Slow and Slightly Angry's Type 65 Coupe Build

A few months back I turned to the fantastic citizens of this forum for a little help on what to include in my build sheet for my coupe. After some careful negotiation with the wife, I finally placed my order, and man am I excited. My build sheet as follows:

Complete Kit
Powder coating chassis
Coupe platinum gauges
Coyote engine/trans mount
Coyote full length headers w/Cats w/kit
Hydraulic clutch master cylinder kit
31 spline 2015 IRS 9.75” driveshaft – will not be using
Body cut-outs
Lowback race seats
Coupe 2015 IRS
Coyote A/C Kit
Wipers
Leather steering wheel
Side windows
Coupe nose scoops
EFI in-tank fuel system
Coyote Installation

I am not sold on the EFI kit (I will have to research the supercharger required flows). Is this the best one for the application? What is everyone else doing?
For the exhaust, are the cats required to get the coyote to run its best with the sensors/control pack?

I was reading up on the coyote install for the roadster and they require the moroso oil pan and pick up. Is this required?
Is a filter re-locator required?

My donor is a side/rear wrecked 2016 Mustang GT (coyote) w/Roush supercharger to use the engine and rear end.
I purchased the MT82 shifter kit from Forma Cars to use with the stock 6 speed.
I know there will some heavy engineering needed along the way to get everything to fit and more importantly work.

I am starting this project to build with my father (a former mechanic, albeit 40 some years ago), my sons (4 yo and 11 mo old - not sure there will be much wrench turning for them just yet), and anyone else willing along the way. This is a long term project with not deadlines. Hopefully, in the end, we have a well sorted Type 65 coupe example.

I appreciate any feedback about the choices and what worked/what did not for your builds.

Congrats on your kit order. That should be a potent engine for the Coupe. For a few of your questions -- no, cats are not required for the Ford Performance crate motor control pack. Some add them to make the exhaust quieter or due to local emission standards. But the engine runs fine without them and the control pack doesn't support the post cat O2 sensors. No, you don't need a remote oil filter setup. The engine mounted oil cooler is removed and the oil filter mounts directly to the block. Plenty of room, and shown in the instructions. And yes you need the low profile Moroso oil pan. The stock pan would hang well below the frame. Make sure the instructions you're looking at are for the Gen 2 Coyote which is what you have (2016).

SSA,
Welcome to the community. These builds are a lot of fun. A couple of thoughts on your order. First thanks for purchasing the FormaCars shifter kit.
• You will not need the drive shaft, ask FFR to omit it from your kit, they’ll give you some money for this
• We have a functional electric window kit, full opening, includes electric door latches, DOT tempered glass (not acrylic or Polycarbonate), inner door panels, billet aluminum window frames. You may want to delay your FFR window kit to access your options. You can always purchase this later.
• We have an engine mount kit for the Coyote which of course we like better. I’ll send you one of these at N/C since you purchased a shifter kit.
• You don’t need CATs unless your state requires them.

Thanks Chris. I will reach out to FF about omitting the driveshaft, didnt know that was an option.
What price did you end up with for the window kit?

Thanks Paul. Your threads will certainly be referenced extensively as well.

You may also want to omit the Coyote installation kit as we are including ours at N/C with your shifter kit. The windows are $3499 and there are a couple of options. Powder coated window frames, custom interior door panels (Tan, Gray or Black leather are standard), interior lighting (since we operate the door release electrically, we know when the door is opened). In addition to electrically operating the doors, there is a mechanical emergency release to open the doors in the event of an electrical failure, and on the drivers door there is a mechanical release under the hood so that you can open the door if the battery is dead. The window regulator will either one touch up and down or move till released and on closing it senses obstructions and auto reverses if it senses an obstruction. The kit is intended to be as complete as possible and is very straightforward to install though the process is rather lengthy. I am still working on the installation instructions, and will post them when they near completion.

Congratulations on ordering the kit! I recently order one too. Can't wait to see your build come to life!

Car is on its way. Expect delivery from Stewart sometime before Christmas which is a pretty narrow window at this point.

Going to do inventory, body and panel removal and hopefully some of the suspension (maybe a bit hopeful) during the holiday breaks. Ordered some of the major add ons (control pack, shifter kit, electric power steering kit). I bought some spark plugs to replace the current ones (the old ones are likely NGK). I got E3 but I was told by the guy who will be tuning my engine not to use those. Anyone using the E3s on a coyote? Thoughts?

I am excited to begin this adventure with my father and 2 sons. I am sure I will be reaching out for support - logistic and other - over the next 5 years or so and for that I thank you in the community in advance.Attachment 139577

The Coyote runs great with the Ford recommended plugs. Honestly not sure why you'd want to mess with something other than that. The 100K miles maintenance cycle isn't too shabby either.

Where are you located? My truck is in a Stewart trailer. Held up at the first stop in NH due to weather and a driver issue. Supposed to get resolved and on it's way to PA, then here to MI, and then to IL from what I understand. One of those yours?

I am the PA stop, supposedly next. I'll take a picture of yours on the trailer when mine gets here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slow and Slightly Angry

Car is on its way. Expect delivery from Stewart sometime before Christmas which is a pretty narrow window at this point.

Going to do inventory, body and panel removal and hopefully some of the suspension (maybe a bit hopeful) during the holiday breaks. Ordered some of the major add ons (control pack, shifter kit, electric power steering kit). I bought some spark plugs to replace the current ones (the old ones are likely NGK). I got E3 but I was told by the guy who will be tuning my engine not to use those. Anyone using the E3s on a coyote? Thoughts?

I am excited to begin this adventure with my father and 2 sons. I am sure I will be reaching out for support - logistic and other - over the next 5 years or so and for that I thank you in the community in advance.Attachment 139577

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Congrats on the soon to be delivery! Having done this just a couple weeks ago, I'll say it is very fun and efficient. The Steward folks really know what they're doing.

I'm curious what power steering kit you went with. I just finished getting mine installed and am pretty pleased with how things turned out. Feel free to hit me up if you have questions.

P.S. The inventory doesn't actually take that long and if you have helpers that will speed things along greatly. Just take your time so you only do the inventory once and be sure to document things as you go. I recommend using a separate notepad for this as I marked up my inventory sheets and then found I had a couple parts confused and had to scribble all over the place.

Cheers,
Patrick

Thanks Patrick. I ended up with the unisteer 8052160. I'm sure there's some work ahead of me. What did you end up with?

I used a kit from epowersteering.com designed for a MkIV roadster, but very easily adapted to the coupe. Check out this thread for pics of the unit mounted https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...steering-shaft

Looks like the unisteer unit is very similar and might be able to mount in the same location as what I did. Just looks like you'll have to do more fab work on the included bracket. Let me know what you think of the install I did. I'm happy to share my notes with you on it.

Thanks for the link Patrick. Are you going to use the Russ Thompson turn signal column? If so, did you have difficulties in integrating the PS with it?

Just another update on delivery, lots of things interfering with delivery - weather, COVID, flights but it should be here on Monday. A little disappointed but I'm sure no less than Paul who has a delivery after me. Inventory and a little work next Saturday. Should be road worthy by February....of 2026.

I think my coupe is on the same truck and I am in California so maybe by summer I will see mine.

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Originally Posted by Slow and Slightly Angry

Thanks for the link Patrick. Are you going to use the Russ Thompson turn signal column? If so, did you have difficulties in integrating the PS with it?

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I just talked to Russ the other day and I'm in the queue since he has a backlog to get through as he was waiting on switches. Funny enough the switches arrived as we were on the phone, lol. All this to say, I don't have his signal system in hand yet.

At the moment I don't expect any issues with integrating it since my mods were all forward of the steering column pillow block bearing. Once I have that in the next few weeks I'll add the install to my build thread.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slow and Slightly Angry

Just another update on delivery, lots of things interfering with delivery - weather, COVID, flights but it should be here on Monday. A little disappointed but I'm sure no less than Paul who has a delivery after me. Inventory and a little work next Saturday. Should be road worthy by February....of 2026.

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Yeah, all the delays have been frustrating, right? But looks like should finally happen next week. Stewart told me late Monday or Tuesday for my truck. I'm guessing more like Tuesday or Wednesday. Especially if yours arrives Monday. Good times ahead. Finally.

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Originally Posted by Rsnake

I think my coupe is on the same truck and I am in California so maybe by summer I will see mine.

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I doubt yours is on this truck. This route has stops in NH, PA, OH, MI (me), and IL. That I know of. You're talking to Todd at Stewart, right? He can tell you exactly which trailer you're in, the route, etc.

Todd had informed me it was on a truck heading to NH, PA and MI so I am not sure if it's on this truck or not. I was scheduled for December 25th delivery and then the weather took a turn. Oh well, it arrives when it arrives.
Let me know if you see a coupe in the truck heading to California.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rsnake

Todd had informed me it was on a truck heading to NH, PA and MI so I am not sure if it's on this truck or not. I was scheduled for December 25th delivery and then the weather took a turn. Oh well, it arrives when it arrives.
Let me know if you see a coupe in the truck heading to California.

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Sounds like the same truck. Surprised they'd drive from IL to CA with a minimal load. But who knows. I'll see what's left when they get here. The drivers are usually pretty talkative too.

Surprised me too. Looking forward to hearing what is left after your delivery.

With as many things as Stewart had to overcome, I'm happy to have received the car tonight.

Attachment 140312
Attachment 140315
Attachment 140313
There was also a 35 hiding behind mine.
Attachment 140314
Inventory, dismantle, beer on Saturday.

Congratulations! Finally. You're in for an adventure now.

Heard from Stewart. That truck should be in my garage tomorrow. Thanks for the pic. :o

The fun begins! Exciting times are ahead.

Got through inventory yesterday. 24 boxes and a front bumper. Went through inventory with the parts list and the manual for parts I was unsure of. Hopefully this will provide some familiarity with the part's when I need them for install.

As I said, I planned this as a 3 generation build and my father and 2 sons helped with the inventory. The 2 boys are 1 and 4 so helped is a generous word.

Unfortunately, a significant amount of parts are on backorder. Almost all of the front and rear suspension have yet to arrive. I will likely move to a little work on the transmission - switching to the FormaCars shifter kit and checking the clutch and possibly replacing it. I will also be replacing the oil pan and pick up with the moroso over the next week or 2. It is a weekend only build for me, for now, so things will be pretty drawn out.

Does anyone know what the typical lead time on the suspension typically is? Is there a typical time or is it variable?

There's no one answer for POL (backorder) parts. You should find most come relatively quickly. But sometimes there are supplier issues or whatever that take much longer. There were a couple items on my Coupe that were many months after delivery. The side pipes (which I didn't use...) and the headlight covers were even longer. But neither held up the build. My Coupe also was shipped less many of the suspension parts. Just looked at my records. I had most within about 6 weeks. I don't know how that compares to the current situation. I have a few suspension parts missing on my truck kit delivered right after yours. I'm starting my follow-up with Factory Five today. Hopefully will get an idea of what to expect. Suggest you do the same. Don't wear out your welcome but establish a communication link there for regular updates. That's worked for me. Hopefully you'll find there's typically plenty of work that can be completed even with backorder parts. Just sometimes not in the exact assembly sequence.

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Originally Posted by edwardb

There's no one answer for POL (backorder) parts. You should find most come relatively quickly. But sometimes there are supplier issues or whatever that take much longer. There were a couple items on my Coupe that were many months after delivery. The side pipes (which I didn't use...) and the headlight covers were even longer. But neither held up the build. My Coupe also was shipped less many of the suspension parts. Just looked at my records. I had most within about 6 weeks. I don't know how that compares to the current situation. I have a few suspension parts missing on my truck kit delivered right after yours. I'm starting my follow-up with Factory Five today. Hopefully will get an idea of what to expect. Suggest you do the same. Don't wear out your welcome but establish a communication link there for regular updates. That's worked for me. Hopefully you'll find there's typically plenty of work that can be completed even with backorder parts. Just sometimes not in the exact assembly sequence.

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I am going through my build right now and I think the supply chain issue has been somewhat elongated....ordered my coupe in June, delivered in early October, started on the front suspension and still waiting for shocks...so I set up a warm line of communication with FFR (the person who was my initial contact) and i ping him about once a month. We are also working around the situation as we can. The parts issues are real and do slow you down. I have found that sometimes this allows for a little more thinking and research...maybe more time to make the right decision (but maybe I'm just telling myself that to feel better!). Hopefully the Covid situation abates soon so this can get back to normal as well.

Waiting on parts but plenty of work to do.
I had my helper and future driver with me last weekend.
Attachment 141417
I was able to remove and store the body and the panels.
Attachment 141416
I ignored the minimal engine work I planned until now. I pulled the transmission, stock MT-82, off to check the clutch and to mount the engine on the stand. The transmission was surprisingly light, but I guess I'm not sure what I was expecting. Removed the starter and heads as well. Put the coyote on the stand and got the new pickup and pan mounted. I got the pan and pick up from Mike Forte and would highly recommend him. Very knowledgeable and helpful (ok done with the sales pitch). Only had a short few hours but happy with the progress.
Attachment 141414
I have some work to do on the rats nest upfront but all in due time.
I did have 1 small casualty, the lift strap on the hoist snapped my throttle position sensor.
Attachment 141415

I will probably work on stripping down the engine some more and installing the FormaCars shifter conversion next weekend.
Anyone who installed a donor coyote, did you feel that the FFR instructions (from the website) to prep the engine were fairly complete? I plan to stepwise follow them. Any sensors/connectors that you can forgo that aren't discussed in the directions, etc?

I have been doing some research for all of the fuel components. I am pretty sold on the aeromotive 340 stealth pump (11542), regulator (13136) and trick flow cannister filter (23006).
For the hanger, I have read a lot of good things about the Pro M racing hanger. I found that aeromotive makes a hanger assembly that only needs elbows. I like the idea of the pre assembled unit. Has anyone used their hanger? Any reason to think the provided hanger is useful for the application? Seems like the OD and subsequently the ID is just too small to feed the engine especially since the donor had 3/8" lines as well.

Working in an uninsulated garage has caused a bit of a weather delay. So I got back to it last weekend.

Quick rant
Get my rant in first, feeling a bit frustrated without my suspension components. It's apparently up to another 4 months out. I understand were in the midst of a pandemic and lots of people are in the same boat so not really a whoa is me, just a point of frustration. Ok, done with the complaining.

Shifter kit
I am using the mustang MT-82 transmission. I bought the kit from formacars to relocate the shifter. Pretty straight forward so far. I have not put the shifter on but the old shifter and tail have been brought to a more reasonable location I am going to wait until the engine and trans are in the car to put the actual shifter on. This will definitely lead me to needing a custom driveshaft but I will live with that.

Fuel system infancy
Ended up getting the aeromotive hanger and pump installed and the gas tank mounted. Super smooth install very happy I went with the all in one. I read a bunch of threads talking about the flanges on the tank causing problems and I thought, how big of a deal could it be. Man was it a pain in the butt. Installed it a total of 3 times because clearly I didn't learn after the first one.

The filler neck tube mount got me one time. Instructions say to bolt it down while the tank is in. There is no room between the frame in bolt. So I just slid the tank in a bit sideways with the neck installed. Pretty simple had I thought about it before hand.

Pedal install
Worked on the pedals next. Got the brake and clutch pedals installed. The top mout bracket is pretty tight to another of the frame rails so I need to figure out a way to drill through the 1" rail without going at an angle. Thinking right angle drill is about the only option.

More engine
Still trying to conceptualize the wiring, hosing, and everything else that goes with it. I have the oil and water sending units installed. I am going to have to lay out the control pack harness and the Ron Francis harness to just understand what I need to do. Seems daunting but we'll figure it out, hopefully...

With a bit of time until suspension, I am going to prep the aluminum panels for paint. I'm thinking about a hammered gunmetal for all the parts that are exposed.

I used Rustoleum hammered gunmetal on a coupe panels I built several years ago. I didn't do anything special prepping the panels and ended up with a lot of chipping. A aircraft mechanic suggested to prime the panels with aircraft prime (zinc oxide?). The panels I repainted held the paint much better.

I'm in the same boat as you for the suspension. I got a notice two boxes are on the way and should arrive Wednesday. I'm hoping for suspension, but doesn't sound likely.

Out of curiosity, which suspension components are you waiting on?

I only have the coilovers. The parts that they are waiting on are both sets of lower a arms and spindles. The spindles are the culprit for the 4 mo delay. At least that is my understanding.

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Originally Posted by jdm65

Out of curiosity, which suspension components are you waiting on?

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I'm waiting on all the rear control arms and toe links. Also waiting on front hub nuts. Two boxes should be arriving today (got delayed due to weather).

Pedal and Clutch Switch Install
Took the hacksaw and oscillating tool to a perfectly good and perfectly expensive accelerator pedal. Once trimmed down the install was pretty straight forward.
Attachment 143879

I did some substantial research (i.e. checked out Paul's builds and posts) for the clutch switches after realized they would be a challenge. What I found was building a mount on top of the wilwood pedal mount and a paddle on the clutch pedal master cylinder was going to be the best route. I was fortunate in that if I messed up the provided switch, my 2016 donor happen to have a backup. Also fortunately, I did not, as of yet, need it. I built a bracket with 2 90s in it to float the switch over the mounting bolt for the pedals.
Attachment 143875Attachment 143876

It was my first go with metal work and my limited tools (angle grinder) mad the work as nice as other brackets I have seen and mostly in line with what I would expect my 4 year old to make. But it seems to work and it is hidden as soon as the top aluminum is riveted in.
For the top travel switch,
I plan to use the FFR provided switch in the prescribed location by modifying the harness/plug from the control pack.

Suspension - Rd 1
With immense excitement, I received the front control arms and the radiator. That radiator is huge but I will probably need every bit of it. With some disappointment I received one of my lower A arms in a less than complete state and the incorrect ball joints for the uppers.
Attachment 143877 missing the bushing on one side.
Attachment 143878
Vertical threads rather than horizontal.
I installed one lower A arm and 1 coilover and assembled the other coilover. No pics for this as it lacked the climax.
End result - you win this round suspension.

The ball joint is normal. They’re not threads, but splines. That portion presses into the ring/cup on the control arm.

Hmm. Thanks. The instructions threw me off as they seem to indicate that they screw into press into the opening in the arm which is threaded. I guess this exposes my lack of knowledge in the area.

To be clear, there is one of each type for a FFR vehicle.

Front upper arm (multi-piece SPC style), has a plate with a threaded cup to receive a screw-in upper ball joint. These must be assembled by the builder. I recommend using a ball joint socket, but the manual shows it is possible to clamp the ball joint in a vice and use the arm itself as the “wrench” to screw it in.

Secondly, the lower ball joint (what I expect is pictured, and the reason for my prior post), looks like the LOWER ball joint that FFR uses. They are normally already pressed into the 1-piece tubular lower control arms. Splined ball joint pressed through a laser cut plate which is integral to the lower control arms. Hopefully this helps clarify what I meant.

Unfortunately, the pictured ball joint is for the upper (screw in) arm. The lower arm was assembled by the factory so no work required to install it.

Gotcha. You are correct then, you received the wrong ball joint(s). Need the screw in style. Carry on!