Al C's MK4 Coyote Build

[Al_C]

Memorial Day weekend. We can put the body on for good – well, at least until Mr. Kleiner takes it off… Everything was in place. It went more easily this time than the last, because by now we (my crew of wife and neighbors) had a pretty good idea of actually how to do this!
Here we are ready to go!



And on:


No one has taken me up on the body buck offer yet. It’s unassembled, but still available.

Remember the power steering leak? I couldn’t believe it was still there. I decided it had to be something else. Mark Reynolds and I traded emails about possible causes and he suggested that perhaps we had the wrong fitting in play. I took the return hose off the reservoir and took a look. Looked OK… then, for some reason, I turned the fitting upside down. Out came this:



Hmmm. I don’t think washers are part of an AN fitting. Problem solved. So here’s what I think happened: I made a mounting bracket for the “X” frame on which to mount the PS reservoir (remember I had to move it from it’s first home) months ago. Maybe even a year and a half ago. It was a pain getting everything in place and I seem to remember losing a washer in the process. Well, there it was. It fell from my hand and managed to land in the fitting. That’s the only explanation I have. In any event, it hasn’t leaked since. Maybe I shouldn’t be as frank as I have been regarding my own foibles. Nah – it’s too late for that.

[Al_C]

Trunk and hood. These were pretty easy. More or less. I took the easy way out, as I knew Jeff Kleiner would take everything apart and fit them properly anyway. So the goal was to attach body parts in a way that they would pass muster with the state inspector. I wasn’t trying to be sloppy, but “good enough” was all that was required to get past inspection. Here are some photos:









The windshield proved to be easier than expected as well. Although it was a bit unnerving, considering how many cracked windshields I’ve seen or read about. It was all about extra caution on this topic. Take a look:



Interestingly, while I was in the middle of attaching the windshield, a contractor’s van pulled into my driveway. This guy walks right into my garage and starts talking about his car. Come to find out, he has a Mark II roadster! His name is Mark, he’s a remodeling contractor, and was doing work on my street. He noticed the activity in my garage, and couldn’t stay away any longer. He ended up helping me secure my windshield… He’s visited twice since!

[Al_C]

By the first day of summer, 8650 actually looked like a car!




I got all my paperwork together, took the requisite photos and sent off my package. I wrote about that here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...a-Almost-legal
Now, it was a waiting game to see when the Secretary of State Police’s inspector would call. I had heard estimates ranging from six to eleven weeks! He showed up on August 23rd:



He told me I should have my plates in “a couple of weeks”. I did!

[Al_C]

Now we got to start the shakedown phase. Jeff Kleiner and I talked a couple of times and he suggested that I should put some miles on the car and work the bugs out before getting it to him. That sounded fine to me. So off we went!

Let’s detail some of these issues:
1. PS pulley out of alignment
2. Clicking from rear axle.
3. Sun shades falling off
4. Popping fuses left and right for light circuit
5. Side pipes with less than an inch clearance from the street
6. Oil puddles in the garage
7. Leaking coolant from the PS cylinder head
8. ATF puddles in the garage
9. MIL light on

Does that sound like enough? Some of these were easy enough. Others, well… Let’s take them one by one.

PS pulley out of alignment. This whole power steering system has been my nemesis. You’ve read about it; you’ve seen the pictures. Most of those things were my own doing. The pulley is a different story. It probably isn’t a big deal, but it’s one where I have no experience to rely on, so it’s a bigger problem. I started yet another thread on this topic here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...eering-problem

Mike Forte and I discussed this one at length. The pulley on the pump, mounted on the engine, is just a little off. There are no adjustments possible, from what I can see, other than the pulley shaft. Mike and I talked about moving the pulley “out”. So I did. Little by little, because I’m afraid I’m going to pop it off… I got the proper tool to move the pulley and have moved it out gradually. It’s still not right, but at least the belt isn’t working off the pulley. I’m just afraid to move it too much. For now it’s OK; I have a new belt from Mike to install as needed, but I want to get it on a lift and get a really good look. That will happen in the spring. Next!

Clicking from the rear axle. Remember this one? I mentioned this after my very first go-kart. You know, after driving the car for a while, it stopped. Thank goodness. I think the bearings are properly lubricated now (they’re sealed, I believe) and they’re not making any noise. At least that’s my unscientific assessment. So, either it’s OK, or it’s going to fall apart. I’ll vote for the former.

Sun shades falling off. Of course, I discovered this on a night time drive… I’m coming home from our church after a meeting and I notice the sun shade dangling in the breeze. I mounted them in the Jeff Kleiner way, and apparently hadn’t tightened the screws enough. All of the parts had dropped onto the carpet in my footbox, so they were easy to find. 10 minutes and done!

Popping fuses. This one got me. Initially, everything worked. However, I noticed that there was a problem with the DS parking/signal light. I talked with Dan at FFR and he determined that the fixture was bad and sent me a new one. (thank you Dan!) Then, fuses started popping. Well, it turns out, in my infinite wisdom, I had transposed wires. It took a week or so (and a lot of fuses) to figure that one out, but once I got the wires right on that fixture, everything has been good ever since. Phew!

Side pipe clearance. This one has several components. First consideration – J-pipes. As much as I tried to tighten them, they’d move. Down, of course. Next consideration – the body. I was reluctant to cut too much on the pre-cut opening, lest I make things worse. I trimmed a bit on the passenger side, but I left the driver side alone. Nevertheless, they were still hitting. Try as I might, I had very, very little clearance. I couldn’t get my foot under the DS side pipe. I complained about this little problem with David (Ducky2009) on the phone one afternoon, and he suggested I reach out to JDAV because he had the same problem and came up with a solution. I did. Not being that patient a person, I also started searching the forum for a solution. I found Joel’s (JDAV) comments in his build log and that gave me enough to keep looking. I found what I wanted in wareaglescott’s log! Sure enough, it seems that Scott originated the solution that Josh had used. Or, so it seems – I didn’t look to see if he had gotten the idea from anyone else. Not trying to avoid giving proper credit – I only went as far back as Scott’s log!
The solution included rubber exhaust hangers (shock absorption) and a turnbuckle that would tighten/raise the side pipe. I found some similar items on line, ordered everything and got to work. I cut and powder coated some aluminum to form the bracket on the frame, and used radiator hose material on the inside as padding. I made the padding long enough that I could put the bolt through it so it wouldn’t work its way out. I made up the necessary brackets to put everything together and here are the results:







It got me a significant amount of clearance, so I’m pleased with the result. We’ll see what Mr. Kleiner decides when its time for him to put it all back together.

Oil puddles. Not sure where the leak is. I have tightened every spot I can get at. I’m not going to fix this one until I get the car on a lift when it’s still hot. I can live with this until spring.

Let’s deal with the coolant issue and ATF issue together. These were troublesome. I started another thread on this topic here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...nsmission-Ouch

Fortunately, the coolant issue has a happy ending. It was the 90 degree quick connect fitting on the PS cylinder head. I replaced it with the Gates-branded part (edwardb recommendation) and it’s been fine ever since. Here it is:



After talking with a bunch of people – and knowing full well what the permanent solution is – I found an external sealant product from Permatex, “Spray Sealant and Leak Repair” (82099). I had several recommendations on this stuff and decided I had nothing to lose. If it works, I don’t have to drop the transmission. So far, so good. We’ll see how it looks over the winter.

MIL light. I started getting a P0116 code on the coyote early on. I knew there was a fix for it, and wareaglescott pointed me in the right direction. In his case, they sent him the software to update on his PCM. When I suggested that to Ford, the tech support line guy said that they didn’t do that any longer and I’d need to send in the PCM. Since the louvers weren’t installed at that point, it was relatively easy to unbolt it from the frame and ship it to Detroit. Two days later, it was back, fixed, and re-installed in the car. No more false errors!

As October, 2019 was coming to a close, the goal was to get in as many miles as possible and find a time that my wife and I could drive to Indiana in decent weather. Usually, late October is good weather, but not this year! It got cold and wet much earlier this year. One afternoon, we hopped in the car, headed out to a paint shop to review color samples, then drove to our daughter’s home. It was getting chilly (and dark) and it was time to head home. We didn’t even make it out of her town.
At a stoplight, the car died and wouldn’t start. There was a pretty strong gas odor and the impatient souls behind us were letting us know that the light had changed. We got out and pushed it into a bank parking lot and called AAA. Now the fun began. When I explained the problem, the Roadside Assistance lady on the phone said that I needed to have the local fire department clear the vehicle before anyone would tow it. I told her I’d get them over and reminded her that I needed a flatbed. Of course, it was nearly 6 PM, and the receptionist for the fire department was gone for the day. The automated attendant didn’t offer any extensions, only “if you know your party’s extension…” I called 911.

A few minutes later, the truck showed up, followed by Officer Gina. Everyone was very nice and most sympathetic. The tow truck operator called and said he’d be there shortly. I reminded him that I needed a flatbed and the line went silent. “I’ll have to get back to you on that” Hmmm. This was part of the original requirement. He calls back and says “My boss won’t let me take a flatbed. You’ll have to get someone else.” Another call to roadside assistance. “They’ll be there in 2 ½ hours” she reported. Officer Gina looked at me and said, “I can have a flatbed here in 20 minutes.”

“Sounds good to me!”

He showed up in 19.



I have limited experience with tow trucks and/or roadside assistance. That, in my mind, is a good thing. The lesson learned here for me is that you’ll probably get better service with the firm contracted by the local Police than you will with AAA. Keep in mind that I’ve been a loyal AAA member for 36 years. Maybe it’s time to reconsider that subscription…

So, back to the problem. The tow operator helped me get the car back into my garage. The next morning, I pulled the right rear wheel off, expecting to find the problem between the fuel tank and the connection to the flex line. Nothing. But, there was a puddle forming under the engine! I pulled the cover off the engine and it was plain as day. The connector between the rubber hose and the fuel line had let go.



Installed the new connector and we were back on the road.

[Al_C]

Lately, my go-to people are Fred (Corvette owner in my neighborhood) and David (Ducky2009). They’ve both been a tremendous help. David suggested that perhaps my fuel pressure was too high. Sure enough, it was a little over 65 lbs. 55 is recommended. Was that enough to pop the connector? In any event, I reduced the pressure to somewhere around 55, maybe a little over. I’ve put another 300 miles on the car since without issue.

Remember the comments about where the seat lies relative to the main frame rails? One of the last items I addressed before driving to Jeff Kleiner’s was installing the 5th point of the seat belt harnesses. I wanted to drill the hole through the plate in the floor as close to the center as possible. The driver side was no issue. The passenger side is another story. I sensed something wasn’t right when I drilled my pilot hole. I crawled underneath and could see that I had just missed the braided fuel line. This could have been a disaster. Lesson learned: check underneath before you drill!

Louvers. I had the stock FFR side louvers sitting in a box aging since the kit arrived in 2015. I guess I had been putting off dealing with them because I wasn’t sure about how to bend them. Then, GoDadGo published a video on that very topic. He and I chatted and I decided to give it a go. He was more successful than I.
In his video, GoDad used angle iron. I had a piece, but I also had two pieces of bar steel that I thought would work equally well.



They didn’t. The angle iron is needed for its rigidity. “Take two” used the angle iron.



This worked better, but the bending was not going smoothly. The first bend came out OK, but the second clearly did not:



The louver had transformed itself – almost instantly – into scrap! I ended up buying the better louvers. They look WAY better.

No pictures on this one, but on November 4, my wife and I set off for Jeff Kleiner’s! Google reported it would cover 263 miles and take about 4 ½ hours. The day started out in the upper 30’s, so it was brisk as we set off. I stopped on the side of the road about 20 minutes into the trip because I needed to layer up a bit better. I added a hooded sweatshirt to the mix (hood up, over the hat) wrapped a scarf around my neck and life was good once again. All body parts inside the cockpit were comfortable. It was just the head, left shoulder and hands that felt the cold. I don’t recommend I-80/94 for anybody in any vehicle. That is one of my least favorite roads. The problem is that any trip east or southeast necessitates that road for me. It is at the southern end of Lake Michigan and the main interstate connecting Chicago with points east. The stretch between the Illinois/Indiana line and I-65 south was the worst part of the trip. Other than that, the miles flew by pretty quickly! More quickly than I thought, apparently, as my wife complained about trying to keep up!

We arrived at Jeff’s early afternoon, went over everything and were back home before 8 PM. Based on Jeff’s comments, it may be done before winter is over. Now I just have to figure out how I’m going to get it home.

[Al_C]

November 21. This has been bugging me for some time now. You’ve seen / read all about my beloved wood veneer dashboard. Well, that was 8650 version 1. We’re on to 8650 2.0. What changed? I was never really happy with how the dash came out. It’s a case of my own inexperience/ability along with a healthy dose of stubbornness. The thing had bubbles in it that I chose to ignore and tried to gloss over. I fixed the really big ones, but there were others that I never noticed until the whole thing was installed. I debated for months whether I should re-do it, and that would have made sense while the car was here with the body off. But I didn’t. Instead, I plowed ahead with the intent of getting the car on the road as soon as possible.

So now the car is in Bloomington. We’re seriously dealing with color. And I had my head handed to me. Again. Jeff connected me with his paint supplier and he and I started talking colors. I told him about my favorites and he suggested that I get a small sample from a local (Chicagoland) paint shop and see how it looked in the daylight with the car. (This was the week before we drove to Bloomington) It looked awful. I liked the color, but it clashed with the “warm cherry” of the dashboard. Well, so much for that color. Then it seemed that every color I really liked didn’t work. My color choices were being seriously compromised by my godforsaken wood dashboard. Then I would look at photos of it, recall the time and effort to make it and try to rationalize the whole thing.

Finally, after a few conversations with some of you, I decided that it had to be re-done and now was the time. So there you have it. I think it’s going to look better in the end.

My choices came down to carbon fiber, leather, or marine vinyl. Keep in mind that I already have marine vinyl on the transmission tunnel cover. Also keep in mind the “bump” on the transmission tunnel cover. Jeff and I talked about carbon fiber and I ruled that one out. I have a wood steering wheel. Carbon fiber looks better with a leather steering wheel. That leaves vinyl or leather for the dash. I started looking for leather, and got a recommendation for Tandy Leather. Come to find out, they have a store about 45 minutes from me. I shot them an email asking them what they recommended for a dashboard. After a few days, there was still no response. So, a few days before Thanksgiving, I hopped in the car and paid them a visit.

They had some really good options and their guy Dan asked how soon I wanted it. “Today would be good”, I replied. He told me they were having a really good Black Friday sale on whole hides.

Friday: I picked up the hide this morning. Who knew that there would be a line 25 people long at a leather store? Didn’t matter – I was there early enough. Now I will have enough to do the dash and re-do the transmission tunnel cover. I just have to figure out a way to eliminate the bump from the shifter hole “patch”. I was going to take it all the way down to the aluminum and re-do the patch, but I don’t’ think I’ll be able to remove the cool mat insulation. I’m going to test a few theories and see what I come up with.

[ProJoe]

you are VERY lucky that the fuel line didn't take your car. in the engine bay is the worst place for that to happen.

glad you're sorting through all of these challenges!

[Al_C]

Here are some progress photos from Jeff Kleiner!

[Al_C]

And a few more...









I'm off to replace the dash tomorrow and finalize the colors. Jeff plans to have everything completed early March!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Oh heck Al, that was almost two weeks ago. As of last Saturday it's all one color again!



Cheers,
Jeff

[Railroad]

That should put me one car closer to getting my car.
Everything looks great, nice job.

[jiriza84641]

Al_C, nice too see your progress, ordered my kit on 02/18 couple date is 4/11. I hope to see your car once Jeff finishes it. I am sure I will reach out to you and pick your brain maybe even have you come by and turn a wrench with me, and of course pizza and beer is on me. I am located on the SW side of Chicago (the better side) near Oak Lawn.

[Al_C]

Al_C, nice too see your progress, ordered my kit on 02/18 couple date is 4/11. I hope to see your car once Jeff finishes it. I am sure I will reach out to you and pick your brain maybe even have you come by and turn a wrench with me, and of course pizza and beer is on me. I am located on the SW side of Chicago (the better side) near Oak Lawn.

Yes, please keep in touch! I'll reach out via PM.

[Al_C]

I was fortunate to travel to Jeff's shop this week to replace the dashboard. I invested a lot of time and effort into the wood veneer dash, but honestly, I think things worked out for the best. I covered a new dash in 1/8" landau padding and black leather. This little task, while seemingly easy, turned out to me more time-intensive than I expected. I appreciated Jeff's tolerance of me in his workplace! In addition to his moral support, he provided some valuable insights and an extra pair of hands as needed! Here are a few photos of the event.


Haven't seen 8650 in this state for a while... While somewhat naked, it is much easier to work on mechanical stuff in this state!


This is where the fun began. I had forgotten just how many wires there were, and how many had been spliced together in spade connectors (e.g. grounds and RT turn signal wires). Once we (yes, it took two of us) got the steering wheel off, I needed to label every wire so I could reconnect them later. Yes, that was VERY time-consuming.


A mess, perhaps? Now, to just get it all back under control...


All back together. Phew! On the original dash, I had used countersunk rivets to attach right angle pieces so I could connect the dash to the hoop from below. The original thought was that I'd be able to get at those connections more easily if I had to pull the dash. Well, the day came to pull the dash and those "from below" connections were a real pain, so I decided to go with black screws on the face of the dash. With Jeff's recommendations on the topic, we fastened the dash via 1/4" bolts to the dash supports from below, and will have one screw holding the top to the hoop. The ends support the dash as well, resting on the frame. Jeff will put in the single screw after the body is back on so he can determine the center (based on the stripe).

Finally, we got the color choices set! The main color is Lexus Brandywine and the stripes will be a 2005 Thunderbird color, the name of which I don't remember! Here's a photo in sunlight:



and one in artificial light:


I'm looking forward to seeing the result!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Finally, we got the color choices set! The main color is Lexus Brandywine and the stripes will be a 2005 Thunderbird color, the name of which I don't remember!

It's called "Bronze". One year, one model only used on the 50th Anniversary Thunderbird.

Soon

Jeff

[Boydster]

Thats gonna be purdy...

[Ducky2009]

Al,
Glad to see you got it all back together. Looks great.

Nice choice of paint colors too!
David

[toadster]

It's called "Bronze". One year, one model only used on the 50th Anniversary Thunderbird.

Soon

Jeff

very nice! how close is that 'bronze' to the 'bronze 25th anniversary wheels'?

[Jeff Kleiner]

very nice! how close is that 'bronze' to the 'bronze 25th anniversary wheels'?

Not.

Jeff

[GWL]

Looking very good. I'm impressed with the drivers door, Jeff has that set up down. I'm struggling with mine now and am very close after working on aligning the body on the chassis. Everything on this body is related to everything else. Move something on one part of the body and you have to consider what else happens. Took about a week of work, on and off, but I'm now onto the hood and trunk lid fitting.

I've been scrolling through build threads and picking up a bit of info here and there, mostly from Jeff Kleiner, Jeff Miller and Ken Pike. Thumbs up to the time they take to help us all.

Enjoyed your build thread and looking forward to seeing that color on the car.

George

[Al_C]

Looking very good. I'm impressed with the drivers door, Jeff has that set up down. I'm struggling with mine now and am very close after working on aligning the body on the chassis. Everything on this body is related to everything else. Move something on one part of the body and you have to consider what else happens. Took about a week of work, on and off, but I'm now onto the hood and trunk lid fitting.

I've been scrolling through build threads and picking up a bit of info here and there, mostly from Jeff Kleiner, Jeff Miller and Ken Pike. Thumbs up to the time they take to help us all.

Enjoyed your build thread and looking forward to seeing that color on the car.

George

Yes, Jeff, Jeff, and Ken are THE guys!

[Ducky2009]

Al,

Not trying to rile the paint Gods but, when will it be finished? Going to look good!

David

[Al_C]

David, The best answer is that it will be done when it's done! This has been a work in progress for, what, 4 1/2 years, so what's another few weeks? I know that Jeff wants to get it done, too, so I suspect it will be done when Jeff is finished! (how's that for avoiding the question....)

[Al_C]

More progress! Here are the latest photos from Jeff Kleiner:





I think this car is going to look amazing!

[Jeff Kleiner]

I just told Al that the indoor LED and fluorescent lighting is throwing the colors off a bit in these pics. If we get some sun through the high clouds later today I'll take it outside and get some photos and also add a few I took for Al during various painting stages.

Jeff

[jiriza84641]

Al. Well damn that is pretty. Getting more and more excited on my delivery and build. Looking forward to it.

[TMartinLVNV]

That's gorgeous!

[Jeff Kleiner]

OK, here are some photos of what went on the last 2 days. After Slick Sand was blocked it got 3 coats of 2K Primer Surfacer which was finished out to 600 wet.



This got covered with catalyzed sealer:



Next was the Bronze basecoat up the middle for stripes:



Then stripe layout (sorry, I forgot to get any pics of it fully masked)





After laying down the main color base it's unmasked. Crazy thing is that it'll take a few hours to lay out and mask for stripes and only about 15 minutes to peel it all off and throw it in the trash can This is before the clear went on:



Continued in next post********************************************** *******

[Jeff Kleiner]

Continuing***********************

Al posted a couple of pics of it inside after clear in post #144. I drug it outside this morning to get some photos but it was still kind of cloudy as can be seen here:



The sun came out nice and bright this afternoon though!









Al was a little undecided on colors when he first brought the car but I kept suggesting this Brandywine & Bronze combnation until he went for it (OK, he might call it "strongarming" more than "suggesting"...whatever). I really like it and hope he does too! it's fun for me when I can do something besides just another blue or red---"not that there's anything wrong with that" to quote Seinfeld

Jeff

[Al_C]

Jeff likes to tell stories about customers who couldn't make up their mind. Or, at least it seemed that way. I guess I get added to that collection ... I started out wanting a green car. So I visited an automotive paint supply shop and picked up a color fan. My wife and I both picked (independently) a color called "mocha pearl". It isn't green... One problem with that color was that it wasn't a PPG shade. We found a PPG equivalent, Rum Point; however, it looked horrible next to the wood dash. (It actually wasn't that much different than where we ended up) That started the "new dash" initiative and a quest for new colors. I tried them all: Alfa Romeo blue; Alfa Romeo red; Corvette blue; Viper blue; BMW racing green; Porsche burgundy... we were all over the map. Then Jeff shows me the brandywine. I bit. I really like this color and I think these photos look amazing. Thanks for the "nudge", Jeff!

[Boydster]

That color screams Class. I knew it was gonna look great when I saw the sprayouts. Nice choice and nice work to Jeff.

[FFinisher]

Looks great!!!

I know a guy who painted a car that color

[Jeff Kleiner]

Looks great!!!

I know a guy who painted a car that color

Believe me, photos of that car were used extensively in my Brandywine sales pitch!

Jeff

[Jeff Kleiner]

Al came to pick up his car today. I think he likes it



Jeff

[wareaglescott]

Congrats Al. Looks amazing!!

[Ducky2009]

Al looks like a very happy man! Looks GREAT! Another great paint job by Jeff.

[BadAsp427]

Al, That really looks fantastic.... Congratulations and a huge thumbs up to Jeff K for yet another work of art...

[Jryasko]

Another beauty by Jeff. Congrats Al

[Railroad]

No doubt I want Jeff to paint mine. Nicely done.

[Al_C]

Thanks for the compliments! Jeff did an incredible job and was a joy to work with!

St. Patrick's Day was a full one this year: my friend Dan B. picked me up with his truck and trailer and we headed down to Ed McCormick's place to pick up his roadster. Then the three of us (along with Dan's dog) headed down to Bloomington. Unloaded Ed's car, loaded mine, visited with Jeff, and headed back. 12 hours, round trip.


Dan, and Turbeau the mountain dog...