Hank's Type 65 Build Thread

Adding a TOC here for interest. I haven't done anything unique with my build that others haven't done (except not many with electric steering), and all my ideas came from all the other excellent folks on here who have documented their builds. I'd like to thank them and this community at large for all the help!

Table of Contents

01. Build Details
02. FFR Visit & Delivery, Garage Setup, Inventory
03. Manual Steering Rack & Breeze Offset Rack Mounts
04. Aluminum Panels - Everyone's Favorite, Breeze Locking Gas Cap
05. More Panels
06. Yet More Aluminum and Storage Box
07. QA1 Shocks - Steering Wheel to NRG Quick Release
08. Russ Thompson Steering Column (changed majorly later with electric steering unit)
09. Radiator & Breeze Radiator Shroud
10. Front Transmission Aluminum Panel & Rear Storage Box
11. Suspension, Hubs, and I'm a Knuckle-Head!
12. Transmission Musings...
13. Fuel Tank
14. Rear 3.55 Differential, Suspension
15. Brakes
16. Fuel Lines
17. Fuel and Brake Lines
18. Rear Swaybar...to use or not use? That is the question...
19. Engine - 347 Stroker Build
20. Engine Dyno Day
21. Dyno Results (on straight carb, not EFI)
22. Battery Mount, Scott’s Hotrod Triple Reservoir
23. Wheels, Tires...
24. Wilwood Brake Bias Adjuster with Tilton 90-Degree Angle Adapter
25. Transmission Tunnel to Dash Custom Panel
26. Seats and Seat Mount Musings (Corbeau 1" and 2" Mounts, Breeze Angled Mount
27. Dash
28. Roller!
29. Electric Power Steering Module
30. Electric Power Steering Installed with Russ Thompson Turn Signal, Mocking up a Front Splitter

Hank’s Build Thread - Updated with most non-kit parts I've used for reference. Please post in this thread with any questions, thoughts, suggestions, or dad-jokes! PMs also welcome.

Hello everyone! Well my coupe kit has arrived after placing the order in early November 2021, so it is time to start a build thread that I will do my best to keep updated. Having no background in the automotive realm (or building anything, really) I feel I have no business building one of these so like many of you I will need help, but here I am!

My plan is for street use and track days (maybe 2-4 a year) so I prefer the "trackable street car" over the "streetable track car" as the nature of the final build, if that’s a “thing” with these.

I’ve been on the forum since placing the order and appreciate all the help I have received from fellow members, as well as the vendors I’ve worked with in sourcing parts (and spent a lot of time talking to). I know there are questions I don’t even know I have or should be asking, so please chime in!

I welcome and appreciate all feedback, for better or worse…please be honest!


Kit Order
• Gen 3 powder coated black
• Stainless headers
• Coupe Nose Scoops
• Body Cut-outs
• Coupe GPS Gauge Set
• A/C kit
• Black Carpet Kit
• Floormats
• Lowback Vintage Race Seats
• Hydraulic clutch master cylinder kit
• Independent Rear Suspension
• Front and rear swaybars
• 17" Halibrands
• Leather and Wooden Steering wheel (one for track, one for show, maybe both for each, haha!)
• Manual Rack – planning electric steering assist


Parts from vendors
• Levy Racing - 6 Piston front / 4 rear Wilwood Brakes with electronic parking brake, brake bias adjuster, QA1 Double Adjustable shocks with 600/350# springs, high flow fuel system, wheel spacers
• Mike Forte – Close ratio T-56 Magnum, Custom cut Quick Time bell housing, IRS 3.55 Rear diff and knuckles, external hydraulic clutch slave, RAM Clutch and Pressure Plate, Mechanical Throttle linkage
• Boig - Cool Tubes
• Breeze Automotive - Fan Shroud, Offset rack mounts, LED headlight kit, Angled seat mounts, Braided fuel lines, Most AN-Fittings, misc. electronic bits
• EPAS Performance - Electric steering kit for FFR Roadster
• 520 Speedworks - Hi/Lo Beam and Taillight controller
• FormaCars - Power Window Kit
• GAS-N - Coupe Stainless side pipes
• Russ Thompson - Steering column / switch, pontoon covers. RIP Russ. I really enjoyed our conversations on the phone and your hand-written personalized instructions. Integrity. You are missed.


Drivetrain
• T-56 close ratio magnum
• Quick Time bell housing
• Mike Forte’s external hydraulic slave cylinder in lieu of throw-out bearing
• 3.55 Rear Diff
• EPAS Performance Electric Steering (variable ratio adjustable assist)
• Building a 347 Stroker with a local engine shop from a 1974 302 block. Cage, roller rockers, forged internals, AFR headers, rear sump Champ pan, Jim Inglese 8-Stack EFI with short horns, Vintage Air Front Runner "compact" engine front build kit, Terminator X ECU


Seats
• Up in the Air On These - Have Corbeau Evolution X and Vintage Racing Seats (Kit)
• Intratrim???


Other
•

Engine - Well I'm not entirely without help. A good friend of mine has a shop and builds hot rods / restores old cars but never throws anything away that may be of value down the road (aren't we all the same way? I'm just always out of space). He had a 302 taken out of a 1974 Bronco many, many years ago sitting in storage with no use until now. So after ordering my kit, he offered it and we took it apart and the block to a local engine shop to take a look. They said it looked to be in good shape and no reason not to use it.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1655003349


Cleaned up:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1654975231

I received a call from Factory Five that the kit would be ready about a month sooner than expected. As I live within a few hours of Factory Five and still had some questions about speccing the kit and what parts come with which options...etc. drove down there to ask questions and finalize things rather than peppering them with email and/or phone calls. Arrived and walked in just after they opened and Dave Smith was in the showroom cleaning the cars. He said it best by emphasizing the community of people that have grown up around these cars.

Took the tour with the place in full production mode. Overall what a great group of just committed and nice people there. They are very busy but also have some cool stuff coming down the pipeline, certainly not just resting on their laurels. Didn't have an easy way to pick the kit up so had Stewart ship it, with the next truck due in a couple weeks as they were delivering out west.

Of course the best part was seeing the kit. Things got real.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1654975231

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1654975231

Delivery & Inventory

Kit arrived just over 2 weeks ago and haven't started building yet. Just have things set up, body off, and ready to go. Kit is missing wheels (17"), hubs, spindles, axles, compressor and a bunch of A/C kit parts, entire carpet and door sill kit. All the control arms and suspension bits are otherwise accounted for which seem were backordered for quite a while on kit deliveries I've followed. Regardless with whats going on with supply chains right now, expected. And plenty to work on!

Arrival!!!
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1655005008
Unfortunately I was at work when it arrived but had a couple friends and my wife take delivery, but many pictures and movies were sent!


Once I got home got it up on jacks on my lift. Plan is to put it up when not working on it:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1654975231

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1655035133


Over the first weekend got the body off and transported it to storage as won't be needing it for quite a while:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1654975279

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1655034541


Also got the inventory done. Wasn't missing much but definitely recommend performing a full inventory. Was missing maybe 24 things, half of them being lock nuts, and the rest miscellaneous fasteners and some brake line connectors. Biggest things were 2 driving lights missing that were checked as present. I emailed my inventory and "checked off but missing" parts list to FFR and had all this stuff within a week. Also as others have done went through the boxes and pulled out the parts that will go for powder coating with lots of photos of the parts with the box they came from for easier identification later:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1655034328

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1654975279

How exciting. Mine is due soon.

Is that the “garagemahal”??? I have garage envy for sure. Best of luck with your build.
Respectfully,
Jeremie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salty Chief 35

Is that the “garagemahal”??? I have garage envy for sure. Best of luck with your build.
Respectfully,
Jeremie

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Haha, only if the 'boss' would let me have both sides :rolleyes:, but it is now with the coupe here! My house was built by a plumber who also had a small dump truck / plow truck in the winter and built that half of the garage big as he kept his plow truck in there. The workbench is a result of "nesting" for the Type 65 over the past 7 months. The lift is a 4 poster by forward lift and the price was the same as storing a car around here for a year so figured why not store it myself, it will pay for itself over the years...

Hey Guys - Been a bit delayed getting to the car with life, but some needed parts from Factory 5 are trickling in. Just got notified of a big shipment from them yesterday so hoping that will let me get the parts to get the steering rack and column going.

One of the parts I just received seems different than prior builds which makes me happy - the defroster vent covers are now laser-cut and no longer the plastic ones that seem to warp over time....will need some cleaning up and per Paul's thread will get these powder coated flat black to avoid reflection on the windshield, and they've been added to the "for powder coating" pile once I get them cleaned up:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1656248872


QUESTION - I am a complete newbie to this, so just would like some clarification on what to use for prepping/protecting the other parts (differential, spindles, hubs, axles, knuckles...etc.). Help me understand the difference between POR-15 and polyurethane. My understanding is POR-15 is a great sealant and good for rust treatment/prevention. Yet POR-15 also has a "polyurethane" version - are they all polyurethane or why would one choose polyurethane over POR-15? And with POR-15 application, spray or hand paint or a "little of both" depending on the part?

Also any need to prep or paint the steering rack?...mine being a manual aluminum rack...doesn't seem to be a part many have done anything to in their builds?

On another note was driving home from vacation yesterday and was passed by this gorgeous specimen...looked and sounded amazing, of course we are all biased here :p :

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1656251139

Man, they look great in person, but on the road and moving is just something else. I'm leaning toward a darker blue for mine, but this looked great and seriously rethinking now, but lots of time for that. Wife 100% approved and just said "wow," having not accompanied me to either of my visits to Factory 5. So whoever you are, great car, and if the white expedition seemed excited to see you, we were :cool:...First time seeing one in the wild...and now I want to get mine done!

(photo taken in stop and go traffic by the passenger, nobody was hurt in generating this post :rolleyes: )

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1656466314

Hey guys would appreciate a little input here. Some areas of the frame have powder coat scraped or peeling off (see picture), all appear traumatic and powdercoat on the whole thing looks great, really happy with it. Areas are nothing major, just some spots here and there, primarily underneath....In addition I'm sure I'm bound to ding it here and there myself as I build.

Any recommendations on what to touch up these areas with? I have Eastman Chassis Black and POR-15 gloss black available, but doing searches seems people have done 2 layer prep and paint as well. Nothing will be visible, really I guess looking for the best protection of these areas.

Hi rhk118,

I’m 6.5 hours drive from you…On the other side of the border.
Probably go on vacation in August to catch up on the foodie scene of your city.
In the meantime, I used POR15 on parts not powder coated received from FFR. With good results.
And used it also to « seal » places…sometimes.
I must confess using Sharpie sometimes just to hide small mistakes.

Watch out for levy racing. I had a bad experience with him. Ordered an engine from him several years ago with a 4 month lead time. Took him a year to build it and only after I threatened legal action. When I went to pick the engine up it was not ready, parts were missing and there was no paper work. I eventually got the missing parts but to this day have received no paperwork. Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UpNorth

Hi rhk118,

I’m 6.5 hours drive from you…On the other side of the border.
Probably go on vacation in August to catch up on the foodie scene of your city.
In the meantime, I used POR15 on parts not powder coated received from FFR. With good results.
And used it also to « seal » places…sometimes.
I must confess using Sharpie sometimes just to hide small mistakes.

---

Howdy Neighbor! Thanks for the reply. Yes have settled on the POR-15 for the bigger areas (both door hinge mounts have missing powder coat) and/or rattle can Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black depending on the area, just so the bare metal is covered. Have been guilty of the sharpie trick you speak of as well on other projects :rolleyes: and can't guarantee there won't be a spot or 2 where it is used here! If you make it down to Maine send me a message, absolutely beautiful weekend here which makes the winter worth it.

For the Rollcage that will be exposed and seen in the build - I will do the best I can to protect it during the build and if I need to then paint it towards the end before the body goes back on (or go to Sam's club and buy the 20-pack of black sharpies :D ). Thanks for your reply.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill-53

Watch out for levy racing. I had a bad experience with him. Ordered an engine from him several years ago with a 4 month lead time. Took him a year to build it and only after I threatened legal action. When I went to pick the engine up it was not ready, parts were missing and there was no paper work. I eventually got the missing parts but to this day have received no paperwork. Good luck.

---

Thanks Bill and sorry that was your experience. So far I have nothing but great things to say about all the forum sponsors I've dealt with and as we are aware like us they are all in line for parts, seemingly random at times (I mean there are no 3/4" pillow block or 1" flange bearings anywhere in the world?). I've had extensive discussions with Gordon at Levy Racing, Mike Forte, Greg at 520 Speedworks, Georgie at GASN, Russ Thompson, and several emails with Mark Reynolds at Breeze. Everyone has been great, and whether they know it or not they all say pretty much the same things and make very similar recommendations. Gordon, Mike, Georgie, Russ and Mark have been at this quite a while and as I'm building a trackable street car all gave a lot of what I consider to be great advice on how to set up the brakes, spring rates, fuel pump, and engine heads/mounting to ensure the headers fit. I've had no issues with Levy Racing and just received my QA1 double adjustable shocks from them on Friday. I'm glad these guys have all made it through the pandemic seemingly intact, and still available as "wisdom and parts" resources for us. Gordon has been great.

Presently I think parts for these places are all feast or famine, certainly a different world than when you got your engine...there are either backlogs, or they receive a palate of parts then have to rush to catch up and get them out while conducting business and support for customers as usual. On top of that there is no single system in my kit that is complete from FFR other than the manual steering rack and body panels -- everything else is missing critical parts. Engine parts for the 347 I'm having built by a local engine shop are also having major backorders. Will be working on panel and likely seat fitting in the meantime, and as parts trickle in either from factory five, or the vendors then will build as I go. Thankfully I'm not in a rush to build this as fast as I can, and honestly if I had all the parts here, knowing me I'd then feel pressured to get as much done as quickly as possible. As for the pillow block and flange bearings I found some from Motion Industries so I can at least get the steering mocked up as need to find a way to mount electric steering as maybe the only unusual thing about my build. But all of that stream of consciousness to say I have confidence that the parts I've ordered from everyone will get here. Their willingness to communicate and their availability has been stellar.

And since its July 4th here in the states I saw this picture in Mike Forte's Shop. B-25 Mitchell Bomber. He was surprised that a "young-n" like myself (haha) knew what it was. Turns out his dad and my grandfather both flew them in WWII. This is a cool community!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1656948759

I really like this color, but aiming more for a '67 era Ford Brittany Blue. A little lighter shade.

They all look great, yes?

Let me expand upon this just a little bit please.

I live in Colorado. The colors of the state flag are blue, white, gold and red. Blue for the sky, white for the snow, gold for the plains and red for the color of the soil.

I like to drive fast. One of the things I love about this state is our big back yard. Miles and miles of open road and high passes and twisties, and ... So when ripping over a mountain pass, I think having a color that mirrors the sky just above the horizon makes me a chameleon. What was that !!

The sun is also hot at 10,000'. So a light color helps, especially as am I am opting out of windows and AC, and opting in for solid heat and sound damping. Yeah, a blue that reflects the Colorado horizon should work just fine. I guess we'll see how effective the chameleon bit is - Haha!

My body is just off today to my painter. Please forgive any jitter in my text - it is one of those exiting milestones for me !!

'Nuff said

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LateApex

Let me expand upon this just a little bit please.

I live in Colorado. The colors of the state flag are blue, white, gold and red. Blue for the sky, white for the snow, gold for the plains and red for the color of the soil.

I like to drive fast. One of the things I love about this state is our big back yard. Miles and miles of open road and high passes and twisties, and ... So when ripping over a mountain pass, I think having a color that mirrors the sky just above the horizon makes me a chameleon. What was that !!

The sun is also hot at 10,000'. So a light color helps, especially as am I am opting out of windows and AC, and opting in for solid heat and sound damping. Yeah, a blue that reflects the Colorado horizon should work just fine. I guess we'll see how effective the chameleon bit is - Haha!

My body is just off today to my painter. Please forgive any jitter in my text - it is one of those exiting milestones for me !!

'Nuff said

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Congrats man! That is a great milestone. I’d love to be ripping around CO roads with you. Lighter blues look great to me, just was thinking I’d go for a deeper blue that one passed me and woah, with the shape of that car I think any color will look great on it. Lot more to go on mine than you, but it going to be getting more real for you very soon, can’t wait to see pics!

Thanks Hank!

If you are like me (and I suspect many other builders), you will go through this phase of ogling every sharp looking color you see on the road, waffling between this and that :-) After that phase, I found myself back where I started - I have always liked the Brittany Blue.

Have fun!!

Looking forward to following your build! I’ll be a few months behind you with a kit arriving in September. I’m also planning on electric power steering. Are you planning on using/modifying the Mk4 EPAS kit from epowersteering.com or are you going with a different solution?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rhk118

Hank’s Build Thread

Hello everyone! Well my coupe kit has arrived after placing the order in early November 2021, so it is time to start a build thread that I will do my best to keep updated. Having no background in the automotive realm (or building anything, really) I feel I have no business building one of these so like many of you I will need help, but here I am!

My plan is for street use and track days (maybe 2-4 a year) so I prefer the "trackable street car" over the "streetable track car" as the nature of the final build, if that’s a “thing” with these.

I’ve been on the forum since placing the order and appreciate all the help I have received from fellow members, as well as the vendors I’ve worked with in sourcing parts (and spent a lot of time talking to). I know there are questions I don’t even know I have or should be asking, so please chime in!

I welcome and appreciate all feedback, for better or worse…please be honest!


Kit Order:
• Gen 3 powder coated black
• Stainless headers
• Coupe Nose Scoops
• Body Cut-outs
• Coupe GPS Gauge Set
• A/C kit
• Black Carpet Kit
• Floormats
• Lowback Vintage Race Seats
• Hydraulic clutch master cylinder kit
• Independent Rear Suspension
• Front and rear swaybars
• 17" Halibrands
• Leather and Wooden Steering wheel (one for track, one for show)
• Manual Rack – planning electric steering assist


Parts from vendors:
• Levy Racing - 6 Piston front / 4 rear Wilwood Brakes with electronic parking brake, brake bias adjuster, QA1 Double Adjustable shocks with 600/350# springs, high flow fuel system, wheel spacers
• Mike Forte – Close ratio T-56 Magnum, Custom cut Quick Time bell housing, IRS 3.55 Rear diff and knuckles, external hydraulic clutch slave
• Boig - Cool Tubes
• Breeze Automotive - Fan Shroud / Offset rack mounts / LED headlight kit / misc. electronic bits
• 520 Speedworks - Hi/Lo Beam and Taillight controller, potentially a bracket for electric steering motor
• Russ Thompson - Steering column / switch, hoping to get his pontoon covers and door sills
• GAS-N - Coupe Stainless side pipes


Drivetrain:
• T-56 close ratio magnum
• Quick Time bell housing
• Mike Forte’s external hydraulic slave cylinder in lieu of throw-out bearing
• 3.55 Rear Diff
• Building a 347 Stroker with a local engine shop from a 1974 302 block. Cage, roller rockers, forged internals, AFR headers, rear sump Champ pan, 8-Stack EFI (looking at the new Speedmaster downdraft EFI with the “fast” computer).
• Given parts shortages will be a while before the engine is complete


Seats
• Likely won't use the FFR seats, really undecided here.

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Sending PM re: seats

Hi Hank,

Very interesting thread. A "trackable street car" is very much what I am interested in. It sounds like you have gotten some valuable input from the experts you list above and I will be following along with your build.
I'm at the point where I am trying to learn enough to ask some more intelligent/advanced questions but currently I have more basic questions.

I see you are getting double adjustable shocks and I see F5 offers double adjustable also - I understand that they are more adjustable but how, and what, does this help with? In what scenarios does this impact/improve the handling?

Also, why the "close ratio" transmission. Again I understand what this means but don't necessarily how that translates into behavior of the car?

I don't think anything will stand up to the steel-on-steel scraping that occurs on things like the door hinges of hood latches.

I use an ink pen, and will go through everything carefully during final assembly. Other areas like chassis bits that get marred by sheet aluminum I will touch up with a matte black spray paint. And then at some point I will ignore what I cannot see :-) Living in the Rockies, I don't have issues with corrosion. If I were in an area where salt was used on the roads or salt was in the air, I guess I would be more diligent - Hah!

BTW, I have touched up these brackets only to scrape them again with the next iteration of assemble-check-disassemble-rinse-lather-repeat :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jgray

Hi Hank,

Very interesting thread. A "trackable street car" is very much what I am interested in. It sounds like you have gotten some valuable input from the experts you list above and I will be following along with your build.
I'm at the point where I am trying to learn enough to ask some more intelligent/advanced questions but currently I have more basic questions.

I see you are getting double adjustable shocks and I see F5 offers double adjustable also - I understand that they are more adjustable but how, and what, does this help with? In what scenarios does this impact/improve the handling?

Also, why the "close ratio" transmission. Again I understand what this means but don't necessarily how that translates into behavior of the car?

---

Hey jgray, sorry had an eventful last couple of days so catching up. I'll work on a more detailed response but my understanding is there is a close ratio and a more spaced out ratio T-56. People speak of the "tall geared" T-56 as having 2 "overdrives" and better for highway cruising. The close ratio will accelerate quicker but will break traction easier (theoretically but I don't have time to put up the gear ratios between the 2 different T-56 transmissions), so that will be up to the tires, conditions, and the right foot. With a 3.55 rear and not the "old" 3.73 the short ratio T-56 might be a bit too aggressive and traction may be a serious problem, I really don't know. I also like road courses so you could argue I'd be safe with the taller-geared transmission as theoretically harder to break traction and would you even need to go into 5th or 6th except on long straights?

The double adjustable Konis from what I understand are fantastic shocks. The QA1s just have the adjustment dials at the top of the body, so mounted upside down are easy to get to and adjust, easier than the Konis I'm told. I have a fair amount of experience with double adjustable shocks on my side by side and know what the settings do with that over different terrain. May not translate to the street I know, but will do my best to dial it in. Last is spring rates. I've heard anywhere from 400# to 1000# springs in the front for example. Gordon at Levi Racing has a ton of experience in this department and recommended 600# front / 350# rear on the QA1s for a more aggressive setup that will theoretically be better than the stock Koni's on the track. Swaybars - I have both the front and rear. Front going ton for sure. I suspect I will need it/like it but have also heard (ie. read here) the rear swaybar can really destabilize these cars, or be the panacea that makes it great. I suspect that has to do with the rear spring rates and compression settings.

On the transmission I may be wrong running a 347, 3.55 diff, and close ratio T-56. Mike Forte and Gordon Levy both said that's the way to go, and again at least for me the search for a 3.73 Torsion diff didn't turn up anything easily. Again I won't be taking long roadtrips in it so don't care about 2 overdrives (maybe my ears would? ;) )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LateApex

I don't think anything will stand up to the steel-on-steel scraping that occurs on things like the door hinges of hood latches.

I use an ink pen, and will go through everything carefully during final assembly. Other areas like chassis bits that get marred by sheet aluminum I will touch up with a matte black spray paint. And then at some point I will ignore what I cannot see :-) Living in the Rockies, I don't have issues with corrosion. If I were in an area where salt was used on the roads or salt was in the air, I guess I would be more diligent - Hah!

BTW, I have touched up these brackets only to scrape them again with the next iteration of assemble-check-disassemble-rinse-lather-repeat :-)

---

Yes was working on the front of the footbox this weekend and scratched it up a bit in a few places despite taping, strategic bending of panels...etc. I'm now in the same camp as you - once panels go off for powder coating that's when the chassis black and POR-15 is coming out! Upper exposed roll cage that will be seen inside the car can get painted if needed, so far those areas are clean. I am worried about rust in the areas that may never be seen again!

Thanks for the detailed reply Hank. This is all starting to make more sense to me and I am starting to think about my personal experience with the cars I have owned. I had an early S2000 that revved up to 9000 and had a brilliant six speed - it was very much horsepower with not a lot of torque so you had to change gear a lot to keep it charging - drive it like you stole it. It was so much fun when you were in the mood to drive. When you were not in that mood you were almost always in too high a gear and there was not enough torque to simply put your foot down, you had to downshift. I then had a older Ferrari 550 which was very much the opposite, it had a ton of torque in every gear. I drove that car on a road track, Thunderhill in Northern CA, and it was amazing, but I cooked the brakes - that experience is making me understand the feedback on get the best brakes you can and get air flowing to them.
I now have a mid-engined corvette with the DCT and have been on the track at Spring Mountain which is a tight technical road track and really only needed 3rd and 4th gears - that has a torquey 6.2L small block. For the Daytona I have a 302 that a friend is giving me and until we pull it apart don't know what cam or any of the stuff that would impact the power band. But I am thinking that the 302 will be on the lower end of power therefore a 6 speed makes sense (more akin to the S2000). I will look up the ratios of all of these cars and try to understand more. I am increasing leaning towards this being more of a track car because I have a GT and I am not going to be getting into the Daytona to go get coffee! I am either getting in to go show off and make noise or I am going to a track. But I am a pretty conservative driver so track car for me is still docile compared to others who are more experienced and aggressive.
For me, the build will be the first journey, that will then be followed by me learning how to dial in a whole bunch of stuff. Also to see how much mettle I have for track driving! I am going back to Spring Mountain in early January for 2 more days of track driving and will see if my new found confidence is for real or am I still a wimp!

Well it has been a few weeks and not a ton of progress to report as it is summer and in addition work has been a bit hectic (feels like someone turned the work knob to '11' :rolleyes:). And like most everyone here in today’s world still waiting on parts - every single major system of this car is missing critical pieces except the body panels, so there is always drilling and fitting to be done. But they are trickling in.

So based on that first thing I did—smartly or otherwise—was take all the panels off after photographing and marking overlaps…etc. Next I mounted the manual steering rack, but I am using the Breeze offset mounts as am interested in the solid connection more so than the alignment of the rack. They are marketed as for the roadster or coupe and Breeze mentioned they weren’t actually aware of anyone that has used them in the coupe. I will say they are in, but they need to be mounted upside down relative to the couple sets I’ve seen installed on roadsters. If you mount them “right side up” the rack crashes big time into the control arm mounts on the coupe. Instructions mention a little grinding is needed on the roadster for the power rack to fit with these but this would require removing a lot of material on the coupe to the point I’d worry about structural integrity of the control arm mounts. So put them in upside down which raises the rack literally to the midpoint between the “street height” and “track height” mounts. So I’m now at “Hank height” haha…upside down I am still able to get what looks like over 1/4 inch in adjustability left to right. Not going to tighten these things yet until I get the steering shaft mounted and can properly center the rack.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1659312575

Breeze Offset Steering Rack Mount Kit:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1659306747

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1659306747

Almost touching:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1659306747


Speaking of steering my kit is missing the pillow and flange bearings and I’d like to get these mocked up in order to plan the electric steering install and get the rack centered, so just bit the bullet and ordered some from Motion Industries so I can mock this up tomorrow.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1659306747

In the meantime there have been several firsts in my life. First time installing a Cleco. First time installing a nut-sert. First time removing a nut-sert because dummy here put it on the wrong panel but thats better now…First time using a drill press. First time using a grinder “in competition”. First time using a tap to thread a freshly drilled hole rather than using it to fix something I cross-threaded thinking the resistance was just due to rust (:rolleyes:). This is fun.

Will spare you all the pictures, here’s a couple:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1659306551

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1659306551

I did find Cleco’ing the rivet spacing tool helpful at times (once my straight line was drawn).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1659306507

The rivet-spacer tool from Aircraft Spruce has been extremely helpful as well for those of us with OCD (who will remain nameless of course):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1659306507



Gas Cap:
Father-in-law was in town and looking for something to do, so we installed the Breeze locking gas cap. It is a seriously nice piece. Followed Pauls instructions in his anniversary roadster build.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1659306673

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1659306673

Shocks:
QA-1 Double adjustable shock set arrived. Changed the springs out to 600# / 350#. These get mounted upside down so the compression and rebound knobs are relatively accessible.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1659306828

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1659306828


Steering Boss:
Also mounted the NRG low profile quick steering release to both steering wheels (got a wooden one with my kit, picked up a leather one here on the forum). That was a fun little project and happy how it turned out. Thanks to cgundermann for lending me the 3D jigs to line it all up. More on how to do this here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...on-turn-signal

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1659306592

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1659306592

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1659306630

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1659306630

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1659306630

And that’s it. I have the footbox and front panels drilled. Next up is steering shaft, pedals, and fitting some of the cabin panels. Just received my gas tank, and front spindles from FFR. Just need axles then can get all the suspension bits and diff prepped and painted.

Welcome any comments, questions, or feedback.

Ok so got the steering installed and pretty happy with it. Happy to report the pillow mount and the flange bearings I found separately through Motion Industries (part numbers pictured in post above) work great. I pulled a page from Paul's build and mounted the flange bearing through the firewall inside the firewall rather than over the aluminum panel in the engine bay. Might switch it out with the Factory Five Flange bearing when that eventually gets here, but this one seems pretty darn good. Required some minor modification of the bearing housing to get it to rotate into position so the bolt holes lined up, but minimal. I mocked everything up with the Russ Thompson column as well because why not.

Biggest problem I had was the cockpit part of the steering shaft. The entire thing was just too big. Steering wheel side would not fit into the steering boss. The "D" end that goes into the "D sleeve" was also too big and wouldn't go into the sleeve. Probably 45 minutes later of die grinding and test fitting I was able to get it into the steering boss (required hammering, so those two are united forever), and needed to thin out about 8 inches of the end going into the D-Sleeve in the footbox. I know some have received bent D-sleeves and this wasn't the case. I know some say just smooth off the edges of the boss side or the D-sleeve side and this wasn't the case either. Micrometer confirmed for whatever reason my part was about 1 mm wider than the holes it was supposed to fit into. Lots of die grinding. Even pulled out ice at one point thinking I heated it up too much and it had expanded and if I cooled it down it would contract then magically fit (:confused: -- can u say science geek)...not the case, more die grinding definitely the answer. In any event nothing is loose and the fit on both ends is snug. All other parts of the steering install went smoothly. NRG mount works well. Turns easily when mounted with a good click engagement...which was not always the case when trying to release it by itself from the box.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1659381294

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1659381294

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1659381294

Then I decided to check the centering of the rack since I had installed the Breeze offset steering rack mounts. My rack was 1/2 inch off left lock to right lock (1/4 inch per side), so fiddled for quite a while (picking up on a theme here?) and had an ah-ha moment...Long and short of it is everything I said in my prior post just forget. Mount them in the upper holes, that keeps the rack high enough that the boot clearing the control arm mounts is no issue. It also orients the offset mounts so you can access them and actually shift the rack left or right. In the lowest setting the boot inevitably hits the control arm tabs. Regardless my left to right bias was 1/2" off, and my manual rack needed to go 1/4" toward the passenger side - easy, once you use the proper mounting point. So my rack is now centered and no boot touching metal, note the position of the mounting bolts at about 2 o'clock on each mount which effectively moved the rack to the right the 1/4" needed.

Ironically these are supposed to get the rack as low as possible to lower bump steer, and in the coupe it is now mounted higher which is bad for bump steer. Perhaps others are right and the (? polyethylene) kit mounts are all you need.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1659381294

Spent the past week off and on fitting panels. For the most part all the panels that came on the coupe are now fitted and pre-drilled. 75 clecos are not enough for this task! Well they are if you take them all out of the previously fitted panel. Broke or dulled a total of 8 #30 drill bits, more clecos and a few more drill bits ordered.

What is there to say about panel fitting that already hasn’t been said? I had to do a LOT of modifying to some panels to get them to fit around welds, and on occasion some of the welds had to be ground down, we’ve all been there (or soon will be!). Nothing too bad or what I would consider out of the ordinary, and got everything lined up. As I have gone on with panel fitting I am now much more likely to just smooth things off and will touch up the frame once panels are off for powder coating.

What can I say that maybe I didn’t see before…well I put the panel on behind the cockpit that is the real pain in the butt to get on (bend it in an S and still doesn’t want to go) and forgot to mark the angled frame rails on it before I took it off initially…well rather than mark the frame rails on it, take it off, mark the drill holes, and put it back on (scratching the frame up in the process), I just used a BB coated in sharpie marker and a small magnet to follow the frame rail with the BB on the other side to trace the edges of the frame rail on each side to draw them out on the surface of that panel…then was able to mark and drill the rivet holes no problem.

In addition I was able to save some time in the cockpit and trunk area realizing everything frame-wise (and hence drill-hole-wise) is a mirror image so I could drill one panel, then clamp it to its counterpart panel for the other side, pre-drill holes, and they lined up perfectly (seriously no issues). Note this isn’t true of the foot boxes which are both different. I know this is cringe-worthy for some of you but went well and everything lined up great.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1660091344

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1660091307


And basically here it is now, not all panels mounted in the cockpit because I ran out of clecos:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1660091344

Fitting the Radiator

Also drilled the radiator tunnel panels, again left and right sides are mirror images so marked and drilled them together. Just be mindful of slight side to side differences around the radiator mounts, but it worked. Also mounted the radiator:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1660091307

Had all the issues others have described mounting the radiator. Some of this was an angle issue with the radiator itself. I will say the Manual is incorrect stating to put the tab on the radiator bracket towards the back of the car, but after about 30 minutes of fiddling and staring at the thing, figured out the manual was wrong, flipped the bracket with the tab to the front and things fit better, but there was still a finger breadth of space between each side of the bracket and the frame. So cue the forum searching. I trimmed the back lower “ridge” or “channel” down on the back bottom of the radiator half-way. This allowed better angling of the radiator and then I could get 1 side of the mounting bracket down and the other side was up a quarter inch. Measured and drilled mounting holes and by tightening them was able to get the mounting bracket down to the frame. All of this was without the cut fuel line “grommet” along the hard bottom radiator mounts. Once I put them on it was a tight fit again, but bracket tightened OK.



Used the Breeze fan shroud. Works great. Bottom of the shroud didn’t need trimming, and mounted the 2 holes on the Breeze fan shroud to the bottom back of the radiator using riv-nuts. Used riv-nuts to mount the fan. The upper portion of the breeze mount sticks out above the upper back “ridge” of the radiator:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1660091307

Some have cut this off, others have made a tab, I have friends with a fender roller, so rolled it over to the point that it will slide onto that upper rear “ridge”…so now that holds snugly, and held on at the bottom by riv-nuts onto the lower ridge of the radiator, will see how it works after powdercoating:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1660091307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1660094536

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1660095300



Finally I need to do something about this:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1660091344

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1660091344

Open to suggestions here -- Using a cut fuel line as a grommet, while it works, seems a little inelegant to me (yes I just used that word). You won’t see it. The radiator is under a lot of pressure with that bracket. This thing is just going to crack and dry rot and I won’t see that happening. Next thing will be wondering why the radiator is leaking. Need to find something else to protect the bottom of the radiator there that may hold up better. Any ideas?

Here is 8 hours of work:

Received 75 more clecos from Aircraft Spruce. Up to 150. Used the extra 75 up in a day as will be seen below!

Got the footwell panels pre-drilled, cut and fitted, riv-nuts installed. Just need to get some aluminum to make the connection between the panels...2" x 24" strip of 0.040 on its way from Mcmaster along with piano hinges for the rear storage box.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1660409175


Made a transmission tunnel front plate, required some smoothing of the welds in the area. Looking at this makes me thing of the "plinko" game on price is right...funny that cleco sounds like plinko...

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1660409116


Finally made my rear trunk box. Cuts aren't great (used a 3" cutter wheel), but it is square. Have a sheet of 0.060 aluminum for a lid, just waiting on piano hinges. Thanks to Paul posting this initially and Namrups (Scott) for this. Looks good. Although I can't put mine together and just install it from underneath as I left 1" lips all around up top and I can't just slip it in, will have to be assembled piece by piece.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1660409175

So at the end of a 2 week vacation and thats how long it took to fit all the body panels that came on the car and build the storage box for the back. As they say I may not be good, but at least I'm slow :p

Question / Help on Cockpit Rear Outer Panels

Are they supposed to look like this? Can't get mine to fit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1660434458

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1660434458

These are my left and right rear cockpit quarter panels that are supposed to be fitted once the body goes back on. I can't figure them out and honestly think that mine have the bottom bend backwards on both sides. See how they bend forward? It seems to me that they should have the exact bend backwards in mine. When I try and "force" them into position the bottom half on each side develops severe bowing that I believe even clecos won't overcome. They are certainly cut to the proper shape, just seems that the bottom bend should be "back" and the upper bend forward, at least in my car...both bends are forward on mine...this how they are supposed to be?

UPDATE: Mine were in fact bent wrong. Sent pictures to FFR and they had the proper panels on my doorstep the following day - love them!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bjblock

Looking forward to following your build! I’ll be a few months behind you with a kit arriving in September. I’m also planning on electric power steering. Are you planning on using/modifying the Mk4 EPAS kit from epowersteering.com or are you going with a different solution?

---

Hey, just saw this now and sorry for the delayed response. Short answer is yes, I am currently looking at the epowersteering.com / 520 Speedworks MK4 kit as it will interface with the steering shaft well. Price is very attractive. Only thing that gives me pause on these is they seem to be using refurbished steering units (from Saturn Vues?) that are no longer manufactured. So if ever an issue the custom welding that will need to be done will have to be re-done in the event of a part shortage or worse, nothing available. That isn't a deal breaker totally for me because I can buy 2 of their kits for the price of the other solution I've been looking at which is the EPAS Performance MKIV kit.

The EPAS performance units would be new, and have a better warranty as they are not refurb units. EPAS performance is also fairly big and well known. Having said that I have been going back and forth with them on which unit to use - either their "custom kit" vs their “MKIV kit”. One person there insists needs to be their custom kit, another person there insists it should be their MKIV kit due to the input/output shafts matching the FFR steering shaft, either will work, but which one will take less finagling to get it mounted -- leaning toward the MKIV kit for the steering shaft compatibility as the coupe uses the same dimension shafts/D shaft as the roadster. The first person thinks the shaft on their MKIV kit is too long for the coupe. Their kits cost slightly over 2x the price of the epowersteering kits, but getting parts down the road in event of failure to me is real, and I don't want to have to pull the car apart and make a new bracket for a different steering system if needed...This is a lifetime car for me...so the remanufactured units seem riskier long term....but as they say no guarantees in life. (although the epowersteering units are attractively priced for my side-by-side which I use to plow in the winter and really would love power steering there, so might try one anyway, and there's my "spare" :cool:).

Long and short of it is waiting on a more definitive answer from EPAS performance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rhk118

Question / Help on Cockpit Rear Outer Panels

Are they supposed to look like this? Can't get mine to fit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1660434458

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1660434458

These are my left and right rear cockpit quarter panels that are supposed to be fitted once the body goes back on. I can't figure them out and honestly think that mine have the bottom bend backwards on both sides. See how they bend forward? It seems to me that they should have the exact bend backwards in mine. When I try and "force" them into position the bottom half on each side develops severe bowing that I believe even clecos won't overcome. They are certainly cut to the proper shape, just seems that the bottom bend should be "back" and the upper bend forward, at least in my car...both bends are forward on mine...this how they are supposed to be?

---

Here is the pics of mine. It looks like yours are definitely bent wrong.
The passenger side in place:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1660442447
The drivers side:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1660442447

Send these pics to FF and ask for new panels.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Namrups

Here is the pics of mine. It looks like yours are definitely bent wrong.

Send these pics to FF and ask for new panels.

---

Thanks so much Scott. Was starting to think I was crazy (:p well...), will contact Factory Five tomorrow.

I have to compliment Factory Five on being a pleasure to work with. Sent photos of my panels above to FFR and new panels were on my doorstep the next day (didn't need them quite that fast guys, but appreciate it!). I know they are all seriously busy but their customer service it top notch, thank you all.

Not much to report other than started to hang the suspension and prep parts for paint, and some more panel work for the removable foot box panels, and the door for the rear storage box (copying Paul here on both of these). Also not much to show that hasn't been seen in other builds.

Front Lower Control Arm Bushings and greasing (and questioning if I cut grooves in the face of the bushings) - before putting them on the car I greased these up. My front lowers don't have grooved bushing faces like the bushings on the upper control arms do. I don't like the idea of grooving the face of an otherwise good bushing if I don't have to, and noticed that the lower control arm bushings do have grooves running the length of their insides, haven't seen that anywhere in pictures on here before. So I hooked them up to my grease gun and it took six pumps for grease to come out both ends, and it flows through the channels to the ends. Also lubed up the inside of the metal spacer manually. Good enough for me, don't think it will be a long term problem either way you go, I'm striking this one up to personal preference. My side-by-side sees some serious mud, muddy water, and a ton of dust, has similar bushings and that has done fine over 7 years (although that gets grease yearly, taken apart and cleaned about every other year).

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1660954138

Got them hung, along with the QA1 Shocks. I’m going with rsnake’s recommendation of mounting the QA1s upright in the front for easier access to the C/R dials. As you can see I am using the "street height" mounting locations for these. rsnake's ride height looks good in pictures, and he has no rubbing, appreciate his input...Would also like to thank him for his “Cobra Daytona Build” channel on YouTube. Seriously helpful and has been fun to watch his progression dialing it in and auto-crossing!

The QA1s have wider mounting sleeves than the stock Koni shocks. So I had to cut down the supplied FFR shock spacers (3 inch cutting wheel and die grinding to size worked). So for the front of the car you need two 1/2 inch spacers for the top mount, and two 1/4 inch spacers for the bottom mount, just had to cut a bit off the 8 spacers (4 per side) from the kit. Will get measurements for the rear spacers when I get that far along.

Also note that I did what Paul mentions in his build - the nut for the front mount is forward and behind the radiator tunnel, you can see it in its tiny space in the picture. I was able to install it with the radiator tunnel there. No way the bolt can be removed (easily) when radiator tunnel installed if you put it in front to back, go back to front here. The rear bolt is mounted front to back, so heads of the bolts face each other on the inside of the control arm.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1660954138

Howe Racing ball joints installed easily on the uppers, direct fit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1660954138

Finally getting the hubs and knuckles prepped for painting. Pressed all the studs out of the 4 corners as still deciding between running hubcentric spacers and longer studs vs the bolt on spacers. Need time to research this. Hold your friends with hydraulic presses closely ( haha! ;) ). Also used a bandsaw to cut the ear off of the rear knuckles, used the same pattern Paul used and left a bit more material behind than the manual called for. You can see the black line in the picture which is where the FFR manual has the cut made. Fingers crossed these don't contact anywhere.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1660954138

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1660954138

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1660954253

And that’s all I have for now. I do have my front spindles so hoping to get those hung this weekend. Perhaps starting with brake lines after that, engine is a long way off. Going to start studying Logans super-helpful tire chart as well and find some tires for these 17" Halibrands!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rhk118

Fitting the Radiator

Also drilled the radiator tunnel panels, again left and right sides are mirror images so marked and drilled them together. Just be mindful of slight side to side differences around the radiator mounts, but it worked. Also mounted the radiator:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1660091307

Had all the issues others have described mounting the radiator. Some of this was an angle issue with the radiator itself. I will say the Manual is incorrect stating to put the tab on the radiator bracket towards the back of the car, but after about 30 minutes of fiddling and staring at the thing, figured out the manual was wrong, flipped the bracket with the tab to the front and things fit better, but there was still a finger breadth of space between each side of the bracket and the frame. So cue the forum searching. I trimmed the back lower “ridge” or “channel” down on the back bottom of the radiator half-way. This allowed better angling of the radiator and then I could get 1 side of the mounting bracket down and the other side was up a quarter inch. Measured and drilled mounting holes and by tightening them was able to get the mounting bracket down to the frame. All of this was without the cut fuel line “grommet” along the hard bottom radiator mounts. Once I put them on it was a tight fit again, but bracket tightened OK.



Used the Breeze fan shroud. Works great. Bottom of the shroud didn’t need trimming, and mounted the 2 holes on the Breeze fan shroud to the bottom back of the radiator using riv-nuts. Used riv-nuts to mount the fan. The upper portion of the breeze mount sticks out above the upper back “ridge” of the radiator:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1660091307

Some have cut this off, others have made a tab, I have friends with a fender roller, so rolled it over to the point that it will slide onto that upper rear “ridge”…so now that holds snugly, and held on at the bottom by riv-nuts onto the lower ridge of the radiator, will see how it works after powdercoating:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1660091307

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1660094536

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1660095300



Finally I need to do something about this:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1660091344

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1660091344

Open to suggestions here -- Using a cut fuel line as a grommet, while it works, seems a little inelegant to me (yes I just used that word). You won’t see it. The radiator is under a lot of pressure with that bracket. This thing is just going to crack and dry rot and I won’t see that happening. Next thing will be wondering why the radiator is leaking. Need to find something else to protect the bottom of the radiator there that may hold up better. Any ideas?

---

Hey Hank, not sure if you have solved this yet, but "Cobra Daytona Build" episode 161 shows building of a shield, for lack of better term, across the bottom of the radiator to protect the radiator. Not sure if this directly applies to your bracket issue but you might be able to elegantly combine the two ideas.

This is indeed a bit of a hack. It may suffice ??

I am going to get a couple of thousand miles on my Coupe and re-review, for the very last time (Hah!) little bits like this that I have in my list of things that I am not quite comfortable with. Maybe even sooner as I run through the break-in / bed-in checklist

Things like this fall into my vibration category. What I mean is if the radiator shakes, rattles and rolls, items like this will fail. If everything is tight (but not TOO tight), maybe this hack works :-)

You are doing some fine work here - it is nice to follow this thread!

p.s. All my work likely falls into the inelegant category :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jgray

Hey Hank, not sure if you have solved this yet, but "Cobra Daytona Build" episode 161 shows building of a shield, for lack of better term, across the bottom of the radiator to protect the radiator. Not sure if this directly applies to your bracket issue but you might be able to elegantly combine the two ideas.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LateApex

This is indeed a bit of a hack. It may suffice ??

I am going to get a couple of thousand miles on my Coupe and re-review, for the very last time (Hah!) little bits like this that I have in my list of things that I am not quite comfortable with. Maybe even sooner as I run through the break-in / bed-in checklist

Things like this fall into my vibration category. What I mean is if the radiator shakes, rattles and rolls, items like this will fail. If everything is tight (but not TOO tight), maybe this hack works :-)

You are doing some fine work here - it is nice to follow this thread!

p.s. All my work likely falls into the inelegant category :-)

---

Thanks Guys. I did watch that video but before I installed my radiator and forgot about it (:eek:)...I have been going through them and watching again before different parts of the build process - just figured out I didn't put the lower shock mounting bolts from the sway bar kit on, I used the shorter ones from the kit for example. :rolleyes:

Greg's protection plate reminds me a lot of BMW as they put an oil cooler right there on a lot of their cars and if you hit something you have about 1-3 seconds to shut her down or rebuild/replace a motor, so a lot of folks put protective plates there. Thankfully on this the radiator is more forgiving, however if on track and you happen to puncture the radiator wow who knows. But that would be something you would certainly hear, and likely feel. Regardless looking at those fuel lines used as "grommets", they are pretty hearty. They will eventually crack however. So not sure if I put this on a "wearable part" list and check it every year or replace every other...etc. or come up with something else like a carved or milled polyurethane flat surface or a cut-down carved hockey puck (those buggers are strong...I am in New England after all!)...Still thinking about it, as I am a lot of other little details as we all are...but still trying to keep my eye on the ball of do the build correctly, and try not to trip myself up down the road with earlier "miscalculations" (maybe the condenser and mounting the right hood hinge is what I'm most worried about)...but to me simple solutions are elegant. Complex solutions cause frustration eventually, either in the moment or down the road. My work is definitely inelegant at times, just because I don't know what I'm doing might be wrong, we don't know what we don't know....I figure for about every minute of work I'm putting into the car I've done 3-4 minutes of research. But if you study photos of the original cars they weren't perfect either - they were built quickly...bare bones but with more than a few novel upgrades, it is very cool that the history of these things is so well documented!