Lippy's ERA #797 build log

[DanEC]

Great progress. Makes me look like a real slacker - I haven't hardly touched mine since March due to a landscaping project. I agree on the weatherstripping - work 3 or 4 inches at a time and go sparingly on the adhesive.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Great progress. Makes me look like a real slacker - I haven't hardly touched mine since March due to a landscaping project. I agree on the weatherstripping - work 3 or 4 inches at a time and go sparingly on the adhesive.

I think most high-quality, individual builds of ERA cars seem to take about three years.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I think most high-quality, individual builds of ERA cars seem to take about three years.

I'm going on 3-1/2 years now. As an excuse I ordered mine as a retirement project but then after I retired they came after me and convinced me to come back to work until they could find my replacement. 3 -1/2 years later they have found my replacement but they also found a lot of other stuff they wanted me to do. However, there does appear to be some light at the end of the tunnel and I may finally be re-released at the end of August. My wife has been taken care of with the swimming pool and landscaping so hopefully I can finish my retirement Cobra project.

Lippy - I also have a Corvette camped out in my garage - a 66. It's also been largely ignored for the last several years - I think even more than yours. That's something else I need to get back to some occassional drives in it one of these days.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Great progress. Makes me look like a real slacker - I haven't hardly touched mine since March due to a landscaping project.

Dan, I sympathize. Two years ago we moved into a house that needed quite a bit of work, so I spent every weekend on house projects. Once the Cobra came, I decided to take a break from the list of house projects. The Cobra is sort of a break for me and I'm not doing *anything* on the house that doesn't require immediate attention until this car is built. Only way to keep my sanity.

[tkb289]

Looks like you and your helpers have been busy. I can understand the need to go back and get the seat heater wires in just the way you want them, it's worth the extra effort to get things to your liking as you are likely to only do this once. What's next on the list?

[lippy]

Originally Posted by tkb289

What's next on the list?

Some more insulation, finish up the hydraulic lines, install the oil cooler/brackets, and start on the suspension. Maybe some 3M Paint Defender on the rear fenders and lower/front. I'll be ready to drop the engine in when I get it from Brent, probably in late July or early August.

Thanks for the recommendation on Accessories Plus. I had my primaries and sidepipes ceramic coated, and I received the call today that they are done. I'll pick them up later in the week. Excited to see them.

[lippy]

Over the last couple of weeks, we've begun the front suspension, put together the rotors/hubs, finished the final insulation, hooked up the hydraulic lines, picked up the headers and sidepipes from the ceramic coater, installed the oil cooler, and mounted the tires. Right now I'm deciding on a fuel delivery system and planning the stereo.


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr

[lippy]

Front suspension and brakes done, both sides.

I installed the pins on my bolt-on/5-pin adapters, and used the metal alignment guide to make sure they are straight. But when I tried to slide a wheel on, I couldn't get it to slide in. How difficult should it be to slide the wheel onto the pins? Do you lube the pins? Thanks.


Untitled by Lippy111, on Flickr

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lippy

I installed the pins on my bolt-on/5-pin adapters, and used the metal alignment guide to make sure they are straight. But when I tried to slide a wheel on, I couldn't get it to slide in. How difficult should it be to slide the wheel onto the pins? Do you lube the pins? Thanks.

It should not be difficult. If the pins are properly aligned the tire and wheel should go on pretty easily with a dab of anti-seize on them. Squatting in front of your hub, while lifting 295/50's straight out in front of you, gets tiring pretty fast. Maybe one of your pins is a little crooked?

[DanEC]

I slathered plenty of anti-sieze lube on pins and hubs of both the wheels and the adaptor. Once they had been on a time or two I wiped the excess off. I also used the 5-pin wheels and adaptors (I know we are looked down on amongst the 6-pin crowd) and had a problem on my rear wheels because the ERA lug bolts were too long and had to be trimmed off per the instructions from Vintage Wheels. The fronts were OK.

I wanted to maintain as much length as possible and trimmed them with an air driven cut off wheel after marking them with a template. But I managed to get a couple that were just a few hundreds too long and when I tightened the adaptor and pins in position their over length (and end surfaces not being 100% flat) cocked the pins just enough that the wheels would not slide on.

After realizing this I went back over the lug bolts with my micrometer and figured out the couple that needed a touch of grinding to shorten them and re-installed and then the wheels went on OK just with thumping on the sidewalls with my palms. I learned that it doesn't take much to distort the adaptor and pin very slightly to create interference.

I think Vintage just brought out FIA wheels - is that what you are using or Trigos? Did you trim the rear lug bolts?

[DanEC]

Referring to Patrick's comments - I have dollies under the wheels of my car so I can roll it around and push it into a storage position. Even if you don't have a need for them for that purpose, I would recommend going down to Harbor Frieght and buying one of their jacking floor dollies. Even an inexpensive wheel dolly will work OK. When removing a wheel slide that thing under it and lower the cars weight to where it is just making solid contact, spin off the spinner and just slide that wheel off with the dolly and roll it aside - no lifting or straining. The beauty is that if you don't turn the rotor while doing what you need to do in there - the dolly keeps the wheel in the same exact position as you took it off in. Just roll it back in position. Make sure the hub is concentric with the wheel opening and it just slide back on perfectly with no lifting, turning to re-align pins, pulled back muscles, curse words or kicking the dog. It's vritually effortless. I'm 62 and it good shape but I just don't like lifting these heavy tires and trying to get the pins to line up correctly anymore while straining my back.

[KevinW]

Great pics, nice build.
Can I just ask, as I have sen this on a few US cars, why is Cool-It matting put on the floor and side of the car? I would not have thought it gets very hot there?

[lippy]

Originally Posted by KevinW

Great pics, nice build.
Can I just ask, as I have sen this on a few US cars, why is Cool-It matting put on the floor and side of the car? I would not have thought it gets very hot there?

The floorboards don't get hot unless you have undercar exhaust. When I installed the floorboards I realized they would vibrate, so I installed the Cool-it for sound dampening. The Cool-it in the footboxes and on the firewall are more to control heat.

[KevinW]

Thanks for the reply.

[lippy]

The right side wheel went on to the pins no problem. On the left side I used a lead hammer and "adjusted" the pins to slide into the template a bit easier, and the wheel went on with some coaxing.

But now I have another problem. On the driver's side, there is 1.5" between the back of the front tire and the fender, and when the wheel is turned, it interferes with the fender (the painted part, not the well). On the passenger side, there is 2.0" between the back of the front wheel and the fender, so it (barely) clears the fender when turned.

I assembled each side with both upper and lower A arms offset to the front, and I double checked this. The tires are correctly sized at 225/65-15. I understand the car is on the dollies and isn't yet loaded, but this seems like a problem if turning with the wheels unloaded (maybe I'd have to be flying, dunno). I'll speak with the guys at ERA tomorrow to see what they say. In the meantime any experience with this would be appreciated.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by lippy

But now I have another problem. On the driver's side, there is 1.5" between the back of the front tire and the fender, and when the wheel is turned, it interferes with the fender (the painted part, not the well). On the passenger side, there is 2.0" between the back of the front wheel and the fender, so it (barely) clears the fender when turned.

I assembled each side with both upper and lower A arms offset to the front, and I double checked this. The tires are correctly sized at 225/65-15. I understand the car is on the dollies and isn't yet loaded, but this seems like a problem if turning with the wheels unloaded (maybe I'd have to be flying, dunno). I'll speak with the guys at ERA tomorrow to see what they say. In the meantime any experience with this would be appreciated.

What size front tire are you using? I have the same interference on the driver side because I'm using a 70 series tire which is slightly taller than ERA recommends. If you are using their recommended tire size and wheel offsets you shouldn't be having that problem unless the suspension alignment (probably caster) is way out.

They cover the possibility of this driver side interference in their manual - I think it has something to do with the slight differences in the right side and left side body panels that were duplicated from the orginal car. These cars (orig and most replicas) just aren't symetrical from side to side. I had to grind the lower lip on mine slightly for clearance. I haven't touched up the paint yet because I haven't aligned the suspension. The caster/camber will affect how much interference there is.

Good deal you got the knockoffs worked out. After they have been off and on a few times, they seem to go a little easier.

[ERA Chas]

The front tires are incorrect- they should be 60 series not 65. They are too tall.

[DanEC]

I missed the tire size in Lippy's thread. Yes, those are probably the same heigth tires as my 215/70-15 tires. Same interference.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

The front tires are incorrect- they should be 60 series not 65. They are too tall.

Chas, you're right that the math says the OD of the 225/65 is larger than the OD of the 235/60. Avon doesn't make the 235/60, so ERA recommended I go with the 225/65 and mentioned there shouldn't be a problem.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by lippy

Chas, you're right that the math says the OD of the 225/65 is larger than the OD of the 235/60. Avon doesn't make the 235/60, so ERA recommended I go with the 225/65 and mentioned there shouldn't be a problem.

Well now you know there is. All the tires sizes are different per manufacturer.
I had 4 sets of Hoosier TD's, size 245 / 60 on the fronts for 8 years. Like all ERA's with any tire, the driver front will rub on the inner fender panel (where the screen vent is) and the pass side will rub a little less.
That's only at full lock at parking speeds. You're never at full lock any other time, even in auto-x.
For the record, my front BB's with 26.5" diameter had a circumference average of 82.875 to 83.187 and rubbed no worse than the TD's.
It's always wise to check circumferences and adjust up to the highest (or have a bad set shaved). Radials are more closely sized but I'd check anyway.