Like most any project, half the fun is in the labor of cleaning, assembly, and getting dirty-the grunt work, if you will. Take a nasty, rusty, old hulk of a car and turn it into a gleaming ride you're proud of.
For some people, that's the only fun part, so they sell their project soon after completion only to begin anew with another salvage-yard find. Sitting at a cruise night or car show and being complimented on your finished work surely makes one proud as a peacock, but I'd hazard a guess that most of us would rather be back in the garage getting dirt under our fingernails, slinging wrenches, and making something old new again.
Here's where our Factory Five Roadster project differs (somewhat) from previous projects. While we are thoroughly enjoying our time in the garage assembling the project, for the most part there's very little getting dirty here. Everything that comes with the Roadster kit is brand-spanking new, and since this project is a "non-donor" build, 98 percent of the content is also brand-new, including the engine, trans, rear, gauges, and so on. There were a few donor items we had to clean up, such as the spindles, pedal box, and fuel-filler pipe, but it was nothing like the work on our recent project cars where we had to cut out rusty floorpans. Of course, if we were going the late-model Mustang donor route, we'd be getting a lot dirtier, but we find this "clean assembly" rather refreshing for a change.
Currently, the engine is built, the rear axle is built, the transmission just arrived, and there are a few more items en route as well. This means we'll soon spend a weekend installing the entire drivetrain (though you won't see that in the magazine for a while yet). To prepare the frame for the drivetrain, the non-stressed aluminum panels need to be installed, since many of the rivet locations can't be drilled or riveted with the drivetrain in place. All of the aluminum panels come with the Roadster and are laser cut. We simply have to mark the frame location on the panel, drill some holes, and get out our rivet gun.
Check out our progress in this month's installment, and don't forget to read our online Web diary where you can read about our weekly progress right from the garage.
 Our Roadster project is beginning...  Our Roadster project is beginning to look more like an actual car every day. With the suspension, steering, and now most of the aluminum panels complete, the shape of the chassis is much more defined, and visitors to the garage easily recognize what it is now. |  Most of the main chassis aluminum...  Most of the main chassis aluminum comes situated on the frame at delivery. Some are attached with tapping screws, while others are simply laid in place. It is a good idea to use a marker and label the panels and how they overlap. After going to FFR's build school, we learned the aluminum should be checked for fit to the body before body removal. Since we had removed our body before going to build school, we'll have to measure for fit later in the build. |  Don't put away that marker...  Don't put away that marker just yet. Mark the frame wherever it touches the aluminum panels. This will help you determine where rivet holes will need to be made. |
 Once you've marked all of...  Once you've marked all of the aluminum panels, remove them from the chassis. You'll have quite a pile of aluminum to deal with, and since many of the panels are prebent, the pile will be bulky, to say the least. We found that if we mounted the panels to our body buck with the tapping screws we removed from the chassis earlier, they were out of the way and would not get damaged. |  Following the instructions...  Following the instructions in the manual, the rivet holes are measured out with even spacing and marked on the panels. Some areas, like the foot boxes, require a closer spacing. We've seen special aircraft tools to space rivet holes, but we used a tape measure. Use what works best for you. |  Here's what a typical panel...  Here's what a typical panel looks like after marking the frame locations and the rivet spacing. We went ahead and marked every panel at this point so when we grabbed a panel to install, all we had to do was start drilling. |
 The instructions recommend...  The instructions recommend first installing the left and right engine compartment "F" panels, so named because of their shape. Using a block of wood for a work surface, the 0.040-inch-thick aluminum drilled easily with our Powerbuilt-sourced 11/48-inch drill bits. |  These little tools are called...  These little tools are called Clecos, which basically are temporary rivets. Using the Cleco pliers, squeeze the Cleco (which expands it), place it through the hole to secure the panel, and then release the pliers to temporarily retain the panel. |  We're using the holes from...  We're using the holes from the tapping screws used in shipping (chased with the 11/48-inch bit) to secure the panels. |