Well, I just started my new roadster

[Kcon]

My name is Kyle L. and have been lurking a bit while waiting for my new kit. It came last sunday and i started it on the 5th. I signed up for the class but couldn't get it before July the 14th, so it looks like I'll be a ways into the build when I take the class. The book is so simple....so far.... Its going to have a 630 hp LS7 and a tremec Magnum tranny in it. Both are on order. Color will be charcoal with volcano orange double stripe down the middle, and maybe a couple of 4.5" fender stripes from the hood down behind the front two wheels. I'll have to see some samples first though.

Here's a little history, I've been a carpenter/contractor the past 35+ years. I just built my own home inside of a giant shop, where the car is sitting now. Oh yeah, I live about 30 miles from austin Tx. Any and all help is appreciated, so be prepared for some stupid Q's. I know there are no stupid questions, but ya'll never met me.. HA! Any thoughts on the setup are welcomed. Thanks and stay between the lines...Kyle aka Kcon

[RoadRacer]

Welcome Kyle! 30'miles in which direction? There are quite a few in Texas - I'm down in San Antonio with a '33. That LS7 sounds fun

[mcwho]

Welcome Kyle,

No, there are no stupid questions on there, lots of good help.

[wareaglescott]

Sounds like a beautiful color scheme! Enjoy yourself.

I'm shocked a post with mention of an LS motor has been up for 8 hours without GoDad chiming in. He will be extremely pleased to see this!
Fire away with any questions. Great help to be found here.

[KDubU]

Welcome Kyle from another Kyle. You're in for fun times.

[phileas_fogg]

I'm shocked a post with mention of an LS motor has been up for 8 hours without GoDad chiming in.

He's slacking for sure; hope he's not sick!

Welcome Kyle. I look forward to you giving me a run for my money in the stupid questions category!


John

[Mountain-Metalworks]

Sounds like a beautiful color scheme! Enjoy yourself.

I'm shocked a post with mention of an LS motor has been up for 8 hours without GoDad chiming in. He will be extremely pleased to see this!
Fire away with any questions. Great help to be found here.

HA! I agree, where is GoDad to offer motivation... Welcome aboard Kyle! There are a few(several?) of us on the forums that decided to buck the trend of Ford powerplants and go with more personal choices. GoDad is using a GM Gen-I smallblock(350 I believe...) and I'm putting in a Gen-IV LS3 T56Magnum combo. Did you go LS7 for the 427 size or some other reason? After my build is complete, I'll be building a 427 LS2 block I have sitting around since my LS3 will go into a next project(50's Willys Pickup).

Did you get your stuff from GMPP with the stand-alone harness? That's the route I went and it's working out pretty well. I've dieted and changed the harness a bit, along with dieting and integrating the Ron Francis chassis harness. All said and done, I probably could have saved time and money by building my own chassis harness into the GMPP one since it already includes a little used fuse box. Lesson learned....

Hopefully you've done your homework because you WILL run into some additional challenges with going LS. Most notably will be very limited options for a couple major components.
1) Engine mounts: you can go with generic LS conversion mounts that are good but definitely look like generic conversion mounts(lots of unused holes), a few mustang to LS mounts exist, or go custom built. I started with mustang conversion mounts but recently removed them and custom fabricated my own.

2) Cooling: not difficult, but you'll need a custom radiator made to accommodate the Roadster size but with in/outlets on the same side and provisions for the steam port on LS motors. I'm having one custom made but looking at ~$500 as opposed to a relatively cheap FFR alternative. Mine will be double row/crossflow though and meant to handle 600hp and lots of track time.

3) Exhaust: this is the killer item... Easy route is reversed manifolds and custom j-pipes. I wanted 4 into 4 headers which really only left me two options. Pay either a local shop or a well-known shop like Stainless Headers to make a custom set($$$$$$), or buy a set of flanges and j-pipe bends and do it myself. I just received my 1/2" thick 1-7/8" port flanges and Schoenfeld j-bends yesterday and will be hitting the band saw and welder this afternoon.

Long story short, I am a HUGE fan of the LS platform and love your choice of motors. Just be ready to be very creative and have access to unique tools and/or friends to help since you won't get a ton of support from FFR on non-Ford items. This is no fault of FFR, they built everything to handle Ford powerplants, and seem to have a VERY good rapport and relationship with Big Blue.

Good luck with the build and feel free to reach out for details on anything LS/Roadster related. FFR makes a great platform to customize and go-your-own-way and hopefully a few of the forum members can offer ideas that work well, kinda work, or don't work at all.

-TJ

[jcrumpley]

I'm about to start an LS build roadster as well. I just got a call from Stewart to expect my roadster next Wednesday. I'm in Spicewood, Texas, right outside of Austin.

[GoDadGo]

HA! I agree, where is GoDad to offer motivation... -TJ

Welcome & Congratulations On Joining The Only Family That Allows Everybody To Be 17 Years Old Once Again!

Heck Yeah I Love Almost Anything With A Bowtie On It Or In It, Except When I Walk A Little Too Far Down Bourbon Street After Work To Hoist A Few, But That's Another Story!

While those fellows are nice guys, I prefer hanging with my lovely wife.

Have A Great Build!

Congratulations From The Big Easy, New Orleans Louisiana!

[GoDadGo]

I'm about to start an LS build roadster as well. I just got a call from Stewart to expect my roadster next Wednesday. I'm in Spicewood, Texas, right outside of Austin.

JCRUMPLEY,

Welcome to the family as well.

Also, if you scoot that LS up enough, you may be able to use Shoenfeld IMCA Adjustable Headers.

http://www.schoenfeldheaders.com/imcaump-modified3.html

[Kcon]

Thanks guys, I spend most of my time in Spicewood, where I recently finished my home/shop. Jcrumpley, we're gonna have to hook up and compare projects. Jeepers, I thought about all the big stuff like headers, the T56 mag., and the mounts. I have a well equipped shop so I can fab up just about anything. I didn't know about the radiator though. I figured it would run hot so I planned on an oil cooler, but I guess a new radiator is in my future. What did you use, or go off of? Like the dimensions or shape? Oh, and yes, I went with the LS7 427 630-650hp from texas speed and performance who just happens to be nearby in Georgetown. They had good reviews on CorvetteForums, and those guys seem to know their LS's. I plan to run my car on the track a bit and the 7 is a little stouter with the shorter piston and all. At least, that's what I have been told, and read. It's supposed to hold up a little better on the track. I'm not a Race car driver, (or a mechanic) but I've been to the local track and just love it. When I finish this car I plan to go a lot. This car looks like it will be a heck of a good time!!! Same with the forum, thanks again everybody.....Kyle

[kgkeys]

Welcome Kyle from another Kyle. You're in for fun times.

THREE Kyles! Geez... Welcome.

-Kyle

[Lancelot]

Kyle, I have a Coupe on the same trailer as JCrumpley's, I believe, and I'll be seeing you at the July build school! Glad there will be another Texan there to help translate what the Northerners will try to teach us . Your build sounds very cool. Congrats and Enjoy!

[jcrumpley]

Kyle,

My car will be a Corvette LS1 with an ASA cam that I have on my engine stand in my shop right now. I am doing a 3.31 iron IRS and a TKO600. That about as far as I've planned. I'm a corvette guy and have a ls swapped 92 GMC. I mess around tuning with HP Tuners with LS motors thus the choice of going LS instead of ford. I'm just off Bee Creek in Siesta Shores. Their is another guy with a ffr Cobra in Spicewood who did a really nice build. He is Bobl on the forums.

Jeff

[bobl]

Wow another FFR in Spicewood. That's really amazing if you look at the size of this community(it's not even a city).

[Papa]

Kyle,

My car will be a Corvette LS1 with an ASA cam that I have on my engine stand in my shop right now. I am doing a 3.31 iron IRS and a TKO600. That about as far as I've planned. I'm a corvette guy and have a ls swapped 92 GMC. I mess around tuning with HP Tuners with LS motors thus the choice of going LS instead of ford. I'm just off Bee Creek in Siesta Shores. Their is another guy with a ffr Cobra in Spicewood who did a really nice build. He is Bobl on the forums.

Jeff

Wow another FFR in Spicewood. That's really amazing if you look at the size of this community(it's not even a city).

That makes three of us on the same truck! I should get my roadster a couple of days after the Texas deliveries.

[Vspeeds]

Kyle, i got the last spot in the July 14th build school session. I look forward to meeting you. Im planning on ordering my kit after the class. My wife has relatives near Austin, Dallas, and Houston and we often visit relatives at Lake Conroe...I'm from CA.

[seagull81]

Welcome, Kyle. We have quite a few folks in the Austin area. I am sending you a PM. I hope you can join us at one of our events.

[Kcon]

Wow! Lots of Austin/Spicewood guys here, that's freakin awesome! Seagull, I will be joining the club for sure, thanks for the invite. I knew this would be a close-knit bunch.
jcrumpley, I'm driving a '99 c5 convertible right now (and a big Silverado). And I've always been a chevy man so the LS was a no brainer for me. Plus I want my Cobra to be different. Do you know Leslie L. in Siesta shores? He's my business partner and ex brother in law. I'm over there every now and then.
Lancelot and vspeeds, I will see y'all at the class. I have the front suspension on and moving along so i'll (maybe) be halfway done by school time.(I'm probably overoptimistic) No problem though, I'm going regardless. I can come back and put it together right, ha. Actually, I am very impressed at how detailed and easy the instructions are....so far. Later, Kyle#3

Question on the Willwood brakes, don't I have to safety wire them? Never done it. Do they sell those pliers at any auto shop?

[jcrumpley]

Kyle,

Yep, I know Leslie. It's a real small neighborhood here. My daily driver is a C6 convertible.

Jeff

[Kcon]

I figured you did because he knows everybody in that little neighborhood. Nice vette, I just love the convertible. I recently put a Procharger on mine, and have some new street legal racing tires on the way, to take to the track.

Anybody know an excellent painter in Austin for my Cobra? I have a couple good references but they also run a collision shop for their main money. Because of that, I've been told it could take 6 months. I'd like to find somebody that specializes in customs, or is just a prompt painter. I wanna see way down into that paint

[Paul2STL]

Kyle,
There is an old saying on the forum, "no pictures it didn't happen".

[seagull81]

Kyle, hit up bobl (above post). He has a guy that did his recently.

[35olds]

Good Luck with New build . I've a question , now that you are just starting out , Is there any way to put roll bar in **** pit ? As original , and the way Superformance builds their's . Anyone can answer !
Thanks , Bob

[Kcon]

Paul, I agree. As soon as the new wheels and tires get here and onto my car i will post some pics of it. Back to work! Willwood brakes are going on now....Kyle

[mosh1999]

Kcon, Lancelot, and Vspeeds see you at the July Build School. Planning on ordering the kit towards the end of the year. It will be an LS also

[Kcon]

Way to go Mosh, when I was in the planning stages I thought I was going to be all alone with my LS engine. Turns out, I have lots of company......Kyle

[35olds]

Is there any way to keep the roll bar in cockpit , the interior behind the seat , in a FF roadster ?
Thanks , Bob

[CraigS]

Is there any way to keep the roll bar in cockpit , the interior behind the seat , in a FF roadster ?
Thanks , Bob

Yes. You just cut the top of the rear cockpit aluminum at the top of the 2x2 frame tube. Move that piece back 6-10 inches and make two side pieces. This will leave a 3/4x3/4 tube across the opening. You can remove it maybe but I kept mine. It is fine for shoving in a few coats and hats or gloves. just no solid objects.