Jed Copham

Email: Jed.Copham@libertysite.com
Town & State: north suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul
Web Site: http://www.kitcentral.com/cgi-bin/showprogress.cgi?builderid=35

Type of car: Diablo Roadster
Body: IFG Phantom Roadster
Chassis: tube chassis (Warlock, I think?)
Engine: Recycled 350, Old motor out of my Camaro
Transmission: Solid gold, oh wait, its a Renegade Porsche 930
Starting Date: December 15. 2000
Projected Finished Date: First driven june of 02. Are you ever done?

Occupation: Manufacturing Engineer at Liberty Enterprises Inc.

Biggest help:
Kristi (For her love and support)
Ron Shelby (Windows and clutch)
John Rudl (Emblems, vents, and steering wheel.)
Jerry ?(Vintage Autobody)
eBay (Everything under the sun)

My name is Jed Copham, I live in the north suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I got my BSME from UW Stout in ’97. I am currently a Manufacturing Engineer at Liberty Enterprises Inc.

I have been designing, building, and implementing automation equipment for the last 5 years and have had a blast thus far. I love to tinker, friends always laugh because I modify everything I own. Through high school it was obvious I was a gear head, my Dad made a deal with me, make the honor roll and we’ll build a car. In 8th grade I made all A’s and B’s so began the long build of T and A.

Before spending any money, we went to many car shows taking pictures of what we liked. We both loved the “A” bodies but not the fenderless highboy concept. We also loved the look of the model “T” front end but not the body. So it was decided to put an “A” body on a “T” chassis. Our license plate “T AND A” get lots of comments. ? Anyway, to make a short story long, it turned out to be a beautiful car that turns heads everywhere it goes! T AND A was finished in ’92 and I’ve wanted to do something since.

Cobra maybe? Pro street my Camaro? Well one thing is for sure I love Lamborghini’s! When I first laid eyes on a Countach I was intoxicated. We almost bough a real Countach from Ed Weavers estate in 96, but my Dad did not want to bid against Rod Stewart (Could not blame him?). We hoped to get one for under 50K, the cheapest of 5 available went for 70K. We came home with a 69 427 Corvette Stingray and cash left over instead (69 Vet is another car we both love).

Late 98 I found eBay, some days I wish I had not but that’s another story! Wow, lots of Lambos both real and fake. I almost bought a black Countach rep. with a 429 and auto trans for 15K but the timing was not right, so I kept looking. There were several more times that I ALMOST bid but never did.

Its now late 2000, I recently married and my wife Kristi is expecting in April ‘01?. Well, it’s now or 20 years from now if I’m really going do this thing and now sounded better.

It’s November ’00 and my car popped up on eBay, an IFG roadster with tube chassis, upholstered interior and rims and tires for 15K. Hmmm, its in Vegas, easy to get to, I flew out and checked it for myself. After seeing the car I paced for hours thinking, should I, could I? OK done, moneys gone and car is in the mail. The car showed up @ Dec 15, ’00.

I worked long hours from Dec through April 1 to get it ready for paint. My goal was to have it at the body shop while we were adjusting to the new addition (Alyssa). I just barely made it, the car went to Vintage auto only a few days before Alyssa was born. I have an entire album of pictures but none digital at this time, and it wasn’t until I discovered Kit Central that I started using my digital camera. Unfortunately I quit updating my album, and I would have a lot of work organizing digital photos to complete it. From here my build is fairly well documented on Kit Central and my problems and concerns are posted in the forums.

So here I sit, barely over 2 years since I embarked on the roadster project, and it has been very fulfilling. I do have some words of advice for other amateurs ready to start spending.
1. If you are in a relationship you must get her buy in, and she must be understanding!
2. Plan your work. Everyday after working on the car I would write down the next thing to do. I wish I would have organized and saved most of those sheets!
3. Watch your spending. If you have not yet bought the car, don’t worry about HVAC controls, emblems etc. Taking your time finding the components will allow the good deals to pop up, and make returns easier when things don’t work.
4. Get tooled up. You will need a welding setup and metal stock, Sawzall (or band saw preferred), drills and taps, full set of tools, floor jacks, jack stands, a gantry system for removing the body/engine. Compressor and air tools are a plus as well. And most importantly, a place to work!
5. Set your budget, end date, and what kind of car you are aiming for. You must be realistic here, if you want an exact replica in a year for 30K, your dreaming!
6. Learn Fiberglass! Wear respiratory protection when sanding and grinding!
7. Just do it damn it! ?
8. Hang in there! If you get frustrated or stuck move on to another area und let the problem dwell in your subconscious for a while. The answer will come eventually.

After 1 Minnesota summer of cruising this car, all I can say is WOW! It’s a blast to drive, and almost embarrassing at times. (Crowds will wait to see who gets behind the wheel) The labor hour to gratitude ratio is off the charts!

My name is changing from Jed to the guy with the Lambo.