Star Mobile 1 Build

[sethmark]

Cool! Burnouts for distance are fun to watch.

[JOP33]

Been a week or so since posting and it has literally been raining for an entire week here! Started out last week basically washing out the entire Good Guys Show. I got the car back on Tuesday before the show from having the Paint Protection Film put on the Fenders and noticed the car running rough the entire drive home. Mainly idling at lights, but a few times hesitating along the drive. The car was due for its first oil change, so I decided to go ahead and check and change the plugs too. Things did appear a little rich, but I did go ahead and replace them (I know fixing the symptom not the issue, but at that point I was still planning on driving into the show). I also thought maybe I had gotten hold of some bad gas. I have been running the HO Fuel (not the Ethynol Free, but the HO) and the car has been running great. It's just like overnight it started the rough idling at start-up (dying actually a couple of times) and then during the drive I would have to either shift to park or neutral and give a little gas to keep it going. Even after the plug change it still seemed to be running about the same. I am running the Sniper EFI, so I took the hand held out and it was showing about 650 at idle. I thought this was a little low so I bumped it up to 850 (I checked my original setting from Engine Factory and it was set at 1050 then). This seemed to help a little, but today I was able to finally get it out on the road again - it seems to run fine under acceleration on the road (no more hesitation or at least that I noticed), but still runs a little rough at lights or slow downs. I had to disconnect the battery for Autorama, so I don't know if maybe the original settings were lost. I have reached out to Holley on this, but given the current state of things, I don't expect a response very quickly. If ya'll have any ideas on this let me know. As of right now the Photo Shoot for Busted Knuckle Magazine is still on at the Star next week. I plan on trailering it over and then driving back...but we'll see. Weather and virus for the time being has pretty much halted any shows, but would still like to get it out on the road some.



Idling in Park (@ 650)...https://youtu.be/p7qt3cwjgDI

Idling in Neutral (@ 650)...https://youtu.be/KmX9Rb1FuAA

Idling in Drive (@ 650)...https://youtu.be/NREqTMqg6aY

Here is the dash cam video from today (my apologies as sound didn't capture, so just video)... https://youtu.be/1raJ_d2Pcno

Plugs...IMG_8027.jpg

Also before the show was suppose to be last week, I was able to finish off a cover for my battery. I had the "Floating Star" 3d printed for $5...

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[JOP33]

Was able to sneak in the photo shoot for Busted Knuckle Magazine out at the Star before the "Shelter in Place" directive. Very few people (as expected), but still a lot of fun...should be in next months issue.

Offloading at the Star...
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Appears that I am breaking into my own car there...Security!
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Getting into position...
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Rich Arthur, Photographer for BK..
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Ford in a Ford...right!
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[JOP33]

Got the car out today for a little drive. Nothing too exciting, but the car ran and sounded great!

https://youtu.be/OAkITzON8lc

[FF33rod]

Oh man, make me want to go for a cruise so bad. Through the video I kept waiting for you to open it up a bit!

Steve

[JOP33]

Oh man, make me want to go for a cruise so bad. Through the video I kept waiting for you to open it up a bit!

Steve

Was hoping to myself, but apparently there are a lot of "Essentials" out there (or they could all just be driving around in their cars)

[JOP33]

I had the car out again yesterday and was going to attempt a Live Drive on Facebook......I am by no means a Facebook expert. Apparently I had the phone turned the wrong way and the entire video was turned 90 degrees! I have since deleted and will attempt again at some point. Other than that it was a good drive and take...I only cussed once on video, when I was doing 85 in a 70 and came up on a motorcycle cop! Will post the new video when I get it all figured out.

[JOP33]

Rolled across 1000 Miles today! Car continues to perform great!

SM1000_Miles.jpg

SM1000_Mile_Check_In.jpg

[sethmark]

That’s great!! I’m so glad it’s not a trailer queen. I hit 400 myself on Sunday. It’s a much better car than I anticipated.

[JOP33]

That’s great!! I’m so glad it’s not a trailer queen. I hit 400 myself on Sunday. It’s a much better car than I anticipated.

It really is! The ride is not a prize fight (your not beat up too bad) and honestly from my perspective I still have some adjustments that may help things out, but saving those until fall. I could have probably done a better job of blocking off some of the air-flow from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment...it can get hot (and right now I am having some issues with my AC, so it isn't helping). I think I had mentioned on FB yesterday though, I can drive down the highway at 75-80 with the radio playing and listen to it comfortably. I don't find myself overwhelmed with the exhaust sound. The weather is still relatively mild right now and I am running at about 180 with the AC off. It will be interesting to see where that pegs at in the Summer Heat with AC. I am bit surprised (although I shouldn't be) by the drive in the wind (headwind & crosswind). I liken it to riding a motorcycle (in a heavy breeze), you find yourself compensating to one side. I haven't experienced some of the bump-steer issues that others have mentioned (and our roads are not forgiving). The Paint Protection Film on the fenders was just a no brainer for me and money sooooo well spent...it allows me to just get out and drive. I come back home, hit it with some M34 and a Microfiber and it's ready for the next drive. I have been checking everything (on the rack) at regular intervals and so far I have not seen any issues. I changed oil and plugs at 500 miles. I am running 93 octane fuel and getting about 10-11mpg (and probably still running a bit rich). For me (I have had two back surgeries), it's about a 100 mile ride - meaning I am good for about 100 miles, then I need to get out and stretch a bit. I truly still don't understand how ya'll fit that clutch pedal in there? I have absolutely no issues with the ride height or hitting the lower grill. The car doesn't seem to have quite the punch off the line as I had anticipated which makes me think it still needs some dialing in...but don't get me wrong it moves. I also really like the look of the car with the hardtop and to be honest with you, I almost wished I would have just made it permanent.

[sethmark]

As a roadster, with the shorty exhaust, I happen to agree strongly that the noise isn’t too bad. It will scream if asked, but is fine off idle at highway speeds. I can do 70 all day EASY. It’s effortless.

Ride compliance is about what I anticipated. I keep thinking about 18s or 20s, but the 16s give me a lot of sidewall flex. First gear in my car is hard to lay power down from a stop, but it pulls like a freight train if you roll
into
it. 2nd and 3rd are madness. Just instant speed.

[JOP33]

Busted Knuckle Cover
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

Star Mobile One Walk-Around
https://youtu.be/KwYP3Eo2h-A

[JOP33]

I have been working on mounting a second battery on the car. This is more a battery of convenience for running the monitor I use for Car Shows (if they ever start having them again). This dry cell battery can be mounted in any orientation and is meant to be cycled down hundreds of time. My intent is not to connect it into the cars electrical system - I will still charge off a charger when needed and I have no direct pull into the system. By having the battery on board, the video monitor can be placed in the trunk at shows and run for ~16 hours uninterrupted, more of nicety than necessity. First admission - yes this would have been much easier to accomplish prior to finishing the car, second admission - yes I would have made access through the trunk floor which would have been a little more convenient. In the end, it essentially stores a second battery without having to lug it around.
I built the frame for it out of 1/8" x 1" x 1" Steel Angle and then used some 3/8" Tubing for the retaining bolts. I tacked it up, fit it into place for mock-up, confirmed fit and clearance, then finished the welding, dressed the welds (as best I could) and then sprayed it with some rubberized undercoating. I did a final install on it, placed the battery in it and confirmed clearance. My concern here was the clearance around the differential pumpkin during movement and although it does appear close in the photos, it does clear - I have since "real world" tested this on the road to confirm. The entire frame & battery can be removed in a matter of about 20 minutes. I attached the frame to the bottom of the chassis using (3) 1/4-20 Nutserts, so this leaves me some flexibility to create some other variations of frames for storage of tooling, etc. just for travel purposes - if need be.

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[sethmark]

Jamie! DUST!!! Ack!!!

[JOP33]

Jamie! DUST!!! Ack!!!

LOL! My Brother-in-Law told me a story once about his Dad - He never cleaned his riding mower from the day he got it, had it for 8 years and never blew it off, cleaned it, wiped it down - anything! It always bothered my BNL so he would always give his Dad **** about it every time he saw him out on it. Finally he got ready to sell it and my BNL walked up and his Dad has it out washing it off and wiping it down, said before he even said anything to him, his Dad said "that damn paint looks pretty good, don't it boy? - Must have been all that dust protecting it for the last 8 years"!

[sethmark]

It’s not dirt... it’s proof!

[JOP33]

Guys, I have been trying to figure out the best way to get all of these parts out for view and finally I just decided to shoot a youtube video and post the link here. The majority of these parts are just left over from my FFR Gen 1 build, that I either opted for something different or just didn't use. A few are just parts. Just looking to clean out the shop and get a few buck back so pm me if you see something you need and make me an offer + shipping. Take care!

https://youtu.be/V5R4mpxdiPU

Headlights & Fixtures have been sold.
Tail Lights sold as well.

[JOP33]

1500+ miles as of today, so I put the car on the lift and started a wheels off clean-up and inspection. I had the luck (and privilege) of missing a storm while I was out the other day, but catching all of the puddling afterwards, so the underneath needed a good wipe down. Took the fenders off, removed the wheels and started the clean up process. Everything I have come across looks to be in good condition. I have seen no leaks, wearing, loosening of hardware or fittings, scuffing, rubbing, heating or melting. I will try and finish the clean-up today and then get a wrench on everything to check for tightness and torque.

Fenders Off...
Fenders Off.jpg

Fenders and Fronts Off...
Fenders & Fronts Off.jpg

All Off and On The Lift...
All Off and On The Lift.jpg

Curbside Front CA's...
Curbside Front CAs.jpg

Headlights...
Headlights.jpg

Lower Radiator Hose...
Lower Radiator Hose.jpg

Rearend...
Rearend.jpg

Exhaust...
Exhaust.jpg

Steering Motor...
Steering Motor.jpg

In The Air..
On The Lift.jpg

[JOP33]

Well today was going to be a beautiful day and an awesome day for a drive, so I wiped things down and headed to the local gas station to top off. I had noticed the last two drives that I could smell more fuel than normal, but I had also been running with the windows down since it had been warmer - I honestly thought that the charcoal in my vapor canister might need replacing. I only drove about two miles down the road, topped off and as I was walking back to the car noticed a puddle under the drivers side rear tire and fuel was dripping from the bottom of the chassis at quite a pace. I had a small plastic container I put under where the drip was falling to the ground and then ran inside the store and told them that I was leaking fuel. They were able to provide a larger canister along with a bag of oil absorb. At this point, no matter what the issue was I knew I could not drive the car to the house (even just two miles away), so I reached out to a local tow company and they advised they would be there in 30 minutes. During this time I just stood out front of the store contemplating everything from it just being a careless overfill on my part (I soooo hope) to a cracked tank (I don't even want to think about that right now - I stayed with the FFR stock tank). Here is what I do know...although the car seemed to have more of a fuel smell recently, there were no drips in the shop this morning and no drips leading into the gas station...so this points to an overfill. The tank was only showing about 4 gallons low, so I was just topping off, but you have to run the nozzle so slow and at the top of the tank, I could have very easily over filled the tank forcing the fuel to run out of the overflow (this seemed to be where the fuel was dripping from, but since it was hitting the chassis it was too difficult to see for sure). So anyway, the Tow Truck driver showed up right on time and proceeded to winch the car up (he had actually picked my vehicle up from the shop when it was completed, so he was familiar with it). During this time and by the time we had the car back in front of my shop, the dripping had subsided - another aspect that points to an overfill. Anyway, what was suppose to be a great day of driving turned into a mess. I now have the car ready to go up on the lift so I can check things out and see what might actually be the issue - I am so hoping that it is just an overfill and my idiocy! Even then however, I have wire shroud that has had fuel dripped on it and of course with the rear exit exhaust that all runs in that area. If it's just from an overfill, I don't know to what extent I need to clean or replace the wire wrap in that area...I guess I will cross that bridge once I can verify that it is as simple as an over fill (please be). I will update as I know more.

Stay safe!

[sethmark]

Fingers crossed it’s a loose fitting.... I’m sure it’s an easy fix.

[Straversi]

I had the occasional gas smell during go cart but never a drip. When I put 10 or so gallons in the tank I had drips. Turned out to be the gasket in the top of the tank that holds the gas level mechanism had rolled over when installed. I never overfilled the tank but getting the level high enough so the slosh hit the top was enough to do it. Not sure if the hot rod and roadster tanks are similar enough but something to consider.
-Steve

[JOP33]

After just doing a quick pan over things once I had it on the lift, it appears to be just over fill, however I want be completely satisfied until I am able to see the area behind the waterfall. I'll remove the seats and waterfall today to gain some access and double check things while still remaining hopeful that it's not an issue with the structural integrity of the tank - that is my biggest concern...all of the other options are far easier to repair or replace. The hope that I keep hanging onto, is that I have towed the vehicle, removed the vehicle off the truck, spun the car around on rollers and pushed it into the shop and placed it up on the lift without it leaking additionally, seems like a cracked tank would be leaking profusely during ALL of this, we'll see. Also replacing charcoal in canister as well. Will keep ya'll posted. Thanks for the input.

[wrp]

Keep us posted, removing the tank is about the cruelist nightmare I could have.

[JimLev]

Keep us posted, removing the tank is about the cruelist nightmare I could have.

^-what he said! Hope it's an easy fix JOP.
I've often thought about this, remove roof, the seats, roll bar, waterfall, aluminum from the trunk.
I originally had my fuel pump mounted behind the waterfall just ahead of the tank. It's now mounted to the chassis under the tank.
FFR sent the old style tank that fills from the middle. I was at FFR back in 2018 and talked to them about it, they sent me the new tank that has all of the connections at the top.

[JOP33]

Keep us posted, removing the tank is about the cruelist nightmare I could have.

These are the things that keep me up at night -

[FF33rod]

Good luck! Don't blame you in wanting to make doubly sure!

Steve

[JOP33]

So I spent about an hour removing the Seats, Speakers, Hardtop Collar & Waterfall to expose the tank, honestly I am surprised this didn't take longer. The tank was extremely dusty which (for this purpose) was good as looking for any leaks were made fairly easy. I have not seen ANY sign of leaks - which I am extremely grateful for! No signs at the ports, any of the connections or at the base of the tank where it sits on the aluminum - all things that point to this being an overfill issue and just a careless error by me. I stopped at a station that I had not been to before for gas and the neck on the pump seemed to be a bit shorter - meaning that if the nozzle was stuck in further the handle guard would likely hit or rest against the paint on the upper fender. For this reason I held it out of the tank a bit further than I normally would, I can only think that the nozzle was never submerged into gas and would never have shut off on it's on. This accompanied by the fact that I was filling it so slowly, I assume it finally just hit the vent line and started flowing out down into the canister and then right down the chassis. Luckily I knew I was around 3/4 of a tank and didn't just stand there for an additional 10 minutes in a puddle of fuel! All components are dry and extremely difficult to tell after a day whether the charcoal and canister were flooded, but I can only assume. I am wiping everything down with a de-greaser, will allow to air dry off. Tomorrow I will bring home my bore scope that attaches to the iphone and will run it around all connections one last time before buttoning things back up. I will start back up out in the drive and let run for a minute or two and then will just take a few trips around the block to test any sloshing then back into the shop for a reinspect underneath. Probably do this a few times just to make sure. For the time being it appears the crisis has been averted! I am also taking some time to clean up some of the wiring behind the seats.

Some of the pics aren't the best quality (used the Dash Cam)...

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[JOP33]

Cont'd...

Waterfall Removed.jpg

Removal For Tank Inspection.jpg

After Wipe Down.jpg

[JOP33]

I was able to confirm that fuel issue appears to have just been me over filling the tank at a local station. Although I feel like an idiot, I am grateful it was nothing more. Hope to be up and running by the weekend. Since I did have some of the interior components out, I shot a short video showing some areas of the interior you don't normally see...

https://youtu.be/PYepxyK8j3g

[JOP33]

Here is another short video regarding the rear speaker installation...may be able to use some of the information as a reference for selecting the size of your rear speakers...

https://youtu.be/ILgE1LYU4Cw

[FF33rod]

Good reference info Jamie. I have the Boyd tank and at the time I mounted it, I wasn't thinking of maximizing the space for the speaker (newb!) I could have trimmed the mount tabs on the tank and placed it back another 3/8" or so I think but as is, I ended up with just over 3" where you are measuring. Luckily my Alpine 6.5" coaxials are less than 3" so they will fit along with the boom mat. Bottom line, if this is where you want to put speakers, it's similar parameters whether it's FFR or Boyd tanks you're using.

Steve

[JOP33]

Between yesterday and today, I put to bed any thoughts that my fuel mishap was anything other than Operator Error . After wiping everything down in the rear and re-wrapping the exhaust, I ran the car for about 20 minutes in the drive with no leaks. After that I took the vehicle around the neighborhood to simulate some sloshing of fuel in the tank, checking at regular intervals for issues, which there were none. Today was the real test as I put about 100 miles on the vehicle without issue. On another note, we are starting to see some warmer temps, so I have been hyper aware of the engine temperature as I am running the car. From what I have gathered from research, the 302 should be running between 190 - 205 (maybe a bit higher with the EFI). Over the last few drives, I have been running good temps at highway speeds in clean air, but in traffic and at a slower pace the temp jets up pretty quickly to 220 - and I have not cranked the AC yet. I did some investigating and noticed on my EFI handheld that the cut-in temp for the fan was set at 205 - I thought this was pretty high, so I have adjusted it down to 185. Just in today's run alone, which has been it's best test by far, the temps were at 180 -190 and even a bit lower sometimes on the highway. When stopping, the temp rises more gradual and seems to hold steady at 200. Again, all of this without AC as I have had an issue with the Cooling portion of the AC unit working. I am taking it back out to 121 R & R next week to have them diagnose. With all of this being said, I have begun some early design work on some possible side vents for the side panels. These would set in the furthers back, uppermost corner. With the grill, shroud & the hood vent - I believe I am getting plenty of air flow into the engine compartment, but it hits the firewall going over the engine and then just finds the path of least resistance into the passenger compartment at the edges of the firewall. So what I want is a vent that will allow air to flow outside of the engine compartment. Once I have finalized some top choices, I will post to get some feedback.

Take care & stay safe!

[JOP33]

Put 300+ miles on the car in the last two days, taking me past 2000!

IMG_8326.jpg

[donshapansky]

That's why I placed the side cover vents and a top exit on the hood facing back to allow the rising air out and some vacuum placed by the air moving over the hood.Hood Adjusted.JPG

[JOP33]

That's why I placed the side cover vents and a top exit on the hood facing back to allow the rising air out and some vacuum placed by the air moving over the hood.Hood Adjusted.JPG

I am going to see how the heat (engine heat that is) plays out over the next few weeks...I have a Plan B for Side Panel Vents (if needed), I don't want to use it but will if I need to. After adjusting the cut-in temp on the fan, the Engine temp has been really good (170-190), but without AC and at 80 - 90 degree ambient temp. It spikes a bit in 4 minute lights, etc.. As for the inside temp, had a pin hole leak in a hose, so extremely low on freon. Think we might have that issue solved, but will test this out as well this week.

[JOP33]

AC issue appears to have just been a pin hole in one of the hoses allowing the Freon to leak out. Seems to be running fine now...will test over the next few days, weeks, months!

[JOP33]

Just Reminiscing...
It is hard to believe that it has been over four years since I first joined this forum and my interest was peaked by the idea of building my own car. I know I have stated it early on during this build, but for up & coming builders I think it is worth re-stating, that this was my first attempt to build a vehicle of any kind (accept for a few R/C Cars). This really drove my intent (at least initially) to keep the build as simple as possible (Crate 302, AOD Trans, Build School, etc.). I had met some extremely experienced car guys that had started some builds (not FFR's) and had ended up selling their projects for cents on the dollar. I knew I could not let this happen to me, as I would view it as a failure and honestly with regards to it being a FAMILY investment, I would also be failing my wife. I was challenged with doing something I tend not to do and that is rely heavily on the input of other (more experienced) people to help guide my decision. For the most part, if a mistake is going to be made, I want to be the one solely responsible as it tends to have a greater learning impact on me. The forum was (and is) an absolute wealth of knowledge during the entire build. From the difference in opinions on what should be ordered to where items should be installed and when. I don't think I can stress enough the importance of being an active member on this forum...even if you are the quiet one just sitting back and reading other post. I guarantee you will still learn something here, and honestly it may not even have anything to do with building cars! I think it is also important to clarify, that by no means did I build my car alone or even complete the car entirely myself (as I have been asked and actually confronted with this several times). I did attend the build school, then I mocked the car up (chassis, brakes, fuel lines, aluminum, seats), disassembled it for powder coating, then started a journey toward go-carting the car. I am not embarrassed to admit the following...I never (before this build) installed or bled brakes, mated a transmission to an engine, installed a rear end, routed fuel lines, wired an ignition, AC, starter, installed a fuel tank, dropped an Engine/Transmission into a car, there is so much more I could list here, but I believe you get the idea. So I reached the go-carting stage and for me, nothing past that point could be a failure. I knew, based on my limitations, both physically and technically that it was time to let the professionals take over from this point. I had watched the videos on the door installs and the body work and given that I had two prior back surgeries (with a possible third looming) I chose to hand the car off to be finished by the professionals and I couldn't have been happier with the result I got! Kory and his team at 121 Rod & Restoration took 100% of my ideas, added a few twist along the way and just did an amazing job! And so as I surpassed 2000 miles on the car this weekend, I just felt the need to sit down and post something that, if I again were an individual contemplating this build, might give me just a bit more confidence to pull that trigger and start (what for me) was a once in a life-time experience! Thanks to ALL who have offered your input, feedback, critiques, help & wisdom...believe me when I say I heard every word!

Build School...
Inspiration - 4 - Concept.jpg

Build Sheet...
Construction - 1 - Original Build Sheet.png

Inventory...
Construction - 6 - Chassis & Body.jpg

Pre-Powder...
Construction - 37 - Driver Side Floor Installed.jpg

Go-Cart Day...
Construction - 126 - Chassis.jpg

121 Drop Off Day...
Construction - 148 - At Paint.jpg

Paint Day...
Construction - 277 - Star Complete.jpg

Coming Home...
Completion - 1 - Tow Truck.jpg

The Star...
Final.jpg

2000 Miles...
IMG_8326.jpg

[JOP33]

Been working on a couple small projects...

Remade my battery cover and re-covered with vinyl. The previous version was foam board and just wasn't holding up well. This one I laser cut out of .032" 5052 Alum with reliefs that allowed me to bend by hand. I then covered in some extra vinyl I had. I will be installing a scrolling LED board in the opening and then wiring to the auxiliary battery mounted under the trunk.

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I also drew up some Safety Pin Bezels for the pins that extend out on the suicide doors and had some prototypes 3D printed. I had purchased some plastic ones made for door locks and they worked but didn't really fit very well and were not durable. These are just prototypes to confirm fit, form & functionality...all worked well, so now I will have them 3D printed out of aluminum and then polish.

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[JOP33]

Sorry, I might have had a little too much time on my hands today...

https://youtu.be/0z4y98GzUo8

[HVACMAN]

sorry, i might have had a little too much time on my hands today...

https://youtu.be/0z4y98gzuo8

wow!!!