7 Attachment(s)
Sway bars, Steering & Wheels and Tires
Things progressed surprisingly quickly since my last post. I am at a point in which I can step away or not as the case maybe and feel comfortable that I have a roller. My father-in-law and I have been working together since I needed help with the center section, he's really gotten into it. Some great bonding time. Neither of us have an auto mechanic background but we are both very skilled so his help makes the project just cruise along. He's leaving for 2 weeks and I have a ton of work so I'll be enjoying your posts rather than doing much posting myself. We tackled the last three items on the list, sway bars, steering, and wheels.
Sway Bars:
I am not sure how many have read the FFR directions for the front sway bars and I don't know if I am allowed to post them because of copyright issues, but awful might be an understatement. Fortunately, EXCELLENT is the way I can describe their tech support and their responsiveness and clarification made it all make sense. Plus lets not kid ourselves I looked at previous builds here and copied what I saw and what FFR told me to do. The front sway bar directions make no mention or torque settings but these settings can be found in the rear sway bar instructions which are very clear and well written. The part that says "If necessary the minimum length the rod ends and female rod ends can end up are so the threads are 1⁄2” long.", really intends to say. "Cut the rod ends so they are 1/2" long." I used a hack saw and came out with excellent results.
Attachment 103888
I torqued the Allen style bolts used to mount the brackets to the frame to 30 ft-lbs and the 7/16" bolts used to attached the sway bar to the helm joints/ rod end bearing to 40 ft-lbs. The replacement bolt that attaches the lower control arm to the coil over shock I torqued to 40 ft-lbs.
Attachment 103889
The threaded Allen style bolts can be seen in the above photo with gold lock nuts on them behind where the radiator would go toward the lower frame rail.
Steering:
The steering went very smoothly. The head scratcher that I ran into was installing the lower shaft. What I discovered was it was necessary to disconnect the spline adapter from the steering shaft that fits onto the power steering rack to make it all fit. Having a second person was actually really helpful to install the system. It comes in handy when aligning and installing the upper and lower shafts and the shaft to the spline adapter. Fortunately it was very quick and easy and really should uninstall smoothly because I need to polish the panels and fit them back later.
Wheels and Tires:
Here is the big news! They look insane. Amazing --- well... that was left back there in the dust. They are incredible looking and those spacers, well, those are just freakin superb. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves except to say, it's hard to judge from pictures how the wheel sits under the fender when talking about spacers, so I used a yardstick and a level to help illustrate the 1/2" - 3/4" recess in from the fender the tire sits.
Attachment 103890
Attachment 103891
Attachment 103894
The yard stick is touching the top of the fender it just got cutoff from the photo, you'll have to trust me. Also you might notice how high the fender is above the wheel and how badly I need to adjust those coil overs but I'll get to that later. Still plenty of weight to add before addressing that. Just a heads up I torqued my lug nuts to 100lbs. 2015 mustang calls for 150lbs according to the internet but I am going to do some further research on what I need to be at before cranking anything down that hard. For reference my Tesla Model S is at 129 ft-lbs per factory spec.
Also just let me add this. My 2.5 year old putting the tires on today with my father-in-law (his grandfather). This is why you build stuff like this to make these types of memories.
Attachment 103893
Here is where things stand right now
Attachment 103897
8 Attachment(s)
Pinion Flange Adapter, Pedals, Exhaust, a Redo & a Mistake
So it seems like I have a question at every step and really the answers seem obvious once I get them but hind sight is 20/20 as they say. I want to thank Factory Five for their amazing tech support and obviously you guys for your help so far. It's great because if I decide to build a Roaster then I'll know whats going on before I tackle it.
Pinion Flange Adapter:
So their are many different variants of the pinion adapter apparently. The one that FFR sent to me originally wasn't correct.
Attachment 104854
I took a picture and sent it to them and they sent me out a new one which installed easily.
Attachment 104855
Pedals
Pedals went in this week. Easy install. I did have a question regarding the balance bar but it sounds like I need to wait till I finish all the brake lines and everything is bled before I can adjust that. You might notice I cheated the pedal pads over to one side. I live in flip flops and occasionally Converse, with the pedal pads centered my flip flops didn't have enough space so I cheated them over. Nice to know I can always adjust them again later if need be but now I feel like I have ample space.
Attachment 104856
Placement of the accelerator pedal was tough but was aided by the use of a super magnet to temporarily hold it. Everything went in beautifully, alignment is perfect. I am very pleased with the pedal placement. The picture is deceiving but the accelerator pedal has an ample amount of room between the side wall of the pedal box and the pedal. I couldn't find the 1/4 x 3/4 screws in my kit so I bought a set from Home Depot.
Exhaust
Factory Five was so kind to ship me a set of flanges for free. I am going to send these along with the headers to a high-end exhaust shop here that is going to add collectors and a bung for the EFI system. The issue is that FFR headers for a 351w don't have a collector. They are 4 individual pipes that only combine once they go into the side pipes, additionally when they do enter the side pipes 2 pipes combine into 1. This took a lot of internet scouring and research to find the pictures that show this (I still don't have my side pipes but the 60lb box on it's way to me via Fedex is likely them). So I am posting the pictures here so it's easy for people to see who are researching this issue.
Attachment 104857
Attachment 104858
Now by tapping one tube I can only sample one cylinder and though people have said it will work it's really not the best. But it will work. What I intend to do is to do what you see below and have them re-coated when I get the side pipes done.
Attachment 104859
Here is the picture of the flange FFR sent me so I can weld the collectors to.
Attachment 104860
Redoing Work:
Well there is a time when you have to just redo something. The back story here is my son and I frequent Santa Monica Airport every weekend to eat at the Spitfire Grill and watch airplanes take off and land. He has an amazing vocabulary for 2 he speaks like a 10 year old honestly and he's a sponge. We've made some friends visiting the airport and there is a gentleman who is known for building airplanes in a hanger there that we've befriended. He builds the Rutan Model 61 Long-EZ. He took us to the hanger and we got to see what its all about and he gave me some pointers that I then further researched when I was thinking about building this car. Bolts point aft and center and torque your bolts from the nut side whenever possible. I have taken that advice and used it on this build. I mean if it makes the difference between falling out of the sky if something comes loose and not, then certainly it can't hurt to use it on this car. Well I had posted some of that wisdom that was imparted on me and Paul came up with a very good point and this is where the "whenever possible" comes into play. The front lower control arm, front bolt and steering rack bolts should face forward and not aft in this case because if it does face aft it will be "captured" by the sheet metal of the radiator shroud. Though Paul is much further along than I it's amazing forethought because I am sure he figured this out before he put that bolt in, unlike myself. :o So I switched mine so I don't have that issue and the serviceability of the car is intact.
A Mistake:
Well I did it, after torquing bolt after bolt at 100 ft-lbs I broke something small and fragile. Well actually it may not be entirely my fault. When I was assembling my pedals I attached the throttle cable ball joint onto the pedal and before is was actually fully tightened down the bolt sheered off. The nut hadn't even touched the pedal arm yet (it wasn't cross threaded, I checked), but better it broke now and not when I was driving. I stole the one from the carb side in the hopes that my EFI system will have the necessary attachments for the throttle cable, but I might be in the market for one down the road if someone has an extra I can buy. The one I stole from the carb side went on without any issue.
Attachment 104861
So I am am running out of things to do with the body on. I am hesitant to go further, taking the body off, etc. while we are showing our home. It hasn't sold, though an unappealing offer came through today. No rush gotta find the right buyer. Hopefully we will accomplish the move. I have to say this build has provided an amazing amount of stress relief. I love working in my garage, it's my zen place. I am going to grease the ball joints and control arms and fill the differential with fluid, but I think I'm stuck after that. I've noticed that it's a tight fit on greasing those lower control arms so I am looking for a 90° adapter. Any suggestions are welcomed.
An Uneventful Eventful Update
Well, 3 weeks have passed since my last update and I’m afraid more time will pass till my next. Since this journal/thread is as much about what happens to the car, as my life around the car, I thought I’d write an update. My wife and I were very lucky to have a stellar buyer come through and buy our house without any compromises. We have to be out by end of day Thursday (4 days from now). Unfortunately our new home doesn’t close escrow for another 2 weeks (termite work needs to be performed). But that’s doesn’t mean I get to start building again. The new house needs wood flooring and 3 new electrical panels. Estimated completion on the work is 2 months. So, we will be living with our parents (should be interesting). In that timeline I am going to squeeze a garage make over in there.
The Garage
I intend to have a garage door installer change the track of the sectional door to follow the roofline of the garage and do a jack shaft opener. You get where I’m going with this! I am going to install full recessed lighting, insulate, drywall and paint. I intend to do a metallic epoxy floor and full cabinets through Costco. A dedicated 125 amp electrical panel for the garage and when that’s all done, the 4 Post Lift is going in. I mentioned it to my wife and she did not seem happy. But she got the house so I’m going for the garage and I’ll ask for forgiveness when it’s done. I’ll do a big reveal and we’ll see who got their way. LOL.
The Car
As for the car, Russ Thompson hooked me up majorly. He modified my steering hub for the turn signal switch, and I got a bunch of other goodies, including a plaque with Daytona inscribed in it. I plan to intergrate it into my dash some how. Maybe a glove box door. I also got door sill plates, pontoon covers and plexiglass slats for the A pillar. He doesn’t have the bracket but he sent me a template that I can make my own. I greased all the joints. I recommend a 90° adapter for the front lower control arms. Since my differential is used I decided to do a partial flush. I first verified it was drained. I over filled it with 2 full quarts of fluid and then drained off 0.4 quarts leaving the 1.6 left inside. I’m glad I did because the first 0.3 quarts were dirty and the final 0.1 was clear. Leaving me with 1.6 quarts of clean fluid or 3.2 pints. I used the recommended Ford Motorcraft fluid which the dealer totally hosed me on the price. I was concerned about transporting the car in an open trailer with the glass taped in so I built a glass rack out of PVC for my rear and front glass and will store them with the rest of the parts. The owner of the new home is nice enough to let me put the car in the garage till we close escrow.
For now that’s all. I wish everyone a wonderful Easter.
7 Attachment(s)
Fuel System Part 1, Installing the Gas Tank, Removing the Body
So I took a break from the house remodel (even though we are moved in the details are just monumental), I just couldn't take it anymore. The house is looking incredible but I've been there and done that and I felt like I've lost so much momentum on the car. But now that the house details are becoming fewer and fewer I get to come home from work spend some time with my son and get to my place of serenity (my garage). I put in 4 evenings this week and progress has been steady and I am learning a ton.
Removing the Body:
I couldn't go further comfortably without removing the body. The whole exercise took 15 minutes. My father-in-law, my wife and I removed the body. It was really quite simple (literally even 3 year old with a Black and Decker cordless screwdriver can do it LOL) and frankly removing it sooner just isn't necessary.
Attachment 112123
Packed it up on the trailer
Attachment 112124
and here she is naked
Attachment 112125
Installing the Gas Tank:
After removing the body it's interesting to see the car and appreciate what's under that body. The frame is just beautifully made. I installed the gas tank per the instructions but of course I hit a snag. Really it was the fuel straps that gave me a hard time. I had to drill out the paint on the horizontal holes which wouldn't allow the 3/8" bolt to pass through. I just used my drill in reverse so it was more like filing it than drilling. The screws passed through perfectly. When I went to hang the tank I found that the 3/8" x 2 1/4" provided bolts were too short. A trip to the hardware store and some 3/8" x 3" bolts did the trick. It's nice and snug now. In the picture you'll see the stock fuel pickup but as I learned about the fuel system I decided to go a different route. I'll discuss the fuel pickup later but let's just say it's going to the landfill.
Attachment 112126
Fuel System Part 1:
After installing the gas tank, it was time to turn my attention to the fuel system. I am enjoying this part because it's freehand work and isn't just a bolt on type of thing. It leaves some room to make it my own. This might be long so brace yourself but I'll keep it organized so I'm not bouncing around and as a preface, though I am a good fabricator and craftsman I had zero understanding of a fuel system before embarking on this, so hopefully I'll answer some questions in my post for those thinking about building one of these cars.
1. What do I know and what do I need to know?
The first question I asked myself is: What do I know? What I knew was that this fuel system used a supply line and a return line and that's it.
What I needed to know was:
- What side of the engine does the fuel go into?
- What size fuel line do I need and does the supplied fuel line fit the bill?
- Did I need a fuel pump, what type, how strong and all the required specs?
- What about a fuel filter?
- What types of fitting does it use?
- How should I route and plumb my system
2. Answering the questions.
So after about 5+ hours of phone calls, research and the related I gathered my resources and parts to complete most of my fuel system so hopefully this will save you 5 hours of research.
- The first thing was I turned to the video of my engine on the dyno to see that my fuel needs to enter on the passenger side
- I also discovered through my research that the supplied fuel lines where going to be too small and I needed to upgrade to a 3/8" line so my supply and return at both 3/8", from there it's going to be braided stainless flex lines. My engine puts out 475 HP and is a 7.0L V8 or 427 cubic inches. So this engine is going to need to gulp fuel.
- Frankly I still don't know what my engine comes with but I decided I wanted an in tank pump and if my engine did come with one I'd just sell it here or on another site. I ended up buying this Aeromotive Stealth Electric Fuel Pumps 18638. It had good reviews and was drop in ready and FAST (the maker of my EFI system) gave it their blessing. So I don't need the supplied fuel pick up.
- The FFR fuel filter looks probably like it performs so I went with a Trickflow filter.
- The fittings with the supplied kit and the fittings I am using are not compatible. In scrapping the whole supplied fuel system I decided to use compression and AN fittings.
- The last part was a local supplier in North Hollywood who has helped me on other projects, VF Sales helped me tremendously, by putting together what should be a fantastic system.
- Well first is since my fuel enters on the passenger side of the engine and the pickup on the tank is on the passenger side it seemed to make the most sense running it down the passenger side. One thing to contend with is the Parking Brake Handle but if I ran it a few inches below I shouldn't have any interference. I knew I wanted to do the filler panel that Paul did in the center of his car covering the cross brace under the hood, behind the engine. After a trip to my local metal supply, I was able to match up the same aluminum that is on the car now. So I got most of the parts and what's left is the order in which to plumb it all in. FAST has a great diagram they sent me that makes a lot of sense. I think this diagram answered a lot of questions for me. Especially given my specific setup
Attachment 112127
What was fascinating to me is that the regulator goes on the return line and it makes sense to me now. I am thinking about it like a dam holding back the reservoir so that the engine can take big gulps of fuel rather than it being on the supply and it being the equivalent of sipping through a small straw. Also interesting is that the fuel's direction across the rail didn't matter. Meaning it could go in the front and come out the back or go in the back and come out the front doesn't make a difference. Huh who would of thunk.
As for putting it all together I got started on that yesterday. The grinder cut through the aluminum like a hot knife through butter. I like to use blue Scotch brand tape to mark out where I want to cut, I draw directly on it and not only is my line clear to see but it seems to help reduce burrs on the edges when cutting. The result so far is great and VF Sales hooked me up with bulkhead fittings so you won't see the hard lines at all in the front of the engine compartment and it will keep the firewall looking clean. I am very happy with the result so far, I plan to take lots of pictures of how I route, fasten and plumb the system so that if anyone has any questions hopefully it will answer them. I should have the hard lines finished before I leave for vacation in 10 days so when I get back I'll do all the steel braided connections from the pickup/ fuel pump, to the filter to the hard lines. More to come next week cause it's back to work on the house this weekend. LOL.
Attachment 112128
Attachment 112129
PS - You might notice I mounted my brake reservoirs but I'll cover that work when I cover the brake system.
5 Attachment(s)
Brake System Part 1, Looking Forward
Continued from the previous post. I broke this up into 2 posts because I hit my picture limit.
Brake System Part 1:
Brake Lines
Since I was waiting on some parts for the fuel system I started mapping out my brake lines and brake system. I am going to just use the provided lines but follow my own routing path so I purchased a double flaring tool that was highly rated on Amazon along with the Eastwood bender that will give me nice tight bends. For now my brake reservoirs are set. I really like the provided reservoirs from FFR. Actually they provide one but I ordered an extra. I want my front and rear brakes to be truly independent systems. Two reasons why I like FFRs brake reservoirs. First off they look awesome, that polished look is great and really they are very well made. Secondly, I like the mounting system. They fit into a collar that tightens down so they are adjustable. I can raise or lower the height of them to get the perfect fit. I have chosen to take FFR's directions quite literally and mount them so that the cap is just above the height of the master cylinders knowing I can raise it if I need to, but for now I want a low profile look. I anticipate needing to notch the sheet metal on the driver side foot box to allow the brake lines to pass through. I routed the flexible rubber supply lines nice and tight and in a way that would cause as little interference as possible with the outgoing hard brake lines. When I get back I should have the brake lines done within a week or so.
Attachment 112650 Attachment 112651 Attachment 112652 Attachment 112653 Attachment 112654
Looking Forward
This is very much for me, as it is a look into my thought process. When done with the brake lines I plan to tackle the foot box sheet metal in 3 sections. First section is the driver side section. Disconnect the steering rack, brake reservoir supply lines and mark and drill a place where I want to route the throttle cable. Next up marking and drilling my rivet holes and finish the sheet metal. I plan to polish my sheet metal and if all goes as planned I'll do and extensive explanation of my process. I have spoken to Mother's Polish and a Jeremy Rohrs of Floodwater Customs. Jeremy gave me some great insight into how to get to a mirror finish. I hope I'm capable of it but here is his work on this Facebook Post. Him and I are exchanging text messages. I hope I do him proud. After reassembly of the driver side foot box I'll bleed and test my brakes. From there I plan to move to the second section or the passenger side. Mount my AC and make my holes for the AC bulk head fittings. Once that is done I'll be able to polish and mount those panels. And lastly the third section of this next phase which is the extra sheet metal pieces I plan to make along with the filler piece for the firewall I made, which I still need to work on figuring out how to route my EFI wires through. Once those 3 sections are complete I might be ready to put the engine in and work forward to the radiator sheet metal etc. and then I'll turn my attention to the interior panels. Writing it out it seems like a long road but hey isn't that the point. It wouldn't be fun if it was done in a day.
10 Attachment(s)
Brake System Part 2, Seat Fitting and Failure, Underhood Panels
Big update so strap in, you know what, go get a cup of coffee and come back cause this is going to be a long one!
Brake System Part 2:
Hardlines Complete- I finished all the hardlines to my brake system using the provided steel brake lines. I gave them a light sand using 320 grit sand paper and painted them black with a high heat 250º paint. My goal, as best as I can accomplish it, is to hide as much plumbing and wiring as I can within reason. I followed Factory Five's routing to the rear brakes but frankly their suggested position for the front is just sloppy. First off I think running the brake line as they suggest down the diagonal tube toward the front brakes is a mistake. It should be kept high and away from the headers. Second is the way they ran it from the drivers side to the passenger side is the part I find to be sloppy. They provide a 60" brake line and a 48" or 42" would be best. But never the less I cut the line with a cutoff wheel to the exact length, reamed it and then double flared it using Titan Tools 51535 3/16-Inch Double Flaring Tool. It's the identical one to the Eastwood I imagine they just label theirs differently and mark it up $20. Anyway it did the job very well. My local store VF Sales was out of the P clamp billet style brake line clamp, I was able to find them on Ali Express through google shopping here. It comes in various colors, I ordered black. They are coming in late month so I'll install and report back on the quality.
Attachment 114103 Attachment 114104 Attachment 114105
Seat Fitting Part 1:
I decided to start the process of searching for a seat because I figured I might not get it right the first time. Very few seats will fit this car and me, especially a full bucket seat. My initial search started with Corbeau who makes a very affordable seat and I am sure I mentioned them in previous posts but the problem is they don’t offer an FIA rated seat in the US. I figure it’s important to have a seat that’s been crash tested and approved by a sanctioning body. After all these cars don’t have airbags, and that’s not to say other seats aren’t safe but drivers in Los Angeles are distracted and accidents happen frequently. I found the Braum Falcon X seat an FIA rated seat for $400 or so. Braum and their recommended dealer both said with would be too big and that their measurements are on the smaller side and the seats can run over those measurements, so that wasn’t going to work. Next up was Sparco, double the price you get very little more frankly but they have a lot of sizing options. I started with the EVOII US GRP Ultra Light, too big. I tried the QRT-R also too big (the smallest seat that fits me)... The seat sat cocked off to one side and the roll bar prevented me from aligning it. So I am going to try the Tillett B6 Screamer see if that works.
Attachment 114106 Attachment 114107
Underhood Panels:
I have been wrestling with the new chassis design. Frankly I really liked the Gen 2 Coupe design that stayed true to the original Daytona but I can understand why FFR went with the new design. Plus the body looks much better on the Gen 3. What comes next is probably going to be the type of thing you love or hate but since FFR took the liberty of changing the design, I did too. I wanted to find a way to frame that beautiful engine I bought so I made some additional panels to hide the chassis tubes. It’s still a work in progress. I still need to place the radiator overflow and the radiator filler neck and cap. I have an idea of placement but I still need to mount everything see if it will work and make the holes so look forward on updates on that. I used the same aluminum that’s used for all the other panels, I used a Harbor Freight 30” Bending Brake I purchased with 25% off coupon and the Eastwood 2.5” punch and flare tool which was on sale. I first made my templates from Office Depot Poster Board. 10 sheets for $6 not bad.
Attachment 114108
Then I transferred the pattern to the aluminum, cut and bent it. I was able to cut it with a sheet metal shears/ scissors. I could have used the grinder but this was quieter. I ordered 10-24 button head bolts from McMaster Carr and Rivnuts to fasten them down. My brother and I played around with different shapes for the panels and arrived at this geometric type design. Should look cool with those button head bolts.
Attachment 114109 Attachment 114110 Attachment 114111 Attachment 114112
Panel's need some more refinement but over all I'm pleased with the look.
10 Attachment(s)
Lots of Little Things and ONE BIG ONE
Panels
Still plugging away at refining and finishing the underhood panels. Wow it's a lot of rivnuts but man it's looking good.
Fuel System Part 3:
Finished the rear fuel system last bit is to connect it to the engine when that's installed sometime in the future.
Attachment 115121
Brakes System Part 3:
I strapped all my brake lines I am very happy with the clamps I got from Ali Express the screws are 8/32 so nice that even though it's not made in the USA it's up to our high standards ;)
Attachment 115122
Seats:
First off the EVO that is pictured in my previous post is the 2019 EVO QTR. The seat is lighter and the dimensions are different from the 2018 & previous EVO. Sparco confirmed that they do not have the 2019 EVO QTR dimensions on their website. But I can tell you that the shoulders are substantially smaller and the seat is much lighter than the previous GRP version (these acronyms have something to do with the way the seat is made or the material its made of). I tried the EVO II US, through it's various iterations Sparco has changed the padding and covering but the shell hasn't changed. Sparco did confirm they are discontinuing the seat. I was able to get ahold of the 2019 EVO II US GRP Light 8855 and I can tell you it fits. I can also tell you that it will NOT slide. It would be a fixed position seat. It's too wide to go forward or back. Also if your body is mounted, unless you are building your's with a sunroof, I don't see how its going to wiggle in there. I'm exagerating but I'm sure it's going to be a challenge.
Attachment 115119
It will rub on the carpet badly. Not going to lie its tempting to use this seat because I fit in it so comfortably but I think it would be a mistake building a car to fit one height person. I think the 2019 EVO QTR will fit most people and will be able to slide. The GRID-Q is narrower at the front and fits me similarly to the EVO II US so I am very tempted to call that the Goldielocks seat, I am going to try it out. I'll report back.
IN FREAKIN AMAZING NEWS LOOK WHAT SHOWED UP!!!!
Attachment 115120
What an inspirational piece to have around. So exciting to have that engine in my garage waiting to be placed in that car. I am going to follow my plan to finish all the front aluminum and then drop it in. I plan to do this before wiring anything in an effort to keep things concealed and get my wire lengths just perfect.
Accelerator Cable:
Okay in other news I solved the accelerator cable position problem and posted about it but I am copying it here so it's all in one place:
So I know there has been a lot of talk about the accelerator pedal in relationship to the throttle cable and the steering column and I’ve reached the point of figuring this out. I think I've come up with a clever idea. This is what I did and it accomplishes many goals, one is a straight back pull on the carb/EFI, second is a clean cable run and finally it causes zero interference with the steering column in fact it avoids the whole issue all together
1. I drilled a 5/16 whole into the pedal mounting bracket a tight bend back toward the steering wheel. I have no issues with the cable’s movement.
Attachment 115269 Attachment 115270 Attachment 115271
2. I followed the rear brake line and entered the transmission tunnel
Attachment 115272 Attachment 115273
3. I plan to pop out of this panel to make a straight back pull on my carb/EFI
Attachment 115274
The end result means I need to move the position of my throttle cable jobby thing on the other side of the pedal. The steering column is never an issue. Game, set, match.
P.S. - If you hadn't noticed I am the worlds worst iPhone photographer. Literally the absolute worst. I apologize for the life of me I couldn't get the camera to focus.
- Danny
3 Attachment(s)
Seat Update - The winner is the Grid Q
I am going with the Sparco Grid-Q I am very happy to put this behind me. It's the Goldielocks seat. Though I fit in the EVO it's tight and it would be uncomfortable on a long drive. Granted it's probably a better fit for a racing situation cause I was locked in and though I intend to track the car I want to be able to cruise comfortably. The Grid Q is made of the QRT material so it is a very light seat. I am using the Sparco 90° aluminum seat mount and Recaro seat sliders. All the padding and stuff won't be there in my scenario as I am reupholstering them in saddle leather. I'll send them out next week for that.
Attachment 115278 Attachment 115281 Attachment 115282
7 Attachment(s)
Progress and Some Creative Changes
So life has been beyond busy. As we make major headway on our house, I mounted this 12' solid 12/4 walnut mantel above our fire place (we will tile below it).
Attachment 116405
My office I'm building is coming along very nicely. I took the liberty of building the front door as a symbolic type of thing. The design is on both sides. It's made of white oak with white oak jabs.
Attachment 116406
I know this has nothing to do with my Daytona but it's whats going on in my life around the Daytona/ in addition to it, so I'm sharing it. Life's busy over here LOL.
Seats went out to upholstery, I spent 2 days driving around looking for the leather. Was not easy but I found it. Frankly it's a completely impulsive move, way out of the build order but it's good to have them, to look at and draw inspiration from and it sets a kind of mood board with my engine here and might help guide my creative direction. We are reshaping the foam a little bit. Should have them in the next couple weeks its a very complex job so no reason to rush it.
Attachment 116407
Speaking of creative direction it changed, and I'm not polishing the panels under the hood. After seeing my engine in person and looking at it for 3 weeks I decided it would be too much jewelry in the jewelry box, it would have been overwhelming. Its hard to give up an idea I've had for so long but editing creative ideas is always part of the process. But since I bought the equipment and polishes I might just practice on the extra aluminum just for fun. So I'll be sending them out to powder coat. Big change but I think the decision will pay off. Also as I draw inspiration from various sources I decided to make inner foot box panels. Similar to what Singer does to their Porsches. So far I've got my templates made which is the hardest part.
Attachment 116411
Attachment 116408
Attachment 116409
Attachment 116410
I leave to Colorado for a week to do some volunteer work at University of Colorado Leeds School of Business as a guest speaker and to visit some family there. So when I get back I should have the dimple die to make those panels, I think I'll use a 1" or 1.5" die (let me know what you think will look better I am open here to some outside feedback) and everything can go off to powder coat. That said I also need to make sure that I don't have interference issues before I spend time making them I plan to recess the driver side panel to avoid interference with the pedals but not the passenger side. Feel free to give me some advise here.
I'm feeling good about the build quality so far and it feels like my engine might go in before the end of the year so this is becoming very exciting.
PS - I updated the previous post I exchanged the Sparco seat sliders for Recaro, doesn't change anything if you ordered on my previous advice but I heard Recaro uses a metal ball bearing and they slide a little nicer.
1 Attachment(s)
Seats are Done, Panels off to Powder Coat
Well the seats are done and the panels off to powder coat. I'll make my seat mounting templates this week and drill my floor pans and if necessary add additional support. The Lizard skin came so when my footbox and engine panels get back from powder coat I'll coat and install those.
Attachment 117024
This is a short update but I think the the next one will be big. I can taste the engine install in the near future.
Just cause I feel like sharing a major fail, I lost my main AC unit in the move some how. It grew legs and frankly I can't figure out what happened but $440 later I got a new one and it burns.
10 Attachment(s)
Battery Tray, Lizard Skin & Installing Panels on Foot Boxes
A very exciting time in my garage right now. Things are progressing forward very smoothly but at the cost of hours and hours of labor on the weekends and at night. So many details to take care of and I'll go through my process to get there. I do want to acknowledge how amazing it's been to work alongside my 3 year old son who helped me install the button head screws for the passenger and driver side kick panels and might I add he did a fantastic job. Also just from a builder and fabricator perspective I am very, very pleased with the results so far. Pictures don't capture it but it's looking like this car is going to be incredible.
Rewind to Rework:
So before I hit play I first need to rewind. As I mentioned in a previous post the passenger side inner kick panel (the one with the flared holes), I had to make 4 times before getting it right, the driver side I made once. Well after having it powder coated I realized I made a mistake. Mistakes show up in glaring detail when stuff is finished apparently. One of the holes was placed to close to the other and it was making me crazy so I had to remake and re-powder coat that panel. No one likes rework but everyone likes a clean product so it was a necessary evil.
Hitting Play:
Battery Tray:
Okay so now we can hit play on this build and start making some progress. I might have mentioned about relocating the battery to the back of the car to clean up the engine compartment further, I purchased a Summit Racing Battery Mount , I took 3 inches out of it to fit the battery I intend to use a Braille Lightweight Racing Battery. It's pricey but it's also AGM and small and very powerful so I think it's a good fit for this car. Nothing too exciting but I Tig welded it together (I'm a proficient Mig welder but this is my first time Tig welding). I powder coated it satin black to match my frame. I found a good spot for it where it won't interfere with anything and it's proximate to the transmission tunnel and far enough away from the gas tank I feel comfortable with it plus it's location means I can keep the wires short. I don't have the battery yet, I went off the spec sheet so hopefully it's a good fit (and it wasn't so I later had to redo it see electrical section). I am going to need to mount the battery on it's side so I emailed Braille to see if that was okay and they gave me this written response, "Sure, any position except upside down." So I'm in the clear and under warranty for when that goes in.
Attachment 117496
Fastener Prep:
Among many things, one of my passions is gardening and here is SoCal we have great weather for year round gardening and from gardening I learned that color is one way to make a garden dynamic but another is texture. A plant with a dark green leaf and a plant with a blue green leaf might play nicely next to each other. Leaf shape and texture are equally important to getting the look right. It was here that I applied that concept. I powder coated my panels using Cardinal Powder Coat, Silver 30 Gloss. It is nearly matte for the purposes of silver. To play off of that I polished every button head screw and rivet that might be visible. I bought a polishing pad from Amazon for my Ryobi bench grinder and I used Mothers Billet Metal Polish to polish the rivets and screws. My recommendation is wear gloves and eye protection a few got sucked up into the polishing wheel and fired out like a gun. But the results are fantastic. Impossible to capture the full effect on camera especially at such a tinny scale but you can see your face in each one. In my photo, as a comparison the non-polished is on the left and polished on the right.
Attachment 117497
Lizard Skin Prep, Application & Final Results:
I tested fitted all the panels again after powder coating and I noticed two did not come out like I would like them to look and sent them back to get re-coated (no charge just need to get it right). I am waiting on those to be returned to me, should have them any day now. Never the less I pressed forward prepping my panels for Lizard Skin. I spoke to 3 reps at Lizard Skin and all said it will stick directly to the powder coat without surface prep (I can confirm they are correct, everything turned out great as you will see.) While I test fitted the panels again I outlined where and where not to place the Lizard Skin with a Sharpie and then masked off the areas I didn't want it.
Attachment 117498
I set up some saw horses and sprayed out the sound insulation first and the ceramic coat next. It was a 2 day process following the prescribed application method. One thing the rep told be to do was to remove the masking tape and reapply between sound and ceramic coats. I found this to be helpful and produced a perfect line. My concern I had is that the Lizard Skin would create a sheet when fully dry that encapsulated the tape and when I tried to remove it, either it wouldn't come off of it would destroy the work. So went through the extra work of masking, removing and masking and removing the tape twice. Might be able to do it in a single step but this worked really well. I used Scotch Blue Tape. I mitigated against over spray but some still found it way onto the wrong side of the panels, it comes right off with a brush of your hand or finger nail but I would still take steps to mitigate. The stuff is super sticky it holds on for dear life so it's a great product.
Attachment 117499
I unmasked my parts and here are the finished results
Attachment 117500
Very professional results.
Further Panel Prep:
Though the panels I made for the inner foot boxes are removable I decided to back them with leather now because install is easy and I don't need to fight with it later at the risk of scratching something. I used contact cement provided by my upholstery guy and cut out some leather from the hides I had purchased on my 2 day search extravaganza. Worked great. Just one thing to note in the pictures is I used a spacer on my panels but install is not possible without retaining those spacers so I used plastic retention bits from some extra light switch screws I have from remodeling the house. It holds the spacer on firmly so install is easy in blind areas where one's hand can't reach.
Attachment 117501 Attachment 117502 Attachment 117503
Now truthfully, it will be hard to see these panels and it's an insignificant item on the list but all the small things add up to one huge impression and the level of detail and care is what will separate this car from the pack.
Final Install:
I reamed out the holes a little bit with the 1/8" drill bit where the lizard skin interfered or filled the hole and final install of the panels went very smoothly. I used a sealant from Home Depot that was water based it was very tacky and very easy to clean up, DAP Dynaflex Ultra. I really dislike silicone. I just can't stand the smell, the way it cleans up or lack of clean up, it's just a poor product and I think there is just so much better out there. (sorry for the strong opinion). Currently, I have completed the center panel and the driver side panel foot box. The two panels that I need to finish the passenger side are the ones I wanted the powdercoater to redo so I'll have to go through the prep process on those but it's only 2 and I am so pleased with the Lizard Skin I am likely going to do the bottom side of my engine surround panels I made as well when I do the 2 remaining foot box panels but for now this where things stand. I am very pleased with the contrast between the polished rivets and the panels.
Attachment 117551 Attachment 117552
I wish I could have posted a finished product but progress has lent itself to an update. I'll post pictures of everything once it's installed. Next is finishing the foot box panel install and bleeding the brakes. Then on to that Roush 427 sitting in the crate waiting for me.
6 Attachment(s)
Roush 427SRE Engine + TKO 600 MidShift Installation
Let this be your guide to installing a 351W into the Daytona. I say 351W because the Roush 427 is based off a 351 block. Lots of stuff on the coyote but haven't seen a comprehensive write up on a Small Block Ford (SBF) and a Gen 3 Daytona. I wanted to aggregate everything into one place. I hope this helps and if I missed something please add to it!
I am listing my components so that you understand what we are dealing with in my particular installation. Many are doing hydraulic clutch throws but I am opting for the simple cable system. Should encourage me to hit the gym and do some left calf exercises because man is it tight! Anyway here we go and if you know what your doing and just want to get to the eye candy feel free to skip past to the bottom. I want to add we aren't born knowing how to do this and prior to this installation I had ZERO idea of what was going on so thank god for Velocity Channel and the hours of shows I watched and YouTube because between the two I learned everything I needed to know. I also advise that you layout everything in the morning or the day before so you can familiarize yourself with what your about to do. I recall vividly that Friday afternoon I unboxed everything and neatly laid it all out and was confused at what I was looking at but by Sunday afternoon I felt well acquainted with everything.
Components:
- Roush 427SRE
- QuickTime Bell Housing
- Tremec TKO600 - MIDSHIFT CONVERTED (from Roush)
- Pivot Ball Fork
- Pivot Ball Throw Bearing
- (x6) 7/16" x 1 1/4" Grade 8 Bolts allen style
- (x6) 7/16" Washers
- (x6) 7/16" Lock Washers
- (x6) 7/16" x 1 1/4" Grade 8 Bolts HEX style - YOU WILL NEED TO BUY THESE AT HOME DEPOT
- (x4) 7/16" Washers - YOU WILL NEED TO BUY THESE AT HOME DEPOT
- (x4) 7/16" Lock Washers - YOU WILL NEED TO BUY THESE AT HOME DEPOT
- (x4) 7/16" x 3/4" Grade 8 Bolts HEX style - YOU WILL NEED TO BUY THESE AT HOME DEPOT
Bell Housing to Tremec TKO600 Installation
So first things first, I opened my transmission box and bell housing box and laid out my screws and parts. Very few might I add. I separated out the relevant parts needed for the installation of a pivot ball clutch fork and throw bearing (which is what my setup has). Sometimes it's easier to discard what you don't need so it doesn't get confusing. Here is what you can discard/set aside - (1) Pivot Bracket Spacer (1) Pivot Bracket For Clutch Fork (Spring Style) (1) Pivot Bracket For Clutch Fork (Wire Style). You should have left and be looking at the following (1) Bell-Housing (1) Pivot Ball & Jam Nut For Clutch Fork (1) Adapter/Reducer Ring 4.850” ID (1) Adapter/Reducer Ring 4.910” ID. In my particular application the (1) Spacer Plate was installed already by Roush. So, of the final two rings you will just try and see which one fits better. One or the other is the obvious choice, even if I told you which one to use the differences are so slight it would be hard to see with your naked eye so I recommend just trying the fit. So next take an Adapter /Reducer Ring and place it on the bell housing and try the fit on the transmission. The obvious choice presents itself. In terms bell housing to transmission alignment, on my particular build Roush had aligned it for me so I did not have to mess with the dowel pins as they were set in by Roush at the factory.
Figuring out the pivot ball height is next. Install the pivot ball onto the bell housing, great pictures can be found HERE but I'll copy them over to this thread for continuity (but it's important to cite my source).
Attachment 118069
Then install the throw bearing onto the clutch fork like so. Note the position of the lobe on the bearing, Video 2 shows it well (I like these two videos in particular, straight and to the point):
VIDEO 1
VIDEO 2
Before you start greasing do a dry fit. Install the fork onto the pivot ball so the spring clips under the pivot ball. At this point you should be looking like this. More pictures to check out from this thread HERE
Attachment 118063
Next, install the bell housing onto the transmission, use the hardware you bought at Home Depot (just finger tight), don't forget the spacer ring. I spoke with the manufacturer of Quicktime bell housing (part of the Holley group) and asked why they don't provide them and their answer was "that you would use the factory hardware." Well.... It's new so we don't have factory hardware so we need to buy it.
I used a level (or any flat, straight surface) and placed it on the back of the engine's clutch assembly which was already installed for me and measured the distance to the engine Spacer Plate. 3 1/8", then to the splines 1/8" subtracting the two I figured out that my bearing would need to be 3" from the edge of the bell housing. A less complicated way is positioning the throw arm so it's approximately perpendicular to the transmission illustrated here
Attachment 118064
So after measuring from the face of the bell housing to the face of the throw bearing. It happened to be 3" already, so I actually didn't need to adjust it, I finger tightened the jamb nut on the pivot ball and removed the bell housing from the transmission, the fork from the pivot ball and tightened the jamb nut on the pivot ball down with a wrench. Now for the greasing! This is controversial. I did a lot of reading on this so I am going to summarize. Everyone agrees, grease the pivot ball. The rest of the grease points talked about in the videos are debated. Quicktime said "only grease the pivot ball and nothing else don't want contamination of the clutch with grease." I can understand that. I can also understand the guy in Video 1 who is describing a thin film of grease. Seems so small it wouldn't affect anything but also seems so small that it will do nothing. LOL. But Video 2 seems like way too much. I opted to follow Quicktime's manufacturer specs. But I can always add a little later through the opening on the side (I can stick my whole hand in there, I checked :) ). Opinions welcomed here!
Go ahead and attached the Quicktime bell housing to the TKO600 I torqued my bolts to 35ft lbs per Quicktime directions
Engine to Transmission
This part is straight forward and is like wrestling a bear so if you have back issues get a friend to help. I got my engine hoisted up and put my transmission and bell housing attached together on a 5 gallon bucket. I wrestled it onto the engine, and came up slightly short, less than 1/2” but enough to place the six 7/16" Allen style screws in. Don't forget your washers and lock nuts. By tightening each bolt little by little, the whole thing came together. I torqued them down to 35ft lbs per Quicktime directions.
Engine & Transmission Mount Install
Install the engine mounts using (x4) 7/16" x 3/4" Grade 8 Bolts HEX style you bought at Home Depot and use the 2 remaining 7/16" x 1 1/4" Grade 8 Bolts HEX style to install the transmission mount to the transmission. I hand torqued these and they aren't going anywhere.
STOP HERE I FOUND AN ISSUE AND IT IS DISCUSSED IN A LATER POST. READ THIS POST BEFORE CONTINUING! THE MOUNT WILL INTERFERE WITH THE BLOCK AND MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO LINE UP THE ENGINE MOUNTS TO THE CAR & ALSO CAUSE ISSUES WITH TRANSMISSION MOUNT ALIGNMENT. READ THIS FIRST!
Engine Install
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=810EDVPShJQ
I don't have much to add here except use lots of tape and padding, I even used leather in certain areas to protect against rubbing. I attached my hoist to the cylinder heads using (x3) 7/16" bolts and (x1) 3/8" bolt. I only did them finger tight and made sure none of them bottomed out.
I had a real issue getting the engine mounts to line up, it took hours to get it just right. In fact I stepped away from it Saturday and came back Sunday with a fresh head and strength and got everything seated. My advice here is get the passenger side mount dowel pin and stud seated first. Then work the driver's side.
One take away is you do not need to use the oil filter relocation kit on the 351W which is great cause it's just less stuff in the engine compartment to look at. The final product looks great! Now lets hope the hood fits :confused:
Attachment 118067 Attachment 118068
Mid Shift TKO 600 Shifter location on Gen 3 Coupe Transmission Tunnel:
Here is where the shifter lands with the midshift kit
Attachment 118070
I do want to say I am no expert. I just figured I should share what I learned while it's fresh in my head and I hope it helps or at least provides entertainment.
BIG THANK YOU TO MY FATHER-IN-LAW FOR HIS HELP HERE!
