Intro to a new build.
I will be starting hopefully in April 2023. the order is in and here is the detail. I have a neighbor who got me into this and I expect he will be putting an order in soon as well. The two builds will be vastly different I am sure. This is what makes these cars exciting - each one, while a factory five, has its own personality.
I am hoping to put some decent miles on this car in the summer months. I want it to be ok in the occasional rain. Definitely not a garage queen or a track car. The car needs to be exciting on every ride for more than just the first year. While I can't see the future, I plan on putting a good number of miles on the car over time. To that end, I am not building it for resale, I am building it for me and my family.
In that light here are my order details with initial thoughts
The Order
- Complete Kit
- Powder coated chassis
- Coupe Platinum gauges - Not sure if I will upgrade here or not.
- LS mounts
- LS headers - I have seen mixed reviews on these - not sure if they are better in the Gen3. Also considering the GasnPipes solutions right off the bat. You lose dollars pretty quick when you pull options off the list, so I am not sure what I will do here yet.
- Hydraulic Clutch
- T56 driveshaft
- Body Cutouts
- Seats - Likely an aftermarket Corbeau or Cipher.
- Power steering Kit for the non coyote
- IRS - I found a 2018 mustang GT rear assembly for 1k. This gets me the center section spindles and brakes for the rear
Options
- AC/Heat - modified for an LS (I think they delete the compressor)
- Wipers
- Precut black carpet
- Leather steering wheel
- Coupe side windows- I would love a set of rollup windows however I understand this is hard to do on the Gen2 and likely not possible in the Gen3 because of the new door shape on the Gen 3
- Sound insulation kit
- Battery cutoff switch
Other considerations Aerovents
Are these worthwhile or even functional - are the cutouts included for this?
Sound/Heat proofing
Not to concerned about this EdwardB has some good info to make it manageable or even a non concern.
EFI
taking the lead from Edward B and mcannon12 - I will do a separate EFI solution
Pedals
I would like a hydraulic clutch and powered brakes. Sounds like the wilwood solution and a stock mustang solution don't get you there without modifications. Looking for input here.
Wheels - Aftermarket
Tire size 17" for ride comfort and honestly I like a little more tire than what the 18's offer.
Aftermarket wheels not sure which ones yet, I think I can do better on price and I am going for a different appearance than the Halibrand.
I may need to move to 18's due to the brake setup I have on the donor IRS.
Front and rear sway bars
While the car may show up at the track from time to time, it will be more of a driver. Are these worth adding anyway?
Rear Brakes
I plan to use the rear brakes from the 2018 mustang - sounds like this limits me to 18" wheels if I don't modify.
I would also like to add power brakes.
Exhaust
I would really like to have rear exhaust to reduce the sound. I think it can be done by going out by the regular side pipe location, then back in through the IRS "upper triangles". This may be a post build completion mod as I don't want to delay the build on this. Jkrueger shows a shorty header approach that might lead well into my custom exhaust plans.
Engine/Trans
I would like to be in the 300 to 400HP range for power and would like to get better fuel mileage than my truck (targeting 20+ MPG). I did find a built LS6 tied to a Borg Warner T56 with a 0.50 final gear ratio. This setup came out of a camaro build. I plan to build around this - I will have to change out the yoke on the driveshaft that comes with the kit as they don't have an option that fits my 27 spline output.
I am a little concerned about the transmission as the Borgwarner version of the T56 - tremec bought them and produced a new T56 (Magnum, XL, F) that have more shift positions (see the reference below). The T56 I have has two positions for the shifter. The rear is much too far back and the forward position looks to be very close the front cross member in the trans tunnel. If this becomes too much of a problem I will find a new T56 Magnum and take that route. I am however excited about this engine trans combo because of the HP and final drive ratio.
Open Questions
- Seat sliders.
- Oil pan height - currently 8" below the block
- Is my T56 shifter location going to be a problem- as mentioned the original Borg warner trans only has 2 locations - doesn't include the mid location.
- How to get power brakes - I am not the first, I am sure there are many threads on this.
Currently I am planning to drive from Michigan to MA to take delivery. this trades the shipping cost for a family trip/vacation during our spring break. I will end up paying MA sales tax on the order which is slightly more than MI tax, however that is a small price to pay and as I understand I don't pay tax on any dollars that have already been taxed on this build when I go to register at the SOS.
As you can see this build is a little different, definitely nothing close to period correct. It will be a fun car to look at in the garage and even more fun to drive.
I thought long and hard about using a donor 302 from a fox body mustang but with the age of the parts and the fact that I am partial to the LS…
If money was not a consideration on this project I still wouldn't go nuts on HP. I would like to save a little cash in the process, however I am a looking for a quality build and I don't want to regret a dollar decision down the road due to lack of wow in the driving experience.
Please weigh in on the build setup and offer any advice.
Now if I can just figure out how to fill my time for the next 7 months
For spring break my family and I went for a trip to Wareham to pick up my type65 project - we made stops at Niagra falls (where I lost my hat over the falls) and Philadelphia to make it a bit more enjoyable for the rest of the family.
Got everything home Friday Night. A few friends came over to lend a hand unloading and separating the body from the frame. Lifting the body off takes a gentle hand. The frame and welds look very good and the body is decent. The body has a few defects but nothing at all concerning from a structural standpoint and the body work will coverup easily.
Inventory started later that day with the kids and we are most of the way through. it is going much smoother than expected - honestly I think having two kids eager to help kept motivation and eventually became efficient. A few parts are hard to identify but through elimination with the pack list everything in the boxes has been accounted for. There have been few parts missing from the kit that are not noted as "not packed", I believe 6 total. I did receive a couple of duplicates, the most surprising was one extra side pipe.
Hopefully I will keep up on this blog throughout the build. Clearly lots more to come.
The summer was very slow progress. I am finally moving forward a little. I am sure I will hit another point of slowness. Until then it has been fun - I find the manual a little lacking at times but the forum fills in the gaps well.
Special thanks to Paul B for his table of contents, this is my go to for starters when I have questions. I haven't found a great way of searching the forum other than using google's site search "site:thefactoryfiveforum.com topic of interest"
here is what I have completed so far. IRS
complete with powdercoated Diff. I used Raceheight. we will see if I regret it later. I chose this becuase it sounds like many people turn their shocks way down to get to their chosen ride height. I would like to keep the shocks in mid range for so the springs and shocks are used for their full range - I suspect this may make the ride a little nicer as I have also heard many people replacing thier springs with lower spring rate options. Perhaps I am way off, in either case I don't think it will be dissappointing - we'll see.
I noticed that the rear bolts mounting the diff to the frame go maybe half way into the threaded holes in the diff. I am surprised by this seems and easy option to ship a longer bolt. I did notice that the bolts went in very tight - perhaps alignment of the welded bosses causes this and longer bolts would only exaggerate it. Also the nut on the diff rear mounts as some have mentioned is stopped by the insert before it connects with the bushing. apparently this is expected as per factory five.
reference:
pics below of the diff. IMG_1220.jpgIMG_1221.jpgIMG_1332.jpg
Front suspension/ steering rack
nothing surprising here it went quite smoothly. I am really curious about alignment procedure. Will any alignment shop be able to do this or do I need to find a specialty place?
Fuel Tank
I included weatherstip under the frame where the gas tank mounts. seems this will eliminate some metal on metal rubbing. many others have done this aswell. I thought it was a good idea. Paul B mentions the bolt that holds the filler tube crashes with the frame, this weatherstrip helps with that by giving some compressible room. I used the same pump assembly that Paul used in his, for trimming the opening in the tank we filled the tank (in the area where the cutting was happening) with paper towel and put the shop vac in the side filler hole. it made easy work of keeping the tank clean while cutting with a die grinder and finishing with a file. We then pulled the paper towel out of the side hole with the shop vac giving constant suction. IMG_1307.jpg
Wilwood Pedal assembly
This was a little interesting. a few tries to get everything lined up. comparing to pictures from others, my brake pedal seems quite close the the plate to which the gas pedal mounts - infact I can get them to touch if I try. I assume I will trim the side of the gas pedal mount plate since I don't believe I need that large of a mount surface. As I understand this mount was designed around the coyote drive by wire throttle assembly. If I am correct then I can trim it significantly since I am using the gas pedal that comes with the kit. see the pic below.
secondly trimming the threaded rod on the master cylinders - I cut off 5/8" as the instructions suggest. I wish I would have mounted it first to estimate closer what needs to be trimmed. I should have caught this as it is mentioned almost everywhere in the forum. oh well. I believe I am ok but will find out when it comes time to adjust. pic below IMG_1330.jpg
Brakes
When I ordered the kit I couldn't get my self to spring for the wilwoods - I realize this project is an expense (I am building this for us, not for resale) but I guess I found my limit. I started to put the brakes together and noticed that the 2004 fronts that come with the kit are look a little odd since the rears are larger. So I took a note out of Paul2STL's build and ordered the following. for less than 1k I have 13" brakes all around - these do not compare to the performance of the wilwoods but for my non-track use these will be sufficient and look decent - pics below, ignore the wilwood sticker. my son put it on there to make us feel better!
Paul2STL's Brakes https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...pe-rotor-sizes
My brakes
Front
Powerstop Z26 series KC1304C26
- 2001 - 2004 Mustang Mach 1
- 13" rotor with caliper
Rear
Powerstop Z26 series KC6812-26
- 2015 to 2023 Mustang GT
- 13 inch rotor with caliper and integrated parking brake IMG_1331.jpg
I started this project for two main reasons - to build something with my kids and to build something I can get excited about. As I type this, my 13yo son is working on the steering and gas pedal. The others have gotten involved to some level aswell. IMG_1327.jpgIMG_1310 (2).jpg
I found that now days alignments are computer driven. The tech has computer skills but if the computer gets confused the tech is helpless. The first question asked by the tech is what make car. They use that information and put it into the computer. The computer does the rest. The problem is the computer does not know what a FF kit car is so it can't do it's job. Find an alignment shop that has a tech that knows how to align a car without having to rely 100% on the computer. Or one where the tech knows how to override the computer and input your required specs in.
Small update, lots of little things completed that are covered well in other build lists. A couple points to note. I installed the ac in the passenger side footbox. I struggled for a while with the mount approach proposed in the instructions. Others have noted that the stiffness of the hoses make up for any lack of support by the mount design, however, I have a fear of things vibrating and making noise. Ridiculous I know because there will be nothing heard over the engine and exhaust. I took the opportunity to make a mount for the AC and also took a note from Logan’s build by putting the heater switch inside the footbox. My install eliminated the ability to use the heater bulkhead parts, which is slightly disappointing. Instead I used the supplied grommets. I am happy with the result, I don’t think the added heat in the footbox should affect it appreciably. I made a new bulk head bracket for the AC placing the bulkhead fittings as close together as possible reducing the challenge with running the AC lines inside the footbox.
I also included a trans tunnel front cover as many have done. This gives a nice space to mount items like the fuel pressure regulator. A lot of these brackets are perhaps unnecessary but this is the fun of a custom build. I enjoy the small customizations along the way.
Fuel lines complete and brake lines mostly done, I need to order a rear flexible hose from Forte yet. I used heat shield on the outside of the box. This helps close up any of the small gaps left by the loose fit of the sheet metal to the frame on the footboxes. I did include small pieces to close the larger gaps as well.
Neil
Merry Christmas.
My wife stuffed a transmission under (or beside) the tree. Hopefully I can get some time to make this a project over the break! IMG_1817.jpg
Wow - what a great xmas gift? Is it the T56 you describe at the beginning of your thread?
We received our kits around the same time. This is my first build and I am a novice. I see you have two prior builds under your belt.
I really like your custom bracket and transmission tunnel panel. Did you cut that or send it somewhere?
I straightened and re-bent the evaporator mounts so that I could put three bolts into the metal threads on the evaporator. It came out as a very solid way of mounting the evaporator but not very elegant. Your approach makes a lot of sense and looks clean.
It is cool that you are doing something different and putting a LS engine in. I’m learning that a lot of the fun of these builds is doing things your own way. I look forward to seeing your progress
John,
This is Infact my first FFR build. I have built a number of things over the years but never a Kit car. My neighbor who is also building one got me hooked.
I have a cnc plasma setup at home. It is very useful for a build like this. A lot of these things can be made by with some skill and hand tools, however I have to admit it is fun to make parts with precision.
I originally had the T56 that came with my engine in the car, but the shifter position did not work. I debated modifying the trans tunnel to make it work, but I think I would have been a little unhappy with it. So I sold that trans and bought a new magnum t56 which has three shift positions as opposed to just two like the original. I also went with the close ratio setup - not sure if I will regret this in the end. Cruising at 80 will be at 2100rpm if I recall my chart. The wide ratio trans would have put 80mph at 1800rpm. I figure this decision will be appreciated by the large cam in the engine and it will help me speed less on the highway. Plus I might actually be able to use 6th more often.
Thanks for the comments on the LS. I feel like a bit of a black sheep, but as many have noted… my build my way. Each car has its personality.
I hope your build is going well. I have had a few setbacks from over analyzation.
I mistook your signature with Jim’s who has other builds
The plasma cutter sounds great. I’ve seen them in action and they are impressive. I am part owner of a laser cutter that a small group of us use for cutting parts for remote control planes that we build. The laser cutter is impressive but only cuts wood. We build planes for racing and scratch built planes hold up better to the g forces and engine vibrations. Laser cutting is way faster and more accurate than doing it the old school way.
If I had more space a plasma cutter would be a consideration; but I am enjoying building this car the old school way!
I have a T56 magnum close ratio My engine is a 302 that will have quad weber IDF 48s - I am hoping it will be high revving so the close ratio six speed will work well. We will see!
In the middle of electrical, engine prep and footboxinsulation. Perhaps my inexperience in building cars is coming through. Two things have me spinning.
First I don’t know what I don’t know, I am forced to make a commitment about future aspects of the build to move forward on current step.
Second, I find that each step I take is delayed by the need to order parts. I have been working toward getting the engine/trans installed. I ordered a bell housing, clutch assembly, release bearing, pilot bearing and flywheel. Seemed sufficient. I learned in order to center the cast aluminum bell housing I needed to order a bracket to aid in centering, I also need a cover plate. For a small price more I could have bought a QuickTime bell housing. So I returned what I had and ordered a QuickTime bell housing which set me back another few days. I received the bell housing so moved forward with aligning it on the engine. Which led to needing offset pins… a few days later I got the bell housing aligned and the hydraulic release bearing didn’t fit. I ordered a new connection inlet for the bearing… a few days later. Since I do most of the work on the weekends, each order is typically a week delay, and in the mean time I work on other elements.
All this to say, now I have too many parts of the project running in parallel. So I am working to close the loose ends.
I will offer a thank you to the many builders that show great detail about aspects of their builds. It has helped immensely.
I have recently completed the Airjack install. I am planning to have onboard air with controls in the trunk - still deciding on exact location. I included flow control for the rear air jacks to hopefully raise the front of the vehicle first, which is opposite what typically happens due to the weight distribution of the vehicle. I have also continued making progress with aluminum panels. I am a little hung up on rear brake lines but I am sure that will figure itself out as well. I prefer not to use straight generic flexible lines as the movement of the suspension provides a moment force on the banjo connection. The use of a bent leader on the flex line can prevent this. I order some lines from Forte but I think they are intended for a solid axle. So the search continues.
I broke the chuck on my Milwaukee cordless drill - the bit for my 5/16 rivnuts is stuck in seeming for the rest of its operable life The bit wasn’t cheap and the drill still spins, I just can’t get the bit out. I guess now I have a dedicated drill for one size. So I took the opportunity to buy a newer nicer drill. Still Milwaukee so I can take advantage of common batteries. The new drill is smaller and has more torque, great for drilling rivet holes in tight spaces. I can’t say I was disappointed to buy a new drill.
I also finally hung the body from the ceiling freeing up a lot of valuable work space. The body buck for the coupe was really straight forward. It was done and hung in one afternoon with wood I had laying around. The body is supported under the door sills with a 2x6.
The engine is in, it took some help from Jim1855 for man power with the engine install and mcannon12 for some parts details, both member in current builds. For those playing with an LS, I have a C6 oil pan and a QuickTime RM-8019 bellhousing. The gives the lowest profile, while perhaps not necessary, I had to get a new oil pan anyway and I appreciate that when looking under the car it all lines up nicely. I learned a nice trick using my kids playdoh to remove the pilot bearing in the flywheel. Has been done with bread in the past. I think credit to mcannon for this one too.
I noted earlier that I was installing airjacks with flow control for the specific intent of having the front raise first when airing up and drop last when draining. Clearly the weight of the car isn’t as it will be but with the engine and suspension in the front and the diff and suspension in the rear plus the trans sitting in between, it lifts front first consistently. These things are awesome. Perhaps not necessary but really what part of the car is? I plan to have onboard air with an out of service SCBA tank that we use at the fire department. I can get about 10 lifts out of one tank. My son has grand ideas to have a control in the cockpit to activate the jacks. We have discussed at length how to ensure they don’t activate while in motion. Clearly this needs a fail safe or secondary disable. I set the front jacks as far forward as possible - near the battery location in an effort to reduce the weight on the front jacks. It will however, be hard to reach in to put the safety stands on the jacks with them in this location.
Small side benefit - I have the car set at race height suspension which sits too low for my lift now that the engine is in. The airjacks give me a pre lift to get it on the lift. I could roll the car on 2x’s but this is easier for an unpowered car. IMG_2095.jpg
I put some junk wheels on the car finally, which makes progress somehow seem real. Sometimes it’s the small things that boost motivation. It will be fun to burn these tires off when the time comes!
For anyone building a body buck for the coupe, I described it in my last post and below are some pics, there is really nothing to it. I put some eyebolts in the ceiling and pulled the system up. IMG_0634.jpgIMG_0633.jpgIMG_2101.jpg
I have been dreaming about the dash a bit. I would like to make a one piece however my plasma table isn’t quite big enough. I have seen some do this with an angle grinder and snips, I am not convinced my hand is steady enough to do a good job manually. IMG_1978.jpgIMG_1977.jpg
Lastly my son and I made a reinforced floor for the drop trunk. He was proud to help. I have had more involvement with my kids recently which has been a joy. Really the goal of this build was to include them as much as they are willing - make it a family memory that is bigger than the car itself. IMG_1963.jpgIMG_1987.jpegIMG_2091.jpg
The FFR supplied driveshaft was too long for my application so I called around to a few places to have it shortened. I received a few no’s because of how short it is - Not quite sure why, so I did it myself. I made a jig to hold the driveshaft square in the saw and to use as a reference to align when welding. Then I finished it with powdercoat. I learned by talking with the driveline shops and from FFR techs that balancing is not very important when dealing with a very shot driveshaft.
I was sure I would have the shortest driveshaft in the pool of FFR cars at 5 3/16” but I found one from 2016 that is a bit shorter. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...est-driveshaft!
For anyone interested, the driveshaft is made from ~0.09” thick wall tube.
Interestingly I need to move the engine forward about 4” to get the driveshaft into the transmission. An artifact of limited space between the trans and diff. Curious if this is common.
In the final picture you can see the piece I cut out. IMG_2131.jpgIMG_2143.jpgIMG_2150.jpg
Thanks: 
Likes: 
Reply With Quote
...love the custom brackets Neil...
