Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
Following Jon Payne's question in another sub-forum about install do's or don'ts it occurred to me that the list of "decisions you need to make when buying or completing an SPF install" below might be useful to others so I've consolidated, expanded and generalized it a bit and reproduced it below in line as well as a better-formatted attached PDF above.
Anyone have additions/corrections I'll be happy to maintain and republish it.
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1. Mk I or Mk II? Only MK II can accept a big-block FE engine.
2. LH driver or RH drive. Only RHD comes with a rod-operated shifter which is on the right. Center shift is by cable.
3. What engine "family": Small Block (289, 302, etc. family), Windsor (351, etc family), FE (427, etc. family). Each of these determines an SPF roller configuration. For example, each uses a different set of headers and accessories bracketry.
4. Other options related to the roller as supplied by SPF. Too numerous to go into here. Talk to your dealer.
5. Fuel-injected or carbureted. This decision affects the fuel system decisions below.
6. What transaxle: RBT ZF, older ZF (e.g. from a Pantera), Quaife, etc.
7. Fuel pump(s), filters, regulators, routing, etc. Fuel-injected (high pressure) vs. carbureted. Bypass regulated with return line, or dead-head. Swirl-pot or not. One pumping path or two in parallel or …. Pre-filter? Post-filter?
8. What oil pan? Affects ground clearance and reliability under hard cornering, etc. Dry Sump? Accusump?
9. Choose clutch friction plate, cover plate, throw out bearing, clutch slave cylinder and bell housing. There's a debate between concentric and external slave cylinders that's worth thinking through.
10. Dennis Olthoff of Olthoff Racing has a long list of options and improvements including an improved shift cable mounting. You should probably contact him and run down the list to see which you might want. Here is what I have from early 2010 (my comments in square brackets)
12. Make sure your speedometer cable isn't jammed against the dash framework behind the speedometer before you run the car; it often is and if so will break almost immediately. Cable is probably not long enough for a Quaife box anyway. Possibly consider replacing all that with a GPS speedometer or a GPS to pulse converter with electronics speedometer.
13. Figure out which, if any, electrical fixes you need to do. Recently-purchased cars probably at worst need the blower relay add-on kit. You might need the ammeter fix. Not critical but if you need it ammeter will be useless until you fix it.
14. You need an alternator or it might come with engine though. People here argue about how big it needs to be.
15. You need an ignition box (most use MSD 6AL series I think). A good place to mount it is behind the bottom of the driver's seat (on the engine side of the firewall.) which is semi enclosed.
16. You need to decide whether to hook up the oil cooler and if so where to mount the oil filter. Also, do you want an oil thermostat to prevent over-cooling. In the case of an FE, if you don't use the oil cooler you can just put the filter in the stock adapter on the side of the block. I don't know about Windsors or SBF though. IAE if you use the cooler you get to set up and route oil lines.
17. You need a starter (again, maybe comes with engine).
18. For some reason the car comes with an MSD Blaster 2 coil mounted to the RHS of the firewall. I don't know why they decided to supply that one bit.
19. You need a battery that fits in the box on the RHS.
20. Roller comes with Sanden A/C compressor but you'll need to charge it with oil and R134A.
21. In California at least, you need a backup light (or two if your lighting inspector is being cranky or stupid). MGB and recent Mini-cooper are good options. There is no wiring in the car for this.
22. Do you want a fire system?
23. Noise and thermal insulation? A lot of heat and sound comes through the firewall, tunnel, etc.
24. Do you want some kind of master electrical cutoff switch(es)?
25. Do you want an inertial cutoff switch to shut off fuel pump and/or other things?
26. If fuel injected you need O2 sensor(s) somewhere in the exhaust system.
27. IF not done already, do you want exhaust system coated?
28. What side mirrors?
29. Do you want to see the whole engine through the rear window, or just the carburetion sticking up through an aluminum sheet? Or…?
Anyone have additions/corrections I'll be happy to maintain and republish it.
-----------------------
1. Mk I or Mk II? Only MK II can accept a big-block FE engine.
2. LH driver or RH drive. Only RHD comes with a rod-operated shifter which is on the right. Center shift is by cable.
3. What engine "family": Small Block (289, 302, etc. family), Windsor (351, etc family), FE (427, etc. family). Each of these determines an SPF roller configuration. For example, each uses a different set of headers and accessories bracketry.
4. Other options related to the roller as supplied by SPF. Too numerous to go into here. Talk to your dealer.
5. Fuel-injected or carbureted. This decision affects the fuel system decisions below.
6. What transaxle: RBT ZF, older ZF (e.g. from a Pantera), Quaife, etc.
7. Fuel pump(s), filters, regulators, routing, etc. Fuel-injected (high pressure) vs. carbureted. Bypass regulated with return line, or dead-head. Swirl-pot or not. One pumping path or two in parallel or …. Pre-filter? Post-filter?
8. What oil pan? Affects ground clearance and reliability under hard cornering, etc. Dry Sump? Accusump?
9. Choose clutch friction plate, cover plate, throw out bearing, clutch slave cylinder and bell housing. There's a debate between concentric and external slave cylinders that's worth thinking through.
10. Dennis Olthoff of Olthoff Racing has a long list of options and improvements including an improved shift cable mounting. You should probably contact him and run down the list to see which you might want. Here is what I have from early 2010 (my comments in square brackets)
a. Acrylic rear window (¾" upgrade)
b. Brake duct kit (incl. flex tube)
c. Canards [fins on front corners for downforce]
d. Car cover (not SPF)
e. Cooling fan upgrade (fans & shroud) Old cars only
f. Custom floor mats
g. Dash labels (set)
h. Door latches (set) [replaces cable pulls]
i. Electronic speedometer & sensor [replaces cable-driven speedometer]
j. Gas strut kit [helps lift and hold open rear clip]
k. Hood strut - MKII [holds open front hood]
l. Innern [wheel] liners (incl. adhesive spray)
m. Nose storage box - MKI & MKII
n. Quick lift jack
o. Rear lexan engine cover - MKII
p. Rear storage box (with lid) - MKII
q. Shift linkage upgrade - ZF
r. Shift linkage upgrade - ZFQ
s. Speedo adaptor [corrects speedometer for certain gearboxes]
t. Wheel bearing socket (tool)
u. Wheel center caps (set of 4)
v. Window hinge kit [allows toll-booth windows to fully open]
11. Rick Muck of Time Machines Motorsports has a neat sealing kit to keep you dry in wet weather, and a nice glass rear window. He’s working on a roof vent improvement to keep water out. b. Brake duct kit (incl. flex tube)
c. Canards [fins on front corners for downforce]
d. Car cover (not SPF)
e. Cooling fan upgrade (fans & shroud) Old cars only
f. Custom floor mats
g. Dash labels (set)
h. Door latches (set) [replaces cable pulls]
i. Electronic speedometer & sensor [replaces cable-driven speedometer]
j. Gas strut kit [helps lift and hold open rear clip]
k. Hood strut - MKII [holds open front hood]
l. Innern [wheel] liners (incl. adhesive spray)
m. Nose storage box - MKI & MKII
n. Quick lift jack
o. Rear lexan engine cover - MKII
p. Rear storage box (with lid) - MKII
q. Shift linkage upgrade - ZF
r. Shift linkage upgrade - ZFQ
s. Speedo adaptor [corrects speedometer for certain gearboxes]
t. Wheel bearing socket (tool)
u. Wheel center caps (set of 4)
v. Window hinge kit [allows toll-booth windows to fully open]
12. Make sure your speedometer cable isn't jammed against the dash framework behind the speedometer before you run the car; it often is and if so will break almost immediately. Cable is probably not long enough for a Quaife box anyway. Possibly consider replacing all that with a GPS speedometer or a GPS to pulse converter with electronics speedometer.
13. Figure out which, if any, electrical fixes you need to do. Recently-purchased cars probably at worst need the blower relay add-on kit. You might need the ammeter fix. Not critical but if you need it ammeter will be useless until you fix it.
14. You need an alternator or it might come with engine though. People here argue about how big it needs to be.
15. You need an ignition box (most use MSD 6AL series I think). A good place to mount it is behind the bottom of the driver's seat (on the engine side of the firewall.) which is semi enclosed.
16. You need to decide whether to hook up the oil cooler and if so where to mount the oil filter. Also, do you want an oil thermostat to prevent over-cooling. In the case of an FE, if you don't use the oil cooler you can just put the filter in the stock adapter on the side of the block. I don't know about Windsors or SBF though. IAE if you use the cooler you get to set up and route oil lines.
17. You need a starter (again, maybe comes with engine).
18. For some reason the car comes with an MSD Blaster 2 coil mounted to the RHS of the firewall. I don't know why they decided to supply that one bit.
19. You need a battery that fits in the box on the RHS.
20. Roller comes with Sanden A/C compressor but you'll need to charge it with oil and R134A.
21. In California at least, you need a backup light (or two if your lighting inspector is being cranky or stupid). MGB and recent Mini-cooper are good options. There is no wiring in the car for this.
22. Do you want a fire system?
23. Noise and thermal insulation? A lot of heat and sound comes through the firewall, tunnel, etc.
24. Do you want some kind of master electrical cutoff switch(es)?
25. Do you want an inertial cutoff switch to shut off fuel pump and/or other things?
26. If fuel injected you need O2 sensor(s) somewhere in the exhaust system.
27. IF not done already, do you want exhaust system coated?
28. What side mirrors?
29. Do you want to see the whole engine through the rear window, or just the carburetion sticking up through an aluminum sheet? Or…?
