Taher's Mk4 Build Thread

[del-taher]

Hello to anyone visiting my thread! I have been interested in building a Factory Five Roadster for about 9 years now. As is often the case, other priorities push dreams to the back burner. So I have been waiting. 2020 will go down as a pretty devastating year for a lot of us, and I am no exception. Lost a son to a motorcycle accident, and then COVID turned the world upside down. But it is also the year I pulled the trigger on my dream! I ordered the complete kit for the Mk4 on 8/10/2020. I was told that the FFR completion date is 10/24/2020. I already have Stewart contracted to transport.

So let's talk options:

1. Coyote Gen-3 w/T56 Magnum transmission from Mike Forte
2. Mike Forte's Clutch Effort Reducer
3. Body Cut-outs
4. Leather seats
5. Power Steering (pump and bracket from Mike Forte)
6. 2015 IRS
7. 17x9/10.5 Halibrand wheels
8. Heater/Defroster
9. Chrome Roll bars on both sides (happy wife, happy life)
10. Wilwood brakes, front and back in black
11. Gas-N headers and polished quiet sidelines (thanks to Mike Forte for the tip to use Gas-N!!)
12. Lund Racing custom tune

Other planned additions:

1. Seat warmers
2. LED lights in trunk
3. Self-cancelling turn signal stalk

So I should mention that this car will never be taken to the track. This is my four-wheeled therapy for taking cruises with my wife and friends through orchards and to wineries. I plan to attend the build school about a week before the FFR completion date.

And now, some questions I would like to pose to the forum: I have chatted with edwardb regarding his builds, but I also wanted to get others' inputs. I would like to add power brakes and I am thinking about using the Whitby system. edwardb mentioned that it does not work with the Wilwood pedal box. I must admit, I am not entirely certain at this point what is meant by "pedal box," though I can guess. He mentioned something about a King box. Can someone tell me if that is a particular vendor? What alternatives have any of you Coyote users employed to get power brakes?

I am looking forward to hearing from many of you! I am sure I will have many questions. I will post here when I can (though I am almost certain that I will not be able to chronicle my build with anywhere near the quality of edwardb). My wife has promised to work with me taking photographs as we go. Thank you in advance for your advice and encouragement!

-David

[Straversi]

Welcome. I’m sorry for your tragic loss. That is something no one should have to endure. The good thing about these builds is you can immerse yourself in the project. Hopefully this provides you some peace. No experience with power brakes but look forward to following along with your project

-Steve

[Jeff Kleiner]

...I would like to add power brakes and I am thinking about using the Whitby system. edwardb mentioned that it does not work with the Wilwood pedal box...

-David

Welcome!

The Wilwood pedal box CAN be used for power brakes by using components available from Whitby to convert it to a vacuum booster. That said though I feel that it is a step backwards because it uses a single dual chamber master cylinder and eliminates the balance bar thereby losing the ability to adjust front/rear brake bias. I feel that this is doubly so when using the Wilwood brakes---you'll spend thousands of dollars and not be able to make adjustments to maximize their potential. I'll go one step further and say that for a car that "will never be taken to the track" Wilwood brakes are overkill. The complete kit's dual piston PBR front calipers and '15 Mustang rears will provide eyeball popping stopping power! The advantage the Wilwoods have over these is that they'll do it lap after lap on track. But...lots of guys buy them simply for the "bling" or "jewelry" factor and if you're one of them and don't minding spending the money to get it good for ya'

Good luck with the build; I'll look forward to following along

[del-taher]

Jeff, do you feel that the build could be done without power brakes, and then add them later if so desired? I am good with not having power brakes if they really aren't needed, and I agree, losing some of the Wilwood functionality is not desirable.

[ydousurf]

Hi David, and welcome to the family! I am so sorry to hear of your son's passing. I've lost several wonderful souls recently in the past and can understand some of the pain, but not the loss of a child. I can only hope you find some semblance of peace in the build process and the people you meet. May they (we) help with some "good therapy" to help motivate you and keep you on track - (pun intended .

There are a several builds with various options that folks have added. As metioned (edwardb's) and (toadster's) come to mind. I know there are several others out here too; Straversi, Papa, GTBradley, BadASP Caddy Dad and the list just goes on and on... Many of the builds have various "mods" where the builder added many vendor options or did something that is outside the box and you might want to incorporate in your build.

Oh, and you'll for sure will want to do the Jeff Kleiner - Rear Quick Jack Mod~
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...hlight=coupler

Personally, I would also look at Russ Thompson's (drop-trunk, turn signal, throttle pedal, etc...). I have Russ' parts and they're very effective. Where form meets function = Beautiful!

I still have yet to post my build journal. I'm not very far, but enjoying every second that I do get to build on my roadster. I'll have it posted soon.

Anyway, may you find happiness and enjoyment as you work to complete your car, taking it places that you and your son (family) enjoyed or had planned to visit. I know I'm making that my main goal with my ride. I wish you all the best!

Dj

[edwardb]

I have chatted with edwardb regarding his builds, but I also wanted to get others' inputs. I would like to add power brakes and I am thinking about using the Whitby system. edwardb mentioned that it does not work with the Wilwood pedal box. I must admit, I am not entirely certain at this point what is meant by "pedal box," though I can guess. He mentioned something about a King box. Can someone tell me if that is a particular vendor? What alternatives have any of you Coyote users employed to get power brakes?

-David

Looks like my response wasn't clear. What I said was using power brakes on the Wilwood pedal box would eliminate the front-back balance bar used in the Wilwood pedal box. Exactly what Jeff Kleiner described in more detail. Don't know what you mean by King box. I think in our discussions I mentioned my 20th Anniversary Mk4 had footbox (not pedal box) mods that were designed by forum member 2bking. That was several years ago and the current footbox from Factory Five is very similar and has the same reclaimed space.

For clarity, this is the pedal box Factory Five supplies. https://www.wilwood.com/Images/Pedal...0-11299-xl.jpg. It bolts into the top of the footbox using bracketry supplied with the kit. For a manual brake setup, the master cylinders mount on the studs shown in the picture. For a power brake setup, there would be a single master cylinder mounted on the front of the footbox. The Whitby kit contains the parts required to make the change.

[bldr.rob]

Welcome! Just a note on the build school.... you may want to contact the build school to try to get in sooner rather than later. We've been trying to get in since May and it keeps getting pushed back due to Covid. We're now scheduled for early December but not sure if it will still be worth it by then as we may be too far along for it to make sense for us. Lots of GREAT folks who have done these builds on here so don't hesitate to ask questions. Good luck!

[del-taher]

Don't know what you mean by King box. I think in our discussions I mentioned my 20th Anniversary Mk4 had footbox (not pedal box) mods that were designed by forum member 2bking. That was several years ago and the current footbox from Factory Five is very similar and has the same reclaimed space.

You're right! I confused where I read/heard information. Trying to absorb a lot of advice from many sources, some older threads included. My thanks to all for the information.

[del-taher]

Welcome! Just a note on the build school.... you may want to contact the build school to try to get in sooner rather than later. We've been trying to get in since May and it keeps getting pushed back due to Covid. We're now scheduled for early December but not sure if it will still be worth it by then as we may be too far along for it to make sense for us. Lots of GREAT folks who have done these builds on here so don't hesitate to ask questions. Good luck!

I was actually scheduled for mid-July. It got pushed to October. Hopefully, there won't be any further postponements.

[JB in NOVA]

David, welcome to the club! I'm not too far from you (McLean, VA). I'm about 4 months into my build, hoping to get the engine installed next month. It has definitely been an adventure so far. I look forward to following your build.

[Joel Hauser]

I used the OEM brakes calipers from a 1996 mustang, and did not use the power brake vacuum booster; strickly manual brakes for me. I had to purchase a different Ford master cylinder to make it work; the good folks at Factory Five knew exactly what year master cylinder I needed, and it was an easy mod. The manual brakes require a lot of effort, but they will lock up the tires if need be. I like them, just like I like the manual steering rack. It reminds me that I'm driving a classic car from the 1960's, and that I built it. If I need to use a smooth, comfortable quiet car...I let someone else drive.

[del-taher]

Well, it's been a while since I have posted. After ordering the kit, it was largely a waiting game. I filled my time ordering miscellaneous parts: tires, good-quality indicator lights, Drummer Mike's heat shields, Gas-N sidepipes and headers, components for powered ventilation of the footwells, engine bay battery storage, seat adjusters, seat warmers, water-proof electrical connectors, engine and transmission along with a lot of other parts from Mike Forte. Finally, yesterday, the big rig pulled up!IMG_3408-Small.jpgIMG_1180.JPGIMG_3425.jpgIMG_3435-Small.jpgIMG_1187.JPGIMG_1173-Small.jpg I then spent the next 12 hours doing a meticulous inventory. Glad that is done! Only a couple of parts were not accounted for. I'll be calling FFR today to discuss. Next up, marking the mounted aluminum panels and removing the body.

[Fman]

Congratulations, that is a fun day! Looks like you have some nice upgrades coming on your build!

[John Ibele]

Congratulations David, and welcome to the fun! And, my condolences on the loss of your son. I think you'll find you've picked an endlessly challenging puzzle to engage your mind and take you away from all the disruptive events of 2020.

It'll be fun following along as you move forward with your build. Looks like you've put a lot of thought into your build plan, matching it up with realistic expectations for what you'll want to do with the car. That's only going to lead to more enjoyment when you hit the road!

Just a note on build school - it was a fun experience and I learned a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to do it. But the fact is, this forum is full of so many helpful folks who have documented so much about how they've solved problems. It's possible to get just about any question answered here, and I would have no reservations about forging ahead without the build school even if you have limited fab experience. If you take your time and ask questions here whenever you're stumped, you should be in good shape.

Ah, inventory done and a clean slate in front of you - what a great point in the build. But - every stage is a great point in the build

Cheers,

-- John

[del-taher]

Thanks, John! I actually went to the build school in October. It was fun and very informative. The biggest challenge right now is staging the garage to still allow movement of things like the engine hoist when it's needed. At least that will get easier as parts are put on the chassis and boxes go away!

Cheers!

David