After 13 years, it's alive.

[767Jockey]

After 13 long years, the never say die car is alive finally. I am going to try to attach a video here, I'm not sure if that's possible. There's still lot's to do ahead, but it runs and drives. I have actually driven it. It's not insured or registered, so I only took it around the block a few times, but I have actually driven it. That's a huge victory in itself.

I've been laying low trying to get this done, and I figured you guys were (rightfully so) tired of hearing from and about me and the car. I got tired of constantly telling you guys it was coming and it never got there.

It's a Contemporary Classic that I purchased built, abused and worn out, and took it down to the frame rails and started over. Virtually every bolt, bushing, etc in this car is new. It's got a pretty crazy FE in it, 520 cu. in. and over 740hp. That's backed by a Tremec TKO600 RR trans. The engine is pretty rowdy, as you can hear in the video just idling. It's just dropped into the car without any adjustments whatsoever after coming off the dyno in Tennessee and being shipped here to Houston without any tuning whatsoever. It needs some serious tuning and adjusting.

There is a LOT of work left to do on it. It has no interior yet. The ride height needs to be raised. The gauge lighting did work before but it's dead now. I've got to sort that out. The throttle linkage needs to be set up better. The usual S&H air cleaners hit the hood, so I have to find a way to get that solved. It's a minor interference, it's fouling just a bit on the rear brace molded into the underside rear edge of the hood. I'll have to mark that off where they touch and have a body shop neatly trim, finish and paint that. The brakes work well but there's too much pedal travel. I think I will need to reassess the master bore size. In the video you'll see the front quick jacks were sticking out much too far, that's already been remedied.

I'll likely have some questions for you guys as I go along, but that's where it's at now. I'm not sure how many of you are still around from the old days, but if any of you are still out there I thought you might get a grin out of this.

EDIT - Well scratch the video idea, I have no idea how to do that or if it's even possible. I've got two not so good pics I can attach here. If anyone knows how to attach a video please chime in.

[patrickt]

Damn. "Long time coming" doesn't begin to say it. Have one of your grand kids put a vid of it on youtube and then link it here.

[xb-60]

Doug,

I remember you from...quite a few years ago now. Very happy to hear that you were able to hang on to the CCX and that it you're now looking closer to the finish line. Well done!

Everything else that's important is OK?

Cheers,
Glen


edit: not driving on 10 year old tyres with 740hp, I hope

[jmimac351]

Doug, I have one of those projects too! (My own fault). If you're able to do what you want to, when you want to... it's a pretty good place to be. Woot! Woot!

[twobjshelbys]

Upload the video to Youtube and post a link here.

[jmimac351]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Upload the video to Youtube and post a link here.

Several options to execute:

1) See kid riding by on bike. Put broomstick in wheel. When they get up, hand phone and tell them what you want to do.

2) Hand phone to someone half your age and tell them what you're trying to do.

3) Post a message on FakeBook asking for help.

4) See #1.

[rodneym]

Congratulations! She looks fantastic!

[t walgamuth]

Congratulations on your progress. It looks fierce!

[ERA 626]

why raise the ride height? she looks great.

[CompClassics]

Congrats!!!

[1985 CCX]

AWESOME!

Now get miles on it..... All the best!

[KDubU]

She’s a beauty! Damn that is a lot of engine.

[86Sebring]

Congrats Doug, it's about time
I am already on my 3rd Cobra since I met you on Long Island who knows how long ago.
Good to see you finished the car.
Definitely need to see a video.
Take care

[FFR428]

Wow congrats!! It's a beauty and man what a engine!!! Super job and nice to see you again!

[tkb289]

Way to go Doug!

You stuck with it for all of these years, well done indeed. Time to wrap up the loose ends and get some seat time in your beautiful Cobra.

[Jamo]

Well done...appreciate what went into it.

[Dimis]

Congrats and enjoy!

[767Jockey]

Thanks for the kind comments, gents. It feels good to get 5 whole minutes of drive time on it after all these years. I can't go too far as neither the Houston PD nor the Texas State Troopers are known to have a real good sense of humor about unregistered/uninsured cars on the road. I'll get to that when the local county executive decides to open the motor vehicle offices. One of you asked about raising the ride height. Although I myself like the low look, the tires are sometimes interfering with the fenderwell opening. I have to raise it no more than about one inch and all should be good on that. As for the tires, they're really old, older than 10 years. They need to go, that'll be the last thing I do before I start driving it. I'll probably put another set of Billboards on it.

Jamo, thanks for the kind words, there is so much more that went into this car than meets the eye. It's been a very, very long road, and I'm very pleased that the journey is almost over. As for the engine, that's probably worth a separate write up, if anyone has interest. It's an amazing engine built by Blair Patrick. Lastly, as for posting the video, I really don't want to open a YouTube account. I take a kind of cranky old man (I am) pride in the fact that I have no social media accounts at all, and being as negative on the effects of social media as I am, I'd really like to keep it that way. I have no Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TickTock, or any of that stuff. I realize that there is some good to come from all those things but to me, I think there is far more bad than good. I'd like to stay out of it.

That's about it for now, I'll probably start asking a few questions here and there in other new threads as I start working on the punch list.

EDIT: I added a separate thread about the engine here: Some details on my 520 cu. in. FE engine

[jolsen42]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

Doug, I have one of those projects too! (My own fault). If you're able to do what you want to, when you want to... it's a pretty good place to be. Woot! Woot!

Jim, glad to see that you are still alive! I wish that you would get going
on the car (have you even picked it up from Bruce) I'm old and would like to see it before it's time for my dirt nap.

John O

[DanEC]

That looks great. Quite an engine. I'm sure it's providing incentive to get along with the rest of it.