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Factory Five Roadster Build Part 5 - Skinning The SnakeSkinning the Snake From the October, 2006 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Mark Houlahan Photography by Mark Houlahan
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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 1/8-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 1/8-inch bit) to secure the panels.  Here's one reason you'll want...  Here's one reason you'll want to use a Cleco to temporarily mount your aluminum panels. We had some minor interference between the panel and a weld bead, preventing the panel from laying flat. A few minutes with a grinder for some added room, and we were good to go.  Many people suggested mounting...  Many people suggested mounting the panels with only Clecos until we were absolutely sure we were done with our work in that area. Popping the panels off to work on the suspension proved them right.  With the panel held in place...  With the panel held in place by the Clecos, use the already drilled holes in the aluminum as a guide to drilling matching 1/8-inch holes in the frame. Work slowly and remember there are hundreds of holes to drill. While we had success with an 18v cordless drill and two battery packs, a corded drill will prevent any battery-charging downtime. Purchase extra drill bits, too-you'll need them.  After all the rivet holes...  After all the rivet holes are drilled through the frame, the aluminum panel is removed, and the marker and digital lettering from the aluminum processing plant are quickly removed with some lacquer thinner. Some of our panels will be powdercoated; others will be covered with carpet or left bare.  The passenger-side F-panel...  The passenger-side F-panel has a large opening in it for the upper radiator to pass through. Since we're using Factory Five's aluminum radiator, this upper hole is no longer used. It could be blocked off or left open, but for appearance's sake (to match the left side) we ordered this blank replacement F-panel from a company called FFMetal ($55 with shipping from its Web site). Linwood Gorham, owner of FFMetal, has plenty of trick options to enhance your enjoyment of your FFR Roadster, this F-panel being one of them.  The aluminum panels and their...  The aluminum panels and their temporary assembly made it look as if great progress had been made on the Roadster, only to have us remove the panels after all of the drilling was complete. Friends would stop by and ask why we took the car "back apart."  The 1/8-inch drill bit made...  The 1/8-inch drill bit made it about 25 percent of the way through the job before succumbing to the vibrations from the cordless drill's bent chuck (someone dropped the drill and hasn't owned up to it yet). But I had a plan.  My plan was to use a step...  My plan was to use a step bit, which allows multiple-sized holes to be drilled without changing the bit. Due to its larger body and weight, the drill's bent chuck had less of an effect on it. The step bit you see here made it through the rest of the drilling without a hiccup.  On to the floors! The largest...  On to the floors! The largest by far of the aluminum panels are the two floor sections, which also include the transmission tunnel sides. The floors require a bit of twisting and pushing to get into place, but once in, they don't move. We used Clecos through a few holes to maintain alignment, and drilling the floors went fast and easily.  Here's why you want to remove...  Here's why you want to remove the aluminum panels after drilling instead of riveting them right away. All of this metal dust is from drilling into the frame. If it were left where it was, the bare metal shards would quickly rust and start working on the frame. Cleaning up all of this mess is the best way to keep things clean and make the build last.  The rear cockpit wall is made...  The rear cockpit wall is made up of one large wall section and several corner sections with compound bends. Using Clecos and a few small clamps will help keep your wits about you when working at the rear of the cockpit.  You can see why we mentioned...  You can see why we mentioned using clamps. These cheap ratcheting clamps will be the perfect third hand for your build, too. Simply clamp the aluminum in place as if it was already riveted, and drill away.  Here's a close-up of the rear...  Here's a close-up of the rear cockpit corners. The lower panel is attached to the floor panel, and then bows out over the horizontal frame bar to come back in line with the small upper corner panel. Don't be afraid to massage these corner panels. We tweaked the bends a bit, and played with the ends and how they overlap to get the best fit.  The trunk area is by far the...  The trunk area is by far the easiest to work on since every panel is dead-flat. Again, use the tapping screw holes as a start to Cleco the panel into place, and then start drilling. The trunk floors are simple to do as well; just drop them into place and drill through the already drilled aluminum into the frame members.  After drilling about 90 percent...  After drilling about 90 percent of the panels (some aren't installed until after the body is on), we sent out all of the visible engine-compartment panels for powdercoating at Competition Coatings. The color the wife chose is called Silver Sparkle and has quite the flash to it when the sun hits it. Here we have the powdercoated panels back and temporarily in place for final fitting. We'll have a complete story on the powdercoating in a future issue.  With the firewall and foot...  With the firewall and foot boxes temporarily in place, we added Mr. Gasket's G-Sport brand G-Muff Titan-Lite (PN 11027, $28 per roll) sound deadening product. G-Muff comes in a 12x32-inch roll. The Titan-Lite is 40 percent lighter than its competitors and can be stretched from 40 to 100 percent of its size-great for compound surfaces. We used it throughout the aluminum installation phase of our project.  The top-most hole in the driver's...  The top-most hole in the driver's foot box was originally designed for the factory wiring harness grommet, for those using the wiring harness from a donor late-model Mustang. Since we're using an aftermarket wiring harness, which is much smaller, we remembered the Seals-It firewall grommets we saw at a trade show earlier this year, and called the company for one of its firewall grommets (PN GS404-16; $27).  The grommet fits perfectly...  The grommet fits perfectly into the opening and reduces the four-inch hole down to one inch for a much smaller wiring harness.  When you're finally ready...  When you're finally ready to rivet the aluminum panels, apply a small bead of silicone (more as a vibration absorber and sealant than as an adhesive). You can apply the silicone to the panel or to the frame, whichever is easier. We found a silver-colored silicone at a home-improvement store, and it blended in nicely with the aluminum panels.  Since our build is going to...  Since our build is going to incorporate windshield wipers and a heater (both of which mount directly to the firewall), we felt the additional thickness of the FFMetal 0.090-inch firewall would be a wise investment at $64 shipped to our door. The FFMetal firewall is twice as thick as the original and is ready to support any bracket or device you want to attach to it. I even got the son to help out in the garage for a bit this time. (I think he just liked using the pneumatic rivet gun.)  Due to the thickness of the...  Due to the thickness of the powdercoat and the occasional burr, a quick pass by hand with an 1/8-inch drill bit to clean the holes is sometimes necessary. Notice we staggered the rivets on the firewall to space out the rivet's area of retention (like bolt spreaders on a valve cover). This was a tip we got directly from FFR's Joe Fournier, and it worked extremely well.  As the foot boxes and other...  As the foot boxes and other areas are completed, it's a good idea to apply a bead of silicone to all joints, and then smooth the silicone over with a wet finger, just like caulking a bathtub. The silicone seams prevent heat and water intrusion and make for a much more solid car.  The rivet mandrels end up...  The rivet mandrels end up everywhere, especially if you use a pneumatic riveter (which we highly recommend to keep repetitive stress injuries at bay), so be sure to sweep your workspace at day's end or you might end up with one of these in your daily driver's tire-or worse, your bare foot.  The passenger foot box has...  The passenger foot box has a rather large opening for the intrusion bar to pass through at the front of the box. You'll also see other areas where there are gaps between adjacent panels and between panels and the frame. These areas can be sealed with silicone if the gap is small enough, or a scrap of aluminum can be riveted into place or secured with silicone to seal up the openings.
 | Project Snake Charmer is finished and on the road Check out the diary for more! |  | We'd like to introduce you to Mustang & Fords' new project, Project Snake Charmer |  | We Go Back to School-and Like It! The Factory Five Racing Cobra Roadster Kit Car Buildup Series Continues At The Build School. |  | Our Factory Five Roadster Suspension Finds Its Way to Our Frame |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets its motivation from a Smeding Performance 427 |  | We install and prepare the aluminum panels for Project Snake Charmer |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets a Drivetrain Specialtists rear end for Project Snake Charmer |  | Our project becomes a roller with brakes, wheels, and tires |  | Project Snake Charmer receives an EFI based fuel system to feed the snake |  | Our Factory Five Racing Roadster recieves a Smeding Performance 427 Windsor and a Tremec Transmission |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets a new dash, pedals, and cooling system |  | Installing the Factory Five Racing wiring harness on our Project Snake Charmer Cobra Roadster Replica |  | We finish up the wiring and then turn towards starting the body on our Factory Five Roadster Project Car |  | Installing hydroboost brakes on our Project Snake Charmer Factory Five Roadster before painting |  | Project Snake Charmer Factory Five Roadster heads off for paint |  | Our Factory Five Roadster Begins the Paint Process |  | Our Cobra Replica's Almost Ready For Paint |
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