GTBradley's build - Still Kick'n!

[Papa]

Bummer, Bradley. I know you had mentioned clutch effort back when, but it sounded like you had it worked out. Were you using the FFR provided cable or the Ford part?

[GTBradley]

I was using the FFR supplied cable, Dave. I believe that is a Ford part, yes?

The problem was, I put the two nuts on the cable on the back side of the throw-out fork and for some unknown reason I put one on the front side too. If I had given it any thought at all I would have realized that the cable couldn’t pivot in the fork like that. When I saw it I was like “What the...” and “who was the idiot that did that?”

Anyway, I ordered a couple of Mike Forte’s improved clutch cables and will forgo the clutch cable which is adjustable at the fork end in favor of the firewall adjuster type.

No driving for now, but it is below my preferred 50 degrees for the foreseeable future anyway. More to come...

[Papa]

I was using the FFR supplied cable, Dave. I believe that is a Ford part, yes?

The problem was, I put the two nuts on the cable on the back side of the throw-out fork and for some unknown reason I put one on the front side too. If I had given it any thought at all I would have realized that the cable couldn’t pivot in the fork like that. When I saw it I was like “What the...” and “who was the idiot that did that?”

Anyway, I ordered a couple of Mike Forte’s improved cable clutch cables and will forgo the adjustable clutch cable at the fork end in favor of the firewall adjuster. No driving for now, but it is below my preferred 50 degrees for the foreseeable future anyway. More to come...

I was referring to the "upgraded" Ford part I've seen referenced in several threads. Sounds like you have a plan. I need to check how I did mine now.

Dave

[GTBradley]

Right? It makes me wonder how I did a number of things. I mean, why didn’t I recognize that mistake before I did it? Oh well, it really wasn’t a bad experience and the tow truck truck driver was an interesting guy.

[GTBradley]

1000 mile oil change was a non issue. Oil drain plug had what appeared to be an expected amount of metallic sludge coating it. I bought Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend since that is what is recommended by Ford. Side note, it sure appears from the oil isle at Oreilly's that oil is moving toward full-synthetic. My oil was way down in the corner where I had trouble finding it.

I took my fomoco C336B oil filter that came with the engine install kit with me to the parts store - they didn't sell it and couldn't cross reference it. Edwardb to the rescue! I googled the fomoco filter and factory-five-coyote and voilà, there was Paul's post on the subject regarding oil filters including pictures! Thanks again Paul.

I installed the Mobil 1 M1-113 oil filter and added my oil - 7 and a half quarts to be exact before running the engine.

[Pat427]

Which clutch adjustment product are you going to use at the firewall?

[Papa]

Pat,

I know you didn't ask me, but here is the one I used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dave

[Pat427]

Dave,

Believe me, I was going to. But I thought I'd bother someone else for a change

Pat,

I know you didn't ask me, but here is the one I used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dave

[GTBradley]

CHIEFS! Sorry, crazy game.

It’s basically that, Pat. It’s one that Mike Forte carries, but I don’t think he has it on his website. Just tell him you need it. I spent $105 total. Two cables ($50) one tensioner($35) and shipping.

[Papa]

CHIEFS! Sorry, crazy game.

You aren't kidding about a crazy game! I thought the Chiefs were done five minutes into the game. Insane comeback.

[D02G]

CHIEFS! Sorry, crazy game.

It’s basically that, Pat. It’s one that Mike Forte carries, but I don’t think he has it on his website.

Do you have any pictures of it installed?

[GTBradley]

You aren't kidding about a crazy game! I thought the Chiefs were done five minutes into the game. Insane comeback.

Right? That's kinda how the season has gone. I need a nap!

[GTBradley]

Do you have any pictures of it installed?

Sure thing. The tensioner tips out at the top under the weight of the cable, so I reinstalled the screw that held the FFR cable in place, however I used a longer screw and a washer. It worked perfectly.

[GTBradley]

You have to remove the rubber grommet and file down the tabs before installing the tensioner on the Ford cable

[GTBradley]

Chiefs 51, Texans 31 bring on the Titans!

With that out of the way I got a few things done. I received my engraved FFR VN plate back and installed it on the passenger foot box. I also found a place to mount a couple of the FFR badges

[Bart@SnakeFarm]

Thanks. I saw Ken Miles' car at the Shelby American Museum in Boulder, Colorado and said "I like that". Later I dumbed it down to "what will make people remember that car they saw back in the 60's, the one that made them think "I'm gonna have that car some day".

You told me in the beginning that you were looking for the Ken Miles look. Did we get it?

[GTBradley]

You told me in the beginning that you were looking for the Ken Miles look. Did we get it?

Pretty darn close! Technically, Ken’s number 98 is a little darker - I saw it in person at the museum. But considering how many people say they love the color, well, that’s just fine by me! Cuz I love it too!
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[GTBradley]

We had a nice little neighborhood cars and coffee Sunday. It topped 74 degrees (and promptly dropped below zero the next night) and was perfect weather for a car show. 17 cars wasn’t too bad for just the neighborhood.

[Papa]

Sorry I couldn't make it. I get my car legal and promptly have minor surgery on my left foot making it impossible to clutch. Maybe next time. We're sure to get a couple more warm days before spring.

Dave

[GTBradley]

Yeah, too bad you missed it - bunch of nice guys. Hope the foot is better now. We all had such a good time we’re thinking about a monthly thing.

[GTBradley]

Had nice drive along the Front Range Mountains to Monument for lunch today

[GTBradley]

and by the way, I’d just like to say cheers to Russ Thompson!

[GTBradley]

For several reasons I decided to go with a Whitby soft top:

- The main reason was the lift-the-dot fasteners that allow me to use a real tonneau cover. I wanted to be able to drive with it unzipped down the middle and have half the cockpit still covered.
- I wanted the look of the 1965 cars with the lift-the-dot pegs around the body
- The price for the top is half that of the FF Rodtop - $2149 for the Whitby top and the tonneau.
- The visibility the top affords through it's expansive rear window
- The function of the door windows

I know the top doesn't look as refined as the Rodtop, but for me that's a good thing, because this top looks like what cars had 'back in the day'. Plus, this is strictly for rain and cold weather.
The tonneau however, will be used extensively. Leaving it attached on the back deck of the car with two or one occupant makes it supper easy to close up when going into a restaurant, etc.



Installation time-lapse video:

[GTBradley]

This is the hardware that gets installed to attach to the windscreen frame. It is secure and easy to use.



I had to buy new wind wing brackets from ********** to make the wings operate with the windows installed but they seem to work just fine. The visor brackets work with the top if you turn them upside-down.



Visibility out the back window is excellent and my dash mounted mirror works fine as is.



Seeing out of this top is not unencumbered especially when looking left and right, but I just have to dip my head a bit and I can see everything I need to.

[GTBradley]

A major effort in this install was the roll bar. I kind of thought it was too tall looking anyway, but I had never considered uninstalling and cutting it down. As it turns out, I had to, as the top did not fit with the FFR supplied roll bar. Fortunately, you can cut the roll bar down by 3/4" without having to re-weld the attach points and that was enough to make the top work. The shorter roll bar is still safe for me and someone taller by an inch or two and it looks better in my opinion, too.

These are the studs across the back deck. I had lost some of my hardware and had to wait on Amazon to resupply some lift-the-dots to finish along the front of the cockpit. They are the same as what Whitby uses. The tool needed to make the holes in the top can be expensive, but I found one that works fine for this propose and is only 28 bucks on Amazon.

[GTBradley]

The tonneau was easy enough to install, but isn't without it's own issues. The lift-the-dot studs are already placed where the soft top needs them and so you have to place the holes in the tonneau where it falls on the studs. This results in them not being placed perfectly symmetrical around the cover, but that isn't something that's stands out. The one other issue is the steering wheel pocket on the cover, it pulls against the wheel a bit and is taller than it needs to be. It's close enough, but I may have an upholsterer expand and shorten it a bit. This will relieve some pressure that cases a slight wrinkle in the driver's side and make it fit the steering wheel's height better.





If you are going to install the Whitby top I can tell you that it is very high quality material and the craftsmanship is too! I can also say that this not a terribly difficult thing to do but it does take time and patience, especially considering the holes being drilled in the body, you can't afford a dumb mistake here.

The things I would do different would be to protect the paint in a larger area with tape or something - I have a couple of extra scratches that I'd rather have avoided, though they are minor. And, be extra certain of the widow door feral placement. My passenger side window takes extra effort to get the pins to slide in because they are ever so slightly too far apart.

[GTBradley]

I got the Coyote professionally tuned last week and am very happy with the results. I've only been able to drive it for maybe an hour and a half over two drives, but the throttle response is better and it feels like a lot more power in the 2000 to 4500 RPM range.



Dyno results say 401.05 hp to the wheels. About 20 hp more than before the tune at max, but at least 40 hp more in the lower RPM ranges.

I had to go back a few days later and couldn't pass up the chance to get some cool shots of this amazing auto shop.

[PeteMeindl]

Wow! Yeah, Bradley, that shop looks fantastic. Of course, your car is the star of the show!

[GTBradley]

Well, of course! Actually, no, this place jammed with classics and what a showroom!


48C636C6-4BED-4C1E-ACB1-62783F0C482A.jpeg

[GTBradley]

I broke my seat sometime ago. I don't know when because I didn't notice it until I decided to add some foam cushion to the FFR leather roadster seats. I have the Breeze brackets and with them you get a fiberboard that extends the seat in the thigh area. I figured the fiberboard wouldn't last, especially since my bull-in-a-china-shop sixteen-year-old son is constantly climbing in and out.



I decided to replace it with some plywood I got at HD. I applied waterproofing to it first. For the additional padding I used .5 inch high density foam cushion from Amazon



The seats do feel better, but they feel like there is the slightest crown to them now. I had to peel back some of the leather where it was glued back when I installed the Cobra Heat seat heaters and didn't really want to do that again, but I might still go back and put the foam pad on top of the seat heaters instead to to see if that makes the crown go away.

[Fixit]

My "masonite" panels lasted about a grand total of 4 minutes after install! Literally the 1st pivot of my oversize azz (L or R cheek, depending upon the seat) to get out and SNAP!

I replaced them with 1/8" aluminum sheet from an old roadsign.

[GTBradley]

My "masonite" panels lasted about a grand total of 4 minutes after install! Literally the 1st pivot of my oversize azz (L or R cheek, depending upon the seat) to get out and SNAP!

I replaced them with 1/8" aluminum sheet from an old roadsign.

LOL!

I thought about the aluminum, I was afraid I might bend it, but then again I could break the plywood; however, I did choose a wood that is less brittle. We’ll have to compare after a few thousand miles and a few more pounds.

[GTBradley]

HotRodBlinkn


I stumbled across Skidd's post for the self-cancelling turn signal a short time ago and got very interested (being a RPi nerd at heart and all), so asked him if I could try it out and he said he had a prototype ready to go. well, long story short, this thing is fantastic! Nice work Shane.


It's easy to install, has virtually no moving parts (one could say the relays are moving parts) and is working flawlessly so far. It's has some nifty features too.


I had originally installed the FFR toggle switch and was attempting to retrain my brain to turn off the signals manually. Resounding success with that! I only left them on 50% of the time and on average only four additional miles past the turn I initially needed them for.


So, I jumped at the chance to give the HotRodBlinkn, self cancelling, turn signals a try.


I had to come up with an electrical drawing that would work for the Mk4 standard signal setup - please forgive the poor penmanship, I drew it up on the fly and haven't had a chance to clean it up. I also needed a momentary double throw toggle switch (ON)OFF(ON). I opted for the one at O'reilly Auto because I could get it quick, but it's more expensive than the one at Radio Shack (the existing flashers toggle switch works as is). Other than that, all I needed were spade connectors, zip ties and shrink tubing.

[GTBradley]

First, I made two jumpers to take the place of the two can flashers currently in the Ron Francis fuse block. The fuses that currently supply the flashers and signals are already in the fuse block, so I was set there.



Second, I attached the relays that came with the self-cancelling turn signals to the panel that hold the fuse block. BTW, typing "self-cancelling turn signals" takes too long, I'll do "SCTS" from now on, AKA HotRodBlinkn.



I also attached the SCTS module to the fuse block bracket. In the picture below you can see the two jumpers where the can flashers would be, they plug right in.In the foreground left side you see the two new relays. I like them because they click like most cars do. To the right of them is the SCTS module. What you can't see is the heart of the system, the IR sensor, it gets mounted to the cross member and points directly at the steering shaft. In the picture you can see the steering shaft is painted flat black on just the part that faces down when the wheels are pointed straight ahead. The IR sensor sees the black and waits for it to change to silver and back to black again. What an elegant and simple solution. It is nothing short of brilliant!



The module is hardly noticeable



Here I'm testing the module without the self cancel function because the IR sensor isn't installed yet. Believe it or not, I can hear the relay clicking when at idle.

[GTBradley]

I love this thing! It worked almost immediately. I did have a bad connection in the module I had to fix, but that took all of 20 minutes to find and repair. It is amazing how satisfying it is to do this mod. Mostly because I don't have to think about my signals at all anymore. And best of all, my signals are never left on after the turn any more. Plus, I still have the simplicity of the toggle actuator.

But the proof is in the pudding, right? I donned my son's GoPro camera and took off for a test drive:




Thanks to Shane Powell (Skidd) for letting me be a beta tester and try one of his prototype modules. This thing made my day!

[skidd]

Might have to put this quote into my sig
"What an elegant and simple solution. It is nothing short of brilliant!"
Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE!!

[GTBradley]

It’s really not flattery, but it is getting me down the road without looking like a bluehair with a signal stuck on.

Hey there’s a slogan for you... “Don’t be a bluehair! Use HotRodBlinkn self-cancelling turn signals.”

[GTBradley]

The standard flow valve that comes with the Coyote KRC power steering pump makes the steering over boosted and I've needed to change it ever since the car hit the road. At highway speeds you just think about changing lanes and voilà, you're there, and don't even consider looking for that thing that just fell between the seats...

At the advice of an Edwardb post on the subject, I bought the KRC part number 25304000, which is their lowest boost valve they have for this pump. The valve is on the bottom and not too hard to get to.



Don't be like me and but the plunger in first, it won't work that way . The spring goes in first.
In this picture the old one is on the right. The new valve still has the cap on it.



Pretty easy to do and it doesn't actually dump out all the oil either, but you do still need a catch pan. I primed the system by turning the steering wheel while on the jack stands lock to lock, first with the engine not running, then running.

The feel is much better now and much more manageable on the highway - not so twitchy.

[Fixit]

Thanks Paul & Bradley... another $30 poof-gone!
(I've wondered about lessening the assist on #9365, changing lanes if you sneeze is not good)

[GTBradley]

Thanks Paul & Bradley... another $30 poof-gone!
(I've wondered about lessening the assist on #9365, changing lanes if you sneeze is not good)

$40 with shipping...poof, poof!

Think of it this way though, all those beer cans you so dutifully emptied and recycled went into making that little valve.