Papa's Retirement Type 65 Coupe Build - Index in first post

[JTG]

From the pictures, those look to be a really good fit. I'm very curious to see how this evolves as you get more panels, and eventually the body in place.

I have been all over the map looking for seats, and nothing has really grabbed my attention as being the perfect solution but so far your choice is looking nice.

[Namrups]

Hi Papa, I don't think you are going to have a clearance issue with the aluminum panels but you might have an issue with the body. My suggestion would be to put the body on and check clearance. Don't wait until it's to late to return the seats if they don't fit like I did!

Scott

[Papa]

From the pictures, those look to be a really good fit. I'm very curious to see how this evolves as you get more panels, and eventually the body in place.

I have been all over the map looking for seats, and nothing has really grabbed my attention as being the perfect solution but so far your choice is looking nice.

Hi Papa, I don't think you are going to have a clearance issue with the aluminum panels but you might have an issue with the body. My suggestion would be to put the body on and check clearance. Don't wait until it's to late to return the seats if they don't fit like I did!

Scott

Thanks, guys. I'll try to get the body on to see how things look. The good news is that there is room to move the seat around, so fingers crossed!

Dave

[Papa]

Yesterday I set the body back in the car so I could see what the seat fitment looked like with the body on the car. Again, just loosely positioning the seat, it looks like there is room for the seats with some wiggle room to determine final placement.





I also suspect that I'll be able to trim the body in the area closest to the seat to allow me to move the seat back another inch or so.

[Ejzajac]

Papa Dave,
Do you think those Sparco Seats would be a good/easy fit into the Mk5 Roadster?

Ed Z

[PNWTim]

Yesterday I set the body back in the car so I could see what the seat fitment looked like with the body on the car. Again, just loosely positioning the seat, it looks like there is room for the seats with some wiggle room to determine final placement.





I also suspect that I'll be able to trim the body in the area closest to the seat to allow me to move the seat back another inch or so.

Dave, you beat me to it. I didn't have a chance to put the body on to do a final test fit but I did figure they would work. I'm curious if you drilled the holes for the aluminum piece that fits right there in the corner? I was working under the premise that if that piece fit, then the body would fit and it would all work together.

[Papa]

Papa Dave,
Do you think those Sparco Seats would be a good/easy fit into the Mk5 Roadster?

Ed Z

Ed,

The Sparco R100's are 20" wide at the side bolsters, which is the same as the FFR roadster seats. I would expect they should fit in the roadster, but as you know, there are a lot of variables from build-to-build.

Dave

[Papa]

Dave, you beat me to it. I didn't have a chance to put the body on to do a final test fit but I did figure they would work. I'm curious if you drilled the holes for the aluminum piece that fits right there in the corner? I was working under the premise that if that piece fit, then the body would fit and it would all work together.

Tim,

My panels are still at the powder coater, so I don't have them handy. Looking at other builds, those corner panels go in behind the body, right?

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post587027

Dave

[PNWTim]

Tim,

My panels are still at the powder coater, so I don't have them handy. Looking at other builds, those corner panels go in behind the body, right?

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post587027

Dave

I believe so, yes. They essentially seal off that corner but their shape follows the body fairly closely and also allow for some trimming of the fiberglass. I have followed Fat Larry's build pretty closely as well. Lots of nice details.

[Papa]

I believe so, yes. They essentially seal off that corner but their shape follows the body fairly closely and also allow for some trimming of the fiberglass. I have followed Fat Larry's build pretty closely as well. Lots of nice details.

Whew -- thought I'd made a big mistake drilling those panels for rivets. I love the details in Larry's build. I'm leaning heavily in the direction of the FormaCars power windows and door panels.

[Lugnut Mark]

Hey Papa Dave …. I highly recommend fitting all of your interior panels prior to finalizing seat mounting … with my coupe I had to trim some of the body back so the shoulder bolster would clear and allow me to be comfortable as well as I had to cut out the far drivers side seatbelt tab to allow my seat to get as far back as possible …. Believe it or not the seat adjustment lever is what binds up so I may have to trim that up as well see attached photos …. Now a quick caviot I am a pretty big dude 6’2” and 215 lbs so I need every inch I can get IMG_0253.jpgIMG_0249.jpgIMG_0246.jpgIMG_0250.jpg. In the one pic you can see the amount of material I trimmed off in the seat !

[Papa]

Hey Papa Dave …. I highly recommend fitting all of your interior panels prior to finalizing seat mounting … with my coupe I had to trim some of the body back so the shoulder bolster would clear and allow me to be comfortable as well as I had to cut out the far drivers side seatbelt tab to allow my seat to get as far back as possible …. Believe it or not the seat adjustment lever is what binds up so I may have to trim that up as well see attached photos …. Now a quick caviot I am a pretty big dude 6’2” and 215 lbs so I need every inch I can get IMG_0253.jpgIMG_0249.jpgIMG_0246.jpgIMG_0250.jpg. In the one pic you can see the amount of material I trimmed off in the seat !

Thanks, Mark. I hope to have my panels back after Christmas and will be able to get more serious about placing the seats. The rough fitting I've been able to do so far gives me confidence that the seats will work. The Sparco R100 are the smallest seats in the style that I could find. I expect that my final placement will be at a slight angle vs. straight on, much like the position in my MK4.

Dave

[MSumners]

It's actually a Siroco part:

https://www.siroco-hvac.com/en/accessories/controls/

Thanks for this. That control panel looks great. Is this actually included with the kit now?. Anyone know a source to purchase I can’t seem to find where it’s available.

[Papa]

Thanks for this. That control panel looks great. Is this actually included with the kit now?. Anyone know a source to purchase I can’t seem to find where it’s available.

Yes, it was part of my kit. You might reach out to Factory Five and see if they are able to provide it as an individual item.

[TwinFins]

Thanks for this. That control panel looks great. Is this actually included with the kit now?. Anyone know a source to purchase I can’t seem to find where it’s available.

After seeing the original post I reached out to FF and bought the newer panel for around $245 if I recall correctly. It includes a new wire harness as well.

[Papa]

I placed my first order with SendCutSend yesterday and my order is already complete and on its way! I ordered some very simple parts that I'll be using for seat mounts. After fitting the seat in the car, the mounts on the seat are wider than the pan that they need to bolt into. So, I am going to use 3/8" flat bars mounted left-to-right on the seats.



Those bars will lay across the pans and once I have the final positions marked, I'll drill and tap threads into the bars that will allow me to run bolts in from under the car. Once I have the parts, I'll post some pictures.

I'm also expecting my panels from the powder coater any day now. Fingers crossed they come out good and I get everything back that I dropped off.

[Papa]

After trying to do a French seam on the Alcantara I bought for my dash using my wife's "heavy duty" sewing machine with less than stellar results, I decided to phone a friend and visit a professional upholstery shop. You really do need the right equipment to do upholstery, and after ten minutes with a pro, my dash fabric is looking pretty good.

[JimStone]

I love Send-Cut-Send. I find myself searching for things to make and have them cut: logos, lettering, etc. I got a 3D printer "for my kids" for Christmas, so now I can make a lot of things at home too. Going to try out carbon fiber filament which is super strong and heat resistant.

Your dash stitching looks nice. Yeah, you really need an "industrial" sewing machine. I'v done a little on my Sailrite Ultrafeed, but worried about keeping straight lines on the super long seam for the dash

[Skuzzy]

I love Send-Cut-Send. I find myself searching for things to make and have them cut: logos, lettering, etc. I got a 3D printer "for my kids" for Christmas, so now I can make a lot of things at home too. Going to try out carbon fiber filament which is super strong and heat resistant.

Your dash stitching looks nice. Yeah, you really need an "industrial" sewing machine. I'v done a little on my Sailrite Ultrafeed, but worried about keeping straight lines on the super long seam for the dash

I do not know what kind of 3D printer you have, so some of this may be a moot point.

If this is your first foray into 3D printing with CF (carbon fiber), you need to consider;

1) Make sure your print bed can heat to 110C (230F) and you are using a satin print plate. A PEI plate will be destroyed by CF.
2) Make sure you use a hardened steel nozzle as CF is highly abrasive and any wear on the nozzle is bad news.
3) If your printer does not have an enclosure, you will need to acquire one.
4) Your nozzle temperature needs to reach to 290C (554F). Most 3D printers can, but check that.

After you print, you will need to anneal the part. Use any old oven capable of sustaining 60C (140F) and leave it in there for about 3 hours and allow it to cool slowly.

As a suggestion, as CF is a pretty expensive filament and slow to print, you might want to print your parts in PLA first and test fit them for dimensional accuracy. Keep in mind, some CF filaments will shrink after printing. Prusa has a PC+CF filament which is more stable. https://www.prusa3d.com/product/prus...-black-800g-2/

Once you get the hang of designing parts, you will be surprised how much you use that printer. I got mine earlier this year and already have over 31 days print time. I have chewed through 3.4km (2.1 miles) of filament printing 42 projects to date, with 93 sub parts.

[JimStone]

I do not know what kind of 3D printer you have, so some of this may be a moot point.

If this is your first foray into 3D printing with CF (carbon fiber), you need to consider;

1) Make sure your print bed can heat to 110C (230F) and you are using a satin print plate. A PEI plate will be destroyed by CF.
2) Make sure you use a hardened steel nozzle as CF is highly abrasive and any wear on the nozzle is bad news.
3) If your printer does not have an enclosure, you will need to acquire one.
4) Your nozzle temperature needs to reach to 290C (554F). Most 3D printers can, but check that.

After you print, you will need to anneal the part. Use any old oven capable of sustaining 60C (140F) and leave it in there for about 3 hours and allow it to cool slowly.

As a suggestion, as CF is a pretty expensive filament and slow to print, you might want to print your parts in PLA first and test fit them for dimensional accuracy. Keep in mind, some CF filaments will shrink after printing. Prusa has a PC+CF filament which is more stable. https://www.prusa3d.com/product/prus...-black-800g-2/

Once you get the hang of designing parts, you will be surprised how much you use that printer. I got mine earlier this year and already have over 31 days print time. I have chewed through 3.4km (2.1 miles) of filament printing 42 projects to date, with 93 sub parts.

Great advice! Thanks Skuzzy

[Skuzzy]

I failed to mention;

a) Be sure to pre-heat your enclosure to about 30C (86F) before loading the CF into the printer.
b) Printing CF produces micro particles which can cause cancer if inhaled. I have a HEPA filter attachment on my printer to catch those particles.

On the annealing, CF is the only filament which really requires annealing. If you use a blended filament like the PC+CF, you do not need to anneal the part, although it does not hurt to do so.

Just curious, why CF? If it is about strength, then be sure to design your part with the print layer running 90 degrees to the stress it will endure. Minimize bridges as they are a pain to remove from CF.

When I first printed CF, I think I did everything wrong you can do.

By the way, if you are going for strength as well as thermal stability, then the best filament is PEI+GF. It blows away printed CF in almost every category but your printer needs to be able to produce extruder temperatures between 370-390C (698-734F) with bed temperatures between 120-160C (248-320F).

[Papa]

I haven't had much time to work on the Coupe, but yesterday I was able to spend a little time in the shop and I lined my Snakebite Motorworks glove box with trunk liner material.

[Sharris2]

Looks good , where did you get it and the make of it?

[Papa]

Looks good , where did you get it and the make of it?

It's just black speaker box fabric that I picked up several years ago and don't recall exactly where I got it from.

[burchfieldb]

Looks good , where did you get it and the make of it?

I used this on my door pockets with Landau adhesive and it worked well.


https://a.co/d/hXWvwGd

https://a.co/d/60VdpKN

20250713_112746.jpg

[Papa]

I'll be using the same stuff in the drop trunk. The adhesive I used is a 3M headliner spray, which is very strong stuff! The can also has a very controlled spray pattern.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MEBENM...d_asin_title_6

[Sharris2]

I can't believe the difference in price on the 3m adhesive, that same product in canada is over $37 dollars compared to approx $17 US

[Papa]

I received my order from Send-Cut-Send and started working on the parts today. First, a quick check on the fit.



Next, I countersunk the holes for the bolts that will attach the bars to the seats to be sure the parts sit flush with the floor of the car.





Using a template as a guide, here is approximately where the bars will sit. There is plenty of overlap with the seat pans in the chassis to ensure a solid mount after final positioning of the seats down the road.



I like this approach and will post more as things move along with the build.

[Papa]

I received my arbor press and PEM studs and decided to give it a try. The studs I bought are #8-32x.25" and require a #20 wire gauge drill bit for the proper hole size. I drilled a hole that size into a piece of aluminum bar that I also ordered for this task.



Next, I drilled a hole in a piece of 0.040 thick aluminum scrap. The instructions specifically state not to debur the hole.



Placing the stud through the 0.040 aluminum and into the hole in the bar stock, and applying as much force as I could on the press with the standard handle (no cheater), I got a result.





The 0.040 aluminum is slightly dimpled, which is probably from applying too much force. I'll make a few more practice runs, but this should work very nicely for attaching the dash end pieces as well as the instrument panel to the dash with no visible fasteners.

[Lugnut Mark]

Pretty cool !

[Papa]

I've started looking at how to add a damper in the Heater-A/C ducts to turn off the air to the defroster vents unless I actually want to defrost the windshield. So far, I'm just researching possible approaches, but I'm thinking I can use stuff like this to make something that will work.

[Papa]

I think I have everything properly marked for my dash to allow me to start cutting holes for the vents and placing the PEM studs.



One issue I'm running into with the PEM stud approach is that the press can't reach all the places I would have liked to put studs. I'd planned on using longer studs along the top-front edge of the dash with the studs passing through the 3/4" bar allowing nuts to be installed on the back side of the bar to secure the dash. I may borrow another of Paul's tricks and use solid rivets to attach mounting tabs that I can use to attach the dash to the 3/4" bar. Another area that I hadn't considered was with the way the glove box mounts. I can only get studs in the holes that have clecos in them in the picture above. I need to have the glovebox out to upholster the dash, so I can't rivet the box in the way it was designed to be installed. I think there will be plenty of support with the studs I can install on the sides and across the bottom to make it work, but I may also fabricate a bracket that will allow a couple of fasteners at the top, which should be pretty simple to do.

[Papa]

I got my panels back from the powder coater today!

[PNWTim]

That's always fun. Color looks nice.

[Papa]

That's always fun. Color looks nice.

Thanks Tim! I was torn on doing the silver for the firewall forward. We'll see what it looks like as I start getting them riveted in place.

Dave

[burchfieldb]

Excited to see them installed!

[Papa]

I unwrapped and inventoried all the freshly powder coated panels and everything made it back!



I like the nickel color for the firewall-forward panels. It provides a nice contrast to the black without looking too blingy ... is that a word?



I'll need to create some clearance for the rear brake line in two places, but not a big deal. Now I get to try to remember how the puzzle goes back together.



I also worked on trying to fit the Moroso degas tank I bought, but it looks like that tank just isn't going to fit. I went ahead and ordered the VMP tank that Paul found and that should be a good solution.

[PNWTim]

I'm partial to white in the engine compartment but you're right, the silver looks good. I think the two tone adds a lot of visual punch. It's quite surprising just how many bits and pieces there are.

For what it's worth, I ran into several situations after I powder coated where I needed to either clearance a panel or drill holes. The Snakebite transmission cover required holes and clearance for battery cables, brake and fuel line. The DS footwell panel for brake line and rear harness and of course the firewall, which is pretty straightforward.

[Papa]

I started checking panels and found one that was done in the wrong color by the powder coater. I guess that is a risk when you take a pickup load of parts and drop them off with some kid that probably doesn't care enough to keep things straight. They are re-doing the panel for me.



I also installed my clamps for the fuel lines. I opted to do the forward-most clamp using a nut-sert, but the others I tapped threads into the chassis to mount them.

[bishes]

Those color matched rivets look great!