Progress on #782

[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

[Mando]

WOW.

Regards.

[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.

[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]

Re-bled the brakes today and now have a hard and high pedal. I think Doug's suggestion that Kevin2 mentioned, of jacking the rear of the car up as high as possible, did the trick - although the short drive I took last week could have moved some of the air out of the master cylinders to where it would bleed. Looks like I'm ready for tags and registration now.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

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

Chas - for the O.C. bunch in the crowd (it's curse when you do your own body and paint work) I do have a solution for the wheel lip stone chips. I took 7/32 ID neoprene, vacuum hose and split it length wise. I put a little dab of 3M dum dum caulking inside it at a few points for some stick-um and pushed them over the exposed fender lips behind the tires. Pretty much invisible on a black car. I have a set of static cling clear rear wheel fender protectors made for the 63/67 Corvette that should protect that area. I've had them on my 66 Vette for about 12 years. Also purchased some Cleartastic body film for the rocker panels but I'm not sure I'm going to use it yet, depends how aggressive the adhesive is.

Cleartastic Corvette & Camaro Paint Protection 1800 778 9898

I thought it was similar to the static cling material on my Corvette which they may produce.

63-67 Behind Rear Wheel Protection

If so it is a weak adhesive that allows easy removal and re-application.

And I have ERA's rear fender vinyl protectors but I haven't installed them yet.

No solution for the blasted exhaust pipes or sun-dried vinyl (except vinyl protectant.

All for the O.C. minded right now.

[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 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

[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.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by DanEC

Still getting used to the shifter a little - manage to almost make a couple 3rd gear starts - almost.

Maybe ask Bob to swap you for a different one in their inventory. Yours is like new and tell him you want the softest one he has.
BTW, I put a black zip tie on mine (very tight) at the very top ring to hold it on the shifter where I wanted it. Worked a charm, no creeping up. You can't see the tie if you use a 4"- long one.
Since I can't get a hat or tee from Cliff after all the brilliant contributions I made (), how about a 'Team DanEC' hat er somethin' ?

[KevinW]

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

[ERA Chas]

You do not have OCD-you have OCM.
Obsessive-compulsive MANIA...
-and a 3000 pound ERA...

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

-and a 3000 pound ERA...

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I've kind of outlived my fascination with personally experiencing the need for speed at all cost, so an extra 50 or 60 lbs probably won't be an issue. I may have nearly set a record weight for an ERA - you know the cigarette lighter, ash tray, steel heads, insulation, undercoating, street bumpers, wipers, etc.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I may have nearly set a record weight for an ERA - you know the cigarette lighter, ash tray, steel heads, insulation, undercoating, street bumpers, wipers, etc.

Yes-I know
Now I know you don't smoke so you could have saved 1.1 pounds right there!
But those iron heads-that's at least 44 pounds off the nose. Or the battery swapping 39 pounds from the nose to the trunk-it's not a speed thing but better balance...
I know-you'll wow them in the parking lot.

[kevins2]

Great news Dan, getting the car registered is a step that will feel really good. As for the brakes, my pedal firmed up just from driving it around. I don't understand the science behind that, but someone suggested that would happen in my thread when I was complaining about the soft pedal.

Regardless, glad you got your remaining issues resolved and can move on.

Kevin

[strictlypersonl]

Until the pads are "worn in", any (even minor) misalignment shows itself in a softer pedal.

[DanEC]

Well, this winter weather just won't give up so it may be a while before I can bed my brakes in any. While I'm waiting I'm back to thinking about tackling the soft top. I can't get my garage above about 62 deg but I thought about putting an electric space heater on the floor board (with the seat out) and see if that would heat the top up as it's draped over the bows. Maybe just do the rear lift-a-dots for now and save the front channel for a truly warm day.

Then again - maybe not - maybe I'll just polish it some more until sping shows up.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by DanEC

... but I thought about putting an electric space heater on the floor board (with the seat out) and see if that would heat the top up as it's draped over the bows.

Well, we haven't had a good "my car caught on fire in my garage" thread in quite some time....