20th Anniversary MK4 Build Thread - #10 of 20 - #8697

[RRussellTx]

Well, I ordered my kit online on Saturday June 18th, 2015 (Best Fathers Day gift ever!) and it was finally delivered by Jim at Stewart around 3:30pm on Friday September 18th just as the kids were getting off the school buses. The kit was completed by FFR on August 22nd so it was within my expectations for the Stewart delivery times based on other experiences I have read on these forums. Now that I have everything here and I have locked in on some key aspects of my build, I thought it was high time I created my Build Thread - so here it goes.


First, a little about the planned build. I really liked the idea of having 427 cubes but I did not think there was enough room for the big block so I locked in on a stroked 351w with a TKO-600 early in the process. I also really liked the idea of having the Ford Racing aluminum block but the incremental cost and the complete lack of practicality left me torn. I also struggled with Carb vs EFI and then what kind of EFI... I struggled with the decision to build the engine myself or have it built by one of the forum vendors. My old man and his crew threatened to pull my 'Man Card' if I let someone else build it so there was no pressure in that decision.

Here is a pic of the crew from the early 70's on one of our weekend motorcycle/camping trips - (I'm the twerp on my great-uncles knee in the red Toughskins).



They were pretty serious gear heads when the Cobra was dominating the race circuits so they are my first line of information and my sounding board for ideas I read on the forums. All that to say that I have struggled on the details of the engine but I have landed in a place that I'm comfortable with. The crew does a lot more talking than working these days so I went with what I consider the 'practical' route and ordered a Forte 427 DART SBF with a Holley Terminator EFI. I think with a 20th Anniversary Mk4 in my garage, my 'Man Card' is safe.

Some of the build plan is still up in the air but I'll update this post whenever I make a decision on something new (or I read it on Edwardb's build log since i'm shamelessly following his lead):

Build List:
20th Anniversary Kit - http://www.factoryfive.com/whats-new...ster-revealed/
Passenger Roll Bars
Wind Wings
Body Cut-outs
Forte DART 427w
Forte TKO-600 with .64 OD
Forte Holley Terminator EFI
Forte Hydraulic Clutch
Forte Seat Heaters
Howe Racing Ball Joints - Edwardb inspired
Moog Tie-Rod ends - Edwardb inspired
Breeze Power Steering Rack

Need to figure out or buy:
Headers
All the bling under the hood
Tires
Paint (final color and whether to do it myself or pay a professional)
Security and maybe electronic start features.
Visors
I'll add to this list as well...

I'll post more details over the next few days until I get caught up.