 3. We had a guest speaker from Roush discuss pros and cons of various engine options. His insight was quite valuable.

[Mat1asBEV&ICE]

Thank you everyone for your input, as I value all of it. I will try to get my hands on the digital manual and see how I can write notes on it during the class (e-pen on iPad perhaps?).

I already made a list of three dozen questions or so for the class, but I'm going to have to winnow it down. I don't want to be "that guy".

I am already experiencing the supportive community that I have been hearing about. Thank you all.

[Mat1asBEV&ICE]

We had a guest speaker from Roush discuss pros and cons of various engine options. His insight was quite valuable.

That would be awesome!

[egchewy79]

Thank you everyone for your input, as I value all of it. I will try to get my hands on the digital manual and see how I can write notes on it during the class (e-pen on iPad perhaps?).

I already made a list of three dozen questions or so for the class, but I'm going to have to winnow it down. I don't want to be "that guy".

I am already experiencing the supportive community that I have been hearing about. Thank you all.

get the PDF printed a kinkos if you'd rather take notes in the margin.

[phileas_fogg]

Three dozen questions? That's it? :D

I had three pages of questions, and all but probably half a dozen were covered as part of the class!


John

[mgk172]

The build school was worth every penny for me. It’s a very good overview of the project, and for me cemented my confidence that I could build a car. The instructors are great and really explained all the options - pros and cons. I took A LOT of photos and pages of notes.

To prep for build school I would recommend reading build threads on here, then layout your design to identify question areas. I did not read the manual before going; reading the high quality and detailed build threads will help you so much more.

I will emphasize the best part of build school are the people - both students and instructors. I highly doubt you will regret going.

[DanQ]

I did not attend the build school, but I have 40+ years as a truck mechanic and a few dozen project cars done over the years, and they just keep getting nicer. If you are quite comfortable turning wrenches, troubleshooting mechanical issues, fabricating, and have a good mechanical understanding, you likely don't need the build school, BUT, I bet it would be a fun time. I didn't think it would have enough value for me, as it would to someone who has a bit less mechanical experience, so I figured for the $800 plus airfare I would have spent would go towards my tires or something like that. So far, building my 33 Hot Rod has gone smooth, and is moving along faster than expected.

[ChasNMe]

i found you can take lots of notes and pictures, or you can build the car, not both
there were 18 people in my class and only about 6 of us did 90% of the building while everyone else took notes and pictures
its a 3 day course and it has to get built. build it or watch it get done, but in my class there weren't any doing both
my $.02
jake
ps - Bonus for my class though, Dave Smith was there in Michigan and came in to talk to us and took us all to dinner one night . . . . awesome