Jespinosaesq's MKIV "Godzilla" Build Thread

[Jespinosa]

I have been interested in building an MK IV roadster for years but never got around to it. A friend of mine knew that I always wanted to build a roadster and caught wind that someone local had a kit and was interested in selling. When I went to look at the MK IV Roadster kit, the kit was in its early stages of the build and the Seller had already purchased an engine and transmission. I had always wanted to build the MK IV with the Coyote, but the Seller had already purchased the 7.3L Godzilla engine. We went back and forth for a while, and it made sense for both parties to sell the kit with the engine and transmission together. At first, I was worried since there is a wealth of knowledge on the Coyote swap but not much info on the Godzilla swap, but I remembered that at one point the Coyote swap was not very common and it took a few years before it got to its current state. Additionally, there are quite a few experienced builders on this forum that could help with my multitude of questions.

So, I am building my MK IV with a Godzilla and TKX and figured it would be a good idea to document the build on the forums. The car will be a cruiser/driver to be used on the weekends or during the week to go to work or take my kids for a joy ride. I want to build positive memories for my children during the build process and selfishly get them into cars at the same time while I get to enjoy my hobby. Below are a few basic details on the kit purchased.

Purchased October 2023/ Kit produced 04/2022
Mk IV complete Kit, Powdercoated Chassis, and body cutouts
31 Spline IRS 8.375' Driveshaft
Black Vinyl Seats
Power Steering Components
2015 IRS Parts Kit
FFR GPS Gauge Set
17x9/10.5 Halibrand Wheels and Nitto Tires
Wind Wings
Sun Visors
Front and Rear Swaybar
CF Dash w/ Glove Box (Purchased later)
MK IV Logo Floormats
Center Dash Support
14" Leather Steering Wheel
Trunk Gas Strut Kit
12.88 Front Wilwood Brakes (Red)
Hydraulic Clutch Master Cylinder Kit
Brake Duct Wire Mesh
Blank Dash

Engine and Transmission:
7.3 Godzilla Crate Motor 525hp package by Proformance Unlimited
Zero Degree Timing Lock Out
Custom Oil Pan (modified for needed clearance)
Behive Performance Valve Springs
ATI Super Damper Harmonic Balancer
Holley Fuel Rail Kit
Holley Terminator X-Max Computer
Custom Wiring Harness for the Holley
CVF Pulley Kit
MSD 8.5MM Plug Wires
Indy Power Products Billet Valve Covers
Tremec TKX
Flywheel/ Clutch/ Bellhousing
Apex Solutions Hydraulic Clutch

Additions:
Russ Thompson Drop Trunk
Ie427 steering wheel hub w/ quick disconnect hub (Future purchase when ready)
Forte Godzilla Motor Mounts
And honestly many, many more parts I have yet to think about.

[Jespinosa]

Here are a few pics from when we went to go pick up the kit.

I never realized how many boxes where in the kit till the day I went to pick them all up...

PXL_20231010_160612314.jpg

The Godzilla Engine fit in the truck bed with a few other boxes

Engine ready for transport.jpg

A few forum members recommended a U-haul trailer and it worked perfectly

PXL_20231010_170138568.MP.jpg

PXL_20231010_170324953.jpg

We though we wouldn't fit all the boxes in one trip but we were able to. This is just some of the boxes but it made for a good picture.

PXL_20231010_201013300.jpg

[Jespinosa]

Here are a few pictures of the Godzilla motor when they were getting it all together in Proformance Unlimited

IMG-20230714-WA0001.jpg

IMG-20230714-WA0002.jpg

IMG-20230714-WA0003.jpg

[Pat Landymore]

Very Nice!!
I’ll be logging on from time to time to follow your project as you progress.

And, once done…enjoy that big block power! 👍🏼😁

[cv2065]

Almost went this path but wasn't quite baked at the time. I'm assuming you went with the Indy Products oil pump conversion kit? I look forward to your build!

[Its Bruce]

Love the Godzilla and looking forward to seeing the build progress.

[zarnold]

Very nice! I'll be following along.

[Bob Folkestad]

Just did this in a type 65 Godzilla and T56 magnum... You will probably need the Indy Power Products cobra pan, I experimented with a different pan and it hung down 2" below the body chassis. If you need help reach out.

I made the headers and motor mounts, you can check out the video on my YouTube CWI Performance.

I also assume you will be using the Jolt Harness? If you use the new BTR cam and lock out it will make 600/600 ish, I have a godzilla in my Foxbody that makes about 1400hp and we track it on road courses.

[Jespinosa]

Almost went this path but wasn't quite baked at the time. I'm assuming you went with the Indy Products oil pump conversion kit? I look forward to your build!

Not sure exactly what kit was used to be honest, since I did not originally order the engine, but it isn't the stock oil pan and has been modified.

[Jespinosa]

Just did this in a type 65 Godzilla and T56 magnum... You will probably need the Indy Power Products cobra pan, I experimented with a different pan and it hung down 2" below the body chassis. If you need help reach out.

I made the headers and motor mounts, you can check out the video on my YouTube CWI Performance.

I also assume you will be using the Jolt Harness? If you use the new BTR cam and lock out it will make 600/600 ish, I have a godzilla in my Foxbody that makes about 1400hp and we track it on road courses.

Which pan did you experiment with?? I am not sure which one was used in my application as I did not order the engine, but it didn't look stock. The engine is currently in a warehouse owned by a family member to give me more space in my garage until I need it.

One quick question, I was thinking of using the stock exhaust manifolds and flipping them to opposite sides and doing a custom j-pipe to the side exhaust. Did you ever contemplate this idea?

The harness was prepared by the engine builder to work with the Holley Terminator x-max computer. I don't think there was any off the shelf stuff at the time, so he worked with Holley and made his own harness to get it to work. As far as it having a Jolt harness, I honestly have no idea.

I watched the CWI Performance video and subscribed to future videos. The type 65 with the Godzilla and the Innov8 ITB's looks amazing. I wish I could do custom headers myself but creating headers is definitely past my mechanical ability. Keep up the good work.

[Mike.Bray]

I wish I could do custom headers myself but creating headers is definitely past my mechanical ability. Keep up the good work.

Have you reached out to Gas N about headers? Georgie might be able to help you.

[cv2065]

Not sure exactly what kit was used to be honest, since I did not originally order the engine, but it isn't the stock oil pan and has been modified.

There are two choices now. Indy products which is very proprietary and Holley, which made theirs more 3rd party friendly. Holley's system is about 1/2 of what the Indy program cost. Either way, you are relocating the oil pump to the front as a chain driven system with a low profile oil pan. I'm not sure if anyone has created motor mounts that you can just buy, so you'll want to look into that maybe with Mike Forte. Georgie with Gas N Pipes was looking to make a version of headers and pipes for the Godzilla but I think someone will need to order his Frankenstein system and help him create them from scratch once the engine is installed. You'll also have to modify the drive shaft. Mike Forte might be able to help with that as well. Not sure which harness you'll be able to use with little fuss, but I think OBR makes the best option at this point.

I attempted to get more info from the Backdraft people, as they have put the Godzilla in their cars, but they won't help you. Not even a little. I do know that they use the Indy system.

[Jespinosa]

Have you reached out to Gas N about headers? Georgie might be able to help you.

I did reach out to him last year and he didn't seem to be interested in making headers for the Godzilla.

I might reach out to him again in the future to see if that has changed.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Jespinosa]

There are two choices now. Indy products which is very proprietary and Holley, which made theirs more 3rd party friendly. Holley's system is about 1/2 of what the Indy program cost. Either way, you are relocating the oil pump to the front as a chain driven system with a low profile oil pan. I'm not sure if anyone has created motor mounts that you can just buy, so you'll want to look into that maybe with Mike Forte. Georgie with Gas N Pipes was looking to make a version of headers and pipes for the Godzilla but I think someone will need to order his Frankenstein system and help him create them from scratch once the engine is installed. You'll also have to modify the drive shaft. Mike Forte might be able to help with that as well. Not sure which harness you'll be able to use with little fuss, but I think OBR makes the best option at this point.

I attempted to get more info from the Backdraft people, as they have put the Godzilla in their cars, but they won't help you. Not even a little. I do know that they use the Indy system.

Forte is working on some motor mounts for me as we speak.

When the motor was ordered from the engine builder it was built with the intention of putting it in the Cobra. But the engine was built more than a year ago and a lot has changed in the aftermarket since then for the Godzilla. I need to confirm how much clearance actually was gained by the modification to see if I might have to use another method like the one's you mentioned. Hopefully not as it get expensive real quick.

[Bob Folkestad]

There are two choices now. Indy products which is very proprietary and Holley, which made theirs more 3rd party friendly. Holley's system is about 1/2 of what the Indy program cost. Either way, you are relocating the oil pump to the front as a chain driven system with a low profile oil pan. I'm not sure if anyone has created motor mounts that you can just buy, so you'll want to look into that maybe with Mike Forte. Georgie with Gas N Pipes was looking to make a version of headers and pipes for the Godzilla but I think someone will need to order his Frankenstein system and help him create them from scratch once the engine is installed. You'll also have to modify the drive shaft. Mike Forte might be able to help with that as well. Not sure which harness you'll be able to use with little fuss, but I think OBR makes the best option at this point.

I attempted to get more info from the Backdraft people, as they have put the Godzilla in their cars, but they won't help you. Not even a little. I do know that they use the Indy system.

Backdraft cars are way different than Factory 5, SuperPerformance adn Backdraft both use the 7.3, Call Jim at INdy and he can help out. The holley pan is about 3-4" too deep to work correctly in these cars, it's already been tried. FWIW I own the machine shop that builds most of Indy's products. OBR or Holley will work fine for an ECU, OBR is easier and probably better especially with Individual Throttle bodies. Get a Fabricator to make the headers, I thought we could take the Type 65 and make some swap parts at my shop but putting the Godzilla in it was a little advance for most home builders. I had to move some tubes on the chassis to do it right.

[Jespinosa]

It has been a while since I posted anything, but I might as well update everyone on some of the previous work that has been done. This work was done a few months back, but I figure it would be good to post it. My kit came with the Wilwood brakes for the front, so I put together the front rotors as per Willwood's instructions:

Brake Rotor 2.jpg
Brake Rotor.jpg

I finished installing the rotor and brakes on both sides.

Brakes Installed D.jpg

Brakes Installed P.jpg

And finished most of the front suspension installation. Now would have been a good time to check if the steering rods fit in the arms but unfortunately, I did not check this and I had to take this all apart in the future.
Front Suspension Installed D.jpg

Front Suspension Installed P.jpg


The last pics is of the differential that came with my kit. I took a picture to figure out the gearing. From the looks of it the gearing is 3.55 but the kit was order with 3.73 speedo gear which had me questioning it. The kit must have been ordered with the 3.73 gear in mind and the Seller changed their mind when they purchased the differential in the future?? Who knows....the endless mysteries and fun of buying a kit of someone else.
Rear Diff.jpg

[edwardb]

The last pics is of the differential that came with my kit. I took a picture to figure out the gearing. From the looks of it the gearing is 3.55 but the kit was order with 3.73 speedo gear which had me questioning it. The kit must have been ordered with the 3.73 gear in mind and the Seller changed their mind when they purchased the differential in the future?? Who knows....the endless mysteries and fun of buying a kit of someone else.
Rear Diff.jpg

Yes, that's a 3.55 diff. Factory Five has only ever sold 3.55 diffs. They sell the NIB M-4001-88355B from Ford Performance. That's the only version Ford Performance currently sells. In 2017, when I build my Coupe, Ford Performance was still selling a 3.73 Torsen (M-4001-88373T) but they discontinued it. I was able to get one of the last ones. Even when it was available, I never saw that version offered by Factory Five. So I question whether there was an order for a 3.73 from Factory Five.

Having said that, the picture posted appears to be a used one. Nothing wrong with that. Lots got that way.

[Jespinosa]

Yes, that's a 3.55 diff. Factory Five has only ever sold 3.55 diffs. They sell the NIB M-4001-88355B from Ford Performance. That's the only version Ford Performance currently sells. In 2017, when I build my Coupe, Ford Performance was still selling a 3.73 Torsen (M-4001-88373T) but they discontinued it. I was able to get one of the last ones. Even when it was available, I never saw that version offered by Factory Five. So I question whether there was an order for a 3.73 from Factory Five.

Having said that, the picture posted appears to be a used one. Nothing wrong with that. Lots got that way.

The diff was not purchased from Factory 5 as it wasn't included in the original PO.

What confused me was the inclusion of the 3.73 gear in the PO, which if I recall doesn't get used since I have GPS gauges??

Thanks for the clarification on the gearing Edward.

[edwardb]

The diff was not purchased from Factory 5 as it wasn't included in the original PO.

What confused me was the inclusion of the 3.73 gear in the PO, which if I recall doesn't get used since I have GPS gauges??

Thanks for the clarification on the gearing Edward.

I misunderstood your post. Sorry.

Right. With GPS gauges, you don't care about speedo gears, tire sizes, whatever. Just hang the antenna and go.

[Jespinosa]

I misunderstood your post. Sorry.

Right. With GPS gauges, you don't care about speedo gears, tire sizes, whatever. Just hang the antenna and go.

No need to be sorry as your expertise is greatly appreciated.

I wrote on my post that the diff came with my kit, so your response makes total sense.

Thanks for the confirmation on not needing the speedo gears.

[Jespinosa]

Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of buying a kit from someone else is the jumbling of parts. The kit already is a large mix of parts but since I bought it from someone else, I spend a lot of time looking for parts as they are not in the original box that factory five put them in. I tried to organize as much as possible and keep notes as to where some parts are, but sometimes certain parts really enjoy being extra hidden.

Case in point the brake parts. I am at the point where I am trying to run the brake lines and I cannot seem to find the brackets for the front flexible brake line to the frame. I found the corresponding bag but I cannot find the brackets. Here is what I found in bag 11076 which should have the brackets:

Bag 11076 and Willwood bag.jpg

Unfortunately, some of the fittings inside the Willwood brake line kit are rusted already and I don't feel comfortable using them:

rusted fittings.jpg

These are the brackets from the rear but I do not see any of these for the front:

Rear Brake Brackets.jpg

So it seems that I am missing some parts or am I supposed to use the triangular brackets that the instructions say not to use??