If you have a late-model daily driver, you probably take its horn for granted. It's always there when you need it, and depending upon where you live and your driving style, it likely gets used several times a day. Unfortunately, most of us with classic Mustangs probably can't say the same. With no reproduction horns available until a year or so ago, the only options were to have a set of horns rebuilt at great expense, scour for quality used ones (yeah, good luck with that), find a set of N.O.S. (you might have better luck finding '65-'66 build information at Ford), or purchase aftermarket horns, which, depending upon the condition of your engine compartment, may look out of place.

When we first built this '66 Mustang project more than four years ago, we wanted to find the best used horns we could for it, but even after cleaning and adjusting them, the horns still sounded like a sick moose call. The sound was so bad, we were actually ashamed to use the horn. Whether it was a quick toot to acknowledge a thumbs-up from a passersby or a semi-long blast to warn someone they were getting a little too close in the parking lot, we cringed at the thought of having to press the horn button. And forget about using it when trying to avoid an accident-we were better off revving the engine and using the exhaust note.

Now we can put all of that behind us, as we have these great replacement horns from Virginia Classic Mustang. Available for '65-'70 Mustangs, these horns are close in design to the originals, with just a few minor differences. Correctness isn't our main concern here, but a nice, loud set of horns are. We think these horns fit the look of a classic car better than many aftermarket alternatives, and they bolt directly in place with five minutes of work, and require no wiring changes. How much easier could it be? The horns are sold separately (high-pitch EG-912; low-pitch EG-911 for '65-'66 Mustangs) and retail for $29.95 each. Be sure to check out the video we posted on our Web site comparing the old and new horns.

Steeda Autosports kicked off its third decade in business recently at its 20th Anniversary Celebration, located at the company's new facilities in Valdosta, Georgia. The Friday night Welcome Reception, held at the Valdosta Convention Center, provided the first of many opportunities for the Steeda faithful to gather and mix with local town officials and residents in celebration of 20 outstanding years of dedicated Ford performance. Both Dario Orlando, Steeda's president, and Brad Lofton, executive director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority spoke at the reception and expressed their sincere appreciation of the great partnership between Steeda and the community. They also acknowledged the people that turned out to celebrate.

On Saturday, it was track time and there was something for everyone--even if you didn't bring a car to the event. On the SCCA Autocross Course, Robin Burnett was providing "thrill rides" in his Steeda Q-Series Mustang race car to those willing to hang on. The line was endless as many people took Robin up on his offer for the ride of a lifetime. Needless to say, he didn't disappoint. In addition to thrill rides around corners, many attendees took advantage of the outstanding South Georgia Motorsports Park quarter-mile dragstrip by blasting their cars down the 1,320 and having a lot of fun doing it.

Saturday evening witnessed the Steeda Anniversary Barbeque Bash on the site of the company's new headquarters. Those attending saw first-hand the construction progress on the building that will eventually become one of the most state-of-the-art design, engineering, and manufacturing facilities for Ford performance equipment just about anywhere in the world. After the Barbeque Bash, the partying continued late into the evening at many of the local nightspots in downtown Valdosta.

Sunday dawned with the second day of action-packed performance at the South Georgia Motorsports Park. That afternoon, a car show was held. Total Mustang Supply provided the judging, and awards included Best Steeda, Best Roush, Best Shelby, and multiple others. Prizes included plaques, gift certificates, and T-shirts. After the awards were handed out, the winners were treated to a few laps in their cars on the oval track.

This 20th Anniversary celebration definitely set the stage for a new era in the future of Steeda Autosports. The outstanding welcome by the residents of Valdosta and the Steeda faithful was warmly received and sincerely appreciated by everyone at Steeda Autosports. The new friendships that were made, along with old friendships rekindled, all pointed to a rich history and a very promising future for the Ford performance faithful.

For the last decade, southern Massachusetts has witnessed many sightings of a pristine, tire squealing, gear banging, '85 Mustang GT. And now, with a new heart beating between the fenders, this New England stalwart is packing a bigger punch than ever.

Some of you might be getting a case of deejay vu from either looking at these pictures, reading the copy below or both - and there's good reason for that. The Mustang on these pages belongs to one Paul Slaney. That's right ... Paul Slaney as in the twin brother of Pete Slaney, whose magnificent 1979 Mustang Cobra we ran in the April 2007 issue. Both Slaveys are understandably fanatical about their Fox Ponies, as is cousin Craig Gillis, whose '84 SVO you'll be seeing next month. In Paul's case the infatuation began quite some time ago. His first exposure to 5.0 power came when he decided to do a bit of experimenting in high school. "At the time, I had this Ford Pinto wagon. It was one of those with the cruising package so it had the small portholes instead of full side windows. I thought it would be neat to drop in a 302 and an AOD in this car, so that's what I did."

First Foray
Paul works as a machinist, and grew up around machine shops, so performing major surgery on autos is pretty much second nature. Later on, the Pinto received a 351 and a C4, but I think we're straying a little off course here, after all, the magazine you're reading is entitled Modified Mustangs. Slaney's introduction to these cars actually came via a Mustang II, but hit high gear when he bought a 1990 LX hatchback. "That car was my daily driver. I used to run it about 400 miles per week, from my home to my job at Mid Cape Automotive out in Hyannis, MA. I did the usual stuff - bolt-on things like gears, exhaust, heads, cam and intake. I drove that car for nine years straight, every day of the week." However, living in Plymouth, MA, (the same one founded by the pilgrims back in 1620) means that, like New Englanders both past and present, he has to endure cold, snowy winters. And let it be said, driving in such conditions isn't much of a picnic, especially in a front heavy, rear-drive car with ample torque like a Mustang LX 5.0. In order to help remedy the traction situation faced by motorists at that time of year, the local Department of Transportation laces the roads with lots and lots of liquid calcium chloride. And while it may assist in melting the snow to get commuters on their merry way during the colder months, the downside is, that come warmer weather it just loves to chew through sheetmetal at an alarming rate. And that's basically what happened to Paul's LX.

"I racked up about 260,000 miles on this car, but by that stage the body was toast. The motor and driveline were still excellent and the fenders and hatch, but the floors and the inner structure were done, so I yanked the driveline and junked the car. The engine and trans are going into an '88 GT convertible I'm fixing up."

The Prized Possession
The '85 on these pages however, is a keeper. "I bought this car back in 1992. At that time I was looking for something that would be my summer cruiser/show/drag car. I'd originally been thinking about a 1970 Mustang but most of the examples I came across were rotted out. But I also really liked the look of the '85s when they came on the scene and I ended up finding this one locally. It was originally a throttle body injection car with the 180 horsepower engine and automatic. It was sitting in a buddy's back yard, because the motor was shot, but otherwise it was excellent - the body was in good shape and the interior was mint - it was an original owner car. I dragged it home for $1,000."

For the next five years, Paul toiled at every opportunity, building this '85 into his ideal street machine. As originally built, Slaney installed a 302, boring it over .030 thou to result in 306 cubic inches. To the top of that block, he bolted on a set of 1969 351 Windsor heads and a dual quad intake manifold. "It made good power. I beefed up the rear to handle it, replacing the 7.5 with an 8.8 inch assembly and I put in a locker differential and 4.33 gears, along with some 31- spline axles." However and this might come as a surprise, Slaney stuck with a T-5 gearbox for the longest time. "When I originally built the car I put a World Class T-5 in behind the 306. It withstood a lot of abuse from drag launches over the years - it finally let go before last Christmas, not a bad stretch really - it lasted nine years."

Standing Out
Keen observers will notice a few subtle exterior alterations on Paul's car, aside from the Weld Draglite rims 'n' rubber that mirror those on brother Pete's '79. "I've made a few changes. Its got the older 1979-82 style Marchal fog light covers and I added an '82 GT hoodscoop and LX taillights - I like those better." You might also notice the brilliant shade of blue paint. "This '85 was originally that Light Regatta Blue Metallic, but when I had it painted I went with something that stood out more. I picked out a 1994 Ford Ranger Splash color - Lapis Blue and I really like the way it looks." So have a lot of other people in fact, because Paul's GT has bagged more than 30 car show trophies since he first rolled it out of the garage under its own power again some 11 years ago. And there's one event we probably should talk about. "Back in 2000, I took the car to the Fun Ford Weekend event at New England Dragway in Epping, NH. I entered it in both the Street Ford bracket class and also the car show. In between racing rounds I'd drive it over to the car show and pop open the hood. It must have worked because I won both my class in Street Ford and also a trophy on the show field. Mustang Illustrated magazine voted it their editor's choice for the event - I was pretty happy that weekend." (Now here's a bit of useless information - your humble scribe was a budding automotive writer contributing to the now defunct MI at that time and remembers when Paul's car bagged that award).

Although Slaney really makes the most of the time he has to cruise and race the '85, he's also been making further improvements. The biggest of which concerns the engine. "My GT went a quickest of 12.49 at 110 miles per hour with the 306 under the hood, but last year I got the speed itch again, so over the summer I pulled the 306 and dropped in a 337 stroker." This engine uses a 1970 Windsor 302 block, which Paul bored .060 inches over and set up with DSS internal goodies, a Comp Cams 294 solid roller bumpstick and a set of AFR 185 cc aluminum heads, Edlebrock RPM Air gap intake and Holley 650 cfm double pumper four-barrel carburetor. When the T-5 gearbox let go, Slaney swapped it for a Tremec 3550 five-speed manual and since that time he's been more than happy. "When I got it all back together I strapped the car to the dyno. It made a big difference. I gained an extra 80 horsepower and when I took it to New England Dragway, the car went from being a solid mid 12-second runner to deep into the 11s."

But, before you start thinking that he's planning to go the all-out drag car route, Paul had this to say. "As much as I love taking it to the track I think I've just about reached the limit with this car. I like driving it on the street and I don't want to cut it up to put a cage in - so it won't go beyond an 11.60 car. I've had this GT so long that it's special - it's a great, clean car and I just like driving it and taking it to the track. Besides, I've got my hands full with other projects anyway." Said projects include the '88 GT convertible and also building a 347 cube stroker that's going in his brother's car. "I really enjoy doing this stuff, it keeps me busy and myself, along with my brother and cousin just love these cars. When the weather breaks for the spring and summer we enjoy getting together and going to car shows, cruises and the track. We'll be out and about this year, doing the Mustangs Unlimited shows down in Connecticut as well as going to New England Dragway and probably the Fun Ford Weekend event up there in August. There's nothing quite like it." Indeed, and, as well, there's probably nothing like prowling New England streets in a car like this and dispatching a few jokers who think they can take you on.

Specifications
Paul Slaney's 1985 Mustang GT

Engine
Ford 337 ci V8

Engine Modifications
1970 Ford Windsor 302 block bored .060, align honed and decked by Paul Slaney of Mid Cape Auto Machine; ARP main studs; screw-in oil galley plugs; DSS cast steel stroker crankshaft; DSS cast steel 5.315 connecting rods; DSS Pro-Lite forged aluminum fl at top 10.86:1 compression pistons; Comp Cams 294 solid roller camshaft with 250/250* duration and .569/.569" lift; AFR 185cc aluminum heads with 2.02/1.60" valves; Comp Cams chromoly valve retainers; Comp Cams springs; Summit polished aluminum valve covers; Edelbrock Air Gap gasket matched intake; Holley 650 cfm double pumper carburetor; Ford in-tank electric fuel pump: MAC 1 3/4" long-tube headers; MAC 2 1/2" H-pipe; Dynomax 2 1/2" Ultra Flow muffl ers; MSD distributor; MSD 6AL ignition control box; Sears battery; Autolite 3924 spark plugs; Taylor 8mm ignition wires: Milodon oil pan, ARP bolts; FelPro gaskets

Driveline
Borg-Warner World Class T-5 fi ve-speed manual gearbox; CenterForce Dual-Friction clutch; CenterForce pressure plate; Ford Motorsport aluminum driveshaft; Superior 31-spline axles; Richmond 4.33:1 ring and pinion; Detroit Locker differential

Suspension
Competition Engineering 90/10 front struts; Compeition Engineering 50/50 rear shocks; Ford 4-cylinder front sway bar (removed for drag racing)

Wheels And Tires
Weld Draglite 15 x 7" wheels (front); 15 x 8" (rear); BF Goodrich P215/65/R15 tires (front); P295/50R15 tires (rear)

Numbers
390 RWHP; 362 RWTQ

Interior
Autometer 5" tach; Autometer 2 1/16" tachometer; water; oil pressure and voltmeter gauges

Exterior
1982 Mustang GT hoodscoop; 1987 Mustang LX tailight lenses; exterior re-sprayed 1994 Ford Ranger Lapis blue by Scott Lockhard in Bridgewater, MA, black trim accents

Acknowledgements
Thanks to my wife for understanding my obsession and also my boss for letting me use the machine shop equipment.

Focusing on performance automobiles for 25 years takes a great deal of commitment and passion. From his early automotive days spent preparing his personal cars for racing, to his inevitable entrance into the professional racing world, and finally into the domain of the automotive business, automotive icon Steve Saleen has done it all. Steve set the course for his automotive future in his first race on August 19, 1973, at Riverside International Raceway, where he took his GT350 to the Winners' Circle, and he never looked back.

Steve Saleen moved up through the amateur, then professional, ranks of closed and open-wheel racing during the '70s and '80s, racing and winning against drivers such as Bobby Rahal, Gilles Villeneuve, and Danny Sultan. His racing career eventually intertwined with his USC business degree when, in 1983, he formed Saleen Autosport and produced his first vehicle, an '84 white-and-blue high-performance Saleen Mustang, the first of thousands of vehicles that would eventually be built based on his innovative niche manufacturing, certification, and racing business model.

Steve and his vehicles have dominated the competition wherever they raced around the world, having won nine championships, countless races and set track records from Daytona to Le Mans and every track in between. Steve is still racing, and he is currently testing one of the two European Le Mans Series Championship winning S7Rs in preparation for his return to competition in the American Le Mans Series later this year.

For 25 years, Steve Saleen has been the leading pioneer in lifestyle performance automobiles, with his companies building an amazing array of high-performance sports, race, and collector cars coveted by enthusiasts and celebrities alike from Tim Allen to Tom Cruise. His companies have created everything from the world's fastest production Mustang, the S302 Extreme, to the Saleen S7 and S7R, the most victorious supercar-based racing vehicle ever, with 171 Top Tens, 118 podiums, 84 pole positions, 76 fastest laps, 72 wins, and 9 GT Championships. Amazing cars aren't the only thing associated with Steve Saleen's name and ingenuity. His companies are also credited with an impressive array of patented automotive technological innovations.

As an entrepreneur, his endeavors encompass more than simply delivering the performance hardware. In 2006, he was the driving force behind the opening of his company's first automotive retail experience. With as much visual impact and excitement as one of his supercars, Maxim magazine awarded it "Best Automotive Retail Store."

To celebrate his illustrious automotive career, Steve Saleen and his new company, SMS, have developed a truly innovative and exceptional celebratory vehicle--the '08 SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang concept. To find out more about the 720hp SMS concept car, we talked to its creator, Mr. Steve Saleen.

Comments by Steve Saleen, Chairman and CEO of SMS:"In celebration of my 25 years in the niche manufacturing business, I wanted to create a personal car for myself that appropriately marks this very special anniversary. The functional aesthetic innovations that we have developed are truly exceptional in every way. Though this car is not going to be for sale, it nevertheless demonstrates the technological advances present at SMS.

"With the SSC, SA-10, SA-15 and SA-20, I used those platforms to introduce new technology to the automotive market. In keeping with that tradition, this concept car incorporates many important advances developed by SMS. In particular, our patented SMS Red Butterfly Induction System and SMS Light Blade LED Taillight System are definitely the coolest things that any Anniversary car has ever had! When those butterflies crack open under throttle, people stop and stare. You can be sure you'll see those on our future products. And when you're passed by this car and the full-width sequential turn signals come on, you'll be just as awestruck!

"Along with the main features, the supporting cast of innovation developed by SMS is just as deep, including SMS Side Splitters and Diffuser Fences in carbon fiber, SMS billet aluminum signature elements, a beautiful SMS two-tone leather interior and the unique SMS "Chromosome Silver" paint with the signature Anniversary yellow, white, and black graphic accents.

"My Anniversary cars were always the most powerful of the breed, and this car continues that tradition, as it produces 720 horsepower at the crank and 612 horsepower at the rear wheels! And the exhaust note truly is something else. Topped with 670 lb-ft of torque, it's quite a steed to tame, thus it's equipped with SMS Cross Drilled 15-inch 6-Piston Front Brakes and a completely new SMS Billet Aluminum Watts Link System that is robust, durable, and attractive.

"The performance is astounding. The SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang has reached nearly the same levels of performance as was previously achieved in the S7 Twin Turbo! It's not every day that the word "supercar" is associated with a Mustang, but in this case it's appropriate. The team and I are very excited about the vehicle, as it incorporates an entirely new platform of technological advances by SMS, and it's a testament to what our company is capable of. We look forward to it touring the show circuit this summer to show that we're in the business of power!

"I look forward to the next 25 years!"

Key functional and aesthetic innovations:

• SMS 720 hp supercharged 5.0L aluminum block V-8
• SMS CNC-ported Saleen supercharger
• SMS CNC aluminum heads
• SMS Red Butterfly Induction System
• SMS Light Blade LED Taillight System
• SMS Billet Aluminum Watts Link System
• SMS Cross Drilled 15-inch 6-Piston front brakes
• SMS Cross Drilled 12-inch rear brakes
• SMS Two Piece Billet Aluminum Hood Vents
• SMS Carbon Fiber Side Splitters
• SMS Carbon Fiber Diffuser Fences
• SMS Red Butterfly Quarter Intakes
• SMS Chromosome Silver Paint
• SMS Leather Grip Billet Aluminum Shifter and Shifter Bezel
• SMS Leather dash
• SMS Leather two-tone door inserts
• SMS Leather two-tone seats
• Six-speed Transmissions

Performance:

• 720 hp/612 rwhp
• 667 tq/565 rwtq

Despite record gas prices, over 200 Mustang enthusiasts from all over the world have registered to participate in the landmark cross-country Mustang road trip for 2009. Hailing from over 30 states and 6 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, South Africa, and Canada, the caravan is setting records for international participation.

"We have always had participants from around the world, but this year is shattering all previous records," says Event Coordinator Sam Haymart. "Over 50 parties have registered from abroad including over 30 from Australia alone." Most of the participants coming from overseas are planning to rent Shelby Hertz and other Mustangs for the drive, while some are planning to transport their cars to America for the adventure.

The planned caravan drive kicks off in Las Vegas on April 11 at the Shelby Automobiles Factory. Participants will celebrate at an evening reception the night before and will start the drive at the front door of Carroll Shelby's shop. From there, the five-day road trip to Birmingham, Alabama, for Mustang Club of America's big Mustang 45th Anniversary Show at Barber Motorsports Park continues a Mustang tradition.

The '09 Mustangs Across America drive has some new routes and byways planned along old sections of Route 66 as well as off-shoot trips to places like Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Clinton, Oklahoma, for some sightseeing.

Mustangs Across America organizes the convoy drive with a schedule of about 400 miles a day with planned staging areas, lunch stops, and overnight accommodations. The group works with local chambers of commerce, clubs, and sponsors to add local events, tours, and gatherings along the five-day road trip. Enthusiasts are welcome to join in the adventure for the entire trip or just for a short segment or two.

"The 45th Anniversary Drive is shaping up to be the biggest Mustangs Across America drive ever," says Haymart. "Hotels are already filling up in many overnight stops and we are adding third and fourth properties to keep up." The Mustangs Across America 45th Anniversary drive is expected to garner over 500 Mustangs in the group to make their way to the MCA Show in Birmingham. More information can be found at www.mustangsacrossamerica.com.

Mustangs Across America 45th Anniversary Drive Schedule:

About Mustangs Across America
Mustangs Across America Inc. is an event promotion group that has been organizing cross-country drives for large Mustang Club of America anniversary events since 1994. Led by a close-knit group of enthusiasts, the events have been organized over the years in concert with the volunteer teamwork of several Mustang Clubs and sponsors across the country to bring enthusiasts an adventure of a lifetime.

Mustangs Across America events have attracted hundreds of participants of all ages and walks of life from all over the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Europe to join together in the adventure. Mustangs Across America has become an institution in the Mustang hobby, having organized many cross-country drives, including the '94 30th Anniversary and '04 40th Anniversary drives. The latter was the basis for the Discovery/Travel Channel Documentary Kings Of The Road - Mustangs Across America that still airs on TV today. In 2004, over 300 Mustangs took part in the MAA Drive.

Interested parties can log onto the Mustangs Across America Web site, www.MustangsAcrossAmerica.com or send a SASE to the address below for entry forms.

Contact Information:
Sam Haymart
(480) 393-9887
mustangone@mustangsacrossamerica.com

Road racers who literally have to wrestle their cars around the road course will certainly appreciate the MasterShift Manual Shifter. It enables you to shift your manual H-pattern transmission while leaving both hands on the steering wheel. It provides a quick and reliable electronically controlled gear selection in the transmission. As you can see in the demonstration set up, the MasterShift unit is coupled to the transmission through two shift cables and a transmission adapter. Shifting is accomplished by touching the shift buttons or paddles, then depressing the clutch pedal and the MasterShift unit will push or pull the shift cables to the requested position. It's also possible to pre-program or stack multiple shifts by pressing the paddle or button several times before pressing the clutch pedal. The Manual Shifter will then move straight to the requested gear position when the clutch pedal is depressed. The MasterShift controller waits with the shift until the clutch pedal is pressed. This feature can be used for delayed shifting.

For example, you can drive into a curve anticipating that you'll have to shift down into Second gear. You press the paddles the required number of times and no actual shifting will occur until you press the clutch pedal. If you don't press the clutch pedal for a configurable amount of time, the Manual Shifter cancels the shift.

There is a Neutral safety feature that enables a safety push-button that must be pressed every time the driver wants to shift from First into Neutral. This will prevent accidental shifts into Neutral during normal driving. When the Reverse safety feature is enabled, the safety switch must be pressed every time the driver wants to shift into Reverse. This feature is to prevent accidental shifts into Reverse while the car is moving forward. It serves the same purpose as the mechanical lock-out, or detent, on the original shifter.

The Clutch Safety feature makes sure that a shift isn't attempted while the clutch pedal is not depressed. This requirement can be met with either a mechanical switch or an inline hydraulic pressure switch. The paddle shifter is wired with a OneWire board and can be used on vehicles with most aftermarket steering wheels and steering columns. Complete systems for five-speed manual transmissions start at $3,100.

It's the quiet ones you have to worry about. You think they're at their desks looking at spreadsheets and being good pencil pushers, then you find out they've really been planning total domination.

In the case of mild-mannered Dale Irwin of Van Buren, Indiana, his plot centered on a certain '65 Mustang fastback and building it into an after-dark street predator. As it turns out, Dale has a talent not only as a desk jockey, but also as an automotive engineer. The real story of his car isn't the long list of trick parts installed on it, but what he did with those parts to set this car off from the rest of the street-machine genre.

Dale began with the look he wanted-a clean exterior highlighted by a set of Maier Racing fender flares to allow big patches of vulcanized Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber to reside inside. From there, he went where most car builds should, chassis and handling. Dale cabbaged on to an independent rear suspension system from the venerable '00 Cobra R racing program, complete with 3.55 Gerodisc posi and 31-spline axles. Up front, a complete Chris Alston coilover tubular front suspension and Stainless Steel Brakes' Force 10 disc conversion were chosen to handle the soon-to-be-added horsepower. That's about as far as the build got before Dale's inner engineer took over.

He started with a DVS Restorations IRS installation kit and heavily modified both the kit and the car to accept the massive 17x11-inch Vintage Wheel Works Vintage 45 rims. With some help from the machining experts at Jennerjahn Machine, he reengineered the mounting and even removed the spring perch from the lower control arms for a much smoother install.

About this time, Dale found a deal on an '03 Mustang GT 4.6 2V engine and 4R70W with less than 10 miles on them. Mounting the wide motor in the '65 chassis meant his TCP goodies wouldn't fit in the front as planned, so he began reengineering the front suspension and moved it out to allow for the wider motor to sit down in the engine bay of the '65. This required Dale to design his own shock towers and weld them in place. At the same time, he custom engineered his own power rack-and-pinion system that not only worked with his original spindles, but also allowed for a better turning radius. Careful engineering allowed Dale to improve the car's roll center and all but eliminate bumpsteer.

Boost Is Good
With the 4.6 engine in place, Dale got to work getting it ready to provide horsepower to the big rear tires. First, an Eaton M90 supercharger was installed on the less-than-10-mile motor. Then there was a trip to Danville, Illinois, to see Brad Edington with Total Performance for an ACCEL Gen 7 computer, dual Walbro electric fuel pumps, a set of 42-lb/hr injectors, and Aeromotive fuel rails. The exhaust is handled by a set of Ford Racing Performance Parts shorty headers, Flowmaster mufflers, and a custom 21/2-inch aluminized exhaust system exiting the original GT trumpet holes.

A Baumann Engineering electronic transmission controller was employed to provide computer shifting duties. The '65's chassis allowed Dale a little engineering convenience as well. He built some custom cages for the torque box area that not only strengthen the chassis, but also hold a pair of Derale coolers with electric fans-one for the transmission and one for the intercooler. McCoarts' Auto in Somerset, Indiana, custom plumbed the late-model hydroboost system and brakes. Dale custom engineered the three-point chassis brace to fit the new go-fast goodies residing underhood.

Interior appointments weren't spared the engineering bug, either. The trap door was customized with a running-horse emblem by utilizing water-jet-cutting technology. The TMI seats were custom embroidered with the running horses as well, and three-point seatbelts keep everyone in place during launches. A JME gauge cluster full of Auto Meter gauges keep an eye on the drivetrain, and a Flaming River tilt column with Grant steering wheel complement the left-side seat. Dale then got in touch with his inner nerd and installed a Sirius satellite radio system and a 110-volt power inverter to run his laptop for tuning the engine computer.

With all of the engineering work done, Dale called on Ross Fones to lay down the '06 Mazda Dark Steel Gray paint job to highlight the smooth lines of the fastback and give it the right night-stalker look. Billet wheel centers and gas caps complement the clean lines of the fastback. The car was finished just in time for the '07 World Ford Challenge, where it took home an award in its first venture into the real world.

So the next time you're walking down the hallway with a stack of TPS reports and a chocolate doughnut, take a look at the quiet guy in the corner cubicle. Chances are he may be planning the next street screamer.

The Details
Dale Irwin's '65 Mustang Fastback

Engine

Transmission

Rearend

Exhaust

Suspension

Brakes

Wheels

Tires

Interior

Exterior

Let's face it; most of us can only fantasize of being given carte blanche to build our ultimate Mustang. We either fall short in terms of money, resources, time, or all of the above. To actually build your dream Mustang, you either need to have a ton of cash available or a job that somehow allows you to do it for a living. The good news for Steve Carpenter is that he has the latter. Steve is the sales manager for Galpin Auto Sports, the performance division of Galpin Ford, which happens to be the largest Ford dealer in the United States. It's also the same Galpin that modifies vehicles on the Pimp My Ride television show. While Steve's personal car may be void of excess television monitors and spinning wheels, it certainly has no shortage of aftermarket upgrades.

Of course, building this Mustang wasn't only fun for Steve, but part of the job as well. "It gives me a chance to test all of the new bolt-ons out there and see what works," he says. He uses his firsthand experience to help GAS customers decide what's right for their Mustangs, and since Steve has owned two S197 Mustangs before this car, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this one. "The goal with this project was to build a car that you can drive every day that was reliable, wouldn't overheat, and could go fast, both in a straight line and around corners." From sampling this beauty ourselves, it appears Steve has very much accomplished his mission.

Different Strokes
Given the late-model Mustang movement has been with us for nearly two decades and the technology now available, it has become relatively easy to make big power with the Three-Valve modular found in S197 Mustang GTs. Adding a supercharger or a turbocharger can safely net up to 200 additional ponies without replacing any internal engine components. Going without forced induction, however, makes it quite a bit harder. "Anybody can put a supercharger on a new Mustang, but to make horsepower without one is a lot more difficult," says Steve, who admits he wasn't afraid of a challenge. To achieve the power level he wanted while still keeping the engine normally aspirated, he enlisted the help of Ford specialists JDM Engineering of Freehold, New Jersey, who shipped out a brand-new Three-Valve engine to the West Coast, complete with an eight-bolt JDM stroker crankshaft, Manley forged connecting rods, and Manley forged-aluminum pistons, resulting in an honest 302ci mill. The stronger internals also allowed for Comp Cams Stage 3 camshafts, a JDM cold-air intake, Steeda underdrive pulleys, and Granatelli Motor Sports coil packs. Helping the V-8 to breathe better are ported cylinder heads and a full Bassani exhaust system, including long-tube headers, high-flow cats, and Bassani's street mufflers. The setup is good for 420 hp at the wheels, and Steve also added a 200-shot of Nitrous Pro-Flow giggle gas just for good measure. "The nitrous is fun to use," he says. "Sometimes it's like having somebody lunge a baseball bat in your back while at other times it's like taking the traction control off and all hell breaking loose."

With all that extra power, a beefier driveline was a must. The Galpin crew installed an RPS aluminum flywheel as well as an RPS 10.5-inch carbon-fiber clutch with a billet-aluminum housing. An aluminum one-piece driveshaft from JDM helps keep things spinning quickly while knocking off a bit of mass in the process.

Hunting Exotics
Wanting to make sure his Mustang could take on the curves as well as a straight line, Steve went all-out on the suspension and chassis upgrades. "We set it up for road racing and aggressive street driving," he says. "It's like having your own Ferrari/Porsche/BMW but wrapped in a Mustang body." Tokico adjustable D-Spec shocks and Steeda competition springs both front and rear ensure the car stays flat while cornering, and Ford Racing front and rear sway bars reduce body roll even further. Not one to do anything halfway, the Galpin team added Ford Racing billet lower control arms, Steeda triangle braces to help stiffen the chassis, BMR polyurethane bushings, and a Saleen Gen-2 Watt's-link system. Stopping power is provided by Baer 14-inch front brakes with two-piston calipers.

With a 302 underneath the hood and a suspension set up for the racetrack, it was only natural that the exterior would mimic a classic '69/'70 Boss 302. To start things off, Steve added a Classic Design Concepts front spoiler with a custom carbon-fiber splitter from Automotive Dezignz. The painted billet grille and custom hood are also from CDC, complete with a Shaker system that feeds cool air to the intake. Other exterior pieces include Agent 47 retro race mirrors and rear-quarter window NACA ducts, 3d Carbon headlight splitters, and Cervini's lower sidescoops and pedestal rear wing. To complete the retro look, Steve turned the car over to M&M Autoarts who painted the car Ferrari Rosso Red, a color that looks right at home on a modern musclecar. The red is complemented by low-gloss black paint on the hood and rear wing as well as black Boss striping. The Boss Eagle two-piece aluminum wheels have also been powdercoated to match the car and are wrapped with Nitto Invo tires.

The interior of this Mustang is just as impressive as the rest of the car. A color-matched six-point rollcage from Autopower Industries keeps occupants safe, and custom two-tone leather Cobra seats keep them comfortable as well. Driver controls have a sporty look and feel-the custom Momo steering wheel is handmade with black and red leather, the Hurst T-handle short-throw shifter bangs out gears with ease, and the engine can be ignited by the red starter button in the dash. Keeping tabs on the engine are Auto Meter gauges on the A-pillar and the dash.

So what does Steve think of his ultimate Mustang? "You know, when I think about it, the finished result is exactly what I had in mind," he says. "I was able to bring back the old-school Boss look, yet it drives super nice on the street-no shakes, rattles, or squeaks."

So is he finished with the car? For now, but Steve still has some plans for the future. "I think I'll have a look at installing twin turbos soon, just for fun." So, much like Galpin Auto Sports, it appears things are never static when it comes to Steve Carpenter's own personal Pony.

The Details
Steve Carpenter's '07 "Boss" Mustang

Engine

Transmission

Rearend

Exhaust

Suspension

Brakes

Wheels

Tires

Interior

Exterior

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

March 30th-June 2nd, 2008
Total Build Time: 857 hours
For those of you who've been following our Factory Five Roadster build both online and in print, I want to thank you for your words of support and encouragement. It was great to hear from so many people that enjoyed our series of build stories and especially our online diary, where we let our readers come inside the garage and see first-hand the inner workings of building a magazine project. For those that tuned in for our weekly Web updates, you were treated to exclusive images of our build progress before it even hit the magazine's printed page. Unfortunately, these last two months have been extremely busy while we merged two magazines into one, moved and changed staff, hit the busy spring and summer show circuit, and much more. I feel bad that the Web diary trickled off towards the very end due to these other pressing matters and I wanted to give our online readers some closure to the project's Web diary with this one last update covering the last nine weeks of the build.

We left off with the interior of the Roadster just getting under way with a few pieces of carpet glued down and the seat bases being installed. Since that time, we've worked on the Roadster an odd day or two each month out of the last two due to travel and workload. We finished the interior, including Schroth Profi-II FE restraints, a four-speed look shifter handle from Finishline Accessories, and a leather shift boot from Mike's Replica Parts.

Once the interior was completed, we wrapped up a few small exterior items, including brake duct screens and quick jack grommets from Finishline Accessories, an additional set of rear splash shields from Dark Water Customs to seal the body to the chassis, and we mounted the FFR supplied exhaust hangers for the sidepipes. Once these items were in place, it was time for our alignment. A trip north to Groveland, Florida, is where we hooked up with J.B. Alignment Service for a full alignment after setting our ride height and Panhard rod. Finally, we took some overall pictures of the project and posted our graduation thread on www.ffcobra.com. Stay tuned for one more assembly story coming in the September issue, followed by a final wrap-up feature on the whole project.

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

March 16, 2008
Total Build Time: 816 hours
After travelling to Montreal, Canada for winter tire product announcements; Indianapolis, IN for the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show; and most recently to Bradenton, FL for the NMRA season opener over the last three weekends, it's good to finally be home with no travel in sight until early May. That means I've got a bunch of weekends coming to me where I can really crank on the Cobra replica project and maybe even wrap things up. My son's been itching to get started on our father/son '68 project but the Cobra has to be wrapped up first.

This past weekend I was only able to get a few hours in on Sunday for the interior portion of the project. But none the less I made some good progress here. I ordered a seat mounting kit from Breeze Automotive (www.breezeautomotive.com) that allows for an easier installation of the seats and puts the seat base on a slight incline like your production car seating. This gives more support for the thighs and provides for a more natural driving position than sitting flat on the floor. The steel seat brackets are installed with stainless steel rivets (those 3/16-inch rivets are a killer!) through to major structural sections under the aluminum floor. A quick shot of satin black paint and a couple of minutes with a drill and a rivet gun and we were good to go. For the driver side I ordered an adjustable seat track along with the kit from Factory Five Racing. The seat track is designed to mount directly to the floor, so I had to modify the cable mechanism a bit for it to work with the Breeze seat mounts (Breeze sells their own seat track to work with their mounts).

I also got back the rear bulkhead, floor, and console carpet sections that I had their edges bound in vinyl earlier in the week, which allowed me to start carpeting the cockpit. First went down a layer of Mr. Gasket's GMuff Titan-Lite sound absorption material, then the carpet itself, retained by a generous layer of 3M spray adhesive. I picked up a roll of industrial strength Velcro as well for some of the carpet that I want to keep removable for servicing of the car in the future. Hopefully this coming weekend I can finish the interior and move on to my other critical items like the alignment so we can actually take the car out and drive it. More next week, that's for sure.

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

February 18, 2008
Total Build Time: 809 hours
It's been three weekends since I worked on the car last. It seems like it was just a few days ago I was working on the trunk, but when I looked back at the calendar I realized it was actually several weeks. The weekend of 1/26 I spent on my back helping my neighbor put a clutch in his son's '01 Mustang (that was NOT fun) and the following weekend of 2/2 was when we headed to New Jersey to pick up the '68 coupe for our father/son project. The weekend of 2/9 was spent organizing all of the used and NOS parts that came with the '68, as well as finishing up some late articles for the May 2008 issue on Sunday. So now you see why it's been three weeks since I touched the Roadster; and the heavy event/travel season is about to start for me as well (I'll be out of town and on the road the next three weekends).

The punch list of finish items is a bit over a page long, some easy, and others, well, are going to take some time and planning (alignment for example). Since I had finished the trunk wiring a few weeks back I wanted to go ahead and wrap up the rest of the trunk while I had easy access to it in the garage. Having purchased some bulk black carpet several months ago, and having made cardboard templates of the trunk panels for said carpet, it was a simple matter of cutting out the carpet using the templates as a guide (a silver Sharpie works great on the black carpet). With the cardboard as a rough template minor trimming was a given, and easily handled with a pair of scissors or a single edge razor blade depending upon available working room. 3M spray trim adhesive was used for the most part to glue the carpet into place, while stubborn corners got brush on contact cement. The completed trunk really looks good now and only needs some sort of edging to finish off the openings of the Dark Water Customs (www.darkwatercusoms.com) trunk storage boxes. Another item I checked off the punch list was riveting the under door aluminum panels now that the body is in place for good. I sent a few pieces of the passenger cabin carpeting to be bound with vinyl edging and as soon as those pieces come back I'll be laying down the interior carpet, seats, and belts. Stay tuned for more when I get back from upcoming travel weekends.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

January 11, 2007
Total Build Time: 786 hours
Though our Factory Five Roadster has been painted for a couple of weeks it took us a while to get everyone on the same page to get our project shipped home. Luckily, KR Performance & Restorations (www.krpandr.com) were able to literally drop everything and get our Roadster into their trailer to meet the transport driver in time. With our project safely on its way to Florida it was time to get my ducks in a row and start digging out all of the parts I'd need to get the car looking presentable for the National Parts Depot Silver Springs Mustang & Ford Roundup in just a scant four days.

First off came the easy stuff. Installing the headlights, taillights, and front marker lights was simple screwdriver work, and since I had already tested the circuits prior I knew everything would work the first time. After the lights I wanted to concentrate on the rest of the exterior trim items--those things that would make the Roadster look like a finished car. The wiper mechanism was installed so that the windscreen could be slid into place and secured with its hardware too. Finally, I added the side emblems that we scored from Ford Racing, which are the same emblems found on the new Shelby GT Mustang.

Just before loading the car into our company trailer the roll bar was slid into place and the front fender louvers were added. The hour and a half tow up to Ocala for the Silver Springs event was uneventful and we had a great display location right next to our subscription tent for the weekend. While I couldn't stay with the car all weekend (someone's got to take the event photos you see in the magazine) when I was near the car I was inundated with compliments on the project, questions, and dozens of people taking photos. Even the wet weather we experienced during the event couldn't wipe the grin off my face all weekend. Stay tuned as our web diary picks up speed again with the car back in Florida and we start wrapping up our Roadster build.

January 22, 2008
Total Build Time: 791 hours
The full court press is on to get our Roadster project 100% completed in the next 90 days or less to catch the spring show season here in Florida, and to enjoy the car before the hot summer months. The project was a huge hit at the Silver Springs Ford and Mustang Roundup last weekend, but for the car to look as complete as possible for the display we had to throw a lot of parts at the car that we really weren't ready for yet, such as the carpet, seats, wind wings, and more. This past weekend I spent the better part of Saturday just removing these "show" items from the car so that they could be installed in their proper order and be fully photographed for future print stories in Mustang & Fords as well.

Once I had everything off the car and carefully boxed up, it was time to get back to the business of finishing the car. Since the weather ended up being iffy during the weekend (sporadic rain) I left the Roadster in the garage and tried to do what I could at the rear of the car. I spent a few hours routing the tag light wiring through the base of the trunk lid, soldering wires to the tag light assembly, and then joining them in a quick disconnect through the trunk lid access area. Finally, I covered the trunk lid access area with a neat custom aluminum panel from Dark Water Customs (www.darkwatercustoms.com). Just before wrapping up for the day I also applied strips of industrial strength Velcro, obtained from the local big box hardware store, to the body side louvers and mounting brackets on the body. This will hold the louvers in place, yet allow removal of the louvers for access for any repairs or maintenance.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

November 8, 2007
Total Build Time: 663 hours
It's been a while since we had a diary update, but it's not for lack of progress on our Roadster project. No, this time of year is very busy for us keyboard jockeys with the SEMA show, PRI show, and all of the usual deadlines and office catastrophes thrown in for good measure. So, please excuse the limited entries here the last few weeks.

The good news is we're getting closer and closer to having our project completely painted and on its way back to us here in Florida to be wrapped up. Since our last entry Bob Roeder and Aaron Kester at KR Performance and Restorations have applied a coat of primer or two and started using guide coats (the black spray paint lines) while wet sanding the body to find any remaining low or high spots. After the final wet sanding the chassis was rolled into the paint booth, taped off, and the first coat of sealer applied.

December 10, 2007
Total Build Time: 765 hours
There are many variables that determine cure times for painting a vehicle's surface. One thing to consider is the paint product you will use for the project. Some products take longer than others to fully cure before another layer can be applied or the surface can be sanded. Another variable is the working temperature. As summer has turned into fall and then winter the cooler weather has increased the cure time for many of the products were using. If things are rushed problems could arise later with lifting paint, bubbles, or hazing. After the coats of sealer had cured sufficiently the body's openings were sprayed with our base color. This is often called "jambing" or "cutting" in the paint, since it is being applied to the door jambs, hood and trunk openings, wheel openings, and so forth. This will allow for full coverage easily when applying the paint to the main surfaces later.

The inner surfaces of the doors, hood, and trunk are painted and clear coated before being mounted on the Roadster. Later these panels will be mounted to the body during the final paint application phase.

Since our stripe color is lighter than the main body color KR Performance and Restorations simply applied a wide swath of the Satin Silver paint down the middle of the body. Then the stripes were laid out using a laser level to find the center of the car and then fine painters tape to make the actual stripe sections. The sections were then taped off so the main body color could be applied. See our blog entry for the final photos of the paint job and stay tuned to an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords for the full story.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

September 24, 2007
Total Build Time: 537 hours
We're getting closer to having color on our Roadster project as the guys at KR Performance & Restorations work full time on our project now. As I mentioned in a previous diary entry about body modifications, there are certain things that can be easily done to the FFR fiberglass body to give it a more authentic look. One of them is to extend the hood into the hood scoop opening. Doing so makes the hood scoop look like it was fastened to the hood versus being a molded part of it. If you really wanted to I guess you could also build up the scoop's lines and add rivets around it as well, but we just did the extension. The scoop's under side was also smoothed with body filler in preparation to paint the underside of the hood.

For the trunk the fiberglass inner edge was blended into the aluminum liner. Some people polish the liner or leave it bare aluminum, but we opted to paint it body color. The newer FFR trunk lid does away with the aluminum liner all together with an all fiberglass trunk lid assembly.

October 11, 2007
Total Build Time: 559 hours
Ask any owner of a fiberglass bodied car (or one using fiberglass fenders) and they'll tell you their number one fear is star cracks from a tire throwing a stone into the underside of the fiberglass body. We knew it would be important to protect our killer paintjob from debris such as this and we also wanted to cover the exposed fiberglass for a more eye pleasing look in the trunk and engine compartment areas. After much research we came across the LizardSkin product. LizardSkin is a ceramic based spray on product that acts as a barrier to heat transfer, reduces noise, and also protects surfaces from moisture and corrosion. Best of all LizardSkin is a class-A fire rated product. With the LizardSkin being applied via a spray applicator there are no seams, no gaps, and no waste. We covered the whole body in a .040-inch layer (recommended) and then doubled the wheel well areas to .080-inch for crack protection.

October 19, 2007
Total Build Time: 571 hours
An email today from Bob Roeder at KR Performance & Restorations made my day when he told me paint had been delivered and that they had started to cut in the inside of several panels, including the hood, trunk and doors. Images here show the hood in primer and then the first coat of the Ford Tungsten Gray Pearl Metallic base being applied. Since the first time I saw the Tungsten color on the Ford GT supercar I knew I wanted to paint something with this sexy color. The only fly in the soup is the wife and I still haven't picked a stripe color. If I let her have her way the stripe would be purple. I originally thought of black or some sort of graphite color (I even contemplated carbon fiber look stripes). Bob sprayed a sample with some stripe colors for us to look at (shown here) and there's a few more stripe colors being considered that he hasn't sprayed samples of yet. Once we choose a stripe color there's also the follow up decisions as to whether we paint it as a solid stripe or some sort of ghost stripe and if we should add the pinstripes to the outer edges and what color those pinstripes should be (matching the main stripe or some sort of contrast). Decisions, decisions!

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

September 10, 2007
Total Build Time: 497 hours
Things have been moving pretty quick at KR Performance and Restorations now that our FFR Roadster project has been placed on the front burner. In just a few short weeks most of our body modifications we've requested have been implemented and we're just a few short weeks away from spraying color. Since our last diary entry Bob and Aaron have finished all of the body seam work, including grinding, filling, and sanding of the seams. In addition to the seam work we asked the KR team to beef up the taillight mounting pad so the taillights would not extend over the edge of the body. Another trick many builders perform is to "roll" the cockpit edges with filler to give the body a more accurate look (the original aluminum bodies were rolled over the frame edges). Finally, the body received a coating of spray poly filler, which helps reduce block sanding effort and time. KR Performance and Restoration even brought our semi-finished project out to their local Mustang club's show to show off their hard work. We can't wait to get the project back to the same ourselves.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

August 24, 2007
Total Build Time: 446 hours
The guys at KR Performance and Restorations unfortunately had to back-burner our Factory Five project through June and July in order to finish another customer's Mustang. With our blessing the project was put on hold until the Mustang was painted and delivered to the customer. Now that Bob and Aaron have completed that Mustang they're ready to go full tilt on our project and boy have they been making some quick progress in just the few weeks they've been back on the clock.

In our last diary entry the guys at KR had just started mounting our upgraded hidden trunk hinge kit and had scuffed the body in preparation for body work. The body is even further along now with the mold seams fully ground down to remove any stray gelcoat and expose any pinholes. The seams were then filled with 3M High Strength Repair Filler. At this point our trunk hinges have been completed with the bonding of the stud plates to the trunk lid itself and all alignment of the hinges complete. The trunk lid and doors have been fully aligned and trimmed as well.

The centerline of the car was determined by measuring and a string taped in place to show the centerline. This will help align the hood scoop and for when tape is applied for the striping. A little more body work is required, and the hood still needs to be trimmed to fit, and then we just might start seeing some primer here real soon. Hopefully we'll be able to get more frequent updates too now that we're back on the front burner! Stay tuned!

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com

Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

May 23, 2007
Total Build Time: 411 hours
We're happy to be back with our web diary updates on our FFR Roadster project. Between transport time from (FL to IN and then IN to NE) and then plugging our project into the body shop's schedule, things are just getting under way at KR Performance and Restorations. Bob and Aaron not only have the fun task of prepping and painting our project for us, but Bob promised to send us photos and updates for our web diary. So far Bob and Aaron have washed the body with Scotch Brite pads and Comet cleanser, ground down the body seams, and have started working on our hidden trunk hinges.

Once the project arrived in Nebraska Bob and Aaron covered the engine and dash with plastic and proceeded to clean the fiberglass body of any release agents and grease by using a combination of wet Scotch Brite pads and a healthy layer of Comet cleanser, as described in the FFR build manual. Once the body was rinsed and dried you could see the gloss of the body had been scrubbed down.

Next Aaron and Bob grabbed the pneumatic sander and ground down the main body seams and inspected them for any bare gel coat areas that need to be ground out and built back up. We'll certainly be seeing more photos of the body with filler on it in the coming weeks.

Finally, Aaron and Bob removed the side pipes and removed the body mounting bolts in order to lift the rear of the body slightly to begin the assembly and fitting of our replacement trunk hinges. The stock external hinges that come with the kit work fine, but we like the smoother look of inside, or "hidden" hinges, thus we picked up a set from Breeze Automotive (www.breezeautomotive.com) made just for the FFR body.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

April 1, 2007
Total Build Time: 404 hours
Well, this is it. I bled the brakes again with my power bleeder, set the fan temp controller, and made another two laps around the block. I think the engine needs to be "burped" some more, as the engine temps have fluctuated a bit while driving, but then again it could be the location of the sending unit because the engine hasn't overheated or puked into the overflow once. I'll worry about that more once the Roadster comes back from the paint and body work phase, as I think it is merely a concern of getting the last bit of air out of the system (as it was with my soft brake pedal).

Over the course of this long day (nine hours) I removed the body, finished the installation of the driver's foot box aluminum, test fit and drilled the four wheel well splash shields (but did not rivet them, I'll leave that for the boys at KR Performance & Restorations to do on final body fit), and made cardboard templates of the trunk aluminum so that I can cut direct-fit carpet sections to carpet the trunk with when the Roadster returns. It wasn't until almost dark that I reinstalled the body, dry fit the wiper transmissions to the cowl, and hand formed the wiper cable tubing to the shape of the cowl.

After dinner I went back out to the garage and bolted the body down to the frame, hung the doors and trunk lid, and marked all bolt locations with tape so when KR Performance removes the body for the first time they don't miss a mounting bolt. Reliable Carriers has been called and I'm just waiting for the call back to tell me when the truck is coming, and then it's off to DVS Restorations first (www.dvsrestorations.com) for a once over on all fasteners, check and correct any bump steer, and so forth before it heads to KR Performance & Restorations (www.krperformanceandrestorations.com) from there to begin the paint and body process. Don't worry; our diary won't be stopping just because the car isn't in my garage. I'll be getting weekly updates from DVS and KR Performance and I'll be adding them to our site as I get them.

April 15, 2007
Total Build Time: 409 hours
Well, this is it. Reliable Carriers is on their way to pick our project up to transport it for paint. I've been going over the car for the last couple of hours, making sure I don't forget anything that has to be sent with the car. Would you believe I accidentally threw away the side louvers? I'm going to have to buy new ones now, but otherwise I think I have everything ready to go. I'm sending the door latches, hood latches, and a pair of tail lights (so they can match the body to the light housing), the assembly manual with annotations, the body splash shields, and more. I even went around the body and used painters tape and a Sharpie to call attention to any areas where there is a fastener retaining the body so the guys at DVS Restorations or KR Performance & Restorations wouldn't miss a fastener when removing the body and possibly damage something.

Around 3:30 pm the Reliable Carriers semi inched into our neighborhood. This bad boy is 83-feet long with a 12-foot sleeper on it and it was a tight squeeze through some of the corners, but they got in. After moving a few cars around that they already had loaded the day before they had the Roadster on the top tier and strapped down, ready to leave by about 4:30. It was exciting to see the project head off to paint, but at the same time it was sad to see the big empty spot in my garage too. I've got a couple of months before the car comes back to finish it, so I'll have to find something else to tinker with in the mean time. One idea is to rebuild a small-block with my son for a future car we plan to build together. Like I said in my last entry though, the guys at DVS Restorations and the guys at KR Performance & Restorations will be forwarding notes and photos for weekly updates, so don't go away.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

March 11, 2007
Total Build Time: 388 hours
As mentioned in our last entry the Roadster has finally gotten to the point where we can drive it. With about five laps around the block on its odometer I've maybe put a half-mile on it so far. I really want to put several more miles of road testing on it before buttoning up everything and shipping the project off for paint, so I'm going to start taking it for a lap or two each night after work and make sure the engine gets up to temp, the cooling fan comes on, all lights work, and so forth.

Being out of town last weekend didn't help our lateness in getting the project off to paint either, but I'm just getting into the travel season for the magazine (events, shows, races, etc.) which is why I wanted the project off for paint by now. I was gone this past Friday and Saturday as well, leaving me only Sunday to work on the car. As I also mentioned in my last entry I had a small brake line leak in the rear. My replacement braided brake hose arrived during the week and today I installed the new hose with new pre-flared hard line on the axle housing. I'm happy to say I'm rid of the leak and now I just need to bleed the brakes a few more times to get all of the air out. The remote reservoir system I installed works great too!

With the leak fixed I'm clear to permanently install the trunk floor and finish off the interior aluminum. I installed the Dark Water Customs (www.darkwatercustoms.com) trunk storage boxes for good with rivets and silicone and the lower trunk floor as well before I ran out of daylight. Hopefully next weekend I can finish the remaining aluminum and put a few more laps on the car, then it will be off to paint! I also received our trick column mounted turn signal kit from Russ Thompson's Russ's Garage (www.norcal-cobras.com/store/russ_garage/russ_garage.htm). Russ's kit uses a VW switch like the early Cobra, but he modifies it to work with the Factory Five steering wheel hub (you have to provide your hub to him) and he also converts the bent turn signal arm to a straight arm to keep the steering wheel closer to the dash--all in all a quality piece. I hope to install the turn signal setup next weekend as well.

March 18, 2007
Total Build Time: 391 hours
I thought I had all of our wiring handled, but with the decision to use column mounted turn signals I had to break out my wiring tools once again and wire up the Russ Thompson turn signal kit I mentioned last week. The wiring is really not that bad and Russ provides several wiring diagrams so whether I was using a stock Mustang harness or something aftermarket, I was covered. The switch itself requires three mounting holes to be drilled in the dash bearing support to mount the switch tube. This of course means I had to open the steering column hole in the dash a bit as well. I picked up the dash trim bezel from Mike's Replica Parts (www.replicaparts.com) to finish off the dash.

One last wiring chore I almost forgot was mounting the inertia switch for the Mass-Flo EFI system. During the engine testing and wiring phase I simply had it wedged up in the dash harness, but it needs to be secured to a solid portion of the body for the inertia switch to open upon impact against the car and shut the fuel pump off. I found this little out of the way spot worked nicely without having to extend the wiring and it can be reached from behind the corner of the dash if it needs to be reset.

March 25, 2007
Total Build Time: 395 hours
Knowing the time to transport the Roadster was coming up fast I wanted to finish all of the remaining aluminum this weekend. Unfortunately, with a 14 year old son, you often end up at the mercy of their schedule (when it should be the other way around). So after a trip to Best Buy and then dropping him off at the skate park I didn't even get to start on the Roadster until about 2:30 in the afternoon. Way too late to pull the body off and finish riveting the driver's side foot box aluminum. I did get the remaining panels in the passenger compartment done (rear bulkhead, corners, and trans tunnel top), which I did with the body on I might add.

One thing I noticed when sealing up the panel gaps was the large gap around the roll bar stubs in the trunk. While the smaller gaps can easily be sealed with silicone caulk (note the seat belt tab next to the roll bar stub) the roll bar stub opening in the trunk floor was simply too wide. I had some left over DEI Reflect-A-Cool (www.designengineering.com) from wrapping the foot boxes and I cut a square patch from the leftovers, which I then cut a small circle into with relief cuts around the perimeter. Carefully sliding the patch down over the roll bar stub while slightly rotating it, allowed the patch to slide all the way down and meet up with the trunk floor. Now I have a good seal against the roll bar stub, even before the trunk gets carpeted.

While it's too soon to mount it, I did test out various mounting choices for our H3R Performance HalGuard fire extinguisher. Using H3R's custom billet mounting bracket and quick release mounting base not only will add some bling to the cockpit, but allow for quick removal of our HalGuard unit in the case of emergency. Other locations I am considering include hanging it from under the dash, between the seats, and the top of the transmission tunnel at the rear. Once the interior gets carpeted and seats installed I'll have a better idea of where the unit will fit. I just need to pull the body one more time to wrap up the foot box aluminum and the Roadster can be shipped.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

February 2007 Entries

February 4, 2007
Total Build Time: 361 hours
I'm another weekend closer to heading for paint and still no brakes. Usually the brakes would have been completed long ago but instead of holding up the whole project waiting on one vendor I continued on. Now the Roadster is practically done and ready to be shipped off for paint, yet I still can't test drive it due to no master cylinder/hydroboost setup. Hopefully relief is on the way in the form of a different supplier.

There's not much to do on the car so I only spent a couple of hours in the driveway finishing up the front brake lines and installing a line lock device. I may only go to the drag strip a couple of times, but to do a proper burnout a brake holding device is essential. Plus, I used the line lock as a distribution block to the two front brakes as well. The red plastic plug is the inlet fitting to the line lock and simply needs to be plumbed from the master cylinder once we install it.

I've had the cooling system completed for a little while now, but before I actually fill and bleed the system I wanted to finish off the Mr. Gasket G-Sleeve (www.mrgasket.com) installation to beautify our hoses. Using their carbon fiber look hose covering and these way-cool Shadow hose finishers gives the standard cooling hose a much racier AN fitting look with simple hose clamps. I may end up polishing the Forte's Parts Connection (www.fortesparts.com) degas tank to add some shine and to match the polished March pulleys nearby.

Most of the Roadster's aluminum has been installed and riveted many months ago. I have left the trunk floor loose for some time just to aid in installing the fuel system and most recently the brake lines. Now that both of these tasks are finished I prepped the trunk floor and the transmission tunnel top for final installation. The kit comes with a finishing plate for the shifter opening. Final shifter position is determined by several factors so they cut the shifter hole oversize and you add the finishing plate with a few rivets. The mating edge between the two panels was very slim, so I used some thermal barrier tape instead of silicone to seal the two.

February 11, 2007
Total Build Time: 366 hours
Well it looks like I finally have the hydroboost problem figured out. I've found another vendor who actually has built several hydroboost kits for Factory Five customers, so he's aware of any special mounting and line issues this project would create. I just have to wait a little longer for the unit to arrive. Maybe by this coming weekend, but at least I know an answer is in sight. Meanwhile, I finally wrapped up the cooling system. Last week I was able to cover the main radiator hoses with the Mr. Gasket (www.mrgasket.com) G-Sleeve and their Shadow brand hose finishers. Today I tackled the water pump bypass hose and heater bypass hose as well. Some of the hose ends required minor grinding or cutting of the hose finisher for the hose finisher to seat properly. For instance, the radiator upper hose at the water neck; this required grinding away the lip of the finisher so it would slip over the water neck, and then I had to make a split cut on the rear of the finisher to spread it open enough to fit over the hose. But the looks were worth it. Once the hoses were finished I filled the cooling system with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and Peak Long Life antifreeze/coolant. The Factory Five radiator filled easy with the built in bleeder opened to allow air to escape. Once we can start the engine again I'll finish topping off the cooling system.

I also finished the installation of the air filter assembly. As noted a few weeks ago we swapped to a Ford Racing Performance Parts (www.fordracingparts.com) Cobra oval air filter with a taller element from Mass-Flo EFI (www.massfloefi.com). I gave the FRPP air filter lid a coat of wrinkle finish topped off with a coat of satin black to match the FRPP valve covers that we got from Tony Branda (www.cobranda.com). The finishing touch was a new billet retaining knob we picked up locally from Classic Creations of Central Florida (www.classiccreationsfl.com). Hopefully next week we'll have our hydroboost tackled and we'll be able to put a few test runs around the block on our project. Stay tuned.

February 24-25, 2007
Total Build Time: 383 hours
It starts. It goes--and now it stops too! This has been one of the more exhausting weekends working on the Cobra replica, but it was certainly worth it. Starting right after breakfast Saturday morning I got started by yanking the body off the frame and mocking up our hydroboost unit from Hydratech Braking (www.hydroboost.com). While the Hydratech kit was originally designed for the Fox Mustang as an upgrade, with a few minor changes Hydratech now has a system that will fit the Factory Five replica. The system installed easily enough and the kit is very complete with all hoses, line ends, adapters, and more. I did run into a few small snags, but nothing horrendous. Remember too that parts like power steering pumps and racks can come from different year applications so there's always going to be the chance of minor modifications.

I really wanted a master cylinder with a remote reservoir for easy access and I found one with a little help from Hydratech at Master Power Brakes. That too installed easily. I had a few brake lines to finish making up and then it was time to bleed the brakes and power steering systems. The power steering system worked flawlessly and ended up being leak free. The brake system, however, had a few minor leaks--nothing squirting across the garage mind you, but enough of a drip to easily be noticed. I tried loosening and retightening the fittings, but to no avail (even ruining one), so I've got to pick up some new bulk brake line and make a couple of new lines. However, the slight drip didn't prevent me from taking a short go-cart run around the block. It was 7:30 Sunday night, so it was dark, but it still felt damn good to have our project run up and down the block under its own power. We're now just a week or two away from transporting her off to paint. This has been so much fun!

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

January 2007 Entries

January 13, 14, 15, 2007
Total Build Time: 348 hours
It looks like I finally got a handle on the wiring. Over the course of the three day weekend I wrapped up the nose wiring (horns, headlights, etc.) and installed the SPAL fan controller. The driver's foot box is about ready to be buttoned up but I'll wait until we have the brake master cylinder installed and a few test miles under my belt first. My wife has one of those label machines and it came in handy for a few extra wires I plan to use later, such as the wire shown here for the line-lock I am planning. Once I plumb the brake lines and mount the line-lock the wire will be in place ready to provide power to it.

With the wiring all but finished I started on some of the pre-body work prep. My plan is to have any holes drilled or modified before the paint is applied, this way I'm not drilling a hole for the license plate light into a painted body (been there, done that, and it makes me nervous). So, I test fit the roll bar and made any necessary clearance adjustments to the mounting holes. Same goes for the license plate light, tag bracket, and trunk latch/handle. I also pre-drilled the holes for the fuel filler pipe and LeMans fill cap as well.

While I initially ordered the optional Roadster heater kit, the more I played with the heater's mounting and plumbing, the less I realized I wanted it. I was going for a very clean firewall (nothing mounted to it or holes in it) so I returned the heater kit and ordered heated seat upgrade kits from www.cobraheat.com. These universal seat heating kits are easy to install, only requiring some minor fabric removal and reinstallation with new staples. The elements heat the base and seatback and are just like the OEM offerings found in newer Fords like the Five Hundred, Fusion, etc. Hook up power and ground, mount the on/off switch, and you're done. Thats easy and no bulky heater or heater hoses to deal with. There are just a few odds and ends left and then it's off to paint at KR Restorations in Nebraska (www.krperformanceandrestorations.com).

January 21, 2007
Total Build Time: 353 hours
With the wiring finally out of the way I was able to start working on body fitment this weekend. I'll probably bow out of any serious alignment work like the doors, hood, and trunk, but with the body securely bolted to the chassis I did want to make sure everything else was going to fit properly before the Roadster left for paint. Meaning, anything I would have to bolt to the body after it is painted such as the dash, roll bar, windscreen, lights, etc. would fit right before paint. The last thing I want to do is grind away on painted fiberglass to get something to fit. I have bad memories of drilling the holes in the painted fenders of my '66 Mustang to install the pin lettering and running horse emblems and I don't want to relive that anxiety thank-you-very-much!

Once I had assembled the three-piece windscreen I test fit it to the car, and drilled the appropriate mounting holes. The body opening on the driver's side needed a little clearance work for everything to sit nicely. The dash was a perfect fit, though I'll need to trim a little of the dash vinyl off of the top when I'm ready for our final dash install. You can see the excess vinyl pushing the dash out a bit at the top. Lastly, I grabbed my die grinder with an 80 grit sanding disc and started sanding down the mold seams on the body. The boys at KR Performance & Restorations said it wouldn't be necessary for me to do so, but I wanted to be able to say I did "some" of the body work on the project!

Our driveshaft is currently en route from Forte's Parts and we hope to have it installed this coming weekend. If our planned hydroboost system comes in as well I might even be able to take our Roadster for a test drive around the block. Then it's just a few small odds and ends and it will be time to say goodbye to the project for a while as it heads off for a coat of Ford "T8" Tungsten Gray. Man I can't wait!

January 28, 2007
Total Build Time: 357 hours
I'm batting .500 this week. The brand spanking new shiny driveshaft from Forte's Parts connection (www.fortesparts.com) showed up in time for my typical weekend wrench turning festivities, but still nothing for our hydroboost system. I can't expect the body shop to wait for me forever, so it could come down to installing the hydroboost system after the body is painted, though I dread working over a freshly painted body! The Forte driveshaft I ordered was a perfect fit and comes with a brand new yoke, flange, tube, and 1330 U-joints. What I was surprised to see in the box was four brand new factory Ford mounting bolts. No hunting for salvage yard bolts or getting inferior bolts at the local hardware store--a real nice touch.

I've had the oval air filter installed a few times for photos, but now that the body is on I needed to ensure there was enough clearance for the filter housing along with a high-flow aftermarket filter. Unfortunately the Tony Branda housing, while a more accurate reproduction, wouldn't clear the hood. A call to Ford Racing Performance Parts netted their single wing-nut version with a stamped metal base. The stamped metal base was just the right dimension to get everything to fit under the hood with our 351 Windsor. The air filter itself is from Mass-Flo EFI (www.mass-floefi.com) and I mounted the mass air meter control box directly to the base of the filter and routed the wiring through a grommet to the air meter within.

Even though I have no hydroboost unit to mount yet, I did start on the brake lines. I figured I could bend up and route the brake line from the rear flex hose, routing it forward, until I got close to the hydroboost mounting area and then leave the rest of the line for when the hydroboost would physically be in place. The same went for the two front steel lines. They were custom bent using a coat hanger as a template and then routed towards the driver's foot box area. Hopefully we'll have the hydroboost unit soon so everything can be finished on the brakes; a few test miles put on the whole project, and then get it up to the paint shop. Stay tuned.

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

Each week we'll update our Web visitors on our progress right here with photos, video, and diary entries. Check back weekly as we share our progress, tips, anecdotes, and more while we assemble our Factory Five Racing roadster right before your eyes. And don't forget to get the full story in an upcoming issue of Mustang & Fords.

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006
Total Build Time: 292 hours
Moving into December we're about three or four weeks behind schedule right now. Unfortunately I don't think we're going to have the Roadster finished for the Silver Springs Mustang & Ford Roundup in January. I might take the "go-kart" up there for display, but not sure yet. I've got another solid two or three days of wiring to do, then I can drop the body on and start test fitting the body components such as the windscreen, lights, wipers, etc. I want to have all holes drilled, cut, etc. before the body goes to paint. Today, after much debate I figured out a way to mount all of the Mass-Flo EFI (www.mass-floefi.com) electronics without drilling a single hole in the firewall, yet still have relatively easy access to the ECM, relays, and fuses if any problems creep up down the road.

In a nutshell I mounted the rear of the ECM bracket to the dash hoop support and then fabricated a small aluminum bracket to secure the ECM bracket to the main dash 2x2 brace at the bottom. Finally, I mounted the relays to the ECM bracket at the top with two 1/4-20 stainless bolts, and the fuse block to the side of the dash hoop support with 1-inch long stainless tapping screws. The fuse box for the American Autowire harness was mounted to the kit's aluminum fuse panel bracket with a little modification, and then mounted under the dash by the clutch pedal. I might go back and add a piano hinge to this panel for easy servicing of fuses later.

Saturday, December 9th, 2006
Total Build Time: 297 hours
With holiday parties, trade shows, and family all vying for my time it's amazing I can get out to the garage at all this time of year to work on the Roadster. As many of you that read my diary entries know I usually set aside Sunday afternoons to work on the project. I couldn't do that this week however since my Mustang club's Christmas party was at 3pm Sunday, so instead I tried to get a few hours of work under my belt Saturday.

While the rear body wiring is complete, I still needed to attach the MSD (www.msdignition.com) Weathertight connectors onto the taillight assemblies themselves. The lights have three wires, one for brake/turn, one for running light, and one for ground. I've read that the brake/turn wire and the running light wire are sometimes wired with the wrong color wire. I simply tested each light assembly with a battery and whatever wire was for brake/turn I put a small knot in it until I could add the Weathertight connector.

I also wasn't too keen on the ground terminal, which is simply crimped to the housing. With just a little force I could pull the wire right out. An easy solution is to simply add some solder to the connection to make it nice and tight. I did this for all four rear lights and the parking light assemblies in the front.

Finally, the small brass screw retainers for the rear light lenses prevent the housing from sitting flush on the body (in my testing) so again, another easy fix is to simply trim the rubber gasket to allow the lights to sit flush. Even though I'm not anywhere near ready to install the lights, when I am ready the lights will be too.

Sunday, December 17th, 2006
Total Build Time: 303 hours
This weekend I was able to get a few more hours in on our Roadster's wiring. I've been working on the wiring for some time now, mostly because there's so much of it to do and I've not been able to put my typical 6-8 hour days in on the project. I am nearing the finish line on the wiring though, with just some dash area wiring and the nose wiring (headlights, horn, fans, etc.) left to do before I start on body placement and other parts of the project.

I showed you where I installed the headlight switch a few weeks ago and now that the fuse box is in place I've been terminating all of the fuse box wiring connections. The first thing I did was assemble the headlight connector and install it on the headlight switch that was already mounted. I also wired the brake light switch and clutch interlock switch as well. There are a few wires that I'm not using from the wiring harness, either because they are circuits we're not using (like radio and heater) or because the same circuits are covered through the EFI harness or some other wiring. For these I simply cut the wiring clean and then added some adhesive lined shrink wrap from RJM Injection Technologies (www.fordfuelinjection.com). While the shrink wrap was still warm a quick squeeze of the open end with a pair of pliers seals the extra wiring and prevents shorts.

Another cool item I picked up from RJM is their oval wiring harness grommet for the firewall where the EFI wiring passes through. Since we're not using any donor wiring (the stock harness comes with a molded grommet to use in this location) our Mass-Flo EFI harness was not sealing at all in this spot until we added the RJM grommet, which fits perfectly. Hopefully with a few days off after Christmas I can finish all of the Roadster's wiring and move on to fitting the body and other subsections.

Saturday, December 23rd-Sunday, December 31st, 2006
Total Build Time: 331 hours
Having a few days off between paid holidays meant I could potentially have up to 10 days straight of working on our FFR Roadster to ready it for paint. It was a nice thought, but between last minute holiday shopping, family time, and a couple of days of rain that just wouldn't leave the area, I only got in about four or five solid days of work. This was still enough time to wrap up the wiring (all but the electronic fan controller that is en route as I write this), test fit the body, and assemble our roll bar and windscreen for their own body fit testing. I should just need another weekend or two and she'll be ready to head off for painting.

I finished up our dash by adding a rotary windshield wiper switch and a stainless steel LED lighted momentary button to be used as our horn button on the dash. The blue LED lighting matches the blue LED illumination of our Auto Meter Cobalt gauges. I had one unused warning lamp on the dash (a red bulb that comes with the kit) that is supposed to be used as a charging system warning, but instead I wired it to the original brake light warning switch on our parking brake to remind the driver that the parking brake is still set (since the parking brake handle is out of the driver's vision on the side of the transmission tunnel).

With the wiring complete (minus the aforementioned electric fan controller) the headlights, parking lights, and tail lights were plugged in and all circuits were checked for proper operation. While I plan to use a column mounted turn signal unit, I do not have possession of it yet, so I simply used jumper wires to test turn signals, headlight high beam switching, and the hazard circuits. All checked out 100 percent with zero problems.

I thought the aluminum foot box panels, though covered with sound absorbing G-Muff from Mr. Gasket on the inside, would need a little more heat protection on the outside. To that effect I used an adhesive backed thermal barrier product called Reflect-A-Cool from DEI (www.designengineering.com). The Reflect-A-Cool is simply cut to the size/shape needed and applied by hand (a roller can be used to make the product smoother). I think the Reflect-A-Cool will help with the close proximity of the headers, though time will tell once we get the body on and drive it.

Speaking of getting the body on I had my neighbor's help me install the body for test fitting of the aluminum panels, roll bar, and windscreen as well. This is the first time the body has been back on the frame since last February when I first took delivery of the project. After some measurements were taken the body came back off for roll bar fitment and drilling (the trick is to center punch the chrome tube and then drill a pilot hole all the way through, upsizing the drill bit a little until you get to the 5/16-inch size required). Now the Roadster sits waiting a dry weekend for some final panel fitment and the installation of our fan controller and then it will be off for paint and body work. I think the end is in sight!

Factory Five Racing
For more information about the 65 MK3 Roadster from Factory Five Racing, contact them at www.factoryfive.com
Factory Five is even following along with our build. Check out their story!

Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum
If you're thinking about a FFR roadster, you might want to look at the great forum hosted by Bill Pierce at ffcobra.com. This site has many answers to building these cars, events, insurance, registration, and more!

November Entries

Sunday, November 5th, 2006
Total Build Time: 247 hours
After spending a week away from home attending the SEMA show in Las Vegas it was nice to be back to the simple life. No slot machines, no exotic cars I can't afford, and miles of walking that made me want to cut my feet off they hurt so bad. No, instead I spent a relaxing Saturday inside doing absolutely nothing but catching up with the family, watching a little television (isn't Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel a killer TV show?), and even sneaking in an afternoon nap on the couch Dagwood style. Life is good again.

Come Sunday though the itch was too strong to hide, I wanted, no, NEEDED, to go out in the garage and work on the Roadster. Just like any car building project more than half the fun is the build up/repairs/restoration of the project. Getting in there and making a pile of parts into something whole, or making something once old new again. Luckily our Florida climate allows continued work through the "winter" months we have here so there will be no stoppage of work.

Still continuing on the wiring section of