Build thread - Resurrection of an old Contemporary

767Jockey · #1 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Agreed, and I'm still laughing at the slight to ERA.

No slight intended, they build a fine product. They want no part of selling me parts, they can't seem to get off the phone fast enough. I understand their position, I'm not criticizing them, it just is what it is. I don't want to lose this thread into a pissin' contest about ERA. I love their cars. I needed parts, they wouldn't sell to me. That's all there is to it.

patrickt · #2 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

No slight intended, they build a fine product. They want no part of selling me parts, they can't seem to get off the phone fast enough. I understand their position, I'm not criticizing them, it just is what it is. I don't want to lose this thread into a pissin' contest about ERA. I love their cars. I needed parts, they wouldn't sell to me. That's all there is to it.

OK, uhhh, maybe if you landed safely in the Hudson?

aks801 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 01:15 PM

Great build thread so far!!! Chances are pretty darn good I won't be buying a Contemporary, but this is great stuff for any "roadster" fan.

Sure looking forward to seeing pics of that newly painted body being delivered.

767Jockey · #4 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aks801

Great build thread so far!!! Chances are pretty darn good I won't be buying a Contemporary, but this is great stuff for any "roadster" fan.

Sure looking forward to seeing pics of that newly painted body being delivered.

I'm waiting for the truck as I write this.

gkellogg · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 02:37 PM

Great story! I really enjoyed reading about the diamond in the rough. Too bad for the kid selling the car. He shoulda done some homework. I'll look forward to reading/viewing more.

Hope your health problems work out ok soon.

767Jockey · #6 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gkellogg

Great story! I really enjoyed reading about the diamond in the rough. Too bad for the kid selling the car. He shoulda done some homework. I'll look forward to reading/viewing more.

Hope your health problems work out ok soon.

Funny thing is, he wasn't a kid, he was a fairly well off man. This was one of his many toys, the other car I saw was a new pristine Ferrari. I think he just didn't care.

767Jockey · #7 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 03:03 PM

It lives - the body is back. Old Man Shelby would probably sue me if he knew I put a GM color on a replica of his car. It's from a late 80's GMC truck, Metallic Indigo Blue with Wimbledon White stripes. I know it's fashionable these days to say "Oh, no - another blue Cobra with white stripes". I just really like the way it looks, and when I was a kid the poster on my bedroom wall was a dark blue Cobra with white stripes. The dream festered all these years, and now it's becoming reality. Actually the dream was for a real one but I'm over a million shy right now - maybe tomorrow!

It's almost gale force winds out here today so I rolled it right into the garage, so you really can't see the color too well, but it's a really neat color. You can see that the old hood scoop issue I was writing about was solved with one call to the Kirkham's. They were terrific, I told them what I was trying to do with a CCX, and they thought it was a pretty neat project and they are happy to work with me. I bought an aluminum scoop from them and it fit absolutely perfectly. I also bought their billet hydraulic reservoirs, they're a work of art. Not 100% "correct" but really, really close, and light years ahead in quality from the PVC glue cans that are the originals. At least I don't have to worry about brake fluid leaks killing the paint. I'll paint them black and use the original clamps and very, very few will notice the difference. I like the way the colors worked out, I hope some of you guys do too.

Now I have essentially two separate projects - it seems like I'm always waiting on parts of some sort, now when I have no chassis parts I'll work on the body and electrical, when I have nothing to work on there I can return to the chassis. I bought a brand new custom configured Ron Francis wiring harness. I'll remove what's left of the old one and start over. I can't bear the thought of constantly chasing down electrical gremlins for the rest of the time I own the car, so I went all out with Ron, and spent whatever was necessary to get a top of the line harness for the car. It's got relays for all three fans, a fuel pump relay and crash switch for the fuel pump, it'll have Lucas indicator lights, switches and correct knobs on everything, all correct Smiths gauges (they went out to Nisonger yesterday for rebuild, so no trouble there), a complete grounding kit, the batteries will be replicas of the originals and mounted in the proper location behind the passenger seat. I'm pretty excited to really get rolling on the car, my intent is not to cut corners on ANYTHING. The fuel pump came today, it's a 250 GPH comp. Mallory electric pump with 8AN in and out, and a built in 8AN bypass line. I'll run 1/2" hard line for fuel lines and bypass lines, that should keep the thirsty beast satisfied. I expect that the sway bar setup for the rear will arrive on the 17th, I just got the tracking number from Speedway Engineering. This should be fun.

It figures, I wait all this time for the body to come, and now it comes and I can't work on it tomorrow. I've got a Doctors appointment in the city to see about my treatment options; surgery, radiation or both. I am hoping for radiation so that I can keep working on the car, surgery will lay me up for a while. I'll go stir crazy in bed knowing it's finally down there and I wouldn't feel up to working on it for a while if I have surgery. The parts and body finally came at a perfect time to keep my mind off of all the crap that's going on. I can't wait to just dive into this thing. Electrical is my weakest area, but I figured what better way to know every wire in the car and teach myself to repair anything that goes wrong than to bite the bullet and install everything myself. Ron Francis has been terrific, they assure me that any issues I run into they will be there to guide me through. I hope they don't get tired of hearing from me!

I sure hope you guys aren't bored with this thread, my car is certainly not anywhere near the incredible ERA that Fred is building, that's way beyond my means. This has turned into a true labor of love for me, and therapy in a difficult time. I look forward to long hours in the garage, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Clapton playing softly on the garage radio as I relax and drift away from hard reality and into Cobra-land.......This thread and this project are just what I need at this time. It'll never be Fred's car, but it'll be the best I can do. I think it'll turn out to be a pretty nice car, and I plan on enjoying it for a while.

767Jockey · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

OK, uhhh, maybe if you landed safely in the Hudson?

Then I'd make enough money from speaking engagements that I'd be knocking on the Kirkham's door right now!