Thanks, Zoera, I appreciate the kind words. This car, when it is done, will be a labor of both love and therapy. It will not likely be the most beautiful car out there since I am limited in both funds and talent. However, it will surely be the very best car that I am capable of producing, and I have no doubt that it will be a nice car nonetheless. I work alone, and I work when I have the funding available so things are moving at a snails pace at times, but I've made some good headway recently and if my revenue stream holds up I hope to have it drivable this summer.

As far as the boys at ERA, I don't want anyone to think that I have any animosity toward them, as I have absolutely none. Their business model is geared toward supporting ERA customers exclusively, and I don't see where I have any say at all in how they conduct their business, that's entirely up to them. It's not as if they are selling to everyone but are refusing to sell to me. My understanding is they turn everyone away except for ERA owners, I have no problem with this. However, it goes without saying that since the Kirkhams have gone above and beyond in helping me, and have been true gentlemen in all our dealings, I would be remiss and completely lacking in integrity, in my opinion, if when the time came to buy another car I didn't reward their effort and generosity with an order for their car. This isn't out of spite to ERA, but rather out of gratitude and respect for the personal excellence of the Kirkham's.

Thanks for everything you said, and I hope to see you and your car one day. I think the ERA's are some of the best cars out there, I hope my Contemporary can hold it's own parked next to yours when it's done. I'm sure having a great time building it. I'm overdue on an update on this thread. I took my 17 year old daughter away on a short father /daughter trip while I'm still able prior to surgery, when I get back I'll post an update on the car. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this thread, it's more fun than I expected keeping it going. This Club Cobra site is a pretty cool place with some outstanding guys, thanks to you all for the encouragement and the kind words.

Thanks, Ralph, I may take you up on that offer, be careful!:LOL:
Is this the color of your car as well, the same blue? I got this paint code from a wonderful gentleman named Clint Chase, who had a beautiful ERA painted in this color.

By the way, just a heads up to you Contemporary guys out there (and anyone else still running various makes of original equipment restrictive sidepipe mufflers). I'm redoing the mufflers in the sidepipes. I'm having Nick install 3" core 22" Classic Chambered packed mufflers. I sent the sidepipes up to Nick, and he just received them. He hasn't cut them open yet, but a brief preliminary inspection seems to indicate that the core of the original mufflers is actually muchsmaller than 2", perhaps as small as 1 1/2". The restriction on these mufflers must be incredible. Based on some formulas and a true dyno test on the Classic Chambered website done by Kinetic Engineering comparing the Classic Chambered mufflers vs. restrictive unnamed sidepipes, it is reasonable to expect increases in power of up to or maybe even exceeding 100HP and 100 ft. lbs. of torque at peak, AT THE REAR WHEELS! Where can you possible get this kind of ridiculous horsepower increase for the cost of two $75.00 mufflers and a very reasonable labor charge from Nick? I'll post much more on this as the sidepipes get cut up. In the mean time I'll post more pictures and a progress report when I get back home. Pitchers and catchers have reported, the Cobra's can't be far behind! More to come in a few days.

Doug,
You have a PM

"barn finds"
 

Although Contemporary was not quite a barn find, I did buy it for 25k. It had been sitting since 1990 and had not been started when I picked it up in summer of '07. :eek::eek::eek:
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...humbs/ac20.JPG

The 454 (427) has been rebuilt replacing every part with new. :D
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d.../xJanuaryd.jpg

This picture was taken in late January. :D
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d.../xJanuaryb.jpg

Good luck with your project. You will love it.

PM received and responded to - thanks!

The car looks great, Mdman - enjoy it!

Doug, have you been able to get any more work done on it?

Not much, I've been all over the country to doctors, I'll dive back in on Monday. Hey, you're from Katy - I was just down your way yesterday at MD Anderson, quite an impressive place.

Work on the car proceeds on Monday with front and rear swaybar installation. After that I bend up brake lines and fuel line, and the chassis is basically complete.

If you were at the new facility there in Katy (as opposed to the Houston med center), then Yes, that is quite new and dedicated to battling the Big C. It's right next to our church, and I live about 3 minutes from there. Hope you enjoyed our balmy weather!

Keep after it....

Fyi
 

I believe I drove your car back in 1983 at a Contemporary dealer in Muncy Pa. The car was for sale then- probably the fall of 1983. I took it for a good drive and it went down the road well. If my memory serves me correctly it was built by an individual rather than the dealer.

It could be the car you drove, I really don't know anything at all about the car, as the man I bought it from knew absolutely nothing as well.

I guess this is as good as any for an update on the build. I had a tough week with the Cobra last week. I won't get into all the details as I'm still sorting through the problem with the engine builder, but the bottom line is I refused the engine. Geez, this ones going to be a killer time-wise and also money-wise. I was using a Ford sideoiler block, and now it's toast. Some decisions were made without my knowledge regarding overbore and structural reinforcement that was required due to the larger than expected overbore, and once I found out about these decisions that were made they were already done. I reluctantly refused to accept the engine. The engine builder I am using is an excellent guy, there was no fraudulent behavior here, just a honest difference of opinion, and he's being great about rectifying the situation. He has told me that he'll do whatever it takes to make me happy. Now the short block has to be torn down and I have to buy a brand new Pond or Genesis block. Does anyone have any preferences on either? I would like to do aluminum but that probably isn't in the financial cards, it'll probably be a cast iron sideoiler block. The Shelby aluminum block just can't be done financially, that's just out of the question. This whole engine situation really hurts! Hopefully I can get the engine side of the project moving along again while I complete the sway bar installation front and rear, the brake and fuel lines, and start the electrical work. I'm talking to two other guys doing builds similar to mine about a group purchase on all original Lucas switches and indicator lights for the dashboard.

I went out of town for a few days to regroup and I'll be digging back into he car with a vengeance starting Wednesday. That's about it for now, more to come. Hopefully I can have the chassis finished or darn near it by the end of next week.

Quick Question...
 

Does NY have anything on the books that would give an advantage, emissions-wise, to an older block?

Patrick, That's a VERY good question. Here is what I found on the NY State website:

These motor vehicles are exempt from emissions inspection for gas-powered vehicles:

* Vehicles that are less than two model years old, or more than 25 model years old.
* Diesel-powered vehicles 8500 lbs. or less and Diesel-powered vehicles 8501 lbs. and more registered in the NYCMA area that are required to have the emissions inspection for diesel-powered vehicles.
* Electric-powered vehicles.
* Motorcycles.
* Vehicles that are registered as farm equipment or that have historical plates.
* Homemade vehicles or custom vehicles that are registered in the Upstate Area.


Apparently, since I am registered as a 1984 homebuilt, I just squeezed into the exempt from emissions testing under the 25 years or older part of the staute. I am not registered in the upstate area, so I don't qualify for exemption under the homebuilt in the upstate area part of the law but I believe that the 25 year old car section applies to me. You raise an excellent point that I hadn't thought about, I'll have to look into it further - thanks!

Yeah, when I was putting together my ERA I thought about a new block, but went with an old one because it can give you a leg-up in a lot of states. This is kind of interesting:

Kit type cars will be designated by the year of the engine and are required to have an emissions test based upon that engine year.

Source: Division of Air Resources, NEW YORK VEHICLE INSPECTION PROGRAM (NYVIP) http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/air_pdf/vipsiprev.pdf

Did you consider sleeves as an alternative? Seems kinda costly to shelve an original block due to boring size. You're probably not gonna twist it more than 5500.

Doug, don't let the subtly of my point escape you.%/ Before I sprang for a new block on an "apparently emissions exempt" 1984 kit car, I would want assurances from the Division of Air Resources folks that my car would not be tested based on the new engine year.;)

Doug

Great way to cronicle the build. I love the CCX, they are a great quality glass car! What an ordeal with the plant? PIA!

Hope you the best with your date on the 10th. :)

Body on yet? :p

Jeff

I might have considered a sleeve in the one cylinder (with a commensurate price adjustment on the block), but by the time I was made aware of the problem the block was already bored and assembled. I agree with you, I would have tackled the problem differently.

I agree, Patrick - I'll definitely look into it further, thanks for the heads up.
Doug