John in KC - Roadster Build Thread

Hi all, my name is John and I've been on these forums for months gleaning info for a build I planned to start later this year. As it turns out things moved along quicker than I first thought and I've actually already started! I booked a build school for this coming weekend a couple of months ago for one of my sons (16), my father (81), and myself to get an idea of how to go about doing this, but wound up receiving delivery of my kit and have already started! This forum has already been a huge resource in the many questions I've had in just the first week of the build. I did spend the past few months reading through countless build threads on the forums, watching videos and taking about 12 pages of notes with build tips and lessons learned from other's mistakes. Hopefully that smooths out the process a bit, but we shall see!

I haven't had a project car in a long time, but spent a lot of time working on and driving cars & motorcycles between college and when we started having kids in our late 20's...so it's been about 15 years. Before kids I participated in autocross events, several track driving schools (at VIR & Rockingham Speedway), and even made it to Tail of the Dragon with a group of friends and fellow enthusiasts. I've owned a '69 Camaro SS back in 2004 that I performed a restomod in during college (kept me out of trouble) and then had a '93 Mazda RX7 for a number of years. I've also had several sportbikes and standard motorcycles over the past 20 years. The '69 Camaro was my dream car, but I overbuilt it with a supercharged 383, loud exhaust, no power anything...it was a sweet car but not easy to live with. Sold it to pay off student loans. The RX7 was a beauty and did everything well. It was practically the perfect car, with the exception of the 80+ vacuum lines (or however many there were). I definitely had a love/hate relationship with that car. I've been eyeing a FFR MKIV for the past 7 years and finally got the chance to make it happen this year. (Almost pulled the trigger back then, but found out kid #5 was on the way...there went any extra time and money!) I feel like the MKIV will combine what I loved most about the RX7 (handling and lightness), motorcycles (open air motoring), and my '69 Camaro (American muscle and simplicity). I know it's an incredibly impractical car, but I'm thinking I'll be able to drive it more than I would a motorcycle, so that's a plus. I would love to get into motorsports again someday, so while I'm not looking to build a track car right now at least it's something that can evolve over time to do most anything I would want to get into.

That being said, here's what I went with:

MKIV Complete Kit
302 - Blueprint long block being fully assembled by Mike Forte w/ Sniper II EFI, alternator & power steering pump
TKX 5 spd
IRS 3.55 ratio
FFR power steering rack w/ supplemental parts from Forte
Wilwood brakes from Gordon Levy (to fit 15" wheels)
Hydraulic parking brake from Levy
FFR sway bars front & rear
FFR Dual rollbars - black
Gas N stainless headers & touring sidepipes
15" Halibrand wheels
Pro M fuel pump hanger
Walbro 255lph pump
Fragola 6000 PTFE fuel lines
FFR heater/defroster
Forte external hydraulic clutch
Forte mechanical throttle linkage
Forte TKX mid shifter
Breeze cockpit storage cubby
Breeze upper & lower radiator mounts
Breeze stainless lower radiator hose tube & clamp
Breeze Coolant Fill 'T' kit
Breeze radiator shroud
Breeze front battery box
FFMetal Firewall forward & transmission blank cover
Metco driveshaft safety loop
Pertronix Digital Rev Limiter
Flex A Lite radiator fan 238
Derale 12" cooler for PS fluid
Scott's Hot Rods Remote Reservoirs
Billet Specialities 2gpm Flow Control Power Steering valve
Summit Racing Stainless Overflow Tank
USB ports
...and more add on's as I go!

I spoke to a few people who have built kits (or are in process) and decided not to go the donor route and have an engine/trans built and delivered. Building an engine sounds like a lot of fun, but added to building the car I think it would be a bit much all at once. I also don't want to disassemble, clean parts, and reassemble, find missing components, research what works with what...simplicity is the name of the game here and I want something to drive down the road ASAP. Assembling all new parts sounds about the right amount involvement to me at this time in life.

I will start adding posts with build pics and hopefully point out things that I wish I had known ahead of time that may help others as they go about their build. My goal is to have a functional, driving vehicle by the end of the summer. Maybe that's optimistic, but that's the hope. I'm also keeping track of my hours as I'm curious if the '300 hour' estimate is anywhere near accurate. Guess we'll find out!

5/15/24 Delivery Day

4 hrs - Inventory & Organization

So, I'm building this in my father's garage as we currently don't have one at our house and are in process of building one (which is why I originally didn't plan to start this build until after that was completed). He only lives about 8 minutes away and has one car in a three car garage. Unfortunately my mother passed away as they were finishing up this new build so my father moved in all by himself after losing his partner of 60+ years. Needless to say it's been a difficult process, but I thought it would be the perfect time and place to start this project. My father likes cars and likes to stay busy, so having a project in his garage was a great fit as he had the space and it gives me plenty of opportunity to spend time with him. One of my teenage sons is also excited about this, so I thought it seemed like a great way to spend some time with family.

My kit was supposed to be completed 5/11 but Stewart Transport had a truck there on the 8th and communicated with FFR to have it ready early. (Thanks so much Todd at Stewart Transportation and Factory Five!) I told my father I was going to come by to bring some tools to put in his garage, so he was surprised when he looked outside and saw me loading boxes out of a semi across the street! Fun way to start the build.

The delivery driver, Kelly, was great to work with and did a great job getting us all set up.

Attachment 199827
Attachment 199826
Attachment 199828
Attachment 199829

The whole process took about an hour to get all the boxes loaded and unloaded and the chassis situated in the garage. Man this thing is light! I could practically push it up the hill to the house with one hand. I know it's going to get heavier, but I couldn't help think how easily motivated something this light is going to be by a healthy V8. :D

Spent the next 3 hours organizing and taking inventory. The only items missing, aside from a few backordered parts (wheels, steering rack, shocks/springs, and a pair of IRS bushings) was a door hinge bolt and nut that had fallen out during transport. Trunk brackets had mostly come loose, but the hardware was still contained within the trunk so it was all good. Made sure to label all boxes and bags for later reference and organize similar parts near each other in the garage. I can tell this is important as it is so easy to forget where things are.

5/17/24

4.5 hrs - Build body buck & transfer body shell

Used some scrap lumber and plywood that had been leaning against my shed for over a year to build the body buck, per manual dimensions. The schematic was a bit confusing at first, but I figured if I couldn't figure that out I didn't have any business building a car. Fortunately after studying it for a few minutes it all made sense. It's pretty neat how you can get both end pieces out of one sheet of plywood. I then mounted the body buck to a rolling frame that I purchased from a fellow member of the Mid-America Cobra Club (which I joined last month). Sure does come in handy to be able to roll it around.

Attachment 199863
Attachment 199864
Attachment 199865

Next removed the doors, trunk, hood & body attachment bolts. (Be sure to label individual bolt locations before throwing them all in a bag together.) Got some neighbors to help lift the body off and set on the body buck. The kit delivery sure got the attention of the neighbors and will bring any car guys out of the woodwork to lend a hand. Great way to meet neighbors and recruit volunteers. ;)

Attachment 199866
Attachment 199867

5/18/24

3.5 hrs - Remove aluminum panels, start front suspension

Traced frame and adjacent panel overlaps, labeled panels and removed. Took lots of pics for future reference. My son Jasper came to help out today. Definitely wear gloves, these things can be sharp. Had to zip tie one door hinge as the bolt and nut fell out during transport. Other bolts fell out as well, but they were all still contained in the shell except that one set. Probably on the semi somewhere.

Attachment 199868
Attachment 199869
Attachment 199869

Moved on to starting the front suspension. Got the upper and lower control arms on, but came to the first moment of not being sure exactly where to attach something. The manual says to use the upper mounting holes for the upper control arm unless using the FFR supplied pieces, then use the lower vertical holes. I wasn't sure which to do so left it un-torqued until I could do some research on the forum. (I encourage everyone to refrain from torquing to spec until all pieces of the assembly are accounted for and in position. Makes it easier to fit components or reposition later if needed.) Turns out you do exactly what the manual says (which isn't always the case, I'm finding out). I left it here after that first day but came back and moved it to the lower vertical mounting location a couple days later.

Attachment 199870

5/20/24

4 hrs - Front Suspension

After doing some forum research, I came back to the garage, moved the upper control arms to the vertical mounting holes and went about adjusting the upper control arms to the proper position. I had come across a picture posted by Jeff Kleiner showing upper control arm measurements to get property alignment. It was a bit different than what the manual stated, but I know it adds camber which is desirable for power steering so went about doing that. Unfortunately the rear arm doesn't allow it to be short enough to get the desired camber so I had to cut off about 1/4" of the sleeve to accommodate. Fortunately there is a line on the sleeve about 1/4" from the end that I used as a guide. I used a hacksaw to cut through very slowly and carefully and it worked out great. Used a dremel to smooth the edges and it came out perfectly flat. Quick note: the female threads on the sleeves were extremely dirty. I wound up unscrewing all the sleeves, cleaning them out with a nylon brush, cleaning male threads with nylon brush, and coating with anti-seize prior to reassembly.

Attachment 199841
Attachment 199842
Attachment 199843

Once I knew everything was in the right place and facing the right direction we torqued the pivot nuts to spec. (Apparently there is no torque spec for the nylon nuts on the outside of the upper sleeve bushings? The manual basically says to tighten until snug, so that's what I did. Just enough to eliminate any gaps and play in the bushings. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

Attachment 199844

Moved on to the spindle. Not much in the manual about how to attach, but realized both castle nuts would tighten past where the cotter pins could hold them so researched forums (again) and surmised that the big hardened spacer goes below lower castle nut (tapered side down) and hardened washers are needed to take up any extra space for upper castle nut (not provided by FFR). Had to do some shopping around to find hardened washers as that's not something the big box hardware stores seemed to carry. I've found that working 2-4 hours at a time is perfect because I always end up needing to go buy something to move on to the next step.

Another thing the manual doesn't tell you to do is install the steering arms before the hubs. Fortunately I saw a video showing this or else I wouldn't have known to do it at this point. I was so pleased with myself at remembering this...until realizing two days later that I had put them in backwards. I knew they pointed out, but didn't know they were supposed to point up and out so the taper is oriented correctly. This comes back to bite me later. (Following pic shows steering arm oriented incorrectly.)

Attachment 199846

5/21/24

5 hrs - Front suspension, prep rear hubs & mod rear spindles

Installed hardened washers on front spindle upper control arm bearing bolt, torqued castle nuts to spec, installed split and cotter safety pins, and greased all zerk fittings.

Knocked studs out of rear hubs and started the rear spindle modification. Pretty simple but nerve wracking to cut into such a major component. Triple checked my measurements and description in the manual. They do a good job of describing it and I was grateful for that. Marked the cut line...

Attachment 199851

...started it with a hacksaw then used a sawsall with 10-14 tpi blade. Had my dad spray with WD40 every 15 seconds or so and took it slow.

Attachment 199852

Voila! Used a dremel to deburr the edges and an orbital sander with 120 grit to sand the flat smooth.

Attachment 199853

Used a 1/2" drill bit to start enlarging the spindle hole before moving to a 5/8". This really helps reduce the material removed by the larger bit and keeps it from catching so much. Check the hole regularly to make sure you are removing a consistent amount on each side to stay true to the original hole trajectory. Again, lots of WD40 as you go.

Attachment 199854

Used the washer method with lots of grease and motor oil to pull the new 1/2" 20 Dorman wheel studs through the rear hubs. I read that lots of builders had trouble pulling these through so I put them in the freezer the night before to shrink them ever so slightly, greased the heck out of them, as well as covered everything in 10w30 as I went. I also found out that at least half the stud threads had some galling so ran a nut down each one (again with some oil) to chase the threads before attempting to pull them through. Some of them were so bad I had to grip them with pliers and use a wrench to progress the nut on in several spots. Make sure to put the nut on backward when you do this so you don't mess up the leading edge of the nut for future use.

Frozen studs:
Attachment 199856

Air Impact Wrench came in handy:
Attachment 199855

5/22/24

3 hrs - Finish spindle mod for other side, complete rear hub prep

So I pulled through studs on the first hub using the washer method, but obtained a stud tool and used that for the second hub. It worked fine, not really better or worse, but left marks on the hub where the washers had not. Even though I lubed it up, I'm guessing the pressure pulled the hardened shell of the tool onto the hub face and marked it. The scratches are superficial and can barely be felt, but kind of annoying. I would stick with the freezer and washers if I had to do it again.

Attachment 199857
Attachment 199858

Assembled rear hubs and spindles. The manual shows the wrong bolt for this. The correct bolt is a flanged head bolt w/ integral washer and 15mm hex head. Marked as a 10.9 and looks to have a galvanized finished, although I'm not sure that's what it is. Just FYI.

Attachment 199859
Attachment 199860

5/24/24

2 hrs - Assemble rear suspension components

Put together the rear suspension arm bolts, eyes, etc. The female threads in the arms are rough and dirty. I suggest cleaning with a nylon brush and wiping them down thoroughly prior to assembly. I just do this with any threaded component at this point, male and female. Anti-seize on all adjustable components and adjust to specified lengths. Grease in all zerk fittings until it starts to come out the sides.

Attachment 199861

5/25/24

3 hrs - Correct the steering arm orientation

Well it finally happened. I had to go back and uninstall significant parts that I had thought were complete. Realized the day before that my steering arms were on the wrong sides. They were pointing out but down instead of up. I had looked at many pictures and threads before installing them and thought I had it right, but no. To fix it I thought I could just remove the steering arm nylock nuts, separate the lower tapered joint in the lower control arm and swap them...but no. The lower control arm refused to be parted from the spindle. I tried several tricks I found on the forum to no avail so finally conceded defeat and instead removed the rotor, caliper, and hub. I was thinking the hub removal was going to be a big hairy deal but it wasn't at all. Used a 24" breaker bar to loosen the nut and the hub pulled right off. Swapped the steering arm to the correct orientation, reinstalled the hub (with a new nuts from Autozone for a 89-97 Mustang, thanks again forum friends), torqued to spec and reinstalled the rotors and calipers. Now that I know how all of this goes together and have all the correct parts I can do in 15 minutes what it took hours to do the first time.

Corrected steering arm orientation:
Attachment 199862

Please someone tell me it looks right!?!?

Yep, steering arms up and out. Where are you in KC? Somehow, I missed your introductory thread. I'm in Tonganoxie if you want to stop by and check out my build, or if you want some experienced hands with yours. Happy to help! There's actually two of us in the process of building here in Tonganoxie...both MkIV, both IRS, one Coyote and a 427 stroker. My short block arrives Tuesday of this coming week! I can't wait to start building my engine! I'll be home all Memorial Day weekend; hit me up if you want to stop by!

Also...do yourself a favor and replace those upper blue ball joint covers on the front while it's easy to get to. They will crack. Mine did before I even had it off the chassis dolly. It's a $10 affair on Amazon...Energy Suspension 5.13102G. The kit comes with two uppers and two lowers; make sure you use the correct ones from this kit for your uppers.

Greg

Hi Greg! I've seen some of your posts on the forum and I'm pretty sure at least one of them has already helped answer some questions I've had! I didn't post an introductory thread, where's the best place to do that?

I'm on the other side of KC from you, on the edge at the south eastern-most tip of city limits. Grandview is right across the street from me so I'm pretty much never anywhere near you, but would like to make time to come out and take a look at some point. You both went big with the engines, eh? Nice. I'm looking for something light where I can put my foot down without driving it being all about throttle management.

Is separating the upper control arm from the spindle anywhere as difficult as the lower? Sounds like a good idea to replace the boot, but those tapered joints are a bear to remove. (I've already torqued it down.)

Shove a pickle fork (ball joint separator) in there, and whack it with a BFH, and it'll release. Happy to come help you with it.

Man, you got your kit quickly! It's looking great so far, you're going to be done before I finish the truck!

Good to hear from you, Matt! Glad you're here on the forum as well and thanks for saying 'hi'. My goal is to have it driving and functional by the end of July...but we'll see! I just got an email tonight that 5 or 6 boxes are on the way from FFR. I received most of my kit on delivery day but had the wheels, steering rack, springs/shocks, front differential mounting bushings and rear brake t-block backordered. It didn't seem like much at first, but I haven't been able to get a single major portion of the build done because I'm missing one piece! Hopefully that changes here soon.

5/27

3 hrs - Correct Steering Arm orientation

I thought this would be so simple. Separate the lower control arm where it bolts to the spindle, drop it down and unbolt the steering arm. Nope. I learned that those tapered joints are not to be trifled with. Couldn't get it off. Had to remove the brakes and hub assembly to remove the steering arm bolts, which really wasn't that bad other than the fact that I had to go buy new spindle hub nuts as they are a one time use item. My first big frustrating waste of time undoing something to correct a tiny mistake...but now I know. Note to future builders: the steering arms point up and out. Remember that and you'll be fine. (Wide part of tapered joint goes down.)

Incorrect:
Attachment 200069

Correct:
Attachment 200070

5/27

3 hrs - Install differential & major rear suspension components

I had my son help me hoist the differential into place. Definitely a two man job, although I've heard that a few brave souls have done it on their own with straps and hoists. The manual instructions are good and clear for this step. Quick note on the correct mounting bolts: the rear diff mounting bolts thread into the housing. I probably spent 10 minutes trying to find bolts long enough to put a nut on the other side until it dawned on me to check and see if the holes were threaded. They were. Can't mount the front bolts yet as the bushings are on back order.

Checking the install:
Attachment 200071

My son resting after some heavy lifting:
Attachment 200072

Attached the rear upper and lower control arms, as well as toe link. Instructions clear on this as well, prompted me to install the rear sway bar mount at this time...but the rear tabs for the upper and lower control arms were too far forward. The upper ones were fairly easy to bend back to fit (use plenty of grease), but the lower ones were thick gauge steel and tough to move. Used a 1/2" threaded rod about 1' long with shop towels to protect mounting point to lever it out. Tried the threaded rod and nut trick, but it kept wanting to move the forward mounting tab. Also make sure to clamp your bushings prior to install as they want to push outward after being greased.

Attachment 200073
Attachment 200074
Attachment 200075

I'm waiting to install the axles until I can get the differential locked in place. I've heard it can be difficult getting all 4 bolts lined up and don't want to deal with the axles while trying to do it.

5/28

3.5 hrs - Install Steering and start aluminum panels

Got the firewall and front pedal box aluminum panels drilled and cleco'd in place. Going back and forth between getting the firewall forward kit, but decided to stick with the stock piece and eliminate the glovebox in order to mount the heater. I'll keep the glovebox door as access behind the dash.

Started the steering. Instructions pretty clear except I didn't know to split up the mounting brackets for the pedalbox mounted pillowball and mounted both sides on the engine side. [Edit: learned at build school that both flanges go on engine side, just don't tighten them down until the steering shaft is inserted and located.] Now just waiting on the steering rack.

Attachment 200079
Attachment 200077
Attachment 200078
Attachment 200080

5/29

5 hrs - Prep & install gas tank

The manual instructions were not great on this. Look up the FFR build video #9 and the EFI supplement in pdf online if you are using the FFR supplied in tank fuel pump. Everything went real well until I had to connect the fuel pump to the harness in the mounting bracket. I guess you could just use the connectors on the mount to crimp onto the fuel pump terminals, but I didn't like that setup. I chose to use the fuel pump plug as it seems very secure and splice the wire. Tried to crimp it at first but wasn't happy with the outcome. Decided to solder instead and that worked out well. Took me so long because I had to take two trips to the hardware store to get all the needed supplies. Also used the OEM Ford filler neck gasket as I read lots of builders say the FFR supplied part tended to leak.

Used the round gaskets and lubed with motor oil instead of sealant as that seems like the best way to do it, per advice of many on the forum. Be sure to lube every gasket prior to install.

I'm using all the FFR supplied parts for my engine as it's a moderately powered 302. I will run 3/8" hardlines to future proof in case I decide to add a supercharger or swap engines. Installing a different pump and connecting lines would be pretty simple to do if needed, I just don't want to have to replace hardlines in the future.

Pics inside gas tank:
Attachment 200081
Attachment 200082

Ford gasket:
Attachment 200083

The gas strap eyelets were too small so I greased up a sacrificial bolt and ran it through to open it up a bit. The mounting bolts were still snug, but not enough to damage the threads.
Attachment 200084

I didn't have any trouble using the provided hardware to secure the straps. I've heard some need longer front bolts, but if you bend the flanges just a little bit it helps gain a few fractions of an inch.

In tank fuel pump ready to go, just need to connect the wires.
Attachment 200085

Solder and heat shrink.
Attachment 200086

Make sure to line up mesh filter with the baffle box so it doesn't interfere with installation.
Attachment 200087

It's in!
Attachment 200088

[Edit: A couple weeks later after further research I end up ordering and installing the Pro M fuel pump hanger assembly with 3/8" inlet & outlet. Keep scrolling to find it.]

You might consider not installing the rear sway bar with your IRS, and see how it drives first. I bought both front and rear sway bars with my complete kit w/IRS, and the general consensus seems to be you don't need or even want the rear sway bar with IRS, unless you've really dialed in your brake bias for track use. I also struggled with the fact that installing the rear sway bar on an IRS setup basically makes it 'not IRS' at that point...so I removed it. Just something to ponder.

Greg

A couple of quick notes for you John.

If you transfer your pictures from your phone to your computer, open them in Paint, and then resave it will sort out the rotation issues and save me from getting a kink in my neck.

You might reconsider the forward firewall, there's not very much space behind the dash and the extra it gives you is really nice. Plus it's thicker so more sturdy.


Mike

Super jealous of the time you are getting to spend. I haven't touched mine in a month. As Greg mentioned I am just outside of KC also if you want to stop by the shop or need anything let me know!!

Thanks for the input, Greg. I did a lot of research on this and only got the sway bar because I do hope to get on the track one day and sway bars are really helpful in tuning the suspension. If this was just a street car I probably wouldn't have messed with it. I figured I could always remove them later if I didn't like them, but I generally prefer a relatively soft spring setup with a hefty roll bar as opposed to crazy stiff springs. You are right that it does connect the rear tires in some fashion, but WAY less than with a solid axle and using one spring to help firm up the other upon load transfer is really helpful. But who knows where I will actually end up with it. These cars are so light you can't always use the same setup as with a heavier car, so I expect to learn as I go. ;)

Mike, thanks for the tip. Will certainly do that with the pics from now on.

I just attended the FFR build school this past weekend and that was one decision I made as we built the car. I was going back and forth about the firewall (not wanting to spend the money unless it was really needed), but it does make a lot of sense and makes use of space that would otherwise be wasted. I also changed my plans in a few other areas, will post about that shortly.

I received some back ordered items from FF while gone to the build school this past weekend. Only took about 2 weeks after receiving the kit to get them.

-15" Halibrands
-springs & shocks
-rear diff bushings
-brake t-fittings

The only thing I'm waiting on now is the power steering rack, which they just shipped yesterday. Should have all my parts by the end of the week!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kirby

Super jealous of the time you are getting to spend. I haven't touched mine in a month. As Greg mentioned I am just outside of KC also if you want to stop by the shop or need anything let me know!!

---

Thanks, kirby! I will have to find time to come visit you and Greg this summer. Are you the Coyote or 427? [Edit: just noticed Greg's signature has the 427, guessing you're the Coyote?]

Also got these while I was away:

Attachment 200321

SVE FR500 in 17x9 and 17x10.5 for track tires. These things are a steal at $200 each and free shipping. I weighed them on my scale this morning and the smaller ones are 21lbs and the larger 22lbs. I was surprised at how light they were as they feel pretty chunky and strong. Going to put rubber on them down the road once I'm ready for some track events. Using the 15" Halibrands for the street.

5/31-6/2 Build School Weekend

Had a great time at the build school with my dad and son Jasper. The instructors Scott and Todd did an amazing job and each have over 15 years of experience with these cars. They weren't selling or pushing anything but just talked through different options available and pointed out ways that the kit could be improved upon or areas that might need further attention. They weren't shy about telling you when a supplied part or factory instruction was lacking. I learned a ton and met some really great people. I took a lot of notes and will list a few things I learned that may be helpful to anyone else reading this or contemplating a build who will not attend the build school. Most everyone there who was on the fence about whether or not to start this project decided they could do it and plan to in the near future. It's a lot, but not really rocket science. If you have a good working knowledge of each system and how it's supposed to work, some reasonable mechanical inclination and can pay attention to details you can figure this out...but it's not for everyone.

A few tips:
-Use correct rivets for application. Short rivets are used to join two panels or a panel to thin wall frame (such as 3/4" tubing). Use longer rivets for anything else. [Edited to specify frame tubing thickness thanks to Greg's comment.]
-Extend the grooves in suspension bearing around and up the flat faces so that grease can lubricate the flat surfaces.
-Plumb each front and rear brake reservoir to the respective MC separately, don't use a y fitting from one reservoir. Because safety.
-Do one or all of the following: reinforce the gas pedal mounting bracket so it doesn't get pushed forward (it's not very strong), cut the top hole off the FF supplied gas pedal, or use a different gas pedal that mounts to the frame (I'm getting mine from Breeze). There is a chance that if you mash the gas too hard it could bend the mounting point and wedge the pedal in at full throttle position. Any of these solutions prevent that possibility.
-Check your inertia switch and reset prior to initial startup. Chance is good it got tripped on install and nothing will work until it's reset.
-Cut passenger side windshield support if longer than 9.5" as otherwise it could bottom out before setting down flush.
-Use black paint under carpet seams before setting the pieces in place to prevent visible gaps. Also, there are no scrap carpet pieces. Each piece is cut to fit a particular spot and there is no extra carpet. The pieces in the kit are almost perfectly cut for their respective panel, so almost no trimming is needed except around the doors.

Attachment 200351
Attachment 200352
Attachment 200353
Attachment 200354
Attachment 200355

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JMD

Plumb each front and rear brake reservoir to the respective MC separately, don't use a y fitting from one reservoir. Because safety.

---

Not actually true with the Wilwood pedal box, see this thread for further explanation. But it does make it easier to power bleed.

Hi John,

Thanks for the review of the build school tips. I receive my kit towards the end of July and I am starting to prep for the build. I found the following comment interesting:
"-Extend the grooves in suspension bearing around and up the flat faces so that grease can lubricate the flat surfaces."
Could you expand upon which bearing as it was not clear in my search of the manual as well as what tool was recommended to extend the groove?

Thank You, Andrew

6/6

5 hrs - Complete Rear Suspension & Diff Install

You're in luck Andrew, this is exactly what I did today before finishing up my rear suspension. Fortunately I hadn't torqued anything down as I was waiting for my front diff bushing to arrive from FFR. They did arrive this past weekend so I finished up installing the diff (loosely install all 4 bolts first, then tighten starting with rear bolts), modified the bushings, reassembled the suspension, installed the axles and rear spindles, and torqued it all to spec (except axle nuts).

Here is a picture of the bushing before and after (I said bearing earlier...it's actually a bushing...I think). No special tool needed. Put the piece in a vice (protected with a towel) and use a hacksaw to score the face of the bushing where the inner grooves terminate. You are basically extending the groove that carries grease to lubricate the bushing sides. The new grooves allow grease to reach these surfaces and keep them from needless friction and resistance to movement. The front upper control arm bushing already does this. Notice when you grease the fitting how it pushes out through the sides of the bushing. You are basically modifying all bushings to do the same.

Here is a before and after pic:
Attachment 200367
Attachment 200368

Installed diff vent (like $2-3 from Amazon):
Attachment 200369

Had to spread the mounting tabs for the spindle toe and lower mounts:
Attachment 200370

Installed axles, spindles, completed rear suspension. Let me know if something looks off, but I think it's good to go. Moves smoothly with no play at all. Tightened the hub nuts down to 80 ft/lb and made a note to tighten further once rear brakes are installed and can keep it from turning. Didn't want to potentially bend the lug nuts by using a lever...
Attachment 200371
Attachment 200372

Thanks John,

The explanation and pictures are very clear. Thanks for the tip.

Andrew

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JMD

-Use correct rivets for application. Short rivets are used to join two panels or a panel to frame. Use longer rivets for anything else.

---

This doesn't seem correct to me. I used short rivets for panel-to-panel, but longer rivets for panel to frame, with maybe the exception of panel to 3/4" square tubing.

Greg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gbranham

This doesn't seem correct to me. I used short rivets for panel-to-panel, but longer rivets for panel to frame, with maybe the exception of panel to 3/4" square tubing.

Greg

---

Good catch, Greg. Upon reviewing my notes that is a distinction I forgot to make. The short rivets are for panel to panel or panel to thin wall frame member (such as the 3/4" square tubing). Longer rivets are for panel to thick wall frame member or multiple panels to any frame member. (I'm sure using long rivets for panel to thin frame member is perfectly fine as well, just not the other way around.) I'll probably use short rivets for joining panels and long rivets for everything else. I will go back and edit to make that distinction in my original post.

6/7

5 hrs - Coilovers & Pedals

Finished installing the coilovers today. Pretty painless except for the blood blister I got trying to push the threaded sleeves past the bump stop to seat on the snap ring. I lubed the rubber stop with some motor oil, which helped a lot, but then forgot not to hold the shock body while pushing the sleeve over it. Scott at the build school said this would happen... Also verified the shocks were all set at full soft. Some of the upper mounting points were too close together for the shock w/ spacers, so had to spread some of them out a bit. Red Koni's can be mounted body up or down. I chose up to reduce unsprung weight and less vibration to shock body itself. Probably doesn't make a huge difference though. [Edit: 500lb springs up front, 400lb in the rear.] (Didn't they used to come with 350# instead of 400 or was that just with the solid axle?)

Final pic of rear suspension:

Attachment 200411

Pedal box was intimidating to start, but simple if you follow the FFR supplemental instructions. I had to google to find them online. It's always intimidating to cut into a new part, but there is a bit of drilling and cutting here. Brake MCs are identical at 3/4" bore. Not using a cable clutch, so didn't set that up yet. Waiting for the Mike Fortes hydraulic external slave clutch kit. Did cut the MC rods as I'm sticking with manual brakes after all. Pretty good day overall!

Cutting the plungers:
Attachment 200413

Pedal brackets installed and MCs done:
Attachment 200414

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JMD

400lb springs up front, 500lb in the rear.

---

Typo? 500lb go up front.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sarcasticshrub

Typo? 500lb go up front.

---

Correct...500# front, 400# rear.

JMD...slow down, buddy! You're doing a lot of rework...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sarcasticshrub

Typo? 500lb go up front.

---

Just making sure those of you following are paying attention. :-D I think working on the pedal box used up more grey cells than I anticipated...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gbranham

Correct...500# front, 400# rear.

JMD...slow down, buddy! You're doing a lot of rework...

---

Hehe. Can't stop, won't stop. :evil grin:

6/8

3.5 hrs - Coilover check & Steering rack

So the first thing I did was spend time verifying that the 500# springs were up front and the 400# springs in the rear...and after 20 min or so they were. Lucky me. ;) It did get me thinking about how easy it is to swap out coilovers on this car. Instead of swapping springs for street and track it makes a lot of sense to just run two separate sets of coilovers. 30 min to jack the car up and switch them. Keeping that thought in the back of my mind for future use.

Received my backordered steering rack from FFR yesterday, so started on that today. Removed the old bushings and installed the new ones with metal sleeve, cleaned out the rod end threads (they were pretty junky) and got it all set to install. Took me a while to figure out why one tie rod was about 2" longer than the other. After much thought and double checking measurements I realized I was assuming the steering rack was centered in it's travel. Put the steering shaft on to check and it wasn't. Problem solved. Centered the steering and installed the outer tie rods after much research about whether they needed cutting. (Didn't want to find out they did and I didn't have enough adjustment available upon aligning.) I jacked up the front suspension after disconnecting the upper shock mounts, getting the lower control arms parallel to the ground to simulate ride height and appoximated where the front hubs needed to be to point straight ahead. Still a good 1" of adjustment left in either direction, which would be more than enough to get the toe correct. Applied some anti-seize to rod ends and threadlocker to rack mounting bolts and torqued to spec. Mounting the rack is tight, but apply lots of WD40 to the bushings and mounting tabs and it slid right in...with a little persuasion.

Always clean out fresh cut threads:
Attachment 200487

Pull out OEM bushings and install FFR supplied (poly?) bushings. Much firmer.
Attachment 200488

Close up at estimated ride height:
Attachment 200489

All buttoned up:
Attachment 200490

Lots of great forum threads on installing steering rack. It seems like there is no need to cut anything if using the FFR supplied power rack...but as supplied parts change that might as well. But mine seems to be fine as is.

6/9

1 hr - Reinstall steering shaft

After removing the shaft to install the steering rack I then reinstalled it, with a few minor changes. I installed the footbox pillow ball with the set screws facing toward the footbox instead of the engine bay. This allows more space so that the steering shaft can be removed from the rack without having to move the rack. This was also a tip from the building school instructors. I also corrected the installation of the pillow ball, putting both flanges on the engine bay side of the footbox...just don't tighten down until the shaft is in it's final position. I also dimpled under each set screw in the shaft to ensure no slippage. Any intrusion into the universal joint can limit the movement, which would be bad.

Bottom of flange was barely contacting the universal joint, smoothed it down with dremel:
Attachment 200632
Attachment 200631
Attachment 200633