Calling Chaplin

JWheaton · #1 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 12:39 PM

Chaplin,

Was up at ERA today wandering around the shop, and of course drooling over the cars.

Came across your green Cobra and decided I would put my initials onto the body --- somewhere, as promised to you in some earlier thread.

Kind of like a --- Kilroy was here -- signature.

I had my battery operated rotozip already to go when Peter yanked me out from under the car to stop me. Dammm --- It would have been fun to have had you search for where I was planning on initialing the car.

Instead Peter got under the car and whirled away with that rotozip.

Just kidding ------------ car looked great. They were putting in the carpeting today.

Jim Holden · #2 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 01:23 PM

JW:

I plan to be up at ERA tomorrow (Saturday) to harass PEPI and whoever else is trying to get something done (ie Teddie). ...and check on the status of a couple of my long term projects. (They're long term only because that's what everything in my life seems to be right now. The older I get the longer it seems to take to do anything).

Sorry to have missed you.

The plan for a day at ERA is generally the same; firstly, to get there by the time the roach coach comes around at about 11:00 am and, secondly, to then hang out until Peter is ready to go to Paradise Pizza for lunch.

As to Chaplin's car, I'll make sure that HIS initials are carved in the door and not yours.

Jim

PS: I want to check the status of the new GT tub "weld-up"

Tongue Pirate · #3 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 01:44 PM

Put a little old school Mafia pressure in for me too!!! It couldn't be here soon enough.

Jim Holden · #4 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 02:00 PM

Tongue:

I've spent the last 18 years trying to figure out how to put pressure on that mini me mafia type.

Whenever I think that I'm getting somewhere, I generally walk away and later find that someone's been in my wallet.

An example was this past Tuesday evening. I had to drive to Danbury to meet PEPI for supper at Chuck's Steak House. We had the usual shrimp cocktail and rib-eyes. Nattered about a number of topics, handed him a check and picked up the tab for dinner. And this was an evening of therapy? I figure I got away, as usual, cheap.

J

RICK LAKE · #5 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 03:01 PM

Chaplin Give me a call if you want to go to ERA on 6-7-03 I am only going for the morning. Be home by 2 p.m. Rick Lake 732-254-3536 be home after 7:00p.m.

Tongue Pirate · #6 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 03:21 PM

Jim Holden,

Sounds like you're gonna have to start showin' up with an "Empty" wallet.

Chaplin · #7 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 03:39 PM

Hey JW-
Not sure what have been worse- I think I would have preferred your handiwork to Peter's. He probably would have left his mark with a pocket knife and a couple of cans of spray paint

Jim-
That won't give you much time at ERA. Roach Coach arrives at 11 and Peter should be ready to go to Pizza Paradise by 11:15

And if anyone's working on the green one, don't distract them. By the way, I was up there last weekend and saw a nice 3.31 rear assembly tagged with your name on it.

Rick-
Check your private messages, won't be able to make it tomorrow.

If something changes, I'll call you, but if you don't hear from me that means I still can't go.

casaleenie · #8 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 03:54 PM

Ball bearings in the frame???? Always fun...

Where is ERA located???

Jim Holden · #9 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 06:21 PM

Tongue:

I tried the empty wallet routine years ago... I couldn't get past the front gate on Dewey Street. No way. No, the only way I've gotten Peter to take my calls is to keep a deposit on... something, anything up there with him.

As to that thing in the hall with a tag with my name on it; its to go in something, yet to be defined, in the future, when they get around to it (dare I whisper; Daytona, slabside, early small flare USRRC or... or... such other exotic as a 904 or 550... I know some of what's buried in the attic up there) the list is long, time is growing shorter. Peter, Phil and Bob are getting older.

Jim

PS: ERA is located in the faded New England city of New Britain Ct. You'll (eventually) find it located behind a chain link fence in an other wise disreputable part of town in a jumble of unmarked nondescript buildings tucked away on a side street around the corner from the address used for process servers and other lowlifes. Look for a black car trailer with moss growing in the wheel wells. You've arrived. Knowledge of a certain password and a hand signal or two will afford you instant access to a world of dream cars and fantasy's realized.

xcobraj · #10 (**permalink**) 06-06-2003, 07:36 PM

Chaplin,saw yout car thurs,great color.They were putting the carpet in when I was there.Heavy fumes from the glue they were using...could even hear it running

RICK LAKE · #11 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 11:14 PM

Chaplin Was that Green??? It looked like a wine color, burgandy with a tan inside???? What about the stripe??

The wiring harness was welded in it today. Everybody stopped by for a visit. Raining. The door where getting your signiture on them. Do not know what color. Are you shore that is green??.

The car looks great. I will call you sunday night. It took 4 1/2 hours to get home. Damn people in N.Y. can't drive worth a lick. Rick Lake

NeedAntiVenom · #12 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 05:38 AM

Rick,

The burgandy one was mine. I suspect the only stripes will be the ones on the seat after my first trip around the block.

Ditto on the traffic.

Chaplin,

Took a photo of yours - looks GREAT! I'll send it to you when I get the roll developed.

JH,

Thank for the advice - both cobra and non-cobra. Best of luck finding your dream gears.

Tonque,

They were power coating your frame - I think. I'm a little unfamiliar with the process, but it seems to involve three wide individuals standing over a bare frame with a Dunkin Donuts box.

Jim

Chaplin · #13 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 05:53 AM

Rick Lake-
Thanks for checking up on it and making sure everything is done correctly

You know I had to pay extra to get the wiring harness welded in

4 1/2 hours is brutal.

AnitVenom-
I was up at ERA last weekend and was admiring that burgandy 289- didn't realize that was yours. I really like the color- it looks great. Too bad they forgot to put the stripes on yours also

It looks like it should be coming home soon.

Speak to you soon,
Mike

RICK LAKE · #14 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 05:51 PM

Need antivemon The car looks great, NICE COLORS. Are you doing wire wheels and under car exhaust?? Jim why did you not come out too lunch with us. Family members always come to lunch. Next time. Chaplins car should be done the same weekend as yours. Bring the champaign and we can get a discount on the send off. I hope you and your wife find a happy middle of the road with the pedals. I was going to ask if a phone book on the seat back or a set of kids extension pedals would help. ONLY KIDDING!!!! My girlfriend has not driven a 5 spd yet. Good luck with the car. Rick Lake ps WELCOME to the family.

Jim Holden · #15 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 05:53 PM

Folks:

Anti-V has a problem. Guys, we need to be there for him: When he got the seat where he wanted it; nice and confortable and pedals located properly, his boss (the distaff member of Team Anti-V) couldn't get the clutch down. The only solution I could see was to get out the check book and order up her own made to measure FIA. AntiV claimed poverty, but then Peter P (a/k/a PEPI) was standing there and I know the feeling; if Peter senses that he hasn't gotten all of your money, he's all over you like a Lime Tick. (Don't let it get around but Ant-V's FIA is a very pretty car; small block street dash, great paint and interior color choices. He should have alot of fun cruis'n the back roads in PA when the boys at ERA get it done in a week or so. And he'll have all summer to enjoy it. This rain has got to end sometime.)

Yep, it was another rainy day in bucolic New Britain and what better way to spend it than hanging out at ERA. Besides Ricky (I hate them freek'n New York drivers) Lake there was John (my wife's working and so I thought I'd bring in my 427SC to have a bigger oil cooler bolted on to it, not because it needs it but because I just like the look of it) Brown trying to figure out what else he could spend his money on. Another one of ERA's customers was there as well (Mike?) whose motto appears to be if it has horsepower, dang it, it can always use more.

The roach coach doesn't show up on Saturdays, so by the time we rolled off to Paradise Pizza everyone was ravenous and other than Ricky ordered up the one pound Paradise Special Cheese burgers for lunch. We were all a little concerned about John ("I've got a psychotic cat") Brown. He's been on the Atkins diet for a while and lost almost 30 lbs, but we think we got him turned around and headed the other way with the big burger (although he stripped the thing of its roll and dodged the french fries). And, much as we tried, we couldn't get him to go for the bowl of chili to start things off right either. He's reached the point where he was going to have to buy new clothers. Fortunately, we got to him when we did and hopefully saved him a bundle. The old clothes should fit for a while longer. John was driving one of those little Mini Cooper S types and said what with all the rain and all (and not able to get his ERA out) he was having a ball in it .

...when I finally got back home to (freek'n) New York after dark, my wife, as usual after a motorhead experience in NB, CT, said "and so, did you have a nice day up at ERA?"

And as always the answer was "Yes Dear." (I figure, what with the new roll around toll box that PEPI ordered for me and all, I escaped for less than "two Pintos" Not a bad day at ERA at all).

Good to see all of you and meet some more interesting folks with a common interest in things ERA automotive.

Jim

PS: A "Pinto" refers to one of Peter's early trashmobiles that cost him $200., thus it's a unit of cost... as in it cost me 2 Pintos, etc. He never has anything for sale that costs less than a "Pinto."

NeedAntiVenom · #16 (**permalink**) 06-09-2003, 07:19 AM

Rick,

Thanks, sorry I didn't get a chance to speak with you more. PEPI had a commitment with PB so we got up at 5 to get out of his hair by noon. "Easy to forget whats really important - so don't."

The only thing finer than ERA cars is the people - I'd be honored for lunch. PEPI buys right?

I really wanted the wire wheels, but PEPI's face instantly looked like this: $.$ So I went with 5 spoke PSEs and under car exhaust. After doing the math on the carpet I could have saved a fortune by simply lining the interior with 50's - aka "Portenza Green".

After PEPI had to literally order her out of the seat so "Jim could try it" - the happy medium for the seat will likely consist of me with the shifter to my left.

Jim:

Just a heads up - upstairs I found a complete battleplan that appeared to dipict your wallet surrounded by wrench icons formed into a pinchers formation, with Tommy Franks number scribbled on the margin.

Thank you all for a great day - see you soon.

Jim

Jim Holden · #17 (**permalink**) 06-09-2003, 08:34 AM

Anti:

...and no, PEPI did not pick up the tab. Oh, he went through his usual Mediterranean feint for it, but as always, blaming his advancing age, stage and lack of depth perception (he's only got one good eye left) he was a convenient split second too slow on the up take.

No, Ricky and I dug down for it (see post above for total cost of the day).

Jim

PS: The next time you're up at ERA check out (I mean really get up close and check out) the fact that PEPI does not have any visible eyeballs. Naw, he squints through these little tank slits while calculating the next shot at anyone's wallet that lumbers into range. Check it out.