Thinking of ordering a coupe

[Scottseibs]

I have been researching a complete coupe and have a few questions . ( I think I have average mechanical abilities. )

1. I'm wondering how long after you get a complete kit that you would need the motor and trans. Should I wait until I'm ready for that point in the build to purchase
2. Is there anyone in central florida building a coupe.
3. I am going to have approximately 20/30 hrs a month to build.
4. I currently use an 08 mustang gt as my dd. I want more hp than my mustang and will not be tracking the coupe. How much hp is to much in these cars.


Thanks for your help


Scott

[Gordon Levy]

Welcome to the madness. To answer your questions.
1) about midway through the build the drivetrain becomes necessary
3) you will spend approx 500 hrs building the car. More or less depending on how detailed you want to be.
4) 450 seems to be the sweet spot for most. We have done them with 600hp+ and they are a lot of fun.

[DARKPT]

We had a similar amount of time to work on our build, and put the motor in about 10 weeks after receiving the kit.

As for HP, it's a power/weight thing. The coupe scales starting at about 2400 pounds depending on what you put in it. I have just 250HP and have lots of fun. Try snagging a ride in a Coupe or Roadster with a current owner in your area and you'll see what I mean.

As for too much HP, you're asking the wrong crowd. :)

[Jason Lavigne]

Hi Scott,

Welcome! To add my 2 cents:
- On the engine/trans timing, I'd say that you can wait to get those until you need them, but it would be good to have everything lined up so that when you need them, you can just pull the trigger. You can definitely get quite a bit done before needing drivetrain, maybe plan on installing about 1/3 to 1/2 way through.
- I'll see if I can find some folks in FL for you and send you a PM. It's great if you can see a car in person.
- 20 or 30 hrs a month is fairly common I'd say, and you should be able keep a good pace of progress that way. One thing you might also consider is to attend the Build School (https://www.factoryfive.com/build-school/) at Mott Community College in Howell, MI. They do a Mk4 Roadster build (very similar) over Friday/Saturday/Sunday period, and you really get to work hands-on and see the whole build sequence.
- I figure it's ideal with about 350HP or so. You can use a 340HP 302 crate motor from Ford Racing, and everything lines up well fitment-wise. You could also go old school with a 289 and Webers, and there's even been a Coupe build with the new 5.0L Coyote motor from the current Mustangs. One thing that seems to always hold true is that people underestimate the impact of low weight and a really good HP / Weight ratio. The cars are really fast with relatively little horsepower. Not to mention, it's pretty nice to have a more modestly-powered motor that runs reliably.

Thanks!

Jason @ FFR

[Scottseibs]

Thanks for the replies. Probably a 302 for budget but the coyote would be cool. Anybody try that in a coupe

[Scottseibs]

Considering build school for sure

[bil1024]

Go for it, we are here to help!

[Scottseibs]

This forum is awesome . After reading all the treads it has answered a lot of questions, and very educational.

[vnmsss]

Welcome!! Lots of great info here already....My friend, and fellow Challenge Series racer Tom Coon is currently building a Coupe with a Coyote motor....A little more complex than the straight 302 build, but should be a great powerplant....Enjoy!!

K

[Made_In_America]

I would go with a coyote if I could find a good salvaged one for a good price. I keep my eyes open but nothing so far. The ones I have seen are priced almost at what a new one would go for?

[tcoon]

Hi Scott- welcome to the madness! These cars are a ton of fun. After MUCH thought and a year of indecision I finally decided to take the plunge and put a coyote in my competition coupe. This was after a season of problems racing the new upgrade challenge series motor (302 with 100 hp top end kit). I am looking for 350-400 RWHP and with an old school 302 based motor that hp level can lead to reliability problems, lets face it Ford developed the coyote for a reason!

I am at this point ready to install the drivetrain. So far the install has been pretty strait forward, the coyote kit for the roadster from FFR addresses most of the issues such as driver side footbox mods, fitting the drive by wire throttle pedal, etc. One of the good things is ready availability of parts...I ordered my engine 2 days ago from Summit and it is to be delivered today! Wow! No 6 week wait for a reman engine build and an endless list of aftermarket accessories.

Anyway good luck with your decision. These cars can be as simple or complex as you like, and that's what makes them great fun! Viva le coupe!

TC

Ps I will start posting some build photos later.

[Scottseibs]

thanks tcoon. i am planning on street only, but i still want a fast car. with the weight of these cars the 302 (340hp) motor should be enough. I would love to install the coyote. i am looking forward to hearing about your install.

[mintcondition]

We are in central Florida and building a coupe. You are more than welcome to come and check it out. Contact us if you like.321-504-9588

[STLMARSHALL]

As for too much HP, you're asking the wrong crowd. :)

You got that right! Too much is just about enough. I have a 400 hp LS1 in mine and it weighs 2260 lbs. It is very fast but I have plans for 500-600 hp someday.