Arizona Hot Rod

[rapidray]

I was just looking at the pictures because I thought that about that also however I did slide the fuel tank in the opening when I built the battery tray.(you can see it in my picture) I also noticed that I received a big hose in the fuel tank box maybe that has something to do with it however there is no way that the fuel tank will fit without that hole. Thanks Ray

[rapidray]

This weeks progress! Installed rear brakes and built all the brake lines. Bled them all and it went real well, no problems. Coated lower aluminum floor and installed passenger side. Changed toggle switch high beam switch to early Chevy push type. Installed lower radiator hose, after going through local parts store inventory and finding one that fit! Cheers Ray

[rapidray]

Well had a pretty good week. Installed the Wilwood emergency brake system, it fit and worked perfect. Installed transmission cooler, drilled and riveted more holes than I care to talk about! For anybody that used a hand riveter my hat is off to you! Hope to install the fuel system, program computer and start engine next week! Cheers Ray

[rapidray]

Sethmark, I am confused on how the FFR furnished seats bolt to the floor. My seat mounts do not line up with the square steel frame tubes. Do the seats bolt to the aluminum floor? If you have a picture of how you mounted yours I would appreciate it. Thanks Ray

[sethmark]

Ray,
‘I’ll look. Car is at my shop....might need to be tomorrow....

[FF33rod]

Sethmark, I am confused on how the FFR furnished seats bolt to the floor. My seat mounts do not line up with the square steel frame tubes. Do the seats bolt to the aluminum floor? If you have a picture of how you mounted yours I would appreciate it. Thanks Ray

How the seats bolt to the floor and/or frame are totally up to you (in the same way that where you put rivets and how many are up to you). Some put adjusters under the seats and others bolt them direct.

On my build, first I riveted and used silicone to reinforce the floor area under each seat wtih a small steel sheet. On the passenger side, I used Summit universal fixed seat brackets G1150 giving minimal rise and a small recline. On the drivers side I used the same (cut down to minimize height) along with MasterCraft sliding seat bracket 620030. With the use of the fixed seat bracket on the bottom, I was able to have 6 bolts per seat with 4 of them attaching to the frame and the other 2 per side (the front of each) were attached to the steel/aluminum floor sheeting only.

Steve

[sethmark]

Damn Steve.....6 bolts?

[rapidray]

Sethmark, thank you for your suggestions! I think you led me in the right direction. I also was looking at the way you mounted your fuel pump. I was going to do the same thing as we both have the same donor motor. I was wondering however how noisy it is and can you access it in case of failure or to change the filter? Would you or have you built an access panel? Cheers Ray

[sethmark]

I didn’t help!

[sethmark]

WithRegard to the fuel pump, it’s pretty quiet. Once it’s primed, it’s really not bad at all. I expect a waterfall to be removable in case I need to service it. Honestly, I’m not concerned about it in the slightest.

[rapidray]

Sorry should have thanked Steve. But you have also really been helpful so thanks to you all! Ray

[rapidray]

This weeks progress! Installed fuel tank, after grinding and reworking upper welds. The mounting tabs were very uneven and could not slide the gas tank into the frame. Built a bracket that I mounted on top of the I'm guessing Gen I battery tray that holds the fuel pump and filter. Started the wiring for the computer controls and added all of the fluids and mounted the tires and wheels. Unfortunately I received one bent rear wheel and a tire that had a blemish on the bead but replacements are on the way. Mounted the drivers seat after building brackets that went through the frame rails. Cheers Ray

[rapidray]

I also ran into this problem. Looking at the driveshaft yoke engagement after getting the weight on wheels I was not happy with the fit. The yoke is way to far from the rear of the trans. I think the driveshaft is too short. Here are some pictures. Talked to Dave B. and he is checking with the research and development guys. I could possibly move the engine back by flipping the LS brackets but don't think that would be enough. Opinion's? Picture is of the passenger side mount. Ray

[JimLev]

That yoke isn't in far enough.

[HVACMAN]

Jim is right it's not in near far enough. I may be wrong but from the picture it appears the motor mounts are in the wrong holes. With that said, it took FFR two tries to get me the right driveshaft.

[rapidray]

You are correct! After going through the LS installment directions again I definitely do have them installed wrong. However moving them only gains me 3/4 of an inch and I need almost 2 inches. Thanks for your inputs. I will probably move it Monday and see what I have. Its an easy process. Ray

[rapidray]

Hello all! After moving the engine back I gained about 5/8" and FFR was going to send me a 3/4" longer driveshaft, however I would still lack about a 1/2" so to stop the bleeding I just had one built. I would have been on my 3rd FFR driveshaft and my fun meter was pegged! Really its no big deal and saves a lot of time and trouble for everyone. I found a good place to mount my overflow bottle and just had to laugh when I found the radiator neck outlet was 3/8 and the tank inlet was 3/16. Wired the computer in not too bad and engine started right up with no codes! Still waiting for the mufflers from FFR. I also received the wrong rear cockpit corner panels but the right ones are on the way. Plan on moving it over to the front end rack Monday for alignment and to set the final pinion angle. Then on to the body work. Cheers Ray

[rapidray]

So after going through the manual and looking at the interior aluminum that I received I noticed some discrepancies. The rear cockpit corners are incorrect, the corners I received were for the Gen 1 I think. Also are there supposed to be front cockpit corners like depicted in the manual? Are door hinge templates supposed to be furnished with the kit? I also noticed that I installed the rear bulkhead before I installed the floor, however I don't think it matters either way. One other thing since I am not running a top should I have received a rear cockpit trim piece that is shown on page 599 of the online manual? Thanks Ray

[cob427sc]

Looks like you have the wrong panel if I remember properly and yes, you should have recieved the upholstered trim piece that goes along the top of the body/warefall interface.

[shmelty]

This weeks progress! Installed rear brakes and built all the brake lines. Bled them all and it went real well, no problems. Coated lower aluminum floor and installed passenger side. Changed toggle switch high beam switch to early Chevy push type. Installed lower radiator hose, after going through local parts store inventory and finding one that fit! Cheers Ray

Hi Ray,

What did you coat your panels with? The car is coming along great! I am a few weeks away from pulling the trigger on a kit.


/Sean

[sethmark]

I powder coated my bottom panels. The gen 2 sandwich floors do an excellent job on insulating from heat.

[rapidray]

Well, had a good week! Finally tackled the transmission tunnel, I knew it was not going to be easy with the drive by wire and Lokar rod shifter. I got so frustrated with it that I finally just cut the whole side of it out! I then mocked up the opening with sheet metal and glassed it all in. What a chore. It came out really nice and the fit and function is great. I did finish up the overflow bottle mount and then finally moved it to our front end machine to check the track and set the alignment. It went real well and then just could not resist going for a little drive. There is only one thing to say about the performance and that is awesome. It is so fast and handles like a dream. The manual steering is absolutely positive and effortless along with the brakes. I coated the lower panels with a product called body Schultz, I have been using it for years on the many SS Chevelle's that I have built and found it to be durable, easy to maintain along with excellent sound deadening. Figured it took me 125 hours from the start of the build to the first drive. FFR shipped my mufflers and after figuring out that I received Gen I instead of Gen 2 sheet metal its all on the way. Next week body work. Ray

[rapidray]

I was looking at the rear trunk aluminum when I had the car on the front end rack and I noticed that the banana bar is rubbing on the trunk aluminum. Unfortunately I don't have a picture but I noticed on other build threads that there is a box in the trunk for the upper control arm clearance. The trunk aluminum I got does not have the cutout or the box. I am just wondering if anyone else had this problem with the 3 link rear setup. Thanks Ray

[peterh226]

Welcome to my world. EB656700-A04C-4EE0-B79B-DA55CCAA32BE.jpeg
Also needed a longer upper link (13 in) that FFR sent me. It’s at 17 center to center now but I will be adjusting.
Lower control arms are 17.75 center to center and I think they should be shorter.
The angle of the shocks (not vertical in the side view) is the other concern.
I have droop limit straps so the driveshaft does not hit the frame as well.

[rapidray]

Here is what I did this week. Installed doors and taillights, installed seat belts. Went to the DMV to start the registration process. I was told the car has to be inspected so decided to mock the whole car up (less hood) and get the registration complete. The doors were a challenge! I found that in this case all of my prior experience actually was a hindrance. Could not get it through my head that there is no adjustment at the pillar side of the door (up and down). Spent 3 hours on the drivers door and went away frustrated. Came back to it the next day and figured out what I was doing wrong. Finished the door in a hour or so and then went to the passenger side which took me about 45 minutes. The learning curve was huge. Will do the final fitment (gap etc.) after the inspection process is complete. Was told by FFR that the box in the trunk for the upper 3 member bar is no longer needed by the way. Cheers Ray

[sethmark]

Looks great. I have to admit. The doors suck the life out of this project for me. I’m a mechanic and a fabricator. I’m seriously considering paying someone for bodywork.

[shmelty]

Are those 20x10s on the rear?

[rapidray]

Sethmark, it was not really that hard after figuring out what needed to done. Before installing anything fit the doors to the opening. Does not have to be perfect. The 45 1/2 opening between the dash and the rear is not going to be exact. I installed my firewall and then had a 200 lbs. guy sit on the rear of the trunk to spread the body while I drilled and put the rear trunk mount bolts in. It finally measured at 45 5/8 when I was done but the doors fit better in the opening. After I did that I installed the interior door bracket and connected the hinges but did not drill the 4 holes in it as is stated in the manual (page 373) make sure you leave the bar that goes to the latch (2 big bolts) loose when you are doing this I then taped the door back in position and put 4 short self tappers in the interior hinge bracket where the 4 holes go (this sets the height of the door to body). I then removed the door and drilled the holes where I put the self tappers one at a time and installed 1/4 inch round head bolts. After that I tightened the bar that goes to the latch and installed the door and adjusted as necessary. Make sure you grind out where the door meets the upper body line (page 374). Those 4 bolts set the height of the door which is not otherwise adjustable. I just could not get that through my head and that is why it was such a struggle for me at first. The rest is easy. Also that is the size of the rear tires. Ray

[peterh226]

I have a small interference between the 3Bar link and the sheet metal. So I dont need a big box, but more like a 1" high rounded bubble. The whole rear suspension has just been off about an inch through the whole process.

[rapidray]

Peter, this is what I found. If the transmission mount was good I ran into a problem. I have a LS motor and 4l60E. My problem was when I was satisfied with everything my right exhaust pipe had clearance issues so I did the 2 spacer deal on the right exhaust down pipe. This allowed me to leave the transmission mount slightly higher and it solved everything. I put 1 washer at a time between the transmission and rubber mount until I got everything adjusted (pinion angle) and then built the transmission spacers as needed. The clearance between the driveshaft and cross member is really close but it does clear even with the shocks in the lower bolt hole and no weight on wheels. Ray

[sethmark]

The interdependencies are the trick....

[rapidray]

Peter, I was just looking at your pictures on Sethmarks page and I noticed you had your lower control arm mounted to the lower front hole. I mounted mine to the upper for my pinion angle final settings. You might try that. Ray

[peterh226]

Peter, I was just looking at your pictures on Sethmarks page and I noticed you had your lower control arm mounted to the lower front hole. I mounted mine to the upper for my pinion angle final settings. You might try that. Ray

Did you use the upper holes at both ends on the lower control arm?

[rapidray]

Peter, I used the lower hole on the differential end and the upper on the frame. I think it helped with the pinion angle. I do not have a lot of driveshaft to frame clearance with the suspension fully extended about an 1/8 of an inch. Actually the clearance does not really change that much with the weight on wheels as the car is so light. My final ride height is about 5.5 on the front and 6.25 on the rear. I used the supplied spacers on the transmission mount but had to put 2 exhaust spacers on the right exhaust down pipe for the collector to have frame clearance. With this combination I was able to use the lower upper shock mount hole as well. Hope this helps as I see a lot of people having issues with this. I have driven the car and I do not have any vibration or other incorrect pinion angle symptoms. By the way my final angle was just about 2 degrees and the rear trunk aluminum barely clears the banana bar. Ray

[rapidray]

Hi all! This week I took care of a lot of little items. Fitted trunk, wrapped mufflers, rear view mirrors and started on the hood and windshield. The windshield was a chore. I cannot get it to fit no matter what I do. I tried moving it from side to side, tilting, forward backwards and grinding the frame. Also when you look through the glass from an angle the view is distorted and looks wavy. I have contacted Dave B. at FFR and hope that its possible I received a poorly manufactured one. Wonder if anyone else has had this problem? I also had to add the V8 emblem that is on the stock 32 Ford headlight bar! LOL Ray

[sethmark]

Yes, the windshield required a great deal of scooping from underneath to get it to fit the cowl. I used a 3/8" belt sander to get it to contour to the body better. I’m interested that you chose to mount the mirrors on the doors. I was thinking on the body. No concern of it cracking the fiberglass long-term opening and closing the doors?

As for the glass, it had terrible parallax when I was sitting too high. Changing the seats out and sitting much lower has taken away the waviness.

Have you fit the waterfall yet? That’s a real joy also.

[rapidray]

I ground so much out of the left side of the frame (the fit is still terrible) and the right side fit pretty well with minimal modifications that I am afraid the window will look crooked when mounted. I knew there was going to be a problem when I saw where the window was made. As for the mirrors the door shell is pretty thick where they mount but be careful as I first mounted the left side to close to the front edge and I could not get the nut on. I actually drilled 3 holes in the door before I got them where I wanted but hey hole repair is easy stuff. They actually function pretty well where mounted. My trunk fit well but the latch is a real pain and will pull it out of adjustment if not adjusted perfectly. I also noticed that the doors tend to require adjustment after you drive the car hard so glad I mocked everything up before paint so the body will hopefully settle in place. I just set my waterfall in temporarily and the fit did not appear bad but appearances are always deceiving! Ray

[sethmark]

I’m not sure how you could possibly install the waterfall without cutting the holes for the rollbar. It needed the slots.

I also did all of the windshield fit on the driver side. The passenger fit nicely. I have measured substantially and I don’t see where it wasn’t level when I was done.

On my car, the body had a pretty good deviation on the Cowl on the driver side.

[rapidray]

Wow that's weird! Mine dropped right in and appeared too fit at the rear door posts. The roll bar mounts did not interfere at all but I really didn't eyeball it good as I was worried about the fuel lines when I was messing with it. I do not intend to run a roll bar by the way. What did you do with your exhaust? I did not want to run them out the rear as I don't want all that heat around. I intended to run oblong square tips at the rear of the body like Nascar does but liked the way they looked when I just cut them.

[sethmark]

I think they’re evolving the gen 2. I’ve had some body oddities.