Papa's MKIV Roadster Build - #9115 (Post Grad) - One million + views!!!

[GTBradley]

I don't know what chassis differences might have come after mine, but your car is IRS, so that may have the most to do with it.

Thanks, I deleted my post when I realized that, but you answered too quickly, as usual.

Did you consider the engine bay battery?

[Papa]

Thanks, I deleted my post when I realized that, but you answered too quickly, as usual.

Did you consider the engine bay battery?

When I was deciding what battery box option I wanted, I was still a bit timid about straying too far from the FFR manual. If I were doing it over, I wouldn't hesitate in using the front mounted battery option. That said, it is a bit tighter with a Coyote in there than mine is, so consider if that works for you. I know Paul did a front-mounted battery with the Coyote with no issues.

Dave

[Papa]

Not too much to write about today as I spent most of it taking down Christmas lights. I did get a bit of time in the shop and tinkered with the trunk adjustments to get it to sit better. I haven't trimmed any material off the trunk, but it had a bow in it that had the rear center sitting about 1/4" above the rear deck of the body. It's better now and I'll let Jeff K. get it perfect for me. I also tried to adjust the hood, bit it's fighting me. I'll keep messing with it as it was fitting pretty good when I first fit it. It want's to sit a bit high in the opening after removing the wavy washers on the hinges. I may put them back to the way they were and again, I'll let Jeff get it perfect.

All my parts have arrived for my turn signal upgrade (SDC self-cancelling) except for the switches I ordered. They should be delivered sometime this coming week.

[Scubasommer]

[QUOTE=Papa;285442]Completed the front suspension and brakes today!

Used the two 35mm bolts supplied by FFR to mount the caliper brackets to the spindles. The Wilwood supplied bolts are 40mm.



Dave

I am knee deep in my build and I purchased the Wilwood brakes all around that you were digging ( same gig but red calipers)
In your post you used the 35mm bolts supplied by FF instead on the 40mm from Wilwood, What made you decide to do this? And did you put a washer on the back of the FF 35mm boots like Wilwood said to do with their 40’s or just run them in straight....?

Thanks Brother your build is looking AWESOME by the way!
Jimmy

[Papa]

[QUOTE=Scubasommer;355162]

Completed the front suspension and brakes today!

Used the two 35mm bolts supplied by FFR to mount the caliper brackets to the spindles. The Wilwood supplied bolts are 40mm.



Dave

I am knee deep in my build and I purchased the Wilwood brakes all around that you were digging ( same gig but red calipers)
In your post you used the 35mm bolts supplied by FF instead on the 40mm from Wilwood, What made you decide to do this? And did you put a washer on the back of the FF 35mm boots like Wilwood said to do with their 40’s or just run them in straight....?

Thanks Brother your build is looking AWESOME by the way!
Jimmy

Jimmy,

It's been quite some time since I installed those. I don't recall what drove me to use the FFR provided bolts over the longer ones from Wilwood. The 5mm difference is less than 3/16". I don't recall if I used a washer, but can take a look when I get home this evening. I believe those bolts also got some red thread lock on them, but can't remember for sure.

Dave

[Papa]

I took a look this morning and the bolts are flange-head (no washer). My torque marks haven't moved in over a year although my car hasn't been really driven yet.

[Papa]

Today I'll be working on the SDC Self-Cancelling turn signal module. My switches arrived from Australia and I plan to mount them in a piece of aluminum trim. I drilled holes into a 1/8" thick piece of aluminum bar stock and then used another piece of the same bar stock to create the marks that I'll trim the aluminum down to. Once the plate is shaped, I plan to create either a brushed look or polished finish on the aluminum and will treat it with clear powder coat.





Here are a couple of pictures of what looks like an assembled car!





We're getting closer to paint and I've settled on Indigo Ink Pearl for the body color. I'm toying with the idea of a ghost stripe. Jeff is going to put some sample spray outs together for me, but I'm thinking a slightly "silvered up" version of the Indigo Ink Pearl for the stripes.

[GTBradley]

You’re getting there. Fantastic work!

[Scubasommer]

Thanks Dave your the best!

[Scubasommer]

When are you taking the car to Jeff’s you are more than welcome to swing by here on the way.
Here is a picture of my engine that is sitting on the sidelines waiting to go into its new home
B8AB5F7A-4BAE-4B42-BC43-7EFBE61FAF1B.jpg

[Papa]

When are you taking the car to Jeff’s you are more than welcome to swing by here on the way.
Here is a picture of my engine that is sitting on the sidelines waiting to go into its new home
B8AB5F7A-4BAE-4B42-BC43-7EFBE61FAF1B.jpg

That's going to look fantastic sitting in the engine bay! I'll be shipping my car to Jeff, not hauling it out myself, but thanks for the invite.

Dave

[Papa]

My turn signal switch plate is ready to clear.



And with clear powder coat:

[Papa]

Success! The SDC Self-Cancelling turn signals work perfectly. If you want the whole history of what I've been doing, you can read this thread: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...odule-Question

Here is a summary. I decided I wanted to add self-cancelling turn signals using the Signal Dynamics SDC 01501 module. This module allows you to activate turn signals for seven seconds, 20 seconds, seventy-five seconds, or as 4-way flashers. In any mode, pressing the switch(s) cancels the operation immediately. Some have used a momentary toggle switch to operate the signals, but I opted for the individual "arrow" momentary switches shown above and also left the Ron Francis hazard flasher circuit completely in tact. I did it this way because the SDC module's recommended power source is from a switched +12v. This means that the key must be on for them to work. Obviously, for hazards, that may not be desirable. The way mine are wired, I can use the hazard function with the SDC unit or operate the "real" hazard circuit that is standard with the RF wiring.

The only change I had to make to the car's existing wiring was to remove the turn signal flasher and replace it with a piece of jumper wire. All other connections were made by simply removing the connectors from the existing turn signal toggle switch and attaching the SDC wires to the left/right/power wires that were already there. I used the electric choke wire to power the SDC unit, and ran the ground to an existing ground screw that was already in place.

Tomorrow, I'll get the switches permanently mounted into the dash and zip tie up the wires to tidy things up. I'll post a few pictures of the finished product once I have it wrapped up.

[BadAsp427]

Looking great Dave... That assembled car photos you share look very similar to the ones I've taken...
When are you shipping off to Jeff?

IMG_3570.JPG

[Papa]

Looking great Dave... That assembled car photos you share look very similar to the ones I've taken...
When are you shipping off to Jeff?

IMG_3570.JPG

I spoke with Jeff last week and he's thinking maybe two months before he'll be ready to take my car. We're getting close!

Dave

[Papa]

Today I wrapped up the SDC turn signal install. The aluminum plate I'd fabricated turned out to be too thick when combined with the padded dash, so I installed the switches directly into the dash. I think they look perfect.





After tying up the wires and attaching the module to the back side of the dash, I created a short YouTube video to demonstrate them.

[japollon]

Very nice Dave. I kind of wish I would have gone this route. Joel

[Papa]

Very nice Dave. I kind of wish I would have gone this route. Joel

Thanks, Joel. I'm really happy with how it works. It's easy to add if you ever want to do so later.

Dave

[Boydster]

Nice work, Dave. Glad it all worked out for ya. I'm also happy with mine.

[GoDadGo]

Very Cool Turn Signals, But You Are An E.E. So We'd Expect Something Cool Like This From You!

Very Cool Indeed!

Steve

[Papa]

Very Cool Turn Signals, But You Are An E.E. So We'd Expect Something Cool Like This From You!

Very Cool Indeed!

Steve

Thanks, Steve. My EE hasn't been nearly as helpful as this forum when it comes to wiring my car.

Dave

[Straversi]

Those are pretty slick. Definitely going in the file for future projects.
-Steve

[Papa]

So, last night I'm watching a couple of episodes of *****in Rides that were on my DVR and they did a 63 Corvette in a color that Dave Kindig created that he calls Veruca Violet (think Willie Wanka). Well, this blue is really cool.





This has me thinking again (sorry Jeff). This stuff ain't cheap though at $820 a gallon.

[BadAsp427]

Dude, if your going with a blue, that is a BadAsp Blue...

[Jeff Kleiner]

$820 isn't cheap but isn't outrageous either. I did one a couple of months ago that was $2,500/gallon...

Jeff

[Papa]

It's been a couple of weeks since I've had a chance to do any work on the car, but I made it into the shop today. First task was to work on the hood fitment as it was sitting a bit high on the front and passenger side. I loosened the body mount bolts and then using a piece of wood and a jack, I pushed the body up and re-tightened the bolts. This got it much closer and I'm going to leave the fine tuning for Jeff.

Next, I worked on the door sill aluminum. The passenger side laid down perfectly.



The driver's side was way off.





Since I hadn't attached the body to the frame rails along the bottom yet, I assumed that I would be able to just push the lower body over and it would line up. Well, it moved some, but still isn't a very good fit and I can't seem to get the body to move any more in the right direction.



That's as far as I went on this until I get some suggestions from the experts.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Really Dave, don't get caught up on this because the body position will ultimately change. Unless you are going to be driving in gelcoat (which I do not believe is the case) and need to stop the draft through that gap those panels do not get installed until after the body is painted and secured permanently. When they are put in place they are brought to the body, not the other way around.

Jeff

[Papa]

The second task I tackled today was to install the Gas-N pipes.



I was originally planning to wait until after the car was painted, but you guys set me straight! Man am I glad I took your advice. The Gas-N pipes definitely exit the body differently. My rough openings needed to be enlarged a bit toward the front of the car. Now I have over an inch gap at the rear of the driver's side opening. I hope Jeff can fix me up on that one.



After fitting the pipes, the passenger side was perfect right out of the gate.



The driver's side was tilted down and in toward the body. Following Georgie's instructions, I swapped out the 3/8" bolts with 5/16" and was able to get the pipe level front to back. With all the bolts loose, I pulled the tip away until it was in line with the spacing at the front of the pipe. I then measured the gap between the flanges on the pipe and the header. I had just shy of 1/4". I ordered a wedge from Breeze along with a second gasket and will get that installed when it gets here. Here are some pictures of the driver's side.







After getting everything together with the car back on the ground, I fired it up and what a difference in sound! These are way deeper sounding than the Factory Five pipes, and I like it.

Video courtesy of GTBradley:

[Jeff Kleiner]

Pipe wedges are something else that has to be determined after the body is in it's final position (likely that the driver's side will need to come out even more at the rear) but we'll address that and adjust that when the time comes. Sorry if it sounds like I'm discouraging you from trying to move on but there is a process and sequence to some of these things which are affected by how the body ultimately fits on the chassis and I don't want to you spend time on items which may need to be redone later.

Jeff

[Papa]

Pipe wedges are something else that has to be determined after the body is in it's final position (likely that the driver's side will need to come out even more at the rear) but we'll address that and adjust that when the time comes. Sorry if it sounds like I'm discouraging you from trying to move on but there is a process and sequence to some of these things which are affected by how the body ultimately fits on the chassis and I don't want to you spend time on items which may need to be redone later.

Jeff

I'm not discouraged at all. The wedge I ordered is the 1/4" thick (1" adjustment). I need to get the pipe away from the body now, so no big deal if it changes after you properly fit the body. I'm more concerned with causing you more work at this point. I didn't install the hangers and assume it would be best to wait until the end for that task as well.

Thanks,
Dave

[GoDadGo]

The wedge I ordered is the 1/4" thick (1" adjustment). .

Thanks,
Dave

The Side Pipe Wedges Work Great & Can Be Stacked If Necessary!
I've got them and so glad that I did because you can fine-tune the angle of your side pipe dangle.
Also, if you need to scoot the rear of your pipes up or down simply install One 3/8" bolt and Three 5/16" bolts.
Just know that this does scoot them out when you adjust up and in towards the body if you scoot the pipes down.

Good Luck!

[Jeff Kleiner]

... I didn't install the hangers and assume it would be best to wait until the end for that task as well.

Thanks,
Dave

You assume correctly!

Jeff

[edwardb]

Wedges work great. I've had 'em in various combinations on every build. I wouldn't mess with gaskets though. Most of us just coat all the mating surfaces with Permatex Ultra Copper RTV when they go on for the final time. I've never had a failure doing it that way.

[Papa]

Today I decided to see what the car would look like with the knock-offs on for the first time. After reading several hints and tips over the last two years and wanting to avoid the two most common issues of the cap spinning when trying to install or remove the spinner and the spinner galling and getting stuck on the cap, here is what I did.

Supplies:
1) 329 Silicone O-Ring, 70A Durometer, Red, 2" ID, 2-3/8" OD, 3/16" Width x 4
2) Oodles of Noodles 1.5in x 35in Solid core Foam Sticks for Craft Projects x 1 (cut to size)
3) Spinner Eaze spinner anti-seize






Slide the threaded spinner cap into the wheel from the back and then roll an o-ring over the threads until it is seated against the wheel.



Cut a piece of the noodle so that it is about 1/4" longer than the distance from the hub to the end of the threaded spinner cap. Insert the cut noodle into the cap from the back and then re-mount the wheel. Install the lug nut cover. Lube the threads with the Spinner Eaze and thread the spinner on ensuring that it tightens opposite of the forward wheel rotation. Hand tighten until the spinner seats against the wheel.

[Papa]

The wedge I ordered from Breeze arrived and I installed it. It gets the pipe off the car, but leaves some more adjustments for Jeff K. to work on when he gets the car. At least now I won't burn a hole through the body!





I'm still very close on the opening on the front of the pipe exit, but will leave it for Jeff as well.

So, at this point, I am pretty much finished with what I can do on the car. I still haven't installed the door sills or seat belts or any of the hood, trunk, or door weather seals, as well as the wind wings, sun visors, mirrors, and emblems. All of those will wait until the car is painted.

Have I said how awesome the Gas-N pipes sound! If I'd heard these first, and then put FFR pipes on, I'd think something was wrong with the car.

[PeteMeindl]

Congrats! What an accomplishment to reach this point!

[GTBradley]

Have I said how awesome the Gas-N pipes sound! If I'd heard these first, and then put FFR pipes on, I'd think something was wrong with the car.

They look fantastic! I'd like to hear it again.

[Papa]

They look fantastic! I'd like to hear it again.

Anytime you want to come by, Bradley. Just give me a shout.

Dave

[Papa]

I have the day off for the holiday today and decided to work on polishing the spinners. I bought some metal polish and some polishing bits for my Dremel. I have a bench-top buffer on the way to finish the job, but the Dremel made easy work of the recessed areas of the spinners.

Before:



After:

[PeteMeindl]

That make a huge difference, Dave! Looking good, that's for sure.