40 Watt Garage & #9365

[Fixit]

October update...

Spent a few hours with the "design & color consultant" (Mrs. Fixit) Saturday cruising new car lots. There's a whole string of 'em along I-394, nearly every make & model.

No, we're not looking for a new addition to the stable... we were looking at paint colors!
Color chips & test panels are great, but seeing a whole car in bright sunlight can really show how a color "pops" or goes to mud in light or shadow.

People musta thought we were goofy, idling along in 1st up & down each aisle... occasionally stopping, backing up, etc. Got lots of thumbs-up though!

[Fixit]

#9365 is now bunking with a couple of his siblings in South Central Indiana.
Jeff & I worked out a weekend where he was home, and I wasn't traveling... and this was it.

With rest/stretch & fuel stops it was about an 11 hour trek from Minneapolis to Jeff's place.

I was towing a rental Stealth "Predator" trailer. This unit is primarily for sleds, but the inside dimensions will allow a Roadster with a few inches to spare. The next offering was a full-blown car-hauler, which would fit 2 Roadsters with about a foot clearance on each side.

Let's just say pulling one of these is like dragging a brick through peanut butter. MPG went to sheit, averaging 9.4 mpg. With an open-deck car hauler or my boat I get 15+ mpg. The little 3.5 twin turbo was earning it's keep, nearly always in boost, but never a problem with power on tap and very few downshifts to lower than 4th gear.

Roadtrip01.jpg Roadtrip02.jpg Roadtrip03.jpg Roadtrip04.jpg

[John Ibele]

Well, you said October, and it's October. And you must be keeping color to you, Jeff and the Missus, or you woulda mentioned something.

One thing to note, you no longer sound like a transplant to Minnesota from somewhere else, figuring all those folks from more southerly locations would know what a sled is.

But, most of all ... yer gettin' it painted!! Way to go!!

[Fixit]

The transformation has started.
(I hope some of my little oddities & extras didn't piss you off too much Jeff during disassembly!)

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Rough03.jpg

[Jeff Kleiner]

(I hope some of my little oddities & extras didn't piss you off too much during disassembly

Not at all John! Everything is well thought out. Once the skin came off it was very apparent that a good many of those 4500 miles were spent on the unpaved roads around your summer retreat....nothing wrong with that

Jeff

[Fixit]

Once the skin came off it was very apparent that a good many of those 4500 miles were spent on the unpaved roads around your summer retreat....

1.2 miles to & from the cabin off blacktop, and after a rain usually 2 washouts on the way . Maybe I'll be a little more careful with paint on it.... NAH... Drive It!

(At least I don't have to worry about dents, or finding "unobtainium" panels with this hotrod)

[Jeff Kleiner]

There were some pretty good "pocks" all the way through gelcoat ahead of the rear wheels! You're definitely a candidate for spats of one kind or another.

Jeff

[Fixit]

I may have the world record for a POL item, but I can't fault FFR.
When I ordered my kit, there was rumor (then reality) of a "new & improved" front bumper/hoop piece. FFR offered me the "old-style" unit (several times), but by my own choice I decided to wait for the new piece. It finally arrived in late October of '20

#9365 was already in Indiana at Jeff's shop, waiting his turn in the queqe behind two other cars. (Jeff was gracious enough to let me "park" it there early, as it accommodated my schedule for delivery) so I shipped him the new front bumper.

I hope this "new & improved" bumper doesn't drive him to a rubber room wearing a canvas shirt that ties in the back. Pics are of (very) initial 1st fitment, after getting the body back on to start door/hood/trunk fitting.

BumperFit01.jpg BumperFit02.jpg BumperFit03.jpg BumperFit04.jpg BumperFit05.jpg

Our conversation on the fitment issues revolved around the (inherent to all MkIV's) non-symmetry of the body & nose-opening, and (possible) non-symmetry of the now one-piece front bumper. If I recall this is the 1st new bumper setup he's worked with.

[Jeff Kleiner]

It is the first, and as I told you when we talked earlier today it sort of fits and sort of doesn’t fit! It seems the nose is non-symmetrical one way and the hoop is non-symmetrical the other way

Jeff

[David Hodgkins]

It is the first, and as I told you when we talked earlier today it sort of fits and sort of doesn’t fit! It seems the nose is non-symmetrical one way and the hoop is non-symmetrical the other way

Jeff

Easy fix; just turn it upside down!!

[Fixit]

Dave... diditmyself.jpg

A few more pics from Mr. Kleiner - working on getting the doors to fit nicely.

DoorFit01.jpg DoorFit04.jpg DoorFit02.jpg DoorFit03.jpg

Just the initial trimming and setup so they'd close & latch consistently at assembly was PITA... trust me on this - panel fitting & gapping is a skill-set.

[Jeff Kleiner]

John,
Hood & trunk lid are now on, adjusted, shaped and gapped and the windshield is installed. I'll put the sidepipes on in the AM to recheck their fit, set the scoop and at that point the mockup will be done...then it all comes apart again.

Jeff

[Papa]

John,
Hood & trunk lid are now on, adjusted, shaped and gapped and the windshield is installed. I'll put the sidepipes on in the AM to recheck their fit, set the scoop and at that point the mockup will be done...then it all comes apart again.

Jeff

While you're at it, charge the battery, put a few gallons of gas in it, and change the spark plugs. Oh, and can you align the front-end, too?

[David Hodgkins]

yeah yeah, and check the oil too please.

[Jeff Kleiner]

While you're at it, charge the battery, put a few gallons of gas in it, and change the spark plugs. Oh, and can you align the front-end, too?

Shhhhh Dave. That was supposed to be a secret...now everybody will want that kind of special treatment

Jeff

[Fixit]

More progress updates from Mr. Kleiner...

Hood & Trunk are fitted/aligned, sidepipes re-hung & checked, hoodscoop cut-in and attached...
OverAll01.jpg OverAll02.jpg OverAll03.jpg OverAll04.jpg OverAll05.jpg OverAll06.jpg

[Fixit]

More progress updates from Mr. Kleiner... Pt. 2

OverAll07.jpg OverAll08.jpg OverAll09.jpg OverAll10.jpg OverAll11.jpg OverAll12.jpg

My understanding is the next step is to take it all apart again, and get some primer on it. Then MORE work on getting things smooth!

[BadAsp427]

John, That is looking great. You can really see the progress.

[Fixit]

Update...

Panel fitting & Gapping is done. Witness marks & attachment points established (so the body will go back on the chassis in the same place) and it's "lift off". The next time the body will meet the chassis is after color for final fitment.
RoughDone.jpg

[Fixit]

Then MORE work on getting things smooth!

The "More Work" has revealed a few of what Jeff has called "blowouts". The Gel-Coat did its job and provided the smooth-ish final/outer layer, but it don't do no good when there's a void in the fiberglass layup underneath!
I'll assume only a trained & experienced eye would see the potential for one of these during sanding, and then proceed to give it a poke and find the hole.

Void01.jpg Void02.jpg

Tiny pinhole.... After poking around...

[Jeff Kleiner]

John,
Your go cart has been resting in the paint booth side and I needed to move it up to the house garage this morning so that your body can go in for primer. You'll be happy to know that 555G2 tires can handle 4" of snow easily (although it probably didn't hurt to take a little run at it from inside to make sure it got up the hill )





Jeff

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[Fixit]

You'll be happy to know that 555G2 tires can handle 4" of snow easily

4".... a mere flurry!

Here's a "HWHL" tip for all of us... Keep your grungy shop clothes & shoes in the shop. Pad out to the shop in your PJ's or whatever, and change into the dirty gear... the reverse on the way back to the house.
CrimeScene.jpg

(I didn't see a cot or hammock in the shop when I was there, but I'm sure Jeff would be needing it if this dreck was tracked in the house!!)

#9365 got a post-bodywork bath, and is now awaiting the 1st coats of primer.
PrimerReady1.jpg

I'm pretty confident we've narrowed down our main body color choices to two main contenders. Jeff had some mixed up and sprayed a few samples for me. They arrived yesterday.
Samples.jpg

Now if Ma Nature would get back on her meds and let the sun shine through this muck of overcast we've had for a week... I could get some good pics of the colors in sunlight/shadow/inbetween.
He also sent a sample of a Pearl White, and Wimbledon White for an idea on the stripe color.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Looked like a crime scene and in fact Nancy came out to the shop and said "At first I thought you cut yourself...AGAIN."

Jeff

[TMartinLVNV]

I am a Crime Scene Analyst Supervisor with 22 years of experience. So I feel very qualified in describing the crime that occurred with just this one photo. I see two possible causes to the sight we see here.

Two men walk into the garage and only one walked out. They started discussing whether or not the distributer belonged in the front or the rear of the engine. Tempers flared and tensions raised. Then they started discussing the proper rod ratio of stroker engines. One was convinced that anything less than 1.6 was going to immediately lead to excessive cylinder wear, piston slap noise, and an engine that will be on the verge of tearing itself apart do to piston dwell time and speed. The two men started to get red in the face, but were still civil. Next they discussed IRS vs a solid axle. The IRS proponent pointed to his lower back and said that the three fused disks were a direct result of driving his last car with a solid axle. The second man said "sit on a pillow." Things were about to boil over when they both decided to have a drink and cool off a little. As they were sipping their poison, the second man said "you really must have a steel bellhousing in these cars as driving with an aluminum one is just asking to be castrated or killed by an exploding clutch plate the first time you do a hard launch." The first man looked down at his feet and said "get real, there are 100,000 Mustangs with the Coyote motor on the road and they are doing fine." The second man then brought up how terrible the TKO 600 transmission is. "It is a truck transmission, clunky, and the gap between 4th and 5th gears is too big. You won't even be able to maintain highway speeds in 5th gear. By the time you upshift from 4th gear in this truck transmission, you will have slowed down so much due to wind resistance that you will be lugging the motor." The first man responded "take your overweight and overly long 6 speed and cram it up your rear end, just wait until the TKX is out on the street!" This was too much. The second man grabbed an unused F5 clutch cable and wrapped it around the others neck. He pulled tightly until 'snap', the standard F5 cable broke. "Should have bought one from Forte, they come in a two pack you know" the first man shouted as he rubbed his sore neck. Now it was time for the first man to make a move. He found a front sway bar, grabbed it, and beat the other man until the deed is done. He was not proud of what he had done but his honor had been questioned. He went outside of the shop, leaving the bloody footprints in the snow. He got into his Cobra and tried to start it. Click, click, click is all that he heard. He looked up at the sky and shouted "Damn Optima battery!"

The second scenario involves Jeff wanting a coffee break while sanding John's car. He forgot to take his shoes off and his wife yelled at him and he walked back to the shop.

[RoadRacer]

I'm pretty confident we've narrowed down our main body color choices to two main contenders. Jeff had some mixed up and sprayed a few samples for me. They arrived yesterday.
Samples.jpg

Loving that color on the right!

[BadAsp427]

Starting to get real close, Of the two color options, I like the one on the right, especially with the off white stripe you described.

[bldr.rob]

Both colors are awesome. Let us know how they look in daylight. Bet there's a lot of change with different light.

[John Ibele]

I am a Crime Scene Analyst Supervisor with 22 years of experience. So I feel very qualified in describing the crime that occurred with just this one photo. I see two possible causes to the sight we see here.

Two men walk into the garage and only one walked out. They started discussing whether or not the distributer belonged in the front or the rear of the engine. Tempers flared and tensions raised. Then they started discussing the proper rod ratio of stroker engines. One was convinced that anything less than 1.6 was going to immediately lead to excessive cylinder wear, piston slap noise, and an engine that will be on the verge of tearing itself apart do to piston dwell time and speed. The two men started to get red in the face, but were still civil. Next they discussed IRS vs a solid axle. The IRS proponent pointed to his lower back and said that the three fused disks were a direct result of driving his last car with a solid axle. The second man said "sit on a pillow." Things were about to boil over when they both decided to have a drink and cool off a little. As they were sipping their poison, the second man said "you really must have a steel bellhousing in these cars as driving with an aluminum one is just asking to be castrated or killed by an exploding clutch plate the first time you do a hard launch." The first man looked down at his feet and said "get real, there are 100,000 Mustangs with the Coyote motor on the road and they are doing fine." The second man then brought up how terrible the TKO 600 transmission is. "It is a truck transmission, clunky, and the gap between 4th and 5th gears is too big. You won't even be able to maintain highway speeds in 5th gear. By the time you upshift from 4th gear in this truck transmission, you will have slowed down so much due to wind resistance that you will be lugging the motor." The first man responded "take your overweight and overly long 6 speed and cram it up your rear end, just wait until the TKX is out on the street!" This was too much. The second man grabbed an unused F5 clutch cable and wrapped it around the others neck. He pulled tightly until 'snap', the standard F5 cable broke. "Should have bought one from Forte, they come in a two pack you know" the first man shouted as he rubbed his sore neck. Now it was time for the first man to make a move. He found a front sway bar, grabbed it, and beat the other man until the deed is done. He was not proud of what he had done but his honor had been questioned. He went outside of the shop, leaving the bloody footprints in the snow. He got into his Cobra and tried to start it. Click, click, click is all that he heard. He looked up at the sky and shouted "Damn Optima battery!"

The second scenario involves Jeff wanting a coffee break while sanding John's car. He forgot to take his shoes off and his wife yelled at him and he walked back to the shop.

Okay, THAT was a good read to start out the week. Thanks, Terry!

Fixit - you've got some fine color options there ... you are gonna STAND OUT. Well, X2. You're already driving a roadster. NICE ...

[Fixit]

From the git-go I didn't want a JAC... (just another Cobra). Even with my other automotive passion (Chevelle's) there's just too damn many Red or Blue cars. I don't like green, IMO Yellow just doesn't cut it on a Roadster, and I've already got a more-than-stupidly-high-maintenance Black car...

I saw a pic of a Roadster in a coppery-orange-rust color and just loved it.

These cars have more damn curves than Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe combined, and the new copper/orange/rust paints just SCREAM for those subtle curves.
My conundrum is finding the one that doesn't go yellow in bright sunlight, and to mud-brown in shadow.

[John Ibele]

"Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe combined" ... you're showing your age ... aw, crap, I'm 59, you could just be playing to your audience ...

Anyway, that works for me. Not sure I'll look at a Roadster quite the same way again though.

[Fixit]

more damn curves than Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe combined

Well... I kinda like gals like FFR's slogan... Built... not Bought.

[Lancaster Lad]

What do you have against Jane Mansfield?

[Fixit]

What do you have against Jane Mansfield?

Nuthin'... but THREE of those iconic err, um, ah... together and we'd be talking lumps & bumps like the Michelin Man!

[Fixit]

Jeff's been slaving away... making 3M stock go up with all the abrasives he's burning up. The "Mary Kay" primer goes gray during/after sanding.
Blocked.jpg

(I'll let him reply about quality/workability/results)

I also got outside this afternoon with the test panels. We finally had some bright sunshine, with a few clouds rolling through.
(The camera did some funky things going "blue" with the snow background, but it doesn't affect the purpose... showing the color change(s) in different light).

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[Papa]

John,

It seems that the darker color tends to have more "pop" in the sun to me. Both are really nice looking.

Dave

[cv2065]

I like the darker as well. Is that a tri-stage color?

[speedfreak1211]

I like the darker one as well

[egchewy79]

+1 on the darker one. The lighter one looks a bit orange to me, but my opinion doesn't really matter, now does it?

[D Stand]

I like the darker one as well.

[Jeff Kleiner]

If you wanted to see Mango Tango in the snow all you had to do was ask





Jeff

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