Eaton's Mk4 #9130 Oregon Build- First Year of Street legal driving

[Mark Eaton]

I had a good conversation with one of our sheriffs the other night in the emergency room. As a general surgeon in a small town I interact with these guys a lot. In the eyes of the law in Oregon every car, regardless of vintage, must have a front and rear plate. Out of respect for the badge I acquiesce...

I modified this obsolete hood thingy...



and made some brackets ...



powder coated with misty lava from Prismatic Powders



Good enough for me

[Vspeeds]

I love how you’re fabricating things on your build. Can’t wait to see it at Huntington Beach

[Mark Eaton]

I went ahead and installed the under door aluminum. Very easy and adds a lot to the cockpit. I went ahead and powder coated, of course. The panels wouldn't fit in my oven so I did my Youtube technique. This probably puts me at risk for self combustion but so far haven't had any fires...



Incidentally, I have been working on plans to build my own powder coat oven large enough to fit any of the FFR panels



I used rivets but no silicone and no carpet yet. Will wait on that until final paint etc.





I made two significant discoveries this week. The first is that Prismatic Powders, my favorite online powder coat store is based right here in White City Oregon! One of my scrub techs told me I should visit her boyfriends job site which produced powders. Turns out its Prismatic Powders. Small world, I went ahead and visited and discovered Cerakote. More on that later.

The other discovery is that the shop I have been seriously considering for painting my MK4 looks to be out of business...

[Vspeeds]

Mark
I've seen Cerakote on firearms and decided to use the stuff on my undercar exhaust. I used the Titanium color and it turned out awesome.

[Vspeeds]

Mark
Will you be able to make it to Huntington Beach with the new tentative schedule? Itll be good to see you and id love to see your car.

[Mark Eaton]

Eddie, I would love to catch up at the rescheduled Huntington Beach Cruise in. Its on my radar. There's alot of life between now and then! I just have to get through this virus pandemic thing. Other than that I have every intention of being present.

Mark

[jwd]

Hey Mark you have progressed nicely! Hope to see it blasting around down there soon. Ive been stuck in Eugene during this whole pandemic thing but have made a lot of progress. I have several friends in your field and know what you guys face everyday- please stay safe!

[Mark Eaton]

I emerged from the Hospital Friday morning with 72 hrs off and went straight to my shop. More than anything else I need to get away from the drama. We haven't been hit hard by Covid 19 at this point but the mental stress is taking its toll on the staff at multiple levels.

At any rate, I've spent alot of time on my wiring and it bothers me that these are exposed to road debris from the front tires.





I fabricated some panels, coated them with the left over raptor truck Bedliner I had used on the underside of the body. I fabricated brackets and mounted them with adhesive stud mounts from McMaster (secured with HSRF). I also had extra bulb seal left over. Here is what they look like. Probably over kill but it gave me something to do.





I have 450 miles on her grin every time I turn the key!!

[Vspeeds]

Eddie, I would love to catch up at the rescheduled Huntington Beach Cruise in. Its on my radar. There's alot of life between now and then! I just have to get through this virus pandemic thing. Other than that I have every intention of being present.

Mark

Mark
Your project is coming along and your car looks awesome.
Thank you for doing what you do. Stay safe and healthy and we’ll see you in Huntington Beach.
Eddie

[Caddy Dad]

A couple months ago my father was in town and we worked on some radiator cowls and mesh covers for the oil cooler and front brake vent holes. Also, I had been working on a bracket for fog lights. I got everything powder coated and installed using adhesive mount studs from McMaster and HSRF.



Here are the fog lights mounted on a bracket and secured to the body using the adhesive mount studs.



Radiator cowls and radiator mesh. All installed using nutserts.







Lights work!!

Nice looking lights. What brand did you go with? I'm also installing fog lights but I'm still searching for a quality pair that fits.
Thanks!

[Mark Eaton]

The headlights are Lumen® SB7150FA-BLK - 7" Round Black Projector LED Headlights with Switchback Halo . The fog lights are also Lumen® - 3" Round Halo Projector LED Fog Lights

I replaced the center lights on the fogs with these Lumen® - H11 Standard Series Replacement LED Bulb blue. I bought them from Carid.com

HTH

[Mark Eaton]

I have been planning this for a while decided to go with caliper paint which is inexpensive and easy to reapply when it wears out. Also, needed to do something to keep from burning my leg all the time. For the paint I used the VHT product. I almost went with this Cerakote coating which I think would be really awesome and I'll probably use it on my next build. It is used on guns, check them out here https://www.cerakote.com . It is expensive.

Here is what I did.









The wrap is DE titanium wrap, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I used these stainless steel zip ties https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Overall I'm very happy with it. The pipes still get hot but not enough to burn.

[Mark Eaton]

I used the laser level to center my hood scoop.







I marked it and drilled for M5 screws . Then I cut a hole for it with my reciprocating saw. I fused the fiberglass layers with HSRF



I also worked on the gapping for the good with some 80 grit. I still a way to go.

[Bob Cowan]

I had a good conversation with one of our sheriffs the other night in the emergency room. As a general surgeon in a small town I interact with these guys a lot. In the eyes of the law in Oregon every car, regardless of vintage, must have a front and rear plate. Out of respect for the badge I acquiesce...

I modified this obsolete hood thingy...



and made some brackets ...

I hate to tell you this, but this is not going to work. That license plate is just hanging out there in space, with no real support. There is so much wind resistance that the plate will be flapping back and forth like a flag. It will fatigue the metal, and it will fracture right where it bolts to the quick jack.

You need to add a support behind the other end of the plate to attach it to the body to keep it stable.



Guess how I know this?

[Mark Eaton]

Thanks Bob, I'll rig something up similar to yours!

[Mark Eaton]

I can't find a satisfying place to secure rear straps for travel in the trailer so I decided to weld on some rings which I got at my local farm supply store. The rings are rated at 5000lbs.






Here she is all strapped down and ready to travel to the Huntington Beach Cruise In!!

[Mark Eaton]

Here it is!



All I can say at this point is THIS CAR IS SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE!

Some observations,

Wind: I don't have my wind wings or sun visor installed so its pretty windy. In fact, any hat I put on blows off at 45mph so I just gave up and use a lot of sunscreen. No hats.

Eyewear: Because of the wind I found I need protective eyewear, these glasses are great. Notice the side shields.



Next is the sound system. Sound systems sometimes turns into a contentious discussion on this forum. But this is my build thread and what I'll say is that I LOVE my sound system. I went all out and got a very high quality system which is so important. Here it is.



I can tell you that if I crank it up to about 75% capacity it will drown out my DART 347 racing engine at highway speed. Is it loud? HELL YES! Its loud enough that I can wear ear plugs and still "feel" the music. But it is a quality system and doesn't really hurt the ears until it reaches stupid high decibels. I know we are all different but I am so happy that I installed this thing. I got the idea of the "behind the seat amphitheater" from Saul "Blown 5.0" whom is no longer with us.

[Fman]

Looking good, nice work on the sounds system... 1000 miles already! Your thread updates are good motivation for me, I got such a long way to go

After 1000 miles how are you liking the Sniper EFI? 347 meeting expecations?

[cv2065]

Looking great Mark. I'll have to re-read your thread to see how you fit those subs back there, as I barely have enough room for a pancake sub. I'm sure it sounds great!

[GoDadGo]

Congratulations On Achieving 1,000 Miles Dr. Mark.
On a personal note, I love those mirrors too.

[Mark Eaton]

Looking good, nice work on the sounds system... 1000 miles already! Your thread updates are good motivation for me, I got such a long way to go

After 1000 miles how are you liking the Sniper EFI? 347 meeting expecations?

The 347 more than meets expectations, it frankly scares me sometimes. The Sniper has been very care free, she idles a little rough at first but then becomes super smooth and responsive. I haven't been to sea level yet but have been to 6000ft , no problems! I can't help but think that it is so easy because Forte dialed the whole thing in when he dyno'd it.

[Mark Eaton]

Looking great Mark. I'll have to re-read your thread to see how you fit those subs back there, as I barely have enough room for a pancake sub. I'm sure it sounds great!

PM if you need to see more photos

[Mark Eaton]

Congratulations On Achieving 1,000 Miles Dr. Mark.
On a personal note, I love those mirrors too.

Great mirrors! You know where I got the idea for those

[Vspeeds]

I love it...1000 miles already! I use the blutooth JBL Charge4 speaker and it suffices for me even with earplugs in. I can’t imagine what your system sounds like. But I’m sure the quality of sound is awesome.

[shark92651]

The headlights are Lumen® SB7150FA-BLK - 7" Round Black Projector LED Headlights with Switchback Halo . The fog lights are also Lumen® - 3" Round Halo Projector LED Fog Lights

I replaced the center lights on the fogs with these Lumen® - H11 Standard Series Replacement LED Bulb blue. I bought them from Carid.com

HTH

Mark,

Do you recommend those 3" fog lights? The ones I put in my car turned out to be crap and both of them quit working after about 600 miles on the car. The plastic halo rings actually melted and deformed from the heat of operating them. I'm looking for a good replacement, but not a lot of options out there with both halo and projector in the 3" size.

Thanks,
David

[Mark Eaton]

Mark,

Do you recommend those 3" fog lights? The ones I put in my car turned out to be crap and both of them quit working after about 600 miles on the car. The plastic halo rings actually melted and deformed from the heat of operating them. I'm looking for a good replacement, but not a lot of options out there with both halo and projector in the 3" size.

Thanks,
David

David, So far so good, although I'm no expert on lights. I turn them on every time I drive and they still work well. I think the company that makes them has a pretty good reputation from the research I did. It is kind of mind boggling all of the companies out there that make after market LED lights for vehicles. I'm not quit sure how to sort through all of it. The website I purchased them from (CARiD.com) have online technicians whom seem to know the products well.

HTH

Mark

[Mark Eaton]

A few weeks ago we rented a VRBO and headed to the coast for an extended weekend. The boys brought a buddy. I drove the Cobra and my wife followed in the my truck with car hauler. It was a 3 hr drive through the beautiful Oregon wilderness. It is so much fun to drive this car! I thought I'd share some photos.



Here's my crew,



Such a beautiful State,

[Vspeeds]

Hey Mark
I was thinking of you and your build and looked you up on the forum. I just saw this post. Glad you got it street legal. Isn’t it an awesome car! I have over 11000 miles on mine since January. Hopefully I’ll see it in person in 2021 in Huntington Beach.

[cgundermann]

Hey Mark, I haven’t been on the forum much for a while (health, move etc.), but, just catching up on your build and you have really been trucking along and with some pretty cool personal creative touches! Glad to see you and the family getting out and enjoying it. It never gets old driving these beasts! I am close to finishing up my shop with the addition of a two post lift to augment my moveable four post. Now that my shop is completely finished, I’m gearing up for another build...

Can’t wait to see how you paint your snake!

Chris

[Mark Eaton]

Thanks for the comments guys. I will definitely drive her down to Huntington beach in 2021 and hope to see both of you guys down there! I just rolled 3000 miles the other day, so much fun to drive. Painting and body work is on hold for now as I have started my next project already, an 818C with my youngest son(14yo). We will start a separate build thread for that soon. Hoping to get it finished in time for his 16th birthday.

Mark

[Blitzboy54]

Here it is!



All I can say at this point is THIS CAR IS SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE!

Some observations,

Wind: I don't have my wind wings or sun visor installed so its pretty windy. In fact, any hat I put on blows off at 45mph so I just gave up and use a lot of sunscreen. No hats.

Eyewear: Because of the wind I found I need protective eyewear, these glasses are great. Notice the side shields.



Next is the sound system. Sound systems sometimes turns into a contentious discussion on this forum. But this is my build thread and what I'll say is that I LOVE my sound system. I went all out and got a very high quality system which is so important. Here it is.



I can tell you that if I crank it up to about 75% capacity it will drown out my DART 347 racing engine at highway speed. Is it loud? HELL YES! Its loud enough that I can wear ear plugs and still "feel" the music. But it is a quality system and doesn't really hurt the ears until it reaches stupid high decibels. I know we are all different but I am so happy that I installed this thing. I got the idea of the "behind the seat amphitheater" from Saul "Blown 5.0" whom is no longer with us.

Sound system or not your back deck is a thing of beauty. This picture has made me rethink my interior. Well done As an aside my wife and I lived in Oregon for 10 years (Portland). Miss the roads, this car grooving up Ape Cave would be incredible.

[Mark Eaton]

Thanks Blitzboy54 , its not period correct but it sure adds to the driving experience!

[nucjd19]

Excellent build thread Mark! Actually yours was one of the very first I started following when I decided I was going to finally purchase a Roadster. A quick question when you get a chance. I am a physician as well with kids ( 7 and 9 yo girls). I am curious how you fit your work schedule and family commitments into your build. My build will be finished 11/14 ( Roadster complete, 3 Link, 347 BPE/TKO600 carb 17" wheels etc) and my game plan is similar to you with cruising with the wife mainly and rare track day.

[Mark Eaton]

Excellent build thread Mark! Actually yours was one of the very first I started following when I decided I was going to finally purchase a Roadster. A quick question when you get a chance. I am a physician as well with kids ( 7 and 9 yo girls). I am curious how you fit your work schedule and family commitments into your build. My build will be finished 11/14 ( Roadster complete, 3 Link, 347 BPE/TKO600 carb 17" wheels etc) and my game plan is similar to you with cruising with the wife mainly and rare track day.

PM sent

[Mark Eaton]

So, my MK4 was street legal last year 2/2020. A couple weeks ago I rolled 4000 miles and the car is running great. I have to say that I couldn't be happier with it. I changed the oil and filter and greased all the zero fittings. I think there were 20. I also put her up on the lift to assess the Raptor undercoating. It is holding out well!





I need to recheck the alignment and reset the coil overs to make sure there is even distribution of weight. Also, I took her to a pro shop about 7 months ago but they didn't want to touch the alignment. I expected that. Here are a couple photos of the undercarriage UPOL Raptor coating. The car is a little dirty but that bedliner is solid, no chipping, it looks great. Also, I have been driving intermittently all winter on gravely roads.

[JB in NOVA]

Mark, thanks a lot for posting this. These "a year later" posts are really informative for those of us still in the build process. It looks like the bottom and inner edges of the front wheel wells take some abuse. Are there any things you would advise (e.g., extra protection in the wheel wells, heating/insulation issues, etc.) based on your experience so far?

[Fman]

Another question Mark, you mentioned you took the car to alignment shop and they did not want to touch it? What was the reason they did not want to align your car?

Congrats on the 4k miles and 1 year... keep on rockin'!

[Mark Eaton]

Mark, thanks a lot for posting this. These "a year later" posts are really informative for those of us still in the build process. It looks like the bottom and inner edges of the front wheel wells take some abuse. Are there any things you would advise (e.g., extra protection in the wheel wells, heating/insulation issues, etc.) based on your experience so far?

JB,

I fabricated extra front splash guards as well as some for the rear.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post404778



Also, I sprayed the entire body and splash guards with Raptor truck bed liner. This stuff

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am amazed how well it has held out despite fairly aggressive winter driving.

[Mark Eaton]

Another question Mark, you mentioned you took the car to alignment shop and they did not want to touch it? What was the reason they did not want to align your car?

Congrats on the 4k miles and 1 year... keep on rockin'!

Travis,

I think they were a little intimidated by it. First off, it was too low to drive up on their lift and they didn't have a floor jack low and long enough to help get it up on the machine. The guy helping me seemed pretty young and he wanted me to come back another day when the most experienced guy would be there. I just never made it back. Instead I have invested in some high quality LongAcre alignment equipment and I enjoy doing it myself. It's really not difficult, it just takes repetition, tweak it , drive, tweak it, drive. Plus, I figure it will go out every now and then and I don't want to need to rely on somebody else to align it.

[Mark Eaton]

Mark, thanks a lot for posting this. These "a year later" posts are really informative for those of us still in the build process. It looks like the bottom and inner edges of the front wheel wells take some abuse. Are there any things you would advise (e.g., extra protection in the wheel wells, heating/insulation issues, etc.) based on your experience so far?

JB,

One other thing that comes to mind. In that third photo you can see how my DHT paint on the side pipes is fading if not completely burnt off. No big deal, that was like $35 worth of rattle can paint and it looked good for about 2000 miles. Next time I will try Cerakote! I have thought about sand blasting them and applying Cerakote but I have read too many times where the FFR side pipes start to sound bad and need to be replaced. These pipes still sound good and they won't fit in my blast cabinet so I'll stick with the DHT for now