P100DHG Build Thread - Gen 3 Coupe #138

[LateApex]

May I ask, "What did you decide on door cards?"

As a background, I am expecting body parts back in from the paint shop starting this week. So the final ( .... maybe) phases of final build and titling the vehicle are in front of me. And as usual there are a few build items I have not started yet, such as bonnet skate wheel rollers and ... door cards. I am likely to cloth these cards in the same leather I upholstered the dash with. I wish to make them easily removable so that I can remove the BRE side mirrors as may be needed from time-to-time. So 4x rivnuts are likely in the plan for each card. I have not decided on the door card substrate. I have some sheet aluminum, which is a candidate, but am considering using some ~1/8" ply (I have some baltic birch lying around from some RV interior work last year).

I am hoping your battery woes have been resolved??

... Bob

[petepetrolhead]

The real question is with the internal changes how will it sound.... Tim is guessing a 20db reduction which would be substantial. Loud enough to piss off the neighbors but not loud enough to give me a headache within the first minute. Just one other thing and we'll have to wait till everything is welded. I got to peak at Tim's welds today and they look like a robot did them they are so good. (the second picture of the header shows it). I've got to get my Tig welder going and just practice and practice because seeing his work is just really inspirational.
.

Great detailed blog - thank you for posting this. I'm about to start on a Type 65 and, like you, I don't want to get a headache from the exhausts. Could you expand on the internal changes You had Tim make to get a 20dB reduction? Thank you!

[Ducky]

I've been following this thread for years now and I am so excited to hear how it ends! Best of luck on the remainder of the build!

[PNWTim]

The OP hasn't posted in the thread for almost 2 years, which is a real bummer. Hopefully he didn't get too sidetracked with the backyard project.

[JimStone]

One of my favorite Coupe build threads. A ton of original ideas and impeccable work.

All it needs is an ending!!

[CW_MI]

Found some more pics on his instagram page. At least we get to see the car in paint. That dark blue looks really good.

https://www.instagram.com/sixtyfive_daytona/?hl=en

[PNWTim]

One of my favorite Coupe build threads. A ton of original ideas and impeccable work.

All it needs is an ending!!

I'm with you Jim. I was kind of worried something unfortunate happened in his life because of the abrupt termination of his thread posts. It's a bit of a mystery since he was pretty consistent with his updates but glad to see he apparently finished his car.

[P100DHG]

I write this post with absolute elation and as an update on the last five years I have been away from the forum. How much of the car build have you missed, you might ask… None. So, good news—you didn’t miss anything. Your next question might be: what the heck happened? He never finished the car, the thread… Well, I am just as close as I was right before I left you, with three exceptions. First, I’ll tell you right now I have less hair than when I started this build. HA! We will get to those other two in a minute—or ten, or more—I’ve got a lot to cover. First, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: what happened to me?

Soon after getting my car painted, the electrical gremlin from hell made my car go from reliable to dead. I knew it was going to take patience and troubleshooting. Every move had to be carefully planned so I didn’t scratch the car. In the beginning of the manual, Dave Smith said something that stuck with me: “A wrench dropped from 25 feet away will inexplicably shoot sideways into any freshly painted surface…” If you're not focused, you’re going to regret picking up those tools. I knew it would take my full focus.

So let’s take this year by year—and this is a happy story overall (one sad part). Let me start with that—no cliffhanger.

2021
Summer of 2021, I got the car back from paint and was blessed by my gremlin. That same summer, my father-in-law’s Roadster was delivered, and we got to building it. I thought he would be at my house weekdays and weekends working on the car (the blessing of being retired), but what I found was much more endearing—he wanted to build it with me. At that same time, my brother, who I worked with in a family business, started putting his efforts into his own business venture nearly full-time, and my workload really increased. The Roadster became my priority over my car (still a work in progress today).

All while this was happening, late that summer, my wife and I decided we would try to realize our dream of owning a ranch—a small business in a small town. We thought, hay, a small cattle herd, horse boarding. I sold my 1997 Porsche 911 – 993 Carrera 4S, gathered every penny we had, borrowed the rest, and we were fortunate enough to find a ranch in Colorado in fall of 2021. We closed escrow in December of 2021. It was a great fit—one hour from Boulder, one hour from the Denver airport, and in the mountains. It would be easy to get to, easy for me when I taught at University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, which I did regularly until recently. But we wouldn’t take possession until summer of 2022 (we did a rent-back to the former owners).

2022
In January of 2022, my brother announced he was leaving the family business. At the same time, one of our two office employees suffered an injury while on vacation (a broken ankle that required surgery) and was on extended leave—which she never ended up returning from. I was down to one office employee. I took a hard look at our company structure as I worked 12-plus-hour days, seven days a week. I ended up finding two wonderful employees and a business that needed my full attention. That wrench would surely fly right out of my hand if I thought about tackling the car.

The first part of 2022 was grueling, and summer came with the reward of getting to go to the ranch. A new adventure, new things to learn—and wow, there was a learning curve. But it presented a nice break from city life. Getting back from the ranch to Los Angeles late summer, it was apparent to me my original employee was really struggling with something outside of work, and it was coming into the office. The business required my full attention again. The ranch would have to wait, and so would the car.

2023
Ahh, a new year and a new opportunity. Batteries were back in stock, and I bought one for the car. I installed the battery and—well—it didn’t work. ARGH. Crushing. Something was very, very wrong. The dash would have to come out, and I could see that wrench flying through the air (Dave got in my head—can you tell? LOL).

Well, 2023 had its own issues. Have you heard of an atmospheric river? Neither had I, and it was a crushing year of rain for Los Angeles and wreaked havoc on our business. You would cry if I told you how much money these rains cost in damage. The amount of rain that falls in such a short amount of time… LA was not built for this.

In the midst of the rains, my employee who was struggling was really having a tough time, & she & I parted ways. I am still sad about it. On a human level, you want people to be well & happy, & I still think good thoughts for her. I had to hire again. I found someone wonderful who caught on quickly, & by the time the rains let up, summer had arrived—& we had another shot at the ranch.

What looked turnkey to me at the time wasn’t turnkey at all. The house—yes, turnkey. The other parts we needed to work for us—oh man, I had no idea. We had cows escaping—& there were only two of them! We were in over our heads. We worked hard & made progress, but not as much as we needed to before I had to get back to Los Angeles. That fall two things. I finished our backyard which turned out incredible beyond what I could have ever hoped for but very difficult & my son’s school—a community school here in LA—needed help fundraising, & I set out determined to make a difference. We rallied as a community & did fantastic.

2024
This was a great year. My business was humming along, & we started to understand what the ranch needed. It needed every paycheck—argh… We were in it, we were determined. Time was the only issue working against us, but as a friend told me, “It takes years of work to be an overnight success.” The ranch would be no different.

Can you see a theme—how the ranch & business had taken my time away from the car? Clearly, the facilities at the ranch needed improvement, so we decided our efforts would be best used remodeling & renting a cabin on the property, which we did to the loveliest person, & we are so grateful for them.

At the end of 2024, my wife & I removed the dash to see if we could locate the issue with the wiring. I was certain my engine computer was dead, & there were no signs of life. I was stumped.

2025
Well, January 7th, 2025—things really changed for our community. The Eaton Fire devastated Altadena. My son’s school burned to the ground. Our friends lost their homes, their school, their community centers. Our home, one mile from the fire, was not affected, though we were evacuated for a week, & I felt like it was saved for a reason.

In my mind, it was saved so it could be a shelter for others, so we took in another family while their house was remediated. & I felt like our home was spared so we could help others rebuild—so I could help my community rebuild—& that’s what I have been doing since. Helping people navigate their insurance, being a thought partner in hard times, doing whatever I could to put all my skills to work. I would help my son’s school begin the process of rebuilding—on every level, from rebuilding furniture & setting it up in classrooms in a temporary location, to being a thought partner in the rebuilding of the entire campus.

So the car would have to wait. University of Colorado would have to wait. The ranch would have to wait. My business—well, that doesn’t wait. Gotta pay two mortgages. I had added a second full-time job with my full commitment to Altadena.

2026
Well, the rebuild is underway—architects hired & plans being drawn up—& I continue to work with my son’s school (as a volunteer) to help it rebuild.

Ahhh, the present. Well, the Roadster had its first start a month ago! My father-in-law & I had been making slow progress. My car was still waiting—the dash had been removed—& I was waiting for my time. Patient as patient gets. I didn’t know the level of patience I had until now.

Last Saturday, my father-in-law was due to come over, & he was running late. Something in me said, “Meh, I’ll take a stab at that electrical.” I plugged the battery in, turned the key—& nothing. I tested for continuity everywhere, & it was all there. How could this be? I was certain now I had a ground issue.

I removed the engine ground strap, cleaned the surfaces with a grinding wheel super well, reinstalled it —& NO WAY, the starter cranked. But no fuel pump. WTF. The engine computer? I tested for continuity—& yep, it was grounded. But no power. What the hell.

I ran my lead to the negative post on the battery and the other to the engine computer ground—& NO CONTINUITY. I removed the battery ground to the frame, cleaned the surfaces with the grinder, reattached the cable, & well…

https://youtube.com/shorts/R2b3wb9j4...yJ4lv1OvbsmUD4

Here is how the car sits today. Dash reinstalled, panels all put back on.

IMG_3587.jpeg

Somewhere in there, I installed those A-pillar deflectors & the seatbelts. So look for updates coming amidst everything else I have going on. How did I miss something so basic is as big of a mystery to you as it is to me. But hey I clearly needed sometime to figure it out LOL

I want to thank everyone for reading this far, & I am sorry I didn’t give a bigger-picture update sooner—but hey, better late than never.

For fun here is the Roaster (installing the seats this weekend, gauges & then a go kart & off to paint & the neg- grounds are great I checked them LOL)

https://youtube.com/shorts/qndC9Bzhd...clWkzvhYn6ltpB

Still to come on the Coupe:

- [ ] Headlight, Fog light, turn signal, running light wiring
- [ ] Wiper motors
- [ ] Interior panel covers
- [ ] Splash guards front & rear
- [ ] Door sound insulation
- [ ] Door cards
- [ ] Weather door Strip
- [ ] Wheel knock offs
- [ ] Rear view mirror
- [ ] Racing #5 on meatballs & rear

[burchfieldb]

Man! That is a lot, glad to see you are making it through it. Life gets in the way sometimes with these builds. I am on year 5, 1 for the engine and 4 for the car. Hopefully be done in the next year.

[JimStone]

No. Frickin'. Way.

The great P100DHG build thread is back and cooking!!


First, I have to thank you. Your car and thread have been an inspiration in my own build. I've borrowed several of your unique designs cues, or have done variations on them. In fact, I have your build thread open in my web browser continuously so I can reference it. The fit and finish is to another level, which is what I'm going for.


You have a very full life, which is wonderful. You've prioritized your family and community. Totally understand and respect you for that. I'm not sure I'd have the will power to step away like you, but it sounds like it was necessary


I'm happy you've found and rooted out your electrical Gremlins. That must be a relief


I'm super excited you and you're build thread are back!

If you have time, I'd LOVE to see a bunches of new photos!


- Jim

[P100DHG]

Thankfully that wasn't a fluke, I started the car again today gauges all lit up and came alive. So happy!!! I worked on it a bit today, just cleaning some stuff up reinstalling things I took apart. I did get the knock offs on the wheels installed. Still need to install the passenger seat but I need to drive it off the lift to do that. Here are some close ups of those A-Pillar deflectors and pictures of the side view mirrors.

IMG_3594.jpeg IMG_3593.jpeg IMG_3592.jpeg IMG_3602.jpeg

I thought I'd post a picture of the ranch because I think you would see how we got lured into it. Some things we learned. Hay gets 1 cutting at 8600 ft... Cattle escape... The barn can accommodate 16 horses but where do you put the manure... also I need a full time staff person with that many animals. The metal fencing well when's its beat to hell you need to replace it and its like a mile long. Barb wire is a suggestion, electric fencing is what really keeps animals in. But you know what it's sooooo rewarding and absolutely beautiful.

IMG_0747.jpeg IMG_0849.jpeg IMG_1293.jpeg IMG_1296.jpeg

Glad to post more photos of the car just send me your requests. For some reason my email updates aren't working so I'll check back from time to time

[PNWTim]

I am curious what you coated your sidepipes with? Are they painted or cerakoted or something else?

I got a chuckle out of the third ranch picture. I was wondering if your kids felt like they had stepped onto one of those reality shows where the family has to survive on the Canadian prairie with only 19th century tools or the other one where they get plopped into Victorian England. Bucking hay a mile up is not for the faint of heart.

[P100DHG]

It was a ceramic powder coat. If I recall the shop was Applied Powdercoat in Oxnard CA. It took him two tries to get it right but he called me to say he wasn't happy with the first go so he redid it. 3101 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard, CA 93030. I haven't gotten the exhaust hot enough to tell you how well it will hold up. What I am betting is that the tips will blacken from the exhaust and give it a really authentic look.

The kid can drive the tractor, the Canam, and I gotta say if I had his skills at his age oh man, I'm excited to see what he can do when he gets older (not rushing it but excited). Proud father over here. He can model some amazing stuff in Fusion 360 at 9 years old and cause I've gotta be that Dad, here is his latest work he just finished a couple weeks ago. He's an aviation enthusiast always has been.

Screenshot 2026-04-08 at 3.52.32 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2026-04-06 at 8.20.22 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2026-04-06 at 8.20.34 PM.jpeg

[JimStone]

Your son is definitely getting a well-rounded childhood experience. The Fusion models are very impressive. I played around with Fusion for an hour, watched some YouTube videos and gave up because my head hurt.

I was wondering if you had some more photos of the edges of your dash. I know you did a completely custom job. I don't like how the FFR dash panel doesn't do a good job of covering the entire dash support bar so was thinking how I might modify my dash to hide it. Also, I'm interested in how your dash meshes with your upholstered roll bar there at the A pillar

Thanks!

[q4stix]

Welcome back!
I totally get other things coming up that require and desire more attention and things getting delayed on the car. Here I had a couple years to catch up to you and I basically at the same point I was at when you 'dropped off'

Glad the engine is back up and running as well!

[JTG]

It was a ceramic powder coat. If I recall the shop was Applied Powdercoat in Oxnard CA. It took him two tries to get it right but he called me to say he wasn't happy with the first go so he redid it. 3101 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard, CA 93030. I haven't gotten the exhaust hot enough to tell you how well it will hold up. What I am betting is that the tips will blacken from the exhaust and give it a really authentic look.

The kid can drive the tractor, the Canam, and I gotta say if I had his skills at his age oh man, I'm excited to see what he can do when he gets older (not rushing it but excited). Proud father over here. He can model some amazing stuff in Fusion 360 at 9 years old and cause I've gotta be that Dad, here is his latest work he just finished a couple weeks ago. He's an aviation enthusiast always has been.

Screenshot 2026-04-08 at 3.52.32 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2026-04-06 at 8.20.22 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2026-04-06 at 8.20.34 PM.jpeg

Like others here, I'm excited to see your build continue. Very impressive what you've accomplished so far.

That's awesome that your son is into Fusion @ 9 years old! I couldn't get my son to touch CAD until he was 15 and now I can't get him to stop modeling things.
Although being 16 years old now, almost everything he models seems to be a weapon... Also he's using OnShape because that's what they teach at his school and it made more sense even though I'm using Fusion at home.

Can't wait to see more of your build!
Jon

[burchfieldb]

I've been doing CAD for 30 years, he's got some skills!

[P100DHG]

Here is a side view of the dash. Sheet metal dives right into the leather. For those new to the thread you may notice a gap between the dash pad and the dash. That's the AC vent that runs the full length of the dash. It's definitely form over function .

IMG_36151.jpeg

@burchfieldb I am going to show him your post, he'll appreciate it!

[JimStone]

Here is a side view of the dash. Sheet metal dives right into the leather. For those new to the thread you may notice a gap between the dash pad and the dash. That's the AC vent that runs the full length of the dash. It's definitely form over function .

IMG_36151.jpeg

@burchfieldb I am going to show him your post, he'll appreciate it!

Thanks for the picture. I really like what you did.

Your interior and dash are aspirational

Can't wait for some more updates!