I finally decided to start a post to share my build experience from a novice's perspective. Please, critique away. This is a huge learning experience for me. I recieved my kit on 10/12/17 from Stewart and I have been chipping away since then. I think that the hardest part for me so far has been organization and retrieval/identification of all the parts. I have been stacking and unstacking boxes for the past few months and in retrospect, I should have had a better plan. Too much time spent sifting thru boxes. It would be nice if the part list recieved with the kit were avaiable in PDF so that it could be easily searched. I called FFR and they said that was not possible to send it too me(clearly there was a PDF file that was printed so they could send it to me). The result is searching thru pages trying to find a part that was listed in the manual. It helped to post all the sheets on my garage wall and highlight the main contents so that I could find the parts a little easier. Initially, I had strict expectations on finishing the car within a certain timeframe. I think I will be happier if I just enjoy the build and not stress about a timeframe. I attended the build school on Spetember and had commented in a post previously. Those guys are extremely knowledgable and professional. They didn't make anyone feel stupid with questions and they seemed to really enjoy what they were doing. If you have the time and the cash, why not?
Plan:
Gen 3 Coupe
Coyote from Forte
TKO 600
Quicktime Bellhousing
IRS Rear End
Windshield wiper kit
Swaybars
17" Halibrand wheel/tire kit from FFR
12.88" Wilwoods
Power Steering
AC
Hydraulic Clutch
CNC Tripe Reservoir
Moroso Coolant Reservoir
Moroso Oil Pan
Gas-n Sidepipes
Everything order and already recieved except for the AC and side pipes. Forte is a good guy and very busy. Despite being so busy, you will hear all about his day when you call!! I have made some progress and I will gradually post pictures about past and future experience.
Thank you to those who have gone before me. The pictures on the Phoenix build are particularly good. I will try to add lots of pics as well.
Welcome aboard! Glad to see another Gen 3 Coupe build thread. I received mine in December and have been plugging away. I agree with you 100% that getting and keeping organized is critical. I put all the inventory sheets in a notebook and they will be pretty dog-eared by the end of the build. In FF's defense, pretty sure that document is an Excel spreadsheet. I saw them working on a kit pull when I was there picking up my Anniversary Roadster and it was in Excel. Not saying they couldn't send you the file or a PDF version. Stay organized and as you go along with the build the boxes will empty and it's not a big deal.
Interested in your list of parts. I too am doing a Coyote with A/C. I'm going to be interested to see if there's room for the CNC triple reservoir and also the Moroso coolant tank. I'm waiting to decide until I start mocking things up.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
I always post a copy of the packing list on the outside of the box.
Same here. Copy of the box contents in sheet protectors taped to each box.
FFR #8833 289 FIA 3-link
1965 289, TKO600 from Forte's Parts Connection
Body and Paint by Mike's Auto Restoration
Picked up 3/5/2016, First start 4/22/2017, MA legal 7/11/2018
Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...FIA-build-8833
"Insanity is contagious" - Joseph Heller
Exciting stuff! My kit is suppose to be ready on 2/3 (yes, I'm giddy as a school girl). Hopefully have it delivered by Stewart in the next few weeks - looking forward to the inventory process and getting to know the car. I'm doing the A/C and Coyote (crossing fingers for Gen 3 availability later this year), so will be following your thread closely!
I see that you and many other folks are going with the hydraulic clutch. My buddy did a Roadster / Coyote build with a mechanical clutch that feels great. What are the advantages of going Hydraulic?
Thank you all for the input. Dlirium, my understanding is that a hydraulic clutch requires less pedal effort and no risk of cable breakage/maintenance. There are benefits to both, but I thought what the hell... I am in Atlanta. I am familiar with a few other coupes in the area, but no Gen 3 compadres. EdwardB, I have my fingers crossed with the reservoirs. They are a little big. I will take a look at placement this weekend. I would like to run footbox vents as well. I may be getting a little greedy. I have seen roadsters run ducts from the front air intake. It is a long trip thru a busy area. Russ Thompson's won't fit, but it seems like something similar could be fabricated at least for the drivers side. Passenger side is probably not an option with the AC.Ventilation would be appreciated during a Georgia summer.
I don't see how you're going to get fresh air ducts from the front of the car to the cockpit with the Coupe. You're going to find with the Coyote, A/C, etc. it's pretty packed. Plus with the tip up nose, it's all going to be visible. Not hidden like in a Roadster. If you want to get creative, use the scoops that are on each side in front of the windshield. That's how the originals got fresh air into the cockpit. I've seen a couple builds where guys figured out how to make them functional.
Regarding the hydraulic clutch, a properly installed and routed cable works fine. Hydraulic is maybe a little less pedal effort. I've had both. It's not a huge difference, but it's something. One of the biggest issues is just getting the cable routed so it stays away from heat sources. Heat kills clutch cables, and with the Coyote it's all pretty tight. It's an easy mid-course add if you start with a cable and decide to switch to hydraulic. FWIW, I'm going to try a hydraulic throw-out bearing on my Coupe build. In theory that should have even less effort than the hydraulic slave used with the clutch arm and throw-out bearing. Lots of debate about how suitable those are for these builds (and don't want to turn your thread into that debate) but I'm going to give it a shot.
Last edited by edwardb; 02-01-2018 at 11:50 PM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Could someone give me a little guidance on Rivnuts. I would like something black if it exists and I am currently thinking about the top panel above the footboxes.
Attached are some progress pictures from the begininning. My first snag was when I snapped a bolt in the Wilwood rotor hat. I was very careful to make sure that the bolts were seated well and went slow. All the bolts seemed to turn with more resistance than I expected, so when this one was not moving well, I gave it more force. Fortunately the bolt sits in the rotor hat and not the rotor. I called Wilwood and they sent me a new one at half price. Lesson learned. These brakes are huge and look mean. I love them with the wheels. The rear wheel spindles were not too difficult thanks to the instructions. I think if I did it again, I would trim more of the knuckles off, grind then smooth and paint with POR15. It wasn't until a little later in the build that I picked-up on that little trick. I eventually got some and painted the differential with it. I got semigloss and in the future I will buy gloss. I also had trouble with the lid adhering to the can despite my cleaning up well after use. Think I need to use laquer thinner on a rag to clean the lid and can.
That's too bad about the bolt breaking on the Wilwood parts. That's been reported several times. At least once the builder unfortunately used the wrong torque settings (ft/lbs vs. in/lbs) so a little understandable. The rest I'm not sure about. I've done three sets of them now and felt like they all went together pretty normally. One suggestion, and I'm not sure it applies in your case or not, is to get all the bolts started and maybe halfway down before tightening any. The tolerances are pretty tight it seems. So if everything isn't exactly centered, could encounter some resistance and maybe enough to snap a bolt off. Anyway, glad Wilwood was willing to work with you on replacing it.
For your IRS installation, I don't see any issues with where you cut the knuckle. That's actually more than I've cut mine. It's not a problem at all. One hint about your assembly though. You're going to want to center up those adjusters. There should be equal threads showing on each side of the center adjuster. For both the camber and toe adjustments. As probably you've realized, to adjust alignment, the jam nut on each side is loosened, then the center adjustment turned. Each has left and right threads, so basically works like a turnbuckle with both sides going in or out. Then the jam nuts tightened back down. The way you have yours, you'll run out of threads on one side before the other. This isn't mentioned in the instructions BTW. Unfortunately, the only way to fix is to remove the large mounting bolts and turn the Heim joints. They should look like these pics. The exact mount of threads on each side will be determined when aligned. For now you just want the same on both sides:
Last edited by edwardb; 02-09-2018 at 03:52 PM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Next up was the accelerator pedal and the footbox. I spent quite a bit of time trying to decide which option I preferred. I called Russ Thompson about his aluminum pedal for the coupe. It had not been test fitted on the Gen 3 yet so I didn't go with that option. He was waiting for someon local to allow him to fit the pedal in the Gen 3. His concern was that the larger cockpit may impact pedal placement. I wanted to try to avoid the FFR accelerator fix. I am sure that it works fine, but mentally, I wanted a cleaner solution. I went with the Coyote pedal modification. I think it worked really well. I removed the pedal and flipped it upside down. After notching the back of the pedal it seemed to fit well, but the contact points between pedal and arm seemed inadequate. Repetitive pressure could cause a cycling problem with the plastic. I added a big wad of JB Weld to to the back of the pedal to provide more contact/support for when the pedal is pushed. Not sure how acceptable the use of JB Weld is in car building. It might be akin to using drywall screws to build a deck. The final placement looked pretty good. I had to drill a hole in the mount plate a few time to figure it out. I ended up not using th emount plate adapter from FFR. Not sure if that will come back to bite me. I couldn't figure out how to make it work with the Coyote accelerator pedal mod. The rest of the footbox seemed self explanatory and fun to assemble.
Another headscratcher for me. So, I ordered the Coyote from Mike Forte along with the transmission, fuel system... The in-tank Walbro 190lph pump fit nicely in the tank, but I was having trouble attaching the fuel strainer. It has a locking washer on it and for the life of me, I couldn't attach the strainer onto the pickup. In retrospect, I feel stupid about all these headscratchers, but in real-time, I didn't want to snap another bolt off in the rotor hat if you know what I mean. I finally got the idea to put the stariner on the bench top and push the pick-up down onto it using my body weight. Still tough, but it went on. My next issue was fuel lines. Forte sent semi-rigid nylon lines for me to cut and attach the couplers/adapters. I wanted to use these over the rubber and rigid tubing that FFR supplied. What do I know? I spent a huge amount of time failing at inserting the nylon connectors into the nylon fuel lines. Everytime I attached the connector to the heated nylon line, it buckled. I could get the first barb in, but that was it. I tried noiling as well as a heat gun. I researched and found that there was a tool that could help, but it seemed expensive. I called Mike and he said he could send premeasured, premade nylon lines. I said ok. It is fine from tank to filter/regulator as well as the return. It is the long line from regulator/filter to engine that I am not sure about. Not sure I will like how it looks, bends, fits in the engine compartment. I will cross that bridge at a later date. I am sure there are many other worth options.
That's too bad about the bolt breaking on the Wilwood parts. That's been reported several times. At least once the builder unfortunately used the wrong torque settings (ft/lbs vs. in/lbs) so a little understandable. The rest I'm not sure about. I've done three sets of them now and felt like they all went together pretty normally. One suggestion, and I'm not sure it applies in your case or not, is to get all the bolts started and maybe halfway down before tightening any. The tolerances are pretty tight it seems. So if everything isn't exactly centered, could encounter some resistance and maybe enough to snap a bolt off. Anyway, glad Wilwood was willing to work with you on replacing it.
For your IRS installation, I don't see any issues with where you cut the knuckle. That's actually more than I've cut mine. It's not a problem at all. One hint about your assembly though. You're going to want to center up those adjusters. There should be equal threads showing on each side of the center adjuster. For both the camber and toe adjustments. As probably you've realized, to adjust alignment, the jam nut on each side is loosened, then the center adjustment turned. Each as left and right threads, so basically works like a turnbuckle with both sides going in or out. Then the jam nuts tightened back down. The way you have yours, you'll run out of threads on one side before the other. This isn't mentioned in the instructions BTW. Unfortunately, the only way to fix is to remove the large mounting bolts and turn the Heim joints. They should look like these pics. The exact mount of threads on each side will be determined when aligned. For now you just want the same on both sides:
Awesome. Thanks Paul. Allignment is not a sexy part of the build for me, so I have been procrastinating to even get it in the ballpark of alligned. Thanks for the catch. I will get that straightened out. I better post more pics of things so any mistakes can be spotted
Attached are some progress pictures from the begininning. My first snag was when I snapped a bolt in the Wilwood rotor hat. I was very careful to make sure that the bolts were seated well and went slow. All the bolts seemed to turn with more resistance than I expected, so when this one was not moving well, I gave it more force. Fortunately the bolt sits in the rotor hat and not the rotor. I called Wilwood and they sent me a new one at half price. Lesson learned. These brakes are huge and look mean. I love them with the wheels. The rear wheel spindles were not too difficult thanks to the instructions. I think if I did it again, I would trim more of the knuckles off, grind then smooth and paint with POR15. It wasn't until a little later in the build that I picked-up on that little trick. I eventually got some and painted the differential with it. I got semigloss and in the future I will buy gloss. I also had trouble with the lid adhering to the can despite my cleaning up well after use. Think I need to use laquer thinner on a rag to clean the lid and can.
The Wilwood brakes are pretty straight forward. The instructions are good. I wouldn't get crazy about overengineering the install of the hat and bolts. Follow the instructions and make sure the torque setting is proper on your wrench . As for tightening part way , then a little more, then ...... WOW. A dab of Loctite is all you need to secure the bolts also (as per the tech support advice from Wilwood). KISS. For everyday driving, the safety wires is over the top overkill. Looks cool. But then, no one will ever see it.
Last edited by Dave Howard; 02-10-2018 at 09:00 PM.
As for tightening part way, then a little more, then ...... WOW.
Agreed Wilwood's instructions are excellent. Among the best I've seen. But for this step, the total instructions are: "Orient the rotor (5) and the hat (6) as shown in Figure 1 and Photo 2. Attach rotor to hat using bolts (8) and washers (7). Using an alternating sequence, apply red Loctite® 271 to the threads and torque bolts to 155 in-lb." Several ways you could interpret that. No re-engineering going on here. Just an assembly tip. Getting them all started first before tightening to the final torque setting is a simple way to make sure they all (1) actually start and (2) don't drag to the point of possibly breaking. I've done it multiple times and talked to other builders. It helps. Can't imagine why you think that's a bad idea.
As for safety wires, you're right. Not required for street use and strictly optional if that's what you're doing. But some of us enjoy details like that. Whether seen or not.
Last edited by edwardb; 04-22-2018 at 11:58 AM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
OK, so I am trying to figure out what I want to do with the hatch aluminum. I plan on creating an irregular trapezoid. The picture shows the hatch metal flipped over so everything is reversed. I think the door should clear fiberglass as it hinges up to open. I plan on getting a .040 18" piano hinge for the cabin side of the trapezoid. I have no experience here. If anyone has pointers on design, I am all ears.
OK, so I am trying to figure out what I want to do with the hatch aluminum. I plan on creating an irregular trapezoid. The picture shows the hatch metal flipped over so everything is reversed. I think the door should clear fiberglass as it hinges up to open. I plan on getting a .040 18" piano hinge for the cabin side of the trapezoid. I have no experience here. If anyone has pointers on design, I am all ears.
I bought some aluminum piano hinge (Aluminum 5052-H32 Continuous Hinge without holes, Unfinished, 0.04" Leaf Thickness, 1-1/2" Open Width, 5/64" Pin Diameter, 1/2" Knuckle Length, 6' Long) that I'll use for the hinges. You can see them in the above picture.
I received wheel spacers that I ordered for $60 on Amazon today. They are Orion Motor Tech at 1.25" and fit well. I will have to trim 1/4" off the existing lugs for the wheel to sit properly on the spacer. I primed them and then when I was looking at them on the wheel, I got the feeling that they are not very substantial. Edwardb's Eibach seem to have more meat. So I am having spacer envy, thinking about the forces on the metal. Any thoughts? Wheel Spacer 2.jpgWheel Spacers.jpg
I received wheel spacers that I ordered for $60 on Amazon today. They are Orion Motor Tech at 1.25" and fit well. I will have to trim 1/4" off the existing lugs for the wheel to sit properly on the spacer. I primed them and then when I was looking at them on the wheel, I got the feeling that they are not very substantial. Edwardb's Eibach seem to have more meat. So I am having spacer envy, thinking about the forces on the metal. Any thoughts? Wheel Spacer 2.jpgWheel Spacers.jpg
Wheel Spacer Envy. Too funny. Those look substantial enough. Unfortunately they're not hubcentric. The inside diameter should be a very close fit onto the flange of the Ford hub, and there should be a similar flange on the outside of the spacers that engages the center diameter in the wheel when it's installed. That keeps everything exactly aligned. You can see both of those features on the pictures I posted in my build thread. That design is solely dependent on the lug nut studs for alignment, which isn't considered as accurate or repeatable. I looked at the listing for those on Amazon. They're not described as hubcentric. Good thing, because they're not. The Eibach's that I used are hubcentric and seem to fit very precisely. But there are lots of others that are as well. Personally, I wouldn't be too comfortable with those.
Last edited by edwardb; 02-18-2018 at 05:51 PM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Got it. I've always wanted Non-Hubcentric Wheel Spacer paper weights. Ordering new spacers now.
Sorry. I think you're making the right decision. Just not something to take a chance with. The kind of unwritten rule between my wife and I is that the price of admission for mistakes starts at $100 and goes up from there. I've proven this rule more times than I want to admit. You beat it on this one and got some nice paper weights.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Here are some pics of how I installed my brake lines. I see that there is some latitude on placement. The problem for a novice is trying to predict what else will be installed down the road. I guess this is the name of the game for many parts. I really liked the way the brakelines looked, but later when working on aluminum, I found that the engine bay side panels would run into some interference on the front end. Because of my placement of the brackets for the front brake flew lines, I will have to trim the aluminum side panels. The manual recommends the brackets be placed on the front part of the frame. I think it won't be a big problem. It just won't look as clean. Also shown are the parking brake cables. Do they just rest on the differential?
Here are some pics of how I installed my brake lines. I see that there is some latitude on placement. The problem for a novice is trying to predict what else will be installed down the road. I guess this is the name of the game for many parts. I really liked the way the brakelines looked, but later when working on aluminum, I found that the engine bay side panels would run into some interference on the front end. Because of my placement of the brackets for the front brake flew lines, I will have to trim the aluminum side panels. The manual recommends the brackets be placed on the front part of the frame. I think it won't be a big problem. It just won't look as clean. Also shown are the parking brake cables. Do they just rest on the differential?
Looks great, thanks for sharing these, as that will be my next project! I don't see clearly how you routed the line from front to back. I *think* it's suppose to be in picture 8, but for the life of me I don't see a brake line in there!
Looks great, thanks for sharing these, as that will be my next project! I don't see clearly how you routed the line from front to back. I *think* it's suppose to be in picture 8, but for the life of me I don't see a brake line in there!
Attached are pics of the brake line thru the tunnel.
As a side note, I looked up the last spacers that I bought on Amazon. The description does not specify hubcenteric, but the picture shows a hubcentric spacer. Since I painted them without thinking, I am sure I have no recourse. Moving on...
I knew there was something else I wanted to comment on. On your acceleration pedal check for clearance from the steering column to the wiring plug. That is what limits how low I can place mine. While you are at it check with the panel you still haven't installed. Also thanks for the shout out. I'm just trying to do my part to help.
Thank you for your advice Nolan. I have fitted the steering column, so I am pretty sure I am OK there. EF, I don't mind budget questions. I don't have a number in mind personally. The budget is what it takes for me to be satisfied. So far, I have spent
Complete kit with Wilwoods, IRS, wheels and tires and options: $34k
Forte Coyote with TKO 600, QT Bellhousing, hydraulic clutch and other options: $15-16k
Anticipate $8-10K for paint and body
Maybe another $2-3k for parts, powdercoating
I guess that puts me over $60k for a great learning experience and a totally unique car. I am good with that. It can definitely be done for less.
Hi all,
This is my first post here so please be indulgent.
I am toying with the idea of building a 65 coupe.
But being a pencil pusher for my entire life I am just wondering if I am not about to play way over my head...?
So I am going to the build school in May. Hopefully to learn that I can do it.
So my question here is: jdavis500 can you elaborate a little more than your september post on your experience at the school vs building a coupe since there is no specific course for the coupe? Can you tell me what I should focus on more? I will be attending the MK4 course.
Thanks in advance.
UpNorth, I am right there with you as a long time pencil pusher(accountant) looking to build my first car. I think I may be buying a Gen 3 kit tomorrow and I am trying to get all the details together now. I did go to Build School for the 33 hot rod a little while back and would recommend the build school without hesitation even though it is not the car you will be building. Obviously, I can't tell you how much the two kits have in common, however, I can say that the build school gave me a lot of confidence that I can do this. That confidence is a big deal to me and just seeing everything right there in person was also valuable.
I do my own maintenance and have modified cars with bolt ons before, however, I have never done anything too complex or to this scale before. I had a lot of doubts in my mind that I would get stuck on the wiring, or bending fuel and brake lines, or something else that I am completely ignorant of. I was also worried that I did not know how certain things were intended to look or how to know if I got X seated right or whatever. The build school gave me the chance to really look at everything in person and gain an understanding of it. You will probably find, once you have it right in front of you, it is not nearly the mystery you had made it out to be in your mind. An example of this for me was the drive shaft. I had never worked on a drive shaft before and had it built up in my mind as a big deal. When I put it in at the build school, it was obvious what to do and was very simple. The wiring was another thing that seemed like pure magic to me going into the build school. To be honest, there is a lot of wiring and it is intimidating when you see it all. You do need to change the connectors on the harness to make things fit together. The build school starts you off with wiring harness that already have the correct connectors, so you get to skip that part in the build school. However, with those connectors already taken care of, it took us under an hour to wire everything. Over that hour my confidence went from down in the gutter up to Rocky Mountain high, and I think you all know just how high the Rocky Mountains in Colorado have been the past few years.
I would focus on seeing how everything fits together and how they should look. How you connect a drive shaft is going to be pretty much the same between different models, so just get a good feel for how everything is intended to look when done right so you can have confidence you did it right on your own build. You will also learn cool little tips and tricks like extending the grease channels in the suspension bushings so they are squeak free and function better. If you watched the episode that had two teams building 33 hot rods against each other, the team that won did this and the judge commented on how it just functioned better. I would also plan what you want to build before the build school so you can ask specific questions about it. I think I saved money because I was able to learn that I don't really need this or that. I also saved time by learning a trick hear and there and being told about some common pitfalls.
Another thing to consider while you are out in Michigan for the build school is a Roush factory tour. The day after the build school was over, a few of us when on a private tour of Roush which was super cool. I felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you have time, I would recommend reaching out to Roush and setting it up.
Hi all,
This is my first post here so please be indulgent.
I am toying with the idea of building a 65 coupe.
But being a pencil pusher for my entire life I am just wondering if I am not about to play way over my head...?
So I am going to the build school in May. Hopefully to learn that I can do it.
So my question here is: jdavis500 can you elaborate a little more than your september post on your experience at the school vs building a coupe since there is no specific course for the coupe? Can you tell me what I should focus on more? I will be attending the MK4 course.
Thanks in advance.
The guys who run the classes are very knowledgable about the roadster and the coupe. They do a good job of pointing out differences between the two when appropriate. I think one of the main benefits as Clover points out is that the class demystifies many processes. I took lots of notes and pictures that bring me back to the class and help me remember how things were done. I think I could still have tackled the build without the class, but maybe with less confidence. It is true that the coupe has a different body, metal work, and so on, but they follow all the same principles. You will have every opportunity for questions. I think the guys(and others in the course) would be a good resource to help you refine your build plan while you are there. Basically, I don't feel that the experience was lacking with respect to the coupe build versus the roadster build and a lot more stuff is making its way into the forums regarding Gen 3 Coupe builds. Hope that helps.
Clover and jdavis500, thanks for the information.
I really look forward to the build school. Confidence is what i am seeking to get in the first place by attending as Clover mentionned.
And I will try to figure out a build plan before taking the plane.
Thanks again guys!
I had a great time learning how to use a break and creating my hatch storage. It isn't perfect, but I thought it looked pretty good. It took some concentration to build the box in the space above the fuel tank. Then I saw how crisp EdwardB's box was. It took me a while to figure out that he planned to install it by dropping the fuel tank. This means it was built accurately and trimmed accurately. I had a bunch of guessing involved with my creation. Some things come with experience.
Can someone tell me I am not crazy here? I haven't been able to find anything on the forum about this. The IRS differential is offset from the midline of the car and is not aligned with the transmission which is on the midline.