Papa's MKIV Roadster Build - #9115 (Post Grad) - One million + views!!!

[460.465USMC]

Congratulations, Dave! What an honor! Your build thread is/will be one of my go-tos as soon as my kit arrives.

Chris

[Jay-rod427]

A few hours later 32 pages read. Awesome write up op. Grats on getting it more or less finished.

[Papa]

Since getting the car legally on the road in January, I've now got right at 2,775 miles on the odometer, including the ~600 miles it accumulated in the trailer on its way to Jeff's for paint. I've driven the car pretty hard at times and done several 100+ mile trips, including yesterday's ~10 miles on a dirt road. So, today I put the car up on the lift and went over the entire underside of the car from nose to tail. I cleaned off all the dirt and grime and checked all my witness marks for any sign of bolts backing off. Here are the issues I found as I went over the car:

1. I found a couple of drops of anti-freeze and discovered a couple of hose clamps that needed to be tightened up. I also want to add the isolator clamp to secure the lower Boig tube to the chassis.
2. My upper ball joint boots are not staying in their proper place and it looks like I've got a lot of grease on the inner side of the front wheels and some of the suspension parts.
3. My rear axle vent is venting more fluid than I would like
4. I had quite a bit of very fine metal sludge on the oil drain magnet
5. I have a broken mount on the plug wire loom

So, not perfect but a few projects to work on this winter. I've ordered another set of plug wire looms as I couldn't find any replacement parts for the ones on the car. I may try to fabricate something a bit more sturdy than what comes with the parts. I'll need to address the upper ball joints. What do the experts recommend? For the lower radiator tube, I believe Breeze sells a bracket to stabilize the tube. Should I be concerned about the sludge on the drain plug? This is my first oil change since the break-in change at 500 miles. The material was like a very fine metal paste when I cleaned it off the magnet.

Some pictures:

[460.465USMC]

Hi Papa. Great to see all of the miles on your build. Thanks for sharing your observations.

I'm not sure what you have in mind for the vibration dampening clamp for the lower rad hose, but here are a couple to consider that I noted from other build threads (sourced from McMaster-Carr):

* 11355T73 (from cv2065 thread)
* 3177T59 (from GTBradley's thread)

[Papa]

Hi Papa. Great to see all of the miles on your build. Thanks for sharing your observations.

I'm not sure what you have in mind for the vibration dampening clamp for the lower rad hose, but here are a couple to consider that I noted from other build threads (sourced from McMaster-Carr):

* 11355T73 (from cv2065 thread)
* 3177T59 (from GTBradley's thread)

Thanks for digging those parts up! I went ahead and ordered the one from Breeze; got to support our vendors!

https://www.breezeautomotive.com/?s=...t_type=product

[Papa]

I ordered a new set of wire looms, a set of Energy Suspension ball joint boots, and the isolator for the radiator hose. The car was really dirty after the dirt road excursion, and I spent most of the day today cleaning the underside. I didn't even get to the body and interior today. Maybe next weekend's task. As I was cleaning, I also found a couple of failed rivets on the lower edge of the radiator shroud and replaced them. I guess I need to get under the car a bit more often!

[TMartinLVNV]

1. I found a couple of drops of anti-freeze and discovered a couple of hose clamps that needed to be tightened up. I also want to add the isolator clamp to secure the lower Boig tube to the chassis.

Did you put the hose clamps right at the shoulder of the expanded rim of the pipe? I found that the hoses are just a smidge too large in diameter than the Boig cool tubes and really had to crank them down to get mine to seal. The "T-Bolt" hose clamps are great for this. To me, they are much more secure than worm gear clamps. I have the Breeze bracket and it works great in holding the lower tube in place. I had to fab up a 1/2" spacer to move it away from the frame tube to get it into exactly the right place.

2. My upper ball joint boots are not staying in their proper place and it looks like I've got a lot of grease on the inner side of the front wheels and some of the suspension parts.

That is a lot of grease! Now you have to clean off the inside of your wheels too. I don't know why the boots are coming off.

3. My rear axle vent is venting more fluid than I would like

Instead of having the breather directly on the axle, run a hose up and in front of that gas tank and put the breather there. Make sure you have enough slack to account for suspension travel. If you ever get into a spot where your rear axle submerged (big issue for off road stuff), having the breather that low is going to cause you problems. I have a few more miles than you and nothing has come out of my breather at all.

4. I had quite a bit of very fine metal sludge on the oil drain magnet

I've done a lot of oil changes and that does not look bad to me.

5. I have a broken mount on the plug wire loom

Yikes.

[Papa]

Terry,

Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into the different clamps for the cool tubes and the axle breather reconfiguration. The boots on the ball joints have never stayed in place from the beginning. I really should have replaced them before getting too far into the build. Oh well, not to bad of a job to replace them.

Dave

[Fixit]

2nd on extending the axle vent with a length of hose. Whatever is puked out by air pressure will have somewhere to go, then drain back in the axle instead of all over it.

No worries about the black stuff on the drain plug. That's pretty normal for a fresh engine (I had a similar amount at my 1000 mile change on a new Coyote). Your real concern would be metal "sparklies" or larger. Do you still have the filter, or did you throw it out? If you've still got it, cut the "can" off, unroll the media, and look.

Here's a look at my 1st oil change for comparison

[Papa]

I held onto the filter. Now I just need to buy something to cut it open with.

[Jay-rod427]

I would definitely not be concerned with the sludge on the drain plug. As someone said if you start seeing glitter then worry. Cutting open the filter would be a waste of time. That magnetic drain plug tells you everything you need to know.

[Railroad]

A lot of guys on some hot rod sites discuss this option,

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/?ses...s4q55%29%29%2F

[Fixit]

Now I just need to buy something to cut it open with.

They sell oil filter "can openers"... or some careful work with gloves & tin snips over a drain pan works. Punch a hole in the bottom and drain it 1st.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...Now I just need to buy something to cut it open with.

You have an electric can opener in the kitchen, right? That’s what I do. In the interest of marital harmony I recommend that you wait until your wife is gone, same as I do when I have brake parts that need to go in the dishwasher and powder coated pieces that have to bake in the oven.

Jeff

[Papa]

You have an electric can opener in the kitchen, right? That’s what I do. In the interest of marital harmony I recommend that you wait until your wife is gone, same as I do when I have brake parts that need to go in the dishwasher and powder coated pieces that have to bake in the oven.

Jeff

My marriage is safe. We don't have an electric can opener and I have a parts washer and oven in the shop.

[Pat427]

Dave,


I installed the Breeze lower radiator tube bracket earlier in the build. It works great and was fairly easy to install. I think you'll be happy with it.

[Papa]

Dave,


I installed the Breeze lower radiator tube bracket earlier in the build. It works great and was fairly easy to install. I think you'll be happy with it.

Thanks, Pat. Seems like a good idea to try to stabilize the lower tube.

Dave

[Papa]

My new looms and ball joint dust boots arrived during the week, and I tacked both tasks today. On the looms, I ended up just using one of the brackets from the new ones and I'll save the new ones for later. I did identify one issue as I disassembled the ones on the car. Because of the specific mounting locations for the brackets, one bracket on each side was only attached with a single bolt. I drilled and countersank a couple of additional holes in the bottom half of the looms so I could get two bolts on each bracket.

The ball joint boot replacement went way easier than I expected. Each side only took about 30 minutes to do. The new boots are so much better!



I still have a lot of cleaning to do after my off-road adventure.

[Papa]

The lower radiator hose/tube bracket I ordered from Breeze arrived yesterday, so that was my project of the day. First, the clamp comes in raw stainless steel and I decided to powder coat it black to blend with the chassis.



Next, mark, punch, drill, and tap two holes for 1/4-20 screws.



Finally, install the clamp. I added a bit of blue thread locker just to be sure the screws stay put. It fits perfectly!



After getting it in place and doing some more cleaning, I drove the car for about 40 miles with no coolant drips or grease escaping the new dust boots on the upper ball joints. I did notice today that the front of the car has settled a bit and my jacks no longer fit under the 4" frame tubes at the front of the car. Another simple task to get me back to my 4-1/2" ride height; they're never done!

[Papa]

The car has been on the road for just about a year now and I haven't had much to add to this build thread. Since the build was completed, it has received some recognition, however. My car was selected as the January 2021 Picture of the Month winner!



I was also featured on Factory Five's website last year: https://www.factoryfive.com/whats-ne...-mk4-roadster/



It's humbling to have my car recognized by the community in these ways with so many awesome cars out there.

[460.465USMC]

Congrats, Papa! That's a real honor.

[D Stand]

That is awesome and deserved Papa!

[Papa]

I've decided to update my turn signals and have ordered a Russ Thompson turn signal setup. It looks like it should be pretty straight forward to retrofit my finished car with this, and I'll document the update here as I go. I've sent a steering wheel boss to Russ and should see something back from him in a week or so depending on how well USPS handles the packages. I also ordered a trim bezel ring from Mike Everson (already received it from Mike). I'll need to cut the padded FFR dash to get the RT tube through the dash and the trim ring will finish that off nicely. Both Russ and Mike are awesome to work with. My next dilemma is to figure out what to do about the two holes in my dash that currently house the momentary switches for the SDC unit. I'm thinking of just replacing them with a pair of turn signal indicator lights in the same size. I have the indicators in the gauge, but they can be hard to see. I'll also likely use the stalk button in the RT setup to control my Hi/Lo beams instead of the foot operated switch I have now. Like we always say, these cars are never really done!

[GoDadGo]

If you move to Louisiana you won't need to do the upgrade since:

Nobody Uses Turn Signals Down Here!

Depending on where you are driving you often see signals made with one finger, but That Finger Aint For Turning!

[Papa]

If you move to Louisiana you won't need to do the upgrade since:

Nobody Uses Turn Signals Down Here!

Depending on where you are driving you often see signals made with one finger, but That Finger Aint For Turning!

In Colorado, we use them to let the driver you just cut off know that you intended to do so by signaling after the fact.

[460.465USMC]

I'll also likely use the stalk button in the RT setup to control my Hi/Lo beams instead of the foot operated switch I have now.

Hi Dave. What made you decide to go with Hi/Lo beam on the RT Turn v. the foot switch? I have the RT Turn (not installed yet), and have been considering to go with foot switch for Hi/Lo.

[Nigel Allen]

G'day Papa,

Whilst I recently had my steering in pieces, for my EPAS upgrade, I filed a chamfer on the aluminium tabs that trip the cancel function of the Russ's indicator switch. It assists with a more gentle trip of the lever and probably reduces wear slightly as well. A little grease on the bushing and the trip mechanism / tabs keeps it all nice and smooth and quiet.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Papa]

Hi Dave. What made you decide to go with Hi/Lo beam on the RT Turn v. the foot switch? I have the RT Turn (not installed yet), and have been considering to go with foot switch for Hi/Lo.

A bit difficult to operate where I mounted mine is all. Figured since I was going to have the option, I might just use it.

[Papa]

G'day Papa,

Whilst I recently had my steering in pieces, for my EPAS upgrade, I filed a chamfer on the aluminium tabs that trip the cancel function of the Russ's indicator switch. It assists with a more gentle trip of the lever and probably reduces wear slightly as well. A little grease on the bushing and the trip mechanism / tabs keeps it all nice and smooth and quiet.

Cheers,

Nigel

Thanks for the tip. I'll look at that when I get the parts from Russ.

[RJD]

I'll need to cut the padded FFR dash to get the RT tube through the dash and the trim ring will finish that off nicely. Like we always say, these cars are never really done!

Once you open-up the hole in the the vinyl dash to accommodate the RT tube, you may find that due to the hole already there, one or more of the screws to secure the trim ring may not have anything to bite into. I ended up making a backing plate for the back of the dash, and then secured the trim ring with machine screws and nuts. In other words, the dash is sandwiched between the trim ring on the front and the backing plate on the back. Worked good.

59C9FDFA-A320-41E0-B790-181EC9DAC383.jpeg

So true with these cars never being done - now with one month to go before the car goes to the painter, I decided to replace the vinyl dash entirely with a sheet metal one covered in leather. I'm harvesting the glovebox insert from the old vinyl dash though.

1AB7F5B5-C645-4D9B-98B2-5A7AE58E8B44.jpeg 897EF93C-9488-4DB3-8597-4745206E6E14.jpeg

[Papa]

Once you open-up the hole in the the vinyl dash to accommodate the RT tube, you may find that due to the hole already there, one or more of the screws to secure the trim ring may not have anything to bite into. I ended up making a backing plate for the back of the dash, and then secured the trim ring with machine screws and nuts. In other words, the dash is sandwiched between the trim ring on the front and the backing plate on the back. Worked good.

59C9FDFA-A320-41E0-B790-181EC9DAC383.jpeg

So true with these cars never being done - now with one month to go before the car goes to the painter, I decided to replace the vinyl dash entirely with a sheet metal one covered in leather. I'm harvesting the glovebox insert from the old vinyl dash though.

1AB7F5B5-C645-4D9B-98B2-5A7AE58E8B44.jpeg 897EF93C-9488-4DB3-8597-4745206E6E14.jpeg

Another great tip! Thanks. I had already planned to use machine screws and nuts for the trim ring. and i can definitely see how there might not be anything to attach one one or more of the screws to depending on where they land.

[Papa]

I've gotten a couple of PMs asking why I'm doing this change. It seems quite a few builders are following my lead on both the SDC turn signal setup as well as my foot-operated hi/lo beam switch.

On the turn signals, the SDC unit works flawlessly and is a prefect alternative to the kit-provided toggle switch. When I was building my car, I wanted the Russ Thompson turn signal setup, but was worried about cutting up the FFR padded dash to get Russ' system through the dash. Well, I got over that. I continue to reach for a turn signal stalk when I drive the car and finally just decided to go ahead and do it. It would have been a lot easier before the car was finished, but not a terribly difficult retrofit.

On the foot-operated hi/lo switch, it's more about how/where I mounted it that is the real issue. It can be difficult to get at while driving. Since I seldom drive at night, I wasn't worried about it. Now that I'll have an unused momentary switch in the TS stalk, I'm "considering" using it for the hi/lo switch. I'm still undecided as I would have no easy way to remove the switch I currently have. Stay tuned...

Dave

[Jeff Kleiner]

Hey Dave!
RE: The end of stalk button; I've had at least one car through here that used it for the horn (I bumped it accidentally and scared myself!). You could still keep your dash button and just parallel it.

Jeff

[Al_C]

I had a 1974 Mercury Capri (when they still made them in Germany) that had the horn button on the end of the turn signal stalk. I hated it. On the roadster, I use the momentary switch on the stalk for my hi/lo beams. You should have the wiring instructions for that application in your RT instructions, should you decide to go that route. Just my opinion, but it works well for me!

[Nigel Allen]

The button on the stalk could be used as a high beam flasher.

[Papa]

I received my setup from Russ -- very nice quality! I can't wait to get a day to do the install. I also picked up a trim ring from Mike Everson and the Ididit Hi/Lo flasher relay. If I can easily get at the wiring for the headlights, I'll do that when I do the turn signals.

[Papa]

Today I was able to get the car into the shop and attack the Russ Thompson turn signal conversion. First step was getting the hub off and figuring out where the cuts needed to be made to enlarge the dash opening.





To get the RT tube in place, I had to pull the inner shaft all the way out and feed the RT tube from the back side of the dash. Once in place, I drilled and tapped the mounting holes on the steering bracket. It comes with screws and nylocks, but where the holes needed to be would not allow the nuts to go on for two of the screws, so tapping them made it easy to install.

Next, I fed the wires through and installed the trim ring I got from Mike Everson.



I had previously installed two 16mm momentary switches with the SDC setup, and since I wasn't going to need those switches any more, I replaced them with 16mm turn signal indicators.



I then adjusted the shaft depth after re-tightening the hub bolt with a slight gap between the VW hub and the RT machined hub.



I had to re-install the flasher relay can that I had removed for the SDC setup, and everything works perfectly!

[Fman]

Looking good, that will be a nice upgrade. Nice to know people can do the RT after the dash has already been installed!

Are you doing IDIDIT relay too?

[Papa]

Looking good, that will be a nice upgrade. Nice to know people can do the RT after the dash has already been installed!

Are you doing IDIDIT relay too?

I bought the relay and will tackle that another day.

Dave

[Blitzboy54]

What do you plan to do with the turn signal buttons in the dash?