Unrealmach1's MKIV Coyote Build

Ok, so I maybe getting an early start, but parts are rolling in so what the heck here goes.

I have been wanting to do a Factory Five Roadster since I first saw the add in Mustang and Fords in the Mid-90's. I have long admired the look of the car, so when my wife suggested a Father and Son project build it didn't take much to convince me. I started off looking at unfinished kits and almost had one lined up, but that fell through so I decided to take advantage of the 50% off sale and get a little crazy. My build will go as follows:

Factory Five- Completion Date 8-20-16 and Delivered by Stewart's on 9-2-16
# 8947 MKIV Base Kit for Coyote
-Powder Coated Chassis
-Body Cut-outs
-FFR Front Lower Arms
-IRS Rear
-FFR Coated Coyote Headers
-Complete Coyote Power Steering Kit
-FFR GPS Gauge Set
- Lowback Kirkey
-Halibrand 17x9/10.5
-Polished Overriders
-Stainless Side Exhaust
-MKIV Hood Hinge
-Brake Duct Mesh
-Battery Cut off Swich
-Wiper Kit
-Chrome LH Roll Bar and Grommet Set
-Assembled Side Louvers
-Center Dash Support
-Front and Rear swaybar
-RF Chassis Harness
-Coyote Install Kit
-2015 IRS Rear Brake Kit
-Vinyl Dash
-Wilwood Pedal Box
-Defroster/ Heater Kit
-Windwings
-FFR Radiator Kit
-FFR Front Spindle Kit

Thanks Courtnie!

Like I said I was half off crazy!

FF Metal
Battery Box
Heavy Gauge Firewall

Jegs
2016 Coyote Motor with control pack ( I was lucky to get in on the kit pricing and got the M50AK instead of the M50A)
3.55 Traclok IRS
Rear IRS Hubs

Liberty Gears
UPGRADED-SYNCHRONIZED TREMEC TKO600

Various Online Sources
Spectra F12B Fuel Tank
Spectra Fuel Level Sender
Spectra Tanks Straps
Walbro 255 In-Tank Pump
'95 Mustang Pump Bracket ( larger lines than earlier Fox Body Mustangs)
All Tank Seals
M-6392-M46 - Bellhousing (May upgrade to Quicktime, but found this for $125, so...)
CNC 1483 Remote Reservoir (Thanks Edwardb for the idea)

So still lots to procure and plan. Color is up in the air as I really want Deep Impact Blue, but Wife is railing for some type of Red. I may have to cave since this was her idea, but IDK. Definitely going with a Forte Hydraulic Clutch setup and maybe a Hydroboost. Looking at Breeze or FF Metal fan shroud, not sure which at this point. Really like the look of the oil cooler, but doesn't seem that popular with the coyote. Lots of little things I like at Breeze, Forte and **********, Replicar and Whitby. I really want air, but have not found one yet.

So that is it so far. Anything I should be considering let me know. Anything you see in my build that needs a second look I appreciate the feedback. I have worked on a few Classic Mustang, but nothing this extensive so I look forward to the challenge.

Also I am signed up for the September 2016 Mott MKIV Build School.

Congrats on your kit purchase. Sounds like a great build. Similar to what I'm working on, so I'm not partial at all. :o I'm assuming you have the Wilwood pedal box? FYI, hydroboost power brakes aren't really compatible without modding the pedal box and removing the Wilwood twin MC's and balance bar. Something you may want to look at. I've done both.

The Great Lakes Cobra Club is planning a cruise out to the build school on Sept 17. I assume this is the one you're attending? Weather permitting, I'll be joining. Would be good to meet you.

Thanks edwardb.

I was talking to Forte and talking about sending the Wilwood pedal box to him to fit the Hydroboost.

Yes, the September 17th build school is the one I am attending. I was really upset because I signed up for the July class and then got a call that it was full and the earliest class was September. The 18th is my Wife's birthday, so didn't think this was an option but she told me to go and take it so my son and I can get the knowledge we need to start the project( I know, I know, I have the most awesome Wife). Then after I talked to you I joined the GLCC and saw they would be at the build school that day. That is AWESOME! Really want to get to one of the events this year and meet some of the Club. Thought about taking my Mustang and going to the Lake Hop, but seemed a little intimidating. Maybe if I muster up the courage to hit The Woodward Dream Cruise this year I will stop by the Snake Pit. I have never been to one, but I am one of the earlier cruisers on occasion. Would like to hit up the Culver's Car Show too, but that Lapeer construction is killing me.

I have the Forte modded Wilwood box on #7750 with hydroboost. It works fine. But I'm using the standard Wilwood setup on my current build. Since you're doing power steering, you already have the pump. But the hydroboost does still had cost and a bunch more plumbing and frankly I'm not sure it's worth it. But like so many things on these builds, a personal choice. Come on out to any of the club events! You'll be welcomed. There's another club member that usually drives a Mustang. For the lake cruise, one of the club members was even driving an Escape. His Roadster was in the shop. We're at a different location for the Dream Cruise this year. A little away from ground zero like in the past, so should be easier to get in and out, park, etc. I'm planning to be at Culver's this Tuesday and meet up with some other friends. Lapeer is still a mess, but it's making progress.

Hey Unreal Mach-1,

Congratulations and welcome to the family.
To throw EdwardB under the bus, he's an expert on these things so bug him often.
He might as well be working for Factory Five Racing!
Good Luck!

Steve / aka: GoDadGo

Congrats! Look forward to following your build. Looks like a great set up.

Hey edwardb. Never having driven anot FFR Roadster I am not sure what to expect. I have driven cars with manual disc brakes before and was not happy with the pedal feel and i'm not sure how the wife would like it either, so I was moving towards the power brakes. I have seen many people say it is not needed on these cars, but I figure it is easier to install up front than to try and add later if I am not happy with the manual setup.

Thanks for the welcome GoDadGo. I have already been soaking up all the info I can from edwardb. He is a great resource and he very graciously offers access to his vast knowledge of these cars. I really am greatful for his help.

Wareaglescott I will try to keep a decent account of the build, so hopefully I will help those who build after me. I know reading everyone else's build threads has been really informative for me. I am really enjoying reading your thread. You seem to be making good time on the build and it looks great.

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Originally Posted by unrealmach1

Hey edwardb. Never having driven anot FFR Roadster I am not sure what to expect. I have driven cars with manual disc brakes before and was not happy with the pedal feel and i'm not sure how the wife would like it either, so I was moving towards the power brakes. I have seen many people say it is not needed on these cars, but I figure it is easier to install up front than to try and add later if I am not happy with the manual setup.

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Yea, I hear you. Like so many aspects of these builds, there are pluses and minuses for nearly every decision. I'm probably not one to talk about power brakes or not. At least from experience so far. Both of my completed builds are power brakes. First was the Whitby vacuum power setup using a Mustang pedal box and Mustang Cobra brakes. Nice pedal feel and good stopping power. My #7750 Mk4 is a Forte modded Wilwood box with hydroboost and the base Wilwood brake upgrade from FF (4-piston fronts, single piston rears). I bought this kit from the original buyer when it was only a couple months old, so basically like buying new from FF, but the decision about the hydroboost was already made and parts included. So I went with it. Those brakes also have a good pedal feel and good stopping power. That's the car I'm currently driving so you can see the setup in person sometime. For my new build, it came with the big Wilwood upgrade (similar size rotor and calipers front and back) and I didn't want to give up the Wilwood balance bar setup with the twin MC's. That's the big compromise with adding power to the Wilwood box. The very little driving I've done with it so far (less than 1 mile go-karting) shows the brakes should be fine. A little bit harder than the previous power setups, but still very manageable. Keep in mind also you can change the characteristics of the brakes with different pads. Not an easy decision though if you're looking for that power boosted feel. I agree it would be a pretty complex change to a complete build.

Well today was a big day or at least my wallet felt it was. Just got back in town from a work trip and was greeted with an email from FFR asking me to call to finalize my Kit specs and arrange final payment. Made the call and the payment today.

I am still undecided on 1 aspect of the order. I currently have the 17x9 and 17X10.5 wheels, but I am considering switching to the 18's. Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this subject?

Really I like the look of the 15's as I like the meat on the sidewalls and the original look, but difficulty with big brakes and finding correct tire sizes caused me to up the wheels to 17's. Now I have read some have had issues with big brakes on the 17's and I have so far only found a hand full of tires in the correct size that match front and back. SO now I wonder if 18's are the way to go even though I am not a big fan of the skinny sidewalls?

Just my two cents. I have the 18" wheels, and they look great. However, you are currently very limited in tire selection for this size,especially the rears. You seem to have more options with the 17" wheels. Welcome to the insanity. I look forward to watching your progress.

I too have the 18-inch wheels, and I'm happy with how they look. Certainly a different look than the 15-inch variety. Not really all that different from 17's. Unless you have them side-by-side, it's not easy to tell the difference. I've not seen mention of any brakes that fit the 18-inch wheels that won't fit into 17's. The biggest Wilwoods that FF sells, like the ones that came in my Anniversary build, will fit either 17 or 18-inch wheels. I have 17's on my #7750 Mk4, and 18's on my new build, so pretty familiar with what's on the market for both. Today there are more choices for the 17's. And the 18's are more expensive. But I don't expect it to stay that way. 17's are small by today's standards for many DD's. Availability for 18's (and bigger) will likely continue to expand where 17's are likely to decline over time. Having said that though, uunless you buy really soft race comp tires, the tires you choose will likely last at least a few years. Maybe spend the time right now to narrow down what tires you would purchase for each size and make your decision from that.

I love a big wheel and low profile tire. I have 20s on my Audi coupe. I wanted the 18s but the tire options seem very limited so I went with the 17s which have a few more options. EdwardB makes a solid point that in the future the 18s could have better options. I did not really consider that. I think visually the look of the car will be very similar with either 17 or 18s. The best advice would be to tire shop and see what you are happy with and buy the corresponding wheel size.

I've got 245/45 17" on the front and 285/40 17" on the rear.
Rims are aftermarket 17-9's up front with 17-10's (Not 10.5") out back so my goose may be cooked on the 285's down the road.
I avoided the 18" combo for expense purposes only, but admit that the selection for 18's are growing as fast ast the 17's are shrinking.
Good Luck!

Looks like it should be a fun build and great father / son project. I wish I had started sooner so I could have engaged my son. He was in college when I started. He LOVES the car and I did teach him to drive a stick with it, but missed the opportunity.

Couple questions / recommendations:
> what mods are you planning?
> I really like my power steering and after driving and cruising backroads 500+ miles last weekend, I'm sure glad I have it! (Lots of twists & turns, LOVED it!)
> Highly recommend the dropped trunk mod and would suggest going full mod with removing / relocating the cross-bracing so the drop trunk is fully accessible (I did the drop trunk, but regret not cutting the bars). while in the trunk, also cut / relocate the PS fuel tank straps so they don't intrude into the trunk area. Just cleans it up and doesn't look like extra tabs not used)
> depending on your bumpers, I also recommend the rear bumper bolt mod. makes taking them off / on MUCH easier and you don't have to drop the fuel tank.
> later, make a set of rear fender well inner liners to prevent water from entering behind the seats and also prevent a rock from being thrown by those sticky tires into your fender top and ruining your paint! (I saw a club members car that this happened on his front fender a month after his car was painted!)
> also strongly recommend coating the inside of the body with a couple coats of truck-bed liner to avoid said "Rock Stars"
> more asthetic, but I'm also very happy with my Breeze Stainless Steel Rollbars (had them polished) and my Gas-N side pipes
> you already mentioned the Breeze fan shroud, good decision. My hot-rodded 302 runs a steady 194*, never over 200*
> for the safety of you & passengers (especially kids and the wifey) plan on a set of side-pipe covers / guards (Drummer Mike sells and awesome set!)

The selection of 18's I agree should grow. That is one of my concerns is that in the future the 17's will be hard to find and even now I find the choice is limited if you want a matching set front and rear using the FFR recommended sizes. When I made the call on Monday FFR said they would honor the 50% pricing I had when I ordered the kit until my completion date on the 20th, so the 18's would be an extra roughly $350. I have to say that so far FFR is awesome to work with!

MPTech- I have not finalized all the mods yet. I ordered the FFMetal battery box and heavy firewall. I got the CNC reservoirs that Edwardb has on his latest build. Brakes are up in the air. I really would like AC but have not yet found a kit. I did order the Power Steering kit from FFR for the Coyote motor and I am really leaning towards sending the Wilwood Pedal Box to Forte for the Hydroboost mod. I am have not really looked at the dropped trunk mods, at the moment I not sure I would need it. I don't plan on carrying a lot in the car, but plans change all the time. I was definitely looking at the rear bumper bolt mod. I am using just he overriders from FFR. I will have to look at the fender well liners. I guess something else to research. I already had the bedliner talk with a couple painters so that was good advice. Something I didn't think of until someone asked me. Are the Drummer Mike guards still available? I have not been able to get to the website to look at them? I get a link not found error.

congrats on your purchase! i have 18" like edward b 315 30r18 on the rear i dont remember fronts ive carted minecaround the block twice the manual wildwood brakes feel good. even my manual steering with a big block fe feels good, not hard at all.it is a lot of fun building these cars. enjoy yourself, its a celebration

Well my Kit completion date was this past Saturday and I have already had my first build setback. I was expecting to get delivery on this Friday or Saturday as I was originally quoted, but shipping is delayed as the driver cannot make it to the factory until early next week now. Kind of a bummer because I took vacation for next week to have some time to sort out the kit and do my inventory, but now I will not get delivery until my vacation is almost over. Well, what you gonna do? I guess it gives me a little more time to mull over the switch to 18"s. I still really prefer the 17's I ordered, but I have read they are on extended backorder in other threads and I wonder on future availability of 17" tires. Maybe I shouldn't worry about the backorder since it will probably be a long time before I really need them. LOL.

I guess the good news is the FFR build school I have signed up for in September is getting close. Very excited and look forward to seeing the GLCC show up to the class.

It will be there sooner than you think and then the fun begins.
Until then, read the manual and get your garage in order.
Remember to take a VERY DETAILED INVENTORY because it will familiarize you with every piece and part of the car.
Just don't count every rivets or you'll never start on time!
Finally, remember to take delivery pics or you'll be sorry!

Sorry to hear of the delay.
I ended up switching to 18s after I got the last update on the delay of the 17s. I ended up getting some tires I am quite happy with. My first choice was the BFG Rival S but they were not going to be available for another month so I ended up with Falken Azenis. For me the delay was going to exceed when I was ready to put the car on the ground so it made my choice easy. Now that I have the 18s mounted up and attached to the car I am glad I went that route. They haven't touched the ground yet but my chassis dolley sure looks a lot cooler now! haha
Hope you don't have any further delays and have a great time at build school!

Got the call today. Kit is loaded and on the way, so delivery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Liberty Gears called too. My synchronized TKO600 is ready for pick up so I am making a trip to Harrison Twp togay to get it.

And an update on my wheel indecision. I decided to ride out the 17's for now. If I get too far and need the wheels and they are not here I may take a page from wareaglescott's build and switch out to the 18's. The tire cost was a big factor in combination with the fact that I prefer the 17" look over the 18's.

T minus 1 hour and counting. Just got the call from the driver and he is near Toledo, OH so only about 50 or 60 miles out.

It has arrived!

Now to figure out how to get the pictures to post. File size too large.

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Originally Posted by unrealmach1

It has arrived!

Now to figure out how to get the pictures to post. File size too large.

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Congrats!
For pictures I take them on my iPhone and email them to myself on medium size and they are already small enough to upload. A little cumbersome but it works. Look forward to following your progress!

Thanks wareaglescott. I got a new phone and it is just emailing the large file and not giving an option to decrease file size. Gonna have to figure this out. New phones are a blessing and a curse. Or at least they cause me to curse a lot. Lol.

So after a quick inspection of parts list and of the car I have a few questions.

1. The parts list does not show the 17" wheels at all. Not as back ordered or as shipped. Just not there. Is this common or should I call FFR?

2. How much damage do you expect on the body? I have some scraps and scuffs. No big deal, but I have a Crack about and inch or 2 long on what I would call the rear valance. The small section under the trunk. Maybe not a big deal because the body will need a lot of attention just the driver told me to report it to FFR and they would fix. Also a wave in the rear Quarter panel that is not quite right. Don't think it's a big deal, but the driver told me to report it, so I am not sure if this damage is normal or special to me.

Thanks

If you use an external site to host your pics, the file size becomes a non-issue. Plus IMO it's just easier. I use Photobucket, but there are others. Typically free with some limits. You upload your pics to the site, typically just drag and drop. One the pic is there, you only post the link on the forum. My single caution is think about how you want to organize your pics on the hosting site. One you link to them, you can't move them around or the link will get broken.

Most of my pics I take with a Canon digital SLR. Once downloaded to a PC, easy to drop into Photobucket. If I'm in a hurry I'll snap pics with my iPhone. Then I too email them to myself and drop into Photobucket.

Edwardb you are a genius. I forgot I even had a Photobucket page. Used it for my 69 Mustang.

Well, not much to update this week. Inventory started, but not too much done. Have a brace on my right hand all week, so a little of a bummer.

I did call FFR about the missing items from my order vs POL and they confirmEd the error and will correct. As for the crack TBD. They need more pics and I am not able to get them right now. Understandable. Hopefully my arm will be ok for the build school next week. DR. Said 2 weeks so cutting it close.

Did have my build buddy take some photos though.

Hey there unrealmach1,
I am subscribed to your build thread now. Just reading up to this point has been helpful as a lot of your thoughts about tires and brakes have been the same as me. I will try and keep my build thread updates more regularly when I get back from our build school!

Thanks lahrs37. The build class was a blast and it was great to meet you. I am now following your build too.

So not much to update this week. Couple great things this week.
1. I can move my hand and get to work.
2. Build school was awesome. The class was great. The instructors are fantastic. I met a lot of great people including lahrs37 (follow his build as I am sure it will be great) and a few of the members of the Great Lakes Cobra Club including edwardb (his car is unbelievable).
3. Inventory is close to being complete. Build school set it back a bit, but worth it.
4. While at build school I got a few boxes from FFR and that cleared up about 80% of my POL. Still missing large items like wheels and glove box dash, but this is expected.

OK, so it was more than a couple. Here are a few from the build class. The last car is edwardb's car that he brought on Saturday. It is a work of art.

It was a pleasure having you in class. Thank you for sharing the flaring tool.

Subscribed. Looking forward to your build updates.

Nice. Wish I would have been able to pull this off when my son was little. In college now but he's close so I can get him occasionally for help like hoisting up the center section.

Look forward to following your progress.

Steve

Like the 69 in the garage also. Favorite Mustang of all.

So I haven't updated in a while. Life is aways so packed full of activities in the fall, so I hope to actually start the build next week. Ugh. Took way to long to get to this point.

So for the update October has been a good month for Fed Ex as I have been receiving a lot of packages. And my birthday isn't even until next week. Great news is the 17" wheels arrived today along with other parts including my Wilwood rear IRS brakes. I decided to add the FFMetal F Panels and they arrived also. Just in time. I also decided to go with the Russ Drop Trunk mod and it should be on its way here. After seeing the trunk space on the new MKIV I think it is money well spent. I have inspected most of the body to panel fit also and seems I already have the needed gap between body and panel fit for the rubber seal, so good news is I shouldn't need too much trimming. Only a couple small areas so I am happy with that. Hopefully updates with build pictures coming soon.

Welcome back! haha
do you have a pic of the FFMetal F panels? I am not familiar with them.

Wareaglescott I will try and get you some pics. They basically allow for more tire clearance and the PS one does not have the large hole the FFR version has in the panel.

Cool. I am getting a small amount of tire rub on the F panel at full turn. I'm looking to put in steering rack limiters. That sounds like a good part for you to use.

Well finally got started on marking where all the panels meet the frame so we can start marking and drilling holes. Took a couple shots of the FFMetal F panels for Wareaglescott.

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Originally Posted by unrealmach1

Well finally got started on marking where all the panels meet the frame so we can start marking and drilling holes. Took a couple shots of the FFMetal F panels for Wareaglescott.

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Hey thanks for posting. Looks nice!