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The tail-end of things...
Olivia tells me all the time that I like to over-romanticise things. She’s not wrong.
Over the past few days I’ve felt the same kind of emptiness I felt last year after the car’s first start. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long that I, once again, didn’t give much thought to what I’ll do next. If I were to summarise last year’s feeling it would be “wow, it’s a real car!” This time it feels more like “wow, it’s pretty much… done…?”
Of course I knew that’s not true. The boxes I received from FFR aren’t all empty yet so there’s still much to do. There’s wheel well work, side louvres, door latches, engine tuning, you name it! All this work could easily stretch into the next few months.
On the other hand the car now looks like a cobra, accelerates like a bat out of hell, sounds like a coyote, and handles like a dream. What more does one need? I find myself asking silly questions like “ok do we REALLY need side louvres? Let’s just go drive the damn thing!” Dave told me stories of people who got to the driving stage and ended up never really “finishing” their car since it was just so much more fun to drive! At the time I thought that was foolish. How can you leave a car unfinished? Well well well… I’m starting to feel it too.
One way get over momentary laziness is to sit down and plan out the work ahead, so let’s do just that. Here's the tail-end of things.
Registration. I was supposed to go to the Livermore SMOG station to get my smog sticker which completes the SB100 process. I had to cancel the appointment due to an absolutely wild week of wind, rain, and snow in the bay area. On the bright side the snow covered Santa-Cruz mountains are a sight to behold!
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Side Louvres. I plan to attach mine the same way Paul (edwardb) attached his using 10-32 perforated base studs (mcmaster-carr 97590A569) and 3M HSRF. I don’t think I’ll attach the Louvre to L brackets with screws because I don’t love the look. I’ll attach them with a generous amount of silicone. The side louvres don’t take any load at all so silicone should hold it just fine.
Elephant ears (wheel well splash panels). When installing front and rear lights I had to take the wheels off which made it a good time to test fit the elephant ears. None of them fit. In fact I couldn’t even get it to sit in the wheel well at all. Much trimming is required on the panels and I’ll need a good day’s worth of work to get that done. I’ve also purchased wheel well liners from Shane at VRaptor Speedworks. These are Shane’s continuations of Alex’s wheel-well liners. They provide all-round stone protection for the underside of the fibre-glass body and also prevents water from being splashed all over electrical connections at the back of front and rear lights. You can find more info on the look and fit here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...eel-well-liner
Before I do either of the two above I’ll need to fill the gap between the outer-footwell panels and the fibreglass body. Per Jeff’s instructions I did not glue those on before body install, so I’ll stuff them in afterwards. Jeff said to just use a stick to poke it in and it will stay put forever. Sounds good to me.
Radiator Aluminium. Like JohnK I’ve purchased Mike Everson’s radiator aluminium piece from ReplicaParts. Instead of going straight down from the side, Mike’s radiator aluminium piece curves around the bottom and forms a smooth surface that looks much better IMO. Here’s a link to JohnK’s thread that showcases in his build: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post517624
Door latches. This is a big one. There are 2 issues I have with the way my current door latches are.
First, the door-strikers are mounted on bare-steel extension plates. No one's fault here, just unfortunate circumstances that arose from FFR switching over to these new Mk4 door latches. Due to the way they’re designed the strikers have to reach far deeper into the cabin. The striker rods are also much longer and easier to bump into (and when you do it hurts!)
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The second issue is a much more practical one. The older door-latches unlatch when you pull the lever forwards while these new door-latches unlatch when you push the stub backwards. They JUST HAPPEN to sit right next to my left elbow in driving position and I keep accidentally opening my door with my elbow! I’d be in the middle of a turn when my elbow bumps the lever backwards which swings the whole door open. Yikes! I’ve yet to figure out what to do about this.
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At this moment I really wish FFR gave me the old style door latches. With just a little tweaking they work well and have none of these problems. Worst part is that in order to install these new door latches we had to cut away the mounting tabs fitted for old-style latches. I can’t easily go back to the old style latches either.
Engine Tuning. With about 210 miles on the odometer the engine’s been running great with a few exceptions. It burns noticeably rich and its idle RPM is too high. A stock gen3 coyote idles at around 700 rpm whereas my engine idles at a whopping 1150! When in gear it’s fine, but sitting at the red light with a 1150 rpm burble is just too much for me.
This forum’s go-to solution for tuning a coyote seems to be Lund Tuning. I’ve read a few threads about them and they seem to do great work. My other car friends on the other hand all recommend taking it to a local tuning shop and I’m biassed towards this option as well. My intuition tells me it’s better to get the car onto a real dyno with the tuner physically present than receiving maps by email and trying it out. Lund’s tuning process also requires me to do a few WOT pulls and I honestly have no idea where I can do that safely.
I’d love more feedback on my thoughts here. Am I right to assume that a reputable local physically-present tuner is better than remote-tuning? Am I missing anything obvious here that I should know about?
refused by Lund Tuning due to in-header cat.
Before I go further I want to clarify that Jon Lund Sr. was straightforward, professional, and very quick to respond to my custom request (on a weekend too!). I'm surprised and disappointed by the situation I'm in, not the way I was treated by Lund.
Had an interesting conversation with Lund Racing Support that resulted in their refusal to tune my engine due to the catalytic converter built into FFR's headers. After submitting a request with them I got a reply from Jon Lund Sr. that advised the following:
"Assuming you are using a Gen 3 Ford Performance control pack. The CATs could be a problem as the Ford Performance calibration is design to not use CATs and rear 02s are off as well as all emissions items. Those mini CATs are going to get hot and eventually collapse and clog. I would remove them. If you are concerned about noise then put a muffler farther down range. Other than that I don't see any problems tuning it.".
After replying that I'd like to proceed with the cat in-place due to the amount of work that would involve as well as the effects of not having a cat, (e.g. header removal, bodywork required for new headers, the smell without a cat, etc) Jon Lund Sr. replied:
"Honestly not interested in tuning it. In its current state. The CATs will collapse as you are using them as a Muffler not a real CAT. The ECU can't provide what is needed to safely operate the CAT. The CAT that close to all four pipes will eventually overheat and have issues."
I was then immediately issued a refund without prompt. I thanked him for his help and we ended the conversation there.
So now I'm in a weird spot. Do I remove the cat? Do I find another tuner knowing what Jon told me and risk the cat overheating and collapsing? I've searched the forum and haven't found another example of Lund refusing to tune an engine due to the in-header catalytic converters so this seems like a first. Has anyone had their in-header cats collapse? Would really appreciate some advice here.
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Wheel well liners and a custom bracket - Pt. 1
You know what really puts a pause on your schedule? Moving! When I started this project I signed a lease for a single-family home that would give me the garage space needed to build this car. The plan was to move in a few weeks before the kit arrives, finish all the "big steps" during the 2-year lease, and move out to a more affordable home with a small single-car garage. I'm happy to report that everything was on schedule! I handed the house-keys back to the landlord and officially moved out.
My build thread was heavily neglected due to the lack of time and energy over the past 2 months. The new place is still a colossal mess but at least I have time. Let's catch up!
Following JohnK's example, I also decided to install wheel well liners. They are large bendy sheets of plastic with bulb seals on the perimeter shaped to the inside of the wheel well body area. I don't have pictures of mine pre-install but you can see what they look like out of the box in JohnK's post here.
Since I'm already installing wheel wells liners I no longer needed front elephant-ear panels. They weren't going to work anyways because I swapped FFR's F-panels for FFMetal's fat-tire F panels. When fitting the liners I realized there's a problem. It's not an issue due to the liners per-se, but the elasticity of the liner material definitely makes it worse. Let me explain:
The fiberglass body is great when there's structural rigidity. The part of the body right in-front of the side-pipe cut outs however, doesn't have support and is easily deformable. You can easily hold the bottom fin and move it in and out without much force:
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The wheel well liner material is very elastic and VERY STRONG. To get a good seal in the wheel well the liners push against the F-panel in the inside and the fenders on the others-side. When it pushes unsupported area described above the fiberglass deforms and bows outward by about 1/2in to 3/4in. TBH I couldn't visually tell the difference, but the fact that I KNOW it's deformed irritates me. I wanted the liners to seal well and the body to stay in shape. To solve this issue I made some brackets:
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It's essentially a U-channel with a large flap bent from a single piece of aluminum. It supports the fiberglass to prevent deformation and provides a surface for liner attachment. Once secured it looks like this:
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With the brackets attached the fiberglass is solid as a rock! While I was at it I also made brackets for the front of the wheel well. There was already a bolt there for the radiator support beam so it worked out perfectly.
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To secure the liners I used nutserts on all attachment points and secured the liner with 1/8in screws. I also stuck all my leftover sound-deadening material to the back of the liners. John if you're reading this it WAS a good idea and I could really tell the different before and after I put the sound-deadening material on.
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Wheel well liners and a custom bracket - Pt. 2
The rear liners went on pretty easily as there are panels already installed on both ends. The end result looks like this:
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Looks good to me!
Jumping forward in time a bit here. I drove with the liners installed and actually go caught by a drizzle on a wet day. I took the liners off to inspect the results and I'm please with the amount of dirt it kept out. The underside of the body looks good as new!
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In summary I'd definitely recommend these liners to future builders. They look great and work great!
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License plate on a pretty rear!
Showed up the smog ref's office on a bright sunny day! The green really pops under the burning californian sun.
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I could tell it wasn't the ref's first time seeing a kit cobra. He kinda just glanced at it and asked "factory five"? ...to which I said "yeah" and he disappeared into his office for a few mins before coming back out with the sticker. It seems he also knows just how OCD kit cobra builders can be so he gave me the sticker and told me to stick it on myself. I stuck it right next to the FFR provided serial plate which I riveted on the top of passenger footwell panel. I haven't yet decided how exactly I want to protect the sticker. Spray a layer of clear-coat over it? Cut a piece of acrylic and rivet it on top? IDK. I think the general advice is to not let it get wet.
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After I got my smog sticker I BOOKED IT to the DMV. This was going to be the big day! I'm sure I was the jolliest person standing in line at the DMV that week. :p The lady at the window (who knows my name by now) processed all the paperwork, packaged the info and gave it to the DMV branch manager... only to be pushed back. Why? Because the VIN verification form filled out by the CHP had a "5" that looked too much like an "S". That's right, even though EVERY OTHER PIECE OF PAPERWORK CLEARLY SAYS "5" THE BRANCH MANAGER WILL NOT ACCEPT IT. I was told to go back to the CHP office to redo my VIN verification.
Just thinking about that moment makes my blood boil. Are you F**KING SERIOIUS? REALLY?
I walked out of the DMV feeling incredibly dejected. So much for being the jolliest guy in line! When I got home I phoned the CHP office and luckily they were super responsible about it. The lady at the CHP office routed the form to the officer super quickly and I was able to pick up the "corrected" form just 2 days later. I once again went to the DMV and they finally accepted the paperwork. I walked out of the DMV with my plates in hand. I could feel tears almost coming out of my eyes as I held the plates in my hand. Thank you for the fond memories DMV but I hope I never come ever again.
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To celebrate the road-worthiness I ordered a custom license plate frame with my alma-mater's motto and name etched on it. I also swapped the rear quick-jacks for bumpers to complete the look. The license plate frame blends in well don't you think?
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No more driving on temporary permits for Dan! (please my naturally serious face. I was having fun I swear.)
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Mud flaps and front-mounted power steering cooler
After a drive out in the wet there was a ridiculous amount of dirty water and dirt on the rear fenders. My paint is still (kinda) soft and I've been advised against putting anything on the paint until July (5 months after pickup) by Jeff, so I devised another plan. Mud flaps! The wheel well liners made this process easy as it was already very close to the fenders. I used some plastic push-rivets to secure a cheap plastic flap to the liners such that they pop out just enough to cover the exposed wheel.
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I've had then on for a while now and I'm surprised by how invisible they are. Perhaps it's the combination of the dark paint and wheel well liners, but I almost never notice them. I think I might just keep them on forever.
Since I was working around the front wheel wells I thought I might as well take care of some other stuff along the way. Ahh yes, the good'ol "while I'm at it..."
I love the look of the classic oil-cooler hoses visible in the front opening of 427 cobras. The coyote doesn't need an oil-cooler at all so I didn't plan to put anything there. It just looks... so empty...
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Luckily I still haven't installed a power-steering cooler yet! I've read on some forum thread that a power-steering cooler is highly recommended for autocrossing, which, I do plan to do in the future. Why not use the cooler as a power-steering cooler instead? I called up Mark at Breeze and explained the situation to him and got a modified "oil cooler kit" that had a few changes to accommodate the power-steering return line:
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The power-steering return line will attach via a push-loc fitting on the other side of the radiator aluminum near the top. Inside the radiator opening the line is converted from -6AN to -10AN then down to the "oil cooler". I had a hard time deciding if I want the classic red-blue oil cooler fittings or a more contemporary black-silver one. I went with the black-silver fitting since nothing else on my car is red or blue. If I ever want to change it I can just swap them out. :)
Looks much better now!
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Spider cracks in the paint.
Was preparing to wax my car when I saw 2 huge spider-cracks in the paint on my driver-side door. I poked around to make sure there wasn't some bolt from the door-latches pushing against the outer fiberglass. There's also no visible notches you'd see from rock chips. It looks like the surface underneath the paint itself bulged and made that crack. I tried my best to take pictures of the cracks (camera wouldn't focus):
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I searched around the forum and it looks to be due to fiberglass settling and there isn't anything you can do about it other than wait for them to show up and fix them later. (no fault of Jeff here). I wonder, perhaps I should have "baked" the doors and lids under the sun before I brought it to Jeff? I left the body on a buck in the backyard but the doors were wrapped in paper and tucked away in the shed. Would that have helped? Not that it matters anymore now, but if that's something I should have done then it's good info for future builders to take note.
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Putting the project on hold for a while...
Well this is awkward!!!
At the time of me typing this the cobra is in a storage unit about 2 cities away. I did a lot of thinking before I made the decision and... well... let's just say money doesn't grow on trees. At least not in the Bay!
Ever since downsizing I've been fighting a battle of expectations. I bought ceiling shelves. Moved everything I don't need to the racks outside. Installed some wall-mounted drawers. Try as I may I just couldn't hold down the frustration of having so little space!! I must've been kidding myself when I thought a small one-car garage could do everything I've been doing when the reality is I simply can't. There's room to store the car, but not to work on it. There've been days when I got so depressed I purposefully avoided going out through the garage. The car transformed from a source of happiness and pride into a constant reminder of the inadequacies of my current living situation. I had to do something.
Sell the car?
I thought about that. Oh yes, more than a few times too! I've even stalked Bring-A-Trailer and other car auction sites to see how much one like mine would go for. It wasn't long until realized however that even if I COULD sell it for more than full material cost of the car I'd still have to think about it. There are still so much I want to do! I want to learn how to do leatherwork so I can do my own interior trims. I want to sculpt a stylish trans-tunnel cover. I want to entertain the idea of a gated-shifter. I couldn't let the car go now. It's too important to me.
Olivia's been very well aware of how unhappy I've been. This, in turn, makes me feel worse as I didn't want my failure to meet my own expectations to bring her mood down. One day during dinner she mentioned the idea of storing it somewhere. "Too expensive." I said. It's true. Anywhere nearby will cost at least $200 a month just to store the car and that made no sense to me. She then asked what if I stored it somewhere further away and move-on to another life-goal? I stopped chewing as I did a few round of mental gymnastics. It's actually a great idea!
The core issue here is I simply cannot rent a place big enough to comfortably work on the car with any amount of financial sensibility. Due to our work commute and work hour needs we'd be paying at least $4000 a month just to be able to occasionally work on the car because land is so expensive here. Yes yes, rent being expensive is nothing new and I will spare you the rest of my thoughts on the matter. The idea is that I don't have to work on the cobra here and now.
I decided to put the project on hold until we move out of the Bay. It's been at the back of our heads for a while now. Sometime in the next 5-6 years Olivia would know which medical school she'll go to; and I would have saved enough funds to put down a mortgage for a house with a garage big enough for my workshop needs. I found a place to store the car 2 cities away for a reasonable amount of money and I plan to keep it there until we move out. I'll go every month or two to check on it. It has wheel cradles and a battery maintainer plugged in. I added generous amounts of gasoline stabilizer so the fuel shouldn't go bad for a long time. The car being away-on-leave also allows us tremendous freedom on the type of places we can move to. A enclosed private garage is no longer required. We can downsize further into an apartment if we want! Save more every month so I can get to that down-payment even faster.
So what now?
I've been donating some of my consumables (drill bits, pop rivets, grease, nuts and bolts, etc) to fellow local builders who are working on their cobras. My bigger power-tools have been lent to my friend who's building his GT40. He'd make better use of them than I for the next few years.
I still come back to forum to catch-up on a few build threads and to see if I can help out by answering some questions. It's good to still be in-the-know.
As for that huge cobra sized hole in my life I've dedicated it to two things:
First is career. Now that the pandemic is pretty much over (at least where I am right now) and everyone's back at the office It's a good time to start gunning for that promotion again. More salary is always good! Mo money mo car parts!
Second is music. Music has always been a big part of my life (you know how my username is "facultyofmusic"?) and I'd like to start learning the trumpet. I can't tell you how many nights I fell asleep to Chet Baker's mellow tunes or how many hours I spent watching Dizzy Gillespie's cheeks puff up as he dumps notes out of that horn. Jazz Trumpet has been stuff of dreams for me so I'm going to get started while I can!
It was the most perfect morning when I drove the cobra to its new temporary home. Cruising on the interstate I blasted "Take It Easy" by the Eagles in attempt to brush off the sweet sorrow of the occasion.
Plugged in the battery maintainer. Took the keys. "See you later buddy!" The door closed. I hopped into my friend's mini and we headed back home.
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