460.465USMC's MK4 Build #9890 - Gel Red is Rad. Blue is Better!

[460.465USMC]

Chris, I love it. I’ve never seen a gauge layout like that before. It’s very unique. I can’t wait to see it upholstered.

Thanks, Jesse. I hope unique isn't code for "'what in the world did he do?!"

The "upholstery" will be "Charcoal Rock" from PrismaticPowders.com

[460.465USMC]

Nice work Chris! I completely agree about the complexity involved in the hidden dash mounts. I also tried to copy Edwardb's dash mounts and found them to be far trickier than they appear.

(Edit: never mind on the mounting ring interference. Looks like you got it all sorted out nicely!)

Hi John. Yeah, thanks to your sage advice I was extra careful to watch for clearance on those leftmost gauges. Thanks again!

[Papa]

Nice work!

[Blitzboy54]

Thanks, Jesse. I hope unique isn't code for "'what in the world did he do?!"

The "upholstery" will be "Charcoal Rock" from PrismaticPowders.com

It’s not, I struggled to find ways to make it “mine”. I love it.

Also PCing the dash will look sweet as well.

[John Ibele]

Aw, fantastic. So glad you're able to get out to the garage, and hopefully lose yourself in the work for a bit from time to time.

Solid 0.080" dash, with generous bracing including for the grab handle ... doesn't that have a great solid feel?

Yes, your dash layout is both distinctive and spot on, so no subtext involved here. It is distinctive, handsome, yet entirely functional at the same time. Really nice!

Way to go, Chris. One step at a time. And it's looking great. Made my day, and it's not even my car

[460.465USMC]

Solid 0.080" dash, with generous bracing including for the grab handle ... doesn't that have a great solid feel?

Thanks for the encouragement, John. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, there’s a strong possibility I went a wee bit overboard with the under dash supports plus bracing for grab handle. It does feel quite solid…if you ever need a stump pulled, I’m your man.

[John Ibele]

Thanks for the encouragement, John. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, there’s a strong possibility I went a wee bit overboard with the under dash supports plus bracing for grab handle. It does feel quite solid…if you ever need a stump pulled, I’m your man.

I think when you have the first passenger who wants to get in face first, with their left hand on the seat and their right hand on ... something, please not the windscreen ... you won't regret a thing.

[460.465USMC]

It was fun to hit the Easy button and add a little bling. Plus, another item checked off the list. Following a tip from Blitzboy54 I perused EBay for wheel centers. My wheels are SVE, and I wasn't excited about being their rolling advertisement. So, measured mine (65 MM), then found a nice EBay deal (please excuse the picture quality):






I'm no Cobra/Shelby aficionado by any stretch, but I'm pretty sure these are not official Cobra. No matter to me; it's a snake, and it looks like it could bite. Works for me.

[JohnK]

Looks like a Cobra to me Nice touch on the wheels.

[Blitzboy54]

Happy to help.

They look great!

[460.465USMC]

One of my Coyote headers from F5 is bent--see pictures below. It arrived that way via Stewart Transport with the rest of my kit.

I contacted F5, and they said I should be able to bend it back with a pair of vise grips. What do you guys think? Is this something I need to be concerned about?

[Papa]

I'd be concerned about exhaust leaks if the repair isn't completely smooth, which could affect readings from the O2 sensor just a few inches away. Just my $0.02, but you paid for new parts and that's what I'd expect to receive.

[Blitzboy54]

It could be fixed with plyers and a small ball peen hammer. But like papa said, no guarantees and you paid for an undamaged part.

[Railroad]

Use an adjustable wrench, less distortion. Bend is probably below the seal area. You can put a little grease on the parts and see where the two make contact. No biggy.

[Fman]

Chris I would take that bent piece to exhaust shop and have them straighten it out, they will have the correct machine to get it perfect and prob would not be that expensive. Factory 5 might even credit you for the repair.

Also I found this company online that makes custom center caps. They do a really nice job, have good prices and you can pretty much find anything or even custom make them to size and graphic. The only downfall is it takes a few weeks because they are made out of the country but totally a legit company.

https://3dcarstickers.com/search/?searchstring=cobra

[460.465USMC]

I'd be concerned about exhaust leaks if the repair isn't completely smooth, which could affect readings from the O2 sensor just a few inches away. Just my $0.02, but you paid for new parts and that's what I'd expect to receive.

It could be fixed with plyers and a small ball peen hammer. But like papa said, no guarantees and you paid for an undamaged part.

Use an adjustable wrench, less distortion. Bend is probably below the seal area. You can put a little grease on the parts and see where the two make contact. No biggy.

Chris I would take that bent piece to exhaust shop and have them straighten it out, they will have the correct machine to get it perfect and prob would not be that expensive. Factory 5 might even credit you for the repair.

https://3dcarstickers.com/search/?searchstring=cobra

Really appreciate the input, Gents! I'm going to examine the dent and connections a bit more closely. If it doesn't affect the exhaust flow--feel fairly good it won't if I get it close to original shape--I don't think I will bother with a replacement request from F5. I'm going to follow Railroad's suggestion and check for fitment/seal.

However, Papa's point about the potential impact to O2 sensor has me thinking. I have no experience in engine building or mech. engineering (yes, I know it's obvious! ), so welcome any additional thoughts on Papa's O2 sensor consideration. I'm not really in the mood to arm wrestle F5 for a replacement unless it's going to affect engine performance/O2 sensor operation. Any additional thoughts?

[460.465USMC]

Also I found this company online that makes custom center caps. They do a really nice job, have good prices and you can pretty much find anything or even custom make them to size and graphic. The only downfall is it takes a few weeks because they are made out of the country but totally a legit company.

https://3dcarstickers.com/search/?searchstring=cobra

Thanks for the tip, Travis! Just bought caps, so I'm going to file this away for future reference.

P.S. I tried the website and it won't load. Probably just a momentary inter-webs issue, so will try again later. Thanks again.

[Railroad]

After you pull the bend back to shape and if not pleased with the result, a good body man with a hammer and dolly can smooth it down. Those senior hammer and dolly men can smooth it out in short order.

[460.465USMC]

I'm plugging away inch by inch on the RF wiring harness. Drilled the 1.25" hole for the rear harness in the lower rear, inside corner of the DS FB. This is just below the hydraulic clutch reservoir pass through as it goes to its master cylinder. I removed the dark green/gray speed sensor wires/connector - not used w/GPS gauges. While I had the loom unwrapped, added a pair of wires for a trunk courtesy light. Placed rear harness in place.




Sending unit harness: decided upon drilling the 1.25" hole just below and to the left of the hydraulic clutch reservoir on the firewall. Included the 8 AWG from the Blue Sea Systems (BSS) 150A fuse (a la Edwardb) to the alternator in this harness and routed it through the firewall. Also seen in the above picture.

Like many I removed the Hot Rod flat steering column connector and wires. Since I will be using the Coyote computer to control the fan, I eliminate the cooling fan and sensor wires from the front harness.

I've seen other builders installed a ground bus behind the dash, and liked the idea (thanks Fman!). So, installed another BSS four position (1/4" studs) to collect grounds behind the dash. I grounded the bus itself to the 2"x2" tube. Drilled and tapped 1/4-20 to secure it. The specs on this BSS bus call for 72 in lbs of torque when tightening the studs. I get to put my HF inch pound torque wrench to use again--other time was to safety wire the Wilwood brake hats/rotors.




The inertia switch can also be seen in the above picture. I attached it to the passenger side firewall extension. I like how this location is less busy, and it gets the switch up and out of the way. Should be able to access if it ever gets tripped. Not breaking any new ground here!

I installed the ODB-II connector on the bottom side of the 2"x2", just to the right of the steering shaft support. I have a lot of wiring installation left to complete, so ordered a dust cover to prevent debris/bits of stuff from lodging in the ODB-II. About $15 on Amazon.







Back to the inertia switch, I installed a SPST switch (came with my kit) in series so I can manually shut off the fuel in case of emergency. Attached it to an underdash support--tust below and to the left of the steering shaft. See red arrow below. Another idea I copied from Edwardb.




I've bought plenty of tools for my project so far, so trying to keep a lid on it (you know...budget and all). But, after soldering a few of the larger ring terminals, I was not happy with the process. Not to mention how easy (uneasy!) it is to solder in tight spaces. So, picked up a cheap hydraulic crimper I've seen a few of my go-to builders use. About $50 from Amazon (YQK-70). Wow, what a difference! Very pleased with the result, and wished I would have bought this at the beginning. Lesson learned.




I almost forgot about my horn and hazard flasher switches. The plastic momentary horn switch that comes with the kit is okay, but for $15 I wanted to upgrade and try this one from MGI Speedware. Probably not the highest quality in the world, but has a good feel and the switch operations seems positive. This one is red (momentary), and the circle will illuminate with the headlight on, so I can easily find when dark. The horn will be installed between the ignition switch, and the headlight switch (to the right and below the steering wheel). Similarly, I bought a DPST for the hazard light switch (latching; green illumination), and it will be installed below and to the left of the steering wheel. Not the most convenient location, but hopefully this won't be a go-to switch for me, so ease of reach is not as critical as the horn.

[460.465USMC]

With all of the dash and wiring work over the last few weeks, figured I was ready for a win. So, installed the horns. I used a 1/4-20 through the 3/4" tube to secure both brackets, and a 10-32 on one bracket to keep the horns from rotating. Secured both bolts with nylon lock nuts.






My dash is at the powder coaters with a two week lead time. Looking forward to getting it back and installing it.

[Fman]

Chris your build is looking awesome, you are doing a great job. Your wiring looks a lot more polished than mine that is for sure. I was trying to catch up on your build were you able to test your fuel lines yet for leaks? Not sure if you were aware but they sell a nice little air adaptor and plug that can be used to hold pressure in the line. Some nice piece of mind before you run fuel through them. If you've already done this sorry I missed it but thought it was worthwhile mentioning.

Keep it up, you'll be dropping in that Coyote before you know it!

[460.465USMC]

Hi Travis. Appreciate you dropping in. Always welcome your feedback, and draw from your build all the time.

I haven't tested the fuel lines yet, but it's on my list. I may have made a note of it, but did you share the system you used to test in your build thread?

[Fman]

Hi Travis. Appreciate you dropping in. Always welcome your feedback, and draw from your build all the time.

I haven't tested the fuel lines yet, but it's on my list. I may have made a note of it, but did you share the system you used to test in your build thread?

This is what I used, looks like it is available on Amazon now

https://www.amazon.com/Fragola-90066...70977891&psc=1

[frankeeski]

With all of the dash and wiring work over the last few weeks, figured I was ready for a win. So, installed the horns. I used a 1/4-20 through the 3/4" tube to secure both brackets, and a 10-32 on one bracket to keep the horns from rotating. Secured both bolts with nylon lock nuts.

The heads of those machine screws are going to be an issue when you go to secure your nose aluminum.

[460.465USMC]

The heads of those machine screws are going to be an issue when you go to secure your nose aluminum.

Thanks for the warning, Frank. Is this aluminum piece what you are referring to? Do you think it would be okay if I cut out for the screw heads when I get to this point?

[frankeeski]

Thanks for the warning, Frank. Is this aluminum piece what you are referring to? Do you think it would be okay if I cut out for the screw heads when I get to this point?

You can but it may look like garbage. I'd prefer mounting them to the bottom 3/4" square tube just behind the rad. I don't use those horns and prefer to use the Bad Boy Horn from Wolo. I mount that one to the "x" frame in the front of the car.

[460.465USMC]

Diversions can be a good thing. Been plugging away my ongoing (never-ending?!) wiring task, but decided to indulge a brief diversion and install a carbon fume/vapor filter. I don't see this mentioned in the build manual. Would rather spend the $25 on parts and install now while easily accessible.

I just recently saw Edwardb's approach to this, and really liked the simplicity, functionality, and especially the (low) cost. You can see his recent write-up here: PVC Carbon Fume/Vapor Filter. It sounds like Mr. Kleiner first came up with the idea, so I thank both of them for sharing. Great solution, Gents!

I mounted the Allstar performance mounting bracket just behind the PS rear shock mount. From what I've read there is consensus this location is good, i.e. not in the way, and accessible for maintenance. Drilled and tapped 10-32 holes for socket head screws. Applied Loctite Blue to threads and used lock washers.

Allstar bracket installed:




Vapor filter in place. The bottom fitting is glued in place. The top is just friction fit.




View from the other side, coming off the 90 deg. vent nipple on the gas tank. I used 3/8" rubber fuel hose from Napa, as it seems to fit the nipple well. Just had to find the matching nylon 1/2" NPT to 1/4" hose barb (Lowe's).




I called the powder coating shop, and they pushed me back another week. Hopefully, I'll have the dash in hand next week while I'm on Christmas vacation, as I'd really like to wire in the gauges. It seems his large commercial accounts have priority over my very important dash. Where does this guy get off doing the profitable jobs first?!! I have plenty other wiring stuff to do, so it won't slow me down.


Merry Christmas!

[460.465USMC]

Happy New Year! I took some vacation time this past week, so was able to make more wiring progress. The biggest news is my dash finally came back from powder coat--after some pleading phone calls from yours truly. It turned out great. The wait was worth it.

Here it is with everything in place except for the ignition switch. That's hanging in the car for now, and will install later.

This photo didn't turn out all that well, but it's close enough to get an idea of the color. This is Charcoal Rock from Prismatic Powders ("dark grey with a black contrast and a fine silver metallic"). It's supposed to be flat, with only 0-6 gloss units. I don't think it's quite that flat, but I didn't want shiny. I'm good with how it turned out.




For the close-up view below (again, color is a bit off in the photo--I don't think my phone dealt very well with our kitchen lighting):

• The black knob below the oil pressure gauge is the dimmer switch (need to figure out how that connects in relation to the dimmer control on the headlight switch).
• The push button below that is for the Speedo menu.
• The flush mount button below the Speedo is for the hazard flashers; a green halo LED illuminates when pressed/latched.
• The identical looking switch to its right is for the horn (momentary), a red halo LED illuminates with ignition On.
• I liked the turn signal/high beam/MIL LED light arrangement Edwardb did on his Anniversary build, so followed the same on mine.
• There is a second push button for clock setting permanently mounted to the bottom of the dash (not visible in photos).

Rear view. Still lots of work left here, but feels really good to get to this point.




Here's a closer view of the powder coat texture. I think Prismatic calls this a leatherette finish. (Please ignore the color in this photo).




As I mentioned above, still lots of work to do to test the circuits, and then make all the connections between the instruments and the wiring harness.

At the last minute, I decided to order 3/8" remote terminals for battery charging. I'm thinking of installing them next to the master shut off switch, which is above the transmission tunnel. I will run a short 8 AWG from the positive terminal to the 12V Blue Sea Systems (BSS) bus bar (switched side of master cut off). And a 10 AWG to the nearby ground bus bar (also a BSS). So, these wires will be behind the dash, i.e. not in the engine compartment. These will be the connection points to my battery maintainer, which provides up to 1.25A of current. Does anyone think this is a bad approach for remote charging terminals?

[edwardb]

Nice work. Looks really good. Two comments. First, you asked about the relationship between the dimmer control on the headlight switch (rotating knob) and the Speedhut gauge dimmer. It's pretty simple. Leave the headlight knob rotated fully to the left (counterclockwise) against the stop for the courtesy lights. Then control the gauge dimming only with the Speedhut knob. Rotating the the headlight knob clockwise will turn the gauges off (with no dimming) once the voltage falls below a certain threshold. If you leave it fully to the left, the gauges will always light. Also, it's only a short additional turn to the left to turn on the courtesy lights if you're using that function. Second, the terminals for the battery minder will work. I've done it a little differently on my last two builds and I like it a lot. I wire the aux port (as I see you also have on your dash) with large enough wires and circuit breaker that it can handle the battery minder. I use a CTek 7002. Then also I make the aux port a battery circuit so it's always on. With that, I just plug the battery minder into the aux port and it backfeeds to the battery. Works great and is very handy.

[Papa]

Chris,

That dash looks fantastic! Nice work and I like to idea of powder coat on the dash for durability.

Dave

[Blitzboy54]

Looks great Chris!

[Fman]

Chris, very cool idea with the PC that turned out great.

Happy new year to you, glad you are back on the build.

[460.465USMC]

Nice work. Looks really good. Two comments. First, you asked about the relationship between the dimmer control on the headlight switch (rotating knob) and the Speedhut gauge dimmer. It's pretty simple. Leave the headlight knob rotated fully to the left (counterclockwise) against the stop for the courtesy lights. Then control the gauge dimming only with the Speedhut knob. Rotating the the headlight knob clockwise will turn the gauges off (with no dimming) once the voltage falls below a certain threshold. If you leave it fully to the left, the gauges will always light. Also, it's only a short additional turn to the left to turn on the courtesy lights if you're using that function. Second, the terminals for the battery minder will work. I've done it a little differently on my last two builds and I like it a lot. I wire the aux port (as I see you also have on your dash) with large enough wires and circuit breaker that it can handle the battery minder. I use a CTek 7002. Then also I make the aux port a battery circuit so it's always on. With that, I just plug the battery minder into the aux port and it backfeeds to the battery. Works great and is very handy.

Thanks, Paul! Looking into my dimmer situation a bit more, I couldn't figure out why the dimmer control from Speedhut (didn't come with kit - had to order separately) came with a two-pin daisy chain connector arrangement. All of the gauges, except the clock, have three-pin daisy chain. So, I called Speedhut this morning, and they said when F5 switched to LED lighting the dimmer function is now controlled by the headlight switch. I'm pretty committed to the dimmer switch (hole is in the dash), so wondering if I can still make it all work like you describe above? That would be my preference.

Great idea on the remote charging. I may reconsider my approach above, as I think yours is cleaner, and like you said, very handy.

[Papa]

Chris,

The older gauges required an AC inverter and the Speedhut dimmer was used to convert DC to AC for those gauges. If your new gauges are LED, you may need to use a different dimmer. Perhaps something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Volt-Dimmer-L...%2C102&sr=8-14

Dave

[460.465USMC]

Chris,

That dash looks fantastic! Nice work and I like to idea of powder coat on the dash for durability.

Dave

Thanks, Dave! There's very few ideas I haven't heavily borrowed from from great builds like yours. It should hold up for a while.

Looks great Chris!

Thanks, Jesse! Really appreciate a fellow Devil Dog keeping an eye on me.

Chris, very cool idea with the PC that turned out great.

Happy new year to you, glad you are back on the build.

Thanks, Travis! Happy New Year!

I've spent more time on my dash and wiring than any other aspect of my build. To be honest, it was intimidating at first. And, this was supposed to be the one part of the build closest to my wheel house! Gulp! Anyway, it feels good to see a small light at the end of my wiring/dash tunnel.

[edwardb]

Thanks, Paul! Looking into my dimmer situation a bit more, I couldn't figure out why the dimmer control from Speedhut (didn't come with kit - had to order separately) came with a two-pin daisy chain connector arrangement. All of the gauges, except the clock, have three-pin daisy chain. So, I called Speedhut this morning, and they said when F5 switched to LED lighting the dimmer function is now controlled by the headlight switch. I'm pretty committed to the dimmer switch (hole is in the dash), so wondering if I can still make it all work like you describe above? That would be my preference.

Oops. I assumed since you had the AC inverter and separate dimmer, yours was the previous style gauges with the electroluminescent backlighting. Speedhut is correct. Newer gauges use LED backlighting so don't use the inverter or the separate dimmer. They supposedly will dim with the knob on the headlight switch. I don't have any experience with that newer version, so can't say how effective that dimming is. Best to wire it up and find out. The white gauge lighting wire in the RF dash harness has its voltage increased/reduced by twisting the headlight knob. See how it works. A separate dimmer like Papa posted might be another approach. But it will still have the gauge white wire going through it.

[John Ibele]

Yeah, one more attaboy Your dash - unique, totally functional, and really well executed. Nice job, Chris. Happy New Year!

[460.465USMC]

Yeah, one more attaboy Your dash - unique, totally functional, and really well executed. Nice job, Chris. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, John! I really appreciate your comments. It means a lot to get feedback from you, and the other builders I respect and go to for help. Keeps me between the rails!

[460.465USMC]

I'm working on faith all of this will actually come together, and fit behind the dash. Without the great examples from those who've gone before, I'm not sure I would have enough faith!

HQ Wiring Operations have moved to Camp Kitchen Table for the dash harness connections.




If a connection otherwise doesn't have a plug, it will be soldered and protected by dual wall heat shrink (w/adhesive lining). It doesn't seem like a good idea (for me) to solder the RT turn signal wires, as I imagine I'll need to remove it 37 more times before I'm done. So, these will few connections will be crimped with push-on terminals. Did anyone else make their RT connections removable?

[Fman]

Chris, I would definitely make all connections removable, my RT turn signal is broken and won’t hold in right turn position. I have to hold it in place with my finger. I’ll prob just leave it because I don’t want the hassle of removing it. I also took out my clock and replaced with oil temp gauge. You never know what you will have to swap out after your car is finished, IMO the easier to disconnect stuff the better.