Between Purchase and Delivery

I purchased the kit ten days ago, and it is due to arrive in eight weeks. In terms of physical preparation, the build site is ready (and has been for the past several months). One of the first planning steps I performed was to analyze the build manual. I derived 142 major tasks as result of this analysis. Those tasks relate to the basic car, no frills build that incorporates a donor parts kit. Since I decided to go with a new engine, a donor parts kit was a cost effective solution for my approach to the build.

Besides the donor parts kit, I have purchased a radiator, numerous electronic gizmos, wheels, a big brake kit, Porsche 930 CV joints and probably some other stuff tucked away with the Corvette donor parts. I have the donor parts list, I have a generalized parts list for the basic kit, then there are the additional parts I've purchased and the options added to the kit. In my master spreadsheet I have 3 worksheets dedicated to parts lists. The Factory Five kit comes with a inventory sheet and each of the boxes are labeled. I still need to do a physical inventory as one of the first tasks.

The other thing I did was review the initial major task list and add to it the additional tasks created by options I have added to the build. Currently, the number of major tasks is somewhere between 185 and 190. I've created a list of the major tasks. My intention is to link a blog post to each task that shows what I accomplished, what additional costs are involved and how long it took. Hopefully, I will also develop considerations for different tasks as I go forward. The intent is to create a comprehensive build log for the GTM. I also hope it is broad enough to a generalized build log for other component car builders.

The first tasks I need to perform are intermediate tasks between dismantling the donor and starting the build.

1. Remove and store the body shell.
2. Perform a physical inventory.
3. Remove the sheet metal parts that are delivered attached to the chassis.
4. Powder coat all exterior exposed parts.

I really hope this doesn't take too long. I really want to start turning bolts and getting the build to the point where it is off jack stands sitting on four tires.

LaneFX - Blind Spot Assist System

Recently, I was driving behind a brand new Porsche 911 and each time we came to a traffic stop, my radar detector went crazy. I figured out that this Porsche had some kind of driver assist system. Many new high end cars are offering driver assist or blind spot assist systems. So what about the aftermarket (and more importantly in my case) the component car builder.

This is the wiring diagram for the LaneFX control module. It is on page  9 of the  current installation manual. LaneFX is wired into the power mirror controls and gets power from there.

My build plan includes the following driver assist systems:

• Forward Camera
• Rear Camera
• Front Parking Sensors
• Rear Parking Sensors

My concern regarding the GTM are blind spots. I think I have planned for the forward and rear parking situations with both audible and visual systems. However, blind spots emerge when driving at speed. This isn't a problem when I drive the Boxster or Corvette and top is down. I basically have a 360 degree point of view. This changes dramatically when the top is up. The GTM is a coupe with a fairly small rear window.

LaneFX is an aftermarket system that connects to your power mirrors. Basically, LaneFX rotates the side view mirrors to check the blind spot, then they rotate back automatically. This is activated either by a control button or the turn signal. The website shows ten different ways LaneFX can be used. The get consist of the following:

• Control module
• Left and right wiring harnesses
• Mirror in Motion LEDs
• Activation buttons

I talked to IsisPower and asked if they had done anything with LaneFX. Jay indicated that they hadn't work with it yet, but it should be fairly straight forward. I also learned most people have opted to keep the window controls as is from the C5 donor car. That makes it easy. All I have to do is make sure I have circuits assigned to the mirrors.

The Build Phase (or my inner Frankenstein)

Once I made the decision to evaluate the GTM, I ordered a digital copy of the manual. It is a 700 page behemoth. I needed to determine whether or not there was anything I couldn't do. 

"A Man's got to know his limitations," Dirty Harry - Magnum Force 1973. 

There are things that still seem a bit hazy, but after tinkering on the Corvette and the Boxster these past couple of years, I think I can figure them out. Plus, I'm not going to build the engine or transmission, I am going to drop them into the GTM as finished modules and hook them up (easier said than done). After I digested the build manual, I broke it down to 144 major tasks. I can ignore the first 200 pages (as they deal with dissecting the donor). I purchased a donor parts get from Fparts.

Donor parts kit as it arrived on a single pallet (July 2011). My understanding and patient wife assigned me a corner  in the basement where I could store everything.

My initial analysis of 144 tasks does not take into account variances to the build that have been added since I started the planning phase. These include, but are not limited to:

• ISIS Power management replaces standard wiring.
• Paddle shift replaces stick shift.
• Ram Lift augmentation to Koni shocks.
• Additional sensors for parking, lane assist, tire pressure management.
• Digital gauges replace kit gauges.
• Kooks exhaust system replaces kit exhaust.
• The addition of roof scoop, splitter and rocker panels to standard body.
• Multifilament LED replacement for most lighting.
• Additional seat heaters.
• Carbon fiber wrap enhancement to various parts of the car.
• Sound deadening and heat shield enhancement to the build.
• Sway bar addition to standard suspension.

To facilitate these tasks in the build log, I am creating new index page for the build phase. Each major task will have a separate blog entry. Photos will be cataloged to the albums on the Super Car Build Facebook page.

Budget Review - End of Planning Phase

Yesterday, I placed the order for the GTM. It should show up some time in mid June. This essentially ends the planning phase of the build. The kit purchase is the single largest line item of the entire build. So I think it is a good time to review the budget. My initial estimate was $68,200. When I refined this number, I came up with  $72,200. I set the budget at $70,000. My projected cost is currently 20% higher than that. So where did I go wrong, and importantly, why did I go wrong.

I think it is still possible to build the GTM for something between $55,000 and $60,000. This means you are making no upgrades, and use everything from a donor, including the engine and a recondition Porsche G50 transmission. There is nothing wrong this approach, but I wanted something better. If I'm going to pour three years into this project, then I want a car at the end of this project that is unique and tailored to my specifications.

The following chart shows expenditures to date, based on my original estimate ($70,000), adjustments to specific line items, actual costs and variance to the adjusted line estimates. I have actually done very well to date. I am well within my estimates. I think these categories are easier to price.

Item	Estimate	Adjusted estimate	Actual	Variance
brakes	2000	2000	1945	55
donor	11000	11000	4649.02	6350.98
wheels	3200	3200	1380.99	1819.01
Kit	25000	22967	22692	275
Totals	41200	39167	30667.01	8499.99
Pct of original Estimate	58.86	55.95	43.81
Pct of Revised Estimate	50.24	47.76	37.4

I saved money by going with a donor parts kit, and I haven't purchased the Nitto Invo tires.

Technology and add ons have increased the cost. Yes, mission creep has struck!

These are the categories where I blew the budget estimate:

Item	Estimate	Adjusted estimate
ISIS	0	3108
harness	1500	0
Paint	3000	9000
options & add ons	4000	7714

When I started this project, I didn't even know that ISIS power existed. Sometime last fall I came to realize ISIS was the only sensible power system for the GTM. It provides a programmable and scalable power management system.

The engine harness fits nicely with the engine budget. I think I'm within 10% of both the original transmission and engine estimates. The current engine  slated to drop into the GTM is a LS376/525 with electronic fuel injection. I think it will be relatively simple to get this to just under 600 HP with the optional cold air intake (part of the kit order) and the Kooks custom exhaust (part of the options).

I had no idea how much the paint job would cost and I plugged a number in. I was way off. 

The real mission creep is in the options and add ons section. 

• There are a bunch of body work pieces that I will order from Vraptor Speed Works.
• The paddle shift system to replace the conventional shifter in the center console. This is to make room for additional electronics and ISIS hardware.
• The Ram Lift system to protect the GTM body from unsightly scrapes and damage.
• One thing not reflected at the moment is the APR Racing Wing and mounting hardware. This is an enhancement that is not required to complete the car and can be added at a later date. So I have not reflected this in any of the budget figures.

My conclusions for the over budget issue. The GTM is a work in progress and the build is stretched over 3 years. Technology and ways to do things better will present themselves through out the build. If this were a 3 month project and I had all the money up front, then line items would be cast in stone. Due to the length of the build and the nature of the car, it is foolish to ignore technological innovations that will enhance the finished product. Obviously, I should have included a bigger number for the options and add ons.

Ram Lift - Front end Clearance

Clearance is something that I have been puzzling over for almost a year. One of the first things I learned after I got my C5 for my 52nd birthday (I have a fabulous wife) is that the front frame scraped on the driveway. This was solved when I installed Elite Engineering's Frame Guards. These are basically a couple of training wheels drilled into the lowest point of the frame. They really work!

I want to make the GTM as stable as possible, but I don't want the stability to come at the price of ripping up the front end of the body. I am already adding the standard sway bars from my c5 to stiffen the suspension (I replaced the C5 sway bar set with a C6 Z51 set.), and I am thinking more and more seriously about the racing wing. However, I still need to address clearance issues for the GTM.

Next, I discovered that after I replaced the Boxster's front end with Fiberwerk's Dayton II kit, I faced similar problems. I am really careful about going up and down my driveway.

Now we come to the GTM and front end clearance. Both the Northern and Southern Man caves have these nasty driveway lips that are just waiting to nail my GTM (kind of like the tree that keeps gobbling Charlie Brown's kite). I approached Elite Engineering, but I'm not sure they want to leap into the GTM aftermarket. Then I found a series of posts on the Factory Five forums. There are two of them: ffcars.com and TheFactoryFiveForum.com. For any potential builders, use the forums. They are a gold mine of knowledge and experience.

The solution is to install a ram lift under the Koni shocks. A company called RamLiftPro manufactures these units. As you can see from the above videos, they really work. Since I am going with the carbon fiber splitter, I am going to install ram lift the system that raises the front end up to 5 inches. The kit includes the following:

• 12v. Pump
• 2 - Rams
• 10' Aeroquip TFE hydraulic hose
• 4 - 4AN Aeroquip hose ends
• Hydraulic fluid reservoir & hose
• 10' - 12 gage wire (red)
• 10' - 12 gage wire (black)
• 1 - Momentary (on) off (on) switch
• Wire connectors

More changes required to the ISIS wiring diagrams, but I gain peace of mind that I have a solution for all those nasty curbs and lousy parking lots. The budget also takes another hit. Oh well, I did save money on the donor parts!