JB in NOVA's MK4 build : First overnight road trip!

Not a lot of time in the garage lately (owing to a combination of work and this frigid weather), but I did manage to complete one small task I’d been putting off for a while. I wanted to create some sort of trim piece to finish off the carpeted edge around the drop trunk, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. My first thought was to use aluminum or steel angle stock as I’ve seen others do, so I headed off to the hardware store to buy the materials. While I was there, I came across some 3/4-inch PVC corner molding that looked promising. I think this is it: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ale...ner/1000421398

I cut segments for each side using a miter saw, then I notched spaces to accommodate the frame tubes that run across the opening of the drop trunk. Next, I assembled the pieces into “picture frame” using wood blocks to keep everything square:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1613966394

I used DAP all-purpose adhesive (a "superglue" type product), which worked great on the PVC material:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1613966458

Finally, I painted the frame black and pressed it into place:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1613966473

I think it blends nicely with the exposed frame tubes, but the best part is that it fits snuggly into place without the need for any screws or glue. I was dreading having to drill screw holes through the carpet because (as I learned the hard way) this particular type of carpeting does not respond well to drill bits.

Anyway, I’m glad to have this small detail behind me. My next task is going to be fitting the hood, trunk, and doors – a much bigger challenge!

Damn great idea!

That worked great, I like the "simple" solutions that turn out perfect.
JR

I’ve spent the last couple days working on the hood and hinges. Having read many forum posts about this process, I expected it to be tedious and a bit frustrating . . . and it was. To clarify, my only goal here was to get the hood centered and the hood hinges functional – I plan to leave the rest to the bodywork pros.

First, I removed about 1/8 inch from the sides and just a tiny bit from the front so the hood would fit into the hole with plenty of material still left for the bodywork guys to gap and smooth out:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1614134808

I primed and painted the steel parts and then assembled the left and right hinge assemblies per the FFR instructions. But after tightening all the lock nuts, it still seemed rickety, so I added extra washers to tighten some of the joints up (but not so much as to make them stiff). You can see some of the doubled-up washers in this picture:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1614134828

I riveted the mounting brackets to the hood using the pre-drilled holes (they needed to be drilled out a bit to match the holes in the bracket). For now, I only put in two rivets for each bracket (per the FFR manual).

Then it was time for the “fun” part. With the car on jacks and front tires removed, I positioned the hood so it was centered, put weights on it to hold it in place, then crawled underneath to tighten the 4 carriage bolts on each hinge that control forward-backward and left-right adjustment. I got “close” on my first try, but after that, every adjustment I made seemed to make things worse. Finally, after 5 or 6 iterations, I got a result I can live with:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1614134938

It is certainly not perfect – there are raised corners like this one:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1614135056

But I’m hopeful the bodywork gurus will know how to deal with those. Anyway, I’m happy to have this step completed:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1614135032

Progress continues . . .

I never attempted fitting the hood to the opening, couldn't talk myself into doing it. I did paint the hinges and I did away with the wavy washers and replaced them with washers that Jeff Miller "dabat" recommended.
I'll let Whitby's do all of the fitting. I did basic fitting of the doors and trunk lid.
JR

mine sits up a bit at the front corners as well. there are also 2 bolts/nuts that adjust the height of the hinge on either side. Mine fit a bit better after loosening those, but i'm going to let the body/paint gurus do the final adjustments. the trunk for me was more frustrating as you can't access those bolts unless you drill a hole in the trunk side panel and use a long socket extension like Mike Everson reported. He used 2 cell phones, one inside the trunk, and facetimed the other phone to see where the socket was going. I'm thinking of doing the same but with a borescope that attaches to my cellphone.

Today I finished rough-installing the hood and trunk. On the hood, I installed the hood handles and associated hardware. I followed the FFR instructions for the most part, with a few lessons learned. First, the FFR manual instructs to drill 5/8 inch holes through the hood for the handles. I didn’t have a straight 5/8-inch bit, and I was really nervous about using a “paddle” type bit because it looked like it would do a lot of damage to the fiberglass. So I purchased a set of step-bits on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0177PN6SI/ ). Honestly, I wish I had bought these a long time ago! I found that a step-bit works great on fiberglass:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1614489604

The other thing I found is that only the topside (upper) hole needs to be 5/8” to accommodate the exterior shroud surrounding the handle shaft. The hole in the underside of the hood can be ½” or less because it only needs to accommodate the shaft itself. Using the step bit (which doesn’t extend all the way through the hood) it was easy to achieve these two different diameters. I started with a small-diameter hole through the entire hood for proper orientation, then I used the step-bit on each side other to achieve the desired diameters.

The FFR manual instructs to place the handles 12-inches from the centerline of the hood, or 13-inches if you have problems with the corners sticking up. I split the difference at 12 ½ inches. I hope my bodywork guys don’t hate me for that compromise decision! The manual also instructs to "break off" the tabs on the backside of the handles with pliers. That seemed like a recipe for disaster, so I used a Dremel cutting wheel instead. Clean cut, easy-peasy, and no "breaking" of anything was necessary.

For the latch brackets, the FFR manual says to drill 7/64-inch holes to receive the stainless-steel screws, but this did not work for me. After snapping the head off one of the screws while trying to tighten it, I widened the holes to 1/8 inch, and this seemed to be a better fit. Other than that, I followed the instructions and used side-by-side bumpers, as the instructions suggest:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1614489746

Here is my hood with the handles installed. The fit seems really solid, and I am generally happy with them:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1614489835

Incidentally, I realized after my last post that I had the hood struts oriented in opposite directions (fair to choose from one of (a) stupidity; (b) day drinking; or (c) dementia). Now I have them pointing the same way:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1614489863

For the trunk, the first thing I noticed is that the supplied hardware did not look like the hardware in the FFR manual. Not a big deal, but it appears FFR changed designs at some point – very easy to figure out how it all fits, though.

Just like with the hood, it took many, many iterations of adjusting the set bolts on the trunk hinges to get something reasonably acceptable. I ended up employing the technique suggested above (thanks egchewy79 and Mike Everson) of putting my i-phone in the trunk with the video running (and the flash on continuous) to record what happens to the set bolts when the trunk is closed and properly positioned. Then I did my best to replicate the position of the set bolts based on the video. I did this several times on both sides and eventually got to something I can live with (although definitely not perfect):

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1614489893

The latch pin presented a couple problems. Finding the proper location and drilling a 3/16-inch hole into the fiberglass body was not a problem. But then I could not get my drill into the proper orientation to drill the corresponding hole into the chassis plate. I solved this by buying a long 3/16 drill bit from my local hardware store. It was long enough to extend through the hole in the fiberglass body and into the chassis plate. I also had to be very careful to clear away the trunk carpet to avoid “twirling,” which I’ve learned (the hard way) is a downside of the specific type of carpet I used.

The other problem with the latch pin is getting access to the opposite side to attach a nut. This has been discussed in several forum threads. With the drop-trunk mod, it is really, really hard to get your hands/fingers up underneath in this area to secure a nut. Based on some forum recommendations, I removed the fuel-sender access panel, and I was able get my fingers into the right position. In the end, though, I decided to wait to install the retaining nut because it will just cause my bodywork/paint professionals additional headache. With the pin pushed all the way through both holes and with the sleeve installed (FYI, I had to cut about ¼ inch from that sleeve to make it fit), everything seems firmly in place and the trunk latches very nicely:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1614489914

Next up: doors and windshield . . .

Nice work. That trunk pin nut is really hard to reach.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by egchewy79

Nice work. That trunk pin nut is really hard to reach.

---

You can easily put in a nutsert for the trunk latch rod. No need to reach the nut after that.

I’m trying to get certain things done so I can take pictures of a “completed” car (not really, obviously), to get the Virginia registration process started. One item on the punch list was to install the windshield. The process was relatively straight-forward, except for one stupid mistake that nearly derailed everything (but luckily didn’t).

The first step was, of course, to review the forum for tips and warnings. I found this thread particularly helpful: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...-and-Realities. Next, I test fitted the windshield arms to see what sort of clearance issues I was in for:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1614830277

I found I needed to extend the pre-cut slots in the frame about ½-inch lengthwise and a bit on the width. The arms enter the body at a slight angle relative to the longitudinal axis--basically pigeon-toed--so the slots needed to be reshaped slightly to allow the proper tilt. After enlarging the body cutouts, it still felt like something was hindering the ability of the arms to reach the proper tilt, so I resolved to trim a bit off the bottom of the arms to improve clearance. That’s where my stupid mistake came in.

I only intended to trim an inch off the bottom of each arm, but at the last minute I decided to make the cut on an angle, so that the bottom of the arm would be parallel to the ground. After this, the arms did fit nicely, and I was able to achieve the proper angle. I attached the arms to the windshield and installed it for the first test fit. After dialing in the 27-inch measurement on each side, I marked the frame support holes on the arms per the instructions, and I was horrified to find that I had trimmed too much! Because of the angle I had introduced, the bottom of each arm was just at the bottom edge of the frame support hole. Yikes!

Although some curse words were involved, I’ll just skip to the happy ending. Because the frame support holes are generously large, I still had enough metal on the arms to drill and tap ½-inch holes. But, boy, was it close! Lesson learned.

As others have advised, I tapped ½-inch threaded holes in the arms instead of drilling ½-inch holes as the manual instructs:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1614830330

This really made the installation process much easier. On the driver’s side, it is difficult to get access to the bolt locations (even after unscrewing the fuse panel), so only needing to tighten from one side really helps.

On final installation, I verified both sides were still at 27-inches from the corner of the door opening to the top screw on the windshield:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1614830352

Then I tightened everything down slowly and carefully. I found the arms were already flush to the frame members, so I did not need to use spacers. And now I have a windshield! Progress continues . . .

congrats JB. I spent too many hours trying to bend the arms just right to match the curve of the top of the glass. I also found that the body cutouts were not really in the correct plane for the posts. make sure the body is trimmed away from the posts so there's no contact.

My journey toward a “registerable vehicle” continues. As a reminder, my primary goal at this point is to get my car registered in VA so I can legally drive it in gel-coat, so that I can shake out whatever mechanical/electrical/plumbing issues there are going to be before I send the car to be prepped and painted. Basically, I know there are going to be issues (as an avid forum reader, I get it . . . there will be problems). If possible, though, I’d like to solve them now, before painting, rather than later.

One task I completed this week is to widen the body cutouts for the side pipes. Nothing unusual to report. The driver’s side (pictured below) needed some trimming on the front side, whereas the passenger’s side needed some trimming on the back side (but nothing extreme on either side).

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1614923962

The pipes are still close to the body, but I don’t see any cause for concern (at this point) based on others' comments in the forum. Anyway, I expect my bodywork pros will get this zeroed in precisely.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1614924008

I still need to install the mounting brackets for the side pipes, and I know that’s not a trivial task. But for “photo op” purposes (i.e., for registration), I’m fine going without brackets for now.

The other thing I did this week was install the headlights, parking lights, and tail lights. I really enjoyed this process because it showed the project was finally nearing completion. As my dad always says (he’s a home-improvement guy), the best part of any bathroom remodel is installing the towel racks and toilet-paper holders, because they look great and you know you’re almost done!

For the headlights, I chose Lucas “tri-bar” replicas because I think they look sharp and period-correct:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1614924081

I bought them here: https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Tri-bar.../dp/B01LFP2O0C The physical products say “Made in England,” although I have my doubts. Anyway, they fit fine with the FFR-supplied mounting hardware. I had to bend one mounting tab just a bit to accommodate the Lucas lights, but really no big deal. Surprisingly, these Lucas replicas fit very well with the FFR hardware.

Taking the advice of many builders before me, I used Weather-Pack connectors for all the lighting connections. I “rented/bought” the crimping tool and hardware from Mike Everson. (The “rent-to-buy” option is explained on his website). If you’ve never made Weather-Pack connectors before, it’s not a bad idea just to order everything from Mike. His kit will literally include everything you need. I watched some Youtube videos about how to do it (here’s one, but there are tons of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCH1aRnRpE).

Regarding Weather-Pack, here’s my newbie report: it’s not rocket science, but there is definitely some skill involved. It's not like crimping wiring connectors; it's more advanced than that. Practice at least five times before you do the real thing. The more you do it, the better you’ll get. Here’s my first one:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1614924117

Another thing I learned is that if you use Weather-Pack connectors, you'll need to expand the pre-drilled cutouts for the parking lights and the tail-lights so the connectors can pass through. Otherwise, you will force your painter to de-pin the connectors to remove the body (my guess: they won't appreciate that). Again, no big deal; I used a ¾-inch circular drill bit to expand these cut-outs, and the Weather-Pack connectors fit through just fine.

My car now has lights, and I’m thrilled:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1614924160

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1614924256

I was so thrilled that I took #9822 for a nighttime ride around the neighborhood -- about 4 miles in all. But now there is a new problem that I'd like some advice on. Next post . . .

My new problem relates to the dreaded “feedback” or “crossover” effect that many folks have struggled with on their turn signal wiring. I have the Russ Thompson VW stalk, but I don’t mean to suggest that this problem is unique to RT’s product. Having researched this issue a bit, it appears to be a problem that goes back many years and that has many potential causes.

Here are my symptoms. My RT turn signal stalk worked great until today. I had tested it many times with bulbs at every corner, and it always worked perfectly. What changed today? I installed the FFR “rectangular” LED taillights. These tail lights only have three wires: (w) ground; (b) running lights; (r) brake light/turning signal. Thus, you are required to combine the brake light wire with the turn signal wire before feeding it into the tail light. As soon as I saw this instruction, I suspected it wasn’t going to work well, and I was right.

As soon as I wired the tail lights per the instructions, my turn signals went loco. Now, regardless of whether I push the RT stalk left or right, both sides blink, and the “self-canceling” function on the stalk doesn’t work. And both left and right LED indicators on the FFR speedo gauge are continuously on. Something is definitely amiss. I’m not an electrical engineer or technician, but this seems similar to the “feedback/crossover” problem that many have reported. I know that “diodes” are often the prescribed cure, but I’m not entirely sure how to employ them here. So here are my three basic questions:

(1) Is this a feedback/crossover problem? I’m assuming so, i.e., that the turn signal voltage is crossing into the brake-signal wiring because the two wires are combined in the FFR LED brake lights, and this signal is then being transmitted to both sides. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
(2) If this is a feedback/crossover problem, can I solve it by inserting diodes into the circuit? I’d prefer not to dig behind the dash (although I can if necessary). Would it be sufficient to insert the diodes near the tail lights, where there is much more access?
(3) If diodes are the solution, are these diodes suitable for the task? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XUNOVK/

Thank you in advance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JB in NOVA

My new problem relates to the dreaded “feedback” or “crossover” effect that many folks have struggled with on their turn signal wiring. I have the Russ Thompson VW stalk, but I don’t mean to suggest that this problem is unique to RT’s product. Having researched this issue a bit, it appears to be a problem that goes back many years and that has many potential causes.

Here are my symptoms. My RT turn signal stalk worked great until today. I had tested it many times with bulbs at every corner, and it always worked perfectly. What changed today? I installed the FFR “rectangular” LED taillights. These tail lights only have three wires: (w) ground; (b) running lights; (r) brake light/turning signal. Thus, you are required to combine the brake light wire with the turn signal wire before feeding it into the tail light. As soon as I saw this instruction, I suspected it wasn’t going to work well, and I was right.

As soon as I wired the tail lights per the instructions, my turn signals went loco. Now, regardless of whether I push the RT stalk left or right, both sides blink, and the “self-canceling” function on the stalk doesn’t work. And both left and right LED indicators on the FFR speedo gauge are continuously on. Something is definitely amiss. I’m not an electrical engineer or technician, but this seems similar to the “feedback/crossover” problem that many have reported. I know that “diodes” are often the prescribed cure, but I’m not entirely sure how to employ them here. So here are my three basic questions:

(1) Is this a feedback/crossover problem? I’m assuming so, i.e., that the turn signal voltage is crossing into the brake-signal wiring because the two wires are combined in the FFR LED brake lights, and this signal is then being transmitted to both sides. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
(2) If this is a feedback/crossover problem, can I solve it by inserting diodes into the circuit? I’d prefer not to dig behind the dash (although I can if necessary). Would it be sufficient to insert the diodes near the tail lights, where there is much more access?
(3) If diodes are the solution, are these diodes suitable for the task? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XUNOVK/

Thank you in advance.

---

In order to mix wires like that you need a converter. Not diodes. Factory Five includes them now with the kit and the square rear lights. Do you have that installed? Typically used for trailers. Something like this: https://upcarparts.com/trailer-light...r-5-to-4-wires.

JB, As EDWARDB says you need to add the turn signal converter for the LED taillights, also in my build I needed to add two diodes to isolate the power feed when either the L or R turn signal is engaged. And it works as it should. as for the self canceling the boss mat be pressed to tight against the RT turn signal. Hope this helps.

JB here is the converter, plug and play.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1612232233

I had a great weekend of (mostly) uninterrupted work on the car. First, I fixed the turn-signal issue I reported above. I must have missed something somewhere along the line about the need to use the signal converter with the square taillights. It’s certainly not in the FFR manual, but maybe they covered it in the build school? Anyway, thank you EdwardB and Fman for your advice! I found the converter in one of the boxes and wired it as Fman showed. It works great. I neatened up all the wiring with plastic looming and pushed everything up and out of sight, using zip ties to hold them in place. All my lights now work properly all the way around.

I also installed the roll bars. Fairly straight forward process, although I found I had to expand the FFR cutouts a bit to get them to fit. I put the roll-bar trim pieces in place but did not screw them down yet (I’m assuming this is best done once the paint is completed). And I installed the gas cap.

With all that done, I was ready to take some “completed car” photos for my VA registration package:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1615156772

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1615156880

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1615156953

Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but it feels great to be at this stage. I took her out for another spin around the neighborhood, and she drives and sounds great! I can’t wait to get out on the open road to stretch her legs.

Thanks again, FFR forum, for helping me get to this point. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JB in NOVA

The other thing I did this week was install the headlights, parking lights, and tail lights. I really enjoyed this process because it showed the project was finally nearing completion. As my dad always says (he’s a home-improvement guy), the best part of any bathroom remodel is installing the towel racks and toilet-paper holders, because they look great and you know you’re almost done!

For the headlights, I chose Lucas “tri-bar” replicas because I think they look sharp and period-correct:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1614924081

I bought them here: https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Tri-bar.../dp/B01LFP2O0C The physical products say “Made in England,” although I have my doubts. Anyway, they fit fine with the FFR-supplied mounting hardware. I had to bend one mounting tab just a bit to accommodate the Lucas lights, but really no big deal. Surprisingly, these Lucas replicas fit very well with the FFR hardware.

Taking the advice of many builders before me, I used Weather-Pack connectors for all the lighting connections. I “rented/bought” the crimping tool and hardware from Mike Everson. (The “rent-to-buy” option is explained on his website). If you’ve never made Weather-Pack connectors before, it’s not a bad idea just to order everything from Mike. His kit will literally include everything you need. I watched some Youtube videos about how to do it (here’s one, but there are tons of them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCH1aRnRpE).

Regarding Weather-Pack, here’s my newbie report: it’s not rocket science, but there is definitely some skill involved. It's not like crimping wiring connectors; it's more advanced than that. Practice at least five times before you do the real thing. The more you do it, the better you’ll get. Here’s my first one:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1614924117

Another thing I learned is that if you use Weather-Pack connectors, you'll need to expand the pre-drilled cutouts for the parking lights and the tail-lights so the connectors can pass through. Otherwise, you will force your painter to de-pin the connectors to remove the body (my guess: they won't appreciate that). Again, no big deal; I used a ¾-inch circular drill bit to expand these cut-outs, and the Weather-Pack connectors fit through just fine.

My car now has lights, and I’m thrilled:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1614924160

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1614924256

I was so thrilled that I took #9822 for a nighttime ride around the neighborhood -- about 4 miles in all. But now there is a new problem that I'd like some advice on. Next post . . .

---

The mounting tabs are very weak. I went back and modified after reading some others approach. I reinforced the alum tabs with another .060 or so tab to beef them up as well as putting a bead of silicone between the mount ring and PL700, They are solid now. You will find that after a while or even the slightest bump they will be loose.

https://www.ffcars.com/threads/fix-f...lights.303723/

The build is coming right along. It's kind of neat how you work and work and work, and then one day you just step back and say wow, it's done!!! (of course it's never done)

It looks great!!! Thanks for the excellent explanations and links !

Thanks for the headlight tip, I'll definitely do the same with my install. Congrats on the driveable car, now you get to go out and put some miles on! Have fun out there...

One question did you notice the rear turn signals are not quite as brite as the running and brake light? I was wondering if this was just my tail lights or are you experiencing the same?

I only managed a couple hours here and there in the garage this week, so not a lot to report. I installed the Breeze radiator cowl (https://www.breezeautomotive.com/sho...th-ffr-hinges/) I removed the hood to do this. I suppose it might have been possible with the hood installed, but it seemed a lot easier without it, so I removed it. Lesson learned: if you purchase the Breeze radiator cowl, install it before you install the hood.

Just like all the Breeze products I’ve purchased during this project, the cowl fit like a charm, the instructions were very clear, and the result was terrific. It really does clean up the look under the hood:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1615609976

I also liked the fact that it was already powder coated black, which saved me the trouble of doing so. At this point in my build, let me just say that everything I’ve purchased from Breeze has been superb. I can’t say enough good things about Mark’s products – the attention to detail is really apparent, and much appreciated!

The other thing I did this week is rough-install the door latches. Again, my only goal is to have functional doors so I can drive in gel-coat. I’ll leave it to the bodywork pros to get the contours exact. Nevertheless, I played around with the 3-dimensional chess that is the FFR door mounting hardware (really 4-dimensional once you add the adjustments to the body itself). Thank God there are people who know how to do this for real! In the meantime, I got it “close enough” so that I will hopefully not get laughed at when I pull up to a service station:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1615609941

I removed just a tiny bit of material from the doors edges to get them to close without force, so the bodywork pros will have almost a full palette to work from. As for the latch hardware, the FFR instructions were very clear. The only thing to report is that the latch parts are stamped incorrectly as “RH” and “LH.” They are actually the opposite of what is stamped on them. I’m sure this has probably been reported before. Here is one of my installed door latches:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1615610014

Progress continues . . .

I should get Mark's cowl panel and get it to Whitby, it's not like they won't have time to install it. Looks good JB.
JR

This weekend, my overall goal was to get my side-pipe cutouts completed and the side-pipe brackets installed. But just like in the old song “There’s a Hole in the Bucket,” there were a bunch of things I needed to do first. As many have advised on this forum, I decided to get my elephant ears installed first.

For the front elephant ears, I had already drilled rivet holes into the F-panels way back when (almost a year ago!) before I really knew how those components would fit. In retrospect, it would have been better to wait, but I’m not going to cry over spilt milk. First, I test fitted the panels with the bulb seal installed. The DS fit pretty well (with some gaps that I still need to address), but the PS needed some trimming, mostly at the bottom. Next, I installed riv-nuts on the F-panels:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1615778948

If I were doing this from scratch, I would have installed half the number of riv-nuts. But like I said, I had already drilled those holes long ago, so I decided to just use them. I’ve read that the elephant ears take a lot of abuse from rocks and debris, so I decided to coat the tire-facing side with a rubberized coating. Based on a forum tip, I used this product:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1615778975

I put on two coats, and I like the result so far. It’s definitely rubbery, and it seems fairly resistant to chips and dings. But time will tell . . .

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1615778999

I temporarily installed the front elephant ears for fitment purposes, but I’m still not thrilled with overall fit. The PS fits OK, but the DS has a fairly large gap that doesn’t look good. About a quarter inch in the middle:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1615779034

Can I get larger bulb seal? Stuff some filler in there? Fab an entirely new elephant ear? I would be interested in tips and advice.
For the rear, I fabricated some filler panels, as many have suggested:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1615779062

I let the bulb seal extend beyond the top and bottom of the patch to help seal the gaps that aren’t reachable with a panel:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1615779093

Then I riveted them in place:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1615779121

I think they will work fairly well, especially compared to the gaping hole that the kit leaves you with! With these steps completed, I was ready to start fitting my side pipes . . .

Today, I gained a whole new appreciation for the expression “fit and trim”. My entire day consisted of “fitting” the side pipes, taking measurements (level, etc.), then “trimming” the body cutout for proper gapping. Rinse, lather, and repeat.

I’m sure the pros can knock this out in no time, but I’m paranoid about trimming too much. I want to leave as much material as possible for the bodywork guys. So I took it in baby steps, trimming just a tiny bit each time. I did learn a few lessons along the way. First, I found that adding lock washers on the bolts that attach the ball flange collector to the side pipes makes it much easier to tighten them down. Without the lock washers, I had to get a wrench on both sides to tighten (a PITA given the tight clearances, especially with the front elephant ears installed). With the lock washers, I only need to wrench one side.

Second, I finally came to appreciate the triangular “three-bolt” arrangement of the ball flange collars. It took me a while to figure out how to make fine adjustments. But basically with the three bolts in a triangular pattern, you can loosen one slightly and tighten one slightly to move the side pipe and down and side-to-side. Once I figured this out, I was able to zero in the adjustment to get the side pipes horizontal and evenly spaced from the body.

DS took very little trimming and adjusting:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1615779307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1615779346

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1615779368

PS was my problem child. I had to trim about an inch off the rear and 1/4 inch from the top. Even with these cuts, I’m still not sure the side pipe is properly positioned, although it is parallel and not touching any side of the opening:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1615779324

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1615779388

I didn’t have time to install the brackets, but that is next on my to-do list. In the meantime, if anyone has tips or comments on my side-pipe installation or the wheel wells in general, I would be grateful to hear them.

JB, did you notice the front fenders moving out much when you installed your inner fender? I have some fine tuning to do on my DS exhaust, ordered a couple wedges from Breeze.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fman

JB, did you notice the front fenders moving out much when you installed your inner fender? I have some fine tuning to do on my DS exhaust, ordered a couple wedges from Breeze.

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Fman, I definitely did. There was movement left, right, and especially up when the front fender inserts were installed. Not a ton on the DS (although there is gapping, which is a separate problem), but a lot on the PS. On the PS, I ended up cutting about 3/8 inch off the bottom of the elephant ear and creating a new bottom tab to screw the body into. Otherwise, the panel tended to push the PS of the body up, which affected other fittings. With that tweak to the PS, everything seems to fit OK now, except for the gaps that I mentioned above.

I know some folks have fabricated new panels to fit the body exactly. If need be, I can do that. But I'd like to hear if there are other solutions to the gapping problem before I go down that road.

Like many folks, I’d like to mount my rear-view mirror from the top of the windshield, rather than on the body. I’m on the waiting list for a Blackwater Customs bracket. http://www.darkwatercustoms.com/cart...ategory=185741. In the meantime, I decided to fabricate a temporary bracket to help get me on the road. Pretty simple concept. I cut a rectangle out of 1/8” aluminum sheet. I bent it in the middle to a 30-degree angle (I improvised using my vice since I don’t have a metal brake). Then I drilled recessed holes for four 10-24 SS machine screws:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1616329174

I shaved down two SS nuts so that they can slip into the windshield channel and get captured by the bracket screws. And I cut those bracket screws to length to make sure they didn’t bottom out. Once those steps were completed, everything went in pretty easily and snugged up nicely:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1616300308

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1616329209

Again, this is just temporary until I get my finished bracket from DWC. But I think it will work for now.

That bracket came out good... Put that on a polishing wheel and you will have a permanent solution...

JB thanks for posting that mount up very helpful. I have the DWC to install this week.

Question, are you doing sun visors? Just a heads up my painter told me to be very careful about threads hitting the channel causing pressure on the windshield frame. Apparently it can cause window to crack. Not sure if this would also apply to the rear view mirror mount.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fman

JB thanks for posting that mount up very helpful. I have the DWC to install this week.

Question, are you doing sun visors? Just a heads up my painter told me to be very careful about threads hitting the channel causing pressure on the windshield frame. Apparently it can cause window to crack. Not sure if this would also apply to the rear view mirror mount.

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I used square nuts in the windshield channel similar to the DWC mirror bracket.
your painter is referring to the screws that go through the side of the windshield, not the top.
if using the top channel with the square nuts, trim your screws so they don't bottom out in the channel.
Attachment 144880Attachment 144883

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JB in NOVA

I know some folks have fabricated new panels to fit the body exactly. If need be, I can do that. But I'd like to hear if there are other solutions to the gapping problem before I go down that road.

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Here is some 1" larger bulb seal that you could use on the splash guards to help take up some space. I might also end up going with this option.

https://www.mcmaster.com/1120A191/

Nice work.

Saw this done by other builders and adopted it as well - 1/4" OD vacuum tube inserted in the windshield channel works well as trim.

Attachment 144893

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fman

Here is some 1" larger bulb seal that you could use on the splash guards to help take up some space. I might also end up going with this option.

https://www.mcmaster.com/1120A191/

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Fman, thank you! I was looking for exactly this but couldn't seem to find it. I think this will do the trick for me, as I'm about 1/8" off from flush. The extra 1/8" height on this McMaster bulb seal should work. Good find.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RJD

Nice work.

Saw this done by other builders and adopted it as well - 1/4" OD vacuum tube inserted in the windshield channel works well as trim.

Attachment 144893

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RJD, that looks really nice. I will be doing the same. Thanks for the tip!

Today I installed and wired the license plate bracket/light. It was a fairly straight-forward process. I cut the license-plate wiring behind the trunk hoop and made a weather-pack connection for easy de-installation. Then I ran the wiring loom up the left-hand hinge and through a grommet into the trunk lid (1/2” hole):

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1616373153

I was surprised how thick the metal is in this area of the trunk, so be prepared for heavy-duty drilling! I used some stiff wire and string to fish the wiring through the trunk lid to where it mates with the license-plate assembly. I more-or-less followed the FFR instructions for centering the bracket, although the provided template is not accurate. Do your own measurements! I measured, then re-measured, then re-measured again about ten times. Then I drilled the holes. It turned out OK:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1616373171

I’m assuming FFR has fixed the spacing problem that others have grappled with before, since a full-sized plate seems to fit just fine (NOTE: this is not my plate number, nor is it a legal plate; just a spare I happened to have :)):

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1616373184

Progress continues . . .

What do most folks do to patch the trunk lid wiring access hole?

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1616550584

Is this just a matter of fabricating an aluminum panel and bending it to fit, then securing with rivets or screws? Do most folks get it painted along with the rest of the body? I'd appreciate any suggestions, thanks.

Hit the easy button and bought the panel from dark water customs.

http://www.darkwatercustoms.com/buil...ategory=185862

I installed using (4) 1/4-20 alum rivnuts and stainless screw.