Progress on #782

[DanEC]

Finally, my charging problem is solved. Installing a resistor parallel with the ignition light did the trick and my alternator is finally charging. So moving on I'm concentrating on getting the interior together and it's coming along.

The tunnel and shifter are in. Not sure why the shifter seems so short - it's out of another, older ERA and my transmission is sitting pretty much as high as the mount allows. I think I saw somewhere that the tunnel is a little higher on the newer cars than on the older cars. That may be the reason.





The driver seat belts and seat are in. The passenger seat is just sititng in the car until I get the seat belts on that side installed.





Once the interior is finished up I'm pretty much down to just tightening up the knockoffs and wiring them and I should be ready for a slow drive around the block to see if everything looks like it's going to hold together.

[kevins2]

The charging problem is solved!!! Today's a good day for you and I'm sure you're happy to be working on the finishing touches. Looks great.

Kevin

[ERA Chas]

Just a reminder; maybe you want the eye bolts and clips for the belts. Makes them a snap for cleaning or maintenance.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Just a reminder; maybe you want the eye bolts and clips for the belts. Makes them a snap for cleaning or maintenance.

Actually I was eyeing the shoulder harnesses and pads that Kevins2 added to his car and wondering where he got them - directly from Crow or from a vendor? I don't see anything wrong with the lap belts - just like to upgrade the shoulder belts.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Actually I was eyeing the shoulder harnesses and pads that Kevins2 added to his car and wondering where he got them - directly from Crow or from a vendor? I don't see anything wrong with the lap belts - just like to upgrade the shoulder belts.

Hi Dan,

It was our friend, Mr. ERACHAS, that suggested the upgrade to the wider shoulder harnesses and pads. I ordered both directly from Crow's website. They not only look a lot better, but the pads make it easier to keep them organized. I'm sure they're more comfortable but that's hard to tell since I've only driven the car bundled up in cold weather gear.

Chas' suggestion to switch to eyebolts and clips (like the lap belts) is a good one but I like the look of the buckles that came with the original shoulder harnesses. The new shoulder harnesses from Crow came with buckles as well, but I still preferred the originals, so I actually cut the old shoulder straps off and used the originals. When I was working on my car, I rolled the shoulder harnesses up and put a rubber band around them to keep them out of the way. Not as convenient as having them removeable, but worked for me.

Regards,

Kevin

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Hi Dan,

When I was working on my car, I rolled the shoulder harnesses up and put a rubber band around them to keep them out of the way. Not as convenient as having them removeable, but worked for me.

Certainly a workable and less expensive alternative.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Hi Dan,

Chas' suggestion to switch to eyebolts and clips (like the lap belts) is a good one but I like the look of the buckles that came with the original shoulder harnesses. The new shoulder harnesses from Crow came with buckles as well, but I still preferred the originals, so I actually cut the old shoulder straps off and used the originals. When I was working on my car, I rolled the shoulder harnesses up and put a rubber band around them to keep them out of the way. Not as convenient as having them removeable, but worked for me.

Regards,

Kevin

I like the idea of the eyebolts/clips too but I suspect I will stay with the bolt/bracket smount set up. When you're referring to the shoulder harness buckles, do you mean the mounting brackets or the attachment rings to the lap belt buckle?

Thanks Kevin

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I like the idea of the eyebolts/clips too but I suspect I will stay with the bolt/bracket smount set up. When you're referring to the shoulder harness buckles, do you mean the mounting brackets or the attachment rings to the lap belt buckle?

Thanks Kevin

Sorry I wasn't clear. I'm talking about the shoulder harness brackets that are bolted to the top of your bulkhead. Your current shoulder harnesses are sewn on and won't come off those brackets. I cut mine off because I liked these brackets better than the new ones that came with the 3" shoulder harnesses (they were the same concept, but were flat and didn't have as nice of a finish. The slots are the same width, so you can use either). The replacement 3" shoulder harnesses thread through this bracket and then into an adjustable buckle instead of being sewn on permanently. Since the shoulder harnesses are adjustable at the bottom for different passengers and seat positions, you can adjust the top buckles one time to give you the appropriate length. The ends of the straps will then be tucked into the pads. Sounds confusing but will be obvious to you when you get the new harnesses. You can see all these buckles and brackets in the photo below.

Kevin

[DanEC]

Kevin - that clears it up. Those do look nice. I think I will have to get a set of those.

Thanks

Dan

[DanEC]

First (short) drive today. I'll spare everyone the home movie of my circling the cul-de-sac, first clockwise - then counter clockwise, and post the one my wife shot while I was coming in from my first run around the block. It only took me 3 years and 11 months to get here on what was to be my retirement project - still not fully retired. No major surprises but some things to work on:

- Brakes still take a couple pumps to get the pedal up. I'll re-bleed them.

- The short shifter and heavy boot are causing problems with 3rd gear engagement. A firm shove will get it in but if I'm not paying attention it often won't go all the way in. I think I'm going to have to get another shifter handle with a little longer lower section before the bend. Also, I wonder if there is a rubber boot that is of thinner material? I know there are leather ones out there.

- Don't like the feel of the clutch - heavy and a long pedal throw. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to the feel. Moving the pedal back another 1/2 inch will probably help but it's up against the fiberglass of the foot box now. Looks like I will need to go in and relieve it a little to allow the pedal to come back slightly. It's either that or move the seat up. Not sure why the clutch is heavy - standard McLeod diaprahm clutch. I wonder if there are different clutch forks out there with different lengths on the slave cylinder end. Got mine from Bret so it shouldn't be anything unuual for a Cobra rep.

- I think I have a mild case of a sticking hydraulic lifters(s) - probably from the engine being built and run in about 3 years ago. Probably try a 1/2 quart of Marvel Mystery oil before I do anything else.

That seems to be about it - rides good, no squeaks or rattles I could hear. I like the under car exhaust. Fairly quiet riding along but you can tell there is a lot going on under the hood.









Here is one for ERAChas to evaluate for ride height.



And the action video by my wife and her Iphone - ignore the laughing. She figues I lost my mind a long time ago.

[Mando]

WOW.

Regards.

[DonC]

Congratulations on your achievement. Isn't it nice to know that that light at the end of the tunnel wasn't an oncoming train. Best of luck with your new ride. It looks great.
DonC

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by DonC

Congratulations on your achievement. Isn't it nice to know that that light at the end of the tunnel wasn't an oncoming train. Best of luck with your new ride. It looks great.
DonC

Thanks - I bet Bob P. will be relieved to see it running. He probably wondered if old #782 would ever see the light of day or just end up being the missing in assembly ERA.

[ERA Chas]

Congrats Dan'l. Beautiful but not rowdy enough. And I can live with your ride height but can still get a sheet of paper on top of the tires.
Leave the short shifter; use more muscle (you'll get into a rhythm with the controls with familiarity). Longer-neck shifters look goofy.
Before you try Marvel, get temps up one day and then 3 shifts to 6200. If they are sticking, they won't be after that.
Keep posting. Hate to lose your dedicated and meticulous work.
Just so you know, your coated pipes and mufflers are blasted, your vinyl bulkhead has already started to sun-fade and there are stone chips at the wheel lips and hips...ENJOY.

PS-Your wife is not laughing; those are sobs - seeing her retirement travel money putting around the neighborhood.

[kevins2]

Dan,

Congratulations! Great milestone to reach and I'm sure you feel good about it. Although my TKO 600 didn't have issues going into 3rd (or any other) gear, it was somewhat stiff. I have a Pro 5 short shifter. It loosened up pretty quickly. I now have 470 miles and it shifts considerably easier than when it was new, so hang in there for some miles before trying to fix it - it may work itself out.

Beautiful car...

Kevin

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Congrats Dan'l. Beautiful but not rowdy enough. And I can live with your ride height but can still get a sheet of paper on top of the tires.
Leave the short shifter; use more muscle (you'll get into a rhythm with the controls with familiarity). Longer-neck shifters look goofy.
Before you try Marvel, get temps up one day and then 3 shifts to 6200. If they are sticking, they won't be after that.
Keep posting. Hate to lose your dedicated and meticulous work.
Just so you know, your coated pipes and mufflers are blasted, your vinyl bulkhead has already started to sun-fade and there are stone chips at the wheel lips and hips...ENJOY.

PS-Your wife is not laughing; those are sobs - seeing her retirement travel money putting around the neighborhood.

Ha, ha - you almost know my wife. It's not the money I spend on it, it's the time I spend on it that she would rather be using to travel about. Three shifts at 6200 huh, that would definately do something for it. Well, you know how slow I am and how I sweat details so I expect to be around for awhile yet.

Thanks Chas.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Dan,

Congratulations! Great milestone to reach and I'm sure you feel good about it. Although my TKO 600 didn't have issues going into 3rd (or any other) gear, it was somewhat stiff. I have a Pro 5 short shifter. It loosened up pretty quickly. I now have 470 miles and it shifts considerably easier than when it was new, so hang in there for some miles before trying to fix it - it may work itself out.

Beautiful car...

Kevin

Thanks Kevin - I think you getting your car up and running was what finally motivated me to get into gear and get mine moving.

I don't know about the shifter - the bend on my handle is right at the tunnel top or a little below. When I shift forward it lays over right on top of the tunnel - with the rubber boot pinched in between. It's leaving rubber marks on the chrome bezel when in 3rd. I fabricated a 1/4 inch spacer to go under the handle or it would be worse. I might try to do another 1/4 inch spacer and go with some longer bolts. I need to get the shifter bend a little above the top of the tunnel. It might improve a little with some use.

Guess I need to think about getting down and registering it. From what I know, Arkansas registration is simple and straight forward on these - but there will probably be some trick to it

Dan

[Bobcat]

Dan ... congratulations of the maiden voyage . Now the pursuit of anything you can think of begins !
FWIW on the TKO 600 , they are very stiff at first . That combined with your cold weather is probably the reason for the hard shifting . The TKO guys told me to break the gearbox in fairly easy with progressively more throttle and higher revs for the first 500 miles .... no WOT . Did that and mine shifts as well as my toploader .
I noticed in the pictures that your shift boot has the top ( small end ) extended . Push that down so its inside the boot and that will take the strain off the shift boot . I probably didn`t put that very well , but there are pictures around somewhere , just can`t find them now .

Bob

[KevinW]

Lovely looking car.
Makes me wish i was getting on with my own car and not painting the house...

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by Bobcat

Dan ... congratulations of the maiden voyage . Now the pursuit of anything you can think of begins !
FWIW on the TKO 600 , they are very stiff at first . That combined with your cold weather is probably the reason for the hard shifting . The TKO guys told me to break the gearbox in fairly easy with progressively more throttle and higher revs for the first 500 miles .... no WOT . Did that and mine shifts as well as my toploader .
I noticed in the pictures that your shift boot has the top ( small end ) extended . Push that down so its inside the boot and that will take the strain off the shift boot . I probably didn`t put that very well , but there are pictures around somewhere , just can`t find them now .

Bob

Thanks Bob - actually I have a toploader. Took a ride a couple blocks down to the corner gas station to put a few gallons in the tank and I think 3rd is getting better with use. Didn't have any problems today. Still getting used to the shifter a little - manage to almost make a couple 3rd gear starts - almost.