John in KC - Roadster Build Thread

[JMD]

I'm definitely winning bronze out of the three of us...

If you're just talking about the three of us there are medals enough for everyone! Anyone completing one of these things should get a medal anyway, imo.

[JMD]

7/14

2 hrs - Install Driveshaft, transmission & engine mounts

Had to cut a tab that was contacting the frame and keeping the TKX transmission from centering on the mount properly. This is pretty typical for this transmission and an easy fix with a sawsall.

Before & after:
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Had to use 3 1/4" spacers (provided by Mike Forte with the engine) to lift the transmission tail in alignment with the rear differential. You'll need longer 1/2" diameter bolts. I almost used 7/16" as they thread in and seem to fit at first, but make sure to use 1/2" instead. The mounting tab on the transmission is open at the top so I used a slightly longer bolt than necessary to engage with all the threads. Oh, and a quick tip...install the driveshaft before mounting the transmission. I had to undo all of this to fit the driveshaft. No need to move the engine, just getting some lateral movement in the tail of the transmission is all you need here.

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Here is where my midshift ended up on the TKX behind a 302 sbf. No intereference issues with the shifter. The midshift was sourced from Mike Forte and preinstalled for me with the engine package...one less thing for me to have to mess with. There is plenty to do without having to install that!

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[JMD]

7/16

3.5 hrs - clutch line, adjust pedals, reinstall engine accessories, safety loop

Installed the braided clutch line to the external slave & bleed (no pics), adjusted pedals and the MC threaded rods for proper travel (no pics), reinstalled the alternator and engine belt (no pics), and the Metco driveshaft safety loop (pics below). Definitely getting to a point in the build where taking pics is less and less a priority for me. I don't want to talk about getting it done...I just want to work towards it! But will definitely want pics down the road so will keep taking them, but maybe not of every...single...thing...

Spent some time adjusting the pedal travel for the clutch using the threaded rod on the MC. I had to bring the clutch pedal up about 2" forward of the brake pedal to get enough throw to depress the plunger and clutch fork. I could gauge whether the clutch was releasing by trying to turn the driveshaft by hand when the clutch depressed. I could feel where it would grab as I let the clutch out slowly while spinning the driveshaft by hand. I was worried that I would need to adjust the slave, but didn't have to. Clutch fully disengages about 1" from the bottom of pedal travel, which is fine. (Spoiler: I just ran it through the gears today, forward and reverse and it's working great. The slave and clutch were well adjusted the way it came from Forte.)

So installing the Metco safety loop was a bit more involved than I thought it would be. Bolt it up and go, right? Wrong. First of all the transmission mounting bolt nuts were too big and interfered with the loop mount. It wouldn't sit flush with the transmission brace. The solution was simple: invert the bolts. The head of the bolt was thin enough to clear. Boom. Crisis averted.

Nut interference:
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Comparison pic:
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That taken care of I bolted the loop plate to the transmission brace, and installed the loop. It's touching the driveshaft. (Hard to tell in the pic, but it is...trust me.)
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This was concerning. Ok. How to make it work... There was about a 3/4" gap between the loop flat plate and the 4" frame cross tube. If I could adjust the angle of the loop flat plate it should raise the loop itself about twice that much. So I took it off (again) and inserted a very thick washer between the front two holes of the flat plate and transmission mount, keeping the rear holes snug against the top plate. This snugged the loop mounting plate up to within 1/8" of the frame rail and gave me the clearance I needed! I don't recall the exact measurement, but I think it's about 1-1.25" gap between the top of the driveshaft and the loop. Since neither the transmission or diff move much at all with the IRS setup that should be plenty. The u-joint clear just fine. Super happy with the result and the fact that it doesn't reduce ground clearance hardly at all.

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Oh, and make sure to run a tap (or thread chaser) through the threaded holes before mounting. They were very much gunked up with the powdercoating to the point I was concerned about messing up the threads.
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[JMD]

7/17

3.5 hrs - install shifter, fill transmission, begin install of mechanical throttle linkage

No pics for any of this, sorry. Put Pennzoil Synchromesh in the TKX as it was what Forte sent with it. Took just a hair under 3 bottles. Some really like it, others say its too thin. Will run it for a bit and see what I think. Getting to the fill plug is super tight. Glad I didn't have the e-brake handle on. I've heard some have to cut a square bit of bar stock into a 1" piece and put an open end wrench on it because the head of the socket won't fit between the frame and fill plug. Just FYI.

Installed a Hurst 6" shifter. I like the shifter location with the mid-shift position, but actually was hoping it would be a couple more inches further forward. I think it is with a Coyote, but not the SBF. I put the slight dogleg angled forward, I think it will work just fine.

Started installing the Forte mechanical throttle linkage. Definitely not a bolt in job. After about an hour and a half of research, geometry, and placing the initial pieces my head was hurting, so pressed pause until tomorrow.

[JMD]

7/18

3 hrs - finish throttle linkage

So this thing was a bit of a pain to install, but I'm super happy with it. Quite a bit of customization required, but quality materials and it's incredibly smooth.

Things I would have done differently:
-Mount it a bit lower on the firewall. I have the firewall forward so mounting to the 2x2 frame as many others have done didn't appeal to me. I mounted it as low as I could using the large washers, but later saw how others had cut down the washer to get it even lower so there is more clearance between the footbox arm and the top of the footbox. I think doing that and brining it down another 1/2" would have been nice, but it still works perfectly well where I have it. The FFMetal firewall is plenty sturdy and there is no movement at the mounting points at all. You have to cut and tap the rods to fit your application (they come about 6" longer than needed), but that was pretty simple. I also used the Breeze gas pedal and had to do a bit of custom work to get that to fit, but it turned out great. So much is adjustable that it can be a bit daunting trying to make it all work the way you want relative to each other. I spent an embarrassing amount of time getting it right, but wanted to get the pedal position & length of travel just right. Also ideal throttle actuation from fully closed to fully with no slop or dead space.

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One thing I did do differently was replace the roll pin with self tapping sheet metal screws. I did predrill through the stainless rod with the same size as the tip of the tapping screw so it would fit (you will break it trying to self tap into stainless), but the threads bite into the aluminum lever arm well and I think it's probably stronger than using the roll pin. And a bonus is that you can remove it fairly easily if needed! This is a must as you can't tighten the arms enough to clamp the bar without spinning under load.

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[JMD]

7/19

2.5 hrs - gas pedal stop, add engine oil, install heater

After installing the throttle linkage I wanted to have a pedal stop so the throttle pivot didn't get too stressed if I mashed the gas pedal a bit too hard. There was a point at which pushing the gas pedal the last 5% of travel just caused the throttle linkage to flex. I bought one of those flip down door stops at Lowes, removed the floor pad, cut it to fit and bolted it through the frame so that the gas pedal stops at the same point the throttle blades were wide open. No more flexion in the throttle linkage. A $6 fix, cheap but effective.

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I also installed the heater. It went in beautifully, but as I stood back to admire my handiwork I noticed that part of it was sticking up too high over the hoop. Crap. I had mounted it too close to the passenger side. I took pics, marked where it protruded then optimistically posted to the forum asking if that would be a problem. Yes...it would interfere with the body. Crap. Spent the night trying to think of a way to make it work. Modify the housing, etc. But no...it needs to be moved. On to plan B. But that turns out to be a good thing in the long run as I followed GTBradley's lead and reinstalled it in such a way as to be able to still use the full glovebox. Here are pics of the lovely install that will have to be uninstalled. Sigh...

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[JMD]

7/20

3.5 hrs - finish fuel lines, remove heater, start wiring battery

I had left an extra 2' or so of fuel line in the engine bay so I could go back and install the fittings at the exact right spot after the engine was installed. Marked that spot, removed the fuel lines, installed the fittings and reinstalled the fuel lines. Using screws to mount the clamps until everything is pressured tested and I know nothing else needs to be adjusted. I will replace with rivets later on. Am pretty happy with where it's all run as it looks neat in the engine compartment and stays well away from the headers.

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Removed heater and started running the 4 gauge wire to the battery. (No pics.)

[JMD]

7/21

2 hrs - research power steering, lay out parts needed to install radiator, tap frame for battery negative cable

Trying to figure out the fitting needed for my power steering pump. I am custom making the pressure hose from leftover Fragola PFTE hose that I used for the fuel lines (it's rated for 3000 psi), but need the correct fitting that comes out of the pump to connect to the female 6 AN fitting. It didn't come with the engine and I wasn't sure what pump Forte used. Turns out is the GM Type II w/ integrated reservoir. I found a billet fitting from Summit to fit it and also reduces the volume of the pump from 3 gpm to 2 gpm. This kills two birds with one stone as I had heard that a lot of pumps tend to overboost this steering rack. I was planning to do some sort of mod to reduce the pressure, but this fitting should do the trick.

The pump:
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The part I used:
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I didn't get the part until a few days later, but here are pics of it and the difference between the stock fitting and the reduced volume fitting I bought from Summit:
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I really like that it's one piece instead of two pieces...keeps to my theme of going for the fewest amount of connectors and fittings that could come loose or cause problems down the road. Simpler is better.

Installed on the pump:
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Also got the parts out to prep for radiator install and realized I didn't have the Breeze upper radiator mount I thought I had ordered. Hopped online to order ASAP. Also tapped the 4" frame to ground the battery negative terminal. (No pics.)

[JMD]

7/22

1.5 hrs - more research, start glovebox assembly

Pulled out the molded dash and started on the glovebox assembly. It's pretty straight forward, if a bit tedious. Make sure not to clamp directly to the dash as it will leave a mark. I protected mine with the stock transmission cover that I'm not using but there was a very small spot where a clamp came in contact with the dash and left a mark the next day. Fortunately it came out on it's own after a day or two, so no permanent harm done. Also put cardboard strips around the perimeter of the glovebox to keep it uniformly spaced. Used almost every type of clamp I own to get it right, hehe.

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[JMD]

7/23

3 hrs - finish glovebox, mount dash, buy 4" hole saw

Finish installing the glovebox latch and gauges and mounted to the hoop using the 3M dual loop industrial velcro as I have seen other builders do. That stuff works great. Definitely better than what you think of with generic velcro or what is on kids shoes or something. Almost 'clicks' into place and holds firm. The FFMetal firewall forward is great. If I haven't recommended it in this thread yet I should have. I really think it's a 'must have' for a build. So much more space behind the dash and I end up needing about all of it. I wouldn't want to try to run wires and have a glovebox or heater at the same time...but with the firewall forward it does work out nicely.

Also went to store to buy a 4" hole saw to cut the FFMetal blank transmission cover for my TKX midshifter.

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[JMD]

7/24

7 hrs - cut trans cover, Sniper wiring harness

Long day today! Got lots done. Started out by cutting the hole for the midshifter. (Hint: make sure you correctly identify the front and rear before measuring...I almost had it backwards for some reason. Just looked natural the other way around I guess, but then I test fit it and realized my error.) I also had to go buy a 3.5" hole saw to cut out for cupholders (possibly the most important aspect of the build). Careful measuring and making sure to clear the frame ensured great success.
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Also did lots and lots of reading up on the wiring harness to decide where to start. Figured I would start with the Sniper harness and integrating it into the Ron Francis harness. Between the wonderfully clear illustrations in the Holley manual and so many posts on the forum about this made it pretty simple after some research. But I went super slow and triple checked each connection before proceeding. I wound up removing the alternator exciter wire (using one wire alternator), cut out the tan RD fuel pump wire and used the Holley blue to power it straight from the Holley harness. Going to use the tan 15amp fused wire to power the seat warmers instead, I think.

[JMD]

7/25

3 hrs - wiring, grounded alternator, installed rev limiter

More wiring. Grounded alternator to frame with 10 gauge wire. Finding a bolt to fit the ground on the alternator body was a pain. It's metric for mine, M8 1.25 coarse thread. Installed the rev limiter, decided to mount it on the firewall as it's out of the way and easy to access. Also keeps the wires away from direct heat. I wasn't crazy about putting it on the footbox.

The rev limiter:
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Wiring progress pic:
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[JMD]

7/26

6 hrs - more wiring, install power steering fitting, grounded starter to frame, wired up starter & alternator, run power wires from battery

I think the summary is probably enough explanation. I removed the hyperspark pigtail from the Holley sniper harness and kept it in case I wanted to splice it back in for a Hyperspark. I wired in the ignition switch. Not crazy about how it looks and may want to replace it with something nicer down the road, but figure it would be an easy thing to swap out or dress up later. Ran the fan relay into the sniper harness to be controlled by the EFI computer. Trimmed and re-loomed the rear harness as there was a bunch of excess wire I didn't need. Removed about 3' from the fuel level sender unit. Weight reduction, right?? Grounded the starter directly to the frame, connected the starter and alternator to the battery. Ran power wires from battery. I only have 3 wires connecting to the positive battery terminal: 1) Holley sniper power wire, 2) 4 gauge to starter which is a junction for the alternator power, and 3) 4 gauge to power distribution behind dash for RF harness and then on to trunk fuse distribution block.
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Extra sender wire:
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Battery/starter/alternator:
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[JMD]

7/27&28

6 hrs - wire in tach, dash harness, heater core install, power steering hose

Did a bunch more wiring (no pics), and reinstalled the heater core similar to what GTBradley did to keep the glovebox. Basically attached both halves of the heater, cut a hole to set the entire thing in with it pushed about 1/2" into the engine bay, mounted with angle aluminum on the sides and sealed the edges. Not as pretty as the first install, but secure and functional. A bonus is that it just touches the back of the glovebox, helping eliminate any flex. More importantly, it clears everything.
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Also installed a power steering hose I custom made from the Fragola 6000 PTFE hose left over from the fuel lines. The FFR provided lines were way too long and ugly, so I am running my own. Also going to plumb in a power steering cooler.
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[JMD]

7/29

4 hrs - finish battery wires, start radiator install

Finished running the battery power and ground wires. Decided on two grounds to frame, one where front crossmember joins drilling and tapping directly into the 4" tube and a second to the same bolt grounding the engine block and alternator. Ground powdercoating off both sides of the bolt mounting hole and coated in dielectric grease. (I also ran a ground from starter mount directly to frame as well, but I think that was at a later date.) I did some research about using a main fuse but it seems like something that could cause more problems than it solves so I decided not to fuse the wires between the alternator, battery and starter. Instead I am running a separate power wire from the battery to the rest of the car using a 120 amp breaker that can be tripped and reset. This gives me some peace of mind in case something large shorts out behind the dash or in transmission tunnel. I mounted on the passenger footbox with riv-nuts and added silicone booties to cover the connections (not in picture). I figured I could also use this when leaving the car unattended by easily disconnecting as additional security against hot wiring.

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[JMD]

7/30

3.5 hrs - Radiator install

So this definitely took longer than I expected. I bought the Breeze upper and lower radiator mounts, fan shroud and the lower radiator tube assembly. First of all I'm super happy with the quality and design of every piece...but it took a good bit of work to assemble. Grinding off the 3/4" radiator mounting tubes was a chore. Those things are not spot welded...at least, mine weren't. I cut through all surface welds and it didn't budge. Took a 4" grinder wheel to it and still nothing. Wound up using a sawsall and cutting through the entire weld. Every square millimeter of that tube was attached to the frame. Getting it off and cleaned up was a huge win. Hit the bare spots with some paint and moving on!

Note missing tubing:
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Next up mounted the radiator shroud, fan, and upper mounting assembly. Lots of drilling near delicate places so went slow. The instructions say to mount the upper 4 screws by tapping into the frame, which is probably fine, but I tapped two and through bolted the other two just because it made me feel better. Happy with the result.
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More drilling and tapping for lower tube and mount. This just seems so much better than using what FFR supplied. I don't want it to look cobbled together and appreciate the design and durability of these pieces. Simple, sturdy, effective.
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[JMD]

8/5

4 hrs - install F-panels, overflow tank, power steering cooler & hoses

Couldn't figure out how to get the FFR supplied overflow tank to fit and wasn't crazy about the size and shape anyway, so replaced it with a slightly larger one from Summit. Finalized the install of the F-panel so I could mount this to it. We shall see if I regret mounting the F-panel so soon. It's something I've heard some builders say not to do until the very end, while others do it first thing. I've done it halfway...so there. Worst case scenario I'm drilling out some rivets and pulling it back off. Not the end of the world.
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After buying 3 different size coolers, I decided on this 12" frame mounted Derale for my power steering cooler. This isn't a track car, but I want to be able to track it without having to go back and rework major parts of the car...hence the largish cooler. I cut a 1.75" piece of angle aluminum, notched it to fit between the steering rack mounting tabs and bolted it through, mounting the the cooler on that. My first thought is that it would get great airflow being behind the radiator fan, but then I had doubts about it being behind the radiator and so much hot air. After more thought and throwing it out to the forum for discussion (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...oler-or-heater) I think it will be just fine.

Before:
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After:
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[JMD]

8/6 - 3.5 hrs - run front harness, wire in radiator fan, install horns

Laid out the front harness now that the radiator and supports are in. Wired in the 3000 cfm Flexalite fan I purchased from Summit (heard the stock fan was super loud). Fan is run by the Sniper ECU and I created a redundant ground directly on the passenger side outrigger frame where I am not just grounding the radiator fan but also connecting to the passenger headlight ground wire. I did this with my fuel pump as well, grounding directly to the frame along with one of the harness ground wires so there is redundancy for both the harness and motor in case one ground goes bad it has another ground path to use. Also installed horns, which took a while as I had no idea where to put them. Found out locations other builders had used and picked one. (Tested it later and these things are loud!)

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8/7, 8/8, 8/9, 8/10 - 11 hrs total

Wiring. Lots and lots of wiring. Started and finished the dash wiring over the course of a few days. Took my time to fully understand where things were going and what they were doing. I simplified some things, deloomed a bunch, and repurposed a few wires (making sure to write notes on my diagrams for future reference and potential trouble shooting, of course).

I highly recommend using these things for the dash wiring. The gauge wires are so small they are difficult to splice unless soldered, but these spring clips held them nicely. Got them off Amazon. The bandaid is a result of an incident with a utility knife. I'm usually extremely careful, but one time I wasn't and that happened. The flap of skin fell off after a few days and it was fine. Good thing I only had to use my thumb much every 10 seconds or so while wiring...
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So the headlight pull knob doesn't disassemble the way you think it does. There is a little button that releases the entire shaft. Just push the button. Don't try to remove the knob from the shaft. Trust me.
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Random progress pic.
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[JMD]

8/11

3.5 hrs - fit passenger side Gas N header, relocate coil, install heater hose, put fuel in tank

So the Gas N headers are gorgeous and amazing. Works of art. I got mine in uncoated stainless. Lovely welds, fit and finish top notch. But only 4 of the 8 header bolts went in without modification. Didn't matter which ones I started with only 4 would go in without modification. Modifying 3/8" stainless steel flanges is not easy if all you have is a drill, grinder and dremel. Spent about 2 hours opening the holes to get all bolts to fit. The picture makes the hole on the end look further off than it really was, but you can see what most of them looked like.
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Another unexpected adventure was putting heater hose on the manifold fitting. Went to get some at the local autopart store a couple days ago and the only hose they had was fuel hose. Did some research and found that could work fine, but has more limited longevity than actual heater hose specifically made for hot coolant. So ordered the correct heater hose from Amazon. Went to install it but found the Pertronix distributor was too close to my fitting. Fortunately I only needed a little more space so used a hacksaw blade to clearance the plastic. Voila!

Too close:
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Some careful hacksaw work:
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Done:
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[JMD]

8/13

3 hrs - fit driver side header, install sidepipes

Same issue on driver side header. One nice thing is that the flanges are cut away so that getting the spark plug boots on is no problem. But so much grinding and fitting and grinding and fitting...but they're on!

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[JMD]

8/14

1 hr - install heater valve

So after some thought I decided not to use the heater knob control. I didn't like the manual heater valve and running the cable behind the dash and getting it all located to work properly and be aesthetically pleasing seemed highly unlikely. So I did some forum searching, posted up my question and found exactly what I was looking for. (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...er-Valve-Servo) This allows me to open and close the valve with a toggle switch mounted on the dash and control the fan separately using a three way switch on the dash. This only gives me two fan speeds, but I don't think I will ever need the 'low' speed so I chose to keep the medium & high speed functions. (Yes, the toggle switch is rated for the amperage.) I put a lot of thought into this and am super happy with the result.

So today I made a bracket to mount the electric solenoid valve out of 3/4" aluminum. I removed two screws from the housing and used two identical but longer screws to bolt it through the bracket. I think the location should be accessible but inconspicuous. All materials used are either aluminum or stainless for longevity.
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[JMD]

8/15

2.5 hrs - upper radiator hose, connect battery to test

I was planning to use the FFR supplied upper radiator hose, but didn't like the plastic filler neck so ordered a metal one and the rubber 90 degree elbow kit from Breeze. The plastic is probably fine, but seemed like something that might be a problem years down the road and I just want to do it right the first time. Everything went together great.

Attachment 203992

I also connected the battery for the first time, switched on accessory power and did some testing. Everything seems to power up properly, the fuel pump primes and everything appears to be ready for a first start. There was one small fuel leak at the pump hanger fitting, but after tightening it up a bit more it held pressure and stayed dry. I think I'm ready for a first start.

[JMD]

8/16

1.5 hrs - FIRST START!

I added coolant to the radiator (removing the upper heater hose to let air out, which worked great), ran through the Sniper sensor check using the handheld, made sure we had fuel pressure...and cranked it up!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EYyHEAzIs5E

That smile on my face is the 'we have oil pressure' smile.

Went through a bunch of checks to make sure everything worked as intended. Radiator fan comes on at 190 degrees and rotates the right direction, fuel pressure holds steady, voltage is good from alternator, test rev limited by setting to 3k rpm to ensure it functions, switch the heater valve open and make sure both heater hoses get hot, purge and top off power steering fluid, etc. Wow. It's all working. What a relief. Taking the rest of the day off.

[gbranham]

Congrats on the first start! For the few cars I've built over the years, it was always a nerve-wracking experience! I shake like a leaf! Great feeling, isn't it?

Greg

[JMD]

8/18

Had to crank it again just for fun. Also topped off coolant, etc.

[JMD]

Congrats on the first start! For the few cars I've built over the years, it was always a nerve-wracking experience! I shake like a leaf! Great feeling, isn't it?

Greg

Sure was. I don't know what I expected, but it sure went as smoothly as I could have hoped. Thanks to Mike Forte for a great engine package and my own obsession to triple check every little thing as I went. One of my peculiar fears was to have a power steering leak at the rack as that's a pain to get to and uses teflon o-ring fittings...but not a drop! Should probably be more worried about a fuel leak, eh?

[JMD]

8/19

A bunch of misc items that needed attention. Put in a footbox bracket, tightened clutch reservoir fitting that was weeping the tiniest bit, bled the clutch again, tightened coolant clamps as the lower one had a tiny leak and the rest seemed to loosen after running the engine a few times.

Footbox bracket: a L-bracket that I trimmed and bent to fit. Riveted to frame and epoxy to aluminum.
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[JMD]

8/20

5 hrs - center steering wheel, add tab to dash hoop, plastic over fuse panel, move O2 sensor, wire in flat 4 tail light converter

The next step is getting the car ready for a first drive. Put on the steering wheel but it's not straight. Disconnected the steering shaft from the rack and moved it over a couple of teeth to get the wheel straight when the wheels are straight. I figured the alignment will do the fine tuning. Funny enough the little roll pin in the rack protrusion lined up perfectly with the set screw when it was on the correct tooth. Not sure if that is coincidence or a deliberate indicator. Of course I tightened the set screw on the flat spot, not the teeth.
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I also used a piece of 3/4 angle aluminum to fabricate a tab attached to the underside of the roll hoop. Not sure if I'm going to have to drop the dash down on the hoop like I've read about in older builds, but just wanted to make sure there was something solid back there if I did. Put some of the dual loop 3M on it as well (not pictured).
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I've heard that there can be an issue with water intrusion from the windshield post dripping down to the fuse panel. I thought attaching some plastic over the top like a little umbrella wouldn't hurt and an easy way to protect the fuse panel from water. I didn't seal it down completely as it still needs airflow, but thought it might save me some trouble down the road. (see what I did there... )
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Couldn't figure out a good way to route the wire from the O2 sensor on the driver side, so moved it over to the passenger side. Much better and no wire routing issues there.
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Wired in the 4 flat LED tail light converter:
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[JMD]

8/21 & 8/22

5 hrs - trunk aluminum, flasher relays, buy more rivets

So I ran out of 1/8" rivets and bought more from Harbor Freight. The rivets I bought are much nicer than the ones supplied by FFR. The heads are smoother and less prominent. I always thought the rivets I was using were pretty ugly, but I didn't have a frame of reference as I've never riveted before. If I was going to do another build I would use different rivets from the beginning. Fortunately most rivets won't be visible and I can always go back and drill out the old ones and replace them in visible areas if it really bugs me...but I don't think it bothers me that much after all. I just wish I had used nicer looking ones from the start.

Installed the trunk aluminum over two days. I love the drop trunk mod, but didn't want to take the time to do it right now. I don't really have the skill or tools to fabricate aluminum so it would be a learning process (i.e. slow process) and I'm ready to get this thing on the road. While the extra trunk space would be nice, I don't see it being a necessity for my anticipated use of the car.
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Installed the LED flasher relays in the fuse panel, grounded them directly to the frame.
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[JMD]

8/23

4 hrs - interior/courtesy lights

I had ordered some LED light strips to use throughout the car. I knew I wanted some back lighting in the cubby, but also put one in the trunk, two in the engine bay, and one in each footwell instead of the FFR supplied light strip. Wired them to a toggle switch under the dash powered by an accessory wire instead of the battery as I don't want to leave them on and accidentally drain the battery. I am happy with the brightness. I wanted them to be useful at night, more than just accent lighting but not crazy bright. Putting another on the other side of the trunk might have been nice, but even one is WAY better than none and should be sufficient for most purposes.

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[JMD]

8/24

3.5 hrs - install front USB port, rivet cockpit rear aluminum, paint Breeze seat bracket, drop car on wheels for first time

I wired in a USB port on the center lower vertical panel underneath the dash. Not very visible but useful spot. Riveted on the cockpit rear wall aluminum panel. I had read somewhere not to attach it before doing the trunk, and that was certainly good advice. You really need to be able to pull it away to drill and rivet the upper trunk floor aluminum directly behind it, but now that was done I didn't see a reason not to secure it permanently. Cleaned, sanded, painted the Breeze seat bracket for driver side so I can install tomorrow. Set the car down on it's wheels for the first time and pushed it back and forth to see where the ride height was. It came in at 5" front, 5 5/8" rear. I've heard it will settle a bit so I'm not going to make any adjustments at the moment. This is the ride height with the coilover collars just barely snugged onto the springs so there's no real preload yet.

No pics today, sorry.

[JMD]

8/25

2.5 hrs - install driver seat & seatbelt

Mounted the driver seat up to the Breeze mount. The process went smoothly overall. The instructions are incredibly long and detailed (as with every product I've purchased from Breeze), but the pictures were helpful and it's really pretty straightforward. Just make sure to put the bottom plate oriented correctly. (I almost put it in backward.) The mounts have multiple holes and are technically adjustable, but the clearance between the seat and threaded stud is almost nil and reaching the rear nuts is almost impossible, even with the body and side aluminum off...so adjusting it will probably be a big hassle. I thought about getting sliders, but like the reclining position of the Breeze mount and using both didn't secure the seat to my satisfaction. The Breeze mounts are plenty strong so I'm just sticking with them. I've also heard not to mount seats before the body, so it's a bit of a risk but I can move them later if necessary. I do know to keep them tight to the tunnel and to leave enough space in the rear for insulation and carpeting, so am optimistic that I have them in a position that will work.

One thing I noticed with the slight reclining angle is that it does push the lower part of the seat closer to the pedals than if you did not recline them. I'm 6' tall with fairly long legs and it just barely fits for my driving position. Any closer and I would feel cramped and might have to do without the recline to gain more leg room.

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I may try putting washers between the seat and upper bracket to give some additional clearance for the nut that secures the seat. I am mounting the lower bracket directly to the frame as that seems more secure to me than putting it on top of insulation or carpeting. I will put sound mat around the bracket on the floor and cover the bracket with carpet, cutting holes so the mounting studs come through. That little bit of spacing the carpet takes up might give just enough clearance between the top of the stud and seat to install the nut more easily. That's the hope anyway.

[JMD]

8/26

Initial walk around:



FIRST DRIVE:

https://youtube.com/shorts/IQzAXs4vKPw?feature=share

It went better than I could have hoped. Man, this thing is light! Even with this small 302 you just let out the clutch and it idles right along. Sure does feel more like a go cart than a car.

I was surprised at how risky putting it on the road felt (neighborhood only, of course). Operating this vehicle that I've spent probably 200 hours building to road debris and other cars and the possibility of something random happening to it...I felt surprisingly protective! (After driving it a few times that does normalize a bit, as I knew it would.)

Hell yeah.

[JMD]

8/28

3 hrs - 3rd brake light

I knew I wanted a 3rd brake light on my car, but hadn't come across an idea that I liked until I saw a builder use these Oznium bullet LEDs in the supporting legs of his roll bar. (Sorry, I don't remember who it was!) They are tiny but bright, and best of all you can drill and tap the rollbar to screw them in. I've been looking for something that was aesthetically pleasing, didn't distract from the lines of the car but would be effective as a brake light. This fit the bill perfectly, but instead of putting them in the roll bar support in a vertical line I wanted to put them at the top of the rollbar, right in line of sight with another driver's face. Also not wanting to use so many that it cluttered up the space, I decided to use three. Measured, drilled, tapped and installed the lights with some Permatex seal lock on the threads. Fishing the wires down and screwing in the lights was tedious but worked fine. I drilled another hole toward the base of the roll bar for the wires to exit and a flat trailer connecting plug to the 3rd brake power wire so I can easily install and remove the roll bar without having to rewire each time. (The wiring isn't finalized in the pics.) The wires are secured above the 3/4" frame in the cubby so they won't get pulled on, can't be seen but are easy to reach.

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Next time I drove the car, my brother said he could see the brake light come on halfway down the block in broad daylight. Definitely a success.

[gbranham]

I dig those brake light LEDs in the roll bar. Was thinking of something similar. Do you have the model number or a link for those LEDs? I see a lot of Oznium on Amazon, but they are all bigger. I like these little guys.

Greg

[Blitzboy54]

Looks sharp. If i was to do a 3rd brake light that would be it.

[JMD]

I dig those brake light LEDs in the roll bar. Was thinking of something similar. Do you have the model number or a link for those LEDs? I see a lot of Oznium on Amazon, but they are all bigger. I like these little guys.

Greg

Here you go: https://www.amazon.com/BRIGHTEST-Lig...st_sto_dp&th=1

I believe the body is the coarse M6 thread, but you will want to double check that. They're not cheap, but seem worth it for the build quality. They are waterproof, the threaded body seems robust and the wires high quality.

[TTimmy]

8/28

3 hrs - 3rd brake light

I knew I wanted a 3rd brake light on my car, but hadn't come across an idea that I liked until I saw a builder use these Oznium bullet LEDs in the supporting legs of his roll bar. (Sorry, I don't remember who it was!) They are tiny but bright, and best of all you can drill and tap the rollbar to screw them in. I've been looking for something that was aesthetically pleasing, didn't distract from the lines of the car but would be effective as a brake light. This fit the bill perfectly, but instead of putting them in the roll bar support in a vertical line I wanted to put them at the top of the rollbar, right in line of sight with another driver's face. Also not wanting to use so many that it cluttered up the space, I decided to use three. Measured, drilled, tapped and installed the lights with some Permatex seal lock on the threads. Fishing the wires down and screwing in the lights was tedious but worked fine. I drilled another hole toward the base of the roll bar for the wires to exit and a flat trailer connecting plug to the 3rd brake power wire so I can easily install and remove the roll bar without having to rewire each time. (The wiring isn't finalized in the pics.) The wires are secured above the 3/4" frame in the cubby so they won't get pulled on, can't be seen but are easy to reach.

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Next time I drove the car, my brother said he could see the brake light come on halfway down the block in broad daylight. Definitely a success.

Here's a tip that will help those that follow you run the wires through the roll bar... or at least this is works for me. Seal up all openings with tape except the "source" and "Destination" holes. Best to use the larger hole as the destination. Grab some dental floss and your shop vac. Attach the shop vac to the destination end and turn it on. Feed the dental floss into the source hole. The vacuum will pull it through for you. This becomes your pull string. After which you can attach the LED wires to the dental floss and pull it through. Do this as many times as necessary.

BTW, I love the LED brake light idea and will be doing the same - thanks!

[JMD]

Here's a tip that will help those that follow you run the wires through the roll bar... or at least this is works for me. Seal up all openings with tape except the "source" and "Destination" holes. Best to use the larger hole as the destination. Grab some dental floss and your shop vac. Attach the shop vac to the destination end and turn it on. Feed the dental floss into the source hole. The vacuum will pull it through for you. This becomes your pull string. After which you can attach the LED wires to the dental floss and pull it through. Do this as many times as necessary.

BTW, I love the LED brake light idea and will be doing the same - thanks!

That is an excellent method! Thanks for sharing. I'm happy to have started a new trend in rollbar brake lights.

[JMD]

8/29

2.5 hrs - attach heater vents, rivet back cubby wall, order AC pedals from Forte, install toggle switch labels, prime Breeze seat brackets

Not many pics today. After driving the car a few times I realize I need to do something different with the pedals. The placement of the gas pedal is too close to the inside footbox panel (which will only get tighter as insulation and carpet go on), and my feet kept getting grabbed by the medal perforated Wilwood brake pedal...I couldn't slide them easily from gas to brake, but had to lift my foot off in an exaggerated way to get the tread of my shoes out of the holes before I was able to move my foot laterally to the other pedal. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but actually felt a bit panicky not being able to transition them quickly. (Things happen fast in this car.) I bought a Wilwood rubber pedal cover from Summit that I'm going to try, and the retro looking AC pedals from Forte that are a bit skinnier to use for the gas. Will play with it a bit and see what works.

I painted the driver side seat brackets with a one step paint & primer paint from Rustoleum, but wasn't happy with the outcome. Even though I scuffed and cleaned it thoroughly, the paint scratches off too easily on contact with other hard surfaces. So for the passenger side brackets I'm going with a metal primer first, then topcoat with black once dry. (Future self jumping in here to say it worked much better!) I know, I know...powdercoating is the way to go. But I want a seat in now, so painting it is. It's something I can pull back out and refinish in the future if I really need to, so no big deal.

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I also had ordered some engraved plastic labels for my toggle switches. I've been looking around for something classy or retro but also needed them to be customized...couldn't find anything I liked so tried these. They're from a place in NC that I found from an earlier post in the forum. Not very expensive and you can customize them a good bit, so I thought I'd give them a try. At least I'll know what my switches do until I can find something better. Turned out that once I put them on I like them more than I thought I would.

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Went ahead and riveted the Breeze cubby back wall in place.

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