F9 SEMA Build

[Erik W. Treves]

Hello all.

Just wanted to let everyone know I got the call from Stewart just now and it looks like the "Eagle" will land tomorrow morning around 8-9am CST. I will be documenting the build with pictures and video; both here and on FB. Some live videos. I think the plan is pretty well laid out (I think) so hopefully this should go pretty smooth (for a new design) - updates will happen in the evening mainly. I will plan on answering as many questions as I see. Only thing I would ask is that if you are going to ask a question please post it here in the thread NOT as a PM. This will keep the same question from be asked by multiple people - filling up my inbox.

There will be a planned pause in the build update in a few weeks when the Rolling Chassis and Body go to paint.... much like where my GTM is right now.

Hang on - this is gonna go like crazy.

Thanks again to Dave and Jim for trusting me with this project!

here we go.........................................

[65 Cobra Dude]

Awesome Erik! Can’t wait to watch your progress. FFR chose the right beta builder!

Henry

[Erik W. Treves]

Got the 30 minutes out call! pit crew is ready - of course we are unloading in the RAIN.....Army of ONE! ...lol

[jbs72697]

But it wouldn’t be a true kit build if everything went perfectly

[Erik W. Treves]

OK - well we are off and running. Everything went pretty well as planned - goal was to get the car into a roller with the brakes installed and on the ground so I can get the body on and start working the doors and set the gaps on everything. I am trying to get this over to the paint guy who happens to be my Powdercoat guy too - very cool... this way he can finalize everything and we can figure out the paint... once he is happy with that we will rip the body off and I will bring the chassis back and start putting everything together for good.

AL the new Stewart Drive was awesome - nice guy. There was a lot of work to do since a guy cxl'd his delivery after the truck was load and his stuff was in front of mine.... so that was some work

Anyway - was moving pretty good so I didn't get some of the detail picks - but there will be plenty of those after the chassis comes back from dropping the body off...

all in all not a bad day and the rain even stopped after we got everything in the garage --- of course...

[Erik W. Treves]

[Erik W. Treves]

Got a little more done today.. got the back all installed and gapped.. fitted the hood to match the door... Installed driver's side hinge mount assy... Looks like door will take a minute to fit but waiting on some bushings.. but it does fit real well in the hole.. will start on the passenger door tomorrow after work... Oh .. installed the rack and steering column so I can roll it around now without issue

[HerculezJT]

So as of right now, whats your impression of the body? Any irregularities in the form? Any concerning flex with the large body piece? Im happy to hear the doors seem to fit well so far, i know that is somewhat an endeavor on some of the kits.

[Erik W. Treves]

THe body is very rigid and light... So far the body looks quite good.. which means you have to be extra careful handling it, which is new to me since I always paint my cars. But so far so good... will be glad to have the doors and windows behind me

[merim123]

This looks better than I thought it would so far. Will be curious on your feedback on fit inside for tall people as well. I'm 6'3"

[Erik W. Treves]

The fit inside is the same as the Gen 3 coupe which I am happy to report is HUGE. I would make the observation that tall is relative to whether you are long legged or long in the upper body... myself I am 5'6" with 31inch inseam and I have the seat as high up as I can get it (Kirkey) and I am sitting on a one inch cushion as well as having the seat moved forward - If you go on the Coupe forum and ask the question you will find your answer I believe. I haven't check myself side by side ( i have a coupe as well) - but the A-pillar roll bar is more forward so I think this will help with the entry as well.

my .02

[merim123]

thanks for this, my inseam is 33" so I'd say I lean toward torso tall vs. leg tall. How is the footbox for a size 13 shoe?

[smithtlw]

Wow- just the other day I read you were going to be building this and come back to check the forum to find out I almost missed the entire build! Awesome progress and it looks great. Thanks for sharing so many pictures along the way.

-Todd

[Erik W. Treves]

thanks for this, my inseam is 33" so I'd say I lean toward torso tall vs. leg tall. How is the footbox for a size 13 shoe?

I would recommend looking in the Coupe Forum - the F9 is dimensionally the same inside

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...highlight=size

[Erik W. Treves]

Wow- just the other day I read you were going to be building this and come back to check the forum to find out I almost missed the entire build! Awesome progress and it looks great. Thanks for sharing so many pictures along the way.

-Todd

Yeah - rolling pretty good - knocking out the stuff that I know how goes together - since I get these without directions; Everything looks pretty good so far and no surprises.. just trying to document everything and find parts. Stay tuned!

[David Hodgkins]

Public Apologies to Erik! I forgot to add this new forum to the home page latest threads list!

I personally have been looking forward to this thread for years now!

[Papa]

Does the body have some kind of protective wrap on it? Is it all carbon fiber like the first prototype?

[David Hodgkins]

Does the body have some kind of protective wrap on it? Is it all carbon fiber like the first prototype?

I'm thinking the doors are from the 1st car body and the rest of the car is one of the mat finish 2nd batch.

[Erik W. Treves]

DAve you are correct.

[crash]

Does the body have some kind of protective wrap on it? Is it all carbon fiber like the first prototype?

My question exactly. I don't really care since I will likely paint the one we get, but I too noticed that it doesn't look like the pictures from when the body was fresh out of the molds? The door looks like maybe what I was expecting, but the hood and tail look different. What is the reason for this?

EDIT: Um..."mat finish"? Please explain.

[Erik W. Treves]

THe doors are gloss over carbon... the rest of the car is matte...all part of the plan

[David Hodgkins]

Sorry for the typo crash. As Erik says, matte finish - as opposed to gloss or flat, eggshell, etc.

[crash]

Sorry. Wasn't ribbing anyone over "mat" vs "matte", I was just wanting to know...

I had heard "through the grapevine" that there were some changes being made to one or more of the original beta bodies and I was thinking that the "matte/mat" finish was as a result of those "adjustments" maybe? Just probing for info. Wondering if your body was "updated"? Also, I assume you will be painting the body since the mismatch of finishes?

[Erik W. Treves]

All will be revealed at SEMA For now just doing the all the panel fitting - then I will put the rest of the drivetrain in.

[Chadillac]

Brembo brakes?

[Erik W. Treves]

Yes

[Erik W. Treves]

So I apologize - I meant to share some close up shots from yesterday and I must of been too tired or something but I am not seeing them above. The rear of the car does not come attached to the car - tail section. So the tail section gets bonded on the rear lip and sides can be bonded or bolted... I took these shots on both sides which show the consistent body lines and tight fit. It didn't take very long - the hardest part was trying to balance the entire rear clip by myself was a task as wide as the car is....lol... don't mind all the shop dust on it.

[David Hodgkins]

Erik not to get too far ahead but some basic questions you might know the answer to:

• Is the bottom going to be tubbed?
• Do you know where the exhaust will route and exit?
• Do you have any idea what the finished dash/interior will look like?
• Has the interior fit and finish been finalized by the factory?
• Will this be a "stock" build in that regard, or are you going to add custom bits?

[Erik W. Treves]

Dave I will answer what I can.

Is the bottom going to be tubbed? - not sure what this means? are you asking if the bottom is going to flat bottom like the GTM? Not sure I haven't gotten through that part - but it looks like at the very least the back of the car is flat bottomed and continues to the rear diffuser.

Do you know where the exhaust will route and exit? Around the sides and out the back just like the other pics .. 4 pipe tips just above the diffuser

Do you have any idea what the finished dash/interior will look like? No

Has the interior fit and finish been finalized by the factory? I do don't know - I don't have it yet.

Will this be a "stock" build in that regard, or are you going to add custom bits? - should be "stock" - the LS V12 is pretty much over the top for power.. .. The main goal is to provide FFR feedback on the kit and its assembly as well as making it presentable at SEMA... hopefully I do it justice and it is received well.

[merim123]

So I apologize - I meant to share some close up shots from yesterday and I must of been too tired or something but I am not seeing them above. The rear of the car does not come attached to the car - tail section. So the tail section gets bonded on the rear lip and sides can be bonded or bolted... I took these shots on both sides which show the consistent body lines and tight fit. It didn't take very long - the hardest part was trying to balance the entire rear clip by myself was a task as wide as the car is....lol... don't mind all the shop dust on it.

Is this car going to be painted? maybe one piece of feedback to the factory is to have the carbon layed in the same direction so if someone did not want to paint the car, the carbon direction would flow the same way. Right now they run into each other.

[Erik W. Treves]

with all the addition aero that gets placed on the car I am not sure this can be helped...imo...at least at the price point that it makes it reasonable....my observation is that while obvious at 10 inches away - it really isn't noticeable ... again just my observation. My only point in the picture was to show how tight the fit is and how the lines flow consistently across the body...since the carbon is ultra stiff there is no hiding or cheating this if it's wrong.

[Papa]

with all the addition aero that gets placed on the car I am not sure this can be helped...imo...at least at the price point that it makes it reasonable....my observation is that while obvious at 10 inches away - it really isn't noticeable ... again just my observation. My only point in the picture was to show how tight the fit is and how the lines flow consistently across the body...since the carbon is ultra stiff there is no hiding or cheating this if it's wrong.

Like this?



Lower trim to body looks out of whack if you just look at the area behind the rear wheel opening, but look how the direction starts at the center of the rear panels and aligns with the parts there.

Similar on the front:



Looks pretty intricate to get the weave to flow over all parts of the car. I wonder what the Porsche body costs?

[Erik W. Treves]

I am sure that is a pretty penny but looking at that right rear fender and bumper - even that is off as is the area where the license plate is....meh...

[GoDadGo]

Papa Dave,

This is a Family Friendly Forum so showing Carbon Fiber Porn is prohibited.

Steve

[Papa]

Papa Dave,

This is a Family Friendly Forum so showing Carbon Fiber Porn is prohibited.

Steve

Okay -- How about the PG-13 version? Here's my $800 sliver of carbon fiber I added to my BMW:

[q4stix]

These look an awful lot like the Brembo brakes and rotors on the GT350.
Any idea if that's planned for the F9 or just for SEMA with the standard being the Wilwood setup Factory Five offers as an options tons of people go with?

[Erik W. Treves]

Not sure.. sorry

[stack]

These look an awful lot like the Brembo brakes and rotors on the GT350.
Any idea if that's planned for the F9 or just for SEMA with the standard being the Wilwood setup Factory Five offers as an options tons of people go with?

I believe that F5 has made brackets to connect the GT350 brake kit to the F5 spindles. Those are indeed GT350

stack

[q4stix]

I believe that F5 has made brackets to connect the GT350 brake kit to the F5 spindles. Those are indeed GT350

stack

Interesting. Seems like a lot of options are not well publicized or not shown either on the order page or the parts website. They're doing better listing things but not there yet.


Now back to the build.... it's been 24 hours an no new progress pictures. What's happened to Erik? Someone needs to check on him

[Erik W. Treves]

Ha... Check the build forum.. I didn't post last night - had to work until 6pm - and then went out to the garage to attempt to hang a door....lol.... more to follow.