Prepping Aluminum

We focused efforts in a few places this week. One area was the cockpit aluminum. We finally riveted the rear of the cockpit in place.


We also slotted the transmission cover for a few wiring harnesses that need to pass through it, and set it in place with the dash and switch panel.


We went over the wiring putting the last few circuits in place. As of now, the list of things to be wired is very short. As a result, we were able to apply some zip ties to organize the wires a bit. We also pulled the plastic vacuum lines and replaced them with new rubber lined. We also finally found a home for the vacuum regulator on the front of the A/C bumpout.


We learned a lot about setting the timing and idle, and spent time in the driveway today improving the idle on the car. We think we have it set nicely, though as the water temp started to climb we noticed that the radiator fan didn't come on. I was able to ground the switch to get the fan to come on, so the problem seems to be with the thermostat itself. We put it on the punch list.

In fact, with just a few items left to do before the body goes back on, we looked at those things that needed to be done and those that could wait. So, next week should bring some BIG visual changes. Stay tuned!

It's coming together



We had a big week this week despite less than ideal weather.

The week started out well enough. My oldest son came by for a ride in the Coupe, so I took him out for a shot of adrenaline. You can hear him laughing all the way up the block after we drive by!

Then it was back to work. We installed the electricals for the remote door openers and tested them. More on those when we actually install the doors.

We cleaned up a bunch of wiring and wrapped it up nice and weathertight. We re-installed the firewall bumpout so we could put the air conditioner in place. We then started sorting through the wiring. I have one more circuit to identify so that the engine fan runs whenever the AC is turned on.

We bent the dashboard, switch panel and trnsmission tunnel covers so they will fit, then checked and updated the length of some of the switch leads so they reach the connectors behind the dash.

We drilled holes in the dash and the switch panel for the air conditioner vents (2 for each passenger).

We installed the gauges and wired them as well, then put it in the car to test the gauges. The tachometer shows the engine revs, the voltmeter shows that the alternator is charging the battery (yay!), the fuel gauge shows almost empty but it is registering. The water temp gauge started to rise after a minute or two of idle, and the oil pressure gauge seems to be working as well. I still need to wire in the clock and the warning lamps, and then we'll have the dash finished.

You can see that the gauge lights all work, though the taillights sitting in the trunk throw a red cast to the dash.

Did I mention the weather took a turn? Those are icicles on the body as we pushed it back into the garage today. Brr!

Go-Cart Milestone!

We've been waiting for a shorter tie-rod end so we could get the front wheels pointed in the same direction. It arrived today while we were enjoying 70 degree weather in the garage. The car wasn't too torn apart, so we put the new tie rod end on, tightened up the steering and suspension a bit and went for a short drive!

The car has no seats and the engine timing needs a tweak to improve the idle quality, but it was sure fun to get this thing moving for a minute! I made a couple more trips with a passenger before retreating inside due to approaching storms.

I determined that we will need an after-market gas pedal after all. I wanted to use the donor pedal to avoid the extra cost, but the pedal is just too touchy. We also realized that the brake lines on the front wheels are STILL too short. I now understand why people just buy the flexible braided steel lines, and that's what we'll be doing as well.

You may have noticed the pace of the build slowed a little during the last month. My assistant builder and I were called to duty as Santa's helpers on a little project. It's a lighted display case for 1:24 scale models. Our oldest son really likes mine, so we made him one for Christmas.

Now we're back to work on the Coupe. We wired up the radiator fan and tested it, and we removed much of the unneeded wiring under the hood and covered up the rest. We re-built the front wiring harness to add plugs like those used on trailers that can be disonnected. One plug on each side of the car will serve the headlights, fog lights and the blinkers.

We installed the horn (boy is that sucker loud!). We're also replacing four relays under the dash. I originally purchased relays that don't fit in relay mounts. The relay mounts make it easier to attach wires to the relays, and I thought that the slide on terminals I was using would be good enough. I've managed to pull a couple of the terminals off with very little effort, so we're making the change now before the dash goes in.

In the coming weeks we will be wiring in the wipers and the air conditioning, as well as the remote door openers. Happy New Year!

Tires ... and a short trip!

It took a couple of tries, but we finally have a set of blemish-free, properly sized wheels to go with the tires we received 6 months ago. We had them mounted at the local Firestone dealer, and they did a great job. It warmed up today, so we decided to put them on the car and roll it out in the sun for a few pictures.

We then gave the brakes a little test, pushing the car down the driveway and hitting the brakes. I think we still have a little air in the system.

However, with gas in the tank and daylight to spare, we pushed the car back up the driveway and started the engine. I put it in gear after a moment and let the clutch out nice and slow. The car moved off down the driveway for our first short drive! After bringing it to a stop, I couldn't get the gearshift (just an inch or two long without the shift lever attached) to drop into reverse, so we shut it down and pushed it back into the garage. We got a thumbs-up from one of the neighbors (wow this thing sounds good!).

We'll be back to work in earnest this week after making a checklist of things to tackle.

A Quiet Week

Not much progress. Some scheduled travel and some ugly weather conspired to keep us from making much headway this week. One of the wheels we received was the wrong size, and the replacement showed up this week with some significant defects on the front of the wheel. Third time's a charm, I guess!

On the plus side, only the junkyard tires are leaking anything. Brake lines, fuel lines, and coolant lines all seem to be holding up. We do have a small leak in the coolant overflow container that we've known about for a while. We might try fixing that with JB Weld.

A few sneak peeks

Now that the motor has been started a couple of times, it is time to get back to buttoning up the wiring. Since that isn't very interesting, I'm offering a few sneak peeks this week.

First up is the switch panel that will sit just above the transmission panel and below the dash. I ordered some labels that will surround the nut that holes each switch in place, and we plan to paint the switch panel and dashboard with black truck bed liner. Trust me, it'll look better than it sounds!

We received our wheels this week. One of them needs to go back as it is the wrong size, but a replacement is already on the way. Once it gets here, I'll have these mounted to the tires and post a picture with them on the car.

Finally, here is a look at the car today. Once we get the wiring cleaned up and covered up, we'll get back to bolting things onto the chassis in preparation for fitting the body.

Better Late Than Never

The BIG news is that we've started the Coupe for the first time!!!!! You can see it here. Yes, it sounds that good in person!

We made good progress on lots of small things since the last update. The electricals are coming along nicely. You might just be able to glimpse the switch panel sitting on the transmission tunnel. We drilled all of the holes to mount the switches and even bought some plastic tags to label those switches.

We still need to wire up the air conditioner and windshield wiper systems. We also need to update the wires at the front of the car for headlights, turn signals, etc. Then it will be a race to see what we can put on the car before the body has to go on for fitting, trimming, etc.

We received most of our wheels this week as well. I'll post a picture when I get some daylight.