25th MKIV #9772 Build NOR*CAL: new vanity plate

[toadster]

moved the dash down about another 1/8th inch to account for the RT Turn Signal, the center and passenger side look good - may have to shave the driver side a bit during body fitting


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got more wiring done for the rear ABS signal wires 22AWG is so small...!!

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[toadster]

I've been battling around what to do in the trunk to add more space since I have the large Boyd's Tank - only room for 2" drop, not a deep one, but ever little bit counts!

trimmed off the passenger side diagonal, left about 7 inches... now to find a good sheet-metal person to take my plans and get my mini-drop trunk setup!

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[John Ibele]

May or may not be an issue, one on line builder left the clamps holding the dash in place, on too long. Results, depressions in the padded dash that would not come out.

This is a good general caution. Shortly after finishing my dash I left it face down across the tranny tunnel for 'only a few hours' while we went out to dinner. I know, not great shop practice. I was rewarded with a nice dent across my glove box door which took a few days to completely fade away. A few more hours and I think I would have been facing a re-do.

[toadster]

did a ton of measuring last night for the CF dash, not a part that can disguise screwups so it's a measure 10x and cut once type of setup...

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I ordered other buttons/switches from https://billetautomotivebuttons.com/ and they should be here soon, will do a final setup, measure and place the dash soon
I do plan on prepping the dash setup and putting the seat in the car to verify visibility of dials and lights

my son and I started determining the wire diet for the Wilwood EPB, but waiting to finalize any wire cuts due to the placement of the EPB and ACC line
the wire loom is excellent, but about 2x the length that is needed

if you remember, I can't do the RT drop trunk because I have the Boyd's Tank gastank

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also played around with some CAD to do the trunk floor drop design, something I haven't done in years... getting some ideas on how to lay it out

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it's about 35" length at it's widest and 10.5" high in the square area, and 2.1" deep

[egchewy79]

This is a good general caution. Shortly after finishing my dash I left it face down across the tranny tunnel for 'only a few hours' while we went out to dinner. I know, not great shop practice. I was rewarded with a nice dent across my glove box door which took a few days to completely fade away. A few more hours and I think I would have been facing a re-do.

I also found that if you leave your shoulder harness on a padded leather wrapped trans tunnel, it'll leave a mark that takes a bit to resolve.

[460.465USMC]

Hi Todd. I thought it was your thread (can't seem to find it now) where you commented about using version W of the RF Chassis Harness instructions. I downloaded version T from F5 website instructions page a month ago. Wondering if I have an outdated version of the manual? If you have version W, would you mind sending it to me?

[toadster]

the W copy I have is hardcopy - maybe FFR could post a new one!

[toadster]

making some progress... was on vacation to visit 2 of our kids in Albuquerque last week, so back at it!

got the ABS HCU wired up, all the wheel sensor wires are soldered in and just need to find 12V constant connections and land the grounds, 2 more CAN wires will have to wait for the ECU
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we ended up using the TS100 Digital OLED Programmable Soldering Iron Station with B2 Tip, DC5525 Embedded Interface STM32 Sensor Chip

It's fully portable and uses the DeWalt 18V battery with this adapter


also got by billet buttons from https://billetautomotivebuttons.com/ (Australian company)
very nice quality, and look to be well built/documented - plus customizable!

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I was able to borrow a Siroco heater-A/C unit from Ken Pike to see how to mock up in the roadster.
this setup is used in the HotRod and Coupe, and will take some modification...

my son is a whiz at 3D printing so we're testing out some fitment possibilities to maximize space behind the dash
here's a sample print, still refining...

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also figuring out the number of relays needed for my accessories and thinking of a nice fuse block with expansion

This one looks to be built rather well and has excellent reviews; 6 of the fuses are HAAT, and 6 are ACC
Blue Sea Systems 12 Blade ATO/ATC Fuse Block

[JB in NOVA]

Dang, that is impressive! Nice work.

[toadster]

it's been a busy week, I've been helping my son get his house ready for sale - 4 18 hour days of painting, crown-molding, moving cut lumber, etc... sheesh!

anyhoo - back to the car..

I did final payment on my engine/trans with Mike Forte - but still waiting on the control pack!! should be here in a few weeks!
I also ordered an A/C kit from FFR, but no ETA yet - that's really holding up my 'behind-dash' layout plans as it will be a custom setup...

so I figured I'd start laying out the lower panel below the dash - just ahead of the shifter

I have to say, I've been having fun with a free tool called eMachineshop.com, honestly I could play with this thing all day but have to get more done
it will even do estimates and let you see things in 3D

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now that it's laid out, I'll probably wait a bit more to do the dash since it has the drop down section and the Whitby box that I bought is too high, so some trimming will be needed

[toadster]

Finally got my drop trunk built and pre-drilled today - I was glad to find a local sheet metal guy https://sheet-metal-contractors.cmac...et-metal/1278/
He did the 31.5" x 10.5" x 2" drop trunk for $60 and even soldered the corners to seal things up

my prior design was keeping more of the x-brace in the trunk, but ended up cutting it to make more room, now at least it's rectangular and can fit some larger things.
In total, it comes out to be about .38 sq ft, which is a little over 2 gallons... not huge, but will make a difference! Would I do it again? hmm... probably!

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note that this is galvanized, and I wanted to protect the soldered joints so i sprayed some paint on them - it will be covered up, but a little paint never hurts
I got my trusty DeWalt grinder and quickly removed the rest of the 3/4" tube on the driver side. I left about 5-7 inches of the diagonal on both sides to give the box a little more support

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the next part was tricky - aligning the trimmed trunk piece, and fitting the drop trunk was really tight... I had to remove/refit, shave, trim, etc to get it just right... I think its going to be really helpful to keep tools and stuff from sliding all around in the trunk

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this last pic gives some idea on size with a couple of soda cans... like I said, it's not huge, but it will sure help...
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[Vspeeds]

Looking good Todd

[JohnK]

That looks great! I'm sure every little bit of extra space will help with such a small trunk.

[toadster]

Looking good Todd

That looks great! I'm sure every little bit of extra space will help with such a small trunk.

thanks guys! this was one of the big tradeoffs going with the Boyd Welding tank - 25 gallons of gas vs 15, but no standard 'drop trunk' like Russ Thompson (or others) have done...
gives me back a little more room!

[toadster]

ok - got the trunk paneling 99% done! almost ready to button up the seating panels - making some last minute cabling changes then it will be sealed up!

starting to get sealed up!

the hinged access panel, just in case the fuel pump needs service
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fuel sender access panel with some rivnuts, will dig up some black 10/24 screws to match the carpet
realizing since I was cutting the 3/4" supports, I should have just went wall-to-wall for the drop box... !!
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driver side kickpanel riveted in finally...
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center section mounted up
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the trunk all buttoned up, just need a latching point for the hinged door and will probably run some Sheetmetal trim to keep things tidy
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[toadster]

lots more aluminum work today, getting the cockpit sealed up, running out of rivets again!! LOL

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my wife has been working nights, so I was a good hubby today and made her some chicken and smoked mac & cheese on the smoker today
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and I installed my 'red' sticker for my starter button - got it from http://rappygraphics.com - they do amazing work with vinyl, and most of my Raptor has stuff from them
can't complain for $5 and they sent 3 of them just in case they got boogered up... a little heat and it fits the concave Raptor start button perfectly!
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I think once this back wall is done, the only riveting left will be the driver footbox, maybe the center tunnel and some odd and ends... whew!

[toadster]

started mocking up the Breeze cubby wall and the rollbars last night, moved the cubby wall to 11.5" back from the cockpit wall/upper trunk floor - just happened to work out that way due to the extra side panels I installed

after installing the rear slant bars, and adding the hoops, I need to move the slanted bars UP to the hoop for fitment THEN drill
drilling is going to be an exciting moment to be honest...

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[Fman]

Nice work Todd! Really coming together nicely...

Having A/C will definitely make the Sacramento summers much more tolerable to drive your car! and we really need to get everyone at your place this fall for some of that smoked Mac 'n Cheese & Chicken!

[toadster]

Nice work Todd! Really coming together nicely...

Having A/C will definitely make the Sacramento summers much more tolerable to drive your car! and we really need to get everyone at your place this fall for some of that smoked Mac 'n Cheese & Chicken!

yeah, if FFR could actually ship the A/C unit I could start the fab work! they're SOOOOO backordered right now!
Agreed, I can cook up a storm for the next get-together! Nobody will go home hungry!


I'm currently fitting up, prepping to drill the rollbars - but the darn things are stuck! the tolerances are really tight! Trying to take my time and not scratch the chrome, I've used gloves and no luck... one of those walk away moments for sure!

edit: got them 'un-stuck'

noticed there's a little bump on the front supports, I assume those are 'stops' and not something I need to drive the bars 'past' to lock them in?
the manual shows what I think is an older style where the rollbars go inside the mounts

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[Fman]

yeah, if FFR could actually ship the A/C unit I could start the fab work! they're SOOOOO backordered right now!
Agreed, I can cook up a storm for the next get-together! Nobody will go home hungry!


I'm currently fitting up, prepping to drill the rollbars - but the darn things are stuck! the tolerances are really tight! Trying to take my time and not scratch the chrome, I've used gloves and no luck... one of those walk away moments for sure!

edit: got them 'un-stuck'

noticed there's a little bump on the front supports, I assume those are 'stops' and not something I need to drive the bars 'past' to lock them in?
the manual shows what I think is an older style where the rollbars go inside the mounts

rollbar bump.png old-style-rollbar.PNG

Are you using a Cobalt bit? that is hard steel and it will destroy any other bit than a Cobalt. I bought two Cobalt bits, one for a pilot hole and the other larger for the bolt. I also used the 520 Speed works boltless kit for upper bolt, nice setup and eliminates the Frankenstein bolt and risk of chipping the roll bars where you can see it.

I honestly do not recall those stops/bumps on mine, I just pushed down the bar as far as possible. They definitely could have been there just did not see them. Probably did not notice them because I stopped reading the manual half way through my build

[JohnK]

noticed there's a little bump on the front supports, I assume those are 'stops' and not something I need to drive the bars 'past' to lock them in?
the manual shows what I think is an older style where the rollbars go inside the mounts

rollbar bump.png

My frame has those little bumps also, so I think they must be an intentional stop and not just a random weld booger.

[toadster]

Are you using a Cobalt bit? that is hard steel and it will destroy any other bit than a Cobalt. I bought two Cobalt bits, one for a pilot hole and the other larger for the bolt. I also used the 520 Speed works boltless kit for upper bolt, nice setup and eliminates the Frankenstein bolt and risk of chipping the roll bars where you can see it.

I honestly do not recall those stops/bumps on mine, I just pushed down the bar as far as possible. They definitely could have been there just did not see them. Probably did not notice them because I stopped reading the manual half way through my build

LOL yeah I catch myself doing things and thinking, hmm I should check the manual... but then you get situations like this where it's REALLY outdated!
I am using cobalt bits, and I too have the 520 speedworks boltless kit - the problem I'm having is that the tube fitting is so tight that it's not easy to rotate the assembly - did yours spin easily together? or was it a tight fit?

[Fman]

LOL yeah I catch myself doing things and thinking, hmm I should check the manual... but then you get situations like this where it's REALLY outdated!
I am using cobalt bits, and I too have the 520 speedworks boltless kit - the problem I'm having is that the tube fitting is so tight that it's not easy to rotate the assembly - did yours spin easily together? or was it a tight fit?

Tight fit, takes a little bit of twisting power to get them together. I also had to put a pipe bender on the lower rear passenger tab to bend it a tad and get the alignment better for the rear leg. This seemed to help make it easier to twist the rear bar together with the 520 kit. The better you can make it fit will help Ken out because he is going to have to take it apart and re-install it.

[egchewy79]

I have the bumps at the bottom of my mounts as well. I did need to "hone" the inside of the rear tube and sand the mating surface of the upper tube to get my boltless kit to spin easily. That and a lot of white lithium grease. Use some antiseize on the upper bolt threads and consider using red loctite on the lower threads as mine started to unthread from the bottom when I was trying to remove it after mocking it up with blue loctite. It's a huge pain in the a$$ if the lower threads spin instead of the upper ones.

[toadster]

I have the bumps at the bottom of my mounts as well. I did need to "hone" the inside of the rear tube and sand the mating surface of the upper tube to get my boltless kit to spin easily. That and a lot of white lithium grease. Use some antiseize on the upper bolt threads and consider using red loctite on the lower threads as mine started to unthread from the bottom when I was trying to remove it after mocking it up with blue loctite. It's a huge pain in the a$$ if the lower threads spin instead of the upper ones.

Thanks E

yes, we dremelled the male and female ends and used quite a bit of white lithium grease to fit them up... it's amazing how a small coating of chrome can create such a friction point!!
also, I highly recommend an automatic center punch, painters tape, and 2 cobalt bits: 3/16" to get through the initial cut, and 5/16" for the final holes - use lots of cutting oil too!

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only 6 holes drilled but took us about an hour since this hardened steel is pretty tough!
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[egchewy79]

might be too late, but make sure you consider the orientation for the roll bar bolts with the rear cockpit wall on. I think I installed by bolts side to side instead of front to back to make assembly/disassembly a bit easier.

[toadster]

might be too late, but make sure you consider the orientation for the roll bar bolts with the rear cockpit wall on. I think I installed by bolts side to side instead of front to back to make assembly/disassembly a bit easier.

we definitely thought several times about that and given the tight clearance against the inside wall we opted to drill front to back, not side to side, but then again I'm going to have Ken install them after paint
I spend quite a while looking through forum pics to see what folks did for their installations... it's honestly a mix of stuff!

[toadster]

engine arrives Oct 1st - super excited!

worked a bit tonight on the lower dash setup
came out a bit wonky, but used some aluminum strips to square things out

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the head unit is going to be VERY tight... Alpine ILX-W650 that is already very shallow, we shall see when things go together...

also started my Vinegaroon today to stain my leather door pulls
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I used some 0000 steel wool and white vinegar

will be checking the mixture the next few days prior to filtering it

[toadster]

last night did more work in the trunk area, I think we're 99% ready to start putting down the Thermo-tec layer

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where does everyone run their electrical/audio lines for setups like this? grommet out the bottom of the trunk? or down the side rails?
it's pretty amazing how tight things get when it all comes together like this!!

[JohnK]

That cubby wall looks good. Nice job slotting in the trunk struts. I didn't install any audio in my build, but if I was going to I'd probably run the wiring similar to how the rear harness is run - through a grommet in the trunk floor and then along the transmission tunnel. That would put it right at your center console.

[toadster]

That cubby wall looks good. Nice job slotting in the trunk struts. I didn't install any audio in my build, but if I was going to I'd probably run the wiring similar to how the rear harness is run - through a grommet in the trunk floor and then along the transmission tunnel. That would put it right at your center console.

that's my initial thought... want to keep power and audio wires separated though, just my nature to make clean audio - but then again, what do I know, probably won't hear much anyways LOL

I have to remember to save room for 3rd brake light wiring, and internal trunk lighting too... geesh! this stuff adds up quickly!

[toadster]

here are some pics of how I prepped the Breeze cubby

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4 holes? yep - adding rear speakers; so I used a 4 3/4" hole saw for the setup

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since I'm mounting my subwoofer on the breeze wall, I wanted to give it some more 'structure' so I added these simple braces to keep the wall a bit more rigid

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mounted the mid-wall with some thermotec to help deaden the tinny sounds... I used some of the scraps from trimming to where the subwoofer will be mounted just to dampen any odd vibrations - this will get carpeted over as well


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the rear cockpit wall trimmed out, just a few more holes to mount speakers but in all essence done and ready to mount
I imagine it will be simpler to put carpet in this section with the cockpit wall not yet attached - recommendations?

[toadster]

My engine was supposed to arrive today but it won’t be till Monday or Tuesday so I took my frustrations out on my dashboard

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[Fman]

Great work Todd you are really pulling together one amazing car. That dash looks sick!

[johnpinetree]

You are crushing!

[toadster]

Dyed my door pulls last night...



Simple concoction to make this (and super cheap!)
• mason jar(s) https://amzn.to/3uDnmiY
• vinegar (I used white vinegar, but apple cider works good too!) https://amzn.to/3a9ADWW
• 0000 steel wool (don't use a brillo pad because of the soap) https://amzn.to/3uH6tnw
• plastic wrap https://amzn.to/3A5E2kc
• coffee filters https://amzn.to/3lhw6IF
• paintbrush, you can use a foam brush as well https://amzn.to/3D6TM8q
• a few days’ time...


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Steps to create this:
1. Fill one of your jars with steel wool. I did about 1 steel wool pads in my 16 oz jar but depending on the size of your mason jar you can add more/less. You can also shred them up to create more surface area.
2. Fill the jar with vinegar, about 3/4ths full if it’s a smaller jar. Cover it up with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in it. This allows some of the gas to escape during the chemical process.
3. Make sure you put your jar somewhere that it’s warm, and away from noses – it can smell during the process. Also, protect the area around the jar in case you bump it or spill any of the mixture.
4. Now the patience kicks in - stir it every day to help get the bubbles to rise and mix the rust. Some say by 3 days it should be done. You should be getting a rusty brown color on your surface and more of a rust than a vinegar smell near the end.
5. I filtered the mixture 3 times with the coffee strainer, it’s still a cloudy mixture but you just want to remove the chunks!
6. Be sure to be in a ventilated area and wear some gloves! Paint away! You’ll notice an ashen, or brown tone, but it will get deep grey and after a few coats pretty darn black!
7. Some rinse with a baking soda wash, but I just rinsed the parts well with water. I’ll probably protect it with some mink oil or protectant! Looks darned good if you ask me!


Hope you enjoy!

[John Ibele]

Wow, those look great, Todd. I have that in my plans but it's good to have the detail and photos of the end result. Car is looking great.

[JB in NOVA]

Todd, that is some beautiful work! I had planned to do the same thing, but I was just too lazy. In the meantime (and to my surprise), one of the most frequent comments I get (albeit mostly from women) is: "OMG, look at those leather straps, so cool!" I think the raw leather gives the Roadster a vintage look that catches the eye very quickly against the black interior. Just food for thought, but I think I'm going to keep mine raw.

[toadster]

Todd, that is some beautiful work! I had planned to do the same thing, but I was just too lazy. In the meantime (and to my surprise), one of the most frequent comments I get (albeit mostly from women) is: "OMG, look at those leather straps, so cool!" I think the raw leather gives the Roadster a vintage look that catches the eye very quickly against the black interior. Just food for thought, but I think I'm going to keep mine raw.

haha love it thanks guys for the kind words, and good luck with those 'straps

[toadster]

FYI - here's a pic of the door cards and the leather straps - I really like the mix of stitching and threads in the leather...


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I'm contacting FFR about the quality of the door cards... the edges are terrible! 80% of the glue came apart and some of the edges don't have enough material to cover the frame!

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