Another Type 65 in S.F. Bay Area

[Glen Davis]

A FFR Type 65 Coupe has landed here and now the San Francisco Bay Area has another Coupe. I just purchased #95 that is about 60% or so done. The roller was done by Whitby Motorcar. The person I bought this from installed a crate Gen 2 Coyote with the Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4+ kit and a T56 transmission with external hydraulic clutch. It has low back seats, those will get changed to high-backs, Wilwood masters with the bias adjuster, A/C, P/S, wipers, sway bars, FFR headers and side pipes which he ceramic white, remote oil filter with an external oil cooler, electronic rear view mirror, carpet kit, Brock style outside mirrors, leather Hyde for the dash & console and Nitto NT55 tires which will also get change eventually.

I’m going to take the body off to make sure everything is torqued and put together correctly and can work on the wiring which looks like it needs a lot of work. My grandson, WHO IS IN THE PICTURE, helping with this project, he is 15 and wants to learn the automotive business and drag racing. I plan it to add a few things like Russ Thompson turn signal, NRG quick release, LED lighting all around, door poppers, driveshaft safely loop, finish installing the aluminum panels, redo the fuel line, change the oiling system and install the interior. After registration I plan on driving it for a while to sort anything out before the body work and painted done by my son as he knows how to do that. There are some tentative plans for next winter but first thing first and that is to get this in the road.

A little about myself, when I got out of the Naval Air in 1972, I started working in the automotive business. First was a VW specialty shop which we also raced them. From there I worked at independent automotive importers. I have done inside/outside sales, been a store & warehouse manager, an overseas buyer and cataloging & product managing for Audi, Volkswagens and Porsche. I now work part-time out of my house for an automotive manufacture cataloging the fitment of their growing 11,000+ SKP1040160.jpgU’s with some product managing. I have rebuilt engines, manual transmissions (a long time ago) and nP1040160.jpgormal service stuff but never a frame off restoration or ground up build except for a VW based off road sand-rail with an Olds aluminum 215 engine.

As for my son Matthew, who will be here sometime after the first of the year to also help, got the VW bug (pun intended) from me and had his own Volkswagen Hot Rod Shop and drag raced them as well. He had a 10.9 second PRA Super Comp VW Bug which he crashed which freaked out his mom as she watched. (http://www.oceanstreetvideo.com/download6.html). He also built a 1955 VW turbocharged 9.21 second @ 151MPH. He has lots of contacts in the custom/performance automotive industry which I plan on using in the future.

The Coupe will be mainly a race streetcar (I read that on the forum and like it so I’m stealing it). I will do some auto crossing (never done that) to learn the car and then some track time (never done that on asphalt). Back when I was working at the VW specialty shop, we took turns driving on a ¼ mile dirt oval that also had an infield at Bay Lands Raceway, be gone for a long time.

[Namrups]

Would love to see pics of your brake bias adjuster install when you get to that point in the teardown.

[Rsnake]

Welcome to the family Glen. We are looking forward to seeing you at our Bay Area Factory Five gatherings as well as the autocross and track day events. If you need anything feel free to ask and we will help you out.

[Glen Davis]

I haven’t posted anything after the coupe arrived as I have been studying what WAS done and what needs to BE done to complete the build. I knew that the coupe was only about 60% or so complete and would need work to finish. Looking at it I see things that were not done/half done correctly, IMHO, and things that were okay.

It’s has a Gen 2 Coyote, T56 and a 3.55 IRS. The engine controlling system is an Edelbrock Pro Flo 4+. It has 17” Halibrand wheels with NT555 315/35 and 245/45’s with the kit suppled front brakes and 13” rear brakes. There is a rearview camera, side mirrors like the Pete Brock ones, they’re not, and a few other things that came with the coupe.

Installed is a Carton oil pan but it hangs about 3/8” below the frame so that has to be changes. It also has a McLeod bellhousing which also hangs below the frame and needs to be trimmed. I think the easiest way to do those fixes is pull the engine/trans.

My son wants to sand blast the frame and power coat it white and he said he will pay for it, so why not. So, I decided to dismantle it down to the frame and start over. My son said he will also do the body work and paint since he knows how to do that. He has lots of connections in the aftermarket automotive field, so we’ll see that brings to the build.

I won’t start putting this back together for a few months as I take my time taking it apart and studying what I want to change/upgrade and also taking care of my wife who is in home hospice care with mid/late stage Alzheimer and other medical problems.

[Dave 53]

We have coffee and car's every Friday morning in Danville in front of Cold Stone Creamery starting around 8:30. Come check it out some time. The forecast is for rain tomorrow morning, so it might not happen tomorrow (we still show up for coffee without our cars), but amazing cars show up every Friday as long as it isn't raining. I'm usually there with my 818, we have a GTM regular and a couple of FFR Cobra's occasionally show up.

[Glen Davis]

Thanks for the invite. I will try and make it sometime depending on the wife and how she is doing.