You people are insane!

[narkosys]

Put away the rotten fruit and let me explain....

As much as I still see a GTM build in the future I wanted to start with something a bit simpler to get my feet wet. I was looking at a few of the other FFr kits and fell for the coupe. Liked the looks, what some of you have done with them, especially interiors, and could really see myself building and driving one.

.....and then I ordered and read the digital manual.

I can see the need for a straight jacket. Some sections are missing pictures (such as the nose locator button. Had no idea what it was until I saw a picture of one on the forums) and some are just plain old missing (like the fog lights). But I see that as part of the insanity that is building a coupe.

Reading through the treads both on this and the other forums, I found a wealth of information and you are all a great bunch of people whom I look forward to meeting one day.

This is a small list of what I am imagining so far. I have put notes in brackets which will change as more information is gathered.

FFr
Type 65 Coupe Canadian Kit
extra mirror for passenger side
gauge delete
Standard width IRS rear upgrade
Leather steering wheel (unless going with aftermarket one)
Windshield wiper kit (unless better kit is found)
HVAC kit (unless going with the one from North Racecars)
Ron Francis chassis harness

Ford Canada
427 Cubic Inches 450 HP X Head Crate Engine Front Sump M-6007-X427FFT [Rear Sump: M-6007-X427 FRT]
Brown Brother's Ford in Vancouver handles Ford Racing parts. Talk to Jarred @ 604.301.1914

Inglese
8 stack with EZ-EFI

March Performance
Serpentine accessory drive kit

Tremec
T56 Magnum 6 speed transmission

Gordon Levy
Billet front control arms (Is SAI mod still needed with these arms? Will it work with these arms?)

Whitby
Canadian Coupe completion kit
minus: front control arms, rear end, brakes, steering rack, Koni shocks and coil overs (need to source better shocks and brakes)
IRS completion kit (will cobra spindles fit? (the kit from Whitby already comes with 5 x 4.50" spindles) would I be able to source better parts like a cobra pumpkin?)
Power brake kit
SAI mod (if needed)

Corbeau
seats with set up for 5 point harness

Fast Freddies
power steering kit (which rack do I use?)

Russ Thompson
FFR throttle peddle
Turn signal system
Pontoon panels
Footbox tube vent
Sill panel and plaque

Mike Forte
Hydarulic clutch kit
FFR IRS adjuster kit
IRS mount kit (is it needed?)
Forte/Wilwood pedal box
other parts that I haven't written down yet

Speedhut
Revolution 7 piece metric Cobra gauge set GLMS-COBRAKIT-07

Ron Schofield
various parts (will need to email him to see what he has)

VRaptor Speedworks
see if Shane can make side louvers for the nose and something to fit in the rear vent mesh area

As you can see I still have a lot of homework ahead of me as I figure things out before taking the plunge. The major parts, for me, that need figuring out earlier in the decision process are the bits for the rear end, brakes ,shocks and rack as they are major subsystems of the drive train.

Any help figuring these out would be greatly appreciated and met with Timmies coffee and doughnuts if you ever come by my way.

Now to start shopping for a tailor who specializes in jackets with extra long arms :p

P

[DARKPT]

That looks like a good shopping list.

I can't help with most of your questions, but I will advise you to hold off on buying that second mirror. Once you have the body on you'll be able to decide for yourself if those little bullet mirrors are good enough for you. It is tough to see around the rear fenders with them, and you might end up wanting some BRE Mirrors or motorcycle mirrors. If you stick with the bullet mirror, this is one source for the convex mirror that will give you a broader field of view: http://www.**********accessories.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=191

As for the wipers, the FFR kit is okay. I had an issue with one of the wheelboxes (the spindle/gear that actually holds the wiper arm arrived with a seized nut on it) and one of the wiper arms (twisted, but I might have caused that problem) and was very satisfied with the replacement parts at finish line: http://www.**********accessories.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=64&products_id=415

As for the manual, wait til you start spotting pictures of the roadster in the Coupe manual.The manual helps to define the overall order of assembly, but it is not a step by step. Bookmark some build sites and you'll be good to go.

[kiki231]

Where are you located?

[Ray]

No we are not insane. Although, some of us are known carriers!

Ray

[narkosys]

DARKPT: thank you for those tips. I like the look of those mirrors. I have also bookmarked the links. Seeing those roadster pictures in a coupe manual definitely was a wtf/snicker moment but I figured that they are very closely matched in certain areas.

kiki231: I am on the other end of the country from you in Kelowna.

Ray: looks like I got infected ;P

I also forgot to mention that I intend to use the car as a daily driver as much as possible. I also plan on getting some Optilux 2500 lights so that I can use them as daytime running and fog lights. (I plan on wiring a drl kit to the halos of the lights.)

P

[kiki231]

Well, I will gladly help you in any way I can even if only from a Canadian standpoint. The build of the gen 2 isn't terribly difficult. I started mine in December and am just getting ready to ship mine for bodywork before the middle of April. I will say that I avoided deviation from the basic kit and its included parts unless required by law. That aspect alone cut my build time and stress into a fraction of what it would be.
If on the other hand you want something you have only seen in your dreams , then I would encourage you to go for it and not worry about time or money.
During your build, you will find that after about page 150 you can figure out the rest on your own other than the general sequence. It's truly a great experience.

Chris

[narkosys]

Between all the manual, the forums and the build pages I was able to figure out a lot of the build.

In one way needing the Canadian kit can be an advantage as I was going to replace some of those deleted parts anyway (such as the front control arms). I can tailor order the completion kit from Whitby and not worry about the extra expense and parts laying around the shop.

Other than creating a dash and console to my tastes the build will be as deviation free as possible.

I look forward to seeing pictures of your coupe once it gets back from bodywork.

P

[QSL]

Its much less intimidating when you start building. These cars really just go together. There are few weird deals here and there, but nothing to even worry about.

Great list!

[narkosys]

Thanks QSL.

I enjoyed reading your roadster build thread and look forward to your adventures with the coupe.

Another question came to mind: Will the Boyd Roadster tank fit in the coupe? (I think both kits use the same tank) Or am I hooped in that reguard?

P

[STLMARSHALL]

Ha ha ha...manual, whats a manual?

[Fluge]

Sounds like you have a plan. Everyone seems to approach the build differently. I purposely didn't set a timeline to avoid pressure to meet deadlines. I wanted the freedom to modify and not having built a car before I thought I would benefit from doing it twice...mockup followed by the final assembly. This has turned out to be a great choice for me.

I like your list...should be a great project.

Keep us posted!

Marc

[QSL]

both kits use the same tank

[loeffler1]

4 items:
1) You might want to check the sump on that engine. Most hang below the 4" chassis tubes making for unpleasant mishaps. A good source is "Canton". I have a 7 quart and it is just even with the tubes.

2) Discard FFR wipers. Everyone except a few complain. Seems as though the Lucas motor is a wuss. A good source is "Speciality Power Windows" and the price is right. The motor is smaller and delivers 300 in lbs of torque, and the wheelboxes / cable are much more robust.

3) I have "Corbeau Forza" seats and they fit fine. And I have a plus size rear!

4) Russ Thompson's footbox tube, although a super item, does not fit the new style body / footbox. I think it was actually designed when the gray bodies were in production and the footbox tops were much narrower. I wish he would redesign for the new footboxes, I would grab one. He has some really nice items. I have the pillar slats and pontoon panels and am waiting for him to get a new batch of door sill panels in.

My 2 cents.

[narkosys]

I looked at what measurements I could find online and it seems that the sump on the motor I am looking at is only 100 thou (.100") deeper compared to the Canton ones. Which oil pan did you choose? I would like to compare them properly. I was thinking of dry fitting the motor before making a final decision thus incurring less expense.

I noticed that the Specialty wipers don't come with arms or wipers. where do you source those?
edit: never mind this one. I found them on their site.

Did you get the normal or wide version of the seats? I am looking at the VX2000 or the LG1 as my first choices as they seem easier to get into and out of.

Bummer about the footbox as that would be a great addition for the summer months.

I think I will be getting the 17x9 and 17x11 wheels that Gordon Levy sells. Now to figure out the brake situation. I noticed on the forums that it was mentioned that finding brakes for IRS rears is a PITA and sadly that is very true.

Thank you all for the help so far.

P

[loeffler1]

I used the small block Ford canton oil pan. I think there is only one. Can't find the slip anyplace, I'm sure it is in my stack of receipts. The seats were 20.5 inches wide at the very front by 19" deep by 33.5" tall. Can't remember whether this is the wide one or not. I think it is. The catalog they send is pretty descriptive. I bought them on sale from C J Pony for 197.16 each back in Nov 2010. If you are using 17" wheels you can go with the Wilwood 6 piston jobs. If you are using 15" wheels the 4 piston ones are the only ones that fit. they certainly should provide more than enough whoa power. I have part numbers for these if required. I have 15' wheels as I am more traditional, but you do have more tire choices with 17" wheels.

[narkosys]

Thank you for the seat measurements. That will help things immensely.

For the moment I may go with the 4 piston IRS brakes and the 6 piston brakes that Gordon levy sells. The 427 is a higher hp motor and factoring in BC drivers (nuts is an understatement) I want to make sure that I can stop. Also i think I will talk to Mike Forte about a setup for the IRS.

P

[Russ Thompson]

Welcome aboard!
Bill is correct, the footboxes are totaly different and the vent tub kit doesn't fit it. As for the new foot box I would still like to do a kit for it but need someone local so I can study it. I'm even having trouble making the old style because I ended up using an uncommon size and now I can't seem to find more.:-(

Bill, hang in there, I just picked up material for the next run of the sill plates! :-) Now I have to make plans to get on the CNC machine

[CJBergquist]

Russ, you are welcome to measure/study mine anytime. Body/nose are installed so it's good to go...and the drill press frig is stocked with beer.

[narkosys]

new question: what are your opinions on the Koni shocks which come with the newer kits? are they worth it? or should I look around for better shocks and which ones do you recommend?

thank you all for your help so far.

P

[willy]

I like them, also I think the best add on for my order was the Ron Francis wiring harness took about a hour to lay out and everything work first time.

[narkosys]

Thanks Willy. I thought the Ron Francis wiring harness came with the complete kit? Either way it's on my 'to buy' list.

Has anyone installed traction control on their coupes? I searched both forums and didn't come up with anything. I was debating on adding the Race Logic system to my build but if I can spare that expense than all the better.

P

[Gbeck]

About traction control, check out "Home School Build". Don't remember the URL, built a quick search will get you to his build log. He's using a 2002 donor and mentioned along the way that he hoped to have the ABS and Traction control intact.

[narkosys]

more questions. this time tires.

I am trying to figure out what tires would fit based on the staggered sized rims that FFr and Gordon Levy sell and the tire sizes that FFr recommends. The only tires that I can get up here in those sizes are the Nitto NT555. I like the tires but the lack of choice is a bummer.

Has anyone used 18" or 19" rims? If so, what backspacing and offset did you use?

I know that I can order tires online but I really like the tire guy that I use up here and want to keep doing business with them.

Many thanks,

P