9/28/08 Cobra Update - Cleaning Up Loose Ends
Things have been pretty busy around here since go-carting earlier in the month. Can you believe that it's going to be October this week? I can't.After go-carting the first time, I realized I need to adjust the throttle pedal. You might have noticed I revved it pretty good at the stop sign, and again rolling into the garage. Well, I didn't do that because it sounded cool (although it did); my sandals were pressing the throttle pedal as I was pressing the brake. It didn't help that the brakes were soft and needed another bleeding. Good thing the clutch was in...
Once those adjustments were made, I starting working on the dashboard. We started by filling the holes for the light switch and a couple of switches (turn signal & wiper) by using some aluminum foil tape on the back, and filling the front-side with some JB Weld, and sanding it flush. Love that stuff.
After some deliberation, we decided to forgo the thickly-padded vinyl provided by Factory Five, and use leather instead. There's a Tandy Leather store just a few blocks away, so I picked up some really nice black leather - 1/2 a cow's worth. I also picked up some craft felt from JoAnn's Fabrics for a little padding.
Here's the leather getting cut:
Then, after much contact cement, I was able to wrap it all up:

All of which, ended in a pretty nice result:

After the leather, I went to work on the dashboard wiring. What started like this:
The black tube hose-clamped to the tach is a shift light. It's programmable by using the buttons on the front of the tachometer, and ended up using the existing hole my dad & I cut back in April for another light. Talk about lucky.
The little black box on the far left is the turn-signal module. I have uploaded what - in my estimation - is probably the most exciting video I've ever seen. You can see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/caropepe/2877517447/
Along with the dashboard, I managed to get the side-pipes painted. There are only a few options when it comes to the pipes. Paint or ceramic coatings are the first decision. Then you have to pick a color. White, black, and polished are pretty much the only colors you'll see. I decided on black paint because, a) it's inexpensive and, b) I think it looks badass:
The end result looks something like this:
All in all, it doesn't seem all that different. But believe me, it's getting a lot more sorted out, and reliable. Oh, on my last go-cart ride I wound it out to about 4-grand in first gear. Oh. My. The sound! The acceleration! Unbelievable!
I'm running out of things to tidy up. Then the remaining aluminum gets mounted. Then the body!
Thanks for reading.
--Joe
This Post:
http://garage.caropepe.com/home/ffr_cobra_project/FFR_Build_Diary/2008-09-28_cleaning_up_loose_ends.html
All Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caropepe/tags/mybuild/
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