40 Watt Garage & #9365

[cv2065]

Looks awesome John! Can't wait to get mine...as soon as I get this steering shaft thing worked out..LOL. I sent Russ a note just as a reminder that I have the same frame setup as you. Thanks for the pics!

[Fixit]

Because of the geography of my current residence, and Mrs. Fixit being "Thermally Challenged" - the heater/defroster option in #9365 was a "must have".

The downside to this option is that a glovebox becomes basically useless. The heater box/core takes up every bit of space that would be used by a glovebox. This leaves only door pockets for convenient storage of "stuff" - enter the trunk divider Cubby Hole kit from Breeze.

I hemmed and hawed about this, but seeing as #9365 is running the IRS setup, a rear "sunken" battery was out, and looking at that upper trunk area from an accessibility standpoint from the trunk convinced me to order the Breeze Cubby kit, and their front battery box mount kit.

I jigged up the divider wall at the prescribed 11 inches aft of the cockpit cross-tube, and made some marks with a Sharpie. I did some tweaking to the supplied angle mounting pieces, and clamped things in place. (I chose to put the bottom edge attachment/wavy edge into the cubby area, not into the trunk... it can go either way.)

(One thing you'll notice is my home-built upper/inner trunk side panels. Why FFR doesn't supply this is beyond me. They will make the trunk interior trim-out so much easier and cleaner)

I haven't done any mods to the (FFR supplied) rear cockpit wall. Breeze supplies dimensions for an access hole, and edge trim/pinch moulding for the opening. I've got a few ideas rattling around in my head for a sliding access door into this area.
BreezeCubby01.jpg BreezeCubby02.jpg BreezeCubby03.jpg BreezeCubby04.jpg BreezeCubby05.jpg BreezeCubby06.jpg

[Fixit]

This is my 1st FFR build. I'd like to share some tips/pointers that I've used or discovered that IMO will help other 1st-timers, and hopefully the seasoned builders will chime in too.

I've done (and helped with) a few frame-off restorations on 60's muscle cars. As I'm putting this thing together I keep flashing back to those projects.
- All the fluid piping is in place
- Filters, pumps, cable brackets, are all in place, or attachment points are planned
- Wiring harnesses are routed
- Any "add-ons" are anticipated and planned for

Why? 'Cause once you lower that 1200+lb. welded steel body back down on the frame it ain't coming off again... and snaking stuff through/up/around/over with the body in the way is sometimes impossible.

Enter assembling a MkIV
- There are no factory provisions made for the above - YOU choose where to final route & mount things.

This said...
To date, only three pieces of aluminum are a permanent part (riveted) of the car - the "F" panels, and the Driver's front footbox panel. Every other piece of "tin" is still held in with a few Cleco's.

- This allows me to think about and jig up whatever I'm working on with finished obstructions in the way.
- I think about future serviceability, and tool access (can you get a wrench in there?)
- Consider moving parts, pinch points, sharp edges, clearance issues

Now within a few minutes I can squeeze a few Cleco's and all the "tins" are out of my way.
- I've got clearance for a drill
- I just gained "X-ray" vision (no sheetgoods in the way)
- I can easily work under/over/around/through the frame components
- I can easily alter a panel - punch a hole, cut a notch, trim an edge - on the workbench

I'm guessing I've had the sheetmetal on & off of this car about 6 times now... and it'll probably be 6 more times before another rivet gets set.

[Fixit]

Hey All... The last several days has been muddling through everything that happens in/under/around the trunk, and making provisions for the standard FFR stuff, and additions & options that I wanted to do.

(This all goes somewhat out of sequence with the FFR manual, but (IMO) all of these things need to be dealt with before you start even thinking about setting a rivet in a trunk area panel. Once those panels are locked down with "glue & screws" it's going to be a real PITA to make alterations or additions.)

I wanted to get everything from the rear cockpit wall to the bumper bolts planned out, mocked up, and (if necessary) bolted down before any tin went on.

Options I chose to do or add to #9365:
- The Russ Thompson "dropped trunk floor".
- Breeze storage cubby/divider panel
- Upper Trunk side panels - 40 Watt
- Backup Lamp circuit - 40 Watt
- Trunk illumination - 40 Watt
- Storage Cubby illumination - 40 Watt

FFR Items:
- EFI/Coyote Fuel System
- Roll Bar(s)

Coyote Engine Related
- Forte's EFI/Coyote Fuel System parts (provided with my engine package - to either substitute or add to the FFR provided parts).

All of the above aren't really a problem until you put the dropped trunk into the mix. The trunk box necessitates moving the wiring harness a bit, and totally messes with any after-install access to mount or route things back there - even if you drop the gas tank.

(The dropped trunk IMO this is a no-brainer option. With a few hours work you gain a cu.ft. + more trunk space... however...
The new trunk box, and the FFR floor are an assembled sandwich around the trunk floor diagonal braces. Once it's in there, it's more or less permanent.)
This modification impacts:
- Rear Body Wiring Harness routing
- Rear Bumper Bolt access
- Fuel Sender & In-Tank Fuel Pump electrical plugs (routing)
- General Access for drilling, brackets, etc., back there.

Dropped Trunk:
Russ provides some beautiful panels that fit together with no tweaking. You're gonna need a bunch of Cleco's.

- Get your lower trunk floor in place, and get it Cleco'd basically at the corners - but not in the "field" where the diagonals come across. (You just want a few fixed/repeatable points where you can take the panel in and out and have it lock in the same place every time.)
- Dive under the car, and trace out all the frame members on the underside of the trunk panel.
- Build & Cleco the new trunk box, but not the trunk floor mounting flange.
- Remove the FFR lower trunk panel, and lay out the cutting lines per the RT instructions. (Measure twice, Cut once).
- Cut the rough opening in the trunk floor
- Set the new trunk box in place on the trunk floor pan, double check everything and at the box's 4 corners, Cleco it to the trunk floor.
- Transpose your tracings of the trunk area frame braces onto where they contact the new trunk box.
- Remove the trunk box and carefully trim the box to your marks.
- Take the parts over to the car, and see if they fit. Cleco them together in the car with your 4-corner "master" mounting points. Trim/adjust as needed.
- Once satisfied with the fit of the new panels, remove it all, and do your final drilling, and trimming of the box to the trunk floor opening. NO RIVETS YET.
- Now put it all back in the car, and make reference marks on the frame members where the new trunk box gets in the way of the frame members.
- Now take it all back out of the car again!

RT_Trunk.jpg RT_Trunk02.jpg RT_Trunk03.jpg RT_Trunk04.jpg RT_Trunk05.jpg RT_Trunk06.jpg RT_Trunk07.jpg

Set these panels aside for the moment, and get ready for some electrical harness work.

[Fixit]

Rear Electrical Harness - Mounting and Mods


I'm adding the Breeze "Cubby" divider panel, and Russ Thompson's dropped trunk floor kit to #9365.
My own additions will include:
- Trunk courtesy light
- Cubby courtesy light
- Backup/Reverse light(s)
- 3rd/High Mount Brake Light (Jury's still out on this - but I'm prepping for it)

The FFR supplied Ron Francis wiring harness does not include circuits to do any of the above. You will have to add them. 18ga. wire is adequate.
- Backup lights need a fused Ign. switched +12v feed to the transmission switch, and the subsequent +12v switched (via the transmission) feed to the rear of the car.
- Trunk courtesy lighting needs a fused "HAAT" (Hot At All Times) +12v feed to the trunk area. (switches to be figured out later)
- 3rd Brake Light needs a feed tapped off of either the L or R brake light circuit in the trunk area, and routed to the accessible upper trunk area.

I am not going to install a radio.
The RF harness has provisions for one - which solves two problems - a fused IGN switched feed, and a fused HAAT feed are provided.
I'll be tapping off of these feeds from the dash harness, near where the rear harness enters the firewall, behind the dash.
The 3rd Brake light feeder will be "T-tapped" off of one of the existing L or R wires, and routed with the license light wiring.

I'm not going to detail a lot of pictures, as this job is simply pushing a wire or two into the rear harness zip-tubing.
- You'll need to measure where your transmission's reverse switch is located, approximate that location on the frame, and break out of the main rear harness at that point.
- You'll need to plan where you intend to have the (RF) license light break into the (accessible) trunk, and add the HAAT & 3rd Brake feeders through the main and into that leg of the harness.
- You'll need to run the switched reverse/backup feed through the rest of the rear harness (from the trans switch then aft), and drop it out at your intended backup light(s) location (adding a ground as well).

The dropped trunk floor necessitated moving the rear harness to the PS a bit. Once above the rear diff, it'll angle over and run between the fuel tank kickup and the box.

I'm not Ty-rapping the harness to the frame tubes. I installed Ty-rap cable clamps with TEK screws to the frame. Looping a Ty-rap around a frame tube creates a hump where the panel won’t sit flat. (Why not rivet? I don't have access to UV-stable clamps. In a few years these will get brittle - as long as you don't pull on them they'll be fine, but if you do - they'll break. I wanted an easy way to replace them.)

At the lower right it shows where I routed the License Light loom along the trunk diagonal, under the cross-tube, and up-n-out near the PS roll-bar outrigger. I’ll punch a hole in the upper trunk floor and install a grommet here. The loom will then go onto the curved trunk hinge support tube to about the middle.
Trunk01.jpg

I didn’t punch the prescribed 3 harness holes in the firewall. The Sending Unit loom is small, and leaves plenty of room in the grommet for the Rear Body harness. They both go through the same grommet. (The Coyote harness is the one to the right, not part of a “standard” install). This shows where my “added” +12v switched, and +12 HAAT feeders break out. I’ll install a keyed connector on them, with its mate tapped into the RF radio wires.
Trunk02.jpg

This is a good shot of the temporarily installed dropped trunk kit, and where I installed a grommet for the licence, 3^rd brake, and trunk courtesy lights.
Trunk03.jpg

This shows where I dropped the transmission switched +12v “backup” light wire out. It’s about center in the rear, and I added a ground wire (T-tapped into DS lights ground, and also landed to the steel center support plate).
Backup.jpg

The reverse gear switch on a Tremec is centered on the driver's side main case. Measuring the length of the driveshaft, and doing a “swag” on it, I dropped the switched +12v feed, and the feed to the rear lamp(s) out of the Rear Harness at this point. (I added the split loom)
Backup02.jpg
Tail/Stop/Turn
Since my backup lights, fuel sender, and fuel pump wiring need to snake between the trunk box and the rearmost frame/bumper mounts, I decided to just punch a hole in each side, install a grommet, and run the Tail/Stop/Turn harnesses out here.
TurnSignal01.jpg

[Fixit]

40 Watt Garage - Mk4 Build - Trunk Area – Fuel System

(This all goes somewhat out of sequence with the FFR manual, but (IMO) all of these things need to be dealt with before you start even thinking about setting a rivet in a trunk area panel. Once those panels are locked down with "glue & screws" it's going to be a real PITA to make alterations or additions.)

I wanted to get everything from the rear cockpit wall to the bumper bolts planned out, mocked up, and (if necessary) bolted down before any tin went on.

I’ll be using the Forte’s Performance supplied fuel delivery components in the Coyote Package.
Mike provides:

• In-Tank pump & pickup
• Integrated filter & regulator
• Pre-made quick connect lines (supply & return to filter/regulator)
• Adapter tube (filter outlet to quick connect line)
• A length of fuel line with quick connect ends (filter to engine)

Ford Performance (via Forte’s) provides:

• Evap Canister

FFR provides:

• Fuel Level sending unit
• Fuel Tank & mounting straps

I installed the fuel lever sender and Forte’s pump/pickup into the tank per the FFR instructions, and with some experience of my own doing this on other vehicles.
Tips:

• Smear some Vaseline or chassis grease onto the O-rings. I’ll help hold them in place, and let the parts slide around a bit when seating the locking rings.
• There’s a sump in the fuel pickup area of the tank. The filter sock must be oriented the correct way on the pump for it to fit. Look through the filler hole with a flashlight to see what I mean.
• Make sure the filter sock is fully seated on the pickup nose of the pump! It’ll fall off wiggling the assembly into the tank if it’s not. (Don’t ask how I know…)
• The locking ring “ears” invade the space for the discs on the sender & pickup. You’ll have to finagle the parts around to get them past the ears and onto the O-rings.
• If everything’s seated in place correctly, the locking rings will easily spin around into position with a few light love-taps with a hammer & drift. Make sure all three ears are engaged.

Here’s the in-tank pump and filter sock
Double check the tightness of the machine screws and the outlet hose clamp. (The large hose clamp around the pump body was to keep the pump from moving while pressing the filter sock on. It was removed before installing the pump)
Fuel_01.png

This is the integrated supply/return/regulator fuel filter, with the Forte’s supplied tube adapter on the outlet.
Fuel_02.png

This is the raw bracket I made up for the filter unit, some 2x2 aluminum angle, and a 10-32 rivnut
Fuel_03.png

Bracket & Filter
Fuel_04.png

Mocked in place on the car
It’s roughly above the axle shaft, aft of the UCA forward pivot, on the main frame rail
Fuel_05.png

After a trip to the blast cabinet and paint
Fuel_06.png

Riveted on the car, with Supply and Return hoses attached
Fuel_07.png

Shot from forward of the brake rotor. The filter outlet hangs just below the main frame member, angled out
Fuel08b.jpg

Fuel Tank with Fuel Level sender, and Fuel Pump installed. The Filter/Regulator is at top-right.
Fuel_09.png

Fuel Pump with quick-connect lines attached
Fuel_10.png

[Fixit]

40 Watt Garage - Mk4 Build - Trunk Area – Evap Canister

I wanted to get everything from the rear cockpit wall to the bumper bolts planned out, mocked up, and (if necessary) bolted down before any tin went on.

This is provided with the Coyote install kit from Ford Performance. It’s kind of a big clunky thing, and others have made up their own with Aquarium filter parts. I decided to use it.

FFR provides a laser-cut stainless bracket for the canister… but I didn’t/couldn’t find it until I made my own. As it turned out the FFR bracket wouldn’t have worked where I wanted to mount the canister.

I did use an FFR provided bracket for another (previous version?) fuse panel. I opened up the hole on one end for the canister mounting tab, and drilled/nutserted the other for a mounting screw. The bracket was riveted to the frame on the PS side, forward of the trunk kickup, hanging down above the IRS.

Evap_01.jpg Evap_02.jpg Evap_03.jpg

The 3/8" inlet was capped off, and on the 1/4" inlet a length of fuel hose was routed to the fuel tank vent

[cv2065]

These are some detail pics of the installation.
The steering hub is not in it's final/fully-seated-on-the-shaft position!

The final position and length of the steering shaft & RT mounting tube is yet to be determined. It may/will require adjustment once I get the dashboard installed.

This option is worth every penny. Russ has done a beautiful job making a very well engineered and easy to install product.


Attachment 92913Attachment 92914Attachment 92915Attachment 92916Attachment 92917

Hey John - I received my RT Turn Signal kit and thanks to your pictures, you really made it a 30 minute install. Just wanted to say THANKS! One question on your steering boss. When you lined it up on the steering shaft, did it slide on easily? Mine stops about 1/2" in and am not about to force anything. The flat sides are aligned with the shaft flat sides, so seems to be aligned correctly. Maybe one of those, tap tap tap press fit deals? RT did say that once in you’ll need a steering wheel puller to get it off again.

[Fixit]

One question on your steering boss. When you lined it up on the steering shaft, did it slide on easily? Mine stops about 1/2" in and am not about to force anything. The flat sides are aligned with the shaft flat sides, so seems to be aligned correctly. Maybe one of those, tap tap tap press fit deals?

No, my steering wheel hub is not a "slip fit". I could push it on by hand (dry) about 1/4", then it stuck. I threaded the retainer bolt in and just snugged it so I could test the signal system (by hand, no wheel attached).
Many others have stated that it is a tight interference fit, and final install should be done only after the dash is in place - as you will need a puller to get the hub off again. When I get a little closer to that phase of assembly, I'll look more closely at the fit to see if any minor filing/fitting will be needed.

[Fixit]

One of the other builders PM'd me about "T-Taps" on wiring.
I'm adding several circuits to the RF supplied harness (backup lights, courtesy lights, 3rd brake light) and in a previous post mentioned a "T-tap".

(Disclaimer - I am not a degree'd electrical engineer, but my 25+ years of making connections on low-voltage circuits - many on life-safety systems - count for something. There are as many ways to do this as there are words to describe it, but I'll hold true to history and the "old-school" way for doing this).

There are dozens of quickie/zoomie electrical connectors out there that will accomplish the same thing in about 3/10ths of a second (as opposed to the following) - and they will work... for awhile. "Awhile" meaning a few years. Corrosion & vibration will set in and you will have an intermittant connection.
Quickie connects are mechanical. They rely upon parts touching each other.
Soldering is "bonding". The parts are physically "welded" together with a common medium.

Making a "T-tap"
Supplies:
- Wire Stripper
- Sharp blade (razor blade/penknife/utility knife... you get the point)
- Rosin core solder
- Soldering iron/gun or pencil
- GOOD electrical tape or shrink tubing

Locate the spot where you want to tap off of a wire. Without breaking/nicking the copper inside, remove about a 1/2" of the insulation from the "parent" wire.
Spread the strands open, and insert the stripped end of the "daughter" wire into the hole.
T-Tap_03.jpg

Twist/wrap the "daughter" around the "parent".
T-Tap_04.jpg

Solder the connection.
T-Tap_05.jpg

Insulate the connection with tape or heat-shrink.

This connection won't fail or go intermittant unless the wire breaks.

[Duck62]

I have had guys say that their butt connectors and crimp splices are as good as a well soldered wire joint. I still think soldering is the best way to go.

[Fixit]

The last several sessions in the shop were prepping, painting or coating of most of the interior panels and installation of the trunk panels.

I chose not to powdercoat. About 90% of the panels aren’t visible after installation – they’re under the car, or covered with carpet, or coated with a sound-deadener/heat shield product.

I’m doing #9365’s panels with a combination of rattle-can paint, and Rustoleum Truck-Bed liner. For me this was the most cost-effective way to get some protection on the aluminum.

After drilling & fitting the raw panels (with Cleco’s)
- Dive over/under/around the car and using a scribe, mark the panels where the frame members contact, and other panels overlap.
Then they are all removed and the following steps done:
- All rivet holes touched/deburred with a countersink
- All large holes and edges are deburred (I use one of these)
- The front and back sides are given a liberal sanding (120G, try not to remove all of your scribe marks).
- Panels are wiped down with Acetone or “Wax & Grease” remover (wearing gloves).

Prep is relatively easy. Wear gloves to avoid contaminating the panels with skin oil.

Masking:
- Using a combination of various widths, mask off the contact areas (frame to panel, panel to panel).

Painted Panels:
- Each painted panel/area is shot with a light coat of acid-etch primer. Let dry.
- Apply several light coats of topcoat/color per instructions.
- Set aside to fully dry
- After final installation (riveting), go back and hit the rivet heads with paint.

Coated Panels:
I chose to use Rustoleum Truck Bed Coating on the insides and outsides of panels that won’t be visible and/or those covered with carpeting. It’s easy to apply, relatively inexpensive, and easily touched up. It’ll handle rock chips, and crud will wash off easily.
The plan is to do two coats (finished) on underside/exposed to elements sides, and one coat on interior sides. After final fitting, sealing and riveting, go back and apply the 2^nd coat (on the interior) to seal everything up.

Floor`01.jpg Floor`02.jpg Floor`03.jpg Floor`04.jpg

Panel Installation:
I’ve done all the modifications/additions needed for the rear end of the car. Electrical, Fuel, and Accessory bits have been added or planned for. Time to set some rivets.

FFR suggests using clear silicone adhesive to set the panels. I totally understand this – it’s readily available, does the job intended, but (IMO) has drawbacks:

• Nothing (but silicone) sticks to silicone
• It’s not paintable
• It’s a body/paint guys NIGHTMARE

I decided (upon consulting some of my pro-bodywork guys) to use “autobody seam sealer” instead of silicone sealant to set/glue the panels together.
Pro’s:

• Available in common caulk-gun tubes
• Available in black, gray, white
• Paintable – doesn’t contaminate everything
• Used by OEM’s for 50+ years

Cons:

• Expense - $13+ a tube
• Tough to clean up – nearly as diabolical as Anti-Seize

Prior to setting the trunk panels into place, I squeezed a 1/16” bead of sealant between “panel to panel” seams, and about a 1/8” bead on “panel to frame” areas.

• Lay the panels in place, and Cleco them together.
• Let it sit for a bit, and let the sealant “squeeze out” from the joint.
• Working from the inside of a rivet “run”, remove the Cleco and rivet working outward.
• Manage the “squeeze out” of the sealant as you go, wiping & tooling it to a nice edge.

(The Cleco’s will be goo’d up with sealant as you remove them. Have a pan of Acetone or solvent and drop them into it to dissolve the goo off of them as you go.)

Trunk01.jpg Trunk02.jpg Trunk03.jpg Trunk04.jpg Trunk05.jpg Trunk06.jpg

[Kool AC]

John, enjoying following along on your build. Lots of great info and photos. Posts are well layed out and easy to read. This question is probably a bit premature but do you intend on using the same truck bed coating on the underside of the body?

[Fixit]

I probably will. I am going to consult with my potential body/painter guy and see if it'll cause any problems, and how "far" I should go with the coating.

[Fixit]

Time to bite the bullet, and cut the access hole in the rear cockpit wall.

The hole is 17-1/2” wide, 5” tall, with rounded ends. I did a LOT of “measure six times, cut once” and got my layout lines and cut lines marked on the panel.
Enter the 5” diameter holes.

BreezeCubby07.png
Unseen is a 12x18 piece of MDF under the proposed hole opening as a backer board/sacrificial element. There are a few screws in the future “waste” area (between holes) to hold it in place, and the panel with backer board is clamped to the bench. You do not want this to move while cutting!

BreezeCubby08.png
One down one to go.

My drill press doesn’t have enough throat to handle this cut. I used a DeWalt battery hand drill.
Swinging a 5” holesaw on a cordless drill gets interesting. (You will have “Popeye” forearms when done)
Old Guy Tips:

• Pre drill your pilot hole into the backer board.
• Exchange the pilot drill in the holesaw mandrel for a piece of solid rod (no flutes/cutting edges).
• Set the gear reduction on the drill to the lowest speed.
• Touch-off on the workpiece backwards a few turns – establish the initial groove.
• Switch to forward and cut slowly!

Holesaws have a nasty habit of wandering or chattering, and when they do that, the flutes on a pilot bit will “egg out” the pilot hole. No flutes = no “egg out” = clean hole.
You have to think of the cutting speed and tooth count! Holesaws have a pretty low “tooth per inch” (TPI). They want grab and CUT – just what we don’t want. Easy feed, low speed, easy pressure.

BreezeCubby09.png
After the holes were cut, the center section needed to be cut out. I clamped a length of ¼”x1” aluminum bar to the panel, spanning the holes, with the edge just touching the tangent of the holes.

BreezeCubby10.png

A minor amount of filing, deburring, and cleanup was needed.

BreezeCubby11.png
The finished hole in the rear cockpit wall

BreezeCubby12.png BreezeCubby13.png

(See Pt. 2 for the door)

[Fixit]

I’ve been imagineering things in my head for an access door to the cubbyhole, and it kept coming back to some type of sliding door… That’s what I settled on.

• I’ve had this 1/8”, 4’x4’ sheet of ABS plastic knocking around the shop – re-gifted by a Chevelle buddy. I’m thinking it’s stiff, easy to work, why not?
• The ¼ x 1” aluminum bar I used as a saw guide didn’t get nicked up at all, so I still had clean/factory edges on the sides. I ran it through the bandsaw and now have 2) ¼” x ½” lengths, each with a clean edge. These will be the spacers and tracks for the doors.
• I ripped a few 5/8” wide strips from the ABS sheet to form the guides to keep the doors in place
• Next was to cut 2) 5-1/2” x 10” doors from the sheet

(I apologize for not taking more pictures of this – when I get “in the zone” with an idea I’m a bull in a china shop.)

BreezeCubby14.png BreezeCubby15.png
These pics are from the DS, front & rear of the cubby. You can see the ¼” aluminum “spacer”, and the ABS guide strip. They are riveted into a sandwich through the rear cockpit wall.

BreezeCubby18.png
A shot from the PS inside

• All of the parts (upper & lower) were Cleco’d and trial fitted about two dozen times.
• The cockpit wall and frame members are not quite square, but my parts are…
• It took some considerable filing and a session on the benchtop belt/disc sander to “shave off” some of the lower aluminum spacer to tuck it into the tight space left between the access hole and upper trunk floor. (If I was to do it again, I’d consider making the access hole 4-1/2” wide instead of 5”.)

BreezeCubby16.png BreezeCubby17.png BreezeCubby19.png BreezeCubby20.png
The (almost) finished doors.

• At top-center of the opening there is a rivet set just on the lip of the opening. This is a stop for the sliding doors to not go over center (a small notch is in the top corner of the door)
• The guide tracks are ¼” wide, the doors 1/8”. The doors are also about 1/8” less tall than the track to track dimension. This gives me some wiggle room for upholstering.

This wasn’t an easy project… This took the better part of an entire 10-hour day to get to this stage. I’ve still got to establish upholstery, handles, possible locking, and a courtesy light switch tripped off the doors.

[cv2065]

Love that sliding door John. I'd have to copy your excellent work if I wasn't thinking about some speakers back there. Now all you need is to hook the doors up to a remote and sample the Star Trek sound as the doors open and close.

[Straversi]

That’s really nice work. Thanks for the tip on replacing the pilot bit with the aluminum rod. I’ll file that away for later use.
-Steve

[Fixit]

Replace the pilot bit with steel rod stock Steve...

I had a 12" long, 1/4" bit that broke. I salvaged the shank (about 8" worth of good tool steel), cut it into 4" lengths (cut a groove with the bench grinder and snapped it), and now have two tool-steel 1/4" pilot "rods".

One of the other metalworking projects of the day was to fab up a center firewall support bracket. In an earlier post I'd commented about how I wasn't too keen on how the firewall just kinda flopped around in the center.
After cutting out the lower trunk floor for the RT Dropped Trunk, I had some nice material left over.
Took some measurements, bent the 90, punched some holes (Greenlee electrical fitting punches) and painted it up.

0926_22.jpg 0926_23.jpg

(I'm painting the inside of the dashboard area, and the upper parts of the DS footbox in Gloss White. There's a LOT of stuff going on in there, and when the body is on seeing will be a problem. I wanted as much reflected light as possible!)

[Fixit]

Just a reminder to y'all to work safely, and be aware at all times - in the shop and in the house.

Had to go back on the road Monday and make some money.
Come Tuesday morning I'm in the hotel room shower, washing the shampoo out of my hair, and the next thing I know I'm on the floor of the bathroom tangled up in the shower curtain with Tweety & Sylvester spinning around my head! On the way down I caught the corner of the partition wall between the can & vanity (the corner protectors work, not a mark on the wall).
Had a 1-1/2" gash/split in the back of my head - which took 8 staples to close.

Luckily I didn't get knocked out, and the hospital/ER was literally across the street.

Take nothing for granted, and keep "action = consequence" in your mind at all times.

[miller7448]

I'll add these to my modification list! White paint, center support, pre-drilled holes. Not sure if the 4 large holes were for weight reduction or wire routing but great thought.

[cv2065]

Life can change in a split second. Glad you weren't severely injured John!

[Fixit]

Took a few days away from #9365 to let my head heal a bit. Lemme tell ya that having staples in your noggin isn't any fun.
I got back to it, and I've been working on the main wiring harness (fusebox/behind dash) and of course the wiring OCD geek in me kicked in full force, and the usual "project creep" set in.

The Ron Francis harness is a beautiful piece of workmanship, but for my tastes the "universal fitment" part of it bugs me (see above OCD/wiring geek). I'm working through some modifications, routing, sub-circuit breakouts, etc. Then the project creep set in... I need aiming points for wires - which means getting the dash & gauges layed out. I chose to substitute a blank dash panel, and am doing a variant on the S/C dash.

I promise to be good, and take lots of pictures and notes.

[PeteMeindl]

Geez - really sorry to hear about your fall, John. Hope you feel better soon.

[Yama-Bro]

Nice work, I like those sliding doors and your firewall support doesn't look to shabby either.

[Fixit]

As I stated in an earlier post, "project creep" had set in when I started to clean up the RF & Ford Performance wiring. I ran into the stumbling block of needing "aiming points" for the wiring... So I needed a dashboard.

I don’t know how many hours I surfed trying to find a decent “working” drawing of the 427 S/C dash… but it was a lot! I finally found one that was dimensioned, and actually useable as a guide when printed. I used this as a baseline, and made alterations as needed to suit my particular build.

(I have a dimensioned .pdf of my dash, and if you PM me I'll be glad to forward it.)

The 1^st order of business was to get the FFR blank dash to even fit onto the car. I’m using Russ Thompson’s turn signal setup – and the supplied adapter/tube/mount is larger than the FFR provided steering shaft hole.
The FFR modifications to the frame and column support bracket on chassis manufactured from about mid-March 2018 necessitated a change in the Russ’s turn signal mounting system, and moved it upward about ¼”.
#9365 is one of these newer frames.

I measured the diameter of the RT turn signal tube, and transferred the measurements to the blank FFR dash. Keeping future upholstery clearance in mind, the needed opening wound up to be about 3/16” larger in width, and about ¼” higher.
DashLayout001aa.jpg DashLayout001bb.jpg

Once the steering shaft opening was altered to fit, the dash panel was fitted to the frame. Using the numerous resources on the forum and my optional FFR dash center-support, I established the final mounting point for the dash panel. I drilled two 1/8” holes through the ends of the panel into the ¾” support tube, and Cleco’d the panel in place. These are my repeatable/pinned down reference mounts (that will be un-used and covered by upholstery later).

I chose to do a “concealed mounting” of the dash panel, using ¾” aluminum angle, and countersunk/flush fasteners through the dash. (This procedure has been well documented in other builds… do a search for details.) Using my Cleco’d mounting points, I cut and fitted the angle pieces, and installed Nut-Serts in the frame hoop, and countersunk screws through the dash into the angle. I also fitted the FFR lower dash support brackets using 10-32 Nut-Serts and button head screws. I now have a locked down, repeatable mounting system for the dash panel.

Layout:
Using a Sharpie, combination square, steel straight-edge, and a scribe I laid out the working lines and locations of the gauges and switches. Pay attention to obstructions on the backside! The frame hoop takes up more space than you think! Also think about access to the mounting screws for the dash (through the angle brackets). You’ll need to get to them from below.
I laid my gauges on the photocopier, zapped them, cut them out, punched a center hole, and taped them to the dash panel.
DashLayout01.jpg DashLayout02.jpg DashLayout03.jpg

Attentive readers will notice a few differences in the next picture…
After setting the seat in place, (temporarily) putting the steering wheel on, and climbing in and making vroomvroom noises I changed a few things…
Gone is the cigarette lighter and driver’s side “air” control, the ignition moved, and the headlights and heat controls moved.
DashLayout04.jpg
This is the final layout.

The next step is layout/cutting of the glovebox opening, and fabricating a glovebox.

[Fixit]

Using the dimensions of the drawing, I layed out and cut the opening for the glove box into the dash panel.

I actually layed out two sets of lines. One for the outer opening of the glove box, and another for inner (actual dimension) of the glove box door. There’s about 1/8” difference between them. This allows for upholstery.

The straight cuts were done with a jigsaw and fine-tooth blade, the radius cuts with a Dremel and abrasive cut-off wheel. (the radius of the ends is too tight for the jigsaw – the blade will bind). After rough-cutting, the openings and edges were dressed by filing and sanding to get smooth lines and an even gap between the two pieces.
Glovebox01.jpg Glovebox02.jpg

A trip to Home Depot netted a piece of 1”, 2x2 ft. piece of pink insulation foam. Easy stuff to cut, sand and shape to fit. Perfect stuff for making a “plug” to mold fiberglass around!

I cut a few pieces, spray-glued them together, shaped, sanded, and produced a really nice mold plug for my glovebox cavity. Mixed up some resin, and layed up the fiberglass.
Glovebox03.jpg Glovebox04.jpg Glovebox05.jpg Glovebox06.jpg Glovebox07.jpg Glovebox08.jpg

What I didn’t do was pay attention to the type of fiberglass resin I chose to use. Regular ‘ol polyester-based resin (available everywhere) will react to the foam board… and it’s not immediate. I laid on the ‘glass & resin, smoothed out the air bubbles, and went to bed to let it set up & dry.

Glovebox13.jpg

The next day…
Glovebox14.jpg
Junk.

The resin attacked the foam, and made a useless part.
(There is epoxy-based fiberglass resin available – and it will not react with the foam. However plan on spending about $80+ for a quart of A & B components. Lesson learned, on to “Plan B”.

[cv2065]

Not to laugh, but you gave me a chuckle John. The before and after 'junk' pictures reminded me of my wife's cooking..LOL. I'm going to be getting to the dashboard soon as well, only issue with mine is that it is plastic. Russ's instructions for the signal mounting tube is to cut a hole 1 3/4" as the mounting tube is 1 5/8". Then a 3/8" notch is needed for the signal wire bundle. Looks like you got it all worked out! Thanks for going down this road first and getting me thinking about it.

[Fixit]

Glovebox Part 2 – Success!

Another trip to Home Depot and with a 2x2ft. piece of ¾” and ½” MDF in-hand it was back to the shop. A few hours of cutting & shaping and I had a mold plug that fitted the opening nicely. I used some body-filler to radius the edges, and fill the screw holes.
Glovebox16.jpg Glovebox18.jpg

(**Warning** If you choose to use MDF for your mold plug, cut and shape it outdoors, or in another county. I now have a thin layer of brown dust over EVERY surface of the shop. It makes a MESS!! It took 3 times as long to clean up and wipe down as it did to make the damn mold plug!!)

I screwed the “plug” to a left-over piece of MDF, and gave it several coats of rattle-can clear to seal up the pores and give a slick surface to it. Once dry, I coated it with several HEAVY applications of paste wax as a mold release.
Glovebox19.jpg

I pre-cut a bunch of pieces of fiberglass cloth and mat, and mixed about a pint of resin – then started the layup of fiberglass
Glovebox20.jpg

After a few hours cure-time, I got under the edge with a putty knife and started to pry it loose
Glovebox22.jpg

Using some wedges, it finally popped free.
(An important tip about making a mold-plug – everything has to be tapered inward, with no built-in “locking keys”. The final part has to be able to lift off of the plug!)
Glovebox23.jpg

After trimming off the ragged edge to about a ¾” lip around the opening, the glove box insert was clamped in place, and marked/drilled/countersunk for screws and attached to the dash panel.
Glovebox24.jpg Glovebox25.jpg Glovebox26.jpg Glovebox27.jpg

I’m very pleased with the results. The inside surface is nice & smooth, and can be easily covered with fabric, leather, or “speaker box” carpet or similar.

Including the screw-ups, I’ve got about $60 in materials involved. I learned a lot, and got to refresh a few old skills with woodworking and fiberglassing

[miller7448]

Great approach to maximizing the glove box space. When can I place my order for fiberglass glove box

[Boydster]

Very cool and good work, John.

[Fixit]

Thanks for the nice words guys... This was a fun diversion - I wasn't happy with what I'd found for options for a glovebox using a heater, so attack & conquer.
About 90% is about 1" deep, but the bottom flares out to about 2" deep, and the larger area to the extreme passenger side.

It'll be enough to stash a cell phone, earplugs, or (duh) a pair of gloves!

My next problem at hand is finding some hinges for the dang thing. I've seen them! They're on ceiling access hatches and junction boxes. I searched and found exactly what's needed - a light duty, non-sprung, flush closing, "out & away" compact curved hinge.
Problem is they're about $2 each, supplier has a $25 minimum order, and shipping will be $15. I don't need 12 hinges...

I've hit the big box stores, the specialty woodworker stores, and the local Mom & Pop "have everything but space" local hardware store (love this place). Arrggg

[Yama-Bro]

Great job on the glove box. I'm excited to see how you do the hinges and the door.

[Fixit]

Dash Cutting – Scary Stuff!

After confirming the placement and layout of the gauges & switches for the 27^th time I got down to cutting the holes in the dash panel.

**Tips**
Don’t take the chance of ruining your finished dash panel.

• Use some scrap material and make a bunch of test holes. The holes for the switches aren’t the same size, some have “keys”, some have “flats” or are “D” shaped.
• Drill these holes and take notes… initial size, what step on the Uni-Bit, etc. Break out the jeweler’s files and cut the keyways and/or flats and test fit the switches.
• Jig up the circle cutter/hole saw and make a few holes. Get used to how they react and cut. I’ll stress to cut your gauge holes undersize, and sneak up to final dimension with a file.
• Don’t forget to take into account the thickness of your upholstery material.
• Center punch the gauge locations, and scribe the final/finish diameter of the hole on the dash panel! This will give you a guide-line for filing to finish dimension.

I started with the two large holes for the Tach & Speedo. Two reasons:
1) I didn’t want hours of work wasted if I screwed up these holes
2) I wanted all the material possible in place for strength while cutting.

Using some sacrificial lumber under the panel, it was clamped in place and I drilled the pilot hole and “touched off” on the panel with the cutter. Then, flip the pilot bit end for end. There’s now a solid shaft for it to spin on, and the flutes won’t egg-out your pilot hole.
DashFinal01.jpg

Success! Both large holes went off without a hitch. Go very slowly with a gorilla-firm grip on the drill. Even with the best attempt, the holes didn’t cut completely through all the way around. At best each hole was about 50% through the aluminum and into the wood. This is OK. There’s a deep enough groove in the aluminum for the other 50% to just break out with a little prying.
DashFinal02.jpg

I cut the smaller gauge holes with an undersized hole-saw, and snuck up on final dimension with a file.
DashFinal03.jpg

The switch holes were next. They were done with a combination of standard twist drills, and a multi-step “Uni-Bit”. The keyways or flats were done with jeweler’s files.
DashFinal04.jpg

The gauges and switches were mounted and the semi-finished dash re-mounted in the car. This is a great time to check clearances, mounting screw access, and make vroomvroom noises.

I’m pleased with how this turned out… just take it slow & easy - one screw-up and a LOT of hours of work could go down the drain.
DashFinal05.jpg DashFinal06.jpg DashFinal07.jpg DashFinal08.jpg DashFinal09.jpg

[Fixit]

Spent last week on a whirlwind tour of Seattle & Salt Lake City. What was nice is my hinges for the glovebox were waiting for me.

Hopefully I'll have some time to tinker this weekend!

[Fixit]

This is a bit backdated - I finished carpeting the trunk about 10 days ago.

I ordered the material from Crutchfield. It's speaker box carpet, in black. This is nice stuff - pretty dense, stretchy, and easy to cut. I've used dozens of yards of this stuff in a previous life doing high-end Car-Fi.

Tips:
- Paint the surface being carpeted the same color as the carpet being used.
- Have a stash of single-edge razor blades handy - a LOT of them.
- "Bondo" spreaders work great for smoothing and "jamming" the material into corners and edges
- Have a few cheapo "acid brushes" handy. They're great for daubing glue into an area.
- Use good adhesive. 3M's Super 77 is all you should need.
- Mask off anything you don't want glue on!
- Change razor blades often! This stuff eats blades, and cutting against metal kills the point quickly.

I was able to carpet the entire floor (cockpit wall to bumper), and the upper side-walls with one piece of material.
Trunk01.png

Measure and pre-cut some slits for the seat belt mounts and roll bar tubes.

Trunk02.png Trunk03.png
The "lower/rear" sidewalls of the trunk are separate pieces. The seam is just aft of the rollbar outrigger posts, where the FFR panel and my upper panels overlap.

This material is stretchy. You can pull & work it into odd shaped areas and it will stick... **However** it will only stretch/conform so far before the "weave" breaks and it gets thin and transparent. (This is why you paint the substrate - some accidental "thin spots" won't show through).
Follow the directions on the adhesive - a light coat on both surfaces, time to flash-off & tack up, then apply.

Trunk04.png
The material over the dropped trunk was cut, leaving as much as possible hanging down into the hole for the future seam

Trunk05.png
The trunk floor and L/R trunk sidewalls were done in one piece. The F&R trunk walls were separate pieces.
The seam is about 1" down from the edge. The carpet pieces were overlapped, cut through as one, then separated and the waste removed.
Another application of glue and the seam was worked together.

Trunk06.png Trunk07.png
The Breeze divider panel will get carpeted and final installed after the rear cockpit wall is upholstered (I need as much room up there as possible)

I'll cover the access hatches, and maybe the diagonals at a later date.

[PeteMeindl]

Good progress, John! By the way, I always learn a lot from your 'tips' sections that you put in your posts - thanks for taking the time to do them and share your knowledge with us. It's really helpful!

[Fixit]

Glovebox Part 3 – Door Hinge

I found a supplier in New Hampshire that would sell in small quantities to an end-user at a reasonable price.
Northeast Hinge Distributors

I ordered 4 hinges. Only needed two, but knowing myself I wanted backups in case of a screw-up!
Know this going in, they are a bit “sloppy”, but they’re intended for an electrical junction box, not a precision piece of cabinetry. (As I suspected, the inherent mis-alignment that will happen while fabricating the door will take up the slack, and they work beautifully)

I removed the glovebox insert (part 2), and jigged them up on the dash panel using my favorite “all purpose” tape – 3M’s #471
GloveboxHinge01.png

I removed the tape holding the door in place, and verified the action of the hinges. A little fudging around and the hinges were called “good”. A 9/32 hole was drilled through the hinge and door/dash for a 6-32 screw. The dash & door were then countersunk, and the door reassembled for a final check… good again.
The glovebox insert (part 2) was set in place, marked for notching, and the slot for the hinges cut with a Dremel – no real tricks here, just measure twice, cut once.

Now it’s time to lock all the mounting screws in place with good ‘ol JB-Weld, and turn the screws into studs.
I put a piece of tape over the mounting holes of the glovebox & hinges, and pre-punched a hole in it.
You don’t want the JB-Weld squeeze-out bonding the glovebox & hinges to the dash panel!
GloveboxHinge03.png

The parts were re-assembled, a size-able batch of JB-Weld mixed up, and one by one the screws/nuts were removed, goobered up with JB, and reinstalled.
(You’ll also see there’s 4 holes with no screws – I had a senior moment on the 1^st attempt at hinge placement – didn’t use tape to test, thought I had it nailed and drilled it – didn’t work. Now I’m filling my mistakes.)
Another tip: Use a Dremel or similar and rough-up the aluminum around the screw holes. It'll give the JB-Weld some "tooth" to grab on.
GloveboxHinge04.png GloveboxHinge05.png GloveboxHinge06.png

After letting it dry for a few days (yes days… the “original” JB-Weld takes a LONG time for full cure) the parts were disassembled. Now you’ll see why I put the tape on the glovebox & hinges... The JB-Weld squeezed out as anticipated, but did what I wanted – making a fillet around the screw, and filling the imperfections.
GloveboxHinge10.png

A few more pictures of the finished job after sanding off the excess JB.
GloveboxHinge11.png GloveboxHinge12.png GloveboxHinge14.png GloveboxHinge15.png

I'll get to upholstering the glovebox interior, and doing the dash panel & door next!

[Fixit]

I wanted to get started installing the cockpit sheetmetal for good, which (again) caused “project creep” to set in.

In a previous post I detailed my doors for the Breeze Cubby option.
During the thought process for this, the question of upholstery came up. I didn’t want carpeting all the way up the rear cockpit wall – I wanted to transition to same material as the dash & future door panels on the area where the cubby hole is.
(My thought is that this would carry over the “styling” of the interior, the upper ½ in “leather” all the way around the car, the lower ½ in carpet)

The project creep is the transition. I needed something to create a nice break between the two materials. Enter the floor tile aisle at Home Depot. I found a stick of tile transition that fit the bill perfectly. Polished aluminum, and only 5/16 high.
I’ll upholster the upper area 1^st, then trap the lower edge of it with the aluminum. When it’s time for carpet, the upper edge of the carpet will just tuck into the rolled opening on the aluminum.
CubbyTrim01.png CubbyTrim02.png CubbyTrim03.png

I started on the upholstery of the rear cockpit wall. I found some really nice material at our local Joann Fabric store – outdoor rated, but not too thick, and it’ll stretch & pull a bit without breaking down. It’s 54” wide, I bought 3 yards…
One yard of material is going to Herb Fraser, so my door panels will match the dash & rear wall.
The other 6 foot length will be cut lengthwise into pieces that will cover the dash, rear wall, and trans tunnel top.

Using a combination of 3M Super 77 & Weldwood Contact cement the material was placed and bonded in place.

Cubby_01.png Cubby_02.png Cubby_03.png Cubby_04.png Cubby_05.png Cubby_06.png Cubby_08.png
(I’m not too crazy about how the rivet heads printed through, but 90% of them will be hidden, oh well – I’m not pulling it off and doing it again – the camera doesn’t lie, but in reality they’re not that visible.)

[Fixit]

Here's some pics of covering the doors, and the final product.

Cubby_09.png Cubby_10.png Cubby_11.png
Super 77 on the "field", and a border of Contact Cement on the backside perimeter. A little careful use of heat and the material gets pliable enough
to stretch and pull around the corners.

Cubby_12.png Cubby_13.png