Jesse builds another Cobra #11,061 - First body work shots

[Blitzboy54]

I went out to do a few odds and ends on my build last night and found the battery to be dead again (3.3 volts, YIKES). I thought I had a bad unit (maybe I did) but I definitely don't have two. I did the troubleshooting and found that my problem was coming from the ignition circuit. When I test I have oscillating current from 48 to 72 milliamps. This is way to high. I connected my Digital Guard Dawg to the ignition wires on the RF harness with a high current weather pack so that made isolating it a lot easier. Sure enough when I disconnect it my draw drops to 9 milliamps. 8 of these are my parking brake.

So what to do. I have to live with it for now because I have to drive this thing to my pre scheduled appointments and I really need to drive it before the weather turns so I can shake it down. After I get it registered next week I think I am going to pull it and temporarily re install the key switch. The easiest thing to do will be to pre wire the switch to another weather pack and just plug it in for an easy conversion. I called DGD and they said I should never see more than 12 milliamps. They said to send it in and they will look at it. I have the key to push button and just to make sure the unit wasn't more "awake" because of the key, I moved both of them into the house. Still acts the same.

I did a search but only found one thread where anyone had this problem and it was never updated. Question, has anyone else seen this and has anyone just for fun measured their draw to see what is normal?

[Mike.Bray]

I had the same issue, installed a disconnect on the positive lead to isolate the battery. Problem solved for me.

[Blitzboy54]

I had the same issue, installed a disconnect on the positive lead to isolate the battery. Problem solved for me.

I was thinking something similar.

Thanks Mike!

[danmas]

Ugh. Well good to know. I’m not in love with this thing and now I need to install another switch. Chuckle. Live and learn.

[gbranham]

You guys are making your ignition way too complicated. Hah! Just use a darn key, and let insurance cover the rest.

Greg

[JMD]

you guys are making your ignition way too complicated. Hah! Just use a darn key, and let insurance cover the rest.

greg

k.i.s.s.!

[Blitzboy54]

I think my goal on this one was to make it as complicated as possible.


So far so good.

[Mike.Bray]

I installed my disconnect under the hood, my theory is I can lock the latches and add a level of anti-theft. Now if I can just find my keys to the latches....

20240411_161124 (Medium) Rotated.jpg

[Jeff Kleiner]

I installed my disconnect under the hood, my theory is I can lock the latches and add a level of anti-theft. Now if I can just find my keys to the latches....

It’s OK Mike, if you can’t find the key to your hood locks you just need to find another Factory Five owner because every FFR hood and trunk lock is keyed the same! Every. Single. One.

Jeff

[Mike.Bray]

It’s OK Mike, if you can’t find the key to your hood locks you just need to find another Factory Five owner because every FFR hood and trunk lock is keyed the same! Every. Single. One.

Jeff

You're weren't supposed to let that secret out! Now my plan is foiled

[460.465USMC]

I did a search but only found one thread where anyone had this problem and it was never updated. Question, has anyone else seen this and has anyone just for fun measured their draw to see what is normal?

Hi Jesse. That's a bummer. FWIW, I did not have that issue with my DGD. I don't know what its amp draw was, but obviously, yours is too much. Also, I set mine to manual key mode, because I found my FOB to drain too quickly otherwise. Thankfully, there is an emergency bypass process, and it works (ask me how I know). I'm putting DGD in my Coupe build as well. Not so much for security, but mostly because I like the convenience of the FOB.

[JMD]

Hi Jesse. That's a bummer. FWIW, I did not have that issue with my DGD. I don't know what its amp draw was, but obviously, yours is too much. Also, I set mine to manual key mode, because I found my FOB to drain too quickly otherwise. Thankfully, there is an emergency bypass process, and it works (ask me how I know). I'm putting DGD in my Coupe build as well. Not so much for security, but mostly because I like the convenience of the FOB.

After reading this page, it sounds like using a key is the most convenient option so far...

[JeffP]

I bought one of the knock off chinese versions on amazon and have never had an issue with it or parasitic draw and i use it with the passive entry fob. Only times i've had my battery go down are when its sat for at least 2months. I do keep a tender on it over the winter.

[Blitzboy54]

I bought one of the knock off chinese versions on amazon and have never had an issue with it or parasitic draw and i use it with the passive entry fob. Only times I've had my battery go down are when its sat for at least 2months. I do keep a tender on it over the winter.

2 months is about right, mine drops off a cliff somewhere between 6-8 weeks. IMO the car should be able to sit undriven for 60 days without an issue. I am going to put a push button inline switch to the 12v that feeds the ignition, change my key fob to passive and that will be it I think. That way I sit in the car, turn on the "power" button. The ignition wakes up, sees the key fob and I am immediately ready to start. This will drop my daily draw to under 10 milliamps. This should be fine during the driving season. I am also going to put a battery cutoff switch at the terminal for winter storage. The reason for the second switch just to the ignition and not what Mike did is I have an analog clock I don't want to reset every time I drive it. Once done (fingers crossed I don't make any new problems working behind the dash) I will document it all here.

[Blitzboy54]

Parasitic Draw Solution

So to tackle my energy hungry ignition system I needed to a way to get it off the battery. I am not prepared to pull it out. I have a DMV appointment on Tuesday and then maybe 6 weeks of driving weather. I am willing to sacrifice none of it. Mike had a the same problem and used a cutoff switch. My only issue with that is I have an analog clock in my dash and have no interest in resetting it every time I drive. Also to put this in context. I am losing 72 milliamps, so i am in no danger of the car not working day to day but if stored 2 months it definitely can be. If I remove the ignition from the circuit I draw 12 milliamps. This is perfectly acceptable for long periods of time.

When I connected the DGD to the RF harness I used a weather pack connection. So what I want is the ability to kill just the 12v hot going to the DGD. I created this to plug in between the existing harness and you can see I have a latching push button switch rated to 30amps.



I took out the brace I made for the dash under the steering wheel and mounted it.





The beauty of this setup is I changed my RFID tag to passive mode. I can leave it in my pocket, sit down, press my "secret" button and the system powers up and disarms. I then simply start the car. I can also just leave the switch closed and for daily use. But if say I am not going to drive it for the week (or month) I can shut it back off. It's not the perfect solution but it's the one I am going with.



Also since I am working on power disconnects. I wanted a disconnect switch but I had over thought the whole thing and had to back out of it. I found this item so I went ahead and installed it. I don't expect to use it a lot but it is nice to be able to kill the battery without wrenches. Like say the car is sitting for a couple of months over the winter somewhere in the Midwest while the body is getting painted.

[Blitzboy54]

After reading this page, it sounds like using a key is the most convenient option so far...

I kind of agree. My true back out plan is to pull all of it out and put a regular ignition switch where the push button start is. I wanted something very specific with this build and a traditional key works against it but I won't hesitate if this turns into a hassle.

I think I am ok for now though.

[cv2065]

Parasitic Draw Solution

So to tackle my energy hungry ignition system I needed to a way to get it off the battery. I am not prepared to pull it out. I have a DMV appointment on Tuesday and then maybe 6 weeks of driving weather. I am willing to sacrifice none of it. Mike had a the same problem and used a cutoff switch. My only issue with that is I have an analog clock in my dash and have no interest in resetting it every time I drive. Also to put this in context. I am losing 72 milliamps, so i am in no danger of the car not working day to day but if stored 2 months it definitely can be. If I remove the ignition from the circuit I draw 12 milliamps. This is perfectly acceptable for long periods of time.

When I connected the DGD to the RF harness I used a weather pack connection. So what I want is the ability to kill just the 12v hot going to the DGD. I created this to plug in between the existing harness and you can see I have a latching push button switch rated to 30amps.



I took out the brace I made for the dash under the steering wheel and mounted it.





The beauty of this setup is I changed my RFID tag to passive mode. I can leave it in my pocket, sit down, press my "secret" button and the system powers up and disarms. I then simply start the car. I can also just leave the switch closed and for daily use. But if say I am not going to drive it for the week (or month) I can shut it back off. It's not the perfect solution but it's the one I am going with.



Also since I am working on power disconnects. I wanted a disconnect switch but I had over thought the whole thing and had to back out of it. I found this item so I went ahead and installed it. I don't expect to use it a lot but it is nice to be able to kill the battery without wrenches. Like say the car is sitting for a couple of months over the winter somewhere in the Midwest while the body is getting painted.

I originally thought that a cutoff switch was cool and a nice 'safety' feature, but I wouldn't use it that much. I was definitely wrong. I've used it many times working on the build and for maintenance. It's so nice to be able to turn a switch versus disconnecting the battery cable.

[Blitzboy54]

Whenever you dig around on the inside of your dash it's good idea to test everything to make sure you didn't accidentally disconnect anything. All was well until I tested my wipers. They cycled once then got jammed up at the half way point. I took a look and found the center section of tubing had failed.

A little quick background. The FFR wiper kit comes with SS tubing. I had no trouble the first time but the second time I installed these wipers I ever so subtly kinked the tube. This malformed the tubing just enough to keep the cable from freely moving back and fourth. I ended up purchasing a piece of 5/8 brake line at the hardware store. This is easy to manipulate and worked fine BUT I don't own a flaring tool. I really didn't see why that would be an issue until yesterday.

As you can see here what happened was the cable caught the end of the tubing and pulled it out of the wheel box. I should have taken a picture but I started taking it apart right away. You can see the end of the tube here.





Well, I probably need to order some SS tubing and either borrow or purchase a flare tool. If the end is flared it prevents the cable from catching it. Live and learn.

Now I have a vehicle inspection in 48 hours. What to do. I found some 3/8 clear poly hose 1/4ID. This was cheap, available and fit so this will get me through. After installing it and interesting thing happened. It not only worked but the wipers got a lot quieter. I have to play around with it some more but I may just do this. I would like to see if it holds up over time but man it's so easy to install.

[Blitzboy54]

We're legal

My had my scheduled appointment with the "field investigation unit". NY uses the salvage inspection system to issue home built vehicles VIN numbers. I got lucky and pulled the first appointment of the morning. I was getting a little squirrelly as we had rain forecast for mid morning. We hadn't had any in weeks so of course. NY has a tough reputation for having an over complicated bureaucracy but I have to say everyone in the home built vehicle business has been easy to deal with. We got there, they fellas came out to say hi and I drove her in for the inspection that took all of 15 minutes. NICE!





They gave me a VIN and my signed paper work and I was on my way. I got home and within 10 seconds of getting her back in the garage it started to poor. NICE!



I returned the Uhaul and the rain let up by 11:00. The next step in the NY state process is you have to wait for some paperwork and get your annual inspection done just like any other car in the state. Ordinarily you have 10 days from registration to do this but because it's home built I had to do it first. I called office that I sends that paperwork to see if I could pick it up in person instead of waiting for the mail and he said he would email it to me. NICE!



There is a gas station up the street and I asked if I could make an appointment later in the week. The lady that owns the service station with her husband said sure and we got to talking about the car. The rain let up and she said if I get it over to her "right now" they could squeeze me in. NICE!



So I call the insurance company (Hagerty) and convert my zero mile policy to a 5k miles a year driving policy and update the VIN. I got 50k in guaranteed valuation for $400/year. NICE!



Now I'm on a heater, time to push my luck. I print up the paperwork and head on over to the DMV and see what happens. This HAS TO BE where my luck runs out right? I mean.... how could it not. I get to the window and tell the nice lady I would like to register my home built vehicle and she looks at me and says "sorry, what now?". There it is, knew it couldn't last. I showed her what I had and assured her I had done it before, she got her supervisor and it turned out he had done a couple before too. He said he would walk her through it and it's not a big deal. NICE!



The best part is she is looking at my license and recognizes my address. She said her nephew lives on the same street. Turns out her nephew is my next door neighbor and we had even previously met at their housewarming party when they first moved in 2 years ago NICE!



So then she hands me my new plates and chuckles and says I should get a frame that says "party like it's....



Honestly not the worst idea. So I pulled an inside straight. Took the day off of work because I had the inspection appointment and managed to squeeze about 4 days worth of paperwork and inspections into 2 hours and we are on the road! NICE!

[danmas]

Congrats! So awesome…

[TXeverydayDad]

That’s what I call a good day! Congrats!

[Nigel Allen]

Beyond excellent. Better take the neighbour for a ride at some stage.

Cheers,

Nige

[Higgybulin]

Did you buy a lotto ticket?!! If not, you better!!! Congrats, thats a good day off work. Well, any day is a good day off work i guess!
Higgy

[Joel Hauser]

I love NY! DMV has gotten a bad reputation it doesn't deserve...probably because Patty and Selma Bouvier of the Simpsons work there.
Too bad we're in for another rainy day today.
Congratulations Jesse. I have flaring tools if you want to borrow them. But the poly hose you're using sounds like a better solution, especially since the wipers will be rarely used.
Joel

[Waterman]

Great day. Another MK4 on the road. Agree NY is easier than all think, it just takes some patience and follow the steps.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Congratulations Jesse!

Jeff

[gbranham]

NICE, Jesse! It sure is a good feeling to have all that nonsense behind you, eh? Enjoy the fall weather driving!

Greg

[PNWTim]

Every now and then, the moon, the stars and the planets all align. It's a great feeling when it all comes together like that, especially back to back.

[460.465USMC]

Wahoo! Congrats, Jesse! Light'em up!!

[cv2065]

That’s a great story Jessie. Sometimes, not often, we get days like that. Great price with Hegarty. When I up the anti with American Collectors, sounds like a good second if the numbers aren’t right.

Now go get some miles on that beauty!

[Blitzboy54]

It's good to have friends

Thanks everyone for the kind words. The weather has been spectacular this weekend and I have a couple hundred miles under my belt now. It been great. I'm really glad I am driving in gel coat. It's the best way to shake it down. Things I discovered so far that needed attention:

1. Clutch was too tight, let it out and it hooks up real nice now. HOWEVER I get the strangest squeal in the clutch pedal. To my ear is sounds like the the pivot on the pedal needs lube but I can't be sure. It's a little odd. It comes and goes

2. Shift boot. I purchased a shift boot from Redline Goods. I used the Factory Five template but the hole on top is cut for the stock shifter. The coyote shifter is thicker. So I cut it and tucked it back inside. This doesn't really work for a number of reasons. I ordered another one and modified the top hole to 1 inch. I cut the top off the rubber shift boot and use it as a "gasket" to keep the heat out. I will share pics when my new boot shows up in a few weeks.

3. Seats - it did not occur to me that the seats might not be that comfortable but it might be the price you pay for buying custom seats overseas. I am going to play with seat angles this week and see if that improves it but my wife and I talked about it on our ride today, and I think what the real solution is when I pull the seats out this winter I am going to have the bottoms re done. Needs double the cushion.

4. ALIGNMENT

My friend Scott reached out to congratulate me on being legal and to tell me he had all the stuff at his place to do an alignment. I took him up on his offer. He said to plan on being there all day and he wasn't kidding. Home alignments are not for the faint of heart. Its extra hard without a lift because of access but we did manage to get it done. We started at 9:00 and finished at 4:00. We did walk up to the diner and grab lunch in there too.

The best part was the digital level kept resetting itself as the battery's were going so we chased our tails for a while until we figured it out. One time because we were both tired we set the camber to the prescribed -5 degrees. When I stepped back and looked the wheel looked like it had been in an accident. We couldn't figure out where we went wrong until Scott looked at me and said "wait, 5 degrees or .5 degrees"? I should have taken a picture. The best news is we got it done, took it for a test drive and the car drives fantastic. Straight as an arrow.

I can't thank Scott enough, that was a long day. I really appreciate it.

[Namrups]

It's good to have friends

Thanks everyone for the kind words. The weather has been spectacular this weekend and I have a couple hundred miles under my belt now. It been great. I'm already glad I am driving in gel coat. It's the best way to shake it down. Things I discovered so far that needed attention:

1. Clutch was too tight, let it out and it hooks up real nice now. HOWEVER I get the strangest squeal in the clutch pedal. To my ear is sounds like the the pivot on the pedal needs lube but I can't be sure. It's a little odd. It comes and goes

2. Shift boot. I purchased a shift boot from Redline Goods. I used the Factory Five template but the hole on top is cut for the stock shifter. The coyote shifter is thicker. So i cut it and tucked it back inside. This doesn't really work for a number of reasons. I ordered another one and modified the top hole to 1 inch. I cut the top off the rubber shift boot and use it as a "gasket" to keep the heat out. I will share pics when my new boot shows up in a few weeks.

3. Seats - it did not occur to me that the seats might not be that comfortable but it might be the price you pay for buying custom seats overseas. i am going to play with seat angles this week and see if that improves it but my wife and I talked about it on our ride today, and I think what the real solution is when I pull the seats out this winter I am going to have the bottoms re done. Needs double the cushion.

4. ALIGNMENT

My friend Scott reached out to congratulate me on being legal and to tell me he had all the stuff at his place to do an alignment. I took him up on his offer. He said to plan on being there all day and he wasn't kidding. Home alignments are not for the faint of heart. Its extra hard without a lift because of access but we did manage to get it done. We started at 9:00 and finished at 4:00. We did walk up to the diner and grab lunch in there too.

The best part was the digital level kept resetting itself as the battery's were going so we chased our tails for a while until we figured it out. One time because we were both tired we set the camber to the prescribed -5 degrees. When I stepped back and looked the wheel looked like it had been in an accident. We couldn't figure out where we went wrong until Scott looked at me and said "wait, 5 degrees or .5 degrees"? I should have taken a picture. The best news is we got it done, took it for a test drive and the car drives fantastic. Straight as an arrow.

I can't thank Scott enough, that was a long day. I really appreciate it.

Glad to pay it forward!!! You and the rest of the Upstate Cobra club have done a lot to help me!

Scott

[460.465USMC]

ALIGNMENT

My friend Scott reached out to congratulate me on being legal and to tell me he had all the stuff at his place to do an alignment. I took him up on his offer. He said to plan on being there all day and he wasn't kidding. Home alignments are not for the faint of heart. Its extra hard without a lift because of access but we did manage to get it done. We started at 9:00 and finished at 4:00. We did walk up to the diner and grab lunch in there too.

The best part was the digital level kept resetting itself as the battery's were going so we chased our tails for a while until we figured it out. One time because we were both tired we set the camber to the prescribed -5 degrees. When I stepped back and looked the wheel looked like it had been in an accident. We couldn't figure out where we went wrong until Scott looked at me and said "wait, 5 degrees or .5 degrees"? I should have taken a picture. The best news is we got it done, took it for a test drive and the car drives fantastic. Straight as an arrow.

I can't thank Scott enough, that was a long day. I really appreciate it.

Great to get an update. Glad you are getting out there and enjoying it with your better half.

The DIY alignment turned out to be one of the most satisfying parts of my MK4 build, and not a small learning experience. The proof is in how it drives. Way to go!

[Blitzboy54]

Suspension Travel

OK so as pointed out in this build thread one of the challenges of beefing up my wheel stance is suspension travel. Obviously I can't have the wheels bottoming out on the body. So what to do. First thing is I set the ride height where I wanted it. I found a happy medium between clearance and looks. Once it was set then it was on to the "test track". My findings were that for normal driving, turning and braking (even spirited) the wheels clear without issue. HOWEVER whenever I hit a big bump or dip the wheel touches. I can tell because it leaves a mark on the tire, you can hear it when it rubs and it smells like burnt rubber for a second afterwards.

My solution is to first determine where the "bottom" is in the suspension travel. This was pretty easy, I jacked the car off the ground, loosened the coil over spring, pulled the bumps stop all the way down and then jacked the wheel up until it makes contact. I did this for all 4 wheels. My feeling is if I clear the body as is I have some buffer after paint as there is nearly a 1/2 of material that will be removed from the lip of the fender.



The bump stop marked where I had to limit the travel.



If you put a hard limiter in the coil over when you reach it, it will will be jarring. I want a "soft landing". I purchased a set of performance bump stops from Professional Awesome. They produce a number of different models for racing. I went with a taller unit that is probably designed for long travel off road because it will take longer to reach a hard limit. They make a shorter unit but I am starting here.



I pulled the coil apart and installed the new bump stop along with a fender washer and a 14mm two piece clamp to set the height. This way I can also make adjustments if I need to and even remove it.



By my math the bottom of the fattest part of the bump stop is at my limit. I re installed all 4 corners. I marked the coil height before I took them out and reset everything back.





I went out for an extended and dare I say aggressive ride today. I hit all the bumpiest roads and turned and broke as hard as I was comfortable. I have to say I may have stumbled onto something here. Not only did it work (no contact detected) I may have improved the ride somehow. It was very smooth almost felt like I had sway bars installed ( I don't). The early results are very promising.


I also stamped my VIN into the data plate and mounted it in the engine bay.

[cv2065]

Those bump stops do look like they'd give a nice ride. Are they hard rubber like a poly mount or on the softer side?

[Blitzboy54]

Those bump stops do look like they'd give a nice ride. Are they hard rubber like a poly mount or on the softer side?

They are definitely a polymer. These have a progressive design so they engage gradually. I went this route because it’s all entirely reversible. I plan to keep it as is but for resale or if I wanted a lower profile down the road these can be adjusted or reversed with a different set of wheels and it’s a totally different car.

[Nigel Allen]

They are definitely a polymer. These have a progressive design so they engage gradually. I went this route because it’s all entirely reversible. I plan to keep it as is but for resale or if I wanted a lower profile down the road these can be adjusted or reversed with a different set of wheels and it’s a totally different car.

Make sure you tighten the piston rod thread tightly in the rod-end. I had one unscrew and damage the thread.

Cheers,

Nige

[Jeff Kleiner]

Jesse,
Coincidentally Mike Lewin with Professional Awesome is an old autocross friend of mine! His FFR is undergoing some serious revisions currently.

Jeff

[Blitzboy54]

Make sure you tighten the piston rod thread tightly in the rod-end. I had one unscrew and damage the thread.

Cheers,

Nige

Good advice as always. I brought them down until they bottomed out, used blue loctite and tightend the jam nut. Appreciate you looking out.

I did a little data logging. I have a rural spot that's good for doing pulls. I ripped 3rd gear to 7k rpm. The continuous torque of the Coyote is really impressive. But I glanced down when letting off the pedal and I was doing 110 mph. I then suddenly was struck that I personally assembled this thing and am I sure I shouldn't double check all my connections before doing this again. We are building rocket ships

Should be respected accordingly

[Blitzboy54]

Jesse,
Coincidentally Mike Lewin with Professional Awesome is an old autocross friend of mine! His FFR is undergoing some serious revisions currently.

Jeff

Tell him he has at least one duly impressed customer. He products are the secret sauce that make my wide stance roadster go.

Also I hope is revisions were planned.