IV_Joe's MK4 427 Roadster Build

[IV_Joe]

Greetings All,
I suppose it’s time to announce my existence. I’ve been a “car guy” for as long as I can remember. In my youth I vividly recall drooling over my grandfather’s 1973 Triumph Stag, my first employer’s all original 1969 Z28 RS, and the GT40 poster on my bedroom wall. I call Central North Carolina my home and am a Machinist by trade although I’ve done more work in the CAD/CAM arena than actually cutting metal over the last decade. My first job in High School was as a mechanic in a small local shop. I have always done all of the service/repair work to my own vehicles and am comfortable with what I consider Basic Mechanic-ing. I’ve been reading build threads and checking in with this forum ever since I discovered it about four years ago. During that time I’ve been saving up to do this in a somewhat financially responsible way as I am not a particularly wealthy person. I am committed to the fact that this is purely a recreational endeavor and I will not acquire any debt in the process. While it may seem counter-intuitive I will not be cutting corners on account of funds. I have no budget. If it takes 2-3 years or longer for this to be “graduated” so be it. That being said, I ordered a complete MK4 kit several weeks ago. I was still a couple grand short of my savings goal, however due to the lead times with FFR I will be well beyond that threshold by the time the kit is completed. My completion date is October 23rd. Details of my build are below and I’ll expand on some of the decisions that were and perhaps still are difficult for me.

MK4 Complete Kit
Powder coated chassis
Big Block mounts
TKX Transmission
390/427/428 Headers
Hyd. Clutch Master cyl.
Holly EFI
IRS
Body cutouts
Leather seats
Power steering
Vintage gauges
17x9/10.5 Halibrand Replica Wheels
Wind Wings
Wipers (state requirement)
Brake duct mesh
Vinyl dash with glovebox
Chrome rollbar (DS only)
Assembled Louver set
2018 IRS center section & spindles
12.88 Willwoods red front and rear
Several Popular Mods including but not limited to: Drop Trunk, turn signal, etc.

I suppose that’s enough to be getting on with. You may notice I’m missing an engine. Well that’s been a super difficult decision for me. The first car I bought with my own money was a 96’ Mustang Cobra. I loved the engine in that thing. It was a small yet very excitable 4.6L that was tons of fun to drive and initially decided on something similar. Not for the last time, I changed my mind after reading up on the Coyote in several build threads. It seemed a logical, well proven, and more powerful “next generation” option from my beloved 4.6L. And that is what it was going to be for a long time. However, several months ago my uncle who happens to be a 35 year veteran in building racing engines, primarily Porsche, talked me out of it in favor of something more… well more. His suggestion was a rebuilt Ford FE 390. In theory bored and stroked to somewhere in the 427 neighborhood. Getting relatively close to the original OEM FE 427. Re-machined and rebuilt by yours truly, with experienced supervision. The engine build goal of 450-500 HP/Torque with the reliability of EFI and modern engine components. I must say this going forward. I believe the most important thing to know is what you don’t know. I do not know how to build an engine. Fortunately, my uncle does and has offered his assistance. In my opinion this falls in line very well with the FFR mantra of “Built not Bought”. An original FE family engine block with entirely modern components seems to be a fitting nod to the origins of the Roadster. So the only component of this car bought already assembled will be the TKX Transmission. There is wizardry involved in gear boxes that I am perfectly content to not fully understand. Words cannot express my anticipation and excitement about this adventure. At this point there really is not anything for me to do but wait. I’ve designated space in my small garage, built a chassis dolly/body buck, and made arrangements with Stewart Transportation. I’ll try and upload some photos of my workspace for review. Very interested in everyone’s opinion.