Picked up Gen 3 Coupe #68!

[qwezxc12]

Ordered on 10/23/17. Pick-up date was this past Saturday, 1/6/18. Of course it was frigid (-6°F in CNY) with white-out blowing lake-effect snow on Friday when we loaded up the trailer to head to MA. An emergency parking lot repair of the trailer brake / light plug stopped the expedition from being over before we started. It was a long trip.

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Thankfully FFR had successfully dug out from the dumping they got earlier in the week when we arrived Saturday morning bright and early. Swapped some parts I had to return/exchange and got the coupe loaded up in no time. Did a walk-around and saw the shop... love that place.

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The trip back included a stop to see Mark at Breeze and pick-up a double-adjustable QA-1 shock and spring set-up for the front end along with some rack bushings and quick-release steering wheel hub. I need to confirm shock mount eye-to-eye distance at ride height for the new IRS, as Mark indicated I was the first to want a QA-1 set-up in the rear with the new coupe IRS. FFR spec's the same Koni for front & rear, so it should be a quick double check.

Unfortunately, the weather back home was foul and we could not get the trailer to the shop where I'll be building due to all the new snow. I now have to look at the trailer parked at my work until this weekend until we can unload the car. I can't wait to get started.

[KDubU]

Congrats! Now the magic question, what color?

[nskaats]

Congrats! What are the plans for the build?

[GoDadGo]

Congratulations From The Not So Frigid South!

[erlihemi]

Congrats! Now the magic question, what color?

Did I hear Orange Crush??

[John Dol]

Congrats and welcome to the madness!

John

[qwezxc12]

Congrats! Now the magic question, what color?

I'm currently on Ford Sterling Gray Metallic (UJ) with white stripes:

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Congrats! What are the plans for the build?

Thanks! I'm stoked.
I listed some ideas in my introduction post, but a few things have changed.

Kit specs:
BASE KIT
POWDER COATING GEN 3 COUPE CHASSIS
BODY CUT-OUTS
FFR FRONT LOWER ARMS - STANDARD WIDTH
2015 IRS PARTS
COUPE ULTRA-LITE 6 GAUGE SET
FFR Gen3 coupe A/C & Heat
FFR spindles
Deleted seats – maybe going with Corbeau Forza Sports, not sure yet
Deleted headers and side pipes – plan is for a set of Bob Boig’s Coyote set-up Quiet pipes w/three-bolt flange mated with a custom set of GP headers 351W, mild steel, ceramic, collectors & O2 bungs matched to the pipes.
Waiting on the Gen 3 windows

Other misc parts waiting in a pile:
Holley Sniper EFI
T-56 Magnum close ratio
Quicktime bellhousing
McLeod Street Extreme Clutch, Wilwood 13/16" MC and Tilton 6000-Series Hydraulic Throwout Bearing
New IRS pumpkin and knuckles from Ford Racing, 3.73 & Torsen diff - planning to swap to a 3.31 ring and pinion
Wilwood Forged Dynapro 6 Big Brake Front & Dynapro Radial-MC4 Rear Brake Kits, slotted rotors
UniSteer 2.5 PS rack and Breeze offset bushings, planning electric over PS pump.
FR500 17x9 and 17x10.5 wheels & Nitto NT05 275/40-17 and 315/35-17 for street
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On the to-buy list:
Baffled tank and in-tank pump set-up with a return. At this point either a -03 Cobra tank w/Walbro 340 or an Aeromotive Stealth tank. Still sorting that out.
-6AN fuel lines
Harness, probably an American Autowire Power Plus 20 Kit
Wipers – needed for NYS registration. Planning dual Ongaro marine wipers and control system
DOT LED headlights
Custom CNC cut gray interior carpet

The only 'used' part I'll be bringing over from my Mustang is the motor: a 393 stroker, Scat crank, forged H rods, TW pistons, decked and ported Stg ll TW heads from TEA, matching Victor Jr intake, Canton 7Qt Road Race pan, MSD, etc... It was set up with a BG 750 race carb, Hooker Super-comp LT headers, and 3” exhaust. I pulled it last month and will be bringing it to a local shop for a going-over.

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[nskaats]

Sounds like you have a great plan. Your order seems pretty similar to mine. I deleted a bunch of the same stuff I didn't plan on using as well.

Is this going to be primarily a street cruiser or see some track use as well? How much power do you expect it to make?

[nkw8181]

Welcome! Happy to see another coupe builder!

[qwezxc12]

Welcome! Happy to see another coupe builder!

Thanks Nolan, I've been following your build.

[qwezxc12]

Sounds like you have a great plan. Your order seems pretty similar to mine. I deleted a bunch of the same stuff I didn't plan on using as well.

Is this going to be primarily a street cruiser or see some track use as well? How much power do you expect it to make?

Hi Nick,

I used to co-chair the CNYSCCA Solo II program and was very involved in the club. A career change in 2000 with lots of international travel ended that. Still at the same employer, but in the last year or so I've switched to a program that has far less travel, so I'm trying to get back into things a little. My plans for the Coupe are some regional Auto-X, a few HPDE track days (nothing competitive planned), and a riotous semi-daily driver in the summer.

I dynoed the 393 in 2002 when it was fresh in the Mustang. Dyno was a SuperFlow chassis dyno local to the Syracuse area. Below is the 5th run after adjusting timing, FP, and jetting. I ran it into the MSD 6AL rev limiter at 6400, hence the crazy plot afterward. It should make similar or close to the same #'s with the Holly Sniper vs. the BG RaceDemon 750 that was on it, but I'll happily trade cold start and part throttle manners for a little top end power. The motor has been sitting for ~9 years, so it will need some attention before it goes in the coupe.

Dyno-plot-rpm.gif

Looks like you're involved in your local SCCA, too? Cool... every club needs a few more fire-breathing American Iron monsters at the local Auto-X.

[edwardb]

Congrats on your pickup! Did a personal pickup of Roadster #8674 a couple years ago and it's pretty exciting. The team at Factory Five make it a great experience. For my Gen 3 Coupe, delivered just over a month ago, took the easy route and let Stewart bring it to me. Was a good experience too. I'm still waiting for quite a few parts though, unfortunately. I expect you are too. Those weather pictures look all too familiar. We've been having our share of it this winter in MI as well.

Your build plan looks great with some similarities to mine. I am a little surprised you're changing the ratio of the 3.73 center section. If you look at the calculated speeds when combined with the T56 (I assume the 2.66 version) they are almost exactly the same as the very popular and often used TKO600/3.55 combination. That's what I have in my current Roadster, and it seems perfect. Easy to see why it's used frequently. I tried 3.27 in a previous Roadster build, and didn't like it as much. Cruise RPM was a bit lower, but the rest of the time just not as lively IMO. I've also got the 3.73/Torsen center section for my Coupe build, and will install with a T56. But will leave it 3.73 and see how it goes. Wouldn't be that hard to change after the build is done, but I'm really not expecting to. Interested as well in your choice of the wiring harness. I've found the Ron Francis harness works fine. But also see some builds going other directions. For the seats, I'm going to give the Corbeau Sportline Evolution X a try. I have one on the way to see if we like it plus how it fits. On paper, looks promising. I'll report in my build thread. Similar in size I think to the Forza Sports you mention.

Good luck with your build and keep us updated on your progress.

[nskaats]

Hi Nick,

I used to co-chair the CNYSCCA Solo II program and was very involved in the club. A career change in 2000 with lots of international travel ended that. Still at the same employer, but in the last year or so I've switched to a program that has far less travel, so I'm trying to get back into things a little. My plans for the Coupe are some regional Auto-X, a few HPDE track days (nothing competitive planned), and a riotous semi-daily driver in the summer.

I dynoed the 393 in 2002 when it was fresh in the Mustang. Dyno was a SuperFlow chassis dyno local to the Syracuse area. Below is the 5th run after adjusting timing, FP, and jetting. I ran it into the MSD 6AL rev limiter at 6400, hence the crazy plot afterward. It should make similar or close to the same #'s with the Holly Sniper vs. the BG RaceDemon 750 that was on it, but I'll happily trade cold start and part throttle manners for a little top end power. The motor has been sitting for ~9 years, so it will need some attention before it goes in the coupe.

Dyno-plot-rpm.gif

Looks like you're involved in your local SCCA, too? Cool... every club needs a few more fire-breathing American Iron monsters at the local Auto-X.

Looks like a healthy little small block! Yours ended up putting down about exactly the power I'm anticipating from mine. I'm going with a 347 cubic inch LS1 in my gen 3 coupe. I have a Mustang MD1100 chassis dyno and the target is to put down close to 500 at the tires.

I took about an 8 year hiatus from the SCCA stuff, but I've been dragged back into it. Our cars fall into XP I believe but I'm also planning to run CAM-S at the regional level. I sponsor and co-drive a couple local cars that have really helped me find my motivation. I'm getting quite anxious to get this project moving!

Do you have build thread going for yours?

[qwezxc12]

Congrats on your pickup! Did a personal pickup of Roadster #8674 a couple years ago and it's pretty exciting. The team at Factory Five make it a great experience. For my Gen 3 Coupe, delivered just over a month ago, took the easy route and let Stewart bring it to me. Was a good experience too. I'm still waiting for quite a few parts though, unfortunately. I expect you are too. Those weather pictures look all too familiar. We've been having our share of it this winter in MI as well.

Your build plan looks great with some similarities to mine. I am a little surprised you're changing the ratio of the 3.73 center section. If you look at the calculated speeds when combined with the T56 (I assume the 2.66 version) they are almost exactly the same as the very popular and often used TKO600/3.55 combination. That's what I have in my current Roadster, and it seems perfect. Easy to see why it's used frequently. I tried 3.27 in a previous Roadster build, and didn't like it as much. Cruise RPM was a bit lower, but the rest of the time just not as lively IMO. I've also got the 3.73/Torsen center section for my Coupe build, and will install with a T56. But will leave it 3.73 and see how it goes. Wouldn't be that hard to change after the build is done, but I'm really not expecting to. Interested as well in your choice of the wiring harness. I've found the Ron Francis harness works fine. But also see some builds going other directions. For the seats, I'm going to give the Corbeau Sportline Evolution X a try. I have one on the way to see if we like it plus how it fits. On paper, looks promising. I'll report in my build thread. Similar in size I think to the Forza Sports you mention.

Good luck with your build and keep us updated on your progress.

Thanks, will do.

I probably over-analyzed the rear gearing; I'm going for nice rpms at cruise and figuring I'll have all the throttle response I want and more in gears 1-4.
I am using the close-ratio T-56 Magnum (2.66, 1.78, 1.3, 1, .8, .64) as you are. I based my calcs on the rear 315/35-17 diameter of 25.68":

The 3.73 rear would be at 2200 rpm for 56 mph in 5th & 70 mph in 6th.
The 3.31 will be at be at 1950 rpm at the same speeds and I thought that would be slightly a nicer cruise (sound wise) for highway speeds.

The switch should also give me 6-9 mph more in 2nd & 3rd @ 4500rpm for AutoX... In my mustang w/3.73s and slightly shorter rear tire, I often ran out of 2nd gear rpm and either had to try to manage 2-3-2 shifts or ride the top end in 2nd and give up some speed on some of the bigger courses.

As you said, it won't be too hard to change after the build is done if I decide to. I'll be keeping the 3.73 gears just in case until I get some road time.


As far as the harness goes, I had some ideas for extra circuits so I wanted the 20 to have extra fuse capacity:
- Cabin, foot-well, rear hatch, and under-hood LEDs with manual dash and Hall effect switches in the doors and rear hatch.
- USB ports in dash or lower console for phone nav and music
- No built-in radio, but I'm thinking of a switched 12V port for a sound unit, i.e. carpeted bass-box style unit with a bluetooth receiver, amps, and multiple speakers that can be secured the rear hatch area in the (slim) event I want tunes while driving. I have a little CNC router I built and have made speaker enclosures, so it might be fun to throw one together.


The Corbeau Sportlines look really nice!! - I had not considered a reclining seat... I'll definitely be following your progress to see how they fit up.

[qwezxc12]

Do you have build thread going for yours?

Not yet... the car is sitting in a trailer waiting for this weekend and milder weather to get into the shop space I'm using for the build; I'll start a thread once I can actually work on it, lol. I'm really looking forward to getting going!


I actually ran into my first small hurdle this week - FFR does not make a driveshaft for a Gen III Coupe with a SBF, T-56 and 2015 IRS! I appear to be the 1st person to go old-school with a 6-speed and IRS in the new coupe. Where a Coyote with the same trans and rear uses a DS length of 9.75", I need one that's 7.5".

I've been talking with some custom shops and will post the details in my build thread once I've got it pinned down. One up side is I hope to toss the adapter flange that goes between the Spicer 2-2-489 yoke flange on the FFR DS design and the Ford M-4001-88373T 6-bolt companion flange (FR3Z-4851-A) in lieu of a custom DS flange. Less parts and less fasteners is a good thing in the driveline IMHO.

[edwardb]

I probably over-analyzed the rear gearing; I'm going for nice rpms at cruise and figuring I'll have all the throttle response I want and more in gears 1-4. I am using the close-ratio T-56 Magnum (2.66, 1.78, 1.3, 1, .8, .64) as you are. I based my calcs on the rear 315/35-17 diameter of 25.68"...

As far as the harness goes, I had some ideas for extra circuits so I wanted the 20 to have extra fuse capacity...

The Corbeau Sportlines look really nice!! - I had not considered a reclining seat... I'll definitely be following your progress to see how they fit up.

Agreed the RPM for cruise would be better with your 3.31 plan. The numbers don't lie. Probably 90% of my driving is street versus highway, so that's not as high a priority for me. I'd rather give up a little on the cruise side for the snappier street performance.

Some of the circuits you're describing are relatively low current draw (e.g. anything with LED) so pretty easy adds to the Ron Francis circuits. For one build, I did add a 4 or 6 circuit (don't remember...) auxiliary panel because I ran out. Worked fine. I've also added circuits with standalone circuit breakers. Also works fine. Kind of a trade-off between a universal harness versus one that's purpose designed for these builds. Either way some adaptation is required. Kind of the nature of these builds. But also can be the fun and rewarding part.

The Corbeau Sportline Evolution X Seats is a fixed back design. They have two versions. The Evolution (reclining) and the Evolution X (fixed). I figure they'll be back as far as they can go against the back wall most of the time. So a reclining feature isn't very useful. Plus makes them wider at the base and potentially a little congested with the harness attachment in the same area. We really like the look of these seats plus they don't block a lot of the entrance like some seats. That's a priority for getting in and out, especially for my wife. We really wanted to see them in person to physically measure plus sit in. But no retailers anywhere close have them. So I'm buying one with the intent of returning it. Will have to pay for return shipping, but that's a cheap insurance policy. Our plan is to buy two with seat heaters installed (we love those...) but once that's done they're considered custom and no longer returnable. So need to be certain they're the right choice.

[nskaats]

Not yet... the car is sitting in a trailer waiting for this weekend and milder weather to get into the shop space I'm using for the build; I'll start a thread once I can actually work on it, lol. I'm really looking forward to getting going!


I actually ran into my first small hurdle this week - FFR does not make a driveshaft for a Gen III Coupe with a SBF, T-56 and 2015 IRS! I appear to be the 1st person to go old-school with a 6-speed and IRS in the new coupe. Where a Coyote with the same trans and rear uses a DS length of 9.75", I need one that's 7.5".

I've been talking with some custom shops and will post the details in my build thread once I've got it pinned down. One up side is I hope to toss the adapter flange that goes between the Spicer 2-2-489 yoke flange on the FFR DS design and the Ford M-4001-88373T 6-bolt companion flange (FR3Z-4851-A) in lieu of a custom DS flange. Less parts and less fasteners is a good thing in the driveline IMHO.

Isn't there a shop local to you that can make a driveshaft to your specs? Down here I have Cincinnati Driveline and Hydraulic about 15 minutes from me. I've had them build tons of driveshafts for me. It's much nicer having someone in front of you that you can talk to.

[qwezxc12]

Isn't there a shop local to you that can make a driveshaft to your specs? Down here I have Cincinnati Driveline and Hydraulic about 15 minutes from me. I've had them build tons of driveshafts for me. It's much nicer having someone in front of you that you can talk to.

Nick,

No-one local I would trust. I got a no-quote from Denny's because they couldn't balance that short of an assy. I had good conversations with three other shops and got quotes that will work.

I'm waiting until I can measure the installed distance from the T-56 tail to the Companion flange face of the diff before I get one built. Thanks for mentioning Cincinnati Driveline and Hydraulic. I bookmarked them just in case - always good to have a list of recommended vendors.

[qwezxc12]

The Corbeau Sportline Evolution X Seats is a fixed back design. They have two versions. The Evolution (reclining) and the Evolution X (fixed). I figure they'll be back as far as they can go against the back wall most of the time. So a reclining feature isn't very useful. Plus makes them wider at the base and potentially a little congested with the harness attachment in the same area. We really like the look of these seats plus they don't block a lot of the entrance like some seats. That's a priority for getting in and out, especially for my wife. We really wanted to see them in person to physically measure plus sit in. But no retailers anywhere close have them. So I'm buying one with the intent of returning it. Will have to pay for return shipping, but that's a cheap insurance policy. Our plan is to buy two with seat heaters installed (we love those...) but once that's done they're considered custom and no longer returnable. So need to be certain they're the right choice.

Gotcha,

I mixed up the seats. I was not planning on a reclining model either due to the same concerns you mentioned. After reading lots of posts, I'm using the Kirkey aluminum 17" intermediate 15° layback road race seat (47700) dimensions as a guide for what should fit well in the seat pans and allow some fore-aft adjustment. I'm looking for a seat with a little less shoulder bolster than the RR version, but not completely absent like the drag seat. I bought a quick-release steering wheel hub to help getting in and out.

I'll pay attention to your posts when you get the Evolution X to try. TIA.

[CraigS]

I'm looking for a seat with a little less shoulder bolster than the RR version, but not completely absent like the drag seat. I bought a quick-release steering wheel hub to help getting in and out.
.

You can cut back the shoulder wings if you want. If Kirkey won't sell some of the extrusion that is used for edging, I am pretty sure UltraShield will because they did for me 6 yrs or so ago.

[qwezxc12]

To say that the Upstate NY weather has not cooperated would be an understatement... but then again, I expected the worst when trying to move a car and trailer around in January, so I shouldn't complain too loudly. I rounded up some willing masochist friends and made the move to unload while we had pouring rain instead of a blizzard this weekend. I was also asked repeatedly why did I not wait until April??

We got the coupe moved in even though the space is a bit cramped right now, what with a WRX donor for a 818R build, a Miata ice-racer getting a rear suspension sub-frame swap on the lift, a VW getting some work, an Acura of uncertain future on rollers waiting for a plan, a tractor, sheet-rock and insulation going up in the back shop, and now ...me.

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Well, beggers & chooser, you know. I'm grateful to share space to get started and hoping my own garage situation will improve over the next 12 months. On the upside, the chassis cart I knocked together seems to work ok - time will tell if it allows access and mobility to the chassis.

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We did get my buddy's truck and trailer stuck after unloading and needed the tractor to pull them out. The ground was frozen solid under a inch of soft, saturated mud, and we had to cut the truck off the driveway to square the trailer up to the garage door.

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I need to inventory boxes this week and I'm still in the middle of a gear change in the IRS diff and need to prep/paint the pumpkin, spindles, knuckles and hubs, so it will be a little while until I get a build thread kicked off, but the coupe is out of the trailer, so it's a start!

[qwezxc12]

You can cut back the shoulder wings if you want. If Kirkey won't sell some of the extrusion that is used for edging, I am pretty sure UltraShield will because they did for me 6 yrs or so ago.

Craig,

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind if I go with the Kirkey's.

[Russ Thompson]

Welcome aboard and have fun, it's a great group here with lots of help and a straight jacket too! :-)

[nkw8181]

When doing your seats pay attention to where the steel plate ends up front. I've "learned" that recently.

[forcefed1]

I just welded in my steering QR and I hate it too much axial play. It's an allstar model. I was note expecting that. Now i need to figure out if there are better options. Just a heads up but I wish I knew before welding it on.

[Dlirium]

We got the coupe moved in even though the space is a bit cramped right now, what with a WRX donor for a 818R build, a Miata ice-racer getting a rear suspension sub-frame swap on the lift, a VW getting some work, an Acura of uncertain future on rollers waiting for a plan, a tractor, sheet-rock and insulation going up in the back shop, and now ...me.

Wow! With all that, are you going to build a body buck for the Coupe? Would love to see those plans posted as well! Mingus and Dingus look top notch :-)

brent

[qwezxc12]

I just welded in my steering QR and I hate it too much axial play. It's an allstar model. I was note expecting that. Now i need to figure out if there are better options. Just a heads up but I wish I knew before welding it on.

FWIW, when I asked FFR, I was told that the QR hub in the #1 Coupe R was a Breeze unit and it felt fine when I sat in it - that's what led me to buy one from Mark in the first place. I was happy as I got the Breeze unit at a steep discount as the polished aluminum portion of the hub was scratched up from a previous return. It feels tight to me when the spline is in the hub, but of course it's not mounted.

I didn't think the Breeze unit was based on an AllStar. It doesn't look the same to me from a quick look... in person the metal and machining on the splined portion of the Breeze unit looks better:

Breeze:
product413_ex_1057.jpg

AllStar (from Jegs):
049-all52300.jpg

[qwezxc12]

Wow! With all that, are you going to build a body buck for the Coupe? Would love to see those plans posted as well! Mingus and Dingus look top notch :-)

brent

My plan was to re-purpose the cart to support a body buck once the frame & suspension are a roller, but at this stage, I'm not sure there will be room inside the shop for the body. I may have to relocate it, so the cart may or may not be used. Eventually, I'll need a buck for paint though.

I'll try to share whatever I end up with.