Cobra Rescue 2.0 - Finishing an Abandoned Mk IV [Archive]

TTimmy

08-21-2025, 11:07 AM

I have not had much time to spend on the new project given a number of summertime constraints… carshows, road trips, vacations and the like. I also continue to put many miles on the Coupe. All that said I have given the situation a lot of thought and I am working out a game plan for this build.

This is what I purchased from a fellow forum member in early August: So this is what I am starting with:

FFR Mk4 Base kit from 2011
Tubular LCA
Red Konis
1994 5.0 HO Engine that was rebuilt during the prior owners build, nice specs on the internals
Donor trans
Donor wiring harness and engine controls
Accel ignition
Donor rear end - still need to work out the ratio as there is no tag on the dif.
Donor Brakes
Breeze battery box
Parking brake relocated to trans tunnel top - not sure if this is a kit or custom work
Heavily customized dash and center console
Forward firewall
Extended PS footbox - did this on my prior build and loved it.
Widened DS footbox - looking forward to this!
Manual steering
Donor Rad
Convoluted stainless hoses in the engine compartment
Heat/defrost with electronic and vacuum operated controls
Wiper kit
Speedhut gauges
Single roll bar
Cats
No noles cut in the body
Sidepipes are uncoated steel
High back Kirkey seats

The build plan:

Remove the donor harness and engine controls and replace with a Painless performance harness
Abandon the factory EFI in favor of a sniper or similar solution - still researching
Rework the primary power distribution to match my prior builds
Thoroughly assess all previously completed work - basically this is the suspension and brakes
Abandon the customized dash and console in favor of a traditional dash
Swap in a new radiator, fan, etc. along with the breeze accessories
Lizard skin heat and sound for the interior insulation
Raptor for externally exposed panels
Power coat for other metal bits that are not candidates for Lizardskin or Raptor
Rapor for the underside of the body… and probably the underside of the hood and trunk.
Add hood hinges
I need to understand how the forward firewall impacts the wiper motor placement
Swap out the seats with some I just acquired from a local roadster owner
Add seat heaters

For consideration:

I’m considering adding a double roll bar like on my prior cobra build
Driveshaft safety hoop - right now it appears that the parking brake mechanicals are occupying some of the space needed by the hoop. Considering just welding something in place.
Under car exhaust

Next Steps:

Strip the wiring harness from the vehicle
Pull the existing dash and salvage the gauges
Route primary power to battery, starter, dash and cutoff switch
Make a decision on an EFI solution

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Jeff Kleiner

08-21-2025, 11:18 AM

Sounds like a solid plan! I have a couple of friends who were kind of eyeing that car but were reluctant to travel that far. Keep us updated and good luck!

Jeff

Blitzboy54

08-21-2025, 12:03 PM

Sweet!

Mike.Bray

08-21-2025, 12:22 PM

Abandon the factory EFI in favor of a sniper or similar solution - still researching

One word: ProFlo

Al_C

08-21-2025, 04:14 PM

It certainly looks like you have everything covered! It seems that the only questions in your mind are about the safety hoop and the wiper motor. Judging from where your forward firewall is, I wonder if you could just fabricate a bracket and install the motor on the inside of the firewall. They you could have it pretty much where it wants to be. Regarding the safety hoop, I believe Mike Forte offers one that bolts or welds to the 4 inch tubes. You might be able to adjust the location of one of those to accommodate the e-brake? The tubes are parallel, so you could mount it anywhere you want. Just my unsolicited opinions!

TTimmy

08-22-2025, 02:55 PM

Here is the current state of the situation in video format.

https://youtu.be/kmce2pvakhY

https://youtu.be/kmce2pvakhY

TTimmy

09-18-2025, 10:06 AM

General Cleanup
The wiring harness has now been removed from the car along with some of the dash modifications that I will be abandoning. At this stage I am really just pulling things apart and thinking more about my build plan for the car. The nice part about demolition is I don’t mind having a few beers while I do that kind of work. With summer winding down I hope to spend a bit more time on the project and provide more frequent updates. I also pulled out the convoluted stainless plumbing from the engine as I am not a fan of that style setup.

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Misc Stuff
Here’s a few boxes of miscellaneous parts and junk. I genuinely enjoy going through all this stuff and getting it sorted out. I file away the stuff to keep and list the rest on Marketplace. That is always an interesting experience - you get to interact with such a diverse cross section of society. Some folks will hand you $500 for a part without question; others will haggle over a 10 air filter.

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Power Steering and Front Accessory Drive
"Add power steering - it's quick and easy!" Or so that is what I always hear. Nothing is ever easy.

I cleaned up the engine compartment just a bit. I swapped out the steering rack for one with power assist and need to work out how to add the PS pump.. As this is a 94 mustang engine I am dealing with the quirky “short” waterpump and related accessory drive. This introduced a lot of constraints that I had not previously thought about. As this was only in use for two years there is not much in the way of aftermarket accessories. The existing setup needs work as the belts are not in alignment, probably due to a custom made idler gear that replaced the factory AC/PS bracket.

Options include swapping out the timing cover and everything forward of that; keeping the original configuration (ugly) and acquiring a power steering bracket and pump; or finding something else that does not seem to exist. I initially opted to add the factory PS pump and bracket but struggled to find anything acceptable. The one that I bought off ebay arrived destroyed as the shipper used packing peanuts, etc. Returned. I threw up my hands and moved on to a more intensive search for options that did not include swapping out the timing cover.

As luck would have it I happened to be talking with Mike Forte on another topic and we started to talk through options. Seems my engine configuration is desirable to a very small set of enthusiasts - those building GT40s. The shortened front accessory drive configuration makes a big difference on a GT40 given the space constraints between the rear firewall and the engine. Mike is working to expand into that space and is offering Quaiffe transaxles and he is prototyping an accessory drive as well. I guess I am now signed up for the pilot program. Stay tuned for more. This conversation with Mike is the exact reason I love working with these “smaller” businesses vs big private equity owned outfits like Summit and Jegs.

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What's Next?

I will continue to work through the front accessory drive matter

I intend to apply an undercoat of Raptor to the body while the weather/temperatures are still agreeable

I will be applying Raptor to some of the aluminum panels as well. I will do this with my HPLV gun and reduce the Raptor so that it goes on with a minimal amount of texture

I need to work out fuel line routing given the likelihood of an under car exhaust. The existing setup will be removed. It will probably go through the trans tunnel in order to keep clear of the exhaust heat.

Blitzboy54

09-18-2025, 10:21 AM

I don't hate what this guy was putting together stylistically. The wiring is another matter. I love that this is now your thing. Timmy the "rehab guy"

Awesome

Jeff Kleiner

09-18-2025, 10:25 AM

I will be applying Raptor to some of the aluminum panels as well. I will do this with my HPLV gun and reduce the Raptor so that it goes on with a minimal amount of texture

Tim,
Buy the gallon kit of Raptor and use the included Schutz gun. You can vary the air pressure and feed to arrive at the texture that you like. No reduction will be necessary to achieve at a nearly smooth "orange peel" finish on the aluminum.

Jeff

TTimmy

09-18-2025, 03:00 PM

I don't hate what this guy was putting together stylistically. The wiring is another matter. I love that this is now your thing. Timmy the "rehab guy"

Awesome

If I ever make my way up to Albany I will bring all of my convoluted radiator hoses and fittings!

The donor-harness route is a tough one - Kudos to those that can pull it off!

TTimmy

09-23-2025, 01:29 PM

Body Related Stuff:
Grew up on a ranch in western OK. “Make hay when the sun shines,” is what they would say. Well the sun was shining so I gave the body a good scrubbing to work out the remaining wax, etc. Next I will scuff the underside and give it a coat of Raptor. I love that stuff!

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Insulation:
I’ve used both Lizard Skin and the stick on insulation in the past. In terms of overall effort it is probably about the same.I opted for the stick on stuff for a couple reasons: 1. I had a few boxes laying around and 2. The PS footbox was already closed up and would have been a PITA to spray. I did not feel like opening it back up.

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Raptor Liner:
I sprayed Raptor on a bunch of the aluminum panels rather than sending them for power coat. I did this for several reasons: the power coat costs keep creeping up and it leaves it within my schedule to get things done. Furthermore, a bunch of the panels were already installed so I just sprayed them in place. I went with the course texture on the elephant ears and anywhere wheel-well related. For the chassis aluminum, trunk panels, etc. I tuned the shutz gun for a finer texture as Jeff K suggested. I went ahead and taped off, scutted and sprayed the firewall and a few things that were already installed. Everything came out great. I love that stuff.

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... And how about that extended footbox that the prior owner built! I did the same thing on my Mk3 - it's a great improvement if you can grab the space from the engine compartment!
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QuickJacks!
While they are not very useful for vehicle assembly, at least as it relates to working underneath the car, they do come in handy for many tasks. I finally broke down and got a set of QuickJacks. Someone else on the forum mentioned that they frequently have returned items offered at a heavy discount - I took advantage of that offer. I think the pump unit had a prior life with someone but it was in perfect condition. The jacks seemed to be brand new. I immediately put them to use on the coupe a couple times... super handy!

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What's Next?

I’m working with Forte on the front accessory drive - he is working to sourcing the right size pulleys.
I started roughing in the fuel lines and battery power feeds. I should have these nailed down soon.
Body underside raptor will be sprayed soon. I love that stuff!

TTimmy

09-23-2025, 01:43 PM

One word: ProFlo

I think I have lined up a good deal on a Pro-Flo 4 setup with a Victor manifold. It's installed but never used. If it looks complete I will pull the trigger. The Victor manifold is tall and will put things higher than they might be otherwise. But perhaps the shorter throttle body will make up for the added manifold height.

Stay Tuned!

Mike.Bray

09-23-2025, 02:25 PM

I think I have lined up a good deal on a Pro-Flo 4 setup with a Victor manifold. It's installed but never used. If it looks complete I will pull the trigger. The Victor manifold is tall and will put things higher than they might be otherwise. But perhaps the shorter throttle body will make up for the added manifold height.

Stay Tuned!

Go for it! I just picked up a complete ProFlo4 off of FB Marketplace for $800 for my Camaro. Barely used, poor guy couldn't figure it out. It looks to me either the fuel pump or the regulator (or both) are wrong and that's the issue. I plugged everything in and all seems well. Love the Bluetooth app.

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I'm thinking about using a Holley EFI intake that I have, I like it better than the Edelbrock.

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TTimmy

09-29-2025, 09:26 AM

Electrical Power
I finished pulling out the original power distribution setup. I wanted to clean it up and make it consistent with my earlier builds. The PO used nice heavy gauge wire throughout so that will all get recycled into the build. I was a PITA getting everything in place as the engine was already installed and the forward-firewall was in the way. I pulled the header to gain a bit of extra room. The install of the cutoff switch was largely a blind install, but it is now in place. I also ran the starter-crank cable and HAAT wires through the same harnesses. The only variation from earlier builds was running the harness on the inside of the engine mounts in order to gain a bit more clearance from the shorty headers.

The power distribution is basically the same as my prior two builds and is basically taken from what EdwardB has documented for his earlier builds. Thanks Again!

This had to go:
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Starter related bits:
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It was tight working in here with the engine in place. Basically installed everything blind. I cannot recall how many times a dropped a washers and nuts. I was maddening but it is now DONE!
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Remote Jumper Lugs:
Given my fear of dead batteries and high-speed moving belts I like to install remote jumper lugs. Sometimes I just install the positive lug as lots of grounds are available - this time I installed + and - so there is not need to tear up anything in the engine compartment by attaching a negative jumper cable jaw.
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While I'm here...
While I had the extra clearance I als installed some of the DEI aluminum/fiber insulation on the footbox. I have done this a couple times and I feel really makes a difference. After struggling to find a good, high-temp black tape I finally found a black aluminum tape on Amazon that seems to hold up and stay in place.

Blitzboy54

09-29-2025, 09:58 AM

Electrical Power

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When you install the remote jumper lugs on the positive side, do you put them inline? Does the hot goes through it on the way to the starter or is it branched off separately? Are one of those wires going to your remote?
This is such a good idea that didn't occur to me until I had recent power draw issues. I agree it's a little dicey getting in there with clamps. I may retro fit something before she goes off to paint.

Thanks

TTimmy

09-30-2025, 07:16 PM

When you install the remote jumper lugs on the positive side, do you put them inline? Does the hot goes through it on the way to the starter or is it branched off separately? Are one of those wires going to your remote?
This is such a good idea that didn't occur to me until I had recent power draw issues. I agree it's a little dicey getting in there with clamps. I may retro fit something before she goes off to paint.

Thanks

This setup has come in handy more than a couple times. So much so that I put it on cars I’m not even keeping.

For the positive, I just brought it down to the battery + terminal. This wire and the primary power to the cutoff switch terminate into 1/0 gauge Fusion (solder) battery terminal. This has always worked for me. Taking it to the starter might gain you something. My starter lead goes through the cutoff switch so it would start to get convoluted for my situation.

For the ground I just took it down to the large round tube. I reused a hole that the prior owner had drilled. Cable routing was tidy for my arrangement.

TTimmy

10-02-2025, 09:08 AM

Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4 EFI Deal
I was able to acquire a slightly used system that is built on the Victor manifold. The unit looked brand new with no evidence of ever being installed. It seems like a really nice package and includes the throttle body, electronics, distributor, gaskets, and Victor manifold. The manifold is factory modified and has the injectors and fuel rails already installed. It also includes the water temp sensor, etc. Really nice setup at first glance.

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ProFlo Hardware Install
It sure was satisfying to pull off the old crusty 1994 “combover” intake! It was also nice to get additional validation that the engine build matched what I was told when I purchased the car. As I may have previously mentioned, the engine was freshly rebuilt with a new block. I was given an invoice that showed the work that was done, parts, etc. So, while this does not guarantee a problem free engine, at least I am seeing the rockers I expected to see, along with ARP bolts, etc. Everything appears to be nice and clean.

The install went very smoothly. I was lucky to find a bunch of interesting youtube videos by forum member@Jrmotorsports55 on the following thread. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?42549-Restoration-upgrades-of-FFR3490-MK2-built-in-2002 He covers a gradual refresh of a Mk2 purchase that he made. On a few videos he goes into detail on a proflo install along with guidance on, hopefully, leak proofing the intake, etc.

One of the new tips I picked up was to use tinfoil to line the valley of the upper block and lifter area in order to facilitate cleanup after scraping the gaskets surfaces clean. This worked much better than the towels I used in the past as it better conforms to the surfaces.

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ProFlo FItment and Clearances
As this manifold is on the taller side I will need to keep an eye on clearances. I was considering a scoopless hood. This may force my hand on that subject. I was planning to run the elongated Cobra air filter but I believe it will be too high in the front given the slope of the hood.

While the actual throttle body component is quite thin, the actuator lever where the throttle cable attaches swings higher than the actual throttle body. Without modifications to the air filter this will likely necessitate some type of spacer in order to clear the air filter. Alternatively I can probably figure out a way to clearance the lower filter pan.

I think it is worth noting that this type of issue would have stopped me on my first build. I would have needed to have the matter fully resolved. My philosophy has evolved a bit and my new approach is that I will deal with it when it needs to be dealt with.

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Blitzboy54

10-02-2025, 09:27 AM

Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4 EFI Deal

I think it is worth noting that this type of issue would have stopped me on my first build. I would have needed to have the matter fully resolved. My philosophy has evolved a bit and my new approach is that I will deal with it when it needs to be dealt with.

For better or worse this has been my operating philosophy for my entire second build. I've been in full send it mode and SO FAR I have found a solution to just about everything. I've enjoyed the approach. I love what your doing here.

If it were me and it didn't fit, I may keep going? Something like no scoop but cut a hole with a Hi-RAM air intake or some such poking though? My dad told me once if you can't hide it, accentuate it. That stuck with me.

My next build is going to some sort of steam punk frankenbeast with long travel suspension and machine gun mount, so I might not be the guy to take advice from. :)

TTimmy

10-02-2025, 10:01 AM

UnderBody Raptor
As usual I am going to coat the underside of the body. I will use LizardSkin in the areas above the tires in order to provide a bit more protection for the fiberglass from the underside. Then I will shoot the whole thing with Raptor.

I scuffed the underside of the body; taped everything off and shot it with LizardSkin. I let that dry for about 48 hours then I shot the Raptor. Man, I love that stuff!

I chose to tackle the cutouts after spraying everything so that I had fewer areas to tape off. You can call me lazy or efficient.

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Remote Oil Filter
While not necessary at all, I painted a spare oil relocation kit I had around and then swapped out the crusty donor unit that was on the car. Added some fresh lines as well. I also took the opportunity to rework the mount just a bit.

This nasty thing had to go!
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... and this.
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Nice and clean.
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TTimmy

10-20-2025, 10:41 AM

Heater Blower
I cleaned up and remounded the heater blower. Pulled off all the unattractive and colorful stickers that adorn the blower. The adhesive remover works wonders!220431

Heater blower remounted:
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EFI Wiring roughed in and fuel line buttoned up
I roughed in the wiring for the EFI; ran the throttle cable (Upgrade to a Lokar unit) and finalized the fuel line routing to the distribution rails on the manifold.
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I routed the engine and manifold wiring under the manifold in order to try and hide it a bit. It worked out pretty well. Most of the wire lengths are pretty good, but it is apparent that the wiring harness is designed for a GM vehicle with the distributor in the rear. That said, they supply an extension and everything reaches where it should.

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Things get a bit more complicated when dealing with the ECU location and that bit of wiring. Not because of Edelbrock, but because of my particular situation. The firewall has been moved four inches forward. So things are a bit awkward in PS front footwell area. A few things that want to occupy that space include: the heater, heater servo controls, the wiper motor, and the ECU. Not to mention all the wiring needs to get through the firewall; this is complicated because the Edelbrock wiring harness has some big old honking connectors on each end.

Engine compartment organization and clearances:
Before I finalize wiring and accessory placement in this area I need to remount the body and confirm clearances to the relocated firewall. Of specific concern are the wipers. Because the firewall is so far forward I suspect the wheelboxes will either be on the dash side of the firewall or, worse yet, conflicting with the firewall. It would be more simple to have the wiper motor on the same side as the wheelboxes, but space is rather tight behind the PS dash. It will also complicate mounting the windshield.

If there are clearance problems I will need to make some decisions regarding wipers or the firewall location. Options include moving the firewall back (PITA), adjusting the wheelbox locations or abandoning the power wipers all together.
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Gauge Repair
Tackling these build projects allows one to develop many new skills. Added to my list: repairing damaged gauges. As I started looking at my dash components and working out a strategy it became apparent that the tach was missing the signal wire and the ground wire was disconnected inside the gauge. Opened it up and I was able to determine the ground location pretty easily as it has locations all around the circuit board for various reasons - as is common with grounds. Get it? Common with grounds? Anyway, I then found another location which seemed to have been home for another wire. Hooked up a lead and it tested good when hooked up to my Coyote! As expected it read about ⅛ of the actual RPM since it was just getting signal from one cylinder.
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Tire Table Tool Holder
Three builds in and countless tools have fallen from the non-flat surface I so frequently use a table. The benefits and simplicity are self explanatory.

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TTimmy

10-23-2025, 09:18 AM

I have adopted a philosophy of not worrying about problems until they need to be addressed. The Jedi take on this approach is "a solution will present itself." … and normally it does. Whatever the case, I try not to let potential problems slow my roll.

In a previous post I raised concern regarding all the stuff that wants to occupy the PS upper footbox area. This includes the ECU, heater/blower, heater servo control, wiper motor, wiring entry through the firewall and the windshield mount. Quite a lot going on in this little neighborhood. I think I have solutions for many of those issues now. Though I have not established how I will seal up the area between the extended firewall and PS windshield pillar area - Stay tuned. I had a buddy come over and, along with my daughter, we remounted the body. Then I could work out locations for the dash and firewall area components.

ECU and Engine Related Wiring:
ECU wiring and other engine compartment wiring will enter the dash area by coming through UNDERNEATH the extended firewall. First, since it has been moved forward 4 inches, there is plenty of room to accommodate a large grommet and all of the wires. Furthermore it eliminates other items that want to be in the PS firewall area, thus freeing up some more space. As luck would have it I found a large (~3”) two piece grommet that will rivet into place. This allows me to route the large ECU connectors through the firewall and then place the grommet around the wires. There is also enough space to get the rivet gun in there. Functions perfectly, and it is hidden underneath the firewall anyway.

Still need to clean up the wiring a bit but here you can see the large two-piece grommet:
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Wiper Location:
The wiper motor and wheel boxes will be located inside the firewall. There is just enough room between the windshield pillar support and the heater blower for it to fit. The older “u-strap” mounting solution included with the FFR kit would not work. It took a lot of searching but eventually I found an appropriately sized t-bar clamp with the hold-down bracket (this is what is included with newer wiper kits). It provides a lot more flexibility for mounting the wiper motor and accommodating the angles.

With the wiring coming in from underneath/left of the blower motor I have plenty of room for the wiper motor. Since the firewall is so far forward there is also plenty of room for the defrost vents and tubing. The wiring neatly lays in the 4" trough along the bottom. The ECU will sit just to the left of the hoop support on the 2" tube. Also added a ground stud on the hoop support.
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I still need to figure out how I will button up this area:
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TTimmy

11-07-2025, 09:23 AM

With car shows and other summertime activities winding down I have a lot of time to spend in the shop.

Dash Layout
I started thinking about the dash layout. I will be using the gauges that came with stuff I purchased. The gauge cluster will be very compact as there are only three gauges. Large speedo, small tach and another large gauge with oil, fuel, temp and volts. I had an extra dash from a prior build but needed to address the cutouts for all the extra gauges that I do not have. I ended up using some tapered rivets to attach a backing plate to the dash. Then I used some Aluma-bond filler to level everything out. I added a couple light layers and sanded off the high spots. Once the padding and leather are in place all the imperfections should disappear.

Horn, ignition and wiper controls will be on the dash face. Heater controls and USB will be underneath on a return/support in the center section. Headlight controls will be behind the left dash as I did on my prior build. This is my first build without the Russ Thompson signal so I needed to accommodate the blinker and hi/lo controls. The hi/lo function will be controlled with a foot switch - old school. I will mount it to the vertical round tube in the footbox. The prior owner had a BackOFF turn signal control from Signal Dynamic that I am using. It requires two momentary switches to control the blinkers and hazards. It’s a nice little setup and really simplifies/reduces wiring necessary for all that stuff.

The controls work as follows: Press for less than 1 second, and turn signal light will flash for 7 seconds then cancel. (Typically used when changing lanes). Press for over 1 second but less than 4 seconds, and the turn signal light will flash for 20 seconds, then cancel. (Typically used when making a turn). Press for more than 4 seconds, and turn signal light will flash for 75 seconds, then cancel. (Typically used when stopping at a signal light and turn will be made after the stop). Press both buttons to activate the hazards. Pressing the button(s) again will cancel the current action.

I will wire up the dash and intend to connect it to the chassis harness using a couple large Deutch connectors. I still need to work out the full inventory of wires.

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PNWTim

11-07-2025, 09:33 AM

This is interesting to follow along. I used JB Weld for some of the dash work filler but I am thinking alumbond may be a better option if it sands OK. Keep up the good work.

TTimmy

11-07-2025, 10:19 AM

I pulled the wheels off to simplify dropping and removing the body - also grants better access for a lot of other stuff. I took this opportunity to add some hub locks. I used the circlip and roll-pin method that was shared with me by Michael Everson. I had been using large o-rings but had inconsistent performance depending on the size/thickness of the o-ring relative to the gaps between the parts. Honestly the toughest part is taking the wheels off the car. It’s a no brainer. I know there are lots of other methods and I am not knocking those at all.

After completing this I saw another great option. I was helping out Mark Daugherty with the London Cobra Show raffle car and watched him do a similar thing. However, he substituted the roll pin with one a small sheet metal screw - the ones that hold the body panels on from FFR. Even more secure than the roll pin.

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TTimmy

11-08-2025, 01:36 PM

The car came with donor brakes from the 94 SVT Cobra or whatever it was. The prior owner had new disks and Hawk pads all round. I had a brand new set of stock FFR front brakes so I swapped those out. The rears will stay. I strongly suspect the cobra brakes will find their way onto the coupe.

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I also took this opportunity to install a proportioning valve for the rear brakes. I then rebled the entire system with some fresh fluid.

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I also pumped the ancient gas out of the tank so I will start fresh when I start up.

TTimmy

11-11-2025, 10:06 AM

As I mentioned in an earlier post the original owner had a donor harness strategy. I abandoned that in favor of a universal harness. I found a great Facebook Marketplace deal on Painless Performance harness and jumped at it.

Painless Performance Harness:
It is very similar to the RF harness although it does not have any of the ground wires integrated into the harness. That’s fine as I normally beef up the grounds at each corner of the car anyway by attaching them to the chassis. It also comes as a single unit and there are no sub harnesses for the engine, front, rear or gauges. So it does require a little better advance planning. On the other hand, there are no bulky plugs jamming up the area behind the dash. Also, each wire is numbered and labeled over the full length of the wire. Thus, no matter where you look, you can easily determine the function of each wire. These also tie out nicely to the appropriate sections of the manual which carries detailed explanations of the function, capacity, source, etc. Since it is without plugs, it is also pretty easy to adjust the wire lengths and fine tune routing by simply cutting wire ties and making edits. It really makes for a nice and clean install. Very nice stuff.

I have a 28 circuit harness - which is way more than enough. The only thing that was really missing was wiring for the electronic speedo. Also, no high amperage fan wiring is included - need to do this myself - no problem. The fuel pump circuit is rated at 10 amps and it seems my Walbro pump can pull in excess of that, So I added a relay and breaker for that function as well. I’ll recycle the original fuel pump circuit for my cubby USB chargers.

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Fuse Block:
I mounted the fuse block in the standard location above the DS footbox. I made some brackets with rivnuts so the whole thing can be removed when it comes time to install the windshield.

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Plenty of extra wire!
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Preliminary Routing is underway:
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So far I really like what I see. It's probably not the right answer for new builders given the benefits of a large community that can provide support for the RF harness. That said, I do recommend that every new builder take download and review the Painless harness manual. It is chock full of good information and best practices that apply to any wiring harness. I feel like such a dork saying this, but that wiring harness owners manual is a good read!

https://painlessperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/90626.pdf

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Blitzboy54

11-11-2025, 10:27 AM

I like the idea of not having bulky connectors behind the dash.

TTimmy

11-12-2025, 09:37 AM

I like the idea of not having bulky connectors behind the dash.

Between the dash being moved four inches forward, the lack of plugs and only three gauges the dash area feels cavernous. Quite a luxury!

PNWTim

11-12-2025, 10:00 AM

I went back and forth in my head on whether or not to replace the RF harness in my coupe with something from Painless or American Autowire. I decided to keep the RF harness and somewhat regret that I did. In my opinion, there is zero value in having discreet wiring harnesses that then plug together. As you noted, those other harnesses label their wires about every six inches and being able to route, wrap (with your choice of material) and terminate to one's liking is very nice. I also had my main harness mis-wired and have found after depinning several of the large connectors the crimps leave a lot to be desired. While depinning the large, heavy amperage headlight connector two of the wires actually popped out of the terminals.

Either way, you're making good progress with your rehabilitation patient. Must be tough working with no music though...

TTimmy

11-12-2025, 10:01 AM

Standoff Panel:
Again, plenty of room behind my dash, but I needed to build something for attaching all the relays, barrier strips and breakers. I wanted to avoid a bunch of random screws, bolts or rivets coming through the firewall. I created a standoff panel out of some scrap aluminum. It has three rivets, nicely spaced, through the firewall and a few on the bottom. I used rivnuts on the standoff panel for attaching all the relays, breakers, terminal strips, etc. so I don’t junk up the firewall. I left provisions for a few extra relays and breakers - because that’s how I roll. All the wiring will drop down into the trough created by the extended firewall.

A couple of carefully executed bends and the standoff is started. This will keep the engine side of the firewall pretty clean.
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Doing some test fitting, added rivnuts for the relays, breakers, etc. It looks a mess, but there is some order to the chaos.
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The standoff panel is home to the breakers and relays for fuel pump and cooling fan. Both of these are triggered by the ProFlow ECU. I added some heavy gauge wiring to the fan and fuel pump areas and added appropriate grounds as well. Also visible is my homemade headlight reminder buzzer. I t hink I stole the piezo buzzer from an old PC. The head will end up being a spare slot too since the harness has a big honking circuite for that purpose. Also visible is the Backoff signal and hazard control module that will be used instead of the RT turn stalk.
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Things are coming together behind the dash:
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Harness Wrap:
The Painless harness does not include any type of wrap. I default to convoluted tubing wrapped with “GM style” harness tape. It is a shiny and stretch tape that resembles electrical tape in color and sheen. Since it is not sticky you will need to secure the ends with electrical tape. Don’t wrap the harness until you have really nailed everything down. I always seem to wrap mine a bit too early!

Wrapped most of the harness. At this stage I am still waiting on the engine front accessory drive to be sorted so I can install the cooling system and extend the wiring to the PS. This oddball 94/95 engine has caused some headaches.
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Wiring to the temperature control servo:
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Wiring and fuel passing through the trans tunnel. I still need to work out a solution for the ebrake. I like that it is mounted in the center console but with all the supporting apparatus bolted in place it is creating some issues. The prior owner was not a welder and neither am I - thus that matter is complicated. Might to with an electronic solution or perhaps try to get it someplace and have the brackets welded. Because of this indecision I have not fully secured the wiring and fuel lines in this area since they would need to be moved for welding.
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TTimmy

11-13-2025, 04:00 PM

Either way, you're making good progress with your rehabilitation patient. Must be tough working with no music though...

You are so right… I have been remiss in reporting on my soundtrack on this build!

Right now I have a playlist running that is primed with John Prine and Arlo Guthrie.

I will do better.

TTimmy

11-14-2025, 10:53 AM

Things are moving along at a nice pace now. At this stage i’m still working with Mike Forte on the front accessory drive. He was working through some mockups and finalizing the size of the pulleys and clearance needed for the belt tensioner. Without this in place I am not going to mount the rad, etc. as it is awfully nice to have that access to the engine. So I keep plugging away on the wiring. Get it - plugging away on the wiring?

ECU integration:
The Edelbrock ProFlow4 documentation is acceptable and adequately covers what is needed from a wiring perspective. Integration is pretty straightforward: They stress the positive and negative directly to the battery - they stress this a number of times. I have very robust wiring and will interface with the power and ground a bit differently. If it proves problematic I will take the feeds straight to the battery. That said, the positive will not pass through the cutoff switch - it will truly be HAAT.

Like the Coyote, the wiring is quite basic: power, ground ignition on, tach output, relay triggers for up to two fans and a fuel pump circuit (10 amp). I used the fuel pump as a relay trigger for a higher amperage circuit since my Walbro pump can pull in excess of that.

The ECU will be mounted on the 2x2 tube in the center dash area. I have plenty of space and my two piece grommet permits passing of the large connectors. The relay will mount next to it on the ¾ hoop support. The fuse for that system will be accessible from under the dash in that same area.

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London Cobra Show Build:
I had an opportunity to help out at Mark Daugherty's place with the charity build for this summer's London Cobra Show. We had handful of folks on hand to help out - Some I have met at various shows and cruises and others I were new. I love getting together with other builders - normally this is only done at shows or social events - even better when we can throw wrenches together! There is always so much to be learned from others. A lot of folks have been putting in a lot of time on this project; my contributions were minimal. Great to see it is quite close to the finish line!

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Soundtrack:
Transitioned from Prine and Guthrie to some Steve Poltz and Todd Snider… going from serious to weird.

TTimmy

11-17-2025, 10:11 AM

Dash Wiring:
With switch and gauge placement nailed down, I wired everything up on the dash and tested what I could. I learned that the Autometer gauge dimmer can generate some high AC voltage - you have been warned. On the dash I am mounting the horn, ignition switch and an intermittent wiper switch. The wiper switch has been tested and all functions work with the FFR wiper motor, including the park function.

Again, I’m using Deutch connectors to interface between the dash and chassis. I went with two 12 contact plugs. The beefier of the two handles higher amperage circuits. The ground has a single high amp connector. While I like the fact that the harness is without plugs for each of the subharnesses, It is really a necessity to have plugs between the dash and the chassis.

On the back of the dash I’m mounting a terminal strip for the numerous grounds rather than running many grounds across on the interface. The gauge dimmer apparatus is also mounted on the dash with double sided tape.

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Headlights:
The headlight switch has been mounted behind the dash on the left side. Hidden but easy to access. The mounting plate is held on with four small screws - just tapped into the frame in that area. I added a foot dimmer that is mounted to the round tube to the left of the clutch. Easy to access and adjustable if needed.

Heater and USB - Dash support:
I added a dash support in the center section above the console. To this I added my heater fan control and heater temp control. Also mounted a USBC charger. On the bottom side I added a RAM mount connector to which I can attach a phone holder or whatever. Last time I attached this to the vertical console “wall, “ this time it will be completely hidden on the underside of the support.

Wiring Validation:
The wiring is largely complete with the dash now finalized. I built a little test light with alligator clips and moved it around to each set of wires as needed. I tested headlights, signals, brakes, reverse, etc to all corners for the car. All in all things went well. I needed a couple of tweaks.

First time sitting in the car with the dash and steering wheel in place. Always feels good!. The BackOFF unit works very well for the turn signals and hazards. The red light previously had no function - I will use it for the e-ebrake system. I suspect that is negative switched so I may need to tweak the wiring a bit.
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Most exciting was that the ProFlow ECU fired up and was accessible via Bluetooth!
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Parking Brake:
I've made a decision to move to an E-Stopp parking brake. More to come on that matter.

Soundtrack:
A lot of Todd Snider. Not sure how many Todd Snider fans are reading this thread, but I am absolutely devastated that we just lost him at 59. I am a huge fan of him and his work. He was the consummate entertainer. The last time I saw Todd Snider was at the Ryman in 2019 with my family. He closed out the show with an encore of Illegal Smile. John Prine joined him for that encore. That was the last time I saw Prine as well.

From that show:
https://youtu.be/ZhJTQ8LUKcI?si=hHS-c991sfSTadsG

TTimmy

11-18-2025, 10:42 AM

I decided to abandon the console based parking brake built by the prior owner. I loved the concept but the execution is challenging without welding skills. With all the supports and brackets bolted in place it raises the height of the rear part of the console by almost half an inch in the areas where the brackets and bolts rise above the plane of the entire console. This topic had been on my mind since prior to owning the car. I did consider buying a welder and trying to sort it out that way. However, welding upside down in a confined area seemed like a bad idea for my first project. I also considered having someone else do the work. I ended up going with the E-Stopp electric parking brake.

This is where we started:
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This is some of what was removed. The aluminum rod was used along the top side of the console to level everything out.
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This is the clean slate:
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I had seen some good build videos on youtube from 520 Speedworks where they had worked with the unit and it looked like a good solution. They have some great content online - one of my favorite playlists on their channel is the rebuild of a wrecked cobra. They rework the damaged frame, aluminum and body. Great stuff. Anyway, I have worked with Greg at 520 Speedworks in the past and figured I would use them again. Anyone who has read me threads knows I strongly advocate for supporting small businesses, local suppliers and community sponsors. They check all these boxes.

They are a Forum sponsor, they contribute to the online community and offer fair prices along with quick shipping. On top of all that they offer customer service that is second to none. I emailed a question and promptly received a PHONE CALL back. In a day when so many people try to hide behind technology, I found this quite refreshing. We covered the technical question in 3 minutes and spent 15 minutes BSing about builds and cars.

I basically did what he outlined in this video: https://youtu.be/zulwRWvZSd8?si=OFDumyFHHDMKCPlr. My only problem was my brake cables only had a few inches of available cable to tie in to. This was about three inches short of the E-Stopp device. I ended up adding on a 4” length of M6 rod to get everything linked up. I ordered some appropriate cables and will do things properly once they arrive. But for now everything is in place and functioning as intended.

I also sourced a new console cover from them. Normally I would make this stuff myself, but it's a bit too long form my brake. So they sell this as an uncut piece - you need to cut your own shifter hole. Also, it is a bit wider so it nicely accommodates the carpet going under the sides and leaves room to wrap the leather around the edges.

I had an unused red LED on my dash - this was repurposed for the brake “on” indicator. It was negative switched so I had to rejigger some of my dash wiring to get it 12v.

Here you can see how I extended the cable from the unit. Also visible are some parts I was playing with but did not use:
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Here it is mounted on the trans support bracket:
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The control unit and switch are mounted in this horizontal dash support area. I have now used one of my two "spare" relays:
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Here is my extension apparatus. I have new brake cables on order so I can clean all this up. The cables were pretty hammered from their previous life and frankly I was surprised that I was able to feed them into the brass thingy.
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TTimmy

11-21-2025, 09:39 AM

For those not familiar with the 94/95 Mustang engine, this is when Ford switched to electric radiator fans. To accommodate the fan components in the engine compartment, they shortened the water pump and all of the related accessory drive components. So, for an engine that spanned four decades of production, there is a two year stint where they had some very oddball pieces. But it’s not just the water pump and accessory drive bits, it also includes the timing cover. Thus switching away from this configuration is no minor undertaking. Since it was only in production for two years, nobody really makes any parts. So, I either needed to make this work or swap out the timing cover and everything forward of that.

I considered using stock Ford components, but they are pretty hideous looking. Holly also has a solution that replaces the timing cover and everything else. It is a bit pricey and I would have ended up with a bunch of highly proprietary pieces. They don’t use any standard parts with that setup from what I can tell. It looks nice, but I worry about supportability in 10 or 20 years. March had only one system and it put all the accessories up very high - it was a no-go. The March solution was also blingy billet stuff.

I was talking with Mike Forte on another topic and I was grumbling about my situation. He said he might have a solution that revolves around a GT40 application. While this engine is an oddball, it has distinct benefits to any application where front engine clearance is needed. Think GT40 - shaving off an inch or so off the front of that engine is a big deal.

Seems Mike would like to do more business in the GT40 space. He is offering Quaife transaxles and is engineering some front drives for the 94/95 engine. He is working up both 302 and 351 versions and can accommodate different front accessories. Why the focus on GT40 parts - does he know something we don’t regarding FFR? Or maybe just interested in the existing market.

We worked together for a while (Mostly Mike and his team doing the work) on a solution including some custom stainless brackets, belt tensioners, etc. My config included a power steering pump and alternator, belts, pulleys, hydraulic lines, etc. I like that everything is either silver or black - not a lot of machined billet. It was also much cheaper than a March type solution.

I was pretty excited to get all the pieces and get it mounted up. It looks great and fits nicely.

This is where things started:
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ProFlow4, new accessory drive and some other dress up stuff:
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PNWTim

11-21-2025, 11:11 AM

TTimmy

11-21-2025, 04:35 PM

That is really well done. I wonder if it would accommodate and AC compressor. Any GT40 I know of requires AC or you will melt in the cockpit. Either way, that is a night a day improvement but I'm surprised you didn't reuse the sweet belt from pic #1...

Mike now has options with AC, PS and alternators. AC is requirement in a closed cockpit car in my opinion. My GT40 will definitely have AC! It was super high quality stuff.

Yeah, that original belt had seen better days - I suspect something was misaligned on the idler gear setup. Glad to have all that behind me. Next update will be the cooling system getting buttoned up.

TTimmy

11-24-2025, 10:53 AM

Radiator:
With the front drive fully sorted out I was able to finally get the radiator installed along with the rest of the cooling system. Nothing too exciting here. I went with the Breeze hinge, lower support and lower hose. As on my previous build, I sandwiched a Morosso filler into the upper hose and used the Gates heat shrink clamp/fittings to make it look tidy. With that behind me I filled it up with coolant - but all was not well.

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Thermostat housing leak:
I fought a leak on the thermostat housing for far too long before just ordering a new one. I tried cleaning, filing, gaskets, no gaskets, right-stuff, right stuff + gasket, etc. The new housing did the trick. Got the higher quality “Four Seasons” unit off amazon. I have used Four Seasons for some AC parts in the past and always had good luck. I think the one that was on the engine I acquired was an aftermarket unit. Just thrilled that I am not seeing the neon orange coolant drip. Still need to see what happens under pressure!

TTimmy

11-25-2025, 09:56 AM

Reiterating the build plan just a bit to give some context - I don’t intend to add a scoop or side pipes. I am aiming for the look of a traditional english sports car vs American muscle. This will likely include an under car exhaust as well.

That said, I have some clearance issues between the hood and oval cobra air filter. This is largely due to the high rise of the Victor manifold that was included with the Edelbrock ProFlow 4 EFI kit. The throttle body is quite thin but that Victor manifold really adds a lot of height. The interference is at the front of the air filter where it is ~level but the hood slopes down. I have added a 7 degree spacer under the throttle body in hopes that it buys me the clearance I need. While it changes the angle, it also adds some height. I won’t know if I have an issue until I drop the body back on. Might do that this weekend. If this does not work out my next options are either a move to another air filter or I will just add the scoop. Stay tuned.

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Also, I am getting extremely close to a first start now that I have all these bits together and the engine is holding water!

Mike.Bray

11-25-2025, 01:01 PM

You could look at a Holley 300-260 intake, it will work with the ProFlo and is a little shorter.

TTimmy

11-28-2025, 05:20 PM

Run up to first start
Costco provided Group 51 Battery (not an 51R) for $100. For whatever reason the standard group 51 is a special order item. I got a call about 10 days after ordering it. I’m getting a bit frustrated spending big bucks on AGM batteries that don’t seem to last any longer than standard units. Anyway, now I am ready to try starting this thing.

Pressure testing the fuel system
With the proper battery in place I hooked up the fuel pump, poured in a bit of gas and turned the ignition on. The fuel pump did its thing and everything stayed dry. I did this a few times and it was all good!

First attempted start
I was let down by the crusty old starter that came with the car. It clicked a few times and there around some sparks. Double checked my work and everything was good. Pulled the starter and bench tested it. Seems it makes for a better light show than a starter. Autozone had what I needed and I was soon able to crank the engine.

Second Attempted First Start
Lots of cranking and not much starting. I went through all the tests. I tried rotating the distributor 180 degrees- ugly backfire - it was correct the first time. I’ll make a long story short, I was powering the EFI from a standard ignition circuit - thus it lost 12v when I cranked the engine. I switched it over to the coil feed and I was good to go. Obviously the coil has 12v a time the ignition is on or when it is cranking.

THE First Start
Once this was remedied the engine fired right up. I let it warm up and checked the EFI app dashboard and I checked the cars dashboard everything matched and everything looked good. No leaks.

I then followed along the EFI wizard, or what it’s called, and got everything within spec. I did have to restart the car a few times so the EFI could reset as I worked to tune in the idle air circuit. It was super straightforward and everything runs great.

Soundtrack
Arlo Guthrie, including Alice’s Restraunt Massacre - it’s Thanksgiving!

PNWTim

11-28-2025, 06:10 PM

Very nice. Congrats on the start even though it was a stair-stepped affair. And definitely an appropriate music choice.

TTimmy

12-02-2025, 10:49 AM

Going Karting
With the engine and supporting systems finally behaving like they’re supposed to, I was ready to shift into “go-kart mode.” I was honestly amazed at how well the engine ran considering it was (1) a donor and (2) someone else’s rebuild project. Sure, a professional shop handled the work, but until an engine actually fires and holds steady, there’s always a degree of mystery. Now that it’s running cleanly, my confidence level is… let’s call it “cautiously optimistic.”

Chassis Readiness
I did a full walk-around and secured every loose, unterminated wire—basically tidying up all the electrical spaghetti. Then I checked all potential interference points: suspension links, steering arms, exhaust clearance, anything that might move or vibrate itself into a bad day. No surprises.I bolted in a seat and a harness and attached the rollbar - safety first.

Driveline Readiness
As part of the engine prep I did confirm fresh fluids were in the rear and in the trans.

Alignment
Next up was a rough alignment. I skipped this step on my first build, and the resulting “first drive” experience was somewhere between nerve-wracking and educational. Lesson learned: align first, panic less.

The process started with the basics: setting tire pressures and establishing the correct ride height. After that, I verified that the rear axle assembly (three-link setup) was properly centered and checked the driveline angles. Either the previous owner had done their homework, or fortune smiled upon me, because everything was spot on.
For the front end, I adjusted toe to get the steering wheel centered, then moved on to camber and caster. Since camber and caster adjustments influence each other, it’s always a bit of an iterative dance—adjust, measure, repeat. Once everything was within reasonable spec, I rechecked toe to finalize the setup.

When the body, interior, and remaining components are added, I’ll revisit ride height and alignment. Most of the geometry should fall back into range with only minor fine-tuning.

The First Drive
And… success. As tradition dictates, the brakes get tested first—happily they bit hard and straight. The clutch engagement felt good, the transmission shifted cleanly, and the rear end stayed quiet with no unexpected gear whine. I put a few miles on it cruising around the neighborhood, stopping periodically for inspections: leaks, loose fittings, odd noises, temperature issues—nothing. The car ran beautifully, and my confidence in the donor components climbed significantly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STi-cZjnKB0

Mike.Bray

12-03-2025, 09:17 AM

Way to go!

TTimmy

12-04-2025, 09:27 PM

Way to go!

Pro Flow was a good call!

TTimmy

12-05-2025, 11:41 AM

With some major milestones completed I spend a bit of time working on some smaller items.

Lighting
I assembled the headlights with the buckets and wiring. Again I used the Holley Retrobright units. They look vintage but perform like modern headlights. They are not inexpensive but they make a real difference. I always keep my eyes open for deals and every once in a while I find one. I also wired it all up to a higher amperage Deutsch connector. For the brakes, blinkers and marker lights I also chose to terminate them with Deutsch connectors as well.

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Hood Hinges
I assembled the powder coated hood hinges and mounted them up. Seems like the passenger side is sitting higher than it should and makes contact with the ¾ cross tube. I recall a similar issue on the Mk3 I just built. In that case it was necessary to clearance the bottom/short hinge arm where it contacts the cross tube. Will know more when I get the body on.

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Soundtrack
Lots of Allman Brothers and a bit of ZZ Top.

PNWTim

12-05-2025, 02:48 PM

TTimmy

12-08-2025, 07:04 PM

I love those three way triangular connectors! Are the barrel pins requiring the barrel crimper only DTP or are there others. Mine just used the crimpers I have from American Autowire to crimp the double clamp. All of your work is looking really good.

The ones I use are JReady brand; the quantity is very good. I got the tool along with a giant variety pack of connectors from Amazon. They offer two different crimp styles: the barrel/round kind and the “traditional “ kind. I use the barrel crimper and have been very happy with the outcome. You can see the tool in the photo with the lights.

TTimmy

12-10-2025, 11:11 AM

Seat heaters
I acquired a set of Cobra Heat seat heaters with the build. These are very similar to the Dorman units I used in the past from a wiring and relay perspective. The heating elements look much more robust and, based on the technology, they can be trimmed to be shorter. I will likely switch over to these in the future.

As usual, I wired up the control switches into the sides of the seats. I have detailed this in my prior build threads if you are interested. This reduces wiring in the dash and through the trans tunnel. The switches are somewhat hidden on the trans tunnel side of the seat, yet they are easily reached.

The switch fits nicely between the two support bars behind the leather and padding:
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This is what I build to support the switch. I bend the bottom part (no photo) and rivit it to the lower square tube of the seat frame:
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Radiator Protector
Like many others I installed a Nomex honeycomb radiator screen. I learned the value of this on my Mk3 - I watched an oncoming pickup kick up a branch and send it right into the radiator opening. It left a sizeable mark but did not break anything. After that I became a believer. It is super strong, yet can be cut with a razor.

Painting Tip: At a ½ thick with tiny honeycomb cells this piece can be difficult to paint. And it needs to be painted because it is an awful color in my opinion. What I do is turn on a fan and spray it such that the fan will draw the paint/vapor through the honeycomb. Makes for a quick job and you will get great coverage. I used Eastwood radiator black paint for the rad and shield.

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Some Body-On Tasks:
With winter upon us I had to play musical implements in my shop. Pull out the ATV/Plow and bury the mower. I took the opportunity to do some other reorganizing as well as I shift the bulk of my efforts to body work related tasks. I will be painting both this cobra as well as my Daytona over the winter.

Had a fellow Shelby fan over and, along with my daughter, put the body back on the car. Now that I have the trunk panels in place I needed to confirm fitment. They needed a bit of a trim as they were pulling everything towards the rear. I also need to take a bit more off the rolls at the front and rear of the cockpit - not quite enough room for the dash or the carpet.

Hood Clearance and the ProFlo EFI:
This did give me a chance to see if my EFI/filter setup would clear the hood. It didn’t. It was close. But as my grandfather always said, “close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and slow dancing.” I have a few options and will work through them and land one something that works. Worst case I will just add a scoop.

tnt_motorsports

12-10-2025, 01:49 PM

Seat heaters
But as my grandfather always said, “close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and slow dancing.”

LOL, my grandfather used the first 2 all the time, I will need to add the 3rd one to my list. Great to see your progress!

TTimmy

01-11-2026, 09:56 PM

I realize I’ve been pretty negligent with updates - I had a few distractions. The holidays had me very busy even though I wasn’t really working; lots of family activities. All this combined with the coupe project which is now active again.

The Coupe Distraction
My primary goal this winter is to “finish” the coupe. I have put about 6000 miles on it since the spring of ‘24. Thus, the focus of the next few months will be to complete the bodywork and paint it. I will be doing all this myself. My Mk3 project was practice for the coupe - I hope the coupe comes out as well as the Mk3 did.

I’ve been patiently waiting for the Forma windows so that I could really start digging into my coupe bodywork project. I’ve gotten the windows roughed in. Meaning they have been fitted into the doors and function as they should. I need to perform a lot of finish work, but that will best be done after the bodywork is completed. It’s an impressive and very well thought out kit and Forma’s support is top notch.

I will make a few more posts so that I can get this thread caught up and I will probably weave in some more work on this Mk4 project whenever I need a break from bodywork. So, stay tuned for updates, but don’t expect them too frequently.

These were my original door frames which were set up for cubbies, door poppers, FFR windows and USB chargers. I think all these accoutrements will go to a buddy that did not buy windows for his coupe
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This is the Forma door frame and window assembly
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Lots of well-engineered bits! Incredible design and packaging as well as some pretty cool 3D printed parts.
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And this is where I needed to take a break. The electrical will be done once the body is off for paint. The rest of the door card related install and detail finishing will happen after paint.
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TTimmy

01-12-2026, 11:05 AM

As previously mentioned, I have an interference issue with my body, hood and air filter. This is largely due to the height of the Edelbrock Victor manifold that came with the Pro Flow EFI system. Initially I had interference with the hood since I wanted to forgo the scoop. I tried a small wedge spacer under the throttle body but it did not yield the results I wanted - it put the filter too close to the body in the rear and it was still to close to the hood.

After considering all options I decided to shorten the throttle arm on the throttle body so that I could eliminate the 3/4" spacer between the air filter and the throttle body. I am now using a mounting hole that is closer to the pivot point. I tested the action on both mounts before making the cut and there was no material difference in throttle action or feel. So, this brought me the clearance I needed between the hood and the air filter. Thus no need to add the hood scoop unless I decide to do so for cosmetic reasons . I will also be able to eliminate the angled spacer under the throttle body as well… couple more parts to go into my spares box. I’m pretty happy to have this behind me.

This is with the spacer under the air filter - which is required for the throttle arm clearance:
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Clearance with the throttle arm trimmed and the spacer removed. Clears the body and the scoopless hood:
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I can extract even more space once I remove the wedge under the throttle body:
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PNWTim

01-12-2026, 11:39 AM

TTimmy

01-13-2026, 10:14 AM

I'm really looking forward to following along on this phase of your project. I am hoping you can answer a couple of questions. When you sit in the coupe with the window down, where does the actual lower opening fall i.e. can you rest your arm on the opening or is it too tall or too far away? Do you think you will incorporate your door poppers or is the real estate simply too crowded for those? With your lessons learned from painting the roadster, will you be using the same process again or doing something different for the sanding/painting area?

I am sure for something as cool as the power window install you must have been listening to some Jefferson Airplane and maybe the Mamas and the Papas?

I'll try to get some photos from inside the car to give you perspective on where things land. The windows "almost" go down all the way. Would be nice to throw my arm over the window - That is actually one of the things I love most about the cobra... arm hanging over the window, holding the wheel!

As to the door poppers, the existing ones will be abandoned. The Forma kit comes with door poppers of their own design as the primary way to open the doors from both the inside and outside. They provide a manual override on the inside of both doors and a manual override for the exterior of the drivers door that is located just forward of the door under the hood. If there is interest I could do a more detailed thread covering the windows.

Regarding the bodyword, I plan to follow the same process that I followed last time with a few changes. The following thread is fantastic and includes lots of guidance from Jeff K: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44680-Carl-s-and-Phil-s-Mk4-Body-Work-and-Paint. I did learn a few things along the way and those are detailed in this post: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?49785-TTimmy%92s-MK3-Basket-Case-Build-Thread-It%92s-a-Wrap!&p=591710&viewfull=1#post591710
(https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?49785-TTimmy%92s-MK3-Basket-Case-Build-Thread-It%92s-a-Wrap!&p=591710&viewfull=1#post591710)

TTimmy

01-13-2026, 10:26 AM

The last bit of unfinished wiring I had to deal with was on a harness spur related to the trunk and cubby lighting; cubby USB and third brake light. The cubby light is on the courtesy light circuit controlled by the headlight switch. The trunk light is HAAT and will be controlled by a magnetic reed switch that will be mounted between the trunk lid and body. The USB circuit will be switched. The third brake light will enter the passenger side rear down tube for the rollbar and be connected with a plug.

I spliced into the ground feed as needed for each of these, added convoluted tubing and wrapped everything that I could. The wiring for the lights all runs through the square tubing in order to keep things tidy... unnecessary, but so is most of what I do. The trunk lights cannot be finished until after the carpet is in place - but everything is roughed in.

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PNWTim

01-13-2026, 04:18 PM

I know I would like to see a deeper dive on the window installation and probably can speak for Jim and Dave as well.

Higgybulin

01-14-2026, 05:02 AM

TTimmy

01-15-2026, 05:52 PM

Do you have a pic of the throttle arm after you cut it? I believe I will be doing the same thing.
Higgy

Here is where I made the cut:

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TTimmy

01-23-2026, 11:02 AM

Glove Compartment
On each project I usually take on a few tasks that take way more time than they should. This build is no different. The economics of either time or material cost should have steered me to buying something prefabricated. But that's not why we undertake these projects. This seemed to be a straightforward project. I am now many hours into it!

I was able to construct something about 5 inches deep even with the heater in front of it. This is because the firewall has been moved forward 4 inches.

As far as the actual compartment opening: I marked two circles 6 and 4 inches and connected the bottom with a straight line and marked a mild arch along the top. I then cut out the holes with some large hole saws and connected them with a cutoff wheel. I then used that opening as the template for cutting the actual door. I did not think there was any way that I could cut the opening from the dash and be able to recycle that piece as the door without making a mess of the dash, the door or both!

For the compartment itself I bought some really thin gauge aluminum from my local Ace hardware and bent the compartment by hand and used a hand brake or pliers for the edges. The seam at the top is simply riveted together. The shape aligns to the opening.. I just bent it by hand and it is larger than the opening so that I could have a bit more room. It’s bigger on the inside, like the Tardis. I used my Alumabond epoxy to secure the compartment to the dash. I lined it with some heavy felt.

For the latch: I sourced a VW latch off eBay and it locks and has a little pull handle. This is the same as many others have used. It did not come with the nut to secure it and I really struggled to find the right size nut and appropriate thread pitch. I’m still not sure I have the right one, but I made it work.

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Hinges:
I looked at a lot of hinge options and I was focused on finding something that wasn't too bulky. I finally found something at McMaster that worked out and was not too bulky. The hinges were tricky - a simple piano hinge would not work as the padding and leather would bind up.

Glad I did it myself, but next time I might buy something with the hinges, latch, compartment, etc. to at least give me a head start. I spend a ridiculous amount of time on this part of the project!

Dash Covering
As I probably already mentioned, I decided to cover the dash with leather. I was able to use leftover leather from my first coupe project. I bought a full UV protected hide and it is now supporting the third project. Probably not enough left over for a fourth project.

I layed out and cut the leather and ⅛ foam pieces for the dash. Again I used my landau top adhesive to glue everything together - still can’t believe there is a market for Landau top adhesive - but I’m not complaining!

After applying the foam I trimmed around all the openings and edges so the turns would not be too bulky. Once the foam was trimmed I applied the leather. I then opened the openings and pie cut the edges as necessary.

Center Console
The center console is also leather covered and will feature a couple cup holders. I will be identical to the one on my basket case build. Given the change is design direction vs the prior owner I needed to either build or buy a new center console cover. I opted for the one from 520 Speedworks. The width is slightly oversized and will accommodate the carpet going under the sides without any problems.

With the trans in place it was challenging to mark the holes for the cupholders. Luckily I had the old cover on which I would mark things up and then make some practice cuts - what a luxury! Anyway, I made a trip to Ace hardware and got an appropriately sized hole saw and then I made the cuts. Everything landed right where it was supposed to!

I used slightly larger cupholders this time so they would accommodate holding a phone. The cupholders were left over from a prior project. I had them powder coated black and I am very happy with the outcome.

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TTimmy

01-28-2026, 02:53 PM

With some downtime on the coupe bodywork project I was able to knock off a few discreet cobra tasks. And when I say downtime, that generally translates to: I don’t want to get dusty or I don’t have time to get dusty.

Exhaust Update:
I have settled on an undercar exhaust system and will use the low profile mufflers and oval tubing from Spintech. I did a ton of research and I feel like I looked at hundreds of photos - thank you to everyone that went before me and shared their experience! This work will be done by my regular mechanic as he has the skills, tools and experience to get it done right. This will be the first thing I have ever outsourced on my build projects. His preference is to do this with the body on the car. So it’s time to put the body back on the car.

Lots of examples to look at:
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Pre-work for the Body Reinstall:
Prior to the body going back on I trimmed a bit more on the rearmost aluminum and I also took off a bit more of the body where it rolls over into the cockpit - both front and back. I also cut the side vent holes such that they align well with the “assembled” side vents.

Making sure I got the angle and corner radii correct:
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Here you can see the FFR drawn cutout guide vs the actual that fits the vents:
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Finished product:
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Roll Bar and Third Brake Light:
Like I did with my prior build I installed some bright red LED lights into the roll bar to increase my visibility and make my intent clear to those behind me. It went a lot more quickly this time around and I’ve almost become an expert at fishing wires through the tight confines of the roll bar.

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TTimmy

02-02-2026, 02:45 PM

Since I will be getting filthy with the coupe bodywork I figured it was a good day to get the cobra bits fitted to their cavities.

To start, I recruited some family members to help drop the body back on the car. I think that they appreciate when a five minute job only takes five minutes!

With the body on and fitted up I confirmed the clearances between the sheetmetal and the body. Mostly good. Good enough to proceed. I did some initial fitting of the doors, hood and trunk. I trimmed enough to make everything fit in their assigned slots and then I got the gaps a little bit closer to where they needed to be. I use fine line tape to mark the lines and I generally use a belt sander to sneak up on the fine line tape. Final fitting and gapping will occur later. In order to get the angels correct and not trim too much, I generally do the rest by hand, longer edges I will handle with a block.

Tip of the day: use some wing nuts when installing and removing and installing and removing and installing and removing and installing and removing and the doors
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Getting Closer
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Almost there
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Fits in the gap and aligned on the vertical and horizontal planes?
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Hood fits in the opening now!
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TTimmy

02-03-2026, 11:11 AM

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the coupe and weaving in some roadster project in between tasks. It’s been too cold to apply materials early in the day… my minisplit can’t quite keep things over 60 degrees until the outside temp comes up out of the single digits. I need to get the car roadworthy so that I can drive it down for the under car muffler install. Speaking of which, my Spintech low profile muffler order just arrived!

Breeze Mounts and Sliders
I installed my Breeze seat mounts as well as a slider on the DS so that the Misses can drive it. I think the one I landed on was the Speedway version, which is very similar to what FFR offers. I ordered a bunch of different sliders that all looked similar but some were clearly better than others in terms of quality and fit. I found that some had very bulky mechanisms that interfered with the seat frame or Breeze mount.

One important note if doing this: make sure you have your sliders in the full rear position when determining the location of the Breeze mounts. If you mount the seats all the way back based on the sliders in the neutral/center position you will only get half the travel. I made this mistake on my last build - but not this time. Doing so provides the full range of travel. And at the rear most position the seat is very low given the down sloping angle of the Breeze mount. Not really a noticeable difference between the seat with the slider and the one without. Obviously, as the seat slides forward it also raises the height. Good for shorter drivers.

The PS just used the Breeze mount. Thus mounting it was a breeze.

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PA Titling and Registration?
I know I said I wasn’t going to get this titled until it was fully finished. But hear me out. I need to get it insured for the one mile trip down to Phil’s Automotive for the muffler work. Ralph, the guy that handles the PA enhanced inspections, well, his shop is directly across from Phil’s. Seems to make sense to just throw on some mirrors, attach the lights and attach some bumpers. Maybe some wipers? Once the mufflers are on I should be good to go!

Mike.Bray

02-03-2026, 12:19 PM

PA Titling and Registration?
I know I said I wasn’t going to get this titled until it was fully finished. But hear me out. I need to get it insured for the one mile trip down to Phil’s Automotive for the muffler work. Ralph, the guy that handles the PA enhanced inspections, well, his shop is directly across from Phil’s. Seems to make sense to just throw on some mirrors, attach the lights and attach some bumpers. Maybe some wipers? Once the mufflers are on I should be good to go!

I insured mine with Midwest Classic (forum supporter) not long after my kit arrived as I knew my homeowners would not cover it if something happened. A couple of years later when it was titled and legal I let them know although nothing on the policy changed.

TTimmy

02-04-2026, 10:12 AM

I insured mine with Midwest Classic (forum supporter) not long after my kit arrived as I knew my homeowners would not cover it if something happened. A couple of years later when it was titled and legal I let them know although nothing on the policy changed.

I tried using State Farm in the past since I've used them for everything else for decades - what a nightmare.

Thanks for mentioning Midwest Classics - Nice to hear that others are having a good experience with them also! Both of my prior builds were with them also - great price and top notch communication.

I am already working Robbin on an agreed value policy. That's were things get complicated with these rescue builds... My bill of sale is heavily discounted relative to the new "assembled" value of the vehicle. Seems receipts from prior owner cannot be factored into the valuation formula. Thus I need to provide records of all of MY receipts related to the build. PITA, but necessary.

tnt_motorsports

02-04-2026, 10:24 AM

Mike.Bray

02-04-2026, 10:49 AM

I tried using State Farm in the past since I've used them for everything else for decades - what a nightmare.

Thanks for mentioning Midwest Classics - Nice to hear that others are having a good experience with them also! Both of my prior builds were with them also - great price and top notch communication

We're not allowed to mention State Farm in our house. My wife was stopped at a red light when she got plowed into by a distracted driver at full speed. Fortunately she wasn't hurt but had to be cut out of her car. 100% the other guy's fault and he got a ticket. My wife and the other driver had State Farm and they kept putting off my wife's claim so she could get a new car, said they were still investigating. For months. She finally had to get a lawyer involved to get her claim paid. Just really bad on State Farm's part. And we know of other instances like this, they seem to drag things out as long as possible.

Agree Robbin is great to work with. Since we did the Cobra we've added a 68 Camaro and a 67 Sunbeam to the policy and the multicar discount is unreal. My premium for three cars is only about 1.5 times what it was for one.

Edit
I didn't know my wife when her accident happened. I asked her about it last night and she told me that when it happened she was in the process of moving and had all of her dishes and other household items in the car. As a single mother this was a lot for her. She tried to get State Farm to reimburse her for the destroyed property and the adjuster literally told her "It will be a cold day in hell before we pay for any dishes!" Great company, until you need them.

dbo_texas

02-04-2026, 11:04 AM

I also use Robbin Terry @ Midwest Classics - he's awesome to work with and is very familiar with these cars. He is able to provide coverage at all stages of your build. As mentioned, your home-owner's policy will NOT cover your build even though it's in your garage. If it isn't titled/registered yet, it isn't considered a "vehicle" under your existing auto insurance or homeowner's policy. Midwest classics will give you coverage during the build with liability before you are ready to go kart (no collision premium so it's super affordable). Ask him details for what it covers, but it has some stuff you will want to protect your assets but also in the event someone gets injured helping you on the build. Finally, when you are ready to go kart, just give him a call and add collision coverage. They will also do "agreed" value in the event of a complete loss event. You define the $ amount and that will dictate the premium. Hope that helps! I got declined down by Haggerty and a few others before I hit the easy button.

TTimmy

02-05-2026, 09:26 AM

Hood Latch
I think I picked this up from an EdwardB thread. I carved out some little pockets in the hood latch saddles and I have the hood in place for now. I just need my guy to get a Jaguar off his lift so he can help out with the under car exhaust!

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Here is the latest walkthrough of the cobra:
https://youtu.be/ORzbT4TTwbQ?si=etT8R6eSPBJJ8al-

The Daytona bodywork Project
Otherwise I keep plugging away at my coupe bodywork. I have been sharing videos with another builder, but as they got too long I ended up posting them to YouTube. Note that I exert absolutely not effort whatsoever to video production quality. Here is a link to the youtube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKBwoILYzQxkfapNbvcA-l49pIl3KGGil

TTimmy

02-11-2026, 10:15 AM

Hood Latch
I think I picked this up from an EdwardB build thread. Thanks again for your level of documentation! I carved out some little pockets in the hood latch saddles and I have the hood in place for now. I really like the way the seat positively into the saddle. Still a bit of detail work to be done... I will find or make some shorter hardware and will either put some rubber bumpers on top of the screws or recess them so they sit under the weatherstrip.

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Otherwise I am pretty much done on the Mk4. Now I just need my guy to get a Jaguar off his lift so he can help out with the under car exhaust!

Latest Video Walk through
Here is the latest walkthrough of the cobra:

https://youtu.be/ORzbT4TTwbQ?si=etT8R6eSPBJJ8al-

Daytona Bodywork thread
Otherwise I keep plugging away at my coupe bodywork. Here is a link to the youtube playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKBwoILYzQxkfapNbvcA-l49pIl3KGGil