Charles's '33 build Page

[crspdsk8]

Hi there!

I am out in Antelope, CA (just outside of Sacramento) and I have been wanting to build a FFR roadster from the 1st time I saw one until they came out with the 33. The 33 Ford is one of my dream cars and after lurking on here for years & dreaming of the day to actually build one, I have decide to take the plunge and order the 33 kit and make my dream a reality! After patiently waiting about 5 weeks, my kit finally arrived on late Monday! It appears to be kit #600, but doesn't make since I have seen other builds on the forum that are in the mid 600's? Do they not do this in order and jump around on #'s?
This is a build that will include 3 generations of our name which has been passed down including myself, my father and my 8 year old son is the 5th generation to have our name passed down too! I am not a huge car nut when it comes to actually building one so I am sure I will have a ton of questions along the way. I have learned a lot just from watching other build threads and hopefully learn from others on what to do and not to do.


I have pretty much completed the inventory, which some bags/parts were not marked, and found some parts missing and of course the notorious FFR backorders which include the parts I was planning on starting with but I plan on shifting my plan and get started in other areas. One of the things I was thinking of putting in place is the firewall. Does anybody have any recommendations on getting this done 1st or waiting until later? Is it best to set in place before removing the main body or with out the body on? My concern is to make sure they fit together as nicely as possible.

My plan is to use this thread to document my build progression and hope to get input from others especially working around any issues that may come up during the build. I am looking forward to this build and getting to know others here on the forum! I will try to keep this up to date along the way as much as I can. I have never attached pics to a thread before so hopefully this works.
IMG_1275 cropped.jpgphoto_6.jpg

[68GT500MAN]

Congratulations on the delivery and the start of your dream build. I live South of you in Fresno so I may have to drive on up and see your build in progress.
Doug

[crspdsk8]

Congratulations on the delivery and the start of your dream build. I live South of you in Fresno so I may have to drive on up and see your build in progress.
Doug

Thanks Doug! Yeah if your ever up this way or passing through town, let me know and swing on by!

[crspdsk8]

I got the main body mounted finally and had to compromise some. These bodies are not built very symmetrical at all. When I leveled the rear of the body, then the gaps from the top of the tires to wheel wells were off from each side. Even though you can't see both sides at he same time, I still wanted it to look as close to even as possible. I split the difference and just went with it. To the eye, you can't really tell it's off any and happy with that.

That is about as far as I got before feeling a little unsure of my ability to trim the doors and panels. The trunk lid seems pretty straight forward and looks like it only needs minor trimming which I plan on sanding until it's close.
The hood is the same way. It appears that I will only need to trim some on the front end of it to fit the shape of the radiator.
Before I do this, is their is recommended angle as to which the front grill is to be at? It is currently at about a 20 degree angle and not sure if it needs to be tilted more to keep the bottom of it higher off the ground? I don't want to trim it only to find out the grill is at he wrong angle and then to find out I took to much off.
The only panel that seems to not even being close is the front bottom piece under the grill. At the currently angle of the grill, I will need trim about 2" off the front to get it even close to fitting.
I am hope if to work on these above panels to get me "feet wet" in doing body work before trying to to do the door or side panels. I am not looking forward to the doors!

Is their an order as to which panels to fit first? For example, do I fit the hood first then the front bottom of the grill and then the sides? I am hoping to get as much input as I can that hopefully will help me get some confidence that I can do the body work and still look OK when I am done. lol. I didn't really budget for outsourcing the body trimming and fit so hoping I can "get er done" on my own otherwise it might push me back some.

Thanks for any input!
Charles

[maczter]

Tried to post the guide as an attachment but it is too large. PM me your email address and I can send you a copy.

[kraftee]

Congratulations Charles! You will LOVE the build. I picked up my '33 in early September at the FFR factory and am almost to the go-kart stage. I have loved every minute of my build - but I haven't started the body work yet!

My car is #583, so your car a month later at #600 makes sense. Now, evidently, there were some mid-600s serial numbers earlier in the year - but I pretty sure that was a FFR screw-up.

At any rate, have a great time with your build! ERIC

[crspdsk8]

Congratulations Charles! You will LOVE the build. I picked up my '33 in early September at the FFR factory and am almost to the go-kart stage. I have loved every minute of my build - but I haven't started the body work yet!

My car is #583, so your car a month later at #600 makes sense. Now, evidently, there were some mid-600s serial numbers earlier in the year - but I pretty sure that was a FFR screw-up.

At any rate, have a great time with your build! ERIC

Thanks Eric! Yeah, I am really looking forward to it and so is my son. I think he may even be more excited than me!
I have been following your build also and you have given me a lot of motivation since yours is coming together fairly quickly! I am not looking forward to the body work either and guess I will deal with it when the time comes. I was thinking about going power brakes since you mentioned that they went together pretty well. If you don't mind me asking, about how much do the power brake set up run?

Thanks and looking forward to watching you finish your build and get that 33 on the road!

Charles

[Boz1911]

Congrats, with the manual, on-line manual, and the forums there is a lot of help available. Have fun !!

[crspdsk8]

Congrats, with the manual, on-line manual, and the forums there is a lot of help available. Have fun !!

Thanks, I am really looking forward to it!

[crspdsk8]

Hello All, I am finally back at it. I haven't really done much since my last post. I have been waiting to get a motor and thought I would try to tackle some of the body fitment in the mean time, but once I started getting in to it, I got a little intimidated as that is definitely not my cup of tea. I decided to hold off on the body until after I get to the "Go Kart" stage. I have talked to Ken up at Kens Custom Auto Body & paint up in Yuba City, who actually does a lot of other FFR builders body work and I have heard a lot of great things about him and his work. I will most likely outsource the body fitment to him to make sure its done right and looks great!

I just got a motor yesterday. My original plan was to do a brand new Chevy Performance Crate motor and its a little pricey. It turns out a friend of mine, his father is an engine builder and Hot Rod builder himself and I got a completely fresh rebuilt Chevy 350 bored .30 over next to nothing. Just need to add a few things to it and hopefully have it in the car in the next week or so.

Anybody have instructions on the engine mounts for a SBC? The manual says nothing about how they go in. I have an email in to FFR and waiting to here back.

Well hopefully everything start to get rolling again and can get to the point to go kart soon. Have a great day!

[kraftee]

The Whitby power brake kit was $495. Easy installation and frees up a lot of space under dash. Looking forward to the go-kart stage so I can test them out!

[crspdsk8]

The Whitby power brake kit was $495. Easy installation and frees up a lot of space under dash. Looking forward to the go-kart stage so I can test them out!

Thanks Eric, I will have to look into that. Originally I am one of those that didn't really like the look of it but I plan on driving this car really want the car to stop well. I have heard others talk about the number of issues with the normal brake set up. I am going with Wilwood brakes all the way around.
I am anxious to hear from you on how well they work once you get to road test it!

[crspdsk8]

Body off Chassis.jpgBody off.jpgFirewall in place.jpgWell I am off to a really slow start. I am waiting on a number of parts which include parts of the front and rear suspension, pedal box and also parts for the brakes and steering. I sent the parts that I do have off to be powder coated and should have those back by the end of the week. It seems I can't really do much until I get some more parts.
Today I did take the body off and was able to fit the firewall and traced our the frame on the floor panels. I only had one issue with the passenger side foot panel. One of the welds on the frame prevented the panel to sit flush. I cleaned up the weld just a bit and was able to get the panel to sit flush! I did not drill the holes on the firewall yet until I decide how I want to mount it. I would like to have easier access to under the dash so I plan on using screws for the top panel and rivets for the lower. I also have not decided on going with the spacing FFR suggest or going farther apart to have less screws. I have seen others use less screws/rivets to get a cleaner look, but I am concerned that if their isn't enough that it may rattle some. I would love to hear from others of what they did and how it worked out.

While I am on a little bit of a hold with the chassis because of parts, I am going to try and work on the body and get the seems cleaned up.

Hopefully the parts I am missing will come quick and can start to get some real progress done!

[crspdsk8]

Been working on the car every chance I get and I am starting to make progress. Its been hard to find time to not work on the car and actually sit at the computer to download pics and update the this thread. Instead of posting everything at once I will update with the photos I have. I got the wire harness all laid out and seems to be pretty straight forward. I was really intimidated but the more I work on it, the more comfortable I am getting.
Wire harnnes.jpgwire harness 2.jpgwire harness 4.jpg

I also ran a hard fuel line from the front to the rear on the inside of the bottom rail on the passenger side. I am planning on running SS braided hose in the rear to go from the tank to a filter and then down and connect to the hard line. In the front I also plan to run a SS braided hose from the hardline to the pump, and then to the carburetor. I am planning on doing it this way as for one, I wont have to bend as much line but I also like the look of the SS hose versus hardline especially where it will be visible in the engine compartment.
fuel line.jpgfuel line front.jpgfuel line rear.jpg

[Boz1911]

I used 10/32 button head screws for the upper and lower firewalls and skipped the "V" part of the upper firewall for the cleaner look. I still think I ended up with 70 holes altogether though. My final step will be to Loctite them but with the hour or so of running time so far I don't think rattle will be an issue at all. I've used a lot of those 10/32 button head screws on this car and if you use something like that buy some extra taps because sooner or later you'll break one, or two, or three.......

[crspdsk8]

I used 10/32 button head screws for the upper and lower firewalls and skipped the "V" part of the upper firewall for the cleaner look. I still think I ended up with 70 holes altogether though. My final step will be to Loctite them but with the hour or so of running time so far I don't think rattle will be an issue at all. I've used a lot of those 10/32 button head screws on this car and if you use something like that buy some extra taps because sooner or later you'll break one, or two, or three.......

Thanks! That was something along the lines of what I was thinking of doing!

[crspdsk8]

Charlie fuel.jpgCharlie fan.jpgDoor frames.jpgGrill.jpgRadiator complete.jpgTail lights.jpgWell while I sitting around just staring at this beautiful chassis in my garage, I took sometime to go through the manual and find something or anything to do while waiting for parts to arrive. I was able to put the taillights in, install the gas cap, painted the door frames and stand offs and also got the electric fan and radiator installed on to the grill. I know I am far from needing these items, but it should leave me less to do later and hopefully make up for the down time that I have now.

I am getting my son involved more and got him working on some of the "nuts and bolts" of things! He was pretty excited to work on the car!!

[crspdsk8]

Had somewhat of a productive weekend working on the car around other obligations. I finally got the transmission in and man did it take forever to get fluid in the torque converter but found a trick that seem to speed up the process. Got some cardboard to lay the converter on, add fluid and then spin the converter on the card board. It speeds up the process and forces the fluid in quicker! It sure did beat just pouring it in and waiting for it to settle! lol
After I got the transmission in and bolted, I was quite surprise by the gap from the bottom of the mount, to the plate. Its about a 3-4" gap! I was not expecting this and curious to see what other have done. I will definitely be calling FFR to see if they can be of any help.
Transmission bolted.jpg
Gap under tranny mount.jpg

I got the headers installed and started to run the exhaust. I got to the point of needing clamps and realized they are bare metal so decided to coat them with some paint to help prevent them from rusting. I will try and get the rest of the exhaust installed this week. Looking at how the manual says to install the mounts, it looks like it may be difficult down the road to get to the nuts as it will be just under the floorboard. I am thinking of installing them the opposite, so the nuts are more accessible. Has anybody thought of this or have done this before? Anybody have experience changing the mufflers after the car is done with the clamps in the recommender direction? If so, was it as much of a hassle as I think it would be?
Headers installed.jpg
Headers 2.jpg
start of rear exhaust.jpg

Going with an Optima battery and got it installed in the recommended location as I want as much trunk space as I can get. I am planning on running remote terminals in the trunk. The motor is just about ready except for finishing fuel lines and the wiring. I am having a difficult time get the HEI distributor to drop all the way in. I have double checked that the intake works with an HEI and also the length of the distributor shaft the distance to the slot on the oil pump shaft and it should fit perfectly as far as length. Any suggestions and trying to get this in all the way is appreciated.

Have a great week!
Charles

[crspdsk8]

Haven't been on here in a long time so figured I would update & document a couple things. lol

I have been driving & enjoying the car (just reached 3000 miles) and would rather drive it than work on it. The car has been mostly complete for quite a while with the exception of the carpet in the trunk. I held off putting it in as my plan was and still is, to do the interior in tan leather & carpet and just waiting for that time to actually come. Well it's not coming soon enough so figure I would throw it in for now.

I also did not like the door sills that came with the kit. I wanted something cleaner and to not cover up so much paint, I used the weather stripping rubber that comes with the power windows and ran it along the body edge and up under the dash. Gives it a nicer finished look along fiberglass edge.

I also installed black plastic caps to the bolts holding the waterfall in place.
Caps to cover bolts on interior waterfall.jpgCarpet installed in trunk.jpgWindow weather stripping in place of door sills.jpg

[Boz1911]

That's what I did while I was waiting on some crucial parts. Flip through the manual and there's always something you can do. I located the raw steel parts and deburred all of them so there were no sharp edges or corners.

[crspdsk8]

I have been pretty busy with work and the kids soccer lately, so I haven't had much time to work on the car but this is what I have managed to get done with what little time I had.

I received the pedal box and installed it including the master cylinders and brake reservoir. Like I have said before I am no gear head but the brake reservoir seems to sit a little low. The bottom of where the fluid hose comes out, it sits a lot lower the master cylinders and the fluid has to travel up to them. Will this be an issue and should I modify it to sit higher than the master cylinders? I have seen other builders pics and I have it mounted in the same place as them so I assume that it will be OK.

I have decided to mount the firewall with 10-32 button head screws to have ability to remove any piece of it if needed. Down the road I would also like to apply Lizard Skin to it to help with the heat and sound so having screws will make it easier to do this then having to drill out the rivets to remove the firewall. I originally was going to run less screws but decided to go with what FFR suggest to make sure I never have a rattle issue.

I am still waiting for my clevis's before installing the entire suspension but got the upper front suspension installed and event the kids helped with installing the rubber bushings. Of course I had to grind down the welds on both sides to get them to line up and get the bolt through. ON the driver side, I was able to get the bolt through but the weld is still pressing up against the bushing. Please see picture. Is this going to be an issue down the road and cause this bushing to go bad? I figured I would ask before I go and grind more of the weld. I would rather not grind the weld down more unless it will be a problem. I am afraid of grinding too much and then having a bigger issue.


That's about it so far. I am expecting more parts to come in tomorrow and Friday. It's coming along a little slower than I would like but hopefully once I get all the parts and more free time in a couple weeks, things will really get rolling.

Bushing hitting weld.jpgFirewall marked.jpgKids Helping.jpgFront uppers.jpg

[kraftee]

Charles. At the Build School, they really emphasized the importance of getting grease to the faces of all those large suspension bushings. Helps the suspension work properly and not bind. It's a little time-consuming, but you will notice that INSIDE the bushings, there are grease channels molded in. Simply use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to extend those channels out (like a star pattern) across the faces of the bushings. I found it easiest to put the bushings in a vise and then just grind away. Takes thirty or forty seconds per bushing. When finished, it will allow the grease you pump into the zerk fitting to travel to ALL the bearing surfaces of the bushing - not just the inside ones. Don't know how many other guys are doing this... ERIC

[crspdsk8]

Charles. At the Build School, they really emphasized the importance of getting grease to the faces of all those large suspension bushings. Helps the suspension work properly and not bind. It's a little time-consuming, but you will notice that INSIDE the bushings, there are grease channels molded in. Simply use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to extend those channels out (like a star pattern) across the faces of the bushings. I found it easiest to put the bushings in a vise and then just grind away. Takes thirty or forty seconds per bushing. When finished, it will allow the grease you pump into the zerk fitting to travel to ALL the bearing surfaces of the bushing - not just the inside ones. Don't know how many other guys are doing this... ERIC

Thanks Eric for the tip! I was looking at those and it didn't look to me that the grease would travel in there very well. That makes perfect sense and great idea! Thanks...Charles

[BrentM]

I am still waiting for my clevis's before installing the entire suspension but got the upper front suspension installed and event the kids helped with installing the rubber bushings. Of course I had to grind down the welds on both sides to get them to line up and get the bolt through. ON the driver side, I was able to get the bolt through but the weld is still pressing up against the bushing. Please see picture. Is this going to be an issue down the road and cause this bushing to go bad? I figured I would ask before I go and grind more of the weld. I would rather not grind the weld down more unless it will be a problem. I am afraid of grinding too much and then having a bigger issue.

Bushing hitting weld.jpgFirewall marked.jpgKids Helping.jpgFront uppers.jpg

I ground mine down to fit, I think a lot of guys have had to do it.



Nice job on the build, Have fun.

Brent

[crspdsk8]

I just keep plucking away with where I can and when I can. Some how since my last post, I gotten a few more things done.
I made a bracket to raise the brake reservoir some to sit just under the dash, installed the front shocks which I had to grind a little off the spacers to fit properly, got all the floor pans marked and drilled, and finally found a rear end and got it all cleaned up. I will be picking the rear end up from the shop on Friday as I had it completely rebuilt with new 31 spline axles, a new posi and new bearings and seals. I am running a 700r4 tranny and went with 3.73's in the rear.

I also have a tracking number for the last of the back ordered parts including the clevis's for the front suspension which of course I need to finish up the front. With those coming in and the rear end being completed, I should have a rolling chassis by the end of next week!! I have the wheels and tires picked out and just need to make a phone call and I will have them the next day. I decided to go with the Eagle Boss 338's with 18"x 8" in the front and 20" X 10" in the rear.

After hearing all the complaints about the supplied FFR fuel tank and apparent design flaw, I decided to go with the Boyd tank and it should be here next week as well!

I also started running brake lines and did them the way the manual states but I am not sure I really like it. I have seen a lot of builders just running them on the outside of the chassis rail and I am thinking of doing the same. If you have pictures to share of how you ran them, I would love to see them. I have a lot of the 1st line coming off the master cylinders but would like to see more of how/where they were ran back to the inside and finished up.
I also have a stupid question as it wasn't clear in the manual. The ends of these supplied brake lines are different length threads on each end. Does it matter which end goes in to the master cylinder and if so, which one. The longer threaded piece of the shorter one. Any help or suggestions with running the brakes is appreciated! FYI, I am running the Wilwood brakes front and back.

Hopefully I will reach my 1st major milestone next week with the car sitting on her own!!

[wallace18]

I do not think it matters which end you use. It is up to you for looks IMO.

[esff32]

I just keep plucking away with where I can and when I can. Some how since my last post, I gotten a few more things done.
I made a bracket to raise the brake reservoir some to sit just under the dash, installed the front shocks which I had to grind a little off the spacers to fit properly, got all the floor pans marked and drilled, and finally found a rear end and got it all cleaned up. I will be picking the rear end up from the shop on Friday as I had it completely rebuilt with new 31 spline axles, a new posi and new bearings and seals. I am running a 700r4 tranny and went with 3.73's in the rear.

I also have a tracking number for the last of the back ordered parts including the clevis's for the front suspension which of course I need to finish up the front. With those coming in and the rear end being completed, I should have a rolling chassis by the end of next week!! I have the wheels and tires picked out and just need to make a phone call and I will have them the next day. I decided to go with the Eagle Boss 338's with 18"x 8" in the front and 20" X 10" in the rear.

After hearing all the complaints about the supplied FFR fuel tank and apparent design flaw, I decided to go with the Boyd tank and it should be here next week as well!

I also started running brake lines and did them the way the manual states but I am not sure I really like it. I have seen a lot of builders just running them on the outside of the chassis rail and I am thinking of doing the same. If you have pictures to share of how you ran them, I would love to see them. I have a lot of the 1st line coming off the master cylinders but would like to see more of how/where they were ran back to the inside and finished up.
I also have a stupid question as it wasn't clear in the manual. The ends of these supplied brake lines are different length threads on each end. Does it matter which end goes in to the master cylinder and if so, which one. The longer threaded piece of the shorter one. Any help or suggestions with running the brakes is appreciated! FYI, I am running the Wilwood brakes front and back.

Hopefully I will reach my 1st major milestone next week with the car sitting on her own!!

This is how I ran my brake lines. Let me know if you need any detailed photos.

[kraftee]

Tom's right. The threads don't actually go all the way into the fitting anyway. The seal is all about the double flare at the end of the pipe. In most cases, I put the short fittings into the brake master cylinder and calipers. I put the long fittings into the brake line connectors and blocks. Just for the sake of consistency and, as Tom pointed out, looks.

[Tim Whittaker]

Welcome to the madness !!!! We have a number of parts to make the end product a little nicer. I'm also available by phone to help with your build. If I can help in any way, send me a pm with a phone number and I can give you a call.

Tim Whittaker

[crspdsk8]

Got the panel installed under the fuel tank along with the fuel filter and fuel lines installed in the rear.
panel under fuel tank installed.jpg

Also got the firewall insulated with Fat Mat. I am going to install a 2nd layer on the foot boxes to try and help with heat from the headers.
Fat mat installed on firewall.jpg

Got the transmission mounting plate figured out. I had about a 3" gap from the mount to the supplied plate. FFR helped get it figured out by welding 2 of the supplied plates together with spacers in between. Got it mounted up and seems like it should work.
new tranny mount to frame.jpg
Transmission mount installed.jpg

Getting closer!!

[crspdsk8]

Sorry for not staying on top of this thread and thank you for all who replied helping me with some questions I had. Well I have been busy with work and really busy working on the car every chance I get and therefor haven's had much time to get on here but here is an update on my build progress.
I finally got all my back ordered parts rear end back from the shop not much to hold me back now except a motor, tranny & some money! I finally got a photo bucket account so hopefully I can figure this out and get bigger pics on here. So here it goes, hope it works!

Here is the rear end before & after:

[crspdsk8]

Hello all! Here is a little update with where I am at. I managed to get the exhaust brackets installed and centered pretty well. I will finish the rear exit portion once the body is on to make sure the tips are positioned correctly in relation to the body.
exhaust installed.jpg

Decided to install the power steering module under the dash and near the body panel opening on the passenger side. I used 1" aluminum spacers to give me room to remove the bolts easily if this unit ever needs to be replaced. I just need to splice in the wiring but still figuring out the best place to tie it into power.
Power steering module.jpg
Power steering module 2.jpg

I also installed the battery disconnect behind the passenger seat and applied Fatmat to the panel. I put this hear to hide it some but still able to reach is from sitting in the driver seat. I have an Optima battery and installing it in the trunk. I am trying to decide what is the best way to route the battery cables. I am thinking about putting a hole in the trunk panel behind the battery and run the cables through their and down between the trunk panel and fuel tank. I would love to see and hear how others have ran their cables.
Battery Disconnect.jpg

I have a question on the battery ground. I was planning on running a ground cable (with the positive) from battery and mount it to the frame under the fuel tank. I have the grounding strap that came with the kit and would like to use it since I have it. Will it work OK if I mounted that inside the trunk to the aluminum panel where I can go into the frame?

Another question I have is grounding the flashers for the LED light on the fuse panel. Where is the best place to ground these. The wires don't seem to be long enough to reach the frame. Is it best lengthen the wires to reach the frame or can bolt them to the aluminum fuse panel. Electrical is not my thing and any guidance is appreciated!

Thanks!

[crspdsk8]

Well that photo upload worked so here are some more!

I had some aluminum left over from another project and fabricated a piece to go under the Boyd fuel tank and to finish inclosing the underside of the car.


Front suspension in place.


Rear 3 link installed, with some help from the family.



Front Brakes


Rear Brakes

[crspdsk8]

I have been working on getting the trans tunnel fitted in place and is being a PITA! Got the E Brake handle mounted and trimmed the tunnel around it but having issues getting the passenger side to fit flush on the floor panel. It fits very well against the firewall and flat on the driver side floor and not sure what is holding up the passenger side. Anybody have the same issue?
E Brake handle installed 2.jpg
E Brake handle installed.jpg

I have been checking around and hear a lot about not running the fan switch in the bottom of the radiator as it will read lower and instead install in on the intake. Here is where I am thinking of installing the cooling temp sensor and fan switch. I may try to mount one under the alternator but not sure I will have enough clearance.
Cooling sensor location.jpg

When I went to install the oil pressure sending unit, I found that the treaded piece is not long enough as the intake manifold sits to high. I went and bought the shortest nipple and coupler I can find and now it sits to high and keeps the distributor from going down on the way. Anybody know if this sending unit needs to be installed vertically or will it be OK to install at the 45 or 90 degree angle? The only option I am aware of was getting an adapter to put this at and angle to clear the distributor. Any one else have an issue and have thoughts on this?

I got the new red hose FFR just sent out as a replacement for the previous ones sent out. My kit came with what they thought was the correct hose, which they sent a couple weeks ago, but when I was looking to verify it, I found that even that hose was bad. It was wet "sweating" and appeared the brake fluid was seeping through the hose! I am not looking forward to swapping it out but hopefully the red hose fixes the issue.

I am getting an order ready for Summit to hopefully get most of the final pieces needed to get this fired up and ready to go-kart!! After researching online, I have decided to make my own hoses for my fuel line and cooling lines for the transmission. This way I can make them the correct lengths needed and not have extra hose in the way.

[crspdsk8]

I didn't like the way the brakes lines I initially ran looked and after help from others on here this is how I started mine.



Here is the rear calipers installed. I would like some input if these are on the correct sides as the instructions were not real clear. Thanks!

[crspdsk8]

I finally got the front and rear suspension in place and just need some wheels and tires. I set the seats in place and of course the kids just could wait to test them out.



Now to some eye candy! lol. I was previously was going to go with some FOOSE wheels but after looking into it more, I decided to go with some Eagle's Boss 338's paired with Toyo Proxes 4+ tires. I went with 255/35ZR-18 on 18"x8" up front and 295/30ZR-20 on 20"x10" in the rear. Before I had the tires mounted I test fitted the fronts to make sure they cleared the brakes as I went with a 4.5" offset to try and get the deepest look I can get.

Here's the result, they fit perfectly!


I took the wheel back the next day and had the tire mounted and couldn't wait to get it on the ground!


Then I had to ask the wife since she always says this to me... Does my tires make my "rear" look to big? lol


When I had it on the ground of course the alignment was really off. After reading the thread that Dr. Ruth had posted on doing an alignment I made the suggested adjustments and I think I got it pretty close. A little trick I had learn from my dad when I was younger to adjust the toe was to run a string around all 4 tires and then you can see how off you are and which way you it needs to be adjusted. Hopefully soon I will get a motor/tranny and can test how well I did on this alignment then will probably take it by the shop to really get it tuned in. These tires are expensive and want to get the most life I can out of them.


Once we got everything adjusted, my son help get everything tighten down.


That is where I stand for now. The next couple days I hope to finish up running the brakes lines, bleed them and get them dialed in as much as I can so they are ready to be tested when I eventually get to go-kart it! Also while I am waiting to get a motor, I want to get the fuel tank drilled and bolted, and I will try and tackle the wiring harness. I am not very knowledgeable in this area by any means and hopefully with some help, I can get this going and speed things up down the road when the motor is in.

So far, I think the build is going pretty smoothly with the exception of being sore from using a rubber mallet to install the suspension and getting everything torqued down. I am really enjoying it so far and turns out being a build that the entire family can help along the way.
Charles

[wallace18]

Car is looking great so far. I like your helpers! Nothing like starting them early. LOL.

[hdnik]

I finally got the front and rear suspension in place and just need some wheels and tires. I set the seats in place and of course the kids just could wait to test them out.



Now to some eye candy! lol. I was previously was going to go with some FOOSE wheels but after looking into it more, I decided to go with some Eagle's Boss 338's paired with Toyo Proxes 4+ tires. I went with 255/35ZR-18 on 18"x8" up front and 295/30ZR-20 on 20"x10" in the rear. Before I had the tires mounted I test fitted the fronts to make sure they cleared the brakes as I went with a 4.5" offset to try and get the deepest look I can get.

Here's the result, they fit perfectly!


I took the wheel back the next day and had the tire mounted and couldn't wait to get it on the ground!


Then I had to ask the wife since she always says this to me... Does my tires make my "rear" look to big? lol


When I had it on the ground of course the alignment was really off. After reading the thread that Dr. Ruth had posted on doing an alignment I made the suggested adjustments and I think I got it pretty close. A little trick I had learn from my dad when I was younger to adjust the toe was to run a string around all 4 tires and then you can see how off you are and which way you it needs to be adjusted. Hopefully soon I will get a motor/tranny and can test how well I did on this alignment then will probably take it by the shop to really get it tuned in. These tires are expensive and want to get the most life I can out of them.


Once we got everything adjusted, my son help get everything tighten down.


That is where I stand for now. The next couple days I hope to finish up running the brakes lines, bleed them and get them dialed in as much as I can so they are ready to be tested when I eventually get to go-kart it! Also while I am waiting to get a motor, I want to get the fuel tank drilled and bolted, and I will try and tackle the wiring harness. I am not very knowledgeable in this area by any means and hopefully with some help, I can get this going and speed things up down the road when the motor is in.

So far, I think the build is going pretty smoothly with the exception of being sore from using a rubber mallet to install the suspension and getting everything torqued down. I am really enjoying it so far and turns out being a build that the entire family can help along the way.
Charles

if I could ask... What backspace did you go with on the rear. Also does the 4.5" backspace on fronts allow wheels to turn full lock without hitting the upper control arms... I assume so.

lovely rims.

[crspdsk8]

if I could ask... What backspace did you go with on the rear. Also does the 4.5" backspace on fronts allow wheels to turn full lock without hitting the upper control arms... I assume so.

lovely rims.

Thanks Nick! The backspacing for the rears are 5.50". With the steering at full lock, the tires are about 3/4" from hitting the upper control arms.

[Arrowhead]

Looks like your moving along pretty good. Couple things kind of stick out though. First, the string method your Dad used to do might work with a car that has the same track width front ot rear, but your car the rear is no doubt wider than the front so the strings are not parallel side to side - so that will throw off your toe measurement. If you take a couple of jack stands and stand them up ahead of the front tires, you can use them as corner posts to wrap the string around. You can move the stands around until the string is parallel to the chassis center line, then do your toe measurements. However, you really should have all the weight of the car on the wheels with the engine and transmission in. Same goes for when you do caster and camber. Besides that, the toe is the last thing to set, although I know it's disturbing to be working on the car or showing it to someone and having the tires pointing all directions.

The rear brakes don't look right, they need to be mounted at the 10 or 2 o'clock positions. I can't think of a caliper that would be mounted in the down position like that, they will be impossible to bleed air out of.

A small detail, the rear rotors are on the "wrong" side. The directional slots should angle out in the direction of rotation to match the way you have the front. A small thing and more aesthetic than anything

Hate giving you list of issues, but easier to fix now than later.