Finally on the road ... sorta ...

[gfigms]

Got through the title and registration issues, got the plates and put it on the road. First thing that happened was a couple of castle nuts worked loose and are history Lowes had some replacements.

Couple of oilfluid leaks, but will address those when I take the body back off for sandingprimerpaint.

Was driving around the block a couple of times to calibrate the speedometer and it wouldn't. Called Summit and they sent another one. It was also defective. They sent a third one and this one finally worked.

Took it for a little drive after getting the speedometer calibrated (checking it against my GPS) and "bang!" putt, putt, putt barely made home. Tried to restart and nothing, just cranks. Pulled the cap and the rotor tab was broken and pointing 45 degrees towards somewhere else. Ran down to the auto parts store and got a new rotor. Cranked it and it back fired turned the distributor a bit and it back fired. Tired the other direction and it back fired. Pulled the plugs, located top dead center and you guess it, 180 out. The rotor from Pertronix came installed in the distributor backwards even with the little locator tabs, they managed to install it backwards. Relocated #1 on the cap, rewired the plug wires and it fired right up and purrs.

Out driving today and in the middle of MacArthur and Royal Lane (one of the busiest intersections in the Dallas area) it dies. Just like you had turned the key off. Noticed the Holley Red pump was not making any noise. Checked fuse, connections, nothing. Then after about 3 minutes the pump starts again, I fire it up and go on my way about another 2 miles and same thing. Managed to nurse it home, called Holley tech support and they say it is a bad winding in the pump replace it. Went back to the auto parts store and got another one under warranty exchange and it seems to run good now but, we will see carrying a spare pump just in case.

Was out cleaning the car up a bit after my run today (water puddles and big tires don't mix) and notice very severe scoring of the front rotors almost to the point they look like they need to be taken off and turned. I called Wilwood and told them I didn't think a 1400 lb car with less than 100 miles on it should the rotors look like they need to be replaced. They asked that I send them some pictures, which I did, and they would get back to me.

And the saga continues

Milt Atkinson
Highland Village TX

 

[putz]

Congratulation on license.Aren't homebuilt cars fun? It will get better after the bugs are all fixed any pics?

 

[Humidi-T]

Congratulation on license.Aren't homebuilt cars fun? It will get better after the bugs are all fixed any pics?

Do the bugs get all fixed, or do they just become harder to find?

 

[RocknT]

Congrats.. Now the real fun begins

 

[sharpmark]

ha ha -welcome to the world of homebuilt cars-although you seem to have more of a problem with things that wern't in your control as oppposed to stuff you cocked up youself. its still good to be out there driving tho isn't it??

 

[AZCOWBO]

I certainly can relate. The "Billet-T" fired right up ran great for a 30mi and went down hill from there. I pulled the intake and discovered the rubber end gaskets had blown, replaced the Mallory dual point set-up with a MSD electronic, buttoned it up and nothing, no fire, no nothing. Called Summit and they had sent me a MSD-1, which requires a little $140 box, that a MSD-20 vacumn advance is what I really needed for the Demon Jr. 525s. Now am waiting for it this week. The good news is a cold front is moving through and the temp droppping to 102, The bad news/good news is it is supposed to rain Fri. thru the weekend.

 

[jdwhip]

i also can relate--coming out of ok city from the car show there---module in the dist blew up--just happened to stop on 1-35 in front a guys house that had a wrecker in the front yard--man was he helpful at 5 pm on a sunday envening
God provides

 

[gfigms]

Re: Finally on the road ... sorta ... Update

Wilwood called back after I sent them the pictures of the rotors and said the reason they looked like junkwhatever was I had not bedded the pads ... now I have bedded a lot of "things" in my time, but brake pads were not on the list.

After figuring out what they were talking about, I guess I am at fault. Will take the rotors to work in the morning and have them turned. Put inon new bearing and seals and use my bench belt sander to scuff up the pads a bit.

Will wait until early Sunday morning when they should be little to no traffic and take the Bucket out some back roads to attempt to "bed the pads". If it works, great. If not, I am looking at $150 for new rotors, $65 for new pads.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Milt Atkinson
Highland Village TX

 

[jbisme]

As you are finding out, stay close to home for the first 300 miles. During that time, go around the car and check the bolts on everything. Don't forget to check the lug nuts. I have 2 aquaintances who learned this the hard way.