Hung a plate on the back...

Drove to the gas station and filled her up! First real time on the road!!! Runs out nice! I just drove around town a little bit and everything seems pretty right. Replaced the speedo cable and both e-brake cables... Man I wish I could get a job just doing that allll day!!! Not! But they are done and work well. I also had the coolant fan on the must have list so I installed a new ground tree... Oh yeah! Cleaned and tightened the lugs and all my electrical problem vanished! All lights are on and bright. I am a "if it ain't broke don't fix it guy" but I will replace the other three and be done with it! Body is ratty but it is viable and I will address that over winter. Overall great first outing! Will be back next week and I can do a longer drive.
Regards,
Rocco

Great! Glad it's running. It looks nice in your pic.

Congrats, looking good!

I need to go grab mine out of storage soon, I can't keep stealing my wife's Miata for a sports car fix...

Thanks all!

Miata is not bad in a pinch... Engine is in the wrong place but it could be worse... I had forgotten how fun these are to drive! I do not think I will be able to "sneak" anywhere for sure! It should just keep getting better the more I get it sorted... Keep you posted
Rocco

Congrats Rocco... The first one is always free...

Go take that ride on the Dragon's Tail run you got nearby there... that'll "set the hook", and you'll then forego all others.

While Deals Gap is a fun road, there are IMO better/less crouded/less policed roads in Western NC that I'd rather drive. Take the stretch from Black Mountain to Chimney Rock/Bat Cave. I think it's hwy 9?? It's not as long, but it's a good drive. You can continue from Chimney Rock down to Saluda or split to Hendersonville. Town Mountain Road is a great run down from the Parkway to downtown Asheville. Th parkway up to Little Switzerland is pretty good, which then you can split off and run down to Burnsville. I could go on and on... these should occupie you for a weekend or 2, or more. Post pics.

Thanks for the input...

Appreciate the suggestions! All good! I split my time between Fairview and outside of Charleston SC so when I drive up I jump off 26 at 108 over to Hwy9 that is the highway that runs up through Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. The cabin is just a few miles off 9 so that is a well traveled road for our trips to Black Mountain. If I keep right where 9 and 74A split there is another awesome run into Fairview. Like the Parkway as well and I am looking froward to driving it!

Your X looks good! ...and just about any trip in the X will put a smile on your face. The only time I prefer NOT to drive it is on long highway stretches.

I see you de-bumpered the car. How did you deal with the turn signals? Are they just stuffed in the holes or is there a bracket or bucket or something they are mounted in?

That is a fiberglass bumper cover

Last summer/fall I decided to try and do away with the bumpers so built some mockups using 1inch blue foam. Once I settled on the shape I used epoxy resin fiberglass to finish. I shaped it so the original lights just detach from the bumper and install in the new cover. You have to remove the little covers under the headlight buckets to allow space for the light. The shape I settled on looks much like the euro style bumpers found on 308s or the Jalpa which epitomizes the 70s/80s styling IMO. Tony suggested incorporating an indentation across the cover to carry the side detail through the cover. I will try this on another study just have not done yet. Will make a matching cover for the rear as well.