I'm all excited about my November delivery!!!  I have been trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the body of the car and some of the boxes when I'm working on the frame.  My wife won't be happy if she can't park her car in the garage so I'm limited to a little more than one car space for this project.  I've been working out a pulley system in my mind but it was going to be pretty complicated and difficult to use.  Today I found this on Amazon for $110 dollars.  I ordered two of them.  I'll use one to lift the body and a couple boxes and the other for for more boxes and misc parts.  They're really awesome.  They have a 250 pound capacity and are operated using a drill gun with a long extension.  I'm going to install one and give the kids rides to test it.

Did I mention that I'm really excited?!?

I placed my order today

I called Factory Five and ordered a Coupe kit today.  ETA is about the second week of November. I can't wait!  Fortunately, I have to because I'm not ready yet.  Between now and then I have to clean a spot in the garage and figure out what I'm going to do with the body while it's off.

Starting on the engine

Like I said earlier I got a used 351 Windsor engine block and had it machined.  It's a '91 truck block probably out of a Ford van or a pickup.  There are 'better' 351Ws but they're harder to find, more expensive and I like this one because it's set up for hydraulic lifters.

I uncrated it, looked it over, cleaned it and prepped it for paint.

I think it turned out pretty good.

I had hoped that I'd put the engine together and get lucky with all of the clearances.  I started with the camshaft.  It's easier to put in if the crankshaft isn't in the way.

I used the camshaft timing gear as a handle to make the installation easier.  BTW, the machinist installed new camshaft bearings for me.

Next I installed the main bearings and laid the crankshaft in place.  I used plastigage to check the bearing clearances.  It's not very precise, especially for the tight clearances on the crank and connecting rods but everything checked out.

Next I installed the wrist pins in the pistons.  They have these crazy spiral locks to hold them in.  They're really hard to install but once I got used to them things sped up a bit.  All of the piston rings had to be gapped a little bigger.  That took awhile.  Then I ringed the pistons and installed them.

BTW, I ran into a problem.  I bought these connecting rod stud 'condoms' to keep the studs from scratching the cylinder walls when I installed them...but my connecting rods have bolts - not studs.  So the condoms wouldn't fit.

I didn't want to scratch my cylinder walls so I hunted around the garage looking for a solution and BAM...the answer was right there in my hands the whole time.

Yay for gloves!

The pistons all went in pretty nicely but once I tightened down the mains the crank seized up.  I checked and re-checked my clearances.  Everything looked good using plastigage so I measured with my cheap micrometers (still looked good) but the crank still seized up when I torqued the mains past 75 ft-lbs (they need to be torqued to about 95 ft-lbs).  My two running theories are A. the clearances are incorrect and my cheap tools aren't precise enough to catch it or B. the webbing on the crankshaft is big enough to ride on the main bearings keeping them from seating properly and seizing the crank.  I decided to take the block, crank and connecting rods to a local machine shop and have them check all of my clearances.  There are bearings made to compensate for smaller crank journals and bigger mains but I have the opposite problem so I'll probably have to get the crankshaft journals polished to shave a couple thousandths off if the clearances are actually too tight.  If the problem is the crankshaft webbing interfering with the bearings I'll just chamfer the bearing edges for clearance.

I'll keep everyone updated.

Cobra class

Before I start blogging about my build I have to mention a class that I took.  There's a Community College in Michigan that offers a class once a month for aspiring Factory Five kit builders.  They have a Roadster (Cobra replica)

and a '33 Hot Rod.

The classes alternate, one month students work with the Cobra and one month the Hot Rod.  Over a three day period the students get to assemble one of the cars with two experienced teachers guiding them and a significant chunk of the class fee gets applied to the next kit that you purchase.  I happened to have some business in Wisconsin so I extended my trip to include the Cobra class.  The Cobra and the Coupe that I'm building are very similar kits.

Since the two kits get reused over and over for different classes some of the assembly work had already been taken care of but we got some good hands-on time and I learned a tremendous amount.  This class will easily shorten my build time and I'd recommend it to anyone building one of these for the first time.

Our engine block (relatively stock 302 iirc) and fearless professors, Scott and Todd

The frame - we'd already done a lot of work at this point - I'm bad about remembering to take pictures.

My hand.  First injury in the whole class.  I had just taken off my gloves, too!

Installing the wheels before dropping the frame to ride height to make some basic suspension adjustments.

Our fearless leaders were kind enough to bring their Cobras on the second day of class.

One of them even brought donuts after class ;)

Engine installation was the only part of the build we weren't allowed to do ourselves.

The shortest drive shaft I've ever seen...and when the car is finished, you're almost sitting on it.

 First start up!

Dropping the body on - that red finish is  gel coat that would later be sanded and painted over.

Almost finished.

Unfortunately, I had an early flight out so I didn't get to see the kit driven but I learned a lot and really enjoyed the class.

Yet to be determined

Warning: Boring post - I figured someone might be interested though.

There are several decisions I've made (I think) that I'm not committed too yet.

I'm planning on using a Tremec TKO500 manual transmission with a midshift option.  I've chosen my gear ratios but I don't have them on hand.  I haven't chosen any clutch options yet except that I'll use a clutch cable instead of a hydraulic system (maybe).  I'll also be using a Moser 8.8" rear end and a 3 link rear suspension.

I'm considering power steering.  I don't think I'll need it but my wife would probably appreciate it.  I'm definitely installing an air conditioner.  I seen several people install a barrier (usually plexiglass) between the front seats and the 'trunk' area so that the AC will be more effective.  I'll probably do something like that, too.

I'm planning on installing a pair chambered mufflers and high flow cats under the hood.  The side pipes on these cars can be deafening.  Most guys ride with ear plugs in.  That seems a little excessive to me so I'm planning on doing a lot of work to muffle things a bit.

I'm might be installing a custom electrical system using some programmable modules that I've been evaluating at work.  It'll cut down on the wiring a bit but more importantly it'll give me the ability to add features like RFID based keyless security (you don't have to start the car with a key but it has to be in the car for the start button to work), unique programmable switch logic (you can't start the car without turning on and off the switches in some weird pattern), unique programmable outputs (the interior lights slowly dim off after a short delay or the turn signals blink on but slowly dim off) and GPS tracking.  I could also use this system to monitor all of my gauges and alert me if something is out of spec with flashing lights, a buzzer or a screen with rolling text.

I'm going to use the optional high back Kirkey race seats that come with the kit.

I tried both seats and I'm too tall for the thicker standard seats.

I haven't decided which tires and wheels I want to use.  I really like the vintage look of Goodyear BlueStreak tires with the Halibrand wheels included with the kit

 
but the tires aren't approved for street use and I been told they wear out very quickly.  Actually, all of the higher profile tires have that same problem so I'll probably use a more modern low profile radial setup.  The kit comes with Halibrand vintage looking rims but the low profile tires look a lot better with these BBS rims.

Hopefully I can work out a deal to exclude the rims and save some money to buy the BBS rims.

I'll probably install a propane system in addition to the gas system that I've already chosen.  Propane burns cleaner than gas without sacrificing much power or range but it is difficult to start a propane engine when it's cold and good propane is hard to find.

I'm not installing a radio or power brakes and I have no idea what kind of paint job I'll go with.  The only other exception to the standard build that I'm planning is relocating the emergency brake to a cmore convenient location.  Everything else will be pretty much by-the-book.

Decisions, decisions

I started on this project before I started this blog so several things are set in stone already.

The block:

I'm building a Ford 351 Windsor bored .030" over with a 408 stroker kit.  I bought a machined block from ProMar in NJ.  I considered buying a used engine locally, tearing it down myself and having it machined but I was afraid I might buy something irreparably damaged.  The block looks really good so far.  It's out of a '91 Ford truck (probably an F series pickup or an E-series van) and it was built for hydraulic rockers.  I initially thought I'd keep the engine's original displacement but the company I bought the crank and rod from (Coast High Performance) doesn't usually sell the original stuff so it would take longer to put a standard displacement kit together than a stroker kit.  The 408 stroker that I opted for is a pretty cool size.  The bore and stroke are almost identical (or square) at 4" apiece.  From what I understand it's a pretty flexible size.  It works well for drag racing and street racing (not that I'll ever race the car) but like any stroker kit it will wear out faster that a standard bore and stroke.  

The valve train:

I bought a used set of aluminum AFR 185 heads online.  They're cast aluminum but the intake and exhaust ports plus the combustion chamber are CNC milled for good flow.  They also have very big valves.  I got a pretty good deal on them and they arrived in really good shape.  I tore them down and rebuilt them cleaning the valves and replacing the seals.  I also had the combustion chambers, exhaust ports, valve faces, piston faces and the backsides of the exhaust valves ceramic-coated to handle heat.  I'm still considering running the engine on propane which burns pretty hot so I thought the coating would help.  On a block related note I had the piston skirts as well as the main bearings and connecting rod bearings ceramic coated to fight wear.  I chose CompCams XE274HR hydraulic roller cam and hydraulic roller lifters as well as full roller rockers.  The cam is relatively radical but with a good ignition setup it should idle nicely.

Ignition and intake:

We have pretty strict emissions standards in my county.  I don't think they'll apply to this project but I'm an environmentally conscious kind of guy so I chose to use closed loop fuel injection.  I'm installing an Accel DFI ignition system.  It's pretty much a complete fuel and ignition system.  The kit includes among other things, a programmable ECU with a bunch of preprogrammed base tunes to get you started, an intake manifold and throttle body, fuel rails, injectors, pumps, sensors including a wide band O2 sensor, a coil, hardware, hoses and a special distributor that tells the ECU the position of the crank and allows the ECU to adjust ignition timing.  It's a pretty sweet system. The only downside is that tuning it requires a little training.  I also considered using the Edelbrock Pro-FLo system but Amazon had a fantastic deal on the Accel system that I couldn't pass up.  The ignition system also promises to deliver a smooth manageable idle despite my radical cam.  We'll see.

Enough about me. What am I building?

I've always wanted to build a kit car.  At least once a year I'll search the internet, read some books and research possible projects.  It's always been more daydreaming than anything else but lately I've been looking for hobbies that I can enjoy without leaving the house.  The wife and I both spend a lot of time working and I spend the rest of my time hanging out with my kids.  My old hobbies (paintball, motorcycling, mountain biking, hockey, model cars and airplanes) require a lot of time away from home so I haven't been able to enjoy them for the last few years.  'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'.  We all know how that worked out for Jack.  I haven't been talking to invisible bartenders but it's just a matter of time.

The last time I fell into my kit-car-researching groove I came across a Dallas company (Lone Star Classics) that was advertising a 7-day-build-at-home program.  I was never really a Cobra guy.  I love Cobras but I love them from a distance.  To me they're like a really good movie...I love watching them but I wouldn't enjoy seeing myself in one.  However, I was so sold on the idea of a 7 day build in my garage (with an experienced factory builder with his own tools) that I was willing to overlook my Cobra reservations.  I even drove an hour out of town with my son to catch a Lone Star Cobras get together and check out some examples of the final product.  The cars were really cool and my son was impressed.  My biggest problems were 1. they have no tops (I tan well but my wife and kids have the skin tone of the under-belly of a slug) and 2. The side pipes are really freaking loud.  I love loud cars but my wife and neighbors probably won't so that's an issue.  Still, I went from day-dreaming about a kit car to seriously-considering-a-kit-car at that get together.  I had already pitched the idea to my wife as a possibility and she was cool with it.  When I got home I told her that I really wanted to build one and she signed off.  She liked the idea of the kids helping out, learning some valuable skills and achieving a sense of accomplishment when the car was finished and she also thought the Cobras looked pretty cool (not really her style either, but still).

I had a business to trip to Dallas scheduled a week after the Cobra trip so I called the Lone Star Cobra shop to see if I could come by and check out the operation.  I also asked them how soon I could schedule a home build.  Summer was right around the corner and I thought it might be cool to have the kids home for the entire project.  To my disappointment the owner told me they had cancelled the home build program and replaced it with a 'build-it-in-our-shop' program.  It seems it was really hard on the installers to be traveling all over the country.  I understand where they're coming from but I wasn't as excited about staying a week in Dallas with my kids and not being able to share the build with my friends, neighbors and wife.  Without the build-at-home program I was no longer willing to 'settle' for a Cobra.

I had decided I was going to build something.  I just had to figure out what.  There were two cars that I really liked and two more that I really, really liked.  I love Porsche Speedsters and I always thought it would be cool to have a Lotus Super7 track car but neither of those blow up my skirt like the Sebring ZX Austin Healy replica and a Factory Five Daytona Coupe.  Fortunately, (or unfortunately) I didn't have to spend much time weighing my options.  The Sebring Austin Healy is already an expensive replica but after import fees (from England) and the Euro to Dollar conversion, it's astronomical.  It's also based on European donor cars (actually European versions of American cars but I'm not willing to gamble that I won't have a very hard time sourcing proper parts).  There's an Austin Healy replica built by a Florida company but I couldn't find anyone who had ever assembled one, there were several negative reviews of the company on the internet and the owner wasn't very confidence inspring over the phone so I chose the Coupe.  Actullay, I think it's my favorite anyway.  Besides, it has a roof and enough room under the hood for chambered mufflers (more about that later) so the wife and the kids (and the neighbors) should be happy.