What decisions did you make during the build?

[elspanishgeek]

Hi y'all. I'm about to receive my complete kit in 2 weeks and while I've been going through the manual, the videos, and many build threads on this forum, I am noticing that one of the main factors that slow the build down is getting to a decision point and getting stuck. Either due to having to order parts (or some people making their own) or just the back and forth of picking one of the multiple possible solutions, and I'd like to have everything as clear as possible beforehand. I'm probably gonna get chewed out for this, but I'd like to complete the car in about 2 to 3 months. I recently sold my company and I'm taking a bit of a sabbatical before going back to being a productive member of society and fully intend and expect to be working on this car between 40 to 60 hours a week (gotta enjoy still being young and single).

I'm really not looking to customize much, if at all, so hopefully, that's gonna simplify things. It seems that some decisions are global for all builds (e.g.: where to route the brake lines, going rigid or flexible, using single or dual reservoirs), while others are specific to the configuration of each kit (e.g.: if using a hydraulic clutch, whether to go for a double or triple reservoir), which I'm trying to source from all the build threads I'm going through, but I figured I could tackle this in a more specific way. Hopefully, this will be useful for others in the future as well.

Here is my kit configuration:

• Cabureted 347
• Hydraulic clutch
• Power steering
• IRS
• Willwood brakes
• Heater-defroster

So, what were some big decisions you made and why did you go that route?

[Blitzboy54]

I would think you could mechanically finish the car in that time frame working those hours. The issues that will slow you down are as I see it are

1. Back ordered parts - I received my kit in February and I still don't have spindles, seats, gas cap, a number of other parts and will not for at least another 30 days. This is just one example. Supply chains are stressed right now.

2. Paint and body - If you have those skills then sweet, if you don't you will find is challenging to get anyone that has experience with these cars to do it in that short a time. Waits for paint and body range from 6 months to 2 years in some cases.

Other than that I would recommend reading up on others build threads. Edwardb is the gold standard, Papa, Fman, Nuhale just to name a few. If you study how it went for them you will really get a better idea. For me it's I have a general direction I want to go then sort of refine it as I get there. That can take time.

Congrats on selling your business. That is pretty awesome.

[ggunter]

It is very doable to complete the car in 2-3 months as far as the chassis goes, two months easy if you have all the parts. That's the rub. backordered parts are what slows everyone down if not to a craw or stop. I waited 100 days for a radiator, shocks and steering wheel, and finally bought a radiator from Rock Auto to keep moving on the build. It all depends on the vendor supply chain to FFR as to how quickly your car gets done. Then there is body and paint. If your capable of doing that part yourself figure on a month doing it yourself, depending on your own capabilities. The chassis was the fun part for me. It took me 33 working days total to build it only working on Saturdays and some Fridays. Paint and body work are not my forte but I got it done and the car looks good. You will find out the kit is pretty well thought out and goes together very easily and if you hit a snag there is a boat load of talent on here to help you over the bumps. Good luck and stay excited, they are really cool cars.

[AC Bill]

Some delays I experienced back when I built my roadster. were from modifications I chose to do. Being there was no manual on how to do them, and usually some parts/components had to be custom fabricated, they took some time. Footbox ventilation system, drivers outside footbox dead pedal extension, rad lower support system, wiring/relays for add-ons, such as driving lights, cockpit courtesy lights, 12v power outlet, removable tranny tunnel cover, cup holders, classic style ashtray, clutch cable firewall adjuster, for example.

I had also ordered many FFR optional items, which added to the build time to install. Wipers, heater/defogger, full hoop bumpers, passenger side roll bar, side and upper windshield visors, 3-link rear suspension, for example. Adding them didn't mean overly lengthy delays, but each one added more time to the build. Some you could add down the road, but others it would be a pain to do once the car was finished.

There was no "complete" kit available to Canadians at that time, so some delays were experienced in finding out where some parts could be located, locally or from aftermarket vendors in the US. Much of the nuts, and bolts hardware, some electrical, relays, wire, etc., I could get locally, but many things were US only. Adjustable brake m/cylinder rod, Cobra style instrumentation. (IE; with reverse read 0-180 speedo), were not off the shelf items in Canada. I had to order the Koni coil-overs from a US vendor. because of import laws, FFR couldn't add them to my options order. Being in the US, this sort of thing shouldn't thwart you, but these are some delays I experienced.

Also, how fussy you are about your build, plays a factor in build time. Checking over every build step very carefully, before, and after you do it, takes time, and means not rushing things. If you put the time in initially, it could save you from headaches, and down time in the future. Plus you should feel safer, and more confident, when driving the car.

[NAZ]

Two to three months? LMAO, you made my day.

I told the wife that I'd be ready for paint in 6-mths but then scope creep happens and off the Rez I go. I'm retired and I work in my well equipped shop 7-days a week and have lot's of experience building cars and fabricating things; still it was 3,700 hours & 1,850 beers later (not counting the 4-mounths my painter had my body) before I drove the thing.

Like others will tell you, delays happen as you never have all the parts you need when you need them. And as for the decisions, I was constantly designing, engineering, and problem solving every single day -- it was great!

Look at the project as a fun thing to do and don't start putting a lot of deadlines, schedules, and stress on yourself. It will be complete when it's complete -- nothing good ever comes from rushing a job. Driving the car and the whole owner-built experience is great but the building is the most fun. Don't create lofty goals that will only cause stress and disappointment. Have fun with the build.

[Al_C]

Just a few opinions from my corner: Consider scope creep. You may start out thinking you'll do a by-the-book, standard build, then you get to thinking "what if I added..." You rationalize it by saying "it will be easier now before the body is on...". I'm not saying any of this is problematic. It happened to me and I'm sure it happened to many others. My suggestion is that you carefully consider the end goal you referenced and, if it's still valid, stick to it.

FWIW, in my opinion there is no decision on where to run lines. Fuel lines go as high as possible on the PS tube; brake lines go as high as possible on the DS tube. The decision point on fuel lines is hard or flexible. I'm in the flexible camp, and that's after having run hard lines initially. Also, if you want a glove box, skip the heater. I haven't used my heater yet.

Last opinion: If you're on a timetable, plan on doing as much as you can on your own. Availability of others can obviously have a direct impact on elapsed time. There were specific tasks where I lacked the confidence to do it on my own and I lost a fair amount of time waiting for people who knew what they were doing to be available to help.

Good luck with your build. With the commitment you reference, I think your 2-3 month timetable is possible!

[Hoooper]

Your biggest issue based on what people are saying who received their kits recently is going to be that you wont have all your backordered parts by the end of your 2-3 month timeframe

[edwardb]

Can't add too much to what's already been said. Your build looks pretty straightforward. Wheels, tires, and transmission choices are the main things I don't see. Pretty important. Aside from what you listed, for me must have options are the dropped trunk, Russ Thompson turn signal, and the Breeze lower radiator mount. Everything else is just frosting on the cake.

You won't know what your backorder list is until delivery. But expect it to be significant, unfortunately, and it will affect your aggressive timeline. As others have said. Factory Five is dealing with supply chain issues just like everyone right now. Even major sites like Summit, etc. are showing long lead times that didn't used to exist. I've done several kits and typically the backorders were completed in a month or two. For my current truck build, delivered in late December, just received the last parts. Almost six months. Won't prevent you from having lots to work on. But you'll maybe need to jump around a bit and for sure may affect when it's done. Bodywork and paint is also a big deal as others have mentioned. DIY will probably take longer than you think. Shops around here, and from what I've heard most everywhere, are really backed up.

Good luck. As stated -- don't pressure yourself. Enjoy the build.

[hineas]

Like others said, the back ordered parts will slow you down more than anything else.

For example, my kit was delivered in February this year. 4 months later I still don't have my steering wheel, dash vinyl, gas cap, power steering, and front spindles. Most of those aren't an issue, but we would be go karting right now if we had the power steering and spindles. We also had other back ordered parts that forced us to build things way out of order.

I have put 16 days of work and the mechanical section is nearly complete. All we have left is the steering then bleeding the brakes. These 16 days are almost all FULL days (10-15 hours each) and I am building it with my brother and his 16 year old son. As such, I think that doing this in 2-3 months is absolutely doable IF you don't have other commitments and you have all the parts.

Now on to your actual question.

I don't have any specific answers, but you are on the right track. Reading build threads, the build manual, watching the videos, etc. all helped my be prepared so I didn't get stuck trying to figure things out. I have a Google drive document with all my notes and links to threads that I think would help.

Avoiding multiple modifications will also speed the build process quite a bit because you will avoid some of those road blocks you mentioned. But make sure you won't regret skipping some modifications just to save time.

There are a few road blocks we ran into during the mechanical section. We were lucky since our schedule is such that we work in 2-4 day spurts with a few weeks break in between. This meant we could order parts during these breaks which helped.

Here are some of the issues we ran into as well as some tips:

1) Do a complete inventory and take your time during the inventory. We went through everything and took our time. We still missed things. For example, although we counted every bolt, we didn't check sizes. We had a handful of bolts or nuts that were the wrong size or the wrong thread. We even had a few that were the wrong length. Use a bolt and thread identifier and open every pouch.

2) we had to wait for the hydraulic clutch hose. We ended up doing a flexible hose. Order this on the day you put your engine in. Figure out how you are going to route it, measure it, then order. We ended up getting a hose with a 1/8 NPT end since it screwed directly into the master cylinder. The other end was a 4AN fitting because that is what our throw bearing was. It was nice not having any additional adapters.

3) back ordered parts. Sorry. Not much can be done. We did end up buying some of the cheaper things and took it as a loss because we didn't want to be hung up. We ended up buying several bolts, nuts, rivets, etc. Some people have even bought the bigger parts on their own back. I have heard that some people have gotten a credit from Factory Five if they bought the parts themselves and asked Factory Five to not ship them the parts. I don't know if this is still an option since I haven't done it.

4) when you run into an issue and you need to order parts, there is always something else you can work on. We built things out of order. You have to be careful that you don't block off something you haven't done yet, but if you are familiar with the manual you can figure out what can be done out of order. For example, the manual starts on the front end. We did the upper control arms, but the rest was back ordered so we then finished the rear end. We even ended up installing the engine before we had the front lower control arms. If you are flexible you can get a lot done while waiting for back ordered parts.

5) figure out what specialty tools you will need to help speed up the process and get them before you start a project. One such tool is an air riveter. We have done everything manually, but my 16 year old nephew loves riveting so we let him do about 70% of the rivets. They are time consume and you do a ton, so get that tool before you need it. Another example is the engine hoist. We reserved a rental hoist so we knew we could get it. I always tried to read the instructions and build threads a day or two ahead so I could get everything ready before I started for the day.

6) Trips to the parts store, hardware store, etc. take forever. We keep s list of what we need to buy and try to get as much done before we absolutely have to buy it. Just last week we needed to buy some electrical connectors. Instead of going to buy some right away, we just marked what needed to be done and skipped those connectors. We then moved on to the dash and had to buy a bunch more connectors. Then we realized we needed two more hose clamps. Then we realized we hadn't connected the heater hoses and when we looked at that we realized we needed a few parts. We ended up going to the hardware store once that day instead of 3 times. I learned my lesson after going 4 times in one day...

I can't think of any other road blocks, but I'm sure there were others.

Good luck with the build. Waiting for delivery is probably the hardest part!

[JohnK]

The backorder problem is real, and it will be an issue for you not just with the FFR-supplied parts but will parts in general in the current climate. I just placed an order with one of the popular electrical supply houses that many here use, and half the order is backordered until mid-August. I'm dead in the water on power wiring unless I find an alternate source.