Backdraft #144 Roars To Life!

[Secret Squirrel]

On December 12, 2004,
BDR #144's 351w roared to life for the first time! Fired up on the first try! What a rush! The smell and the sound was awesome!! My eyes are still burning!

After a few minutes of life, I shut her down and checked for leaks and restarted for final timing adjustments. Coolant level set. No leaks anywhere. Only had to purge the oil pressure line of air for the oil pressure gauge to work properly. No other problems.

Only things that still need to be completed are,

1. Install driver side mirror.
2. Install speedometer gear and calibrate.
3. F & R wheel alignment.

My garage now has the awesome smell of the Cobra!!!

[davidlee]

Squirrel,

Congrats, what a rush the first time you fire it up. Just a few things I wanted to pass on. First be sure you "want" a drivers side mirror. I was advised by several BDR owners to leave it off because it does little or no good. The fender blocks the view. I took their advise and left mine off, no regrets. Second the adapter that connects to the rear of the speedometer may or may not be assembled correctly. If your car is still on jack stands hook up the speedo cable and adpt. to the head. Start the engine and gently release the clutch. If the speedometer does not register any speed stop, remove the speedo adpt. and switch the short square cable piece to the other end of the adpt. Mine was backwards when I got it .

David

[Dirty Harry]

I remember starting mine for the first time. I had only the headers on-no side pipes. I wanted to resolve any potential engine problems before getting too deeply involved with body installation. That way, if needed, I could lift the body off again for better access to the engine.

Like you, I was blown away by the sounds, the smells, the way my lungs quivered in my chest cavity as the RPM climbed. It started and ran immediately. With a little twist of the distributor the high idle settled down and smoothed out. The Edelbrock Performer carb was almost perfect right out of the box. I hardly slept that night.

Congratulations!

[Secret Squirrel]

David,

Thanks for passing on the tips. I don't have the speedo adapter yet. CA Cobra is providing that part when I get it calibrated on the dyno at the speedo shop. As for the driver side mirror, I believe it is a California state requirement. I do have the window pillar mount for the mirror.

Thanks for the congrats, DH and Davidlee.

[Sledge]

S Squirrel:

Congratulations on the milestone, it must be sweet! All the better that you did the work yourself.

I haven't had the problem with the speedometer, but then Armond drove it for 125 miles before I picked it up.

The driver's side mirror on the window post works great. The door or fender-mounted driver's side mirror doesn't work as well I'm told.

Congratulations, getting it on the road will give you more fun per minute than anything else that I've experienced, including a few years flying airplanes.

Good luck and cheers (and happy holidays)

Bill

[Secret Squirrel]

Sledge,

Thanks for the congrats. I am glad you mentioned airplanes. It does remind me when I was taking my flying lessons, back in the day. Going out to the airport and starting up the Grumman Cheetah or the Cessna 172, going thru the checklist, taxi out to the runway, line up on the runway, pushing the throttle in and pulling back on the wheel. I thought that was a rush.
This Cobra will pull me back in the seat a lot harder than the Cheetah or the Cessna during take-off. I guess you could say that this most fun you can have on the ground without wings!

[trs900]

Congrats you did it the hard way.. mine was completed. so far after a few hundred miles nothing to complain about except for that irritating sound coming out of the sidepipes drives my wife nuts.. especially when it back fires on deceleration... passenger side wiper just flops around.. accidently hit wiper switch going for lights... car seems like it has enough power for now... once I get beat a couple of times then I may have heads redone..told 50+++ hp wont know for sure till Idino it before & after... good luck & keep us posted..

[trs900]

Forgot to mention...might want to install a shift light as tach is hard to see..also dont put any pressure on windshield when exiting car, etc... I was told it can crack.... beware of parking stops as they tend to hit front of car.. as you probably already know... wife also said it felt like front tires were coming off the ground...

[tony martin]

WELL DONE WAYNNE, CANT WAIT TO SEE THE PICS OF YOUR 1ST DRIVE, SOON I HOPE.

DRIVE SAFELY AND ENJOY THE MOMENTS.

REGARDS

[Secret Squirrel]

Thanks trs900 for the tips,

I am glad you are enjoying your BDR! I was surprized when I read your thread about your wife getting that Cobra for you as a B-day gift. She did an amazing job winning that bid and getting you a heck of a car with all those options for that amazing price.

Aren't wive's Great! I know mine is!
Have fun and drive safe!

Tony Martin:
Thank you! I will post some pics when she goes out for the first time.

[Snak Iyz]

Hopefully the second time out, means we are pulling a group together for a So Cal group cruise......

Congrats on getting it finished!!!! Just remember to keep the shop towels out to clean up all the drool from your first ride out. After the first 6 months of ownership, I still keep a towel outside the garage door, for the drool that comes from those occasional 10pm peeks into the garage in anticipation of taking her out the next day......

My wife is due anyday now (2cm already), so it may be awhile before I can get out, BUT here's hoping we can connect soon. (you too, Sledge)

Feel free to shoot me an email if you're ever headed out to the coast.

We need to talk Armond into sponsoring and pulling together a BDR gathering at his new shop soon.

Enjoy it and happy holidays!!!

[Secret Squirrel]

Paul,

Thanks for the congrats, and early congratulations to you and your wife on the soon-to-be arrival! My wife and I aren't so lucky in that department , but maybe someday.

I too, like those 10pm peeks into the garage before going to bed. It just seems a natural thing to do. Makes you sleep better at night!

I second the BDR gathering at Armonds new shop.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!! Please let us know when the new addition to the family arrives.

[Snak Iyz]

Wayne,

Thanks for the congrats!!

This one is our 3rd. Our number two took 18 months to conceive, so don't give up hope.

As a funny side note, the 18 months to get number two made me a next one would be equally hard to produce. Boy was I wrong - number two and three will be 12 months apart..... Our first is now 4 1/2. I can only imagine what my house is going to be like for awhile....... I can't tell you how much I am already looking forward to any Cobra cruises I will be able to participate in over the next year or so....

Merry HoHo

[SkipB]

Hey Secret Squirrel, congratulations on getting your car running!

That feeling has gotta be equalled only by taking your first on- ramp to Interstate 8. What a rush that will be. Just make sure the CHP is not looking!

I asked awhile back about starting a very informal Backdraft club in the San Diego/Imperial/Orange County area, but got no response. Maybe there are enough of us now to plan a cruise or two. I think we should start at a middle ground for a weekend breakfast meeting. I think I will ask Armond for the name of a good central spot. Right now he is very involved in moving to his new shop. So, I might have to wait a bit. We could all meet at his new place once he is settled. I know he will want to show the place off to his customers!

I know you might be a little way off from actually driving out of the desert into El Cajon, but just let us know when you are ready!

Again, congrats!

Skip B
Backdraft #90
San Diego

[Secret Squirrel]

Paul,
Thanks for the encouragement. We haven't given up!

Thanks for the congrats! Skip B,

I know I am a little isolated out here, but I would like to drive the car to El Cajon for a meet when she gets broke in and Armond gets settled into his new shop. Are any of you going to Knotts in 2005? Maybe a group showing might be something to think about.

[Nor Cal Al]

Congrats on the startup. We had first fire on the forth of July....without sidepipes. Although we live in the contry, I'm sure anyone within a mile heard it. After about 30 years of waiting, it was truly amazing. Those few first drives are the greatest. The 392 crate motor is amazing. Took it through the "Twisties" recently and it handles as amazing as the motor. Your best days are yet to come.

Many thanks to Armond for his help on the small details that helped me finish mine. Although he was not the dealer of record he did not hesitate to offer help.

I also think Tony & Reg should take over the Backdraft site on Club Cobra.

My BDR is always available, for anyone considering one, to see here in N. Cal.

Al A.
BDR 128
Sacramento

[Snak Iyz]

I am definitely going to try and make Knott's '05. I missed it by a few weeks this year.

I know Armond will be there. We can either hitch onto his display or just gather all the local BDR cars near each other in the general show-n-tell line-up. I am open for whatever works best.

[Secret Squirrel]

On 12/19/2004,

I took BDR #144 on her first test drive! I went around the block once by myself and checked out the clutch pedal adjustment, seemed ok. I tried out the brakes, they squeak and groan a little when just about to come to a complete stop, maybe too new and need more use. Came back parked for a few minutes and asked my wife if she wanted to go for a ride, she was still in her PJ's and we had to be at her mothers in an hour. So, I went out again by myself and went around the neighborhood a few more times! The weather was excellent for the first drive @ 70 degrees and sunshine. Came back once more and took some pictures and then parked it in the garage for cool down and leak inspection.
We went to the in-laws house for the rest of the day, which worked out perfectly for cool down.
That evening, I found a drop of hydralic clutch fluid on the floor underneath the master cylinder, just needed to tighten the connection for the output. Also found a few drops of coolant on the floor. The NPT chrome plug on top of the intake manifold was leaking. I had applied some thread sealant on the threads when I originally installed it, but it still leaked under pressure. The next day I removed it and cleaned the threads and applied a different hi-temp thread sealant. I will have to test it again, with another test drive!

[Snak Iyz]

Congrats!!! It sounds like you are really starting to get her dialed in. You need to take it up your first on-ramp and then a little freeway cruising at speed......

Picked mine up from the tuner today. WOW what a day to be out driving around.....!!!

Enjoy it and hope you get some good seat time in over the holidays.

[flipper35]

Congrats Wayne. Sometimes you will "hear" or "see" things that require a "test drive" just to make sure. We will have to go cruise sometime before all the hot weather starts again.