Category: Logistics

The Car is in the House!

Posted on February 15, 2023by Zach Wiest

Today I had my good buddy Gregg and his son help me carry the 300# frame to the location where I will start the build.

From the start, I knew I wanted my family to be a part of this build. To promote that, I wanted to build in an accessible and comfortable location. Fortunately, I have a great basement with an on-grade exit through french doors. For me and my family, it is the perfect spot to assemble. There is an adjacent theater, climate control, access to a computer, and bathroom. Plus, my garage has too many kids toys and bikes.

I only plan to build it up into a roller here in the basement. When it is time to drop the powertrain in, I’ll push it out the french doors (a tight but manageable feat) and tow it around the house to the garage.

Separating the Body and Frame

Posted on February 14, 2023by Zach Wiest

After inventory, the first step in the build is to separate the body and frame. I did my best to document the arrangement of all the body hardware as I removed it. My neighbor and I were able to easily lift the body off the frame and place it on a body buck that I built in the morning.

Quinn and Emmy with the Body

With the body free, I hoisted it to the roof of my garage. I didn’t set up any mechanical advantage in the pulley system but was able to easily raise it, one corner at a time, by myself.

With the body on the ceiling, I started removing and inventorying the aluminum panels. I made sure to label their orientation, fitment, and part numbers using a sharpie. When they were all clear of the frame, I wrapped them in packing paper and stored them away.

The Kit Arrives

Posted on January 21, 2023by Zach Wiest

Ten months and 4 days after placing my order with Factory Five Racing, my MK4 Roadster kit has finally arrived. What a pleasure it was seeing Stewart Transport’s Factory Five branded truck roll into the cul-de-sac!

Stewart Transport’s driver Mark was awesome and efficient. He helped me make quick work of moving all the boxes and the car into the garage. I’m glad I had a frame dolly ready. We were able to use the truck’s crane to lower it right onto my dolly.

I’m itching to get started on the inventory, but my wonderful wife is having surgery tomorrow. She’ll be out of commission for quite some time. Although I did take two weeks off work to focus on the kids and her recovery, I don’t think I’ll have time to get started until February.