"Inspirations" for my ERA 289

[Jim Holden]

jeffy:

Just a reminder that my current (and your proposed) Weber setup does not have a provision for a thermostat. I have ended up putting one into the upper hose and blocking off the oil cooler in an effort to try and get some heat into the motor.

Jim

PS: Danny said, after rebuilding my set of Webers, that he would never do another set... so, I hope you are buying new.
FYI: My current motor is a Dart (4.25") iron block with Dart aluminum heads. The block has four bolt mains on all of the mains and required a custom (Stef) oil pan. I believe that AVIAD now makes a pan for this application.

[jeffy]

Originally Posted by Jim Holden

jeffy:

Just a reminder that my current (and your proposed) Weber setup does not have a provision for a thermostat. I have ended up putting one into the upper hose and blocking off the oil cooler in an effort to try and get some heat into the motor.

Jim

PS: Danny said, after rebuilding my set of Webers, that he would never do another set... so, I hope you are buying new.
FYI: My current motor is a Dart (4.25") iron block with Dart aluminum heads. The block has four bolt mains on all of the mains and required a custom (Stef) oil pan. I believe that AVIAD now makes a pan for this application.

Hi Jim-

Yes, we are going with new Webers; parts availability has improved a lot recently, I'm told. Rick Parker mentioned the thermostat issue to me as well, and has a plan for how to tackle it during the winter. We'll see how that works out. Thanks for passing along your solution; not sure what we'll do there.

We are using a 289 production block with the Dart aluminum heads and an AVIAD pan (used, if we can find a good one).

Hope things are all well!

Jeff

[ENTDOC]

lose the red and blue fittings on the webers, it would look much better. take some Easy Off oven cleaner to them and they will come out dull silver, just as they should be.

[jeffy]

Originally Posted by Jim Holden

jeffy:

Just a reminder that my current (and your proposed) Weber setup does not have a provision for a thermostat.

Hi Jim-

I just spoke to Dan on this issue, and he says that the 48 IDA's are now available with a built-in thermostat, which the original racing Webers did not have. We're good here.

Jeff

[Jim Holden]

Jeff:

There is a 48IDA intake for the small block Ford that does incorporate a standard thermostat (single water outlet) setup. I am not aware of any two outlet style that has a thermostat. If there is one out there I sure would like to know about it.

Jim

[jeffy]

Guess I'm getting the single outlet...Dan knows best!

[jeffy]

Another detail from the Sebring cars I'm going to copy is the early MK1 Cobra badge: it has a blue background rather than the usual white. This is the hood of CSX 2127:



I just recently found this badge available from Cobra Spares in the UK:

[jeffy]

I was talking to Chuck at Cobra Restorers about some original spec Stewart-Warner gauges, when I asked him if he knew what red AC used on the 289s, in particular CSX 2129, the red 1963 Sebring car, #98, raced by Ken Miles. He thinks that AC used British Leyland colors, rather then their own blends, and that the red was most likely Signal Red, popular on Triumphs, Jaguars and Austins. Here is a nice looking TR4A in Signal Red:



And another:



And a nice little TR2 (that someone added a TR3 front panel and grill to):



I'm going to ask Tony to work up a sample when the time comes. It reminds me of the red that the NY Giants use for the numerals on their white "away" jerseys, and the body of what they call their "alternate" jerseys, which inspired me to choose red in the first place:

[PDUB]

Jeffy,

Have you found the paint code for the Signal Red yet? Looks really nice!

Thanks