Progress on #782 - Page 28

1795 · #**541** (**permalink**) 06-27-2014, 04:10 PM

Looks really nice Dan. At this point, I think that it is time to drive and enjoy the car. Save any further carb work for bad weather.

DanEC · #**542** (**permalink**) 06-27-2014, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1795

Looks really nice Dan. At this point, I think that it is time to drive and enjoy the car. Save any further carb work for bad weather.

Agreed - but we seem to have entered a monsoon period - I come home every afternoon to showers and thunderstorms. It's raining lightly right now just as it has been for the last 4 hours. Hoping for a break in the morning and and a chance to get out before they move back in for the afternoon.

ERA Chas · #**543** (**permalink**) 06-27-2014, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanEC

Agreed - but we seem to have entered a monsoon period - I come home every afternoon to showers and thunderstorms.

Perfect time to send the carbs out...

DanEC · #**544** (**permalink**) 06-27-2014, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Perfect time to send the carbs out...

I'm trying to be optimistic.

66gtk · #**545** (**permalink**) 06-27-2014, 05:30 PM

Where did you get those vacuum secondaries covers? Mine look cheap as they are black plastic.

DanEC · #**546** (**permalink**) 06-28-2014, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66gtk

Where did you get those vacuum secondaries covers? Mine look cheap as they are black plastic.

I ordered from Summit. They are a Holley part - HY-20-28. They have a little different appearance from originals in the 60s from what I can tell from pictures but that's what Holley sells now. There's a big bump on top of them that serves absolutely no purpose that I can see.

prp289 · #**547** (**permalink**) 07-28-2014, 08:54 PM

Like the sanding tool you made, I will be starting the body wok on my car this weekend. Goodtimes....

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanEC

Progress has slowed down due to work in the last couple of months. But, I'm still plugging away at body work.

I got the wheel well openings roughed in fine. After that I've been working on matching up all the panels and smoothing out the match-mold lines. A lot of this is just rough fill to get things up flush and then I will have to skim coat over the top and a good portion of the panels for the final block sanding. The trunk lid area and upper front edge of the doors have taken the most work to get everything matching up. I don't think any of it is out of the ordinary however. I made up a couple of tools for finishing the rounded cockpit edges. The simple wood tool has worked best so far.

I started out using Rage Extreme - figuring most expensive had to be the best. However, I tried some Rage Gold on the cockpit edges and I think I'm going to switch over to it as it seems a little easier to work with and sand.

The motor is pretty much all squared away at Keith Craft but I have them holding off on assembly until I get further along. After frantic research into what to use for a dual quad intake for a Street car I found a nice 427 low riser manifold and I'm having it professionally re-skinned (refinished) at a resto shop. I've seen his work on the Corvette Forum site and they come out looking like brand new.

Well - back to sanding, and sanding some more.

DanEC · #**548** (**permalink**) 08-25-2014, 01:55 PM

Although I have a 4-post lift in my garage, today was the first day I've had the Cobra up on it so I thought I would clean it up underneath and take a few pictures. It also gives a good view of the undercar exhaust system. Too hot to do much else.

Photo of 2-1/2 inch tail pipes up and over axle. Can't really see it but there is about 1/4 inch clearance to the frame and about 3/8 inch to the tire. Tight but OK so far. They have muffler wrap and there is a hanger at the top that holds them firmly in place.

Muffler hanger I fabricated.

Interestingly the small oil drip down the block plate has seemed to dry up. However the toploader is dripping from about every place imagineable.

As Patrick recommended - drivetrain ground to frame.

[url=http://s125.photobucket.com/user/dclemans/media/ERA%20Cobra/IMG_2719_zps90c16607.jpg.html]

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As dyslexia would have it, I noticed today that I managed to mount the front coil over marked R on the left side and vice-a-versa. Guess I need to ask Bob if it really matters and need to be reversed.

ERA Chas · #**549** (**permalink**) 08-25-2014, 03:25 PM

Dan,
If the lower rad hose is touching the antiroll bar, you can zip tie a piece of rubber or vinyl (like an old car mat piece) in place to stop chafing. The hose expands slightly when hot.

DanEC · #**550** (**permalink**) 08-25-2014, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Dan,
If the lower rad hose is touching the antiroll bar, you can zip tie a piece of rubber or vinyl (like an old car mat piece) in place to stop chafing. The hose expands slightly when hot.

I'll have to check. I think it clears the roll bar OK but I did notice again today that it only clears the steering rack by about 1/8 to 3/16 inch.

DanEC · #**551** (**permalink**) 02-18-2015, 04:32 PM

I updated my post #488 on page 33 with some lessons learned on my experiences with fitting my roadster top.

1795 · #**552** (**permalink**) 02-18-2015, 05:58 PM

Dan,

The description of your process should be very helpful to others contemplating doing their own top. I am a little jealous of how nice the top looks without the roll bar extension at the back. It has a much smoother line. The tops, and tonneau covers definitely do shrink and expand quite a bit based upon the ambient temperature and direct sunlight. I left my top on all winter, as I plan on taking the car out in the spring as soon as the snow melts and I knew that it would be much more difficult fitting the top cold.

Jim

Detroit Bill · #**553** (**permalink**) 02-18-2015, 07:03 PM

I just read the whole tread, ok I confess I skimmed quite a bit of it. What a journey. How many miles are on it now?

kevins2 · #**554** (**permalink**) 02-18-2015, 07:27 PM

I got my top just a few days ago and will be fitting it this Spring when the weather warms up enough. I downloaded ERA's soft top instruction manual and also copied Dan's process into a file for reference, so I now have a greatly enhanced instruction manual. Thanks Dan, your very detailed descriptions will be a tremendous help. I was going to say I owe you a beer, but a steak dinner is probably more like it.

Kevin

DanEC · #**555** (**permalink**) 02-19-2015, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

I just read the whole tread, ok I confess I skimmed quite a bit of it. What a journey. How many miles are on it now?

I'm somewhat embarassed to say but about 300. Had a few teething problems, been sick, still working half time, wife comes up with things for me to do - but I also have a couple other old cars that it shares time with. So, what can I say.

DanEC · #**556** (**permalink**) 02-19-2015, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevins2

I got my top just a few days ago and will be fitting it this Spring when the weather warms up enough. I downloaded ERA's soft top instruction manual and also copied Dan's process into a file for reference, so I now have a greatly enhanced instruction manual. Thanks Dan, your very detailed descriptions will be a tremendous help. I was going to say I owe you a beer, but a steak dinner is probably more like it.

Kevin

Shoot Kevin - wished I lived closer now.

I guess it was in your PM that you mentioned the roll bar leg. Not sure of the best way to deal with working the top around that - glad I didn't have that to mess with. I think I would be inclined to pull the rear leg if possible, fit the top, slice the top and install the leg, and lay the patch over it and mark the top with a crayon where it needs to be spliced in. Sounds like a good question for Jack at ERA if you haven't already asked him about it. But I know you will figure it out.

Thanks Dan

1795 · #**557** (**permalink**) 02-19-2015, 04:34 PM

Kevin,

If you want to take a spin up to western NY you can take a look at my top. Jack installed mine, so you an get a good look at what he is talking about. I am about 5 hours away. Nice wine country up here, you could make a weekend trip.

Jim

kevins2 · #**558** (**permalink**) 02-19-2015, 05:36 PM

Hi Jim,

Thanks, that's a nice offer and I'll let you know. I have family in Owego, NY, which is about 2 hours from you. Maybe if I get up there, I can figure out a way to make it the rest of the way.

Kevin

1795 · #**559** (**permalink**) 02-20-2015, 01:04 PM

Kevin,

Sounds good. Send me a PM if it looks like you might end up this way and I will send you my cell phone number. Would like the opportunity to see your car if it happens to make the trip.

Jim

DanEC · #**560** (**permalink**) 02-22-2015, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1795

Dan,

The tops, and tonneau covers definitely do shrink and expand quite a bit based upon the ambient temperature and direct sunlight. I left my top on all winter, as I plan on taking the car out in the spring as soon as the snow melts and I knew that it would be much more difficult fitting the top cold.

Jim

I can second this. I let my car sit in the sun awhile when I installed the top this Fall and had my bow adjusters turned out about 1/4 to 3/8 inch to tighten the fabric. When I noticed later it was pulling on the upper part of my windshield frame I screwed the adjusters back to 0 which left a bit of slack in the top - I could push it up above the bow an 1/8 inch without any effort. I checked it today and the top seems just as tight on top n0w as before.