I am supposed to pick up hurricane #1099 on Saturday and I cannot wait!
another...
motor...
Welcome!
I'm a newbie myself, got HM 11103 last month.
I am having a blast, but keep in mind I like abuse too! ;D
I love the flip-flops in the motor picture (see my build pics). I like your assitant too, though it seems like there might be a little mischief afoot there.
Our motors seem very similar, did you build yours?
Regards,
Evan
Hi Chris
Looks like you have a couple of great helpers. Having the motor already finished really speeds things up. Have fun and enjoy the build.
Jim
I will have 2 full time assistants for the build... the bigger one is my wife, Annette and the little mischievious one is Jack. He's 2 and a half and is actually quite a bit of help. He's been "helping" me with my car projects since he was able to walk. He can fetch a lot of tools these days as he knows what most of them are called. He hasn't mastered telling the difference between a 1/4" and 5/16" socket or anything complicated, but he can sure bring me a big phillips screwdriver, various washers, nuts, bolts and the occasional torque wrench.
Flip flops are my main form of foot attire when working in the garage, especially when it's warm out. Yes, it was 85 today here in Northwest Arkansas! I hope it doesn't cool off too quickly... say before I really get going on the build.
As for the motor... I pulled it from an 86 mustang (but it's an 87 block) and tore it down. I discovered it was in really good shape down low but still had the stock heads. So, I massaged it a little, replaced the oil pump, gaskets, seals and such while I was in there and put it back together. Ok, I assisted Jack in putting it back together... maybe I'll be as good a mechanic as he is some day.
I still have the 86 mustang gt convertible roller, if anyone wants it I'm selling it cheap! I've got to clear some space in my driveway. I just sold my 1970 Buick Skylark to help finance this little venture.
Jim, Evan, I appreciate your replies and look forward to speaking with you in the future... I'm surprised people actually read this post.
Regards,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I love to browse through the build pictures. they are quite useful really.
You will find lots of help here. Don't be shy about asking. I usually find answers here that the manual doesn't cover. And, when you are stuck, somebody here has faced the same situation.
Have a great time.
Evan
Quote
Here are some specs:
I'm planning to use a 302 with Windsor Jr. heads, mild cam and T-5 manual transmission.
Chris,
Good to see you have the family all in tune to helping, you're a lucky guy for that kind of help. Now about those safety shoes...... I lost a couple of toenails and spent time in a cast over the past three years working on my old rat roadster due to some unforeseen slips and drops...me thinks at least a pair of running shoes would be a bit better.
Enjoy the build and the together time...you're off to a great start.
Ken
Chris, Annette and Jack, Welcome to the family.
I'm sure you will all have some great times putting this new project together and don't hesitate to ask questions when you get stuck, (it's not like asking directions when your lost or anything) ::)
Sounds like Jack knows more about the tools than I do, :-[
Hope everything goes well with the pick-up TOMORROW [smiley=beer.gif]
We love pictures here, keep them coming.
Dan
Went to pick up 1099 today, what a blast! Mike and the whole crew were very inviting and I could tell the atmosphere is a pleasant one. You can tell the great people that work at Hurricane really enjoy their jobs! Even though it was a pain to get us loaded up because we wanted to do all the suspension work ourselves, the guys didn't seem to mind and smiled all the while.
Here are some pictures of the journey...
Me posing after seeing our car for the first time in person...
This is what a loaded Hurricane looks like... a full truck load of parts and precious cargo on the flat bed trailer...
My first "drive"... that's my brother-in-law, Tom, standing on the edge of the trailer. I couldn't have done it without him!
...and this was my second "ride"
I felt like a tank driver with my head just poking out... just so you know, I was goofing off here... so if you keep up with this thread get used to seeing me in goofy poses.
...and this was our solution to getting the non-roller cobra off the trailer... yes, this is the redneck, Arkansas way of doing things, but it worked beautifully! A special thanks to my other brother-in-law, Robert, for supplying heavy duty lifting straps, some car dollies he uses at his job to move wrecked cars around, and this great idea! Robert is an engineer who works for Renfro Engineering - they specialize in auto crash analysis and have recently started building specialty vehicles for the U.S. military... Robert is a very handy guy to have around for sure. Also a special thanks again to Tom for supplying the tractor, truck, trailer and a full day of fun-filled driving to pick the cobra up!
Thanks again guys!
good job with the tractor some times I use the same set up to unload I beams and set moment frames on houseing job site's.
So, what have I accomplished in the first week...
> Car disassembled
> Body placed on body buck
> Chassis painted with rust bullet
> Rear end assembled and painted with rust bullet
> Rear brakes assembled/mounted
> Rear end suspension mocked up
> Rear wheels mounted
> Fuel line run
> Brake lines run (except the front)
> Battery cables run
> Parking brake assembled/mounted
> Bottom of cockpit tub and trunk pan coated with Hurculiner
Man, I'm fired up! This is a lot of fun!!
Ooooh... pretty...
Rear end...
Here's Jack giving me pointers on rear suspension assembly... I sure am glad he's always around to point me in the right direction...
That's right, my lovely wife did ALL the Hurculiner painting... how would I do this without her?
Here's jack finally taking a break...
I know it's hard to believe but this is Jack, not a monkey...
Well, that's really all we have accomplished this week... I guess we'll work harder next week!
-Chris
Looks awesome man. The family affair looks like fun.
What kind of tires and sizes are those? They look like they have some good grip.
Chris,
At the rate you're going, you'll be go-karting by Thanksgiving and screwing on a license plate by Christmas!
That's so cool that you've turned it into a family project. You're going to have to figure out a way to install a rumble seat for Jack!
Keep the updates coming -- they're great motivation...
Cheers,
-Eric
The tires are a Holland-made brand called Vredestein. These specific tires are Ultrac - Sessanta 315/35/17 rears and 275/40/17 fronts.
By the way, there's a reason I haven't assembled the front suspension... I'm waiting on back ordered parts.
As for the rumble seat, that's a good idea but no plans for that yet.
-Chris
Chris. your car is looking very cool, I love the silver frame. In fact I thought about painting my frame silver and going with red and black trimmed parts, but got in a hurry and stayed with black.
Your tires are really neat, I like the tread design it looks very grippy....is that a word?..anyway I buy bicycle tires from Vredestein and they are great.
It appears that with such a great supporting team at home, your Hurricane will be done very soon...I'm betting 6- months at the longest and you'll all be blasting around the countryside. ;D
Love your posts, Best Regards, Bill ;)
Hi Chris,
You are going great!
I love the silver frame. I am doing mine in silver POR.
Looks like everyone is having a blast!
Evan
It's been a while since I last updated my build log and a lot of work has been done since. Jack has been busy with his curious little questions and giggly outbursts when I do something stupid.
Well, the engine and transmission are in and the drive shaft has been ordered. The upper frame and cockpit tub are secured. We're now in the middle of figuring out some pedal and steering issues. I mocked up the side pipes and they look good, but how do I know if they are in need of any adjusting? Do I need to put the body on and do some measuring, or is there an easier way?
Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...
Here's my loyal assistant checking my work....
This is about where we are today...
View of the engine bay/firewall...
Here's Jack with his friend Nicholas taking a break from waiting on the backordered front suspension parts... he's really itching to get that front end together! One of Jack's favorite pasttimes has become playing under the body buck (and waiting for the UPS truck)
That's all I have for today... more to come...
Hi Chris,
Looks great! And it sure looks like you
Chris, It looks like Jack and Nick are "Race Ready" ;D
Perhaps you can assign them a few tasks like....making sure the wheels spin, bleeding the brakes (pumping the pedal) , stretching out the wiring, watching gauges work, and dusting off the car when it's done. They also look like great critics and most likely have strong opinions. ::)
Great job so far, it's nice to see a family enjoy the cobra experience together.
Best Regards, Bill
Love the pics and your progress is coming along at a fast pace. I almost wish I hadn't finished mine so fast....Almost! Looking fwd to more pics. What a great way to spend time with your family. Cudos to your wife for her support and help. Wait until it is done. The smiles. :) :) :) Hard to remove that Enjoy Darren
I've been so busy I haven't had time to post an update... between my 3 kids (one of which is interested in the build), work, school, playing in an adult basketball league, and coaching my oldest son's 4th grade basketball team it's been a busy month, but don't worry, the work on the cobra has continued.
We got our backordered suspension and brake parts last week so we got to work on the front suspension, we've also been working on wiring, riveting the rest of the engine bay aluminum, installing the radiator and electric fan, installing the brake and clutch master cylinders, pedal assembly and some miscellaneous other items.
Anyway, here are some pictures...
family meeting...
Annette mocking up the suspension and brakes
Is this the right clamp?
adjusting the front suspension
Here's Jack checking the steering...
I think we're progressing pretty quickly so far. This is roughly the 5th week since arrival of the kit!
-Chris
your moving along very quickly do you sleep?
Chris,
What's the hurry? Does it snow down there or something?
Seriously, you are just ripping thru this build. I am jealous!
I'll be lucky to put my motor in by Christmas, and I'll have to chip off ice to do it!
As far as the side pipes, I am a ways from that, but have read that they should be level and parrallel to the frame menbers and evenly spaced. Putting the body on to check clearances would be good, but don't forget the cockpit and trunk tubs, and the quickjacks and such.
Keep the updates coming!
Evan
HM1103
Believe it or not we're still making progress on the car. My weekly build time has been reduced drastically with the busy Christmas season upon us. Here are some updated photos:
Jack is a little tired after a long drive...
Your build is looking great! ;D
Maybe Jack got a bug in his eye? :-? he looks like a lot of quality help though.
Best wishes for the Holiday Season, Bill
Man, it's been a while since I've given an update on the build... so here we go...
Here's a picture of the trunk pan in place...
master cylinder heat shield I fabricated out of sheet metal and sticky backed heat resistant material I got from Jegs...
Electric fuel pump mounting and wiring...
Here's Jack in his best cobra working gear tightening my alternator connections...
Here's Jack again posing with muscles bulging... this was taken right after dubbing himself my "cobra buddy"
It's good to have cobra buddies around to help!
This is what Jack, my cobra buddy, did when I told him we were almost done with wiring and we'd be starting her up soon... I know the feeling little man...
Here I am fabbing up the side pipes...
Here's Jack double checking the wiring on the electric fan...
Sure he bent some of the cooling fins on the radiator, but it's worth it... everyone should have a cobra buddy!
Hey Chris!
Glad to see you grinding through the build. Cobra Buddies! Great Idea!
Can Jack safety wire? (just kidding)
It is a blast to share the build with your loved ones.
Fire it up!
Evan
Chris,
In one of the other threads (or maybe in the manual), when installing the trunk latch, reference is made to using a small person to go inside the trunk and mark where it should go with the boot closed.
Obviously, you have your project well planned and necessary personnel recruited. Does Jack do contract work? Maybe he could help dad fund his college account.
;D ;D
Paul
8-) 8-) Chris, Glad to see the whole family is involved. Mine is on hold for a couple of months until I finish the room upstairs and then it will be bodywork time and paint. Welcome to the madness!!
This past weekend we were able to start the cobra up. At first, it wouldn't do anything when I turned the key... but after going over all the wiring for the ignition, starter, etc., I realized I hadn't hooked the neutral safety switch up yet. Let this be a reminder to everyone - DON'T FORGET THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH - or you'll end up going over wiring needlessly!
So, it roared right to life. I adjusted the timing and idle and it sounded great! Jack was all ready to go...
Unfortunately, I had a couple of problems that wouldn't allow Jack to experience that first ride just quite yet.
We developed an oil leak at the oil pressure fitting by the oil filter... and somehow the fitting cracked and then broke off in the timing chain cover :o
that sucks!
As you can see, I was able to get the broken fitting out of the block with an extractor. I replaced it with another one and all was well again.
Then I realized my clutch slave cylinder wasn't bled well enough to allow it to travel fully. So, I went to bleed it and during one of my hand's trips down behind the header to reach the bleeder screw, I made contact with the hot header pipe... and the cobra chalked up its first burn victim (hey, at least it wasn't my leg on the side pipe)...
I was sure to constantly remind Annette, Jack, Eden and the hoard of neighborhood kids to stand clear of the hot exhaust pipes... but in my eagerness to go-cart, I got careless when it came to my own hand and the header...
... and then I overtightened the bleeder screw just as we were getting all the air out of the clutch line and broke the fitting it screws into... so, all the fluid leaked out!
Well, I guess the ride will have to wait until next weekend because no one in the area had the 2-piece bleeder fitting for the slave cylinder...
But as you can see, Jack wasn't too disappointed and neither was I... hey, it started on the first... er, second try and sounded great! Our spectators (neighborhood kids) stood around with their ears covered as we reved it, listened to the rumble and dreamed of driving it around the block... look how excited my cobra buddy is!
I have to admit I'm guilty of the same thing the car would not turn over and an hour latter I realized it was the nuetral safty
bobby
I was all set for my first go-cart drive today but we had thunderstorms in the area... so, I worked on the interior instead.
I used the upgraded carpet kit from Hurricane and I must say, it's very nice and everything has fit perfectly so far.
I used cool mat from Jegs as the first defense against heat and noise (as if I'm really worried about noise). It has a sticky backing and was very easy to cut and stick after sanding the entire interior with 80 grit sandpaper.
Then I used 3M spray adhesive to lay down the insulating foam included with the upgraded carpet kit from Hurricane. Finally I glued the carpet down... starting with the transmission tunnel/firewall, then working my way through the driveshaft tunnel, wheel well humps, trunk wall, and finally the floor.
I re-installed the belts and seats to get an idea of what the finished car will look like inside and in preparation for go-carting.
Looks good!
I was wonerding about the upgraded carpet as I have the old style. Were the carpet sections pre-cut, prefitted and the cut edges faced?
Did you just have to glue the pieces down?
Bob
Bob,
Everything was pre-cut with the edges faced. I only had to do minor trimming... I was very surprised at what little effort it actually took to do the whole interior!
By the way, I took my first go-cart ride today! The only thing I can think of that even compares is when I drove a winston cup car around charlotte motor speedway. These cars are so well balanced it literally feels like a race car. Oh, and Jack was so excited. When we first took off and I nailed the loud pedal, he was speechless (and so was I), until I let off... now I know what people mean when they say the rear end comes loose so easily, and I just have a peppy 302!
-Chris