PDX MK II Roadster Help

Hey Yall,
The story on my Roadster is this - I recently inherited a partially completed Mk II build from a family member, and I'm trying to finish the build. Its a MK II Roadster with a 347 Stroker and an automatic trans. While I've made a ton of progress, finishing a project already started by someone else comes with its own unique problems... missing parts, boxes of opened unlabeled parts, finding fasteners only attached finger tight, etc.
I have (i think) most of the build complete, its runs at idle and holds temp, and i'm attempting to move on to body work, but i've stumbled upon problems i can't seem to solve through the forums. The body doesn't want to all line up, all of the original body mounting hardware is lost to time, and the exhaust manifolds are wildly out of alignment with the body cutouts. i have a box of unlabeled parts i don't know where to install, or if there even part of the kit or just loose nuts and bolts that ended up in the boxes.
I'm reaching out to see if there's anyone in the greater PDX area who has built a roadster that would be willing to come take a look around my roadster and help me figure out what i need to do next. I feel like i've hit quite a dead end, and i'm hoping someone who knows how these kits are supposed to go together can take a look at mine and help me identify what i need to do. I'd be happy to compensate you in beer.

Please, shoot me a DM if you are interested in helping! I really appreciate any guidance.

Attachment 189298

For those that don't know like me, where is PDX? also it looks like your kit is a Mark3 not a 2.
Mike

Sorry, can’t offer much help other than to confirm what Mike said; that is clearly a Mk3 chassis but curiously the photo shows a Mk1/Mk2 retrofit hood hinge bonding plate which is not applicable to a Mk3.

Good luck with it!

Jeff

it looks like the body's already been painted (pretty sweet color IMO). What "body work" are you referring to? presumably the previous builder had fit the body and doors/hood/trunk and done all the gapping prior to paint, including opening up the exhaust cut outs to fit the build. are you headers new, or did they come with the original build?
I would recommend looking up some of the body fitting/positioning threads on this forum from the Jeffs (Kleiner and Miller) which will really help determine if your body is in the correct position to begin with. Everything else will be determined once the body is in the proper location relative to the frame.

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Originally Posted by Jeff Kleiner

Sorry, can’t offer much help other than to confirm what Mike said; that is clearly a Mk3 chassis but curiously the photo shows a Mk1/Mk2 retrofit hood hinge bonding plate which is not applicable to a Mk3.

Good luck with it!

Jeff

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huh, well there you go i'm learning new things already. The assembly manual that came with the project is the Mk II manual, so i just presumed it was a Mk II kit. Will the hood hinge cause problems with mounting the hood?

The previous builder seems to have fit the body prior to paint, and you can tell that the exhaust cutouts are enlarged. The headers engine and headers were already mounted when i inherited the projec, so i presume that the placements should align. However, when i put the body on the frame, the front of the body seems to sit super high, despite the body sitting directly on the chassis on either side of the hood opening. I know misaligned exhaust cutouts are common, but my misalignment is pretty outrageous, much more than what i've seen from other posts on the forum.
Attachment 189354Attachment 189355
Could you link either of the body fitting / positioning threads mentioned? Forgive me, i'm pretty new to the forums here.

Really appreciate your helpful response!

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Originally Posted by michael everson

For those that don't know like me, where is PDX? also it looks like your kit is a Mark3 not a 2.
Mike

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PDX = Portland, Or.
Fascinating, the assembly manual that came with the project, and that i've been following, is the Mk II manual, so i just presumed it was a Mk II kit. I wonder if that is where some of my issues are stemming from.

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Originally Posted by JonnyT

The previous builder seems to have fit the body prior to paint, and you can tell that the exhaust cutouts are enlarged. The headers engine and headers were already mounted when i inherited the projec, so i presume that the placements should align. However, when i put the body on the frame, the front of the body seems to sit super high, despite the body sitting directly on the chassis on either side of the hood opening. I know misaligned exhaust cutouts are common, but my misalignment is pretty outrageous, much more than what i've seen from other posts on the forum.
Attachment 189354Attachment 189355
Could you link either of the body fitting / positioning threads mentioned? Forgive me, i'm pretty new to the forums here.

Really appreciate your helpful response!

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Body looks way too high. Make sure the rockers are pulled out and not caught in the frame. Body at the hood opening should be ~3/4” above the frame holding the radiator. Body should be resting on the bulb seal over the firewall.

I sent a note, I am in PDX area, not sure what help I could offer, I am pretty early in my build.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JonnyT

huh, well there you go i'm learning new things already. The assembly manual that came with the project is the Mk II manual, so i just presumed it was a Mk II kit. Will the hood hinge cause problems with mounting the hood?

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The chassis is most definitely Mk3 as evidenced by the "X" structure below the door opening, the steering rack location and the tiedown hoops at the front of the 4" tubes. The full width hinge plate won't work with a Mk3 hood but the chassis plates, hinge plates and arms will if you have the hood brackets. It seems that this car maybe something of a hodge-podge which makes me wonder if perhaps the hood is for a Mk2 (heck, the entire body may be for a Mk2!). Tell us about or better yet post a photo of the underside of the hood...is it fiberglass with a molded rib about 1 1/2" wide and 1 1/2" in from the edge that goes around the entire perimeter with a flat area inside of that at both front corners? If so it's for a Mk3.

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Originally Posted by JonnyT

The previous builder seems to have fit the body prior to paint, and you can tell that the exhaust cutouts are enlarged. The headers engine and headers were already mounted when i inherited the projec, so i presume that the placements should align. However, when i put the body on the frame, the front of the body seems to sit super high, despite the body sitting directly on the chassis on either side of the hood opening. I know misaligned exhaust cutouts are common, but my misalignment is pretty outrageous, much more than what i've seen from other posts on the forum.

Could you link either of the body fitting / positioning threads mentioned? Forgive me, i'm pretty new to the forums here.

Really appreciate your helpful response!

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Most of what I've written won't directly apply to a Mk3. The body may not actually be sitting high on the chassis but may just appear that way if the chassis ride height is high. Lets look at your photo to check body position:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1693070633

The holes that those two red arrows are pointing at should match up with corresponding holes in the chassis at the bumper plates. The blue arrow indicates the side of the driver's footbox visible below the body. When the body is properly positioned there should be approximately 1/2" showing. Let us know how that compares to yours. Those sidepipe cutouts are MASSIVELY oversize!

It would be interesting to know what the full story is on this car!

Jeff



Attachment 189390

Your body isn't sitting high, your suspension needs to be lowered. Start by putting the 4 bolts in near the nose. Then the side bolts and then the rear quick jack bolts. There's is very little adjustment on these older kits compared to the Mark 4. In some ways better because the 4 front bolts determine from the factory where the body should sit.
Mike

Curious if you got things figured out Johnny, looks like a great build and fun color!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1693070633

The holes that those two red arrows are pointing at should match up with corresponding holes in the chassis at the bumper plates. The blue arrow indicates the side of the driver's footbox visible below the body. When the body is properly positioned there should be approximately 1/2" showing. Let us know how that compares to yours. Those sidepipe cutouts are MASSIVELY oversize!

Attachment 189390[/QUOTE]

Hey Jeff,
thanks for the tips! the 4 bolt holes (red arrows) are aligned and i was able to put the 4 bolts without issue. Off to a good start. The drivers footbox is slightly high, but not far off, with 3/4, 7/8 of an inch showing.
Attachment 196403Attachment 196404
I wonder if the cutouts being so oversized has to do with this (potentially) being a Mk II body on a Mk III frame... a hodgepodge as you called it. All of the paperwork i inherited with this project is for a MkII kit (instruct manual, receipts, etc) but as so many posters have correctly identified, this is a Mk III chassis. Maybe the alignment for the mismatched body / chassis wasn't so great.
It sadly didn't come with a hood and a trunk lid... those were lost somewhere along the way. I purchased a MK II Hood and trunk lid from other users no the forum last year.

i would love to get the ride height in the right ballpark before proceeding, as i'm hopefull (maybe naively so) that it will help with the misalignment of the headers with the cutout. That will be my next action item today. Any tips on lowering the ride height?

Thank you, mike. I was able to get the 4 bolts in the nose set without issue, alignment there was good. As you move back, the body seems to sit higher and higher on the chassis, but not alarmingly so, just off by about 1/2 and inch.
My next move will be to set the ride height, as you called out it needs to be lowered.

Mk2 and 3 are alike as far as headers and sidepipe cutouts so MK2 body with Mk3 chassis or vice versa would make no difference. Ride height has no effect on the cutouts.

Jeff

That's disappointing, because the alignment of my headers with the cutouts is not even close currently.
Attachment 196405
and that is with the body seemingly pretty well aligned to the chassis. I was able to set the four nose bolts and begin working my way back to the bolts on the body around the driver and passengers footboxes.

Just keep in mind that the side pipes go through the body cutouts at the radius of the bend. I would mock them up to really see if those are too big.

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Originally Posted by JonnyT

That's disappointing, because the alignment of my headers with the cutouts is not even close currently.
Attachment 196405
and that is with the body seemingly pretty well aligned to the chassis. I was able to set the four nose bolts and begin working my way back to the bolts on the body around the driver and passengers footboxes.

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You don't base the cutouts oh the header flange, you have to fit them to the pipes because as D Stand said by the time they exit the body they have already begun to make the curve rearward. Quite simply yours were greatly overcut. The cutout never extends into the flare.

Jeff

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JonnyT

That's disappointing, because the alignment of my headers with the cutouts is not even close currently.
Attachment 196405
and that is with the body seemingly pretty well aligned to the chassis. I was able to set the four nose bolts and begin working my way back to the bolts on the body around the driver and passengers footboxes.

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You don't base the cutouts oh the header flange, you have to fit them to the pipes because as D Stand said by the time they exit the body they have already begun to make the curve rearward. Quite simply yours were greatly overcut. The cutout never extends into the flare. Something like this is quite typical:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1709646846

Jeff