After several years of admiring Factory Five builds, and the past few trying to rationalize pulling the trigger, I've done so today and ordered a kit. I don't have production dates yet, but I've been emailing Factory Five back and forth and I'm expecting receiving delivery in time for Christmas this year, all things considered. With that said, I have plenty of time to change things around as I see fit, so, that's a nice positive. I figured I'd go into a bit of depth here, and I fully welcome feedback (both positive and negative).
Why now?
I'm fortunate enough to have a flexible job that allows me to work remotely. I'm taking this advantage to move ~1,500 miles closer to family. In addition to having significantly more access to people more knowledgeable than myself. I'm no longer concerned about lack of experience. Additionally, this will be a father/son build. Its been a bucket list item for my dad to build a kit car, and I'm able to give him that chance. On top of all of this, I now have significantly more means to afford this project. The cost of living is going way down, and I'm able to capitalize on this. I could probably invest the money instead, retire a year or so early, and build the car by myself, but that'd defeat the point.
What do I plan on doing with it?
building it
SCCA, monthly-ish events
local car show once a year-ish
drive it any other chance of course
The factory five order:
Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe, complete kit
Powder coated chassis
Hydraulic Clutch Master Cylinder Kit
~Kirkey high back seats~ going with something else
Power steering kit
IRS
A/C - Heater-Defroster
Wipers
Carpet
Sound insulation
Double adjustable shocks
13" IRS Brakes
IRS Center section, spindles, and hubs
Removed gauges
Removed headers
Removed side mirrors
Removed side pipes
Engine & Transmission:
Coyote + TKX through Factory Five
Elsewhere:
Digital dash
Keyless entry, push start system (e.g. Digital Guard Dawg PBS-II), unordered
Gas'N headers, and pipes
BRE Daytona Coupe Mirror kit
Russ Thompson turn signal
nrg quick release (SRK-400)
wheels and tires, Enkei RPF1 SBC
Largest concern?
Definitely safety. High back seats are a must, and a helmet will be used in all cases its practical to do so. I like my head, and I'd like to keep it on my neck. Beyond that, and the mirrors with larger field of vision, I'm considering figuring out how to add blind spot monitoring or something similar. If people have any additional ideas that'd be awesome.
Thanks,
csmith
Last edited by csmith; 04-13-2025 at 10:45 PM.
Reason: build update
I basically have the same build, mid way through it, and am looking for the biggest wheels it will fit. I’m thinking 18” x 12” rear and 18” x 10” fronts. I like Rays (made in Japan) but wanted to know where to get some black or charcoal ones with 10 spokes. Any ideas out there?
I'm planning a coupe build as well, but probably a couple of years out from pulling the trigger. Regarding visibility, one thing I was thinking about was adding a rear view mirror that is fed by a camera. I think with the Coupe the rear window visibility is not great with the spoiler installed, I thought this may be a good way to improve things.
I'm planning a coupe build as well, but probably a couple of years out from pulling the trigger. Regarding visibility, one thing I was thinking about was adding a rear view mirror that is fed by a camera. I think with the Coupe the rear window visibility is not great with the spoiler installed, I thought this may be a good way to improve things.
-Brandon
Yeah, RSnake on the forums did this and it’s well documented on his YouTube channel (Cobra Daytona Build). I’m already planning on a backup camera. I figured I’d let this be a wait and see with the BRE mirrors installed.
Originally Posted by California Rookie
I basically have the same build, mid way through it, and am looking for the biggest wheels it will fit. I’m thinking 18” x 12” rear and 18” x 10” fronts. I like Rays (made in Japan) but wanted to know where to get some black or charcoal ones with 10 spokes. Any ideas out there?
Still figuring this out. I didn’t order wheels through FFR. I like having more sidewall on the tires, but with IRS and Wilwoods that’s going to mean 17” wheels for me. I figured I’d keep the approximate dimensions close to the Halibrand replicas, because they work as-is.
Chopper - a couple of thoughts for you on the rearward visibility:
Like csmith, I am installing the BRE mirrors - they are sweet.
I am also using a Longacre curved rear view mirror in the cabin.
I trimmed the flange off the rear spoiler and butt mounted it to the body with 3M structural adhesive, filleted with West Systems epoxy, and filled with Red Devil (expanding polyurethane foam). All this to say I have 1/4" more rear slot to peer through (and a cleaner look IMO)
I am guessing that is all I need for rear vision. I disable my rear video on other cars. I look over my shoulder when backing. I rarely use rear view mirrors on my bikes. I look over my shoulder before any lane change or similar move. I think looking over your shoulder is just a great habit to form.
That said, I have installed an Alpine deck in the dash of my coupe. It supports cameras, and I have left the harness intact. At some point I may put a rear camera somewhere, but I am guessing that will never happen :-)
I've since got the body off the frame with the help of my dad and one of my brothers. Also got through about half the inventory of parts I received. I had about 8 pages of line items on back order, but still plenty to get started. This week is kind of bad for me to get started, so I'll probably get into full project mode starting next week.
Before you ask, I have the road frame. I asked them to powder coat it white instead of black, and they obliged
Question: In the last picture I have the power steering rack box. It showed clear signs that it was leaking. When I opened it I saw a cap was off, but otherwise the part looked fine. Is there anything to be concerned about here?
Hey csmith. Congrats on the kit arriving! Hope you are getting some time on the build this week. Love that your frame is white, not sure many of us knew that was an option. Surprised nobody else chimed in on the power steering rack but there have been a number of power steering rack leaks and resultant failures reported on here in the past year or so. Seems they come from the boot area though, and as old Murphy would have it, once everything is together and in there making the switch out more difficult is when it will decide to break. I have a manual rack, so not familiar with their power rack and all I can say is call or contact Factory Five and I'm sure they will do right. Hopefully its top up the fluid level and you're on your way. But I'd be leery just putting that thing in until you have an answer from them, especially where there is a tear in the box just about center with the leak.
Hey csmith. Congrats on the kit arriving! Hope you are getting some time on the build this week. Love that your frame is white, not sure many of us knew that was an option.
It's not, and the FFR sales rep made it very clear to me it wasn't (supposed to be specific to the Coupe-R), but he'd see what he could do. I think being polite, and being up front that I was buying it either way went a long way. I'm happy it worked out in the end.
As far as getting any sort of build time, it's been tough. Last week I had to travel, and this week its freezing to the point it's not fun to be in the garage. The heater I bought has the wrong plug, so looking for something different at the moment.
Originally Posted by rhk118
Surprised nobody else chimed in on the power steering rack but there have been a number of power steering rack leaks and resultant failures reported on here in the past year or so. Seems they come from the boot area though, and as old Murphy would have it, once everything is together and in there making the switch out more difficult is when it will decide to break. I have a manual rack, so not familiar with their power rack and all I can say is call or contact Factory Five and I'm sure they will do right. Hopefully its top up the fluid level and you're on your way. But I'd be leery just putting that thing in until you have an answer from them, especially where there is a tear in the box just about center with the leak.
Looking forward to following along!
Hank
I didn't know about the failures! You make a fair point. I'll shoot them an email and find out just to be sure.
Edit:
They got back to me. Their response:
That is perfectly ok and is considered normal. No special treatment is needed."
Build update 1 - Steering rack installed, front suspension started
So a combination of cold weather, travel, and waiting for POL has led to a slow start, but nonetheless I have been able to start installing some parts.
Building a car from parts is new to me. Where parts on hand allow, I'll be following the order of the book. Fortunately, this had me starting at the beginning with the power steering rack.
Power Steering Rack
I went with the FFR's power steering kit, and am using it as is other than the tie rod ends I swapped in the Moog part that Paul recommends. The install went ok. The hardest part was finding the correct hardware:
The manual refers to "sleeves," but on the box 01 inventory they're listed as a 2.45" spacer. It took installing the bushings and then measuring the space with a caliper to confirm this, but yeah, some confusion was had.
The 4" bolts in the pdf manual appear to be steel or maybe a clear coated zinc. In the coupe hardware box I found the two bolts listed as 1/2-13 x 4 HEX CAP SCREW GR8 ZINC. Other than being yellow zinc it matches exactly.
One thing I did that I think made installing this easier was for installing the bushing and sleeves I used a little bit of grease and then a squeeze clamp to get them in the hole. It was way to tight to just force in, and I was concerned I'd damage the bushing if I used a mallet.
Getting it installed on the car was straightforward. I now know when the manual refers to left or right on the orientation they're referring to them in the direction the vehicle is facing, not as you're looking at it. It pretty much slid into space once I had the mounting location in the right spot. Put the bolts on and that was it. No torque spec listed, so left hand tightened for now.
Lower Control Arms
This was another relatively simple task.
Things worth noting:
First tool purchase (well, non preemptive tool purchase), a 7/8" socket. I also didn't have the 15/16" wrench, but my adjustable wrench was sufficient.
The flange bolt looked like it had a separate washer underneath it in my manual. Weird, but ok. After checking the colored photo it looks like it was just camera glare.
It's much easier to install the rear bolt with the spacer first then do the front one. Because either the mount or the part isn't completely square I had to use the control arm as leverage pulling the front bushing inward to get the alignment just right, but it slipped in when I got it there. No hammer required.
When I was pulling the arm forward to get the alignment, at one point I was pulling too hard and I felt the entire chassis move. My heart skipped a beat, but fortunately nothing bad happened. I plan to get some jack stands with wider bases now. That shouldn't be happening for sure.
Once I got the bolts on there I hand tightened them down, followed by torquing to 105 lbft (my torque wrench states a +/- 4% calibration) using a random board I had on hand to hold the control arm level.
Question: My lower control arm already had a boot installed on it, and I didn't see a separate boot for it. There's no instructions on installing it as it happens... it just shows up as being installed on the page after the parts are laid out. Is something different required here?
So a combination of cold weather, travel, and waiting for POL has led to a slow start, but nonetheless I have been able to start installing some parts.
Building a car from parts is new to me. Where parts on hand allow, I'll be following the order of the book. Fortunately, this had me starting at the beginning with the power steering rack.
Power Steering Rack
I went with the FFR's power steering kit, and am using it as is other than the tie rod ends I swapped in the Moog part that Paul recommends. The install went ok. The hardest part was finding the correct hardware:
The manual refers to "sleeves," but on the box 01 inventory they're listed as a 2.45" spacer. It took installing the bushings and then measuring the space with a caliper to confirm this, but yeah, some confusion was had.
The 4" bolts in the pdf manual appear to be steel or maybe a clear coated zinc. In the coupe hardware box I found the two bolts listed as 1/2-13 x 4 HEX CAP SCREW GR8 ZINC. Other than being yellow zinc it matches exactly.
One thing I did that I think made installing this easier was for installing the bushing and sleeves I used a little bit of grease and then a squeeze clamp to get them in the hole. It was way to tight to just force in, and I was concerned I'd damage the bushing if I used a mallet.
Getting it installed on the car was straightforward. I now know when the manual refers to left or right on the orientation they're referring to them in the direction the vehicle is facing, not as you're looking at it. It pretty much slid into space once I had the mounting location in the right spot. Put the bolts on and that was it. No torque spec listed, so left hand tightened for now.
Lower Control Arms
This was another relatively simple task.
Things worth noting:
First tool purchase (well, non preemptive tool purchase), a 7/8" socket. I also didn't have the 15/16" wrench, but my adjustable wrench was sufficient.
The flange bolt looked like it had a separate washer underneath it in my manual. Weird, but ok. After checking the colored photo it looks like it was just camera glare.
It's much easier to install the rear bolt with the spacer first then do the front one. Because either the mount or the part isn't completely square I had to use the control arm as leverage pulling the front bushing inward to get the alignment just right, but it slipped in when I got it there. No hammer required.
When I was pulling the arm forward to get the alignment, at one point I was pulling too hard and I felt the entire chassis move. My heart skipped a beat, but fortunately nothing bad happened. I plan to get some jack stands with wider bases now. That shouldn't be happening for sure.
Once I got the bolts on there I hand tightened them down, followed by torquing to 105 lbft (my torque wrench states a +/- 4% calibration) using a random board I had on hand to hold the control arm level.
Question: My lower control arm already had a boot installed on it, and I didn't see a separate boot for it. There's no instructions on installing it as it happens... it just shows up as being installed on the page after the parts are laid out. Is something different required here?
Looks similar to mine, except my boots are blue. My lower control arms came with the ball joints installed. The uppers did not.
Yep, same, but with a black boot.
Originally Posted by burchfieldb
Heads up, you may want to flip the front bolt head around so that you can remove it in the future, once the radiator is in.
So I installed them per the picture on page 61, but admittedly didn’t check the radiator fitment. You’re right, there’s definitely no way those bolts could be removed without taking the radiator off. I’ll fix it, but I might need to get a breaker bar to assist with removing them first. Only one way to find out I guess.
So I installed them per the picture on page 61, but admittedly didn’t check the radiator fitment. You’re right, there’s definitely no way those bolts could be removed without taking the radiator off. I’ll fix it, but I might need to get a breaker bar to assist with removing them first. Only one way to find out I guess.
Or you can use an impact wrench. If those are distorted thread lockouts, I would check with FFR to see if you can reuse them. I know some can be and some can't.
I have most of the IRS parts, so started on that today. All the prep work is done and I started on the center section with my dad and a friend. 3 of the bolts worked just fine, but the fourth seems misaligned. It's the driver's side front, and when the bolt is pushed through it pushes the sleeve out. After we chased the bolt hole we tested the bolt and it slid in as expected. Below are pictures of what it looks like from the sleeve looking out (first picture), and from the diff end looking in (second picture). It's catching the bottom left part of the sleeve (looking at the engine), and it seems like the diff just needs to rotate ever so slightly clockwise, but after a couple hours we didn't have any success.
For the time being, I still have it on the car supported by the three other bolts and the jack is still there for safety. I thought it'd be best to confer with all you fine folk before permanently damaging something.
So questions:
Is this addressable with the center section on the chassis?
Or do I just need to widen the hole on the diff to make up the difference?
Sometimes not easy to get all four to line up. But definitely doable. My method (I've done several): Do the two rear ones first. The ones that are threaded into the rear cover. Get them started but don't tighten all the way. Leave them loose. Then move to the two front ones. I made two drift pins by sanding them on my disk sander. I drove those into the two rear locations to align the case mounts to the chassis mounts. Even if there's a slight misalignment, I found these moved things enough. Removed one, pushed in the bolt. Removed the other, pushed in the other bolt. Now tighten everything to the torques provided. Hasn't missed for me. Good luck.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread. Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023. Build 6: Mk5 Roadster 30th Anniversary #11,258. Build Thread.
> I drove those into the two rear locations to align the case mounts to the chassis mounts.
Just to confirm, you’re saying the rear of the front locations, right?
Also, are your pins the same diameter as the bolt and you taper it the entire length of the sleeve?
Thanks a bunch!
Yeah. Not very artful wording on my part. The two bolts threaded into the rear cover first. Then the pins into the mounts on the case. Toward the front of the chassis. Driven in from then rear. Has worked for me every time. The pins are made from bolts the same size as what you’re installing. The taper is small enough to fit into whatever misalignment there is. Doesn’t have to be all that long. Just something like pictured. I found things lined up pretty quickly and easily when they were driven in.
Last edited by edwardb; 02-20-2023 at 05:46 PM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread. Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023. Build 6: Mk5 Roadster 30th Anniversary #11,258. Build Thread.
Had to wait a couple days because the bolt size wasn’t available at my local hardware stores. Was able to do it tonight and it worked exactly as described. Started with a minimal taper and went down until it fit without pushing the sleeve out and then, with some elbow grease, I was able to make it work. Thanks a bunch.
Oddly, the sleeves that were this part number are too long by about a tenth of an inch. I measured this with my caliper, but it’s fairly visible with the nut on. I can either leave it, or back out the bolt to clear the gap and then cut it to length. Will likely be doing the latter tomorrow unless there’s any objections. You can see it here below.
Edit: Thought I recalled the sleeve being long wasn't abnormal and was able to find it in EdwardBs's thread, "Also had to adjust the lengths slightly on a few of the supplied sleeves." I'm now fairly confident that I have the right plan.
Was able to spend a bit of time on the card this weekend and was only stopped due to, you guessed it, back ordered parts.
Spindles and Hubs
I get they're sending us the factory Ford part, but it still feels extremely awkward to be hacking off a part of the spindle in order to make it fit this car. All in all though it wasn't a big deal, it's easy work. I used a reciprocating saw like the manual suggested, but it left a pretty rough finish so I cleaned it up with a disk sander... stopped after 800 grit... its now the nicest looking surface on the thing. Attaching to the hubs went exactly per the manual. A few bits of wisdom to share:
When cutting off the tab on the spindles the book would have you remove way more than necessary. Instead of cutting to the inside of the outer hole, I cut to the outside of the outer hold. The tie rod end has plenty of clearance. In my picture you can see the line they'd have you cut at.
The pdf manual is in color, which is invaluable to cross reference when looking for things like loctite color, since the book rarely calls it out.
The manual says "if the hub was removed use [red] loctite on the threads...." There was already some dry threadlocker on there. Out of an abundance of caution, I removed that threadlocker with a knife and added my own. Having searched the forums for some other things after I've since learned this probably wasn't necessary.
Center Section
The bushings and rear sleeves installed exactly as described in the manual, but the front sleeves were both too long. I figured it'd be simple enough to trim them to fit on the car so I wouldn't have to measure, but now having done that I highly recommend cutting them to length beforehand. It's just a really tight space, and working with the car on jack stands made this extra challenging. A reciprocating saw would be sufficient to do this off the car, but on I had to use the saw plus a dremel to grind the sleeve down flush to the pushing. The other issue I had with the install here was the hole alignment for the front mounting location on the diff. I was able to get some help to fix that issue.
Question:In the center section box there was a piece that looks like it's use to attach a hose to. Is this to fill it up?
Toe Links, Lower Control Arms, Upper Control Arms
These all installed exactly per the manual. I did add chassis grease prior to installing. It made things a little messy. It also made it quite the squeeze to install the arms. I still need to clean up the frame.
CV Axles
These went in problem free, but there not exactly light components. Once you add the spindles onto them they will droop down. I didn't like that, so I used my car jack as a temporary shelf for them till I could get the control arm bolts in.
Putting them all together
I'll start with this. Lesson learned: the thickness of the powder coating must matter a lot. The lower control arm and toe line both were a challenge to get them onto the spindle bushings. They did eventually go, but not without some encouragement. This was a straightforward process, but all the weight there at the end leads to some trick maneuvering on the floor or you risk undoing the progress you've made. Also, I'm not quite done yet. They only sent me one of the two required angled mount adapters. Regrettably, I didn't notice the quantity error on the POL they sent me, since it didn't ship with the initial kit delivery, so FFR doesn't know about this missing piece yet.
Next Steps: Clean up the grease. Still waiting on shocks, now for both the front and rear suspension, and now the small adapter for the rear too. I suppose I'm in an okay spot to look at the gas tank, maybe its start figuring out some of these aluminum panels.
Bonus picture:
I went ahead and grabbed one of the rear wheels to measure the spacing for the brakes. It does appear it'll fit okay.
Build update 3 - Suspension completed, front brakes installed, and more
So I now believe I finally have all the parts on hand now. For the curious: Ordered 3/2022, Stewart delivery 11/2022, final POL delivery 4/2023. The shocks and hatch glass were the last items delivered. Since then I've been working through things and have made some positive progress. Some mistakes were made, I've since fixed those as well.
Rear suspension
Just to close the loop from my previous update after I received the shocks and the missing angled mount adapter it was pretty easy to install the shocks and then torque down the suspension bolts to spec. I didn't torque the hub yet since it says to wait till after the e-brake to do so. rear_suspension.JPEG
Front suspension, brakes, rough wheel alignment
The shocks installed just as well as the rear. After that I was able to continue with the spindles. Passenger side went through okay, everything is tight, and I'm confident it's okay. The driver side is where disaster struck. My torque wrench broke ! The clicky mechanism stopped clicking. In a mindless state, I didn't realize how much I was torquing the upper ball joint and it ended up ruining the threads on the stud. Fortunately I was using the Howe ball joint Paul recommends and I was able to just replace the stud with a new one without figuring out how to remove the entire housing. After this, I got the front brakes installed. I'm using the Wilwood brake kit. A word of warning, on the black rotors the arrow is hard to see. Make sure you put the hubs on in the correct orientation. Also, the wording for the caliper install is weird, but there's an arrow on the driver side caliper (I didn't see one on the passenger side). I believe the correct orientation is such that all arrows should be facing forwards.
The wheel alignment is off on my car right now. The rough alignment in the book simply did not work. I couldn't get the right measurement for the passenger side upper control arm. The control arm is in the correct orientation, but the shorter side was a half inch long from the book at its shortest. For now, I just used a level to make sure the wheels were approximately squared with each other, and I was able to get it close. It'll be something to revisit for sure.
Fuel system
Fuel tank installed. I started with the directions for the fuel pickup and missed the "See www.factoryfiveparts.com/instructions for in-tank fuel pump set-up." note that's the first part of the section. I've fixed that, well sort of, it's removed and I'm now waiting on a crimper. After that, I've already got the fuel filter (not pictured) in place based on the other fuel pickup. Hopefully the fuel line works, but if not, I have some on hand and I can just make a new line for it. gastank.JPEGfuel_pump.JPEG
Pedal assembly
Installed the clutch and brake pedal box. I have the coyote accelerator pedal marked on where I need to cut it, but I haven't done that yet. Wanted to ask first: What bolts do I use for the pedal box to the chassis? I have the triangle mount in place, but the four holes elude me as to what should be used there.
Next steps
Rear brakes, fuel hard lines, e-brake, pedal box, interior panels, get tires
How many shims did you need for the rear brakes? I test fit everything on the left rear and noticed the left brake pad catching. Upon inspection the piston was slightly engaged, but after I pushed it back down it was still catching there. It looks like I need at most zero shims, which seems odd to me. Wondering if anyone else ran into something similar.
After a significant amount of testing I determined it was catching on the emergency brake ever so slightly, but enough that I noticed. ended up figuring out how to adjust the piston back a bit by rotating the threaded shaft. It was the same on either side. All good now. Pedal box is squared away, as is the Coyote accelerator. It fits with approximately zero clearance. Really puts into perspective how small the car is when I see that. Honestly might sand the edge of the brake lever a bit in one spot just to make me feel better about how close it is to the accelerator mount.
As of today, tires are on order. Will probably take a week or so before they get them in stock. Need to move the car forward a foot, which honestly will be nice to see the car rolling for the first time.
Now working on aluminum panels and fuel lines, but nothing to picture at the moment. Lots of drilling in my future. Planning on rivnuts for the top panel above both foot boxes, the AC footbox access panel, and the transmission tunnel cover. My goal for this is to not have to remove a panel after its sealed.
It's been awhile. Summer was busy followed by a very busy time at work left me not in the garage too much. Still some progress has been made these last 7 months.
Fuel System
Ran the fuel lines... twice. I used the stock fuel lines which are 5/16" and 1/4" lines. When reviewing the Coyote install manual it calls out using 3/8" lines to the regulator. I checked with Erik to confirm, and I do indeed need the larger size lines to avoid a lean condition with the engine, so that was fun. Ended up changing outlet to 3/8" and inlet to 5/16" so I could reuse the one line, and it should still be okay. I also ordered a new fuel pump hangar from Quantum Fuel Systems, which appears to be an identical part to Pro-M Racing hangar, but about half the price. I went ahead and used a Trick Flow TFS-23000 fuel filter. It's tiny, and I probably could've gotten away without using the mount, but I put it in the mount just the same to be safe.
Brakes
Brakes are completely assembled, lines have been run, and I'm bleeding them. First time bleeding brakes, and I learned how tight the fittings need to be. I should have a helper tomorrow, so that's good. I ended up deciding to go with a 3 reservoir setup for the master cylinders rather than running a Y. Rather than looking around for options on the part, I just used what Paul used (Tilton 72-576). It's unclear to me how he mounted it, but the reservoir uses 3" screws. I opted to make a bracket for it out of angled aluminum and attach it to the frame from the top. Should be easily removable if I ever need to this way. I also have the emergency brake lines ran, but I'm missing a couple pieces for the handle, so that's paused for now.
Steering
My kiddos and I put the steering together. Coming from the frustration I had with figuring out the fuel lines this was a much welcomed change of pace. Very straightforward. I went ahead and installed the Russ Thompson Turn Signal and the NRG quick release too. When doing this I ran into some clearance issues with the accelerator pedal. I was able to make room for it by changing the angle slightly and shifting it slightly downward. I should have room for carpet, soundproofing, etc. Now the steering shaft has clearance for full rotation with the DBW plug in it. 11.JPEG12.JPEG13.JPEG14.JPEG8.JPEG
Engine
Installed the fuel pressure regulator with the gas lines, so per the ordering in the manual the engine was the next step. Expected this to be a bigger job than it was, but it really just took an hour with prep work really. I was fortunate enough that a person from the KC Cobra Club came down to help me. I put the tires on the front, lowered the front to the ground, and we pushed it on in. Alignment was a little tricky; the engine is wide, but overall it was a straightforward task that certainly looks like an impressive step forward, and definitely makes more space to move around in the garage.
Fuel System
Ran the fuel lines... twice. I used the stock fuel lines which are 5/16" and 1/4" lines. When reviewing the Coyote install manual it calls out using 3/8" lines to the regulator. I checked with Erik to confirm, and I do indeed need the larger size lines to avoid a lean condition with the engine, so that was fun. Ended up changing outlet to 3/8" and inlet to 5/16" so I could reuse the one line, and it should still be okay. I also ordered a new fuel pump hangar from Quantum Fuel Systems, which appears to be an identical part to Pro-M Racing hangar, but about half the price. I went ahead and used a Trick Flow TFS-23000 fuel filter. It's tiny, and I probably could've gotten away without using the mount, but I put it in the mount just the same to be safe.
According to their website, that fuel pump hangar is 5/16" return vs. the Pro-M which is a full 3/8" on both sides. So not exactly the same. There was a bunch of discussion some years ago about the size of fuel lines and specifically the return lines and whether undersized lines caused premature pump failure due to excess pressure. Aeromotive does recommend 3/8" for both supply and return. Probably you'll be OK. But I've used 3/8" for both on my Coyote builds without any issues (so far...). I would recommend taking a look at that filter though. It's rated at 40 microns and EFI typically uses 10 microns to protect the injectors. 40 is adequate for a carbed engine but maybe not the best for EFI.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread. Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023. Build 6: Mk5 Roadster 30th Anniversary #11,258. Build Thread.
I would recommend taking a look at that filter though. It's rated at 40 microns and EFI typically uses 10 microns to protect the injectors. 40 is adequate for a carbed engine but maybe not the best for EFI.
I remember looking up the difference too and still ordered the wrong one. Thanks for catching, will address.
First start and Go Kart - Thanks Traveling Builder
So my car runs now! Brenden came to help out and we go a number of things squared away.
Pre-body Aluminum is done
Pretty uneventful, just a lot of riveting. One weird thing is the sides of the trans tunnel cover were ~0.25" too wide despite it being the correct length and lining up at the front and back. I still need to bed that into shape and drill holes for it.
Cooling system is done
Per Brendan's recommendation went with a Moroso coolant tank instead of the kit's coolant tank.
HVAC is essentially done
Super tight fit for everything, but it does go in. Missing one fitting on the AC compressor as they sent me two of the same.
Pre-body wiring is done
Brenden did this while also supporting me on other tasks.
Dash setup
I went with the LCDDash setup that's a vendor for the forum. The build quality is perhaps a bit unpolished, but it does seem to do what it's supposed to do. Some gauges aren't reading correct as of yet, but it's configurable. Working with the vendor to get things situated with it. Also, the screen cable shipped with the unit ended up being a tad short, but I was able to find a longer one and have it on order.
Heat insulation started (missing at least one box though)
Was missing the instructions, thought the numbers on the back corresponded to the aluminum panel numbering, but that was incorrect. Just missing a bunch of insulation.
Driver seat and exhaust pipes were mounted for go kart. Since taken off.
First start worked first try, no complaints there. Go kart went well too. Only issue that popped up from the first drive around was a small oil leak from either bolt fitting on the Moroso oil pan. Called FFR and Dan recommended some teflon tape on the bolts to seal things up. Did that and thus far appears to be leak free. Didn't have a functioning tachometer for the test drive due to the dash issues which was a little interesting for me.
Misc
Rough wheel and steering wheel alignment are good now. Fuel system and brakes are good too. On the wilwood master cylinders Brenden used mighty gasket to seal them up at the remote inlet adapter and that did the trick.
Congrats, Sir! Very fun milestones. The white chassis is unique. I like it.
Chris Coupe complete kit.Index. Delivered: 4/22/24. Build Thread. Coyote Gen 4X. T-56. IRS w/3.55. Wilwoods. PS. HVAC. Side windows. MK4 Complete kit. Build Thread Index. Delivered: 10/15/2020. Legal: 7/25/23. Coyote Gen3. TKO600 (0.64 OD). IRS w/3.55. PS. Wilwoods. Sway bars. This build is dedicated to my son, Benjamin. Build Thread.
Hey everyone, I won the April POM, so thought I’d also share an update.
Dash
I went with the LCDDash that I mentioned in the last post, but as of now I would recommend others choose a different product if they have a gen3 Coyote. It’s unreliable at best. I got the car tuned locally, and the performance shop said the module was generating a ton of noise on the canbus. He had to disconnect it to complete the tune, but after plugging it back in nothing worked anymore. Frustrating, but it is what it is, and I’d rather be driving the car than tinkering with this anymore.
Anyways, after realizing the next best option for a digital dash was more than I wanted to spend I went with speedhut gauges, and am installing a car radio for cameras and navigation. Just cut out the hole for the receiver today, but I still need to fabricate a mount for it. The unit is a Sony XAV-9000ES that I got on sale. Went with it since it works with CarPlay, 2+ cameras, and has a single din chassis with a double din screen. Provides ample room for switches underneath it. All the other units I saw with a single din chassis had the screen go up instead of down, which would’ve have been beneficial.
Powered Windows
I got them working, and all set up, but turns out a spring was missing from the door popper, and I need to get that fixed. FormaCars has been excellent with their after sales support, but unfortunately I’ve heard they’re no longer selling this as a kit. If they were I’d recommend it.
One slight gotcha is that the inner door panel isn’t zero thickness, and I didn’t account for it when installing the seats. I need to adjust the passenger seat by just enough that I have to redrill all those holes. Not ideal, but still need to do it. IMG_5680.jpg
I had an issue with the person who did the bodywork on my car that took me way too long to realize. The sandwich of washers spacers and eye bolt for the nose hinges was reassembled incorrectly. They put the washers on the outside. They also torqued them down enough that the hinges themselves bent slightly inward. This caused a weird issue that seemed to prevent the nose going back to the correct spot with the struts on. Ordering replacements from FFR and putting them on seemed to have resolved that issue.
In lighter news, I finally got around to installing the carpet. Also added a radio.
Carpet was the FFR kit carpet. I like it well enough, and being precut it was a pretty easy job.
The radio was a bit challenging on the other hand. I knew I wanted it integrated to the stock dash, but that really pigeonholed my choices.
Sony XAV-9000ES: this was chosen due to its very compact form factor while supporting apply carplay. It has physical buttons which was also a requirement for me. The main purpose of installing the radio is for navigation and the backup camera I installed. This works very well. The one concession is that I don’t have space for the driver side defroster hose. I don’t suspect I’ll be driving in weather that needs it though, so it’s okay.
Kenwood KFC-P710PS audio: plenty loud. I used FormaCars tweeter mounts installed on the dash.
RetroSound RPOD6A surface speaker mounts: much simpler than installing them in the door on this car. Barely enough depth for the speakers.
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Originally Posted by Chopper
Help Needed - Rear Center Section Install
They only sent me one of the two required angled mount adapters. Regrettably, I didn't notice the quantity error on the POL they sent me, since it didn't ship with the initial kit delivery, so FFR doesn't know about this missing piece yet.
! The clicky mechanism stopped clicking. In a mindless state, I didn't realize how much I was torquing the upper ball joint and it ended up ruining the threads on the stud. Fortunately I was using the Howe ball joint Paul recommends and I was able to just replace the stud with a new one without figuring out how to remove the entire housing. After this, I got the front brakes installed. I'm using the Wilwood brake kit. A word of warning, on the black rotors the arrow is hard to see. Make sure you put the hubs on in the correct orientation. Also, the wording for the caliper install is weird, but there's an arrow on the driver side caliper (I didn't see one on the passenger side). I believe the correct orientation is such that all arrows should be facing forwards.