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

[toadster]

catching up a few more items...

buttoned up the inner driver/passenger boxes and lined with some Thermo-Tec, also added some insulation under the FFMetal transmission tunnel top (will finalize later)
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although the garage is a mess, at least the car is taking shape

also did other odds/ends to get ready to test fit the engine - simple things like Clutch safety switch, transmission mount prep, wire diet the Coyote ICP segment, and tied off the RF Harness Clutch switch wiring

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question - is it a good idea to go ahead and order some transmission spacers now? or wait for fitment?
the setup is Coyote + Tremec TKX, and I believe it may need a spacer (or two) - anyone with recent knowlege?

[JohnK]

Nice progress! Most coyote setups I've seen require some amount of spacers. You could order the set of three spacers plus longer bolts from Mike Forte and that seems to work for some (most?) people. In my case, I needed more spacers than that, so ended up ordering a few more and had to get longer bolts than the ones Mike provided. Another approach is to do the initial fitment and setting of pinion angle with a bunch of washers and then once you have that established you can figure out exactly how many spacers and what length of bolts you need.

[Fman]

Todd mine took 3 forte spacers, not a Coyote but I would say go ahead and have them on hand more than likely will need some. Mike's are the easy button method, you could definitely make your own too if you wanted.

[toadster]

Thanks guys - I ordered 3 spacers from Forte, should be here this week
also went ahead and got the under-dash filler panel from Mike Everson - it's nicely cut part, and I'm sure I'll have to modify, but it will really brace up the bottom of the dash, the CF dash is nice but so lightweight it feels a bit flimsy

started making progress on the coyote wiring harness... it's crazy how much wiring is part of the modernized setup

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one reminder, NEVER trust the FFR instructions...

maybe the older coyote PDB cable had a 2" grommet, but the newer one has a 1.5" grommet - how did I find out? trusted the instructions

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it's not OCD perfect, but at least it's sealed up and hopefully hidden away
trying to figure out next steps to make room to test fit the engine, garage is feeling a bit cramped right now...

[460.465USMC]

Nice progress, Todd. I almost got bit by that one too. I recently downloaded the newest Coyote fitment instructions (Rev 1F), but it still calls for a 2.0" hole. I put a warning in my build thread as well, so hopefully between the two of us we can save someone else the headache.

[Fman]

Nice save Todd on the grommet, nobody will ever see that once the body is on. I always called the FFR manual the 50% book, gets you 50% there and is 50% correct most of time

[toadster]

got caught up on a few things yesterday...

ran the ECU harness into the dash, connected the fuel pump wire and attached the OBD port, also mocked up the fuse box in the engine bay - it looks like it will clear the A/C unit

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next up was trimming the under dash panel from replica parts - the newer panel doesn't look anything like the one on the website
also, I found another thread that talks about the newer MKIV steering mount is much higher/bulkier that previous models - so the driver side sits too high, I may trim it off, or mount some spacers and rivet/screw into place

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a little extra trimming needed around where I placed the inertia switch and wilwood EPB setup
lots of cleanup work to do so smooth the edges and put some protective trim around the access holes
also, still have to trim the center portion of the under-tray to fit the drop down for the CF dash and provide some access for the center console (coming)
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[Ted G]

Looks great and good to see you guys yesterday!

[toadster]

Looks great and good to see you guys yesterday!

Thanks Ted! Agreed! Was great to see your build in action, LOVE that blue! Keep pluggin away! You're rockin fast!

[toadster]

small progress...

sorry Michael, had to obliterate the under-dash mount to fit the CF dash and the newer MKIV steering mount
but now it's at least rivnut'ed (is that a word?) and I put some edge protection in areas that a hand may traverse...

still have to do a few more drill points to rivet it in place, but that's the easy part...

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will have to notch a bit more due to the grab handle mount, similar to this design - looks simple enough and strong enough

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We cut 4 angle pieces tonight, and my brilliant mind decided to try to pick one of the pieces 30 seconds later.. I haven't felt metal 'stick' to skin in a while - pretty much my first snake-bite LOL ouch! that's enough for tonight!

[John Ibele]

Good updates Todd, you're chugging along. Good call on the grab bar and the reinforcement for it. Wish I'd have made mine larger, but even so, should help passengers when they're trying to figure out how the heck to sit down. And the reinforcement makes the dash super solid on the PS side.

[facultyofmusic]

I'm interested in seeing your final design for the bar. The picture you showed above seems a little flimsy to me, as I've been working with steel strips of a similar size for various things on my build and they were a lot more bendy than I thought. I'd like to be proven wrong though.

[Fman]

One recommendation on the grab bar, have a thick backing plate behind the dash (1/8") this will really help secure the bar and give it a good foundation to tighten it up.

[Ted G]

I just added two 1/8" thick aluminum braces that are about 2" wide for my braces. Really strengthens the grab bar and the dash.

[toadster]

I'm interested in seeing your final design for the bar. The picture you showed above seems a little flimsy to me, as I've been working with steel strips of a similar size for various things on my build and they were a lot more bendy than I thought. I'd like to be proven wrong though.

the 1/8" steel is really strong to be honest, the aluminum - not as much but works well for support (plus I already had the aluminum angle on hand)

here are some pics of the parts making up the grab bar brace/brackets
it's a mix of aluminum angle and steel bar both are 1/8" thickness, is this was all 100% 1/8" steel it would feel pretty indestructible IMHO

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these parts are currently drying from paint, so final pics are pending - but you can see the 90-degree angles mount into the 2" bar under the dash
the bottom is secured with 5-16"-18 rivnuts and stainless bolts and the adjoining right angles are 10-24 stainless bolts with locknuts, I think along with the under-dash tray this will be pretty solid

still have to administer a few notches in the under-tray to align with the supports - but this part is pretty much done!

[Zach Bohn]

I like your grab handle support design!

[toadster]

I like your grab handle support design!

Thanks - It turned out pretty awesome! My son initially thought it would be flimsy, but I feel that the average person could grab it and think it was part of the frame

We spend the best part of the weekend getting the dash mounts setup both the under dash mount as well as some L-brackets to use some ALFA-LOK Velcro
It's insane the amount of time that we spend on stuff that nobody will see, but I guess that's what makes it a unique build!

aligning the rivnuts in the dash under-tray was tedious, CF is unforgiving so we opted to route out the holes a bit for the 10-24 screws and added washers for added protection against the carbon fiber
We trimmed the tray even MORE because the grab-handle support angles were pretty invasive - the passenger side we removed, and left a tab for a support bracket, and the driver side we carved back pretty decently to clear the bar.

also notched the center of the tray since I'll be creating a center console under the center of the dash, plus we needed room for the controls behind there as to not interfere with the tray.
you may notice, we even riveted the ends of the trim under here to make sure those parts never come off the under-tray
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the next step - which took an inordinate amount of time was to cut 4 1" L-brackets for the ALFA-LOK, the cuts took 5 minutes, but aligning the drill marks, drilling upside down, fidgeting with clecos and finally riveting in took what seemed like 3 hours!
the furthest mount on the right (passenger side) was tricky because there's a gnarly weld at that corner, and didn't want to grind that away so we had to shim the mount to clear the weld

the ALFA-LOK Velcro is VERY strong both from the sticky side as well as the velcro side - inexpensive and I don't have to drill more holes in my dash WIN!

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you can see the 4 mount points circled below, I'm hoping this is enough!
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once everything is screwed and riveted and velcro'ed in - this dash won't be going anywhere! overkill? probably...

next big step is to figure out how to test fit the engine/transmission - my A/C unit is the biggest fitment item that will most likely need MORE modification, but alas that's the story of this build!

Thanks for following along!

[toadster]

just a little epoxy work tonight for the A/C & heater switches
the switches that FFR ships with the coupe kit is setup for a single panel setup
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I separated all 3 switches from the single plate to make them fit into the CF dash, and epoxied them in place since the switches are keyed in certain directions
hopefully this will keep any movement from happening and the knobs and switch will stay put and not rotate freely

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[460.465USMC]

We spend the best part of the weekend getting the dash mounts setup both the under dash mount as well as some L-brackets to use some ALFA-LOK Velcro
It's insane the amount of time that we spend on stuff that nobody will see, but I guess that's what makes it a unique build!

aligning the rivnuts in the dash under-tray was tedious
the next step - which took an inordinate amount of time was to cut 4 1" L-brackets for the ALFA-LOK, the cuts took 5 minutes, but aligning the drill marks, drilling upside down, fidgeting with clecos and finally riveting in took what seemed like 3 hours!
the furthest mount on the right (passenger side) was tricky because there's a gnarly weld at that corner, and didn't want to grind that away so we had to shim the mount to clear the weld

Hi Todd. I hear you on those under dash mounts! Wow! The degree of accuracy required is pretty high. If you're anything like me, it was a relief to get them installed. Nice idea on the velco. Looking good!

[toadster]

a little more progress between work trips... really trying to get the central wiring done in the transmission tunnel so we can drop in the engine/trans

finally moved the car onto the rollers to be able to move it around better - this was pretty exciting!

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did a quick assemble of the hood hinges, and finally riveted the driver inside footbox now that the coyote pedal is installed

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next was to re-make the under dash faceplate - really bummed that the original got pretty mangled up

now that we have the dash height pretty much finalized - my son took some cardboard to get the perfect measurements
nip and tuck work for a while, and yes the dash is not totally squared up so it's not asymmetrical
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with a lot of patience and trimming we got the faceplate re-built and aligned with the dash - set back about 1/2 way between the face of the dash and the lower edge
then my son trimmed the FFMetal transmission tunnel top, and we re-placed on the tunnel - the front portion nearest the firewall will be riveted down

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here we have fitted the buttons, this took quite some time with hole saws, step bits, and dremel
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then trimmed out the center of the dash for the stereo faceplate - you can see old vs new below
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now the real fun comes into play - getting this all boxed in, as well as managing the tons of cabling that will fit in this little space - it's going to be claustrophobic in there!

[John Ibele]

slow progress is still progress - right?

I can verify this for you.

You’re going great, Todd. Console box looking really nice - I had a lot of fun with that part.

[JB in NOVA]

I can verify this for you.

You’re going great, Todd. Console box looking really nice - I had a lot of fun with that part.

Totally agree! I've really enjoyed following your build, Todd, and it's looking great. Now that I'm (almost) done with my build, I'm actually a bit jealous of those still building theirs. The "journey" truly was one of the most joyful parts of this process -- and there is no need to rush it.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...did a quick assemble of the hood hinges...
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[/QUOTE]

Todd,
Your hood hinges are assembled incorrectly (and interestingly, each is incorrect in different ways )

Here's how the left should be:





And here's the right:





Better to find out now rather than when you're trying to install the hood

Cheers,
Jeff

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[toadster]

...did a quick assemble of the hood hinges...
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Todd,
Your hood hinges are assembled incorrectly (and interestingly, each is incorrect in different ways )
Better to find out now rather than when you're trying to install the hood

Cheers,
Jeff

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hoodhingeright2.jpg[/QUOTE]

Thanks Jeff! I did a loose assembly so that's an easy fix

LOVE this forum!!! Thanks for everyone's assistance!

[toadster]

I ordered the honeycomb mesh for the intake, everyone says it really helps with the coyote tune and drivability - I mean what's another $20 right?

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it's mounted about 1/4" from the intake side and about 2" away from the MAF sensor - hopefully this will help!

We did a little more (ok a LOT) more tedious work getting the lower dash section ready
We cut the floor of the center dash last week and it was time to get it solidly mounted to the floor of the transmission tunnel and also build some 90-degree mounts to use with rivnuts - unfortunately my rivnut head broke, so we have to finish the other 3 rivnuts on monday when the part is delivered

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we did the faceplate last week and it turned out great, but the sides were 'lacking' so we rebuilt those as well
tons of nip/tuck work and finally got to a result that aligns well with the dash and also should be 99% completed until we cover it and get it finalized

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with the dash mounted for fitting, we love it! set back just under the dash lip and will look awesome once it's wrapped, etc.

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we also installed the side USB ports for charging and riveted the lower dash all together - two screws on both sides and the lower section will be removable!

[toadster]

yesterday was spend on heat-shielding in the engine compartment and starting to tackle more wiring...
I got the Breeze Zero Clearance Aluminum/Fiberglass/PSA stuff, I like the thinness of the material and should be yet another layer to keep the engine heat at bay

I used some Wiss Snips to cut, and only had some minor gumming up with the peel to stick adhesive, a squirt of WD40 cleans the snips up like new again

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looking at the wiring, it's just a LOT

1. RF Wiring Harness
2. Gen3 Coyote Harness
3. GT500 ABS HCU Harness
4. A/C - heater Harness
5. Wilwood EPB Harness
6. plus other things like Radio, Digital Guard Dawg Pushbutton Start, Fog Lights, and the whole dash wiring

Started with some cleanup behind the dash as it's getting a bit unwieldly prior to 'more' wiring additions
We used the Self Adhesive Black Cable Zip Tie Mounts which seem to be working well with the CF dash

added the speedhut button on the bottom of the dash just right of the steering column
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we also riveted the Ididit relay switch for the RT turn Signal, and started laying out wire paths behind the dash- not the prettiest setup by any means, we're going for functional chaos

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[John Ibele]

Heat shielding ... I'm debating that, or just waiting to see if the hammer tone I slaved over in the engine compartment starts to turn brown near the headers. Neither one a huge win as far as appearance goes ... gotta just decide where you feel lucky sometimes Thanks for sharing the example, I'll mull over your option. Good progress and good updates, Toadster.

[Fman]

Looking awesome Todd, you won't regret doing everything possible to defend heat in your cockpit. Nice work on the center console, really coming together nicely. I can already see you and wife rocking out to some tunes while cruising around town!

[Ted G]

Looking great Todd. I too am in the middle of wiring.... not my favorite part of the car. I had to take a break and move to my fuel tank. Can't wait to see it completed!

[facultyofmusic]

Hey Todd, I did heat shielding on mine because the cat on the header generates a crap ton of heat. The cat is also a LOT closer to the foot well than I expected! I thought the cat would sit somewhere in the middle between the rear of the F panel and the foot well but it wasn't in the middle at all. I didn't know this when I wrapped my exhaust and added heat shielding, but in retrospect I'm very happy I did. Here are some pictures to illustrate the tightness:
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[460.465USMC]

looking at the wiring, it's just a LOT

1. RF Wiring Harness
2. Gen3 Coyote Harness
3. GT500 ABS HCU Harness
4. A/C - heater Harness
5. Wilwood EPB Harness
6. plus other things like Radio, Digital Guard Dawg Pushbutton Start, Fog Lights, and the whole dash wiring

Wow, Todd! That is A LOT of wiring. I thought I had a lot, but your list contains several more items than my build. You have my admiration. Keep plugging away...you'll get there. I still remember the feeling of relief after I finished mine. It's a big part of the build, and even bigger with all of the cool add-ons.

[toadster]

Hey Todd, I did heat shielding on mine because the cat on the header generates a crap ton of heat. The cat is also a LOT closer to the foot well than I expected! I thought the cat would sit somewhere in the middle between the rear of the F panel and the foot well but it wasn't in the middle at all. I didn't know this when I wrapped my exhaust and added heat shielding, but in retrospect I'm very happy I did. Here are some pictures to illustrate the tightness:
20220510_225220.jpg 20220617_230612.jpg

yeah, hoping the jethot coating will help with that!!

Wow, Todd! That is A LOT of wiring. I thought I had a lot, but your list contains several more items than my build. You have my admiration. Keep plugging away...you'll get there. I still remember the feeling of relief after I finished mine. It's a big part of the build, and even bigger with all of the cool add-ons.

yeah, it's a HUGE bite of the elephant... a bit daunting to be honest, but will persist

[toadster]

slow progress lately due to 110+ temps and the local fires - garage is no fun at 95F and smoky

in an effort to get wiring cleaned up to test fit the motor the center console has proven to be a bit of a 2nd control zone for wiring, much (if not all) of this is due to adding 'stuff' to the build
the most notable items here are the touchscreen stereo, amplifier, and 6 control buttons: 2 for footbox fans, 2 for seat heaters, starter button and Wilwood EPB
also added a USB charger on both sides and last night we added the subwoofer gain knob

started the basic 'big' stuff on the back wall - namely the speaker amp, the ground worked out pretty well since it's directly into the 2x2 dash tube
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since we're trying to save any space possible, and we already pulled the subwoofer gain wire from the trunk - we 'optimized' the knob setup thankfully the 3/4" heat shrink worked out perfectly!
the heat shrink version on the left and the OEM cover on the right - worked out perfectly for the location under the amplifier on the driver side
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added the control button for the digital guard dawg keyless start next to the key mount
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did a test on the seat heater in the kitchen - wife wasn't home, safe test time!
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The seat heater kit from Cobra Valley is quite a complete kit - there's a LOT of wiring to meet many builder's needs
plans are laid out as such for the wiring

toggle buttons in lower dash, one each side driver/passenger
the power/ground wires pulled up from the center transmission tunnel up into the dash for termination
the rest of the wiring will go down either side inside the trans tunnel and route behind the seats (see TedG's pic below) for location
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the end of the night had us nearly ready to test the stereo setup before closing things up
believe it or not - there will be MORE wiring in there behind the touchscreen, but we're confident that things will be spaced out enough to get things landed
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[toadster]

spent a lot of today getting all the wiring completed for the radio, and tested out - sounds darn good IMHO
I know a radio isn't for everyone - but absolutely loving how this is turning out!



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also setup the footwell courtesy LEDs today and getting a lot more of the dash wiring dialed in...

[460.465USMC]

Todd, looking good. Sounding good. That turned out really nice.

Who will get the DJ responsibilities for music choice once you have it on the road? Your son looks like he's more than up to the job.

[Mark Eaton]

Nice, good radio with a monster subwoofer is TOTALLY worth it!

[toadster]

a little more progress tonight, starting to feel the crush of wiring behind the dash... mounted a false wall since I cannot attach directly to the firewall with my brake/clutch reservoirs mounted there
took some engineering and space planning to mount the keyless start, relay and ground/power bus bars

finally decided to rivet down the lower dash now that everything sub-dash is wired and working
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fabricated a false wall that attaches to the floor of the dash and supports a few electrical items, the 2nd pic shows the standoff wall and we have room to run wiring behind it as well
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need to run another power line with a relay to the new fuse panel and we're getting pretty close to the next phase!

[edwardb]

Looks like the button on the inertia switch will be inaccessible with everything buttoned up. May want to reconsider that. I haven't had any of mine pop yet (that's a good thing...) but most put them where they can be easily reached if necessary.

[toadster]

Looks like the button on the inertia switch will be inaccessible with everything buttoned up. May want to reconsider that. I haven't had any of mine pop yet (that's a good thing...) but most put them where they can be easily reached if necessary.

it's just enough to get a finger up in there - we tested this! hopefully never needed

[toadster]

slow progress with travel and work - ran a 4GA wire lead from battery to the bus bar, and using some convolute to cover both the stereo and main feeds

I ordered these Battery Terminal Connectors, Multiple Battery Terminals, Quick Disconnect Quick Release Heavy Duty Car Marine Top Post Clamps, with Allen Wrench, Washers
for $11 it gives a lot of connect points for +/- terminals without having to create a wiring hassle at the battery

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I also got the breeze automotive quick disconnect setup wired together for the headlights/turn signals
the heat-shrink/solder joints have been working pretty well in this scenario

I also ordered a set of AMBER 1157 LED Bulb - Dual Function 27 SMD LED Tower - 2 Pack for $20, they have been recommended here by boat737
pics don't do it much benefit but you can hopefully see the difference here...

here's the 27 SMD LED next to the regular 1157 white bulb, no covers, the right side almost reminds me of old flashlights we used to use
honestly the LED has me seeing spots... very bright!
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here's a pic with the covers on - same bulbs, the LED is amazingly bright, and the incandescent is 'soft' on the eyes
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lastly, here are both signals with LEDs
the left is full power turn signal power
and the right is marker light brightness
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