My XTF journey begins

[Kempo]

I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Hugo a life long car enthusiast with a 12 year old kid. I would love to introduce him this car hobby thing and all the skills, patience, sense of accomplishment, friendship building etc that building something like this teaches.

Sometimes my grammar won't be as it should as English isn't my primary language. So, bare with me.

I plan on making this post a build log for my family's XTF.

I'm a repeat customer of FFR. This would be my second FFR build having previously built a GTM more than 13 years ago.

Ever since FFR unveiled the XTF it caught my attention. I've been researching for months in here, on FFR's website, YouTube, Erik's and John's build logs etc. Then SEMA arrived and the stage 1 was introduced. That's when I realized that the stage 1 can be the perfect project to build with my son.

Showed my son a few pictures and videos and he got all excited about it and affirmed he was willing to be an active part of it. A few days later I commented on a Facebook post made by Dave Smith that this really looked like the perfect father and son project. His reply? " I can help with that" and I can tell you guys he has gone above and beyond for this project to be a special one. He contacted a mutual friend of ours Jim (Kalstar in the forum), and asked him for my phone number. We got talking and made plans to take my son to FFR so we could see the XTF.

Fast forward two weeks, we flew out, Jim picked us up at the airport. We spent a few days visiting Jim and went to FFR.
Jim took us to FFR, we arrived sometime around 10am. Nate (plant manager) was outside with not one but 3 XTFs. My son and I were amazed when we saw them. Trust me, pictures and videos don't do justice as to how this trucks looks. The thing is mega wide, Two inches wider than a Hummer H1. We skipped seeing the trucks in detail and went inside to say hello first.

Once inside we were greeted by Dave. He introduced us to everyone in the administrative offices, sales, tech support, engineering department etc. we immediately felt welcome. We were shown a few "secret" testing videos of the XTF. All I can say about those is that this things are capable beyond what we can imagine. Way more than what the publicly made videos show.

After that Nate took us on a factory tour. We were AMAZED!!! AGAIN!!. The amount of equipment, tooling and technology that has been added since my last visit 15 years ago it's impressive. Everything from laser cutting machines to automated pipe bending machines. After the welding floor we went to the R&D department where Jim S. was working on a special new update project.

I truly would recommend anyone thinking about buying any kit from FFR to go visit the factory. Really adds a lot to the experience of building your own car. My kid was excited beyond words. He even asked me what he would have to study to work designing cars. So, this might even have sparked an interest in engineering on him.

We then went for a test drive on one of the XTFs. Nate took us off road. HOLY ****!!!!!! that's when we felt how capable the XTF is. We were doing 50-65 MPH on a bumpy, full of water between bumps roads. We would hit the standing water so fast that the whole windshield would be covered in water.
Nate would turn on the wipers and kept going at the same speed. Not once did the truck feel out of control. As a matter fact we almost didn't even feel the bumps inside.


After that ride all our plans had changed and we hadn't realized it yet. What seemed to be a father and son trip to see and maybe buy a stage 1 evolved to buying the full kit.

This was due to two reasons. The initial plan of building it with my son is to have the experience of building it together over an extended period of time. The stage one does not offer that. What the stage one offers is that it can be built in a weekend or two by someone with the tools and knowledge required. Although it is still an extremely capable truck does not meet my plan of an extended build with my son. The other reason is that the full kit offers so much more for an extra amount of money.

Some of those extras is the chassis WOW!!!! that thing is rock solid. You can't feel any flex at all like you feel on Ford's ladder chassis. The huge Fox shocks again, WOW!!!!

Later we went out with Dave on his red V6 turbo XTF. His XTF was parked in front of FFR instead if going straight to the street he did a lap of the parked cars in the parking lot. This was done at a high rate of speed, the truck felt solidly planted on the asphalt, he went out the parking lot and instead of staying on the road he went over a curb doing like 50-60MPH. The suspension did its job and dealt with it as if it was a 3/8" twig on the road. We barely felt it inside.

When we returned to FFR we did the paperwork and put down our deposit for a kit. Estimated date of completion is Jan/4/25.

My kid also received from Dave a cool Traxxas R/C hot rod. Thanks again Dave. I also want to thank the whole crew at FFR for their hospitality and making us feel as part of the FFR family.

Want to also publicly thanks my friend Jim for picking us and taking us to the airport at some extremely late and early hours and welcoming us to your beautiful home again.

pictures will be added soon.
Sorry for the long post guys but want to document as much as I can from the build.

[Kempo]

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[Nigel Allen]

Excellent story Hugo. Thanks for taking the time to document it for everyone to read.

Cheers,

Nige

[Kempo]

XTF Chassis and showroom

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[Kempo]

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[Kempo]

With Jim and Dave

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We have a donor

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[Kempo]

Today UPS made the first parts delivery for the XTF. It was a heavy one. Ordered a new set ring and pinion and rebuild kit for the differentials. Due to the larger that stock 37” tires I decided to upgrade to a 4.88:1 ratio.
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Our donor came with the larger 36 gallon fuel tank. The XTF requires the smaller 26 gallon tank and it’s pump/sender assembly. The pump assembly arrived today as well.

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[cob427sc]

Sounds like a great father/son project. I did my first FFR cobra back in 1998 with my 12 year old son and it was a great experience. It was also the car he learned to drive in, not that I would recommend that again. Dave , again, has shown how a great guy and business man he is! Keep us informed of your progress!

[JimStone]

Congrats on your build!

I have two boys, 3 and 7 years old. I'm enjoying sharing our Coupe build experience and it will hopefully be a positive memory for them.

I was your son's age when my Dad and I restored a '68 mustang fastback. Still remember that one-on-one time fondly

[PMD24]

Your story is awesome. So cool that you and your son made the trip to FFR together and then bought the kit. Must have been an exciting trip back home as well.

[Kempo]

Congrats on your build!

I have two boys, 3 and 7 years old. I'm enjoying sharing our Coupe build experience and it will hopefully be a positive memory for them.

I was your son's age when my Dad and I restored a '68 mustang fastback. Still remember that one-on-one time fondly


That's exactly what i would like to accomplish, not just build a vehicle but give my kid the gift of those memories and the skills he will learn.
As Dave said to me, we wont be just building a car, we will build a time capsule that will live in my kids mind long after we are gone.

BTW, I clicked on your build link and WOW!!! Your attention to detail it's impressive. From the garage remodel to everything on the coupe. The powder coat oven is as amazing as the coupe details.

[Kempo]

Your story is awesome. So cool that you and your son made the trip to FFR together and then bought the kit. Must have been an exciting trip back home as well.

Thanks, doing the trip with him was definitely exciting. On the way back all he could talk about was FFR stuff. Even a week later it was all FFR and car building stuff. So far mission is being accomplished. :)

[Kempo]

Our donor F150 is a 2018 5.0 V8 with 54K miles. Although it is in excellent condition the brakes had been neglected and needed to be replaced. The rear pads were so worn out that the backing plate of the pad had already made contact with the rotor. We decided to replace them before the XTF kit gets here and the disassembly of the donor begins.

Seemed like a good opportunity for my kids first maintenance lesson. We replaced all 4 rotors and pads. He now understands the basics on how a braking system works and how to service it.

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[Kempo]

Got an email today from FFR that my kit is ready for pickup. Probably just a few more weeks till it gets here.

Been busy lately getting the donor ready. Sent the donor to get the cab painted, and got some maintenance done.

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[Kempo]

My wheels also showed up today.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/7kgflelx32z0pawble82f/Photo-Feb-19-2025-11-33-56-AM.jpg?rlkey=7kwzi5yqte92jcetgs7zhmhfs&st=tisob9ql&dl=0

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I've also been using the F150 and I'm impressed that on the highway its getting 23 MPG.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/y0jcj5wdac3spzxna4nf7/Photo-Feb-19-2025-12-35-54-PM.png?rlkey=0cz3ydq5gtej79acqgv8b6b92&st=d1kuiodh&dl=0

[Kempo]

Did some more work on the donor this past weekend. Changed the cowl as the plastic was all faded and the rubber trim was all cracked. The difference is night and day.211135211136211134


Gave it a transmission oil and filter change and added a PPE transmission oil pan. Oil was really dark instead of red. The new oil pan with a drain plug will make future oil changes a lot easier.

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[Kempo]

Parts keep arriving. Our new SPD stainless steel catted Y-pipe arrived today. It's really well made with a lot of attention to details.

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Also got confirmation from the shipping company that my kit was picked up yesterday. Now that the kit is on the way donor part out should begin next week.
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[Kempo]

Factory Five sends their new build manuals in digital format. I really like this new format as pictures are very detailed and in full color. But, as much as I like having those detailed pictures I also like having the printed version where I can make notes for future reference. So, I had one copy printed.211147211148

[bil1024]

Congrats, will be keeping an eye on this thread

[Kempo]

Got confirmation yesterday that my kit arrived at the port of San Juan. This was my cue to begin parting out the donor F150.
Rear bumper, tailgate, bed, running boards and grill are off. I’ll continue removing stuff tomorrow. Hopefully the kit will be delivered to my home this Friday.
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[Kempo]

My kit arrived on Friday the 14th. Finished the inventory and back to donor disassembly. During inventory I was able to take a close look at every part of the kit and I have to say WOW!!! One thing was seeing all the parts in the finished XTF at the factory and another to be able to see each part by itself.
Every control arm, trailing arm, bracket, front bumper, the chassis etc. everything it’s solid. The brackets that hold headlights, front fascia, ABS module and many more are all made of flawless laser cut stainless steel. To be honest I’m also impressed they can sell all this at this price. I guess being able to sell all this for that price is a testament to how efficient the guys at FFR run the factory.

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We are at the cab removal stage of the disassembly of the donor. Hopefully should be off today. Back work, will update soon.

[Kempo]

And with a little elbow grease and help from a small assistant the cab is off. It’s nice that ford built this thing to have the cab removed for some service to be performed in them. Makes this project a lot easier.

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[Kempo]

Did a bit more work early today before leaving for work. Removed the cat back exhaust and driveshaft.
The driveshaft is amazingly light. It’s made of aluminum. Being aluminum makes it extremely light and real easy to clean so I cleaned it. It’s now ready to reinstall when the time comes.

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[Kempo]

Did some more disassembly this morning. Removed the spare tire and it’s hoist. Also emptied and removed the fuel tank.

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[Kempo]

Rear axle is out and getting ready to be re-geared and painted. Already cut off the shock mounts. Now I’m trying to get rid of all the major rust and apply some OSPHO to remove/neutralize whatever rust is left.

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[Kempo]

Progress continues. Rear end is painted, engine and transmission are out, chassis is completely stripped, all bed aluminum panels are drilled for rivets and 75% of them have been used as a template to drill the chassis for them to be riveted. Next step is painting the panels.

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[Kempo]

Cleaned up the suspension knuckles. Picture shows one before cleaning and one after cleaning. Removed the cab reinforcement foam/plastic pieces. Those seemed as if they were going to be hard to remove. The foam/glue that hold them is quite hard. Used a heat gun on them and the glue softened up and was able to pry them of.

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[David Hodgkins]

Looking good Kempo! How do you plan to paint the panels?

:)

[Kempo]

Thanks David.
Not sure about the panels yet. The quality of the carbon fiber FFR ships it’s second to none. It would be a shame to cover them with paint. After seeing the carbon quality the extra cost is really worth it. Especially if you take into account you won’t need body work or paint. It completely offsets the price of a well done paint job.

The panels will definitely have the carbon exposed. Still debating if matte as shipped from FFR or clear coated for them to have a shiny look that matches the cab. Then maybe add some white vinyl wrap in some areas of the carbon to transition from the white cab to the carbon.


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[David Hodgkins]

I was wondering about the aluminum panels. Are you planning to paint them or are you going to powder coat them? I have found the powder coating is much more durable than putting paint on aluminum panels…

[Jeff Kleiner]

Kempo,
You might want to consider U-Pol Raptor for the inside bed panels. It's super tough stuff and using a Schutz gun it gives a really nice texture (which can be altered with additional coats or by varying gun settings and/or spray pressure). It's available in black , white or tintable so that it can be color matched to the vehicle. I use it to coat roadster and Coupe underbodies and on the wheel side of the splash panels. Check it out!

Jeff

[Kempo]

I appreciate the advice guys. Especially coming from two experienced builders from this community.

I’m planning on painting both sides of the panels with SEM’s rock-it XC. It’s really strong and durable. I used it on all the panels and under body of my GTM. It’s also tintable like the UPol. Just finished restoring a Bronco a couple of years ago, had it completely painted with it. I get all kind of compliments on the paint everywhere I take it.

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[Kempo]

Engine and body mounts are now cleaned and painted. Front suspension should be installed this weekend.

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[Kempo]

Started installing my suspension as planned. Lower control arms got installed first. These suspension parts are really made to take punishment. The lower control arm is reinforced with steel plates everywhere. So much so that I got curious on how much each of them weights. So, I got my scale proceeded to weigh it. They are 49 pounds each.

Had an issue with one off the upper ball joints. Contacted FFR about it and in usual FFR fashion they immediately shipped me a replacement for the defective part. Received the replacement part and continued with the install. In the end the FFR made part was fine. It was the threads on one of the third party supplied ball joint that had the issue. Cleaned up the threads and problem solved.

While I waited for the parts I continued to prepare, clean and replace parts. Replaced the valve cover gaskets as one had a small leak. Replaced the VVT solenoids while I had the covers off. Those solenoids are a known source of issues on the coyote engines.

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[Kempo]

Cleaned and painted the front tubular part of the cab. Assembled the rear shocks units. The springs are shipped in a separate box and require to be installed on the shocks.

Cleaned up the brake calipers and installed rivnuts for the ABS module bracket.

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[PNWTim]

Thanks for sharing your build. I enjoyed reading through it and you're making great progress. I had to chuckle when you posted the picture of the mileage per gallon. I have a 2013 F-150 with a Coyote that used to get about 22-23 MPG. The I bought a set of take offs from a later model that were 3 inches bigger and had aftermarket tires. I'm lucky if I get 16 around town. The price you pay...

[Kempo]

Also cleaned and painted the front driveshaft. The ABS bracket is made from thick gauge stainless steel. The bracket is flawlessly laser cut and bent to shape.

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[Kempo]

This weekend we were finally able to get the front suspension 90% ready. Took apart the front shocks to add the bump stops and got them back together. Installed them on the chassis and are now waiting for the differentials. The diffs are at a friends shop waiting for the new ring and pinions to be installed. When we get them back we’ll install the CV axles and finish the front. Install the rear diff and we have a roller.

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[Kempo]

We got the front diff back. Installed the new cover on it and dropped it in the chassis. Front sway bar, links and brakes are now installed.
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[Kempo]

Worked a bit more on the engine. Cleaned the exhaust manifold covers and replaced the manifolds with a set of ford performance manifolds.

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[Kempo]

A box full of horses showed up today at work. Rounded them up into the car and brought them home. Will adopt them and take good care of them until the time to whip them comes.
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[PNWTim]

A box full of horses showed up today at work. Rounded them up into the car and brought them home. Will adopt them and take good care of them until the time to whip them comes.
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That just screams fun!

[crash]

Wow. Exciting stuff.

Good to see you building again.

Do you still have the GTM?

I assume so because it was in the picture, but thought you might have had to make room for the new project and am interested on how the GTM is doing?

[Kempo]

Wow. Exciting stuff.

Good to see you building again.

Do you still have the GTM?

I assume so because it was in the picture, but thought you might have had to make room for the new project and am interested on how the GTM is doing?

Hey Crash,
Good hearing from you hope all is well.
This XTF is exciting indeed. A way easier build compared to the GTM. It’s been fun so far.

I still have the GTM although I use it way less than I should. But every time I do use it brings happiness like when it was new.

[Kempo]

Update, picked up the rear differential Thursday afternoon. Spent some time yesterday adding the axle support and lower control arm mounts. Sealed it using the PPE rear differential cover and called it a day.
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[Kempo]

This morning I recruited the help of my neighbor to drop the engine/ transmission on to the chassis. Now that the engine is in the chassis I will start installing the supercharger this week.

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[Kempo]

In the afternoon I installed the rear upper and lower control arms and the rear axle. It was a real productive day. Installed more parts than expected. Everything went in flawlessly.

The craftsmanship from FFR is second to none. Every hole for bolts to go thru is exactly where it needs to be and with the exact diameter required. So much so that I only had two issues. One was that the paint sometimes makes it too tight for the bolts to fit in the holes. I just run a drill bit thru them to remove some of the paint the bolts sit precisely on each hole. The other issue was the lower control arms bushings, both front and rear. They need to be pressed about 1/16 more in to the arm in order for them to fit in the frame. Nothing that a few minutes and the press didn’t solve.

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[Kempo]

Rear brake calipers and all brake lines are done. Front and rear driveshafts are back in. Half the exhaust is installed. Will work on the carbon canister and wiring next.

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[Kempo]

This short video shows part of the travel on the rear axle. It has a few more inches but my jack wouldn’t go any higher.


https://youtu.be/74C9b0OUqCM?si=zXJTUII2wfCtlvXp

[Kempo]

Installing the rear axle support requires using longer bolts. This means using the stock bolts that have a stud on them is not an option. The bolt stud is used as a mount to hold the right side ABS wire. Didn’t want to just zip tie the wire to the brake line. So, we drilled and tap two holes in the axle support to thread those bolts. That gave us the mounting spot for the wire.
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[Kempo]

Last night we installed the rear shocks. Those are
things huge.
We also installed the rear wheel spacers. With the wheels we are using it’s required to add spacers to reach the desired offset.

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[Kempo]

We officially have a roller. Was able to push it out of the garaje to do some cleaning.

Fuel system and emission hoses are installed. Wire harness it’s 75% installed. Waiting for the cab to be on the chassis to secure the front half of the harness to the chassis.
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[Kempo]

Today we started on the engine work. Removed the water pump to install a new one. Also started on the supercharger install. Removed the intake and did some cleaning.

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[Kempo]

Work continues. New water pump is installed. And supercharger is getting prepped for install. 214701214702214703214704

[bil1024]

Sweet

[Kempo]

More progress from last night the intake on this SC is huge.
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[Kempo]

As of today the chassis has it’s new resident on it. We keep on building.

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[Kempo]

This project gets more exciting by the day. We now have electrical power, most wiring is in place and throttle body is installed.

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[Kempo]

First start

https://youtu.be/GnMzf5A-Ceo?si=yPgCGVydciz214UM

[Kempo]

Engine bay is almost done. Cooling system finished. Only missing installation of the oil catch can and a few cosmetic details.
Tonight just finished installing the supercharger wiring and intercooler pump. The intercooler pump on the F150 is supposed to be installed in the frame. That part of the frame doesn’t exist anymore when using FFR’s chassis. I ended up using a bracket supplied by FFF for customers using the 3.5 turbo engine. The bracket is included to hold the intercooler for the turbo.
It doubled as the perfect location for the pump.

Hood is also installed. Will be apron the front end and fenders next.

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[Kempo]

Tonight we also had the equivalent of our first “go kart” test drive.

https://youtu.be/tcbmWlPuGJg?si=TVgPCcJ4uyfg4isE

[Kempo]

Progress continues on this front end Friday. Front end is almost done. Rear sway bar is in.

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[Kempo]

Testing the headlights

https://youtu.be/FEN0WhbwiA8?si=U-iGZSYjJaesSh6P

[Kempo]

Hitch and tailgate frame have been installed.

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https://youtu.be/jvIQifnZA8Y?si=hu3C7Lygs9y4fjXZ

[toms3853]

Hi Kempo! What size wheels did you buy? What offset was required for front and rear? What tires are you planning on using?
I will be starting my XTF build in a couple of weeks and have yet to order wheels and tires.

[Kempo]

Hi Kempo! What size wheels did you buy? What offset was required for front and rear? What tires are you planning on using?
I will be starting my XTF build in a couple of weeks and have yet to order wheels and tires.

Hi toms,

Welcome to the forum.

Funny you asked since I got my tires today. I bought Good Year Boulder M/T, size 37-12.5-20. About wheels you can use a few options of them. Some FFR recommended wheels are listed in the manual. I went with the Fuel Covert in 20”. These require using a 2 1/4” spacer at the rear to reach the desired offset. I used a set of BORA spacers as I couldn't find any in that size. The make them to order any size required by the customer. More expensive than others but you get USA made product with the exact size needed and quality second to none.

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[Kempo]

The exhaust note of the FFR supplied exhaust system is quite nice. Sounds deep and has a solid rumble. The iPhone microphone doesn’t do it justice.


https://youtu.be/ZDNiOJMreLE?si=mtGn2awP1VYMFrWo

[Performance nut]

I have heard a ton of Coyote exhausts. That is awesome!

[Kempo]

Installed a catch can to keep the intake as clean as possible.

Worked this past few days on the rear fenders. They are held on the top side of the frame using 1/4-20 bolts. For the bolt holes that hold the rear fenders FFR included a drill-tap drill bit. It really saves time making and tapping all those holes.

As you can see in one of the pictures the rear fenders are way wider than the cab. The look is amazing. The left side it’s almost done. Tomorrow will finish that side and tackle the right side.

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[Kempo]

Today we had our first road/offroad test. Drove around 8 miles. Still needs some body parts and an alignment. Went to the gas station then drove around for a bit.
On our way back went in to an empty lot by the road. The suspension feels so smooth.

Can’t go hard on the gas yet as we need to do the differential break in process for the first 500 miles.
Happy Independence Day to everyone!!

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https://youtu.be/EwtNslDwAHs?si=S4OJdqdrELarxKlf

[Kempo]

Front end almost finished. Its cool the way FFR sends the letters for the grill. They remind me of the scale model kits I used to put together as a kid. You had to twist off the parts from a plastic frame.
The precision of they laser cut is flawless. All of them have a perfect clean cut and fit precisely in the indentations on the grill.

I’m writing this post as I wait at the A/C shop for a recharge of the A/C system. No more short break in drives in the heat.

Also installed the new steering wheel.

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[Kempo]

Still can’t go hard on the diff gears. Break in isn’t finished yet but, trying to make it as fun as possible.
Here is a video of a transition from the road to off and back. The video seems slower that the actual speed. Suspension dealt with it like nothing.


https://youtu.be/l8pmM7HigDc?si=4L1oAuvRlJ7hfSrw

[Kempo]

It seems like we are in the final stretch. One of the front fender extensions ls done. Will be working on the other one this weekend.

The outside of the bed aluminum is painted and the inside will be painted after we finish installing all panels.

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[Kempo]

We now have a bed, rear bumper and bumper lights.

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[David Hodgkins]

Looking GREAT!!!!

It's got to feel good getting so close!

:)

[Kempo]

Looking GREAT!!!!

It's got to feel good getting so close!

:)

Thanks David, feels good indeed.

Took it for an alignment today. Seeing it on the alignment lift shows how wide this thing is. It’s almost as wide as the lift. They fixed the toe but changing the camber is a bit more complex. Will do some adjustments at home in the next few days and I’ll take it back to recheck it’s within specs.

I also realized I made a mistake painting white the area under the front fender. The fender is so wide and open that it is way to visible. Will be painting that black in the next few days.

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[Kempo]

I’ve been using the XTF as my daily driver for the past 4 days. Making sure everything works as it should before taking it to get wrapped with PPF and some color for the carbon panels.
The more I drive this thing the more a like fall in love with it.

The suspension is a dream. Handling it’s beyond impressive from what one would expect from a truck this size and this size of tires. On ramps are as fun as any sports car. With both sway bars body roll is practically non existent. Wasn’t expecting it to be like this.

Building the XTF has been one of the best projects I’ve ever done and the end product more than exceed my expectations.

On a local mall there is a storm sewer that is quite deep so much so that cars have to come to almost a complete stop when going over it. I went by it at 40 MPH like nothing was there. The other video it’s just fun.


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https://youtu.be/v1a_WRGzGf0?si=6UPilLbWqvFiF1n1

[Kempo]

https://youtu.be/xY8JLbhFdhQ?si=et8yhpJnv-szMU23

[Kempo]

Went to my local Ford dealer today where a friend works at. He asked how the XTF project was coming along. I told him “it’s almost done, actually it’s in the parking lot”. He said let’s go see it.
When we went out someone was parked in the next parking spot in an F150. Walking to it I realized how much wider the XTF is compared to the regular F150. Having them side by side really gives perspective on how wide it is.

He then took me to where they had a Raptor R to make the same comparison. The XTF still looks wider than the R.
Notice on the close up picture how the XTF fender goes out compared to the door/mirror vs the R.

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[Geoff H]

I love the look - more aggressive compared to the R! Very nice!

[kabacj]

Wow Hugo

That was FAST!

Great job on the build!

I am so happy I built the XTF vs buying the Raptor R.

The price tag of the XTF vs raptor R is one major plus. The fact that the XTF is one of a kind is also pretty nice!

You have the only XTF in your whole country!! haha.

Thanks for the comparison pictures.

John

[Kempo]

Wow Hugo

That was FAST!

Great job on the build!

I am so happy I built the XTF vs buying the Raptor R.

The price tag of the XTF vs raptor R is one major plus. The fact that the XTF is one of a kind is also pretty nice!

You have the only XTF in your whole country!! haha.

Thanks for the comparison pictures.

John

Thanks John,
It’s been a fun project. Totally agree with you, I would definitely take the XTF over a Raptor R. The price of the R seems unreasonable specially when compared to the XTF.

You are correct. I have the only XTF in PR and one of only two GTMs that I know of.

How is the bypass shocks install coming along?

[Kempo]

I dropped the XTF at the body shop today. It will be getting the spray on liner in the bed area and the hood fixed. One of the edges of the hood vents got damaged during shipping. The body shop will fix that and paint that edge with hot rod black. This will be done in order to keep the rest of the hood as carbon fiber without painting it with clear coat.

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[Kempo]

I also installed a remote positive battery terminal post. The reason for this as some may already know F150s are extremely easy to break into. They have a flaw that the exterior door lock cylinder its exposed and mounted on the plastic handle. It’s held by some flimsy plastic tabs.

To prevent someone from just grabbing it and twisting it open I just removed the cylinder. There is a kit sold for this. It comes with some caps that cover the lock holes and problem solved.
This creates a new issue. If my battery ever dies my key buttons won’t open the locks on the doors. This would prevent me from accessing the hood release handle to open the hood a jump start or replace the battery. With this post in the front passenger wheel well I can just connect another battery to power the door locks and open the doors and then the hood.

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[Kempo]

The body shop finished spraying the bed liner. The result is amazing. They filled all the gaps between the aluminum panels with seam-sealer. Now waiting for them to put the tailgate back together and finish repairing the hood.

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[Kempo]

I was installing the aluminum panels that form the front wheel well liners. Turns out the front right ABS sensor wiring was too short to go around the aluminum. I contacted the guys at caspers electronics for help identifying the connector type to make an extension.

Turns out they don’t just sell the connector parts they also make extension harnesses. It was quite inexpensive so I ordered an 8” extension from them. It was shipped the same day. In case anybody runs in to the same issue the connector type is an EV6 the same ones used in some fuel injectors.
I just had to file off the key on the lower side of the brown connector coming from the wheel sensor.

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[kabacj]

The body shop finished spraying the bed liner. The result is amazing. They filled all the gaps between the aluminum panels with seam-sealer. Now waiting for them to put the tailgate back together and finish repairing the hood.



Hey Hugo,

one thing I found was that you need to allow for a place for water to go when it rains or you wash the truck. I also closed up all of the aluminum gaps with bed liner. Drain holes in the front corners work well as your truck will likely have a very slight amount of rake tipping the bed slightly forward. All production trucks have drains the the front of the bed. I never noticed that until I built my own truck bed :)

holes in the front corner also allow for a place for the mud and rocks to go out of the bed. If you don't want to see the holes, i get that. My old jeep has plugs that allow water to pass when installed, but can be removed easily.

[Kempo]

Hey Hugo,

one thing I found was that you need to allow for a place for water to go when it rains or you wash the truck. I also closed up all of the aluminum gaps with bed liner. Drain holes in the front corners work well as your truck will likely have a very slight amount of rake tipping the bed slightly forward. All production trucks have drains the the front of the bed. I never noticed that until I built my own truck bed :)

holes in the front corner also allow for a place for the mud and rocks to go out of the bed. If you don't want to see the holes, i get that. My old jeep has plugs that allow water to pass when installed, but can be removed easily.

Thanks for the heads up John. We made a hole in each corner of the bed. Small ones to help evacuate any water.

[Kempo]

The XTF is now finished. Got it back from Boulevard Garage on Monday morning. They did a matte black wrap on it and ceramic coating.
The finished truck it’s amazing. Been driving it all week. The ride is amazing, stunning looks and power beyond belief. If I get on the gas at a light in 2wd it lights up the 37” tires as if they were 20”. At this rate I think I will be buying a new set of tires for the rear sooner than expected.

Here are some pictures. It’s been raining a lot lately so it isn’t clean. I will post some better pictures soon with it clean. Just wanted to share the new look. This front end is massive wide. Everyone that stops to talk about the XTF mentions how wide it is.

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[Kempo]

I’ve been driving the XTF a lot lately. The more I drive it the more I like it.
Did an upgrade to my transmission oil cooler. Not sure if the stock oil cooler was having issues but the transmission temperature was running on the warm side. This happened in prolonged stop and go heavy traffic and long (20-30 miles) uphill drives. Only happened during the day with very hot ambient temperatures. The temp would slowly creep up up to 235-240* and stay there.

Decided to remove the stock oil cooler and replace it with a Derale oil cooler/fan unit. Took 12v power from the 7 pin trailer connector at the rear of the truck for the fan. This circuit has a 25amp fuse which is more than enough for the 9amps used by the Spal fan that comes with the oil cooler. I also installed a thermo switch to turn the fan on and off as needed. It turns the fan on at 180* and turns it back off at 160*

For inlet and outlet of the transmission I used an -8an manifold available for the 6R80 and the 10R80. A few feet of -8an hose, a few fittings, a few rivnuts and done. Works great plus this removed the extra heat from the transmission oil out of the engine cooling system.

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[Kempo]

The final cosmetic touches came in the form of badges. FFR is shipping the first 100 XTFs with a special edition badge. They call them the founder’s edition. I also attached a pair of badges that Whipple sent with the supercharger.

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[Kempo]

Finished the install of the rear suspension limiting straps. Had to make an “L” shape bracket for the lower attachment point. Other than that quite straightforward.

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[Kempo]

Some cool pictures my wife took this past weekend.

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[Kempo]

Upgraded my front brakes. Wanted bigger rotors to offset the bigger diameter of the 37” tires. All the big brake kits I could find were a tight fit with my wheels and more expensive than what I wanted to spend on them. Most of them were in the $3-4k range. Kept looking for options and found a kit from Baer Brakes that replaces the stock 13.5” rotors with 15” drilled and slotted rotors. Also Includes a new caliper bracket to move the stock calipers outward. All this for a fraction of the price. Ended up paying $650 plus shipping with a cyber Monday special. Regular price is $750.

Attached are some pictures showing before and after, clearance and rotor size comparison.

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[kabacj]

Upgraded my front brakes. Wanted bigger rotors to offset the bigger diameter of the 37” tires. All the big brake kits I could find were a tight fit with my wheels and more expensive than what I wanted to spend on them. Most of them were in the $3-4k range. Kept looking for options and found a kit from Baer Brakes that replaces the stock 13.5” rotors with 15” drilled and slotted rotors. Also Includes a new caliper bracket to move the stock calipers outward. All this for a fraction of the price. Ended up paying $650 plus shipping with a cyber Monday special. Regular price is $750.

Attached are some pictures showing before and after, clearance and rotor size comparison.

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Thats a great setup for any price Hugo! The fact that the brakes are giant and also affordable is a huge win.

[Kempo]

Well, my engine decided I was having too much fun with the XTF. Seems like it wanted a break from doing drifts, donuts etc.It all started with a knocking noise on the bottom end. I drained the engine oil and what’s pictured came out on the oil plug magnet. Not sure what this small spacer like part is. Will soon find out.

Just removed the cab today in order to remove the engine.
Depending on the condition of the engine I’ll decide which route to take. Maybe rebuild the engine or order a ford performance forged short block.

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