More progress made on the body : )

[mlkwd1]

Body lines look very clean. I went back and reread your post were the factory references 600 hours. Far from reality for the delivered condition of the body and the attention to detail you have put into the is more like what it take to fix the issue. I bought mine complete and was told the body was a solid month of work to get looking perfect before paint. I can say I spent a couple hundred hours fixing other suspension and design issues that were not perfect. Can't wait to see your completed car.

Michael

[The Stig]

Thank you Michael.

They're really making sure it's done right. She'll be finished before much longer.

Mike

[carbon fiber]

Can't wait to see it finished. The new color is going to look much more sinister. It would look great at SEMA...

[The Stig]

Can't wait to see it finished. The new color is going to look much more sinister. It would look great at SEMA...

Thank you Sir! I can't wait to see it in paint. There are some subtle lines on the body that Tony & Kevin were very careful to call out.. Most people will probably not see them, but they look very cool.

As far as SEMA, there would need to be someone interested in having her in their booth. You never know. Maybe we can pull a rabbit out of our hat and come up with our own bit of floor space there. That may be the only way she sees the inside of those walls. It's a shame though. She'd look good in those lights.

Mike

[The Stig]

Tony sent another teaser...



The hood has been through final prime and blocking. Paint is next!

Woo Hoo!

Mike

[The Stig]

By the way, does anyone have the part numbers for the high and low beam headlights for the GTM? I need to order replacements. I can either order direct from hella, or see how long it would take Factory Five to send a set.

Thanks ,

mike

[dallas_]

The hood has been through final prime and blocking. Paint is next!

Fantastic. Looking forward to seeing some color on it.

[mlkwd1]

They have a lot of numbers printed on the lenses and not sure which are the model numbers but here is what they say. You may want to reach out to Shane. He has spare parts available when I needed new tail light assemblies and they were very reasonable.

High beam

SAE HR 0 H2/D25
SSB 448 L VOL DOT

Low beam

AHR 17.5 SAE HR 00 H9U
0204 1265 SSB 449 VO DOT


Michael

[The Stig]

Thanks Michael. I'll research and see what I come up with. Much appreciated!

Mike

[claybags]

Mike,
Sent you a PM.
Cheers, Jeff

[The Stig]

Thanks Jeff!
Mike

[The Stig]

I was told today by one of the forum members, that Pandora is killing them... Well, that's just how she is...





Kevin is finishing up his prep work for the final primer coat. Tony sent word that she should have paint on her this week.

Yep, she's a killer. But she'll be worth the wait.

Mike

[beeman]

Wow, this week? Anxiously awaiting! Are you road legal yet?

[The Stig]

Wow, this week? Anxiously awaiting! Are you road legal yet?

No. I haven't bothered because the car has been tied up in various shops and in different levels of dis-assembly.

Tony wants to change the oil (because it has been sitting for so long) and fire it up before it goes into the booth. Just to make sure. Once she's back together with the exhaust fully re-assembled, I'll schedule the 2nd inspection, and get everything underway.

I don't expect big problems with it. But you never know...

[The Stig]

Back on the lift for some last minute checks. Also looking at coating the underside of the car.


It's been a while since I've seen the interior. I guess they got her cleaned up and dusted off, because she was a mess. It doesn't look as though the elements and time were much of a friend to Pandora while she's been worked on. It looks like the leather in a couple of areas has pulled away from the surface and needs to be re-glued. Also, the under dash panel seems to be loose and hanging. The leather on the door panels has loosened a little as well. Fun. Every time we get close, Pandora loses her mind again.



The plan was to start her up and get everything circulating make sure we're in good shape before everything gets painted and re-assembled... Except for a battery that was completely used up. Would not re-charge. So a new battery has been ordered. The good thing is that they're covering all the bases.

A new hydraulic fluid reservoir was installed for the RamLift system. I think I need to pull the front shocks and flip the pucks though. The Hydraulic feed and the bleeder are at the bottom of the puck,which will make it tough to bleed... Also the pump was originally installed upside down. I'm really not sure why, but supposedly it doesn't really matter in terms of functionality. I think it may cause it to take a little longer to pump all the way up. So,when the suspension arms get replaced, I'll flip the pucks, and possibly remount the pump in the correct upright position. Just because.

Mike

[codename Bil Doe]

Before you write off the old battery, read this.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...harge-Easy-fix

[The Stig]

Put gas in her on Friday to start the engine for the first time in about a year. Pandora lost her mind and started leaking fuel from the AN fittings on the line from the fuel tank to the pre-pump filter. So the bulk head panel (driver's side) and the forward wheel well aluminum had to be removed in order to get to the lines and fittings. It just seems as though she's going to fight being finished every step of the way. Tony seems pretty adamant about getting things done right though. He said that the car would be sprayed in primer by the end of the day. I haven't checked back to ask whether he was able to spray it or not. Whether it was Friday or Monday or Wednesday doesn't matter. It'll get there. And the right people will be notified when it has.

Stay tuned.

Mike

[WIS89]

Stay tuned.

Mike

Mike-

I am tuned man, I am tuned!! I can't wait to see...

Exciting stuff coming!

Regards,

Steve

[The Stig]

I got a nice picture and surprise from Tony today.

Pandora is one color again. But not without more of a fight. Tony said that he spent the day Saturday chasing a ground issue with the fuel pump. But he won.

Some creative plumbing of the intake and exhaust parts was necessary in order to be able to start her up. He didn't want to assemble the entire exhaust and risk scratching the tips... Thank you!



She was started up again after a year or so. Man it feels good to know that we're past the "fix" phase and into the final sanding phase!



More good news....! Rodney is feeling well enough to come back to work! So he'll be doing the final block sanding/prep before she goes back in to be painted.

In the meantime, Kevin will be finishing the doors and getting them ready for primer and paint. There isn't a lot left to do on them.

I'm really glad for Rodney. Seeing the picture was cool. But hearing that he was able to come back made my day. As I've said before, he's one of the good guys!

Mike

[beeman]

Hey, fuel leak and no fire sounds like a successful test start to me!

[fastthings]

Bad ***!

[dallas_]

Sweet!!!

[crash]

I'm hoping your calipers are grey and that isn't over spray? Looks pretty clean otherwise and I wouldn't imagine that the interior was left open during spraying, so my guess is that they are supposed to be grey, but just thought I might ask...

[The Stig]

LOL...! Yes. They are powder coated gray.

I also asked him him how he kept the primer off the interior.

He he said he was just really careful.

It's looking great.

Mike

[The Stig]

Tony put Pandora out in the Sun to let her get her Tan on. Actually it's helping to cure the primer so it will be ready when Rodney is ready to hit it.



These recent baby steps seem much larger lately.

Mike

[GoDadGo]

Looks Like Big Baby Steps From Way Down Here In The City Of Slidell!

[dallas_]

C'mon, let's see some color!

[The Stig]

C'mon, let's see some color!

I know, right? It's coming.

The third member of the dream team will be in tomorrow to do the final prep this week. The plan is that she'll be in the booth later in the week. We'll see where we are then. I have found myself getting very impatient for reasons that I haven't discussed here. I made a bit of an a$$ out of myself as I went about getting my point across. And in the process I was reminded that the goal on this car (this time around) has been, and will continue to be, getting it done right; not fast. So I've been letting that settle back into my head, and trying to regain some patience.

There is a reason that I named this car Pandora. I've never really been the type to "name" things. But when a couple of people here thought that she needed a name, it didn't take long to know what that name would be... I walked into the shop one day, and Tony started shaking his head, and said "working on this car is like opening up Pandora's box. One thing leads to another, which leads to another, and then yet another..."

So she became "Pandora". And I like it.

With that said, she'll be done before you know it. And when she is, you guys will be able to see the sort of work that this shop is capable of.

She's going to something special, and I can't wait.

Mike

[beeman]

Don't rush it, Mike! It's been a marathon, no reason to sprint at this point. We'll all be patiently awaiting the unveiling!

[dallas_]

Mike, I get it. Heck, I'm impatient for it to be done and it isn't even my car.

[Aceflo]

I've been quietly stalking the forums....and I'm always anticipating the completion post. Cant wait to see it after all this time!

[The Stig]

Rodney's back! Pandora's getting the final sanding and prep. There is some sweet Carbon Black Paint in her not so distant future.



Woo Hoo!

Mike

[GoDadGo]

I Look Forward To Each Of Your Post With Baited Breath!
Well, maybe it's bad breath, but I look for your updates none the less.
Can't wait to see the final product!
Good Luck!

[Roger Reid]

... There is some sweet Carbon Black Paint in her not so distant future.

Mike

Your switching from blue to Black? No worries, your car would look good in any color.

[The Stig]

Your switching from blue to Black? No worries, your car would look good in any color.

Carbon Black Metallic is a BMW shade of blue. It's like midnight blue but darker. It does look black though, until you see it at a bit of an angle and the pearl gets lit up a little.






I think it'll look pretty nice. But then I've always liked to "fly a little under the radar".

Mike

[The Stig]

I Look Forward To Each Of Your Post With Baited Breath!
Well, maybe it's bad breath, but I look for your updates none the less.
Can't wait to see the final product!
Good Luck!

LOL... I'm sure that there's a hint of "minty freshness" where-ever you go...!

I'm as eager as everyone else to see her when she's all painted and polished. But then, I know pretty much every thing that Tony has done (and has had to do) in order to get her slick and arrow straight and ready for a sweet paint job.

Thanks for all the support and kind words.

Mike

[dallas_]

But then I've always liked to "fly a little under the radar".

That might not be easy to do in your GTM.

That color will look stunning. Nice choice.

[Roger Reid]

Mike. The thing I like about your car is the attention to detail on the interior. Many GTM's fall short on fit and finish which affects the driving experience, how you perceive your own car, and resale value. I looked back in this thread and found some interior pics here.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...l=1#post182618

[The Stig]

Thanks Roger. I appreciate the compliment. The interior and color choices were all part of the big picture from very early on. Budget busters? Absolutely. Worth it? I really think so.

Pretty soon we'll get a good idea of how it is all coming together. So we'll see what we end up with.

Thanks again.

Mike

[The Stig]

That might not be easy to do in your GTM.

That color will look stunning. Nice choice.

Thank you. I've always thought that a deep dark blue pearl, with gray interior, polished aluminum wheels, and subtle brake calipers would look good on the lines of this car.

A lot of people don't like blue on a car like this, but I think it works. Especially when the body has been prepped to show off the reflections...!

I hear that supermodels like the lights...

Mike