So, again going with my obsessive compulsive all or nothing style, I decide the body is coming off, it's getting painted. I send out the body on April 5th, 2008, with the promise that I will have it back in 12 weeks.
How did that go? I expect delivery tomorrow - February 12, 2009. Just a WEE bit more than 12 weeks, huh?
However, I saw the finished body today, they did an
awesome job!
I'll get into more of that later, however.
At this point in the story I have bare frame rails at home and little else. I strip the frame rails down, and there is not a single bolt left on the chassis. Every single bolt on this car will be brand new when I am done, either Grade 8 if it is structural, or stainless if it is not (things like body to frame, door hinges, etc.) I start from the ground up. The Contemporary frame is a beauty. I can't imagine what the level of this car would be today had they stayed in business and developed the product over the years as ERA has. I imagine you'd be looking at a round tube ERA. Anyway, it's still a REALLY nice car. My car has the torsion bar Jag front end in it, and the Jag rear IRS. The problem with this restoration is that I don't want the car to be just as it was. My car was built December 28, 1983, and carries body # 112. That means that it is one of the earliest Contemporary's built, and if I have my numbering down, is the 12th body they built. We're talking a REALLY early car here. Anyway, my vision is to make this car what I think it would have been if Contemporary had stayed in business, essentially I want to bring this car as close as I can to a round tube ERA. That's essentially the build philosophy this time around. The problem is, the car is an orphan.
I don't have the luxury of calling the factory for parts and support. I use the usual supply places like Cobra Restorers, Enzo over at Finishline, etc. The Kirkham's have been wonderful in supplying me with some parts, I couldn't ask for better. ERA, unfortunately, wants nothing to do with selling me parts. Oh well, when it comes time for a new car, you can expect to see me cash in hand in Utah - the Kirkham brothers are a class act. Meanwhile the Contemporary factory is still doing it's best Sinatra impersonation......dead. Therefore, enter the Contemporary Owners Group, founded and run by the erstwhile Jeff Gagnon ("1985 CCX" here on CC....I hope I got that CC name right, Jeff) We're a small band of CCX lunatics dedicated to the marque. Why? Hell if I know.....where else do you go if you want a round tube glass bodied car? Roger Bolick makes a beautiful carbon fiber bodied car, but he's in limited production, and his car would be well over my budget at this point, although I sure have my hopes up to purchase either one of his beautiful cars or a Kirkham in the future. Shelby glass cars, at the time, were years behind in delivery.
Anyway, the CCX owners group is a support group founded out of necessity, as we have no factory support. The guys have been a phenomenal support for me as I poke my way through this. This is my first full blown car project since I was 18 (I'm 50 now), and aside from Nick's visit I have done absolutely everything on my own - alone. The only other help I had was from two nephews who helped me lift the body off the frame. It has definitely moved along at a snails pace, but I am enjoying it.
I made a blasting booth out of plywood, and used an old Sears plastic hopper sandblaster setup that I have had for years to drive it. It's ugly but works like a charm. I have bead blasted and repainted everything on this car that will be reused. All suspension pieces have been blasted and powder coated, new Grade 8 hardware installed, polyurethane bushings installed, ball joints, bearings, you name it. It's all been replaced, painted, powder coated, new bushings, bearings, etc....When it's done this will truly be a brand new car.