tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2420680931962471102024-09-08T08:03:19.132-07:00My dad and I building a Factory Five Racing MK4 Cobra Roadster.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-29722185129635768312014-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:002014-10-23T13:34:16.049-07:00

So Dad took the Cobra to the European Auto Tech session awhile back and Bogi from "All Girls Garage" was there: And then a photo shoot with some F-16's: We also took 3rd place again at the Tucson Classics Car show last weekend. The award looks about the same as last year so <not pictured>.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-51603400038714944442013-11-12T13:54:00.005-07:002013-11-12T13:54:52.901-07:00

We entered the Cobra into the "Cops and Rodders Car Show" and won second place in our division: Now all we need is a first place win...

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-67999936467883675882013-10-19T16:35:00.002-07:002013-11-12T13:55:59.553-07:00

We entered the Cobra in the Tucson Classics Car Show this weekend. Many great cars came out for the event and ours took third place! We met some other local Cobra owners too. The FFR Coupe took first place. I think the William Shatner and Carol Shelby autographs on the glove box got us a few extra points, for the win: We also had several offers to buy it, but we need to put a few more miles

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-6008504474185771992013-04-14T16:20:00.000-07:002013-04-14T16:37:58.259-07:00

As of today, the car is assembled and drivable! Earlier in the week we put the windshield on, visors on and wind-wings on: Adjusted the windshield wipers and put various trim plates on too. Oh yeah, the doors are on and were a pain in the ass to align: From the inside: We attached the radiator aluminum to the body, hooked up the oil cooler below and put the hood on: Hood still

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-4546463401303653092013-04-06T16:52:00.002-07:002013-04-06T16:52:37.171-07:00

The body is officially attached to the chassis now. Exhaust is on both sides and we installed the ceramic coated heat shields over the pipes to keep from burning legs on ingress/egress from the vehicle: The trunk is on, after a bit of adjustment and cursing: Still needs a bit of fine tuning forward and back, but it's there: Tomorrow we tackle the hood and windshield, then

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-47225223426235621442013-04-03T21:02:00.003-07:002013-04-03T21:02:28.548-07:00

With the help of a few friends we put the body on the chassis last weekend, and the next day we installed the roll bar: Then the rear bumper (note the gas tank straps just chillin...) : I put the gas tank back in at this point because the rear bumper mounting bolts and body fitment was just easier in the long run. A sweet view from the front, just because: Fire

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-60353594408027613822013-03-27T16:30:00.003-07:002013-03-27T16:42:03.586-07:00

The hood is all set to go: This color blue is amazing and changes hue in different light: The front grills are done, Cobra badge looking great too: We also put the tonneau cover mounts on the body: And the signature side vents are mounted as well: These are aftermarket vent grills that Dad got somewhere (probably Breeze Automotive?) since the "stock" ones that came with the kit looked

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-37810269877148100922013-03-10T12:52:00.001-07:002013-03-10T12:52:11.487-07:00

We put the brake and turn lights on the rear of the body, as well as the gas cap, roll-bar grommets and trunk seal: From the other side: Headlights and turn signal lights are in: The "myspace angle": The hood is ready to go: And so is the trunk: Till next time...

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-46486368746053368132013-03-05T11:35:00.004-07:002013-03-05T11:35:45.412-07:00

We got the body back from the paint shop and damn is it nice! The color is Lexus Indigo Ink Pearl and white. It looks great in the sun: From the front: We rolled it into the garage where it will sit for the next few days to "cure" before we put it on the chassis: It almost looks black in different light: And from the back: We've been working on a few small things here and there, such as

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-14983486890342306602013-02-13T18:22:00.000-07:002013-02-13T18:22:15.031-07:00

The body has been sanded and shaped to perfection! Applied primer to the body, hood, trunk and doors: Then sanded with finer grit paper: Then finally "wet sanded" and ready for paint: This is the first shot I have ever taken with my finger in the way, so I'm including it anyway: We are going with Lexus Indigo Ink Pearl (exactly like this one: http://www.worldisround.com/articles/123897/

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-82331315153617401142013-01-26T13:08:00.000-07:002013-01-26T13:08:58.227-07:00

We were in a rut about the body work, so we enlisted an experienced pro to sand and 'bondo' the body to perfection: There is a thick layer of red dust all over the garage now due to the sanding process. Smooth like a bullet! Next weekend we primer the whole car, then it's off to the body shop for paint.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-81485552207576788022013-01-06T11:22:00.003-07:002013-01-06T11:22:46.407-07:00

We started working on the hood, cut a hole for the scoop: I assembled the hood mounts and did an initial adjustment to see where we need to trim the edge to make it fit to the body: Dad is still working on the seams but he's down to a finer grit sandpaper now, which is "a milestone". Next up, the doors: This is going to take some time to align correctly. Body work is a pain in

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-46314307403369718112012-12-08T13:20:00.000-07:002012-12-08T13:20:18.430-07:00

With the help of Lenny and my Mom we put the body on the chassis today. It wasn't too hard to do, but took a bit of wiggling and working to get into place. The front bumper mount bolts went in, but the rear bolts can't be placed because the gas tank is in the way...we have to drop the tank to attach it properly: We are going to have the body painted off of the chassis, so this is just a "test

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-76554000669752803462012-11-19T12:23:00.005-07:002012-11-19T12:23:50.583-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything mainly because we are looking for someone to paint the car at this point. We've acquired several quotes, but most shops won't be able to get to our car till next year. Anyway, Dad has been sanding the welds down on the body: Sanding takes time as you need to pass over the welds with finer and finer grit paper each time. We started putting

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-62944528445486016022012-08-22T19:27:00.000-07:002012-08-22T19:27:10.223-07:00

We've been tuning the engine and installing the safety equipment for the past few days. We also nailed down the clutch and were able to get it into gear. Here is the video of it's first roll out of the garage! Dad was driving and said the steering was more sensitive than he expected. Plenty of torque too. We couldn't drive it anywhere else as the neighborhood is washed out due to rain

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-75296200368833096732012-08-05T14:04:00.001-07:002012-08-05T14:30:10.034-07:00

We nailed the timing down today, then tweaked the carb. Running very smooth now and sounds mean! Installed the roll bar, but still need to drill a few more holes and bolt it down. I went through three bits just to get through the roll bar steel! Dad was really itching to drive it so we gave it a shot, but it wouldn't go into gear. We think the clutch needs adjusting as it doesn't

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-50711944351077391132012-07-24T20:26:00.000-07:002012-07-24T20:33:06.235-07:00

Thanks to a FFR forum member ( thread here ) I removed the ground to the coil and turned it over for kicks...it went "bang!" instead of "pffffft" like it did before, so I was close! Dad came by later this afternoon and we tried it again, so I'm making another note here...HUGE SUCCESS! Here is the audio of the first start, {break in audio} then after we got the timing down, {break in

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-19726719694996225532012-07-21T13:50:00.000-07:002012-07-21T13:53:45.324-07:00

And yet so far! Dad is having a hard time finding the correct belt...fifth time's a charm I guess. We tested the fuel system today and fixed a few small leaks along the pipes, looks good to go now. I also fixed a slight leak at the thermostat housing, so we are all set there. Dad sorted out the spark plug wires and installed the distributor seen here: We also put the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-2140332824138658892012-07-14T12:05:00.000-07:002012-07-14T12:05:52.085-07:00

We've been working on the radiator and carb for the past week, so here it is condensed into one post. Installed the radiator using the Breeze Automotive mount kit (sold separately from the FFR kit): It uses a heavy steel hinge on top instead of the stock mounting solution, and a thick steel bar across the bottom for extra support. I burned through three drill bits just to get the holes

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-58152363126608319082012-07-04T13:05:00.000-07:002012-07-04T13:05:13.493-07:00

The good folks at FFR shipped us the correct drive shaft a few days ago, so I installed it. Slipped it in and had it torqued down in under ten minutes. The one at the top is for the Coupe, which is two inches longer than the Roadster drive shaft: Here is a shot of the drive shaft looking down the tunnel: For the past few days Dad has been working on the engine like a crazy man...it's been

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-15031637252420094032012-06-23T13:23:00.001-07:002012-06-23T13:27:49.090-07:00

We got up early today to beat the heat and the install went smooth! Big thanks to Quintin, Bob, Chris and Josh who stopped by to help out. The whole process took less than an hour, so here it is condensed to 4 minutes: After we were done, everyone got to sit in it. Here is Quintin, looking cunning: And Josh, with his racing face on: Chris with his new hat: And with the hat off, so he

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-72687185758173208022012-06-06T09:06:00.002-07:002012-06-06T09:06:46.401-07:00

The engine is almost ready! We got the starter installed (bottom left side of the engine), engine mounts and the crankshaft pulley: Still waiting on the water pump pulley, but it looks like we are on track for installing the engine this weekend. Here is a good shot of the whole thing: It took both of us to align the transmission to the bell housing, but we got it together. I'll

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-33127008054918292652012-06-02T12:48:00.002-07:002012-06-02T12:48:46.987-07:00

Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vVXezFglQk Thanks shack!

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-87064637067462911422012-06-02T11:42:00.005-07:002012-06-02T11:59:38.635-07:00

We got the proper bolts for the steering wheel, since they went missing, so that's installed now: We also put the seat belts in, to see how they fit. For the past few days Dad has been working on the engine assembly. Alternator and sending units are installed. The flywheel, clutch/plates, bearing, fork and bell housing are all set. Dad also tracked down the proper bolts and such to block off

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242068093196247110.post-76048708304149040822012-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:002012-05-21T18:04:36.168-07:00

I'm making a note here; huge success! We replaced the front brake lines and banjo bolts, so no more leaks. Brakes are done! The lower steering shaft arrived, so I put that in. Steering - done. From another angle: I've also been sorting out the electrical for the past few days and everything behind the dash is done! I also tested out the system and after a bit of trial/error (error=blown fuses

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060691069983929341noreply@blogger.com0