ERA 2136 Build Log

[289fia_cobra]

so.... breakfast on Saturday?

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by 289fia_cobra

so.... breakfast on Saturday?

You bet ... see you then!

[xb-60]

Congratulations Tim!
I looked back to post #1 and it's dated 09-01-2009, and now you've finally got your plates and tags. Well done, and great build thread. Thanks for sharing the build of ERA 2136 with us. One day soon I'll get of the "wannabe" blocks and work my way to the point you're at now.
Cheers!
Glen

[tkb289]

Thanks Glen !

Not a speedy build that's for sure, but it's been fun. Just a few things to wrap up then I can call it done.

When the time comes, I look forward to following an xb-60 build thread

[tkb289]

Well the paperwork part of the project is completely done. Today I received the Title (Pink Slip) in the mail ... so it's official

Have a few things to look into ... one of which is I need to checkout out the battery. Was headed out last Saturday to breakfast with the south bay contingent of the BACC and the car would not start !!?! Hopefully it's something simple.

[m5extc]

Hey Tim,

Let me know if you need a hand diagnosing it. Hope it is simple as well!

Andrei

[tkb289]

Andrei,

Sent you a PM ... Thanks!

[Tom Howland]

Tim, check the ground straps. Battery,frame,block. Battery volts should be 12.5 or more.

[289fia_cobra]

Any news on the battery/start issue?

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by 289fia_cobra

Any news on the battery/start issue?

There is ... short answer is it's fixed, likely a poor electrical connection.

After letting the car sit for a week, I took the battery out and over to Andrei's shop (Thanks Andrei) where it passed a load test no problem. That was with no prior charging since the time the car failed to start. So that tells me the battery is in very good shape. The battery terminals and cable connections were clean and tight, as was the ground cable connection to the frame. Those were the only connections that were disturbed to take the battery out and put back in.

It's possible the starter solenoid did not function properly, hard to say as everything looked good. It starts well now and the charging voltage is correct, but I will keep and eye on it. Since the 289 is more akin to a British roadster than the 427 ... I should expect some electrical issues from time to time, right ?

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by tkb289

......

Originally Posted by *13*

Get some undercoating on that spare tire tub, quick! Other than that it looks awesome!

Well *13* will be proud …


Not quick mind you, but a few weeks ago I finally painted the spare tire tray.

As noted in another thread, I used Klean Strip Prep All, Transtar 4613 Black Primer and SEM 39143 Trim Black Paint.

Most of the time was spent in preparation as is usually the case when painting. Masked the area, cleaned the surface, and draped the entire car with sheets, so no chance of overspray.

Two light coats of primer and three light coats of paint. The end result turned out as good as I hoped for.

[tkb289]

Well I am ready to call it done!

I now have 1,500 miles on the Cobra, so far so good … I absolutely love it. My goal was to get the car completely done by the 50th anniversary celebration of the Cobra, at Laguna Seca this month and we made it.

Three years ago today, I was on my way home from my visit to ERA and would start this build log on 8/31/09. Now three years and 33 pages later, 2136 is finally complete. There are sure to be some tweaks here and there as time goes by, but nothing major. What follows is an overall summary …

The key components:
- ERA 289 FIA 'Street' Cobra roller / Custom dual roll bar config, a first for an ERA FIA / Fully wired body & dash / ERA optional rear suspension (3.54 posi) / Custom dash & seats for 6'-4" driver.
- Paint and bodywork by Connecticut Custom.
- Ford 302 by Tom Lucas FE Specialities, iron heads and block, 360HP, Dynomax mufflers.
- QuickTime bell housing, clutch setup & parts, TKO 600 with 0.82 OD from Mike Forte.
- FIA Wheels by Phil Schmidt - PSE.

Driving impressions:
- With a relatively mild 360HP 302 the car is quick, responsive and fun to drive.
- The ride is firm but not harsh, the car handles very well.
- I am now more accustomed to the brakes and how much pedal pressure it takes to stop quickly. This was the biggest adjustment, as this is my first car without power brakes.
- The motor is excellent. Starts up from cold and easy to drive right away thanks to the manual choke. Has a nice lope at idle, can handle stop & go traffic (180F to 190F water temp), starts easily when it's hot and pulls well from about 2500 to redline.
- Clutch take up is smooth and easy, and the TKO600 shifts very nicely, a pleasure to drive.

Hardest Part:
- The wait for the car … but that was a given going in and did allow me the luxury of time to pour over all of the choices & options.
- The color … we finally nailed it, but it was not easy.

Initial Issues:
- The wipers did not work, found a connector that was not fully seated.
- The gas gauge does not read more than 2/3 Full when the tank is actually full, but as the tank approaches Empty the gauge is very accurate.
- Still tracking down an intermittent short in the instrument panel light circuit … will dig into that one during the rainy season.
- I had to fabricate some parts for the clutch slave cylinder setup & make a boot for the clutch fork / bell housing.

The 'Do Over' List … Thankfully very short.
- Have ERA or Connecticut Custom paint the spare tire well.

Recommendations for those considering building a car or having one built:
- Is short some wise words from some folks on the forum … Build the car of your dreams, not someone else's & Build the best car you can afford to finish.
- If you can, have the motor run in on a dyno … so nice knowing it will start, run and not leak. One less thing to have to think about.
- Do your homework, the build is a lot of the fun.

I can see the attraction of doing more of the build, and also the attraction of a car that's turnkey ready to go. For me installing the driveline and finishing up the interior was the right amount of work.

All the suppliers I worked with are excellent, especially Peter / Bob / John and the crew at ERA. They design, engineer and build a fine automobile. Walt Senior & Junior at Connecticut Custom did an outstanding job on the body work and paint. Tom Lucas at FE Specialties, built exactly the motor I was looking for.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST … A huge thank you to all that have contributed to this thread, offered comments, suggestions and encouragement, along with thanks to all those that came by to lend a hand. Thanks also to those that contributed to the many threads I started along the way, and I have to thank my family as well for their support to see this dream come true. I have met some great people along the way and made many new friends.

TIME TO DRIVE IT !!!

[xb-60]

Tim - what a great post to mark the end of the build phase for your FIA. IMHO, Peter should give you a percentage rebate for the free advertising and publicity your build has given to that great bunch of guys at ERA! As a "Street" FIA, yours has to be the best I have seen. Your pictures do it justice.
Congratulations.
Cheers,
Glen

[*13*]

What a great looking car! The spare tire tub, especially!

[289fia_cobra]

Well, at least someone has their picture for Tom's calender! I gotta get crackin' on one!
Well done Tim. I'm happy you built the car your way. In many respects, it is the sleeper of our group next to Steve's.

Have you ever figured out your initial gas mileage yet? I know it's a bit early but it's good to track - it should get better after another 2-3K on the odo. Your 302 should hopefully give you about 24mpg or 25mpg at a constant 65mph... heck, maybe even better. My 347 achieved 22mpg at a constant 70mph along 101 between SLO and Santa Barbra and I didn't have your gearing so I'm hopeful (makes going on long trips less stressful knowing you don't have to stop as much.)

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Tim - what a great post to mark the end of the build phase for your FIA. IMHO, Peter should give you a percentage rebate for the free advertising and publicity your build has given to that great bunch of guys at ERA! As a "Street" FIA, yours has to be the best I have seen. Your pictures do it justice.
Congratulations.
Cheers,
Glen

Thanks Glen ... I wanted to wrap things up with some final thoughts. The build took longer that I thought it would but it's also amazing how quickly three years passes. The build was fun, well worth time and effort.

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by *13*

What a great looking car! The spare tire tub, especially!

Thank you sir!

I just love all those little details

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by 289fia_cobra

Well, at least someone has their picture for Tom's calender! I gotta get crackin' on one!
Well done Tim. I'm happy you built the car your way. In many respects, it is the sleeper of our group next to Steve's.

Have you ever figured out your initial gas mileage yet? I know it's a bit early but it's good to track - it should get better after another 2-3K on the odo. Your 302 should hopefully give you about 24mpg or 25mpg at a constant 65mph... heck, maybe even better. My 347 achieved 22mpg at a constant 70mph along 101 between SLO and Santa Barbra and I didn't have your gearing so I'm hopeful (makes going on long trips less stressful knowing you don't have to stop as much.)

Herman ... Thanks!

Get that camera going! Have not figured out the mileage yet, hopefully it's in the same range as your 347, that's impressive.

Still trying to figure out exactly just how much gas I can get in the tank from empty. Seems to be about 11 - 12 gallons, so about a 200 - 250 mile range ? ... mileage will vary of course.

[pliot_guy]

I was finally able to read this entire thread ! Thanks for sharing this Tim. I really like the aircraft feel of the cockpit.

[tkb289]

pliot_guy,

Thanks! I am very happy the way it all turned out.

To go through the whole thread, that's a lot of reading