Questions About the Coupe

[cmdcheshire]

Hi my father and I have been looking into kit cars for about a year and have concluded that factory five is the best in the business. We would want to build one of these and i am leaning towards the coupe at the moment. I was wondering how much experience is needed to build these cars and what I should do to become more knowledgeable of car mechanics in general.

Thanks, Chris.

[Fluge]

Hi Chris

I'm not sure where you are from but the build school advertised on the FFR website may be worth doing with your dad. My other advice is to go through as many threads as possible and read about the various build issues that come up. I noticed that the roadster Forum has a thread at the top with a list of build sites...go through each one and follow the progress along for their build.

The coupe is different than the roadster but many of the mechanical components and build technique are the same.

Lots of reading...

Marc

[cmdcheshire]

Yea I was looking at that, but we live in LA and it might be kind of a pain to fly all the way out there, but does anyone know how useful it is and what you do? The adverts are kind of vague.

[CJBergquist]

How much automotive experience do you and your Father have? Any electrical wiring experience? Light metal fabricating? Engine/transmission assembly? Body work?

While it is called a "kit" it is more like the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby kit...a block of wood, 4 wheels and 4 nails...there is a car in there somewhere but it takes some work and imagination to make it happen.

Buy the assembly manual and read it.

Also, many of the Coupe guys have links to build sites that you can review...see below.

[DARKPT]

Welcome! My 14 year old son and I had done nothing more than change suspension bushings on a daily driver, plus brake pad/rotor changes and oil changes prior to starting our Coupe. Eighteen months later we were driving a car that we'd built, wired, and painted ourselves. We even drove it 1600 miles in a weekend just a few months later without so much as a support vehicle following us just in case.

The tasks are not difficult to complete, but you do need to be prepared for the time commitment. It's a great project to share with someone with similar interests, and as long as at least one of you doesn't mind breaking the work down into manageable chunks to keep you moving along, even a novice can move through the build.

Just keep the customizations to things you know you can handle.

Our build site is in my sig below, and this group has (or will) answer almost any question that you can pose.

[cmdcheshire]

http://www308.lunapic.com/do-not-lin...239?5320896003 BAM!

All Kidding aside, my dad used to work on his cars in the 80s and i have helped him with a few minor problems on his current car (VW Eos) , so not much.

[Fluge]

There was one person from California in our Build School class. As I recall he thought it was worth it.

Even with automotive experience you would benefit from the build school as it is specific to FFR. Basically you put a roadster kit together over a 3 day period. The instructors gave many helpful hints that are time saving. It will also give you some idea of whether the project is for you.

Marc

[RobbieD]

Sounds like you are where I was about 4 years ago. My dad and I had some rebuild experience, but never to this degree. The good thing is this forum is full of great guys and a ton of good info. If you have the time and determination, you've got no worries. Just make sure your Internet service is paid up!!

[tirod]

It's not like fixing an old car, or repairs. There, your're remodeling, just like an existing house. Things are finished, there are limiting factors that force some convoluted methods.

A new car is just that, all new. All relatively clean, all out in the open, from the inside out. Very little in the way, and you can see a lot of what you're doing. Thats why it's actually easier to do. Nuts, bolts, fasteners, rivets - new construction.

There are some more subtle things, but they will clear up - like having the brake bleeder screws pointing up. Even experienced mechanics have those issues.

Build schools, build logs, etc are good experience. Another area is understanding fundamentals of automotives - things like why the thermostat is 195 degrees on most EFI cars, what sensors are needed to make the different kinds run, why things are done certain ways. That is available as background education, something a lot of drivers don't delve into. But it's much more available than it ever used to be, simply due to the internet. And the better sources are the same as ever - magazines. Pick out titles at the newrack, type in their names, and tap into their tech sections.

Here's a relevant one: Electric Radiator Fans - Car Craft Magazine

You can find a lot of relevant information from them, other forums, and by typing in a question of interest into a search engine. You'd be surprised with some of the answers, too. It's not all exactly what is commonly accepted.

And, the truth will set you free.

[2FAST4U]

With this forum and it's depth of great builders, you shouldn't have a problem. There are many builders in Los Angeles, and I'm sure any one of them would be willing to lend a hand if you needed help

[70gtvert]

Just some observations I have made over time.

1) Most people, regardless of mechanical background, are able to do the mechanical part of the build, getting it to the go-cart stage with minimal problems.

2) Most are willing to do the "rough" bodywork, rough sizing doors and other panels together before they either feel overwhelmed and turn it over to a body shop for completion and another $6000 to $10000 in cost to do so.

That being said, bodywork is NOT that hard with the correct tools and a good air compressor. All you would need could be bought new for a fraction of what you would pay a body shop to complete your kit. Both a dual action and flat dual piston sander will help you get the work done (with the dual piston one best on flat areas of the body). A 3 in air cut off tool and electric saw can open a lot of the panels or you can pay the dime upfront to F5 to have them cut out the openings.

There are other tools too so if what I have here is not to overwhelming to you I'd be glad to post pics of the tools that will make the bodywork less daunting. John

[tulsacobra]

A lot of good points have been made in the above threads and based on your answers you and your Dad may be the perfect pair for a Coupe build. I have built two FFR Coupes and several cobras, for the most part everything is very straight forward. My biggest learning curve came with the IRS portion of the coupe but that was conquered in a very short time coming to this site and reading various articles and looking at some pictures.

Some advise:
The world wasn't built in a day and neither should your coupe or cobra. Set realistic goals! Allow time each week for the build and try not to get burned out because something is taking longer than you think it should. If a problem is encountered...resolve it before going on to something else. Come back here and ask questions (there are no bad questions and someone else is probably having the same problem you are). The solution is usually easier than you think. And the most important thing is to remember to make time for your family because you will need them at some point during the build. Keep them happy and hopefully, they will share your excitement.

Good Luck.

Clois Harlan