I worked on the transmission tunnel and the lower dash switch panel. I made the center part of the tranny aluminum removable by cutting the front and back parts off. The two ends will be riveted on the frame and the center portion will be removable.
I reinforced the switch panel aluminum piece with another layer of aluminum.
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It's just a matter of time.
FFR Coupe # 434. Power Brakes, 347ci, Carb, 15 inch Hallibrand pin drive, SAI, 3-link
Sorry, can't measure anything, the pipes are all packed and awaiting shipment to the ceramic people. Have to wait until after the holiday as the company has the week off. Will ship out probably Thursday the 5th. As soon as they get back I'll measure them for you. My muffler shop had a catalog of different lengths and diameters of these mufflers and I just picked 4 that were about 2 inches longer than FFR and I think 1" or 1 1/2" larger in diameter.
Not too bad considering I did everything by myself.
Paul
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FFR 4859GT 414W, Tremec TKO 5spd. IRS w/3.55 and Torsen diff. 13" dual-piston front & 12" rear disc brakes. 03 Cobra wheels, 275/40 & 315/35 tires. Possibly the only person in the world that is currently building a Spyder GT.
"A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'"
I mounted and temporarily wired the horns. I'm waiting to finish the radiator enclosure (heck I haven't even started it yet) then I'll finalize all the routing of the wiring up front.
I also installed the gas cap and hose. That cap is so cool...
I finished the wiper installation. What a PITA. After I get my registration inspection completed I'm going to pull the fuse to the wipers and never use them again just so I don't have to attempt to repair them in the future.
Bolted up the front cowl. Didn't scratch anything...progress.
Moved onto the exhausts pipes...I couldn't even get them started on the headers. It looks like the headers are not quit parallel. I tried bending them, grease even a pipe expander on the exhaust pipes to at least get them started. No luck.
Not sure what the next step will be. I have the Hooker headers from FFR which are ceramic coated and I had my side pipes ceramic coated so there is a little coating on the inside of the pipes. I'm going to try a small wire wheel on my dremel tool and see if I can clean that up but after that I'm not sure what I'm going to do. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THAT DIFFICULT.
Bolted up the front cowl. Didn't scratch anything...progress.
Moved onto the exhausts pipes...I couldn't even get them started on the headers. It looks like the headers are not quit parallel. I tried bending them, grease even a pipe expander on the exhaust pipes to at least get them started. No luck.
Not sure what the next step will be. I have the Hooker headers from FFR which are ceramic coated and I had my side pipes ceramic coated so there is a little coating on the inside of the pipes. I'm going to try a small wire wheel on my dremel tool and see if I can clean that up but after that I'm not sure what I'm going to do. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THAT DIFFICULT.
Take it to a muffler shop and have them expand it with hydraulic pipe expander.
Take it to a muffler shop and have them expand it with hydraulic pipe expander.
Pipe expanders are one of those free rental tools at many auto parts stores.
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Mike
FFR Coupe #340, 2003 LS1 350 RWHP, TKO 500, QT BH, Champ 10 QT pan, 5 Lug and AC, Cobra Disc, SAI mod, Kumho XS 315's x4 ..Licensed for 28k..Just over 30k w/race tires and many mods http://s464.photobucket.com/albums/rr2/mmarshall01/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHtx7...1&feature=plcp
Build started - 8 Apr 2008
1st Autocross - 18 Oct. 2009 XP Class
2011 and 2012 St Louis region XP Champion
I tried a pipe expander...a little...afraid I might do more damage than good...but that is probably the next step. Maybe I should try the other side...
I received my new crate engine a few weeks ago, so today I started disconnecting all the stuff off the old engine, preparing for the swap. New one is a Ford Racing 302.
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Coupe 418; Ford Racing 302, Cobra discs, Whitby SAI, Levy 5-link, Koni kit
"We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard....." - JFK
afternoon of day 1.: Manteca, CA to Healdsburg, CA.
Day 2: Healdsburg, CA to Calistoga, CA and participated in the 4 of July parade. Drove North to Garberville, CA.
Day 3: Drove more North through Avenue of the Giants Red wood Forest, then back down 101 to Leggit and turned West towards Ft. Bragg.
Day 4: South on the Coast Highway 1. Stopped at Light House Point Arena and down to Point Reyes. Continued trip to San Rafael, CA for the night.
Day 5: Travel North again to the Wine Country. Visited a nice Winery and then cruised some more. Visited with Friends and then headed for home.
Had vacation time last week, and put it to good use ironing out a multitude of small details; I drilled the door hinge brackets and inserted tension pins to maintain the brackets possition when these are removed to ease taking the body on and off. Drilled mounting holes on the rockers, windshield and rear window headers and base of windshield. Now its a matter of finalizing body lines, another dose of primer filler, block sanding, primer paint, wet sanding, and then...Base coat clear/clear coat paint - Summit Racing Carbon Fibre Metallic finish. God help me its been almost 2-years on this body.
I gave up and went to the local muffler shop. He took one look at the mufflers and said, "you do it, I don't want to fxxx it up". He turned on the machine and handed me a scrap piece of pipe to practice then walked back into office and finished his morning coffee. Kind of fun and easy except the mufflers are heavy and kind of hard to hold with one hand/arm and run the machine with the other hand. But it worked. Took them home and they went right on. I needed to cut about 1/2" off the headers to let the mufflers move forward a little so they would "nest" correctly under the door.
Now I just hope the driver side goes on as easily.
Correct Mike, Guardsman Blue and Wimbledon White. I almost made a mistake on the white. To save some money I was going to have the stripes and just the gum ball on the hood painted by the painter and just vinyl gum balls on the door. What do you think the chances are I could have found gum balls that matched...small to none...so I bit the bullet and had the doors painted too.
Seconded muffler done!!! Boy that was way more work than it should have been. The mufflers seem way to close to the body. Has anyone had problems burning the paint?
I do have to say they do sound good...for now.
I think all I need to do now to get it registered is install the wind sheild, set belts and a PCV. Any suggestions on a quick and easy PCV that I will remove as soon as I get registered?
I finished the wiper installation. What a PITA. After I get my registration inspection completed I'm going to pull the fuse to the wipers and never use them again just so I don't have to attempt to repair them in the future.
Amen brother!!!
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Rob
FFR5372CP (chassis #146), Levy Racing Stage 4 (347ci), Levy light-weight clutch assy,Fr500's, Wilwoods, BRE mirrors, Lotsa Damplifier and Still LOUD!! :) 2nd farthest North Coupe (that I know of) http://www.ffcars.com/forums/album.php?albumid=122
Is that the Guardsman blue? I like it and that's where I'm leaning. I'm on the fence between that and Ford Royal Blue.
Any opinions out there???
Mine goes in for paint tomorrow. Meanwhile, almost everything else is wrapping up.
Dang Steve I wish I could make it down there to see it! If I can get out for a couple of days, I will...
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Rob
FFR5372CP (chassis #146), Levy Racing Stage 4 (347ci), Levy light-weight clutch assy,Fr500's, Wilwoods, BRE mirrors, Lotsa Damplifier and Still LOUD!! :) 2nd farthest North Coupe (that I know of) http://www.ffcars.com/forums/album.php?albumid=122
Dang Steve I wish I could make it down there to see it! If I can get out for a couple of days, I will...
I sure wish you could too Rob! JUST DO IT!!
It all seems to be coming together now that I've got the wife and my two boys all here to assist. Since the body's off to paint, I can focus on completion of the go-cart. Here's some photos:
I ve been raising the front end. It seems to have settled quite a bit. I ve gone 1-1/4 turns up so far.
Steering and ride seem to be improving
Might lower rear a 1/4 turn. The rear wont be as easy as the front.
Finished the last body mount with the upper windshield frame to roll bar bracket. I used a couple rivnuts and a block of black plastic secured with a couple flat head screws that sit flush to the fiber glass.
I installed the seat belts and the shoulder harnesses. I used a "hot knife" to shorten the shoulder harnesses.
Made a pattern to match the curve of the bottom edge of the windshield. I use it to trim the removable dash top after I install the windshield.
Installed a PCV. Replaced my "Cobra" embossed breathers with a crappy chrome breather with a 1/2" hose fitting and ran a hose to a plastic fitting I installed in the bottom of the air cleaner. On the other side I found a comb PCV and 3/8" hose fitting to replace the other breather and ran a hose to the PCV vacuum fitting on the back of the carburetor. Seemed to run fine.
All I need to get registered is the windshield...I think. Maybe next week.
Tons left to do before official graduation, but the most recent thing I did to the Coupe is something I probably need to do more often; I hopped into #98 and went for a drive. Stopped and visited my parents, enjoyed the thrust of the new 347, and came up with several new things to accomplish ( less restrictive pipes, Willwood brakes, lower rear end gears...)
Ok, how do you guys do it?!?! No kids? No sleep? Pay others to do yardwork? No life other than working on the car? I haven't been able to touch my Coupe in about 8 weeks. This is the second June that's gone by that I said "I'll start it by the end of the month.". I'm now looking at gauging interest in selling it as I'm coming up on 5 years of owning the kit without ever even riding in one figuring I'd like it just based on the look, now I'm not so sure.
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