I found that using ordinary newspaper worked just as well as wax paper - back in the day when there were newspapers...
Keith HR #894
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I found that using ordinary newspaper worked just as well as wax paper - back in the day when there were newspapers...
Keith HR #894
what are newspapers???
I finished up the vinyl install on the waterfall this morning before work...not perfect, but looks pretty good....hoping to install it tonight.
Jim
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I like how your waterfall came out.I'm about a week from doing the one on my car. I'm curious about the transitions at the top left and right and how they were accomplished. I planned on doing mine in three sections using Hidem double stitch to conceal the joint. What are your thoughts. Can the whole piece be covered with a single sheet of vinyl?
I got the Waterfall installed last night....I still need to figure out how I'm going to attached the padded trim around the waterfall. In the front (by the doors) I'm going use the rag top threaded mounts, just need to figure out the rear (probably will fasten it in 3 spots).
Next up is the trans tunnel....little bit of modifying needed for the hydraulic clutch salve cylinder (and I want to try to buy a little more foot room for the accelerator pedal).
Jim
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Did you guys notice an expiration date on your Simpson Belts? I assume this is only for track inspection and not the road but interested in hearing other's opinions.
Jim
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The left & right panels are what I'll call cheater panels. I actually did cover the whole piece in one single sheet of vinyl (lots of effort / stretching) but the corners are really stretched and then with relief cuts in the upper lip corners that fastens to the body, some of the fiberglass was exposed so I made the left and right triangular cheater panels to cover that. With the padded trim piece on, you most likely would not have seen that but once that is removed for the rag top it would have been obvious so I made the triangular cheater panels to cover the exposed fiberglass so it's covered no matter what.
I just pulled vinyl around piping I had and hand stiched around piping in the front to give it a finish look and then the panel is glued in place (I roughed up the vinyl under it so the glue would bite; it's not going anywhere, can't even peel it up).
I was a better solution than paying a local upholstery shop $600 to do it (seemed really high to me).
Jim
I made up an aluminum tunnel to maximize foot room.. and got more than needed. You still want your right foot to be able to lean against something! So mock it up before deciding..
Yes, track-only, and even then when "proper racing" with tech inspection, etc. In my experience, for fun track days and street use no-one cares.
Trans tunnel modified and installed and sound dampening installed. The trans tunnel really transforms the inside. Looks like a normal interior now.
Carpet is next.....need to figure out all the various pieces they supplied.
Jim
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Anyone know if someone produces sill plates for the Gen 2 body on the 33 HR? Gen 1s have the straight sill, Gen 2s have the slant for easier access.
Trying to figure out what to do there.
Jim
Busy weekend....carpet installed, belts installed, shifter boot installed, emergency brake book installed, floor mats installed, seats installed (with Breeze risers), center console cover installed and then I got both doors installed but I only got the exterior handle on the passenger door installed. Between all the above, and a bunch of yard work on two houses I ran out of gusto. I really like the way the interior turned out.
Next up I need to install the driver side exterior handle, both door panels (with pull handle and speaker), install carpet in the trunk, and fit the rage top to be sure nothing moved when I reinstalled the windshield. Getting very close to a completed car. May 25th will be exactly 8 months since I got my kit from FFR.
Discovered I suffered the Moser 8.8" rear end seal leak like many others.....I debated pulling the cover when I first installed it but talked myself out of it...oh well...guess I'll pull that some time this week / next weekend. Then I'll get the front tires balanced (did the rears a couple weeks ago; some of the weights from original mounting from FFR fell off in transit), do the alignment, do some tweaking to make sure everything is operating right and then I guess I'll cover it until the state calls for my inspection.
Having our home garage floor epoxied in the next 1-2 weeks so I want to make sure this thing is covered out of the dust. I have one neighbor who I'm guessing will call the police if I run it around the neighborhood a few times without plates on it. I got an earful in November when I go-Karted it so no sense taking a chance now that it's done.
By the way, I'm so glad I had the doors off for installing the interior, for those having interior coming up, I would suggest the same. Much easier.
Jim
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Before work this morning I got the Driver's side exterior handle and both door mirrors installed
Jim
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Looks great Jim.
Can you provide some info on the metal plate you have on the running boards?
Thanks.
Hi Jim
Thanks...here is the link I ordered it from. Sounds weird being a truck step plate but the size / placement worked out perfect for where the seats are mounted. On mine at least you step right out onto the plate.
https://www.raneystruckparts.com/cus...-iowa-customs/
I ordered the 6"x20" Billet aluminum, they have many options
Jim
Driver's side door panel fitted / installed last night...that was actually quite the PITA to do...probably the hardest part of the interior to this point and I'm almost done.
The problem is the Gen2 door panels (not sure if Gen1 is the same) are 1/8" thick aluminum so they are really stiff and the doors have a couple contours / angles in the design so they is not a flat surface to just lay the flat door panel in and fasten it. There is quite a bit of bending / shaping to do.
Had I known this I would have done this at the stage before my doors were painted so I could lay the doors flat on a surface and work the proper shape of the panel. Trying to do this with a door that is hung is a little challenging. Oh well.
looks good though. I'll hopefully tackle the passenger door tonight, not sure if we have other things to do yet or not.
Jim
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Now that I knew where to bend the door panel the passenger side went much smoother. Excuse the darker sections on the panel, this was right after I wiped it down to remove the dust.
Sooooo close to finishing the interior, just need to mount the padded trim piece above the waterfall mount the rear view mirror, put the 2.5" plugs in the door to cover the hole for the exterior handle latch and find something for around the hinge holes.
Jim
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Fantastic Job Jim, looks super.
Gen 1 door panels are the same, thick aluminum. One of my door panels looks like it will fit fine, the other doesn't fit well at all. Not sure if it's because they replaced my gen 1 doors with gen 2 or what. However, i'm going to do custom panels anyway - got some of the Hagan components to do that :) Not sure about you but the thought that the main part of the build will be done and that I will have built a fricking car feels rather surreal at the moment
Steve
Thanks Steve...yeah, I know what you mean, I went through all my google pics (more than what is on this forum) this past weekend and it was really wild to watch the transformation from bare frame to a complete car (some of it I already forgot).
I've done full restorations before so one could say I've built many cars but those were different, they were built and I tore them apart, so it wasn't like I was working with a blank slate. The 33 HR is even more special to me because we are given a frame, body panels and numerous boxes of parts and it's up to us to put these cars together from the ground up and modify them to our own personal preference.
Sure, there is a manual provided, but I think all of us who have built or are building a FFR project will agree, the manual doesn't come close to covering everything to build these cars.
Then there was working with fiberglass which was completely new to me but it was great, I learned a ton and added even more experience to wheel house. If there was anything that intimidated me on this project it was the fiberglass, but in the end, it all worked out fine. I've turned down helping a lot of friends in the past not knowing a lot about fiberglass, but now I'll help in an instant since I understand it and am comfortable with it.
Truly a special moment with great memories building this car, and I will always have a unique sense of pride on this car. My adult kids like it too ad are already heckling each other over who gets the 33 when Dad is no longer around. :rolleyes:
Also fun to have neighbors stop by and ask a lot of questions on it. Can't wait to get the registration / titling done so I can get it out on the road.
Jim
Interior besides a good cleaning is 100% done....another big milestone reached.
Tonight I got the padded trim above the waterfall installed, I installed the plug caps in the doors, installed finish trim (just weather stripping) around the hinge holes and installed the rear view mirror on the windshield.
Next up is carpeting the trunk, then the build will be physically complete, I will also install the rag top to reverify fit. Can't wait to see the black top against the green.
I will then do things like fixing the leak in the moser 8.8 rear end, doing the alignment, going through and checking torque on all bolts, various system checks, etc., then I wait form my inspection.
Jim
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Carpeting in trunk done...waiting on my battery cover to come in
Jim
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Rag Top & curtains installed to verify fit, all lined up nice.
I'll leave it on now until I get an appt for my inspection to cut down on dust on the inside.
Jim
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Great build. Picked up some ideas for mine already completed --- oh yea, these cars are never really done. I'm making a list of all the modifications I can do next winter based on yours and other cars. Just wish I'd thought of some of these earlier!
Hot damn..... just got a call from the state, my inspection is set up for 2:00 PM next Wednesday, June 2nd.
Fingers crossed. He noted all other paperwork (engine & transmission history) looks good.
Jim
Have a good holiday weekend everyone!!
The guy I talked to on the phone about the inspection said some things that were really odd to, that I cannot stop thinking about...
I asked if there was a hit list of things they are looking for so I can make sure I have those items covered like lights, horn, wiper, seatbelts, etc. so everything goes smoothly and he said they don't focus on the safety stuff at all, they are merely inspecting it making sure that two things are met....
#1) the car is complete and they are not registering / titling an unfinished car
and
#2) that I built the car which matches the paper work I submitted to the state (which was basically my FFR invoice and the BP engine invoices).
He also said it's up to me whether I want to drive it in (they are sending me a letter to give to my local office for a temporary plate) or trailer it in. He said either is fine with them and if I trailer it in, they may not even request for me to take it off, if they can see everything with the car on the trailer.
Very Odd.... guess I'll find out in a week
Jim
Looks like you have #1 & #2 covered with ease! Here’s to a successful inspection.
Now that the 33 is done I promised my wife no more huge messes is the main garage so I had the garage floor epoxy coated yesterday (the crew loved the 33 but hated working around and under the lift) and I painted it the garage today after the 12 hour waiting period.
Ignore the 2x4 shelves & the different color walls, I plan on remove all the stuff from the shelves this winter and painting it as a mini project. Key goal for today was getting the garge walls painted (used to be the tan you see in the shelves) so I can move all my stuff back in tomorrow. I need my trailer to move my son into his house tomorrow.....lots going on.
Turned out pretty good.
Jim
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Far too clean, it's clear you need another project....
Steve
I hear ya Steve,
I have deck on the back of our house to resurface (getting rid of the old cedar decking and putting in maintenance free decking) and once that is done I'll pick back up on the 55 F100 build which is in process at the shop verses the home garage, but I may take the summer off to play with the rest of the toys. Latest pics of the 55 attached.....frame is refinished, new box is fitted, floor of the cab is sand blasted / painted, not I need to strip the cab.
Jim
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As mentioned previously my diff started leaking so I removed the diff cover on the Moser 8.8" rear end this morning & resealed it. Not surprising it leaked, Moser did not grind / sand off the chrome on the inside gasket surface and then applied a very thin (like thin enough to still see the chrome through it) before installing the gasket & fastening it.
Why bother even putting a gasket or sealer on then? A little surprising from Moser considering rear ends is a big portion of what they do.
Should be good to go now, I'll refill it tomorrow morning and then I'll go through everything in preparations for the inspection on Wednesday this week.
Jim
Look up lube locker. Vastly superior.