Graduation of 8145: Thanks to Frank @ I.E.427

[Bruuce]

Since I’ve been mostly active on the “other” forum my first post will also be the graduation of my MK4. I acquired it partially complete in August 2016 and over a 12+ month period was almost completely rebuilt by Frank with a little help from myself.

Basic kit / parts
MK4 Complete kit with Moser (3.55) 8.8” 3-link
Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote / Tremec TKO 600
17” Halibrands (17″ x 9″ Front and 17″ x 10.5″ Rear) with NT05’s
Wilwood 6-piston brake kit / Koni shocks
Simpson 5-point harnesses / Double roll bars
Kirkey Vintage seats w/ adjustable mounts

Additional enhancements
Pro-M Racing hanger, 255lph pump, and Aeromotive filter
3/8 + 6AN stainless fuel lines
OEM-style coolant routing + Moroso expansion tank
Fan shroud, radiator support, and mounting kit from Breeze
Ford Racing Speed-Dial
Factory Five 4 into 4 headers with locking bolts
Enlarged drivers footbox
Dead pedal and throttle pedal from Breeze
Replica AC-style pedals from Mike Forte
Custom-made 13” steering wheel from Moto-Lita
********** door panels + side louvers
Shortened quick jack mounts (similar to the original cars)
Custom battery box hidden within rear fender
Plus numerous other improvements courtesy of Frank

Bodywork/Paint by Jeff Miller
Viper Blue Pearl with Arctic White stripes



I’m very pleased with the choice of color. Originally I was leaning towards black, british racing green or a another ‘classic’ color but Viper Blue has come out great. I love how the color shifts in varying lights and shades. Blue/white stripes (while completely unoriginal) I feel better fits the character and personality of a 427S/C body.




Issues
Very early into the build we discovered a fuel leak caused by a plastic fuel rail adapter that came with the FFR kit. Replaced with an aluminium 6AN piece from Summit and no more leaks. This leak, and another which Frank found during the build, was one of the reasons we replaced all the FFR-supplied parts with new stainless lines and AN fittings.



The 255lph pump and 3/8 lines are likely complete overkill but a side benefit is that if I ever wanted to throw a supercharger on the Coyote I wouldn’t need to touch the fuel system. That’s how I rationalize it to myself at least...



Perhaps the largest ongoing issue throughout the rebuild was wiring done by the original builder. I don’t think there was a single piece of wiring that Frank didn’t go in and redo. Replacing butt splices with solder/heatshrink and fixing what felt like a never ending number of ground issues.



Once I started driving in gelcoat the clutch cable melted pretty quickly from proximity to the j-pipes (causing very rough clutch feel). Heat tape preemptively applied to the cable was also causing a ground issue while the clutch was engaged. Replacing j-pipes with 4 into 4s resolved cable melting (no heat tape required) and replacing the original cable with a Ford Racing piece was a night-and-day difference.



Other than issues related to the original builder the Cobra has been flawless. It’s only left me stranded at the side of the road once due to a screeching noise from the engine during an inaugural road trip.



Once i had it towed back home turned out the noise was due to incorrectly routing the crankcase breather into a vacuum port. The subsequent build-up of negative pressure caused air to pass between the rear main seal, creating the screeching noise i heard. A $5 trip to Autozone resolved it immediately.

Unfortunately I was using an old version of FFR’s Coyote install documentation which included the incorrect routing. Newer versions (which i neglected to download) included the correct crankcase breather routing.


SB100 Registration
After reading numerous horror stories online about uneducated DMV clerks, and referees that would try their hardest to fail cars, I was surprised by how easy this was. It was true that the DMV folks didn’t know what SPCN/SB100 was but after a call to Sacramento they received step-by-step instructions and the rest was painless.

My smog referee was the most laid back guy ever (I went to Pierce College in Woodland Hills) and he probably only spent a couple minutes looking over the vehicle. Rest of the time was spent filling in paperwork and photocopying receipts etc.


Build cost
Totalling receipts (always a dangerous thing) puts the cost around $70K. Certainly would’ve been lower doing more of the work myself but I don’t think I would’ve ended up with anywhere near such a high quality build if it wasn’t for Frank.

We also decided to replace a fair number of parts FFR ships with the Complete kit, largest of which was probably the fuel system.


Frank @ I.E.427
I honestly can’t say enough good things about Frank and would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone who needs help or guidance with their build. Knowing that everything was done properly makes it much easier to drive and enjoy the car without a constant nagging voice in the back of my mind about whether X or Y was done correctly.

[Bruuce]

A couple more completed shots

[wareaglescott]

Very nice congrats!
What is the meaning of your license plate?
First time I have seen a bumper sticker affixed to a Cobra body! lol Glad you got it painted so you could get that thing off of there.

[Bruuce]

Very nice congrats!
What is the meaning of your license plate?
First time I have seen a bumper sticker affixed to a Cobra body! lol Glad you got it painted so you could get that thing off of there.

Hah, indeed! It was my attempt at making the most of the gelcoat as I knew once the paint went on nothing was touching it. I've never put a bumper sticker on any of my vehicles but a bumper sticker on a Cobra seemed comical to me.

License plate is a traditional/local exclamation of dismay from a particular part of the UK called Yorkshire (where I'm from). Essentially, a less blasphemous alternative to "oh my God".

Here's a go-kart clip for those that enjoy them.
https://www.facebook.com/89165005420...0695711300077/

[Straversi]

Congratulations!
-Steve

[Itchief]

Congratulations very nice job the cobra looks great

Yes the total spent can add up very quickly I am still adding and improving mine and I will for the next few years

Rick

[Jeff Kleiner]

Very nice!

I got updates from Frank as it was going together...he's one of the good guys and a great builder (that Miller cat ain't so bad either)

Now go enjoy it!

Jeff

[i.e.427]

Bruuce, it was our pleasure to build your MKIV for you. Or in this case re-build, we seem to get a lot of those. Let me see if I can help you out with a few hi-res photos.

This is our favorite picture.
Cobra by i.e.427, on Flickr

[i.e.427]

More Pictures.


All hand fabricated, in house, nose aluminum
20171001_102731 by i.e.427, on Flickr



20171001_102659 by i.e.427, on Flickr



20171001_102616 by i.e.427, on Flickr



20171001_102553 by i.e.427, on Flickr

[i.e.427]

The car is AWESOME. The power of the Coyote is so linear (yes Bruuce, I did take it for a spin before you got here to pick it up). It is just so well mannered when driving the car civilized. But mash the throttle and you awaken the giant lurking under the hood. Just a really cool car. Truth be told, I hated the color when we brought it back from Miller. But as all of the bright-work went on the car it all started to come together and I now love the color. It really pops!

20171001_101212 by i.e.427, on Flickr



Thanks to Jeff for the "Kleiner Sunvisor Mod".
20171001_100300 by i.e.427, on Flickr



20171001_100250 by i.e.427, on Flickr



20171001_100135 by i.e.427, on Flickr



Bruuce's car left our shop corner weighted for street driving and auto-cross and we even installed one of our in-house fabricated 427 style shifter arms.
20171001_100030 by i.e.427, on Flickr

I owe you a t-shirt Bruuce. Text me your size and which of the three colors (black, gray or white) and I'll ship one out to you.

Frank

[Jazzman]

Congratulations on a truly beautiful car! You are correct, Frank is, indeed, one of the really good ones!! I hope you have many miles of joy driving it. Be safe!