D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained, additive to Bob's Arizona Gen 3 Coupe Build Thread

As you may have seen in mid-November 2023 Graduation Reveal postings of my Type 65 Coupe, it incorporates a number of unique custom features to create a "GT Reimagined Replimod Custom Build" of the Type 65/Cobra Daytona Coupe.
Probably half the total build-time was creating and implementing the custom features for D8YTONA, which is what I call my car, taken from its Arizona personalized plate.



For those interested, I'll now reveal in some detail the main custom features and why and how I built them.

In separate posts, those I'll reveal and explain in separate Features are:

Feature 1. Side Windows reshaped
Feature 2. Rear Cove redesign
Feature 3. Custom Dash
Feature 4. Custom Inside Door Panels
Feature 5. Lowered Nose Corners Bodywork
Feature 6. Valve Covers on a Coyote 5.0
Feature 7. Custom Hood Vents
Feature 8. And likely some additional custom features

Here's my completed D8YTONA, Factory five Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe in 2019-21 Ford Performance Blue with Shelby dual White stripes (Body finishing and painting by Jeff Miller Customs)

[Bob Brandle]

Feature 1: Side Windows Reshaped

From early on, even a full year before i placed the order for my Type 65 Coupe, I was bothered by the straight top-edge and acute A-Pillar angle of the side windows.
I decided to make them curved and flow, in harmony with so many of the other curves of the bodywork.

Design review and analysis, convenient use of Factory Five's Prototype & Show Car Type 65 Coupe and a bit of my Photoshop skills -



Comparison of 4 "Daytona Coupes" and their side window shapes.



When I finally had delivery of my Type 65 Coupe, I was able to 3D analyze and test some mockup designs.
To me, this one looked Great! and it might work!



my window-panes design were to be all in one-plane. here's checking what that plane would be and whether it looks like it could work...Yes.



Laying out the shape of the rear-quarter window (replacing the scoop and adding a taper to the shape) and adding in the FFR door window frame, which I'll use.
NOTE, this was in the Winter of 2018-19, after receiving my kit Sept-2018.

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Custom Features Explained Part 1-B

Now adding in mockup posterboard to the top of the window and A-Pillar to door window corner to determine the curves that would work. Not too much and not too little and it all would have to be possible to fabricate to my skills and tools.



After so much time looking at and measuring everything I could think of about how I would proceed and how I might fabricate everything needed, all in fiberglass, it was Time To CUT.
I was a bundle of nerves to actually saw into that portion of the body fiberglass and remove a big piece. It wasn't quite a Point of no Return because if I didn't proceed too much further i could have fiberglassed the piece back in.
But out it came, never to return.

On purpose, I left the basic shape and structure of the original "D" window-scoop to be part of the final design and to maintain some structural integrity that it might offer.



My design for this area and for the elongated "window" was to fabricate a shallow fiberglass box that would have a main panel that would frame and hold a shaped piece of Lexan/Plexiglass.
Here' development of the design and final fiberglass panel.
Note that since the FFR fiberglass body is made of Vinyl-Ester Resin fiberglass, to be totally compatible and joinable, the resin used to create this window box and join it to the body must be Vinyl-Ester based resin.



This set of images show my design for the tapered window panel and how it will be captured and held in place by U-shaped flexible window glass channeling. The channeling is shaped and "glued" in place to the window panel using HSFR epoxy.





To Be Continued Additional Post

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained Part 1C

Designing and Fabricating the B-Pillars



The B-Pillars are to be fabricated fiberglass beams. I built them out of laminating thin 1/16" thick pieces in order to obtain the desired final design shape. If i had access to a mill, I would have machined these out of single blocks.
The B-Pillars are to both mount and contain the rear-quarter window panels & box and also serve as a backing plate for the door window frame's rear vertical end.







Inside views and final fiberglassing in of the rear-quarter window Box and B-Pillar. The b-Pillar also had HSFR Epoxy used for attachment and structural fill.
NOTE: Much later in the build a backing plate of screwed in stainless steel was added to the lower joining point. It was covered with leatherette and is mostly covered by the seat headrest.

Yes, there are other designs and materials that could have been used, but ultimately one has to go with a single design and something that one has the ability to execute.

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained: Part 1D

Installed B-Pillar and Rear-quarter Window Box

The B-Pillar will be covered by a door window Frame Backing Plate of aluminum and there will be an aluminum U-channel that will frame the front edge of the rear-quarter window and secure the Lexan/Plexiglass window pane itself.
Black painted compressed wood board serves the purpose of a mock window pane





Further development, analysis and testing



Once everything looks good, design-wise and fabrication-wise, it's time for FFR cabin body joining surface preparation. This involves grinding and sanding away of significant amounts of body gelcoat so that the fiberglass & resin are applied are to raw and roughed up fiberglass.
The fiberglass & resin are applied in layers to both cover the area needed to establish the new curved bodywork and to be structurally thick enough. Then the cut edge is established and excess hardened fiberglass edges are cut off and sanded smooth



This is how I fabricated the curved corner of the A-Pillar to top of the window edge. A curved stiff edge, filled with HSFR and then covered with fiberglass & resin so that the outside surface is just fiberglass.



To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained -Part 1E

The "Finished" Reshaped side windows



Here, are the FFR Door Window Frames with the marks for the minimal material needed to be removed.
About 1/3 of the frame width is needed to be removed at the upper front corner / A-Pillar to top of window corner.
With the FFR window frame being a fairly thick stainless steel, the 2/3 remaining frame with seems quite strong enough for its function. there's actually minimal material to be removed at the to-p-rear of the frame.



Here's black painted pressboard mockups of the door window frames set in place to verify and tweek the shape of the body window surround.
With the doors of the car not yet trimmed for complete body mounting and fitment, these had to suffice for fitment checks, as well as the door window frames simply taped on.



To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part F

Finally!!! Thanks to Jeff Miller Customs, Jeff & Jose, I got to see the doors fully-mounted and it's the fully painted body too.
First at Miller Customs and then back in the build garage.

The custom windows shape look great and note that the panels are painted a stealthy satin-black.



Closeup look at the custom restyled windows.
Jeff and Jose did a wonderful job in finishing off the shapes and I thank them for being willing to take on this unique custom job, as well as all the others on D8YTONA.



And now for the Best Look so far, a nice outside photoshoot



To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained: Part 1G

Fabrication of the actual LEXAN Rear-Quarter WindowPanes is next.
First in mockup Plexiglass



Now the Dark Gray LEXAN Panes (1/4" thk) are saw cust and edges polished. The 1/4" thk. LEXAN was used to properly fit in the window glass U-channels. The 1/4" is overkill for strength.



Closeup look at the Fitment of the Dark Gray LEXAN Rear-quarter window panels, the B-Pillar U-channel and door window frames on the doors.



Now with the full Plexiglass windows fitting into the FFR door window frames, the FULL LOOK!!



Close Up LOOK



To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained; Part 1H

Finally, the Completed Custom Reshaped Side Windows OUTSIDE in the full sun.

I'm fully satisfied how they turned out!!




Now, the Full Car Look. Feature Completed

[cfriedman67]

Beautiful work!!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Well executed!

Jeff

[UpNorth]

Wow! I’m impressed.
Good job!

[burchfieldb]

Wow! Totally impressed, that looks amazing!

[rhk118]

Amazing work! Thanks for documenting it so well. Very unique, and looks great.

[Skuzzy]

Very nice work.

[JimStone]

Wow, that's a lot of work! One-of-a-kind for sure

[neilkuy]

That window line is a great improvement over the FFR design. Great work.

[edwardb]

That window line is a great improvement over the FFR design. Great work.

I agree it looks nice. Outstanding work and craftsmanship. But for the record, FFR's Coupe is relatively authentic to the original in this area. So I wouldn't call it their design. More like Peter Brock's.

https://simeonemuseum.org/wp-content...-coupe-r3q.jpg

[Bob Brandle]

Thanks for the many views and positive complements made on this post of the custom side windows of my Type 65/Daytona Coupe.

No way was I suggesting that this design was THE way to go for the production Type 65 Coupe but was just my own custom creation and in my eye a desired change or improvement for my car.

Factory Five certainly was and continues to be 100% correct to replicate the original window design for the coupe so that owners can build their coupe period correct to the degree they desire.

As for additional custom features, nearly every owner/builder incorporates some custom designs, minimal to major.

Next up for a D8YTONA related post will soon be Part 2 Custom Rear Cove.

Bob