Phil the painter (MI members know him) and his business partner (forgot his name) came by last week and looked over the body. It was the first Mk5 they've seen. We discussed the work to be started , hopefully sometime at the end of the year.
Got the body off this weekend. Started fitting and marking the sheet metal. Fellow forum member 8secDuster (coupe forum) came by yesterday to help me install the IRS center section. Just before we started that, I noticed the rear mount bushings are offset, and a different part number (01P01417) from what is shown in the manual (2123). So, we decided to get the center section in place, without the rear bushings in, just to see if the offset is actually needed. It didn't seem so, at least on my set up. The diff is in the right position and angle, the front mounting bolts can slide in nice and easy. And looking at how the rear mounts line up with the chassis mounts...they are pretty much centered. Trying use the offset bushings seems like it would be an exercise in frustration. So, I'm on a mission to find the bushings that Factory Five originally used, the 2123. Energy Suspension has them, but, 4 to 6 weeks out. So, I've got a call to Mike Forte to see what he can find. I'm in a holding pattern for now. I had also knocked out the wheel studs and replaced those. Have to cut the rear spindle sometime this week. I can at least install the rear control arms....can't wrap that up completely though, missing some shims for the toe arms.
Mike (8secDuster) noticed I forgot to put the dust caps on the upper ball joints (Howe). Had to knock those apart and install them. While doing that, I flipped the shocks from body up to body down. My Breeze billet steering rack bushings came in, so I could finish installing that....my kit shipped with one missing. As I was getting that all together, and went to put the tie rod ends on...I noticed I have the pitman arms in the wrong orientation. I called it a night after that....I'll have to switch them around today.
So far it's taking me a little bit of time to get into my groove on this build. I make forward progress, then overlook something then have setbacks. The challenge is fun though, I'm off the couch and find I'm in all around better spirits. One thing is a bit disappointing though. It seems like Factory Fives customer service is a bit overwhelmed. I know they've made a lot of changes at the end of the year, so maybe it's just getting accustomed to that. I sent an email listing the items missing from my inventory two weeks ago, it took a week for a reply, was told they will get right on it...and nothing. It is what it is, I guess. Still plenty of things do to.
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