I just ordered a base kit MK4 for my painter guy, Chris. We are swapping out work. I will build his MK4 and he will do the paint and body work on my Hot Rod 35 P/U. Works well for me. We will go get both kits in early April. We will use a 1992 donor mustang he has for the base kit. I always wanted to build a base kit car, now I get to do it. Here is what we ordered.
Base Kit
Powder coat chassis
Body cut outs for 2 roll bars
Tubular lower FCA
FFR vintage gauge set
wind wings and sun visors
passenger roll bar with grommets
heat/defrost
Electrical system completion components
vinyl seats
J-pipes
The game plan is for everything to be black. I am very excited as is Chris. I will be getting all the donor stuff ready till the kit is ready.
That's a good trade. It sounds like both of you are going to win. Good luck!
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 Click here for my build thread
Serial #9158
Design Engineer at BluePrint Engines
CVOBill
MK2 #???? Delivered 11/2002, Finished and Titled 6/2003 5.0, T-5, 4-Link, Sold 3/2005
Hot Rod #304 purchased 5/28/2017 from original owner Unassembled . Titled and plated 8/24/2017 Coyote,
TKO, 3-Link, Heat, A/C, Electric Power Steering, Convertible top
MK4 #9524 Picked up 1/18/19 306 Blueprint, T-5, 4-Link, Gas-N Pipes, Heater
Sweet, I have re-ordered so many misshipped parts in the last month. I'm surprised the kit went so long without even being checked, 2/2014 delivery, I checked parts boxes last year... 12/2017. Hah. This is a sweet deal though. Cant wait to see the progress..
After getting some measurements from Tony at FFR and RoadRacer I am 100% sure both kits will fit in my 20' FFR enclosed trailer. The 35 is 14' long but the frame is only about 19" wide at the very front. This allows me to put the 35 way into my v-nose on the floor up front. The distance from the frame front to the rear of the cab is 8'. This allows me 13'6" from the rear of the cab to the rear door. The MK4 is 13' long. I will build a platform above the 35 bed for the MK4 and stack them staggered. There will be plenty of room on the sides for boxes as well as my F-150 bed and rear seat area. We will have to attach the MK4 floor to 4"x6" side rails after the 35 is in place and tied down. Should be an adventure for sure, but will save me another trip and money. Thanks again to everyone who gave me measurements to make this happen.
Chris brought by his 1992 donor mustang last night. Turns out it already has the A/C delete for the front serpent system. Nice donor and has really nice wheels and tires to go on the MK4. Engine has GT40 intake and GT40P heads. I will start to get all the donor stuff off of it on Friday afternoon.
Today I was able to remove all the donor parts from the 92 Mustang. I loaded it up on my trailer for Chris to get it out of my yard, LOL. Taking Sunday off for good behavior. IMG_2331.JPGIMG_2335.JPGIMG_2334.JPGIMG_2337.JPG
Took apart the motor yesterday. Chris told me that he thought he hurt the motor doing a burn out. It turns out it wiped out the crank and bearings but everything else is OK. I will replace lots of wear items anyway. Chris is coming by tomorrow to take a look and get my parts list so he can get the needed stuff for the repair of needed items.
Been working on donor stuff. I cleaned and painted the heads, accessories brackets, steering rack, rear end and power brake unit. Lots of blasting and wire brushing before paint.
Chris is excited for sure. It turns out after I honed the cylinders #1 has a big scratch in it. Chris is either going to sleeve that #1 cylinder or find a good std. block.
Today I cleaned up fuel tank, transmission. Cleaned and painted front calipers, water pump, intakes, bell housing and front spindles. Should have most everything cleaned and painted by Monday. Chris is working on parts list for me.
2nd MK4 #10639 received 3-19-23. Wife's version. Street Snake - IRS, Willwoods, no roll bars, no hood scoop, no stripes, Blue Print EFI 306 with AOD trans, and under car exhaust. Ford Eruption Green with saddle leather interior.
1st build - Mk4 Roadster #9319, received 4-10-18. IL registration 8/6/19. Moser 8.8. 3 Link. Wilwood brakes. Blue Print 427, Holley 750, TKO 600, 0.64 OD. Paint Dec 2020. Ruby Red with Carbon Flash Black metallic stripes.
Today i reconditioned the pedal box, gas pedal, wrinkle painted valve covers, replaced injector seals and reassembled intake. taking a few days off till parts come in and block comes back from fixing #1 cylinder.
Chris and I have been going back and forth on what to do with his block and crank. We ended up using a good 0.40 over block and pistons I had with a rebuilt 10/10 crank kit. I am waiting on a gasket set and then should be able to put the motor and trans stuff together. Chris came down with the flu. Hope he is better by April. Short block assembled today.
Waiting on gasket set had me doing what you have to do with a 26 year old donor. Clean, wire brush, paint bolts and brackets. Not my idea of fun but needed work anyway.
After catching a bad cold for the 3rd time in 4 months I am finally feeling well enough to do some donor work. I installed the BBK clutch kit on the pedal cluster. Way better IMO than the stock plastic stuff. Also painted the fuel tank and quad shocks. Chris should have rest of the stuff to finish up donor prep by Wednesday.
I'm impressed with the speed in which you have progressed on this project. What did you do, hire a bunch of garden gnomes to pull that donor apart? My planned build echoes this one very closely, and my donor is a '93. I'll be watching your build thread with great interest. Are you doing PS as well as PB?
I'm impressed with the speed in which you have progressed on this project. What did you do, hire a bunch of garden gnomes to pull that donor apart? My planned build echoes this one very closely, and my donor is a '93. I'll be watching your build thread with great interest. Are you doing PS as well as PB?
Video
Yes we are doing both. I am fortunate to be retired and have a excellent workshop and tools. It makes the whole deal go easy. Thanks for the kind words.
Picked up the rest of the parts we needed yesterday. I pulled off the rear end cover , drained fluid and checked it out. Nice 4:10 Ford ring gear set. Chris found a aluminum cover to replace rusty old one. Filled up and ready to go!
Installed the control arms, shocks, sway bar and new brake hose. I also installed & packed new front wheel bearings, rotors, pads on the front spindles. All ready to bolt in. Installed new S/S headers and oil filter on new adapter.
Well we are all ready to hit the road tomorrow morning to get the MK4 and 35 P/U. We have stops in NC and PA for the first few days. Should be at FFR Monday morning to load everything up.
Made it to FFR on Monday safe and sound. Met with all our great FFR folks. Dave gave Chris the 50 cent tour and Chris was blown away with FFR. We loaded the 35 first them his MK4. Made it home safe on Tuesday about 10:45PM. Thanks to all the FFR gang for their help and friendship.
Yesterday morning I got all the boxes out of the trailer. I put all the MK4 boxes on the LS and my 35 on the RS of my bay. I was able to inventory all of the MK4 by noon, Yea! Besides the POL list (backordered parts) only 2 bolts were missing . Great job, Paul at FFR! I will finish up getting some bare steel parts painted for assembly on the MK4 today as well as finish up the 35 inventory.
Lots of folks have been wondering how we were going to get the MK4 out of the second deck in my trailer. It was very easy. I lifted the front of the frame and Chris put a furniture dolly under it. We backed my trailer as far back to my shop opening as we could and put another dolly under the ramp door. Chris and I lifted the rear of the MK4 and rolled it out enough to strap it to the beam over the shop door. Then I pulled the trailer forward till the dolly was at the rear of the deck. Then my neighbor Dave came by with his JD loader and lifted the MK4 up and I drove the trailer away. Then we set the MK4 on 2 dolly's and rolled it up on the lift. My hotrod buddies came over and we put the body on the body buck. Now I can get going on the build. Woo Hoo!
I had time this afternoon to paint the spring perches, brake hose brackets, spindle adapters and front bumper/T/S brackets. Also used truck bed coating on the front aluminum panels. Did some clecko work too.
Mounted front aluminum panels and front suspension minus POL front shocks. Mounted front rack with extensions. Thanks to Mike Everson for help with that. Drilled and fabbed up R/S foot-box, drilled most of L/S foot-box. I removed R/S and pt together with some technical screws. I will coat outside with Lizard Skin and inside with get Eastwood Therm-sound insulation. This is great time to layout insulation. Beats trying to do it in the car laying on your back, LOL. Dave Smith talked Chris into some 17" staggered Roadster wheels. Wink, Wink! We will be converting to 5-lug next week so Chris can use those instead of the 4 lug ones from the donor. Sweet!
It was a drilling kind of day today. I drilled and mocked up the rest of the foot-boxes, floors, rear interior panels and 6 pieces of trunk panels. I will now coat all of them so they can be installed when it is time. To save time if 2 panels are mirror images I drill on and use it as a template for the other. Makes it look the same and saves time. I also make a center brace for the firewall. Still have 8 more interior/trunk aluminum panels to drill and mock up.
Today I finished up the rest of the interior aluminum drilling. I then coated the foot-boxes, floors, tunnel cover and firewall with Lizard Skin coatings. All the rest that is exposed to the outside I coated with black HF truck bed liner. The Florida sun made it quick drying for sure.
Today I siliconed and riveted 90% of the interior aluminum, firewall, Passenger foot-box and front of drivers foot-box. Also installed Battery, hold down and negative cable. Installed steering shaft minus POL top shaft. Installed pedal box, P/B booster and Master Cylinder. I used a left over complete kit gas pedal instead of modified stock one. Waiting on Jeff at Whitby to send P/B brace for frame. Should have been here a week ago. Hopefully soon. Staying busy working around missing parts till they come in. Hope to have 5-lug conversion parts by tomorrow. Taking Thursday off to drive church bus for the day.
Today I siliconed and riveted 90% of the interior aluminum, firewall, Passenger foot-box and front of drivers foot-box. Also installed Battery, hold down and negative cable. Installed steering shaft minus POL top shaft. Installed pedal box, P/B booster and Master Cylinder. I used a left over complete kit gas pedal instead of modified stock one. Waiting on Jeff at Whitby to send P/B brace for frame. Should have been here a week ago. Hopefully soon. Staying busy working around missing parts till they come in. Hope to have 5-lug conversion parts by tomorrow. Taking Thursday off to drive church bus for the day.
Today?! Dang, that's more than I can get done in a month. Keep it up!
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 Click here for my build thread
Serial #9158
Design Engineer at BluePrint Engines
Today I spent most of the time converting the front and back to 5-lug from the 4-lug Fox body stuff. Started to install the 4-link rear end. Still have to do the spring perches, springs and axle straps. 3-link is much easier , IMO.