More progress made on the body : )

[The Stig]

The glass installer did an awesome job with the windshield and door glass. Not only does the tint look great, but he got the windshield mounted absolutely flush to the body. The seal looks as though it was installed at the factory... The Ferrari Factory, that is...







Nice!

Mike

[Presto51]

WOW!! Dang She Looks SWEET nice going

Ron

[The Stig]

WOW!! Dang She Looks SWEET nice going

Ron

Thanks Ron! I'm looking forward to stickin' a fork in it soon!

Take care Buddy!

Mike

[crash]

Are you actually going to drive that? Cause it really belongs in a display somewhere. FFR should buy it because it is one of the best examples I have seen of what can be done with the GTM kit. It would sell a lot of kits if it was sitting in FFRs showroom!

[Taz Rules]

No Crash. No. No. No.

I agree that its a work of art, but this baby needs to be DRIVEN!
Look at it this way...if you are dating a supermodel, do you just put her on a pedestal and look at her all the time? Or do you drag her into the bedroom at every opportunity?

This car is definitely one of the supermodels of the GTM world!

VERY nice job, Stigger!

[The Stig]

Are you actually going to drive that? Cause it really belongs in a display somewhere. FFR should buy it because it is one of the best examples I have seen of what can be done with the GTM kit. It would sell a lot of kits if it was sitting in FFRs showroom!

No Crash. No. No. No.

I agree that its a work of art, but this baby needs to be DRIVEN!
Look at it this way...if you are dating a supermodel, do you just put her on a pedestal and look at her all the time? Or do you drag her into the bedroom at every opportunity?

This car is definitely one of the supermodels of the GTM world!

VERY nice job, Stigger!

Wow...! Thank you both! But you guys are killing me. The GTM is a super-model? Ok, I guess I can see that.

I'm pretty sure that Dave wouldn't want to pay what I would need to get for it. But maybe we can still use it to sell more GTM kits... That would be up to Dave & Factory Five. They're not too easy to get on the phone. Thank God for Sally!

I just heard that a Yellow GTM was sold at Barrett-Jackson last week for $106,700.00. Does anyone know who's car that was? I always like to try and keep up with GTM's that go through there.

Crash, you said that I should display it... Maybe it should be displayed there... for a few minutes anyway... The Barrett-Jackson catwalk! I love it.

Just kidding (for now)...

I do have some definite plans for this car, which absolutely include enjoying it for a while.

Huntington Beach Cruise In, Factory-Five Open House, Carlise, and SEMA if I can figure out how to make that happen. It looks like Reliable Carriers is about to make some money from me this year...

I guess if I go to HB with it, I'll miss the Charlotte Auto-Fair due to Carrier scheduling.

We'll see what direction it takes me.


Thanks for the comments! Very much appreciated!

Mike

[The Stig]

Well, it looks like the GTM will be leaving The Custom Stitching Co., tomorrow morning at 9 am, and going to a Porsche ALMS Race shop in Denver, NC., to have the suspension dialed in.

They'll be insuring that Ride height, Bump Steer, Corner weight/balance, and FFR alignment specs are achieved. Sounded a little pricey, but then... what hasn't been on this car?

I was given this contact from Chris Porter of Detroit Speed, Inc., who was actually referred to me by Ron (Presto) her on the forum! Thank you Ron for your help. Chris was a wealth of information, and I have a strong feeling that we may be working together on a future 1962 Corvette project that I've been thinking about.

From the suspension race shop, to Crazy Horse Painting in Waxhaw, NC, (about 10 miles from my house), to have the scratches and chips corrected, and to have the rear hatch prepped and painted.

I'm realistically seeing about 2 to 3 weeks and this car will be completely finished! I never thought I would see the day...

Now let's see how this actually plays out.

Mike

[Presto51]

Mike,

I'm glad everything seems to be working out. Can't wait to see your GTM either at the Carlisle Import & Kit Nationals or FFR Open House, heck maybe booth

At this point maybe you should give your GTM a project a name instead of just calling it the GTM sounds kind of impersonal and heck she's more than that, maybe the forum can have a naming contest. Let me be the first and call her Miss Adventure

Ron

[carbon fiber]

I'm realistically seeing about 2 to 3 weeks and this car will be completely finished! I never thought I would see the day...



Mike

Now you did it. JINX!!!! It's like putting your tools up before you finish working!

[The Stig]

Mike,

I'm glad everything seems to be working out. Can't wait to see your GTM either at the Carlisle Import & Kit Nationals or FFR Open House, heck maybe booth

At this point maybe you should give your GTM a project a name instead of just calling it the GTM sounds kind of impersonal and heck she's more than that, maybe the forum can have a naming contest. Let me be the first and call her Miss Adventure

Ron

LOL... That's too appropriate!

Maybe you're right. It might be fun (and a little scary) to see what our friends here might come up with.

Now you did it. JINX!!!! It's like putting your tools up before you finish working!

As a matter of fact, I just spent some time in the garage straightening up, and putting tools away!



I had the car moved from Steve's shop this morning (and paid the final invoice...), so we're turning the page to the next chapter of the GTM (sorry... "Miss Adventure") Saga. But before we do, I have to say Thank You to Steve Kurzman of The Custom Stitching Co. I couldn't have asked for a better experience than we had working with Steve. I would recommend him to anyone wishing to have a quality interior designed and installed. He will definitely be doing any work on any car that I might build from now on.


Now "Miss Adventure" as Ron suggests, is sitting in a fairly pristine Race shop where ALMS Porsches are being maintained. I have to say that it looked pretty cool along side Race cars and current Street Porsche's. It always amazes me to see how much lower the GTM is even next to other sports cars.

Ahhh... When we were ready to get "Miss Adventure" out of the trailer, it was fairly obvious that I was going to have a tough time getting back into the car to back it out. So we found one of the guys in the shop who obviously hadn't tried as many of the restaurants around Charlotte as I have lately. He wedged his way in with little trouble and expertly steered it down the ramp. Since he was already inside, he fired up "Miss Adventure" and pulled her into the shop. It was the first time that I had ever seen anyone else drive "her".

It was really cool to see it in motion, and to hear the rumble of the Kooks exhaust as it passed. I had a pretty proud moment right about then...

Once it was inside, the guys there gathered around to look it over, and seemed genuinely impressed. There were the usual "What is it" questions. Then, the owner of the shop spotted the G50/01 "Porsche" gear-box, which, I think, allowed me into their club.

It was fun to spend a little time with them this morning.

We went through the short list of items that they'll be doing for me:
- Setting ride height to 4 1/2 inches front and rear.
- Adding a couple hundred pounds to the driver's seat, and Dialing in the corner weight and balances.
- Setting the bump steer.
- And then dialing in the alignment, using the FFR specs. Except for one...
- We're also installing the alignment shims/locks that Crash sells.
- We decided to start with 0 toe-in., and see how that feels, and then adjust if needed.

In the meantime, I'm eager to hear what you all think I should "name" The GTM... Although I have to say that Ron came out of the gates with a great one!

Mike

[Presto51]

LOL... That's too appropriate!

Maybe you're right. It might be fun (and a little scary) to see what our friends here might come up with.

In the meantime, I'm eager to hear what you all think I should "name" The GTM... Although I have to say that Ron came out of the gates with a great one!

Mike

Mike glad you liked the name "Miss Adventure" Now for our friends out there, what name do you think would fit.

BTW Mike before you decide on the final name just keep in mind, with the name "Miss Adventure" she comes with her own theme song

Ron

[claybags]

She wore "Blue Vel-l-l-l-vet"

Ps-for those of you younger that some of us-the song was made popular back in 1963 by Bobby Vinton
Cheers, Jeff

[The Stig]

If we're going to Name it after a song... Maybe it should be "Jessica", by the "Allman Brothers Band", in keeping with an earlier theme.

[The Stig]

On a side note.... I saw the notice that Dave posted regarding FFR being closed tomorrow due to snow, and thought how cool is was that the company that painted this 33 HotRod, is the same company that I'm planning to have finish out the paintwork on the GTM. (excuse me, Miss-Adventure).

Crazy Horse Painting. Referred by Ron (Presto51).

http://www.crazyhorsepainting.com/index.shtml

They're about 15 miles or so from my house... in Waxhaw, NC.



As Rick O'Casek from "The Cars" so eloquently said... "Let the Good Times Roll!"

Mike

[The Stig]

She wore "Blue Vel-l-l-l-vet"

Ps-for those of you younger that some of us-the song was made popular back in 1963 by Bobby Vinton
Cheers, Jeff

Hi Jeff,

That song definitely has it place in certain circumstances. But I'm not really much of a velvet sort of guy...

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

The name should have something to do with Subdued Bad-A$$-ness!

[The Stig]

I stopped by the shop today, to see how the alignment process was going...

Ride height has been set. 4". Corners have been perfectly balanced, The rear tow and camber has been set. Front tow has been set. But as I already knew, there is no caster to be had with the standard configuration of the upper control arm mounts...

He was explaining how the C5 corvettes use the flat mounts for the upper arms that allow for shims to be used to create camber and caster. I told him that this is simply how the upper mounts were designed. Not much I can do about it, unless I start cutting off the locator tabs and then weld in some different locator mounts.

Personally, I think it makes a lot of sense to do, but I don't know if I want to spend the time and money to redesign the front suspension right now. I'm going back tomorrow morning. So I figure that I might as well talk it through a get an idea of how much time and money it would take to make the changes... And then decide if I'd like to do it or not.

The most recent re-design that I put into the GTM cost me close to $30k.



We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned.

[Presto51]

Honey while your at the store, please pick up some more popcorn and another case of beer

Ron

[The Stig]

Come on Ron.... Be nice...

[Presto51]

I’m trying Mike, but I’m really itching to see you driving down the highway smiling ear to ear, and not being able to see Miss Adventure for all of the big A crowds gawking at her whenever you stop

Ron

[crash]

My suggestion would be for you to get as much caster as you can and then DRIVE IT. THEN if it needs some adjustments go through the process of moving the mounts. I'm a big believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it comes to things like suspension adjustments.

At this point, what do you have to lose by trying it the way it is? On the other hand, it could end up being VERY expensive to change it and do it right.

[Taz Rules]

Given what you've spent on her, both in money and time, you might want to call your car "Marriage Counselling"!

[The Stig]

My suggestion would be for you to get as much caster as you can and then DRIVE IT. THEN if it needs some adjustments go through the process of moving the mounts. I'm a big believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it comes to things like suspension adjustments.

At this point, what do you have to lose by trying it the way it is? On the other hand, it could end up being VERY expensive to change it and do it right.

Hi Mike (Crash),

Actually, it's funny that you mention that. That's the short term plan.

I think the direction that I am going to take is pretty much defined now. Based on a recent conversation that I had with a friend, I think that a real solution may be on the horizon.

So, I've asked the guys at the shop to do their best to get me as much caster as they can, and still match both sides.

Then when these parts are available, I'll make the switch, and then take it back to them to have the car re-aligned again.

Camber, Caster, and Tow will be set as close to C5/C6 specs as possible.

The GTM handles well with the alignment that we can achieve with "stock" configuration. If the real target caster and camber can be reached, it should handle "like it's on rails".

And... when it's all said and done, it may not be as expensive as you think.

We'll see.

Mike (Stig)

[fact5racer]

Two things Mike, before going too crazy on the alignment specs, Consider power steering first. It's the only way the car will feel like a OEM car behind the wheel.

2nd, I have the PERFECT name for your car........................Gisele!

I figure seeing that Gisele is worth even more than Tom Brady, then it makes sense that you give your GTM the name "Gisele" seeing she too is worth even more than you!

[The Stig]

Two things Mike, before going too crazy on the alignment specs, Consider power steering first. It's the only way the car will feel like a OEM car behind the wheel.

2nd, I have the PERFECT name for your car........................Gisele!

I figure seeing that Gisele is worth even more than Tom Brady, then it makes sense that you give your GTM the name "Gisele" seeing she too is worth even more than you!

LOL...!

Hi Gary. While you're absolutely right about the car being worth more than me... I don't think that Pam is going to sign off on me calling the GTM Gisele.



On a more serious note, I'm glad to see that you guys made it through the storm Ok, last week. I was in Cleveland, but didn't get much from it. But you guys sure seemed to.

Different story here this week though...

Mike

[The Stig]

Ride Height is set...

Alignment is set...

Diffuser has been removed...

And Shane's wing mount brackets & support mounts have been welded in. I'll get the wing mount uprights mounted, and the Wing fitted and centered.

It looks like Crazy Horse has a slot the week after next.

I'm planning to have the inspection re-done in order to have the car registered.

The car will be home on Friday for a week, which will give me a chance to get the hatch fitted and gapped.

When the car is done with paint, it should be legal to hit the gas station & interstate around Charlotte.


So the car is ahead of schedule for Huntington Beach!!!!!

Mike

[The Stig]

I'm curious to know whether or not anyone has had any issues with the steering u-joint set screws?

The guys were going through the bolts to make sure that everything on the suspension has been torqued to spec, and started to check the set screws in the joints. As soon as they put any pressure on them to check tightness, they cracked... As well, the joints are rusting.

So... I'm having them replace the joints and set screws to a higher grade parts.

Therefore... Another day or so before it comes home.

Mike

[rev2xs]

Hmm, i have experienced the rusting issue you mentioned but not the cracking.

I was wondering, what ride height do you have for the front and the rear?

[The Stig]

Hmm, i have experienced the rusting issue you mentioned but not the cracking.

I was wondering, what ride height do you have for the front and the rear?

Front and rear is set at 4.0".

He he said that the set screws may have been over stressed in an attempt to get them seated against the steering rod.

Do you or anyone else here drill a spot on the rod for the screws to fit into?

I just can't imagine these joints and screws rusting and failing simply because they got wet. Suspension parts tend to get wet from time to time. Maybe some anti-seize on the set screw would protect it more from the elements...

Sounds like I may also need to make sure that the underside is completely closed off from water getting in. The radiator needs to be closed off better around the sides and bottom as well.

Mike

[The Stig]

The GTM made it back home yesterday.





She came home with another scratch that no one seems to know how it got... "Miss-Adventure" really does seem to be the name that fits.
Another item to add to the painter's list.





Back in the garage... for a week or so until it heads out to the paint shop.

Until then, I hope to get some work done on the hatch.

(Man I have some work to do in this garage).

Woo Hoo!

Mike

[The Stig]

Registration for the Huntington Beach Cruise-In has been sent! Woo-Hoo!

I've been looking forward to attending this show for a long time. Pam is as eager as I am, and we're both looking forward to meeting everyone there, and just being a part of it!


See you there!

Mike

[dallas_]

Wish I could be there to see your car in person. It's absolutely stunning!
Really, really nice.

[The Stig]

Wish I could be there to see your car in person. It's absolutely stunning!
Really, really nice.

Right back atcha! Your MkIV build is flawless.

Thanks for the compliments. They're very much appreciated.

Mike

[The Stig]

Thought I would copy this into my build thread....

Can anyone here tell me what the measurement from the flat panel where the fuel sender is mounted, to the bottom of the tank on the Custom Aluminum Tanks that a bunch of us picked up? I need to replace the fuel sender, and need to know how long the tube needs to be.

Thanks

Mike

[The Stig]

Ok. I pulled the fuel sender from the tank and measured the depth from the inside bottom of the tank to the upper mounting surface where the sender mounts. I measured 14 7/8". The sender length is 14.0". So the fuel gauge will read empty at 14" leaving about 2 gallons "reserve".

The fuel sender that came with my tanks, was made by Centroid Products. It doesn't use a float based resistor to measure ohms. It measures by capacitance. The tube is 1/2" hollow aluminum. And apparently as the fuel level drops, the pressure changes in the tube. The change in pressure is translated to ohms resistance.





The Centroid sender is rated at 15/160 ohms: (15 empty to 160 full). The gauges that come with the GTM kit are 16 /158. So there is some difference, which could translate to a bit of a difference in how the gauge reads. But not enough to warrant switching the fuel sender out, just because... But if you do find the need to change it, you'll need a 14" tube style sender, rated at 16 / 158 ohms.

I'm switching mine because my fuel gauge and sender aren't matched, and therefore aren't reading correctly. So Classic Instruments is making sure that my instrument movements and senders are all matched.

Switching to Classic Instruments Fuel Sender: 16/158 ohm Tube Sender (14"). Uses the "aftermarket" 5 screw installation.

240/33 is their standard resistance pattern. 16/158 is a special order item, and runs about $200.00.



The water temp sensor was installed on a 3" aluminum adapter, which holds the sensor out of the coolant flow. Therefore, the temperature that was being shown wasn't the actual temp of the coolant that was being circulated. The correct sensor is being shipped that will install directly to the cylinder head with the probe directly in the coolant flow.





Once I have the water temp sending correct temps to the gauge, I can get the coolant lines clear of air bubbles and getting the constant engine temp regulated again. Then I'll take it out on the road and get tachometer calibrated...

it seems like there is always a list of items to take care of in order to get this thing finished up. But it's getting there.

It goes to the paint shop on the 8th. The rear hatch will be prepped, painted, and installed. I can not wait to see how it ties the rear of the car together without the second hump, or the gaps.

The scratches will be corrected and GONE! The splitter, rocker extensions, hatch vent cover, and diffuser will all be sprayed with 3 more coats of clear, wet sanded, and then polished out.

The GTM should be finished with ALL work 2 weeks before the transporter gets here to take it to Huntington Beach.

Oh yeah...! The parts for the suspension rework are done, and if time permits, I'll switch them out and get the front end re-aligned.. With this new configuration, camber and caster can be set at whatever I want. So 5 degrees of negative caster will be the goal.

When I get it back from HB, it'll go back to the Interior shop for some tweaking on the halo covers; particularly, the front roll bar cover. It drops down a tad further than expected, cutting down on my field of vision. It's going to have to come up at least 1". That's the only thing that I can think of right now that I would change. Period.

[The Stig]

The owner of the paint shop came by to pick up the GTM.

I was was able to get some work done on it.

The wing and mounts were installed and centered.





The new coolant temp sensor was installed. I disconnected the upper radiator hose and filled it with coolant, then reconnected the line. I opened the cap on the overflow tank as well as the vents for the heads. I also opened the pitcock valve on the radiator overflow. Filled the system until coolant ran from the head vents. Closed them off, and continued to fill the system until the main overflow tank was 1/2 full. Then I closed the petcock valve on the radiator overflow.

Still waiting for the replacement fuel level sender. (That will take a couple of weeks).

Re-installed the current sender, and re-crimped a new connector to the sender wire. Re-installed the computer, and fired it up. I turned the HVAC to full heat, and let it run for a bit. It ran up to 200, then 220, and kept climbing. So I shut it down.



Apparently, I still have air in the system. But man, does that heater work well...! The lower radiator hose, gets hot. The upper hose gets warm. Before, it was cold after I brought the engine temp up. So I think I'm making progress. I think...

When I get it back, I'll park it on the slope of my driveway, with the engine up, and then heat cycle the system a few times to see if I can get the air to come up to the overflow tank. (My driveway slopes at about 33 degrees. Pretty steep.)

The list of "things to do" is getting much smaller. I can't wait the see the car when it's done. I especially can't wait to see the rear hatch.

So far, everything is still on schedule for Huntington Beach. ��

We'll see you there.

Mike

[The Stig]

So... The GTM is sitting in Anthony Kuta's paint shop. And it's back with it's shop mate. Bill Phillip's SLC is in line ahead of my GTM.


As you can see, the hatch is ready to be prepped and fitted. Just to the right of the hatch, is the diffuser. We're going to spray the raw side with a few coats of clear, and then wet sand it to give it a nice finish. The rocker extensions and the splitter will also be getting a couple more coats of clear, and will be polished out to give them more depth.



It seems that these two cars have been chasing each other around the Charlotte area for a little while now.

Bill's color of choice is going to look really sweeeeet! Can't wait to see it when it's done!





The rear wing is going to be re-worked to get rid of the high's and lows to make it flat. The rear section of the roof will be re-worked as well to correct some serious ripples that shouldn't have been there.

With the compound curved shape of the GTM's roof, it's tough to get them perfect. But where the curves flatten out to the rear hatch area, could have been prepped better before it was painted. So now it will be.

We also have a machinist on tap to mill out some custom covers for the door latches.

With the amount of time and money and emotion that I've invested into this car, I want to make sure that it is finished out right. When I have the car professionally photographed, I want to see the nice crisp reflection lines. I think it will look nice when it is done.

Anthony has a history of doing some seriously high-end cars. So I'm thinking that my little GTM will turn out just fine... Finally.

Mike

[The Stig]

There is still one thing left to sort out. I need to find a good solid latch and striker for the rear hatch. I am not sure if I trust the latch that came with the kit.

Can anyone give me an idea of what they used to replace the hatch latch and striker? I'd really appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Mike

[VD2021]

Mike,

Seems you and Bill have been frequenting the same places lately......Has to be a unique occurrence for the shops to have two mid-engine super-cars on site at the same time.

[claybags]

Mike,
Your car will be the new "benchmark" for fit, finish, and overall coolness! See you ( and THE car ) at Huntinton Beach in April.

Cheers, Jeff

[The Stig]

Mike,

Seems you and Bill have been frequenting the same places lately......Has to be a unique occurrence for the shops to have two mid-engine super-cars on site at the same time.

Hi Vidal!

Yep, the cars have been chasing each other around. The interior shop was by choice. But this time it was by chance. Bill had told me the name of this shop, while our cars were finishing up at Steve's shop. But to be honest, I completely forgot the name. If I don't write things down right away, I tend to forget. I had planned to take the car to Crazy Horse Painters. But I couldn't get in touch with them, and really didn't want to chase them down in order to get permission for them to paint my car...

There is a company here in the Charlotte area called RK Motors that specialize in classic cars, muscle cars, street rods, restorations, etc. Full paint, body, and interior shop. Or at least they used to be... They sort of broke up the different parts of the business, and now focus on Sales and restorations.

Steve Kurzman originally worked for them before he started The Custom Stitching Co. You've seen what he can do...

Ross, my wiring guy, worked for Porsche in Tampa and here in Charlotte. Then went to work at RK Motors. Then he started his company (R & L Customs).

When I called RK Motors to see if they still did body and paint work, they said no. but then he gave me the phone number of the guy that they send all of their paint and body work to. Anthony Kutas, owner of Dents Charlotte. It's a small unassuming shop. But he is well regarded in the area. RK Motors, and Richard (The King) Petty's custom shop use him regularly.

So when he came to my house to have a look at the GTM, he asked me if I had ever heard of a car called an SLC. I figured that Bill's was the only SLC in the Charlotte area, and i new he was sending his car to be painted. So I asked Anthony if he was doing Bill's car... And he seemed a little surprised that I not only knew what and SLC was, but that I also knew Bill. So I told him that our cars had both just had interiors done at the same shop, and now we're in the same paint shop...

I sent a note to Bill to let him know that I'm really not stalking hm or his car. But I do think it's pretty cool that we've ended up in the same places along the course of our builds.

It's always a cool picture to have both cars in the same shot.

Vidal, I hope that you're doing well. I talked to Michael recently and am excited to be one of the guys that are using the Upper control arm kit that he has come up with. I got the last parts on Friday, and can't wait to switch the upper C5 control arms for the new arms. Can't wait to dial-in the actual camber/caster that this car needs.

Still looking forward to getting together soon.

Take care,

Mike