July 2017 Newsletter

June 23, 2017

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Past newsletters and the ETCG Blog can be found here.

Burning Out

I’ve been working non stop for what seems like forever and it’s starting to wear me out. Well, perhaps I’ve been worn out for a while and I’m just now starting to notice it.

I’m very happy that I’ll be taking a weeklong vacation in July, but I fear it may not be enough. It seems that in my world I need to work twice as hard to take time off. That means I need to double my work effort both before and after a break. It’s getting old.

I believe I’ve mentioned this in the past, but after I complete the work on the Fairmont, I plan to take it for a long drive. Get away from all this for a bit, and regroup. I don’t think it’s a choice at this point. If I keep going like I’ve been going, I feel there will be nothing left and I will have lost all desire to do what I do, or anything at all for that matter. I don’t want that.

This means that there will likely be a gap in videos for a bit. I’m not sure when, or for how long. I just know that it’s the only way I’ll get a break. I’ll be sure to give plenty of warning before that happens. Just know that it’s coming.

#TheFairmontProject

I have been making great progress on the build. To be honest, my happiest place right now is in the shop working on the car. It brings me a lot of joy. Frustration too, but more joy when those frustrations are overcome. I also like working in the shop alone, away from my desk and the rest of the world. It feels very zen.

This month I started on the wiring. It’s a big task, but one I find very cathartic. Wiring often looks worse than it is. It’s really just one wire at a time. Yes, there are hundreds of wires, but when you take them on one at a time, it’s not that bad.

I was planning on installing an entirely new harness from Painless Wiring. They sent me an awesome kit to use. Unfortunately, in order for me to do that, I’d have to re-pin every connector on the car, or splice each wire in. I simply didn’t want to invest that kind of time. Also, I couldn’t figure out where to mount the new fuse box. It’s very tall compared to my old one, and would not fit in the stock location. I do regret not using it, but it hasn’t gone to waste. I’ve been “borrowing” wires and parts from it when needed.

Instead I’ve opted for a ‘hybrid’ system. I’m using all the existing wiring for things like lights and turn signals, but creating separate circuits for all my new additions like my electric fuel pump and cooling fans. The old wiring isn’t bad, it’s just, old.

In short, the Fairmont will have almost 2 distinct electrical systems, both serviced independently of each other. I am building serviceability into these systems. Not only do I want the Fairmont to be bad ass, I also want it to be serviceable. For once I have the opportunity to be the master of my own mechanical destiny, and I plan to take full advantage with the #FairmontProject.

So far I’ve wired the fuel pump (via a relay), the ignition system, the cooling fans, and I’m working on the air/fuel meter. I plan on installing a kill switch to disable the ignition and the fuel pump. I’ll also be adding a main power shut off in the trunk.

I’ve also got the gauges pretty much sorted out. I’m hoping to have everything hooked up by the end of next week so I can do some testing. Even without the engine in place, I’ll be able to hook the battery up and do some testing of my new circuits. This way, I can sort out any problems before I put it all back together.

Almost forgot, before I started the wiring, I finished the fuel system and I LOVE it. It turned out exactly like I imagined. Well, almost exactly. I still need to work on my line bending a bit. Have you ever bent 3/8” steel line? Trust me, it’s harder than it looks. Still, I think it turned out great, and will be more than adequate to feed #DarkMatterPikachu.

I’ve also put in an order with my fabricator for the metal I’m going to need for the rear bulkhead. I’ll need to do that now that I have a fuel cell behind the back seat. Not that anyone will be able to sit back there after the roll bar is installed. 

I also put the ignition box on the rear floorboard. It seemed like a good place for it. I used a piece of old brake line to run the boost signal to it. I thought that was pretty trick, and a good use of old parts I had lying around. My ignition box is for boosted applications. It retards ignition timing based on boost and requires a boost reference signal. It’s pretty cool. Check it out.

The fabricator is also giving me a head start on the roll bar. He’s going to cut and bend the center hoop for me. This way all I need to worry about are the supports going to the front and rear. I’ve decided to go with swig outs for the side supports. It adds an extra expense, but it’ll be easier to get in and out of the car. Remember, this is a street car, not a full race car.

Eastwood hooked me up with a tubing bender, bead roller, and notch cutter. I was originally going to build the entire roll bar myself, but to save time, and make sure it was done right, I opted for the fabricator to help out. Sometimes it’s worth buying the time it would take to do something just to get a project done.

I’m also going to be running 2 sets of restraints. I’ve purchased 5 point harnesses for both the driver and passenger, but I’ll also be reinstalling the stock seat belts. I’m doing this so that I can have the best of both worlds. If I want to jump in and run to the store, I can use the regular seat belts. If I want to rip around the track, I can use the harness.

It won’t be long now. Once the wiring is finished I plan on putting the dash back together. Once that’s done, the next thing is to install the roll bar. After that, it’s a matter of reassembly and filling up the fluids. I would LOVE to be able to take this car on my vacation this month, but that might be a tall order. I’m still going to try.

ETCG ‘Meet Up’ 2017

Several people have reached out asking about a ‘Meet Up’ this year. For the past 5 years I’ve been having them at the shop during the month of July. I’ve really enjoyed meeting all of you that have been able to make the trip.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQiUKJHmrO0title=ETCG Meet Up 2016 |group=mygroup}

However, last year we reached capacity at the shop and I don’t believe I’ll be able to handle ‘Meet Up’s’ of that size at that location anymore.

My solution is to have a series of smaller ‘Meet Up’s’ around the country when I go for that long drive I mentioned at the opening of this newsletter.

I think this is a great solution to the problem and also makes it possible for me to meet more of you in the places where you live. This time, me and Oliver will do the traveling!

I’ll keep you informed of dates and times where I plan to be once that happens. Probably the best thing is to follow me on social media, links in the header, also read these newsletters.

Premium Member News

This month I added 4 new exclusive videos to the Premium Member lineup.

“How To Dress Up Your Engine! (Full Version)(Exclusive Video)”, “How To Install the Best Fox Body Front Suspension (Full Version)(Exclusive Video)”, “#FairmontProject Update 5/25/2017 (Exclusive Video)”, and I think the first ever ETCG1 extended video, “Cameraman Brian Visits the Shop and Shows Off His Booboo (Full Version)(Exclusive Video)”.

Lately I’ve been doing my YouTube edits differently. I’ve been trying to cut them down to take up less of the viewers time. This means that a lot of the detail that was in my previous videos is cut out.

I’ve been cutting these shorter videos from the original ETCG style of edits. In effect, this means that I have 2 versions of almost every video. For those of you looking for the ‘classic’ ETCG videos, you might consider a Premium Membership. I’ve been posting the ‘original’ edits for Premium Members to enjoy.

Here’s a couple of examples.

If you’re a Premium Member I’d love to get your feedback on this approach.

Premium Members get up to 4 exclusive videos per month. They also get additional perks on the website, and they help support the site with all of it’s useful, free, repair content.

Details on the new Premium Memberships here.

In Closing

I know I started out on something of a down note with this newsletter. That wasn’t my intention. I was just trying to paint a picture of my state of mind as I try and do at the beginning of every newsletter. The truth is I love what I do, I just want to keep loving it. That’s a balance I’ve often struggled with.

My reaction to difficulty has always defaulted to hard work. I’ve overcome many challenges in my life with hard work and determination. Thing is, hard work is not always the answer. This challenge seems more existential and as a result, requires a different approach.

I’ve worked very hard at EricTheCarGuy, but it hasn’t always been successful as illustrated by my recent decline in views. I’m still working hard, harder than ever actually, I’m just not achieving the desired result.

Sometimes you have to work smart, or not at all, to overcome some obstacles. I think this might be one of those times.

No matter what, I appreciate you reading this newsletter. I appreciate you watching my videos, following me on social media, and allowing me to live a dream I’ve had for many years to be self employed.

Sure, I put in the hard work, but at the end of the day, it’s you, the fans of the show that really gave me success, and I’ll never forget that.

Thanks for reading.

Latest videos below.

Be safe

Have fun

Stay Dirty

ETCG

Related Videos:

Video Title: July 2017 Newsletter -EricTheCarGuy Video Description: Welcome to the July 2017 Newsletter. Here you will find information on what is happening with EricTheCarGuy and his videos. Projects include the #fairmontproject, Burning Out, and the future of the ETCG ‘Meet Up’ 2017. Premium Membership info. Thumbnail: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/images/newsletter/July/2017/July-2017-Newsletter-Image-Large-850.jpg