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

[Papa]

You have a very cool neighborhood!! That's a lot of beautiful cars in one neighborhood. You had to feel very good getting your Roadster out and showing it off! It is coming along great.

I am not sure which I am more jealous of: Your lift or your 12' ceilings!! You are going to love having both!

Very cool neighborhood Dave!

Geez, Papa - what a neighborhood car show! I'm very impressed. Sign me up for living in a place like that!

Definitely some serious gear heads in the neighborhood. It's pretty sad to rumble into a car show in a 400+ h.p. car and feel woefully inadequate.

I did get a lot of questions and comments on the car and everyone had a great time. I can hardly wait to start showing the car after it's finished.

[Papa]

I'll be swapping out my FAST EFI for a Holley Sniper over the coming couple of weeks. I've been trying to resolve a hyper-rich condition and after not making any progress, I'm going to try a different system. I'll likely remove the body to have easy access to the wiring. I planned to do that anyway to install the weather seals and undercoat the body.

[chuckster]

The nice thing with these lights, is that you can get 55w low beam. 100w high beam bulbs for them. The 100w highs help with the problem of outrunning your headlights at night.

[Papa]

The nice thing with these lights, is that you can get 55w low beam. 100w high beam bulbs for them. The 100w highs help with the problem of outrunning your headlights at night.

The housings of the PL700 headlights will accept any H4 bulb. I'm not a fan of the high wattage bulbs as they tend to be too bright for oncoming traffic even when properly aimed. I like the Sylvania Silver Star Ultra 60w bulbs. They provide a nice, clear, white light in the 4100K range.

[Papa]

Today will be disassembly day now that everything has been loosely fitted to the body; I'll let Jeff do the gaps and final fitting. I'll get all the lights back off, hood, doors, and trunk as well to allow me to get the body back off. Then I'll swap out the EFI. Once it's running good, I'll do the bulb and other weather seals, undercoat the body, and put it back together along with carpet and seatbelts. Sometime this winter season, I'll ship the car out to Jeff for body and paint. I'm definitely in the home stretch now!

[GoDadGo]

I'll be swapping out my FAST EFI for a Holley Sniper over the coming couple of weeks. I've been trying to resolve a hyper-rich condition and after not making any progress, I'm going to try a different system. I'll likely remove the body to have easy access to the wiring. I planned to do that anyway to install the weather seals and undercoat the body.

Replacing your EFI System is about as much fun as replacing a block.
.Sorry Papa Dave, Hang In There Brother!

[Papa]

Replacing your EFI System is about as much fun as replacing a block.

Steve,

I'm not sure that's true.

Dave

[Papa]

Everything is back off the body; much easier to take things off than to put them on for the first time. The body will come off when I can get my son-in-law to come give me a hand later this week. Then, Labor Day weekend will be EFI swap time. Everything electrical connection-wise should swap right over except for the fuel pump control. The FAST system is negative control and wired to the inertia switch. The Sniper will require reconfiguring the wiring to the positive side of the fuel pump circuit and reconnecting the chassis ground on the inertia switch. I'll need to remove the FAST fuel pressure regulator and use a union to complete my return line; I need to get that ordered! The Sniper has a built-in regulator on the return side.

[Mick40]

Love watching first starts!!!!

[Papa]

Love watching first starts!!!!

Let's hope for the same result after the EFI swap!

[OnlyAndy]

I'm a watchin' this EFI project. I am going carb conversion to EFI on a SBC but have NO idea which one to choose. Am hoping to get notice any day now that Stewart has picked up my 33'. They thought last Friday but no como yet.

[Papa]

I'm a watchin' this EFI project. I am going carb conversion to EFI on a SBC but have NO idea which one to choose. Am hoping to get notice any day now that Stewart has picked up my 33'. They thought last Friday but no como yet.

My house is at 6,100 ft. elevation and everywhere worth driving from the house is up with the best drives pushing 12,000-14,000 feet. EFI is a must-have for me. I'm not sure what is happening with the FAST EFI, but it just seems like I fell off the fuel map. It seems fine at WOT, but not how you want to drive in traffic. I have about 70 miles on the car just making a trip around my neighborhood every few weeks, and I'm getting about 4 mpg with occasional fouled plugs and a lot of popping on decel as the raw fuel detonates in the exhaust. I've heard a lot of good things about the Holly Sniper, so I fully expect to solve my hyper-rich condition with this swap.

[GoDadGo]

Steve,

I'm not sure that's true.

Dave

Both Are Expensive & Both Are Big Pains In Our Necks & Wallets!
Also, my set up very easy to R & R compared to most.
I just hope both of our changes solve our problems.
Leaner Will Be Meaner So Good Luck Papa Dave!

[tmmski]

My house is at 6,100 ft. elevation and everywhere worth driving from the house is up with the best drives pushing 12,000-14,000 feet. EFI is a must-have for me. I'm not sure what is happening with the FAST EFI, but it just seems like I fell off the fuel map. It seems fine at WOT, but not how you want to drive in traffic. I have about 70 miles on the car just making a trip around my neighborhood every few weeks, and I'm getting about 4 mpg with occasional fouled plugs and a lot of popping on decal as the raw fuel detonates in the exhaust. I've heard a lot of good things about the Holly Sniper, so I fully expect to solve my hyper-rich condition with this swap.

Hi Papa
I"ve got a FAST EFI system also on a BP 306, I just got back from a 15 mile cruise around HB, CA - I'm not at 6100ft I'm at about 100 ft.
2 questions - where did you mount the 02 module? I've got the 4 to 1 header into the SPs, I mounted my 02 module on cylinder 7 - 18 inches from manifold. I have my own opinions after about 600 miles driven. I've got what you describe, plus a miss at about 1200 RPM's. Could I PM you and pick you brain abit more?

[Papa]

Hi Papa
I"ve got a FAST EFI system also on a BP 306, I just got back from a 15 mile cruise around HB, CA - I'm not at 6100ft I'm at about 100 ft.
2 questions - where did you mount the 02 module? I've got the 4 to 1 header into the SPs, I mounted my 02 module on cylinder 7 - 18 inches from manifold. I have my own opinions after about 600 miles driven. I've got what you describe, plus a miss at about 1200 RPM's. Could I PM you and pick you brain abit more?

My headers have a double collector with the O2 sensor sampling the entire right bank of the engine.



PM me anytime.

Dave

[Donkeyteeth]

Papa, I just converted my Edelbrock carb to a Holley Sniper and I love it! Works great with about 200 miles on it so far. Finally drove to work the other day and it ran great in town hitting all the traffic lights. I had some minor tuning to do but believe it was my mistake that caused the tuning problem. Good luck, hope you love it!

[Papa]

And we're off! Off with the body that is. Now I can get started with the FFI swap.

[Papa]

Okay fellas, day one of the EFI swap is in the books. I removed the body first thing this morning. She hasn't looked this naked in months!



The next task was to remove the FAST system, starting with disconnecting the wiring harness. Just like gutting a fish.



Once the FAST system was removed, I set the new Holley in its place.



I'm reusing the FAST throttle cable bracket as the one I bought for the swap is too shallow to allow the throttle linkage to clear the bracket. A couple more pictures:





I was able to reuse my fuel supply line, but had to redo the return line since there is no external pressure regulator with the Holley. I started sorting out the wiring and have everything ready to tackle tomorrow. I did rewire the inertia switch. One of the larger Holley plugs is full of wires that I don't need, so per their direction, I de-pinned the plug and left only what I'll be using. The wires for the battery connection are way too short to reach the back of the car, so I'll have to extend them (not happy about that). I'll be running the fuel pump control wire back to the pump and pulling the RF fuel pump relay to keep the setup simple. I hope to have everything done tomorrow and the car running again by the end of the day.

[Higgybulin]

Very purrrrrrrdy! That is automotive porn right there. Post up your re-first start if you have time! Good luck
Higgy

[EZ$]

Dave,
You have me nervous about the FAST 2.0 that I'll be using in my car! I'm doing stack injection, so I'm sure it'll be tough regardless. Especially since I am electrically challenged!I finally got a chance to go through most of your build thread. I saw where you were interested in a trunk popper, and where Frank responded with his solution. Dale also had a solution that I ultimately went with. Used a Taurus trunk latch which has a cable with a release that you can operate with a screwdriver. drill a hole behind the license plate, where it won't be seen, and if the battery goes dead, all you do is remove the plate, and turn the release with the same screwdriver an viola! Since I've got a Mr. Bruce body, the holes were not drilled for anything, so I adjusted the license bracket up as high as I could, which left me with enough room, even with the plate mounted, to mount the handle a bit lower than it normally would be. It's just that though, a handle to lift the trunk lid up. Totally non-operational. I mounted the latch to the trunk lid, and am using the same long bolt and sleeve that the original latch would use. Dale's thread is great on the detail. Also, just thought to myself, it may have been Dale's previous build to the one he's on now. My build is taking so long that everyone else that I'm getting ideas from have built multiple cars! Oh well, some day....

Rick

[EZ$]

Dave,
Just wanted to let you know, in case you search for Dale on this site. All of my conversation with him, and his build site, were on the other site. Just do a search for trunk popper, and you'll get a bunch of hits, and a bunch of ideas.

Rick

[Papa]

It is ALIVE!!!! Started right up with the new Sniper EFI. Brought the car up to running temperature and adjusted the idle screw per the quick start guide. Fan kicked on when it should, and idle is smooth. Now I just need to let it cool down so I can wrap and tie all the wiring back up. I'll post some video later this evening.

[Papa]

Here's a quick video.



I took it out for a loop around the block and the difference is incredible. No stumbling or misfiring at all. Smooth acceleration and deceleration. I still had some popping, but it seemed to be improving even with the short drive. We'll see how it goes with time.

[GoDadGo]

Congratulations!

[OnlyAndy]

I think that is as good a recommendation as I will need. Sniper may be the one for me. Another question. Has anybody used the Dorman hard nylon fuel line with quick disconnects to plumb their car??? I saw a build video on 33' that used this system and it looked like it made a clean installation. Used a Corvette filter with built in regulator so return fuel line was very short. So, does it work as good as it looks....? Tool is pricey but if it works as good as it looks I may be up for it on my build.

[Papa]

Congratulations!

Thanks, Steve. Having worked through the first EFI install made this one go much easier I think. All but two of the electrical connections were the same, so I just connected up the battery wires, fan control wire, and 12volt switched power to the same wires that were already there. The tach signal needed to go directly to the coil(-) and I had to tap into the fuel pump circuit. To do the fuel pump without cutting any of the RF harness, I just pulled the downstream fuel pump wire from the Weatherpack connector and ran it into a new connector with my new fuel pump control wire feeding the existing fuel pump wire. I even left the RF relay in place.



Now I just need to tidy up the wiring and figure out where I want to mount the handheld.

[Papa]

Dave,
Just wanted to let you know, in case you search for Dale on this site. All of my conversation with him, and his build site, were on the other site. Just do a search for trunk popper, and you'll get a bunch of hits, and a bunch of ideas.

Rick

Thanks, Rick.

[EZ$]

No worries. Fantastic result with the Holley Sniper! Glad it worked out so well. I'm still hoping the FAST system works out for me.

Rick

[cv2065]

Looks and sounds great Dave. Now I know where to go if I'm ever in the market for FI. Seems like Holley has it worked out.

[Papa]

Looks and sounds great Dave. Now I know where to go if I'm ever in the market for FI. Seems like Holley has it worked out.

I'm sure my FAST system was just defective, as there are a lot of them out there that are working just fine. I do have to say that the Holley is much closer in appearance to a carburetor than the FAST, and with the built in pressure regulator, the plumbing is slightly simpler. I'll keep everyone posted on how the system works as it has time to learn.

[BadAsp427]

Papa, If I'm understanding the Sniper system correctly, it does not use an O2 sensor, is that correct?

[Papa]

Papa, If I'm understanding the Sniper system correctly, it does not use an O2 sensor, is that correct?

There is an O2 sensor on the Sniper. The biggest physical difference is that the computer is integrated into the throttle body, as is the pressure regulator.

[Clover]

Papa, glad to see the Sniper system seems to be working out for you. It does look like a nice piece sitting atop that eye candy intake you have. I bet most will assume it is a carb once the air filter is on above it but I fully agree that FI is the way to go up here at elevation. Keep up the good work.

[Yama-Bro]

Looking and sounding good...again! Glad it's working good for you!

[Papa]

Looking and sounding good...again! Glad it's working good for you!

Thanks, Frank. And thanks to BluePrint Engines for having such a fantastic warranty and stepping up to the plate when their customers need their support.

[Papa]

Papa, glad to see the Sniper system seems to be working out for you. It does look like a nice piece sitting atop that eye candy intake you have. I bet most will assume it is a carb once the air filter is on above it but I fully agree that FI is the way to go up here at elevation. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Clover. Let's see some pictures of that Coupe!

[cv2065]

I installed the steering rack and shaft today.





When I installed the shaft onto the rack, the rack's splined shaft bottomed out into the lower steering shaft, but left some splines showing. I assume this is normal?

Hey Dave. I'm at this point in my build. Did you find that the screw fitting with the nut on the end of it (in the above picture) hit some of the splines instead of that bare spot in between splines on the shaft when bottomed out? If I tighten it down, just wondering if it would damage the splines in the event that I need to take it apart again.

Also, you have the exact same PS from FFR that I do. Do you remember how much threading you had left on each tie rod end when the rack was centered and hubs aligned straight ahead?

[Papa]

Hey Dave. I'm at this point in my build. Did you find that the screw fitting with the nut on the end of it (in the above picture) hit some of the splines instead of that bare spot in between splines on the shaft when bottomed out? If I tighten it down, just wondering if it would damage the splines in the event that I need to take it apart again.

Also, you have the exact same PS from FFR that I do. Do you remember how much threading you had left on each tie rod end when the rack was centered and hubs aligned straight ahead?

I honestly can't recall how far the splines extended on the PS rack, but I doubt that the set screw will cause any damage to the splines unless it is overtightened.

[Papa]

I came down with a cold yesterday, so not much energy today. I did get some work done and focused on the side louvres. I started with a couple bags of these:



Next, I trimmed the pads so they wouldn't interfere with the louvre and mounted the angle brackets to the louvres using stainless screws.



After that, I massaged the opening in the body and test fit the louvre.



Finally, I made a transfer template to apply to the opposite side to ensure both openings were the same size.





I also did some trimming along the cowl edge and the lip around the hood opening. And finally, I plugged in and tested my seat heaters. Both are working as they should.

[Papa]

I'm still trying to shake a cold, but made an attempt at carpeting my trunk today. Right now, I'm not thrilled with the result and may start over.





Any tips or tricks to getting this task done and looking good are welcome.