Like a handful of other roadsters, this Mk4 – #8306 – was a father/son family build. My son, who lives in Phoenix, and I in Santa Monica, built our Mk4 in a rented garage in a sketchy area in the west end of Phoenix. We ordered the kit on Jan 31, 2014, it was delivered on May 12, was a roller on August 24 and was a go-kart on November 21.
Meanwhile, 350 miles away in Temecula, CA, Jeff “Da Bat” Miller painted da body in da batcave, and in the first week of December he schlepped it to Phoenix, where he and I and our respective sons installed the body and associated bits and wiring to make it street legal. It was registered there (as a “1965 FACTO”). The car now lives in Santa Monica, CA and retains its AZ license and registration.
Our Approach
From the beginning we wanted to get the car built before Christmas, so we decided early on to go with the Complete Kit. We also planned that the car would include few of the “extras” that we all know can add time to any build. Knowing the car would live in the Southwest, early on we simplified the build by eliminating windshield wipers and a heater, which the FFR blog taught us can be quite involved. We didn’t move the dash forward, we didn’t expand the DS footbox, we didn’t install a dead pedal, we didn’t go with IRS, and we sure didn’t go with a Coyote. And it has no stereo unless you count the throaty song of the Gas-Ns.
Summarizing, this is a baseline Complete Kit build; our approach was to use the provided FFR parts unless we knew of a good reason not to. It turned out that we made three changes in all, and it turns out that all were bought from Breeze: front battery box, seat heaters and dash stiffener brackets. Finally, neither of us builds engines, so we went with Levy Racing for the engine/tranny and its wiring. (Gordon’s shop in Maricopa is a handy 35 miles from Phoenix.)
Next
The 8 months spent building it with my son was special, and driving it is always a blast, but we kinda think it’s time to sell her. It’s a great car with a stunning paint job, it’s crazy quick (thanks to 400 HP and 390 TQ) and super reliable (thanks to EFI instead of carbs). If you want to enjoy a Factory 5 Roadster but don’t have the time or money to build one, this is the car for you.
Build/Feature List
Overview:
FFR Mk4 Complete Kit #8306, built from April to December, 2014
MBZ Silver, no stripes
RF wiring harness
Dual chrome roll bars
~3,900 miles (1,100 miles/yr), never at WOT to be honest
Engine:
Levy 347ci Stage 4 SBF stroker
Full roller (hydraulic), stainless rockers, 7.5 gal racing pan
Edelbrock E-205 Alloy Heads
FAST “XFI Sportsman” EFI (upgraded from EZ) w/ dash-mount display
MSD 6AL ignition
Alloy pulleys, brackets, valve covers, Summit 15” air cleaner and misc bits
Breeze front mount battery box
Alloy coolant overflow tank
Master battery kill switch
Gas-N stainless side pipes (w/ uninstalled Drummer Mike heat shields)
Transmission:
Levy Super Alloy T5
Cable-actuated clutch using later (~Dec 2014) Mk4 clutch quadrant setup
Front End:
FFR-supplied front spindles and upper and lower control arms
1988 Mustang power steering rack (3.5 turns lock-to-lock, so not the GT rack)
Wilwood 12.90” 6-piston kit from Levy Racing
Koni coil overs
Rear End:
3-link 8.8 inch, TractionLock, 3.55 gears
Wilwood 4-piston kit from Levy Racing
Koni coil overs
Wheels and Tires:
17 inch FFR-supplied Halibrand replicas (F: 9.0”, R: 10.5”)
Nitto NT555 F: 255-40-ZR17 R: 315-35-ZR17
Interior:
Wilwood pedals, MCs and balance bar, all from FFR kit
Vinyl FFR seats with Warm Seats™ seat heaters (but no cabin heater)
Standard FFR Dash layout, Speedhut gauges, foam-backed vinyl cover
Removable trans tunnel covered in the same foam-backed vinyl as the dash
Stainless cup holders (2) in trans tunnel
USB Dual charge port in standard automotive 12V socket
Period correct passenger-side map light (from a 1965 MGB)
Breeze dash support brackets (stiffeners)
Standard FFR carpet, full Dynamat Extreme sound deadening
Vinyl door panels with pockets
Carpeted trunk with stainless lid prop
Exterior:
Stainless over riders, front nose hoop/bumper
Uninstalled FFR stainless rear bumper
Wind wings and visors (but no windshield wipers)
Windshield-mounted side mirrors
Car Cover World “Weathershield HP” car cover
Phillip & Kay’s Snapless tonneau cover
Paint: Stunning MBZ Iridium Silver by Da Bat – best feature of the whole build
Etc:
Includes alum floor jack, jack stands, specialized tools, manuals, extra parts, fasteners, and electrical bits and pieces
The pics:
Last edited by fumptycars; 09-24-2018 at 11:39 AM.
Reason: sold
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