Update on the car:
When I installed the engine, it was possible to move it forward and back a bit in the slotted chassis mounts to get the side pipes centered in the body opening. Had it looking good but after driving it a bit, the engine found its own sweet spot and the driver's side was a bit closer to the back of the body cut-out and ever so slightly singed the paint (you can see in the first photo where it singed the paint on the upper portion of the trailing edge of the opening). After consulting with ERA, the recommended procedure is to enlarge the opening. I enlarged it about 1/4 inch and managed to make a nice straight, clean edge with no damage to the paint. I then touched up the inside edge with primer and paint and it came out perfectly. The first photo shows the opening taped off where I wanted to enlarge it, the second shows it cut out up to the tape and the third shows the result.
The next milestone was the inspection, which was uneventful. The car passed and the paperwork has been submitted to the State so I'm now waiting to receive the VIN plate and tag.
I'm currently dealing with a couple of setbacks. One is an
oil leak at the back of the intake manifold. This was discussed in another thread but essentially, I'm trying to stop the leak with ultra-gray RTV. Tried "Right Stuff" but that didn't stop the leak. I'll report more on this once I have time to work on it.
The second setback is a bad bearing in the rearend assembly where the half-shaft connects to the differential. There is supposed to be a bit of play at the hub, but the inner end of the shaft shouldn't have any play at all. In the short video below, you can see the problem. It is easiest to see by watching the play in the brake rotor.
Rear loose - YouTube
So, I've removed the gas tank and rear assembly and then removed the half-shaft, lower coil-over mounts and brake caliper to get to the inner bearing assembly. Either the bearing was defective or the nut that secures it was not torqued properly by the vendor that assembled it for ERA. The nut is still secured with the retaining ring, so it hasn't moved. Regardless, I've shipped this back to ERA and they will rebuild it for me.
Below is a photo of the offending bearing.
Although I'm not happy about this since I bought the car with the rear assembled and installed, there is a bright side. I've learned a lot about this part of the car so when it's all done I'll be pleased to have gained the knowledge and experience. And, as they always do, ERA is doing everything possible to help me through this so I appreciate that.
Kevin