I've been threatening to build for nearly 35 years. (first considered the Sebring from Classic motors) Finally have the room and the money to give this dream a chance. I am planning to build old school--15" wheels and a carburetor. FFR gave me an e copy of the manual. Hopefully some you with experience will help fill in the blanks.
Sounds like the build I'm planning!! Hopefully I don't have to wait as long as you did!! I will be watching for updates! Congrats and I'm jealous!
Higgy
You have just started an amazing journey.
Read the manual, then read it again, then one more time just for fun.
Then look at the 2nd and 3rd build threads from Edwardb.
His work is top notch and his threads are very detailed.
Congrats John! I also went old school as well. Tell us about your build and don't worry, you will get a ton if help here.
Kyle
Complete Kit pickup 09/05/2015, 351w, QF680, 3.55, 3-Link, 15" Halibrands with MT's, Painted Viking blue with Wimbledon white stripes on 03/15/2017. Sold in 08/2018 and totally regret it.
Congratulations! By far the most useful tool I've used during my build has been this forum. Every question I've had has been eagerly answered by those that have encountered and solved the same problem.
Congrats. I also went old school. Even sourced a 1965 289 block... Welcome, ask plenty of questions. Take your time and take a break when you get frustrated.
FFR #8833 289 FIA 3-link
1965 289, TKO600 from Forte's Parts Connection
Body and Paint by Mike's Auto Restoration
Picked up 3/5/2016, First start 4/22/2017, MA legal 7/11/2018
Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...FIA-build-8833
"Insanity is contagious" - Joseph Heller
Congrats, take your time and enjoy the build. I went old school as well, 65 289K code but upgraded, 4sp Borg Warner, Holley 670cfm. Went with MSD billet dist and Summit box ,hopefully for reliability.
This forum is an invaluable scource of info.
Mine will not be as traditional as yours. I plan to use a Blue Print 306 and TK0 600 for my drive train.
A Non-Traditional SBC Will Fit With A Little Fab-Work & Welding, But Things Need To Move Around A Bit!
Also, the LS engines can be adapted to the stock Factory Five engine mounts.
Here is a super cool "Ford Looking" options:
Welcome to the family. The wait until you receive the kit is going to be frustrating; worse than waiting for Christmas morning when you were a kid!
You picked a great powerplant, and will be very happy with BluePrint. Solid folks with a great product!
As other have already said, the folks on this forum are awesome. It has amazed me how many times I have been bailed out by folks here. They are a tremendous resource, and can help you with any challenge you may face. It is also helpful to go through some build threads to reference along with reading the manual. It will give you some ideas that you may wish to incorporate on your own build.
Good luck as you get started, and let us know how things are going!
I am considering a power brake upgrade. The techs at FF5 suggested Whitby Motors. I like to hear opinions regarding the power brake upgrade. Was the install fairly simple and did it improve the drivability of the roadster? Thanks for the the input; it's been encouraging.
Mine will not be as traditional as yours. I plan to use a Blue Print 306 and TK0 600 for my drive train.
That's a great choice in powerplant...although I may be a bit biased. I am leaning towards the BPE 306 in my build as well. It makes great power for the buck.
Originally Posted by John T
I am considering a power brake upgrade. The techs at FF5 suggested Whitby Motors. I like to hear opinions regarding the power brake upgrade. Was the install fairly simple and did it improve the drivability of the roadster? Thanks for the the input; it's been encouraging.
I was originally planning to do power brakes in my build, but the gents on this forum talked me out of it. I ended up buying Gordon Levy's Wilwood brake kit for the FFR 15" halibrands. They are the biggest brakes you can get under the 15" wheels. I've only installed the fronts so far, but they are very nice. Great instructions.
Last edited by Yama-Bro; 02-19-2018 at 01:34 PM.
Started dreaming of a Cobra around 1987
Purchased Complete Kit 6/9/2017, Delivered 9/4/2017, Rolling Chassis 3/30/2018, Engine Dyno'ed 3/4/2022, Engine installed 8/27/2022, First start 6/13/2024, Go Kart 8/19/2024 Click here for my build thread
Serial #9158
Design Engineer at BluePrint Engines
I am considering a power brake upgrade. The techs at FF5 suggested Whitby Motors. I like to hear opinions regarding the power brake upgrade. Was the install fairly simple and did it improve the drivability of the roadster? Thanks for the the input; it's been encouraging.
Congrats on your kit order. You're in for an adventure. Power brakes is a personal choice and like so many of the answers starts with "It depends." The right brakes, properly installed, and properly balanced will stop the car just fine. The manual brake pedal will always be heavier. For some this is just a matter of getting used to it. For others it's a deal breaker. With the 15 inch wheels you're planning, your brake options will be limited. Factory Five will only have Ford OE style brakes available that can be made to work OK. There are Wilwood options for 15 inch wheels that would be stronger. Gordon Levy is who you should contact. If you do choose to go power, the Whitby solution is a vacuum booster. I've used it. Works fine. Does require a frame mod, which they include. The other option would be hydroboost. Mike Forte can help with that. It's a little more compact than the vacuum setup and if you're doing power steering can share the plumbing. In either case, switching the Wilwood pedal box to power assist removes the balance bar setup so you'll have to use another approach if front/back bias changes are needed. That's a pretty big difference so be sure to consider it when making your decision.
Last edited by edwardb; 02-19-2018 at 01:45 PM.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Thanks. I don't plan to use the car on the track, and I'm sure that the disc brakes that I've ordered are sufficient. I was concerned about the pedal effort. If I decide to go to power brakes, how hard would it be to install after the car is finished and I've driven it a mile or two--hundred.
I wouldn't want to install power brakes after the build. It can be done but it's so much easier when your building. As Edwardb mentioned there is a consideration for a proportioning valve need. You can get them at Jegs or Summit and they install on the rear brake line. Mine is adjustable so place it under the hood where you can access it. Good luck.
JRL16
Mk4 delivered 4/28/16. First start 10/15/16. First gocart 11/10/16. Engine Factory 427W. 750 carb. Tremec TKO600. 2015 IRS. Power steering. Whitby power brakes. Wilwood brakes. 18" wheels. Falken tires. Sway bars front and rear. Forte hydraulic clutch and mechanical throttle linkage. Scott's Hot Rods triple reservoir. Ceramic coated headers. Gas’n sidepipes. Heated seats. Herb Fraser walnut door panels. Wipers. Console.
Thanks. I don't plan to use the car on the track, and I'm sure that the disc brakes that I've ordered are sufficient. I was concerned about the pedal effort. If I decide to go to power brakes, how hard would it be to install after the car is finished and I've driven it a mile or two--hundred.
It's a big deal. Stock Wilwood pedal box has the master cylinders and plumbing inside the pedal box. Power brakes move all that outside plus the booster, whatever type of power you choose. Not impossible, but would not be fun or easy.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Thanks again for the input. I'm not sure that I want power brakes at this point. I also did not choose the Wildwood option.
Just to be 100% clear, did you order a base kit or a complete kit? Not sure what you mean by "Wilwood option." A complete kit comes with a Wilwood pedal box. Whether you use Wilwood brakes (e.g. disks, calipers) is a different topic. A base kit could have the Wilwood pedal box added as an option. Or you could choose to use a Mustang donor pedal box. If you did choose to use a Mustang pedal box, then power brakes now or in the future becomes a bit simpler because in either case the master cylinder and plumbing is outside the footbox. Confused yet? Hopefully not. As a point of reference strictly FWIW, in my observation, the Wilwood pedal box is now pretty much what everyone uses.
Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.
Just to be 100% clear, did you order a base kit or a complete kit? Not sure what you mean by "Wilwood option." A complete kit comes with a Wilwood pedal box. Whether you use Wilwood brakes (e.g. disks, calipers) is a different topic. A base kit could have the Wilwood pedal box added as an option. Or you could choose to use a Mustang donor pedal box. If you did choose to use a Mustang pedal box, then power brakes now or in the future becomes a bit simpler because in either case the master cylinder and plumbing is outside the footbox. Confused yet? Hopefully not. As a point of reference strictly FWIW, in my observation, the Wilwood pedal box is now pretty much what everyone uses.
Thanks, I wasn't aware that the complete kit had a Wildwood pedal box. I did order the complete kit; so apparently I have the wildwood pedal box. Since this is my first build I plan to stick pretty close to the manual. That means I won't be making many modifications. So, adding power brakes is not likely to happen.
John I've upgraded your account for full access. Here are a few threads to help with pic hosting, and maintaining your thread title as you work the build:
John I've upgraded your account for full access. Here are a few threads to help with pic hosting, and maintaining your thread title as you work the build:
The waiting is really hard. My car is to be ready for shipment the 14th of April. Hopefully, the weather on the east coast won't cause too much of a delay in shipment. I'll start getting my work space ready.I've gotten most of the tools I need and I'm starting to build the body buck this week. I know paint is a long way off, but I've picked my color palette. It could change but not much.
In the mean time I've spent a lot of time on the forums and I've been adding a lot to my build notebook.
So, hopefully I'll have my project here by late April. We'll see!
The car is finally getting close to Springfield. The delivery has been delayed a couple of times, but the driver called and said he planned to be here Monday. The wait has been excruciating.
I've ordered the complete kit with:
Powder coated frame
Headers
Body cut-outs
Leather seats
Power steering components
Vintage gauges
15" Halibrand Wheels
Stainless steel bumpers
Wind wings
Visors
Wiper kit
Vinyl padded dash
Passenger powder coated roll bar
Rear brake set
Moser rear axle (327)
Mike Forte is providing the BP 306 with a TKO 600 and the hydraulic clutch.
I just labeled my boxes with their numbers on the ends where I could see it easily. Then kept all my pages in a loose leaf binder. I could easily flip through the book, looking for what I wanted, then go straight to that box. Kept a roll of tape handy to close the boxes back up. I also started off marking things down that I had used / removed, but that got kinda old when I was taking bits out of bags.
Anyways, figure out your way, do the inventory, and have lots of fun.
I think I got the message. Inventory! Inventory! Inventory! This is not the first forum that has given this advice. So, I guess I'll inventory. This is one part of the build my wife wants to help with. She's a retired librarian and likes the idea of organizing things.
I think I got the message. Inventory! Inventory! Inventory! This is not the first forum that has given this advice. So, I guess I'll inventory. This is one part of the build my wife wants to help with. She's a retired librarian and likes the idea of organizing things.
My wife helped with mine. It was a good day in the shop spending quality time with every nut & bolt in the kit. It took us about six hours to get through all of it.
The car arrived on Monday. The inventory is complete with a few parts missing in kit and several more parts on order list. The body is off and i'm marking and removing some of the aluminum. Can't really start on the suspension until a few more parts arrive.
It's been great having my son and grand sons come over to help with the project. Next week I'll take another step and keep working; it's also good to have neighbors -- and the UPS driver stop to take a look and talk about my plans for the car.