HM 1081 will be the first Right Hand Drive Hurricane street roadster. I currently own half of it after paying my down payment but not sure which half yet. The kit will 100% unassembled and crated and shipped to North Jakarta, Indonesia. It will be (head down low) powered by a warmed over Chevy 350 as I have not been able to find a trustworthy Ford mechanic in Indonesia. Sorry guys. The car will feature under car exhaust, twin roll bars and, a diversion from the street roadster, a hood scoop. It will probably arrive sometime in early July so will start/continue the thread once it arrives. Many thanks to Sid, Kahn and Larry for your tips, hints, encouragement and blog to get me convinced that a Hurricane was right for me.
At this moment there are two Cobra replicas cruising the streets but neither are very accurate and were of a batch of four, two are lost in action as far as I know. I still have one that has been undergoing renovation for the past 5 years and still has no paint. The engine bay is too narrow for any V-8 or V-6 so it uses a 3.3 liter GM Holden in-line-six. Its better than walking and few in Indonesia have seen a real one or even pictures though we never claim it to be a Cobra, its a Holden Roadster. Anyway....the fun will begin shortly...after we get the old girl finished. :)
I guess it will be tough to make it to any Hurricane Owners Group (new version of HOG?) meetings.
Ken Clarke
North Jakarta, Indonesia
Hey Ken,
Congratulations on your new Hurricane!!!! Sounds like you've come up with a nice combo and the right hand drive should be interesting. Don't be sorry about the Chevy power, theres nothing wrong with that at all. I can't wait to see it going together.
Mike
Hey Ken
Right hand drive would be really cool! Can't wait to see the photo's. Glad I was some help in your choice. Post photo's when the tie comes!
Larry
No progress to report so far, have had some set backs and this without the car.
hey fuzz eric here, any word on kit arriving soon. just curious, any way this tues or wed im ordering eng & trans pkg. oh what fun more $ers gone, keep us posted my friend,
who art thou that is fuzzier than i ;D
from eric
the very venomus drooling man, cobraspit
Hi Eric,
I just got some photos from another Eric who visited Hurricane last Weds. and took a couple of photos for me, one of my finally finished motor though not alot to see:
Dark Side motor, Chevy 350 with TH350 trans, when it gets to Jakarta, I will post some other photos. They ran out of Ford Blue Paint.
i think it's cool you live so far away, the internet is cool for that, but any way you will have somethn'
different and that makes fuzzy the coolest. be paitient it will be fun maybe someday we could meet?
ive always liked how you go about your manner your top notch and i appreciate your convesation this is one of the funnest times in my LIFE.
are there real cobra's in Indonesia?
cobraspit, the one & only i must be a health hazard with all my spitn' around here ;D
eric.
As the story goes that I have been told, in late '89 or 90, a local fiberglass guy here made 4 Cobra replicas as shown here, two with Suzuki chassis and motors and two with GM Holden chassis and motors.
Attached here....
neat pic, that car is way too nice what color will it be? remember you posted it earlier in the "whats fuzzy got i dont got?" anyway i hope your knee feels better i take glucosamine(osteo bi-flex) for my left shoulder and it works rather well. did you happen to see the colors on our build? hm#1082 i think the dark blue but every one is right could change our minds i still like the silver/blue stripe but we will see.
time is on our side for that choice.
have a very good time ;)
eric(cs)
We were going to go with a bright medium blue set of strips and gloss black for the body but then we have been in primer for 18 months. It passes the 50 50 test, need to get the seats redone and some other odds and ends.
My knee is fused shut, had ahlizaroth (can't spell it) done to my left leg where where they re-crack the femur and then each day pull the break apart one millimeter so it will grow new bone, grew almost 2" but my leg is still about 2" too short, lost a lot of bone at the accident and over the 3 other times it broke after the initial break. The knee will never bend again unless rocket science meets orthopedic medicine. But....I can still wiggle my toes and walk though with a very pronounced limp/gimp....and I can still drive an automatic....not sure what color the Hurricne will be but I have a feeling it will be black gel coat for quite a while. Have to see how the reaction goes with the local police in the area, no sense in overdoing the wanting attention factor.
ken
sounds like your knee got banged up pretty bad. all i know is my oldest son at 15 now 22 has had and always will until a miracle, has crones disease internal intestanal tract ect..out through those areas.
but enough ow! yes the colors today are endless i still even like the white and bue stripe, red is to catchy
in CA. but still i think ive always like the gun metal grays.
hot here other states on fire and some flooding, dont mind the Bible being right just kinda wanted to see
my grandson grow up, but hey im not scared just thankful and i hope you have fun today that's all
i try to do and get what needs to be done that day for me for family and work. so i tend to be goofy
to hide the pain but i'll never give up. keep the faith what ever yours maybe. i cant wait for the engine\trani but i have time then to do body work. so dial it in and BYAO(build your arss off)
and the best of the world to you.
typn' later.
cs
Photos from Hurricane of mockup of HM1081 for fitting right hand steering and Chevy 350 and TH 350 trans.
number 2, note location of where steering column comes through the fire wall, on left side of photo. Driver sits on the opposite side of car in Indonesia, drives on right side of road instead of left like we do State side.
number 3, note steering column on right side of car
and number 4......and to think it all has to be taken apart again and packed in crates....
Fuzzy...saw your car at HMS last weekend when I was picking up 1094. Crazy setup.
Chris
Hey Ken,
Cool looking car. Bet you can't wait to get your hands on it.
One comment, the gas pedal looks like it is going to be a bear to use. The footbox frame is directly underneath it. Maybe the guys at HMS can do the mod that Jim did to give a little more comfort for you?
I would also ask if the brake and clutch pedals could be moved to the left as well as the gas (the holes don't appear to be drilled yet for the masters).
Just my $0.02
You'll have it before you know it.
Dan
Hi Dan, thanks for the comments. As its an automatic car (bum left knee) the clutch will be removed. I don't think the pedals are positioned but this photo is about a month old. Brake will slide more to the left and can be relocated, the whole shooting match will be disassembled for export to Indonesia so will have to start all over. They are mocking it up to make sure all will fit around the right hand drive steering and re located pedals and insturments. I'll send a email off and ask re. the gas pedal location...thanks for the heads up...I'm chomping at the bit, been on order since late Feb. but some of the speciality parts needed for the right hand drive were slow arriving...life's like that
Chris, you get used to driving on the right hand side pretty easily, only traffic circles can throw you for a loop. I don't have trouble coming back and hopping into a car here Stateside..or when I get back over in Indo...steering wheel will orient you. Sure looks weird the first time you see one though, biggest problem is when someones drives as you tend to get in the wrong side...
Ken, I agree with Dan on the gas pedal position. You can either move the pedal mount to the left, or you can do a compound bend in the pedal arm for the right position - as I did.
Matt
Matt, any chance you have posted a pix on the site or can you post a close up of yours so I can follow it? I appreciate the heads up on this...got lottsa time to fix it. thanks, Ken
Ken, here's a pic of how I bent my gas pedal. I moved the entire pedal assembly 5/8" to the right which in turn pushed the gas pedal too far over. So I did the compound bend to bring the pedal back to center between the brake pedal and the firewall.
I wrote to Ron at Hurricane re. the pedal placement. Waiting to hear back. Bending the pedal should not be a problem. Your set up looks good. Hope it continues to go well, we will see what I get in the end. Thanks for the suggestion and the photo. Ken
As HM1081 sat last week at Hurricane, some last minute fiddlin' to do then blow it apart, crate it up, ship it to LA via Stewart Transport, on the boat to Jakarta...trishaw to my garage.....photo's from Hurricane..
Looks like the top fits really well.
Larry
I thnk its the first one out of the mold. Last I was told, the window fittings were being fitted and adjusted. As always, the first one is the lab rat for the others and usually as soon as you get it home there are new improvements and refinements. Seems like if this one does the job they could sell quite a few, particularly if they fit the orginal body shape though not sure about windshield mountings. We are getting it so we can drive during the monsoon rains and use it year around, of couse we will need to drill holes in the floor boards to drain the water out from the deep water. :-X Wonder if lining the front wheel wells and the trunk with styrofoam will make it float? ::)
These will probably be the last two photos I put up on the site until the kit arrives in Jakarta...assuming the ship makes it... :-/ The kit is done and these should give you a good shot of the new Hurricane Hardtop, you can contact them if you are interested. Should come complete with all hardware and sliding windows.
pix two
The kit was supposed to be delivered to the shippers in CA. over the weekend. (Nov. 3rd or so) Everything is there to be shipped except radiator hoses which I'm leaning toward Cool Flex hoses at the moment. Its tough to find anything that might work here. With luck the kit will arrive Mid-Jan. Will update then.
Finally got some good news from shipper, motor/trans went out the 12th of this month, frame goes this coming week, 18th of Dec and the rest of the items go out the week just before New Year's.
After sending a couple of inquires, I finally got a response from the shipper in LA.
The end of the shipping saga is slowly coming to an end. Shipper told me on Saturday that the kit is all cleared and sitting safe and sound in a wharehouse here in Jakarta, waiting to be delivered to my house...Only one catch, gotta pay shipping first. So not a problem right...until you look at the bill and see the total of $ 16,002.70. Say what? We were expecting around 12 grand with all the incidentals included but there are a couple of mystery charges there to be worked out.. That was only from LA to Indonesia. Try $500 big ones from warehouse to home....have to remember this stuff was all crated though from Hurricane and the total weight including the motor and trannie is 5,730 pounds. We will see if we can chip a bit away from the total and get this bad boy in the driveway in the next 10 days or so. Hopefully will post pictures of it being off loaded next... Ken
Ken,
Bet you don't want to know how much the rental on the U-Haul trailer was when I "delivered" my car.
Course, the only salt water involved was that left at the rest stop on I-70.
I can't imagine how big the grin will be on your face. Talk about anticipation. You've been working up to this for how many months?
Best Wishes
Paul
HM1078
hi fuz eric here didnt mean to be away winter dulls my senses anyway am i reading that delivery alone was 16k or what? dang that is about the kit price alone
gee whilikers ill send some coins your way soon as a pay off the irs. well on a new year and season time to grind again remember BYAO.
typn' at you later the pics look cool :)
cs.
Have had plenty of time to fiddle around so built a body buck, thanks to Ryan and Paul for their dimensions and ideas.
Fuzzy , it's great to hear that the car is in. I'll post some pics of mine so you can see how that bowtie fits in soooooo sweeeeeet. Lets stay in touch. BDF
Examined the crates on Saturday, still working on prices, some one had opened the crates even though I was promised it would not happen, luckily it was the chassis crate. This is how they were packed by Hurricane for shipping half way around the world. Hope to have delivery on Sat. the 24th. Now if they can just keep from dropping them in the driveway, would give new meaning to the phrase "drop shipment" :o
Ah, the joy of turning 60, went out of a peaceful dinner at my favorite buffet with the wife and get out of the elevator and wow, all our friends were there for a surprise birthday party, what a wonderful surprise, then just after dinner, the wife tells me she transferred money to the shipping compay and they will deliver on Saturday, double wow...and here it is, Saturday evening and crates are in the garage and the carport. Attached are some photos, really packed heavy duty by Hurricane for half way around the world. Left Lee's Summit in Oct. , sat in LA for three months then another long wait in Singapore and then 2 weeks here to clear and now we tear the crates apart, did the chassis crate today, 3 hours of undoing.....Probably take me a week to get it all undone. Guys at Hurricane did a great job of protecting the car from what we can tell today, tomorrow will be the real test when we can see the body....attached photos, check out the safety foot wear on the driver of the forklift truck...
OSHA approved Indonesian style safety shoes
too small of a fork lift but still managed, tried to tell the company that the crates were 176" long and 2500 pounds but hey, what do I know.....crates were too wide to fit in our 12 foot wide gate so had to go in end first, part of the time the rear wheels of the forklift were off the ground and we steered it by pushing the sides of the crate in front.....it worked
under cover
the body crate comes last
steering by pushing the crate front left or right, rear steering wheels off ground, driver couldn't see anything....but in Indonesia, where there is a will, there is a way.
everything in, under cover and in one piece...time to open crates and count parts
[size=12]YEAH!!! Fuzzy has a project! It's a great day in Hurricane Land!
Congrats! Now get to work... ;D
-Eric[/size]
Ken,
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also, congrats. finally getting your car. With everything you went through, you either are the most patient person in the world or a nervous wreck. I'm glad it all worked out. Have fun with the build.
Jim
yeah fuzzy! get busy! for sure a wait, but it's finally there. good for you and nothing but fun for your and your snake, pet it gently. anyways good job and keep busy.
cs.
Congrats and happy Birthday Fuzzy. You are now on the "Dark Side". I cant wait to see your motor and tranny setting in the frame. Let me know if you run into any issues. My setup wasn't too difficult to set in place with the exception of the mechanical fuel pump. I had to get an after market one with a lower profile.
Good luck and get ready for the build of a lifetime.
BDF
Thank you gentlemen, BDF, the guys at Hurricane did tell me the stock one won't fit so they got me a block off plate and I am going with an electric one mounted in the trunk.
While I'm on line here, BDF, did you go with aircon or heater? Its too hot for heat but we have been thinking about air as its always 90 + here with humidity and we did get a hardtop for the car. Also, did Hurricane get the radiator modified for you and what hoses did you use, off the shelf ones from some other application? If you still have the part numbers, I would be interested in those for future ref. That is one thing I might have a hard time getting.
My motor is dynoed at max of 358 hp at 4800 rpm while the torque is over 320 from 2900 rpm and up while the max is 388 at 4400 rpm. Probably way more than my common sense can handle. Have had second thoughts about wishing I had just gotten the standard 290 hp. version. I had it hooked up to a reworked TH350 as I have a locked left knee and can't shift anymore. I'm hoping the motor won't seize before I get it in the car, its been sitting in crates since mid-May of last year. I also went with the undercar exhaust as I have little kids and a heap of animals around here and a wife with a low tolerance for pain. Car is also right hand drive for Indonesia, we drive on the far side of the road here. Always a big thrill the first time I get in a car when we get back Stateside.
[size=12]Wow -- hard to believe that engine I took a picture of in Missouri is now sitting in Indonesia! I'm glad to see everything arrived in good shape, and I'm looking forward to watching your build.
-Eric[/size]
This poor motor and the whole kit should have gotten residency in Singapore, it sat there for 3 months while the guys tried to figure how how to get it into Indonesia in some quasi legal way. Ended up, I didn't get a single paper with the kit other than a deliver slip from the trucking company showing 3 crates delivered. I did take photos of the delivery, including shots of the driver, the license number and assorted misc. things. Figured if I had problems later with the customs or something about how it got here, I could show them, also pictures of the crates in the local warehouse. The main Customs and Import office at the port where my kit came in, was raided by the police yesterday and everything going out was impounded...think I got lucky this time around.
Ken
Now wouldn't that suk if it had been impounded. You probably would never see it again. I'm glad to hear you are in better spirits. :)
Jim
Big time tears would have been in order :'( never sure just how legal anything is here. Its a weird country but it does have beauty and the vast majority of people here are really nice. Guess its just like any place, good and bad. Was reading the paper about a bill that was before the house and the one representative from some outlaying district that was quoted, had a rather odd name...and you probably won't belive this but his name was "Happy Bone" ...no joke..now who says Indonesians don't have a sense of humor.
hey Fuzzy im glad nothing what you previously mentioned happened. and the bright side with the size of the crates you can add on to the house ;D
this last month has been crazy Robert and i are all over this build, finally any way i will keep checking your progress and chat later dear feller.
ps BYAO!
cs
Hey Fuzzy,
Get to work!
Seriously, keep in touch. Any questions, especially about the IRS, just ask. I'll take any excuse to take mine apart again! (NOT!).
Make sure you check EVERYTHING for correct assembly and tourqe. I was missing internal spacers and bushings, and would have never known but for having to dissasemble my IRS for painting. I also had the wrong gears installed by Hurricane, who finally let me know almost two months after delivery. Check everything my friend.
Regards,
Evan
The rear end and the front suspension were shipped put together but not on the chassis as that had to come buck naked...I thnk that is good sound advice and sure a lot better than having it drop parts all over the road on the first go kart ride. No luck for me on sending parts back, what I got is what I have to live with, more expensive to ship things home and then try to hassle with re-importing them. Will just have to make do with what I have. I don't anticipate any major parts problems. Got a top, body, motor, trans, seats, wheels and tires, suspension, windshield and a tub plus heaps of boxes of bits. What ever isn't there we will manage to figure out or modify. Still have to find a bunch of guys to help me lift the body out of the huge skid its one. Will do that in the next ten days or so then we can start.....
Hey fuzzy glad to see you got my pics and message. I have not installed the radiator yet but I will send you the part #'s .for the hoses I will not have A?C or heat installed either. I decided to go with the manual fuel pump as that is one less electrical thing that I have to worry about. Plus the one I have fits pretty good and works great. You can make your own choice on that . You're engine looks great and I hope you get it in soon and fire it up. I just started mine on Friday and she sounds great.
I'll stay in touch. BDF
After some knuckle busting, we finally got the body out of the crate and on the buck. Crates/skids are now empty and ready to be sold off. Everything is in the garage or the living room (temporary ;D)
Body buck in the garage and the old girl tucked under, can still close the door and still walk in front. Chassis and motor and all are in the other side waiting for me to find the manual and double check if we have all the parts..... :P
Very, VERY understanding significant other that allows you to build/store in the living room
Paul
Ah, hmmm, promising it was temporary might have been the key. Our living room is not exactly like what you would find at home. Its off from the foyer and seldom used. Occasionally my wife fills it with goods from her watch import company so it's storage cum guests. Our house is pretty big so plenty of room for odds and ends but no construction in the living room or dining room. Paul, is the body sitting the way it is meant to on the buck?
Ken
that's the way mine sets. I find it isn't exact - can move around a bit. Not much weight on it - I have foam tube on the form and it isn't compressed from the weight. If it doesn't fit exact, not a big deal
Paul
Thanks Paul, did have another question....when we took it out of the crate, it was a real effort to open it up to pull it off the tub. I know it should be a snug fit but what happens if you paint your body off the go kart, then have to spread it apart a bit to fit it over the tub? Will the paint crack and I should worry a bit about dinging the edges where it drags along the edge of the tub. How far can you spread the body apart before you run the risk of creating big problems with cracks or paint?
Ken,
I don't think you can flex the body far enough to hurt today's paints. But I am concerned about the handling of a painted body, putting it over the frame.
Two people can take the body on and off but if it is painted, I think I would use six. The sides are going to have to be flared out to miss the cowl frame and the side pipes, the rear trunk tub, there's just too much chance to damage a paint job.
I am still wrestling with whether to paint with the body on or off. Maybe some of the guys who have painted will chime in
Paul
Fuzzy,Ken
that a look in my build (home at last) pg.5&6 and see how I got my body on painted with no problems.My body was done at hurricane and sat in my driveway for 10 months under tarps.
Fuzzy I'm struggling with the lower radiator hose now. I'll let you know what I end up with. Us Chevy guy's need to stick together.
BDF
BDF, one of the guys that built the first Chevy powered Hurricane used hoses from one of the usual parts houses, Sid had sent me the part numbers but everytime I went, they told me the numbers were non-existant. HOpe you can find a solution, a couple of guys had suggested using the espensive Coolflex hose and biting the bullet but knowing that it would work. Its big bucks. The other option that has been suggested is to use rubber elbows to make the bends and stainless tubing where ever you can make a straight. Keep me posted.
8mile, looks easy in the photos, my friends are all a bit smaller so may need more than six...and my wife is the proverbial under 98 pound weakling, until you get her dander up...your car is looking good. Ken
Fuzzy, if you still have those part numbers please send tham to me i may be able to make some sense of it all.
Send the list to my e-mail. curole1@slb.com
BDF
Fuzzy I have the lower radiator hose figured out I'll send you pics and part numbers by tomorrow. ;D
BDF
Kelsey has wanted to get into the action again so when we got the frame cleaned up, we got the touch up gun and she went to town spraying Temproof Aluminum paint over the POR 15. Sure brightens things up and no one will notice the minor "imperfections" from an 8 year old artist.
Hung out to dry, drips and all. :)
Next order of business is to sand down the exhausts and give them a good coat of aluminum Temproof Paint, tough enough for up to 1200 degrees.
No problems here, I had asked at one point about what happens to the finished paint if you have to wiggle the body on over the firewall and trunk liners so Ron's response works for me...hope 1081 comes out that nice. Not sure I will have Kelsey do the finish spray though....Ken
fuzzy,frame look's good can't see any run's from my house..
When we got all done, Kelsey asked me how I thought it looked; I took off my glasses and told her it looked great to me. And I thought I was the only one..... ;) When you are eight, any praise is good praise.
GO FUZZY GO!!!!!!! ARE YOU DONE YET!!!!! HURRY UP!!!!!!!
:D
I'm hoping Social Secruity doesn't go belly up before I finish my build, I might need the extra bucks... ;D ;D
Front suspension all buttoned up assuming I put it together right. Picture isn't backwards, its' a right hand drive car so steering is on the opposite side. Left side done too.
Haven't been doing a lot of work since November. Finally got back into the garage the past two weeks, did some touch up grinding on the majority of the litte brackets, cleaned them up with radius and rounds and smoothed out some of the dirt painted into the parts. Used a Nippon Automotive paint to brighten them up. Also got the emergency brake lines in and the brake tubes all put in other than up to the resevoirs. Still need to so some line adjusting for fit. Trying to get an aluminum gas tank made here but no one seems in a hurry to quote. What financial crisis?
Looks great Fuzz, keep it up . You know us Chevy power plants have to stay together. Love the blue spindles. ;D
BDF
You are the Bomb I truly love you fuzzy. ya know a manly way ;Dy
i always said when "stuff" hits the fan I'am the fan.
You are on it. (Great Job).
ERIC.
oh! the infamous cobraspit. miss ya!
Hey Ken
Nice job!!! You signed my GT40 guestbook so I had to see your build. Looks like you are going to have a lot of fun tooling around Indonesia with a Cobra. Car looks good.
Cheers
Bill
Fuzzy, You got the "Clean Machine"...looking very nice. ;)
For sure, you'll have one of the nicest ( if not thee nicest Cobra) in the land. keep it coming.
Bill ;D
Thank you for the kind words. As one of my friends has stated, it will be the nicest right hand drive Hurricane ever put together. I think it has something to do with it being the only RHD kit too but he wouldn't say. ;D
ken
We've been slowly painting brackets, steering shafts, driveshaft, motor mounts and other assorted bits to stop rust, ran the fuel line, battery cables and such and got to the point in the manual where it says this might be a good time to mount the motor....well...ok then, Kelsey and I pulled off the front frame work this week and wrangled the every trusty hoister uppper into place and we dropped, well actually lowered the motor/ trans into place, not bad for the two of us working alone. We really plan everything out first and keep our fingers, toes and noses out of harms way and in about a half hour we were in place.... Kelsey doing her "pulling the rope trick" on the trans to line it up
Ok, its a SBC, I'm not real good with the alphabet yet...there is only one other "real" replica in Indonesia and its an Almac out of New Zealand built by a Kiwi friend of mine, very nicely built with a home made chassis, Mitusbishi GTO rear end and SBC powered. The two will probably never be together though as they are miles apart and on different islands. Lot of coconut trees and pot holes between. Here is ours as it sits today:
First test drive:
Paul Sharpe's Almac from NewZealand. Built by Paul in 2007/2008. SBC powered with home made chassis of his own design (old drag car builder). Padang, Sumatra Island, Indonesia
Paul Sharpe's Almac, Misubishi GTO rear end, Right Hand Drive. The only on the road Replica in Indonesia.
Unique method of adding a center brake light.......just curious, would local regs allow the 3rd brake light to be on a roll-bar?
Dugly 8-)
Paul used a registration for a early 80's Toyota Corolla which was "modified" and had an engine transplant hence no 3rd brake light required. He imported his all legal like and did all the paper work through the local police department. They never once inspected his car other than to make sure the numbers on his motor matched the import papers. The third brake light is used in this form to pass New Zealand and I think Aussie requirements. Came with the kit like that. Indonesia is pretty lax and even some new cars still don't have third brake lights. We looked at a 2009 Honda fit yesterday and no airbags available, when we asked the sales man why they weren't there, he told us they were a waste of time and never saved anyone's life.. :-?..... Its like the old sign at the local hotel pool, the management is not responsible for loss of life or other belongings of the swimmer.
ken
Hey Fuzzy give me the details on your motor! compression, cam , heads , intake, carb, ignition? ust curious as we are the two Lone Rangers in this Hurricane group..
BDF :P
A lot is unknown about my motor, the guys who built it went from a promised 4-6 week build to making it a 16 week build and delayed Hurricane in modifying my build.
Where we are today: still need to connect fuel lines, do battery cable ends, finish drive shaft safety hoop, put in drive shaft and starter, make some header gaskets and attach headers, run some trans cooling lines.... Then on to the tub...
My little car buddy Meagan wanted a roadster of her own so we took a day off and made a kit car Cobra for her, now terrorizing North Jakarta....
Got the odds and ends sorted out mostly, got the fittings for the fuel pump, auto trans to cooler fittings, fuel line in, battery cables run and ends soldered, motor and trans mounts put in, drive shaft and safety loop installed and now seems its time to work on the seat tub. Guess we are making progress. Had a devil of a time fitting the rear universal joint to the rear end yoke, seemed to be too wide, never did one before but found out they packed the universal with so much grease the cap wasn't snug against the end so finally took out a bit of the grease, put a small clamp on the joint ends to compress it and it dropped right in. Snugged them down 17 pounds and think we are good to go.
I found out that the Lokar shifter for the TH 350 can be rotated to the front angled down, not as much as an original but looks better than leaning back. Friend of mine suggested we make alittle collar with two wings on it similar to the reverse lockout on the supplied shifter. Would just slip over the Lokar after taking off the top nob...
Got the body tub on this week with a bit of help from my wife, had to do some creative cutting as the shifter sits way forward on a TH350 compared to the cut-out from Hurricane. The boot wil cover it up ok but think I will need to fill in a fair bit of this or maybe make an access door as some of you have talked about. With some carpet, the shifter ring should sit flat as it is up a bit in front as it sits on the edge of the driveshaft housing slope.
The trans shifter rod for a TH 350 is positioned on the left and actually protudes into the left side of the car (my passenger side). We had to open it up this much to clear the rod as it and the shifter fork move forward and backward. Not sure how we will cover it, thought about making a cover of some sort and find a way to mount it so we can adjust the rod if needed. Not sure if it will interfere with the seat or track yet but looks as it may clear.
Fuzzy, you can cover both openings very easily with aluminum. If you can obtain some thin stock, like .032, you'll be able to easily shape the side opening and a small square for the top. Otherwise, if you got under there with some cardboard and tape, you could glass them in.
Looking good!
Matt
Good idea Matt, I dont' have the tub secured yet, still have some sanding and fiddling to do, am thinking also of modifying the footwells where they do not sit on the frame rails near the transmission. Might be more work than I want at the time but would get a bit more stretching room for the big feet. The aluminum might be a better idea for the openings as I might want to be able to open the side where the linkage adjustments are. Need to do some head scratching first. Thanks for the comments. ken
First time out in the daylight and on sitting on its own wheels, no height adjustments made, just snugged up the springs so no slack before I put it on the ground.
Hurricane wheels without the plastic covers and spinners (from Summit Racing via US Wheels)
Very Nice My Friend 8-)
Looks great Fuzzy. I hope to start final bodywork this weekend and have HM1111 ready by October.
BDF.
During the transition periods between owners, this build was somewhere in cyberspace so I started another one called "1081 NorJak Hurricane", also here in the build pictures section.
Previous build thread for 1081 was deleted by server, must have been getting tired of waiting for me to get to work...pictures are available on the HM site or ClubCobra under user name: fastraxsg.
That looks awesome Ken. I sure love small block Chevys. I just picked up another Corvette (1965). I'll have to forget the Ford stuff I recently learned when I restore it. ;D
Jim
Looking good Fuzzy. I love my Chevy power plant too. Got 510 miles on it already. I'm going to have to slow down or I'll run out of mileage, or update my insurance.
BDF
BDF, Unhook your speedo. cable . That way you can honestly tell the cop "I don't know how fast I was going". ;D
Jim
Fuzz,
i really like the chassis, and the blue touch on your components.
sorry to here about your build site :(
i just keep my pics on a flash card and print.
your moving right along from the looks of HM 1081.
so keep at it.
cs
I've still got all the photos on file and back up, just not the time to re-post. One of these days....thanks for the kind words, am slowly doing things. Need to pull the tubs back out, do some fiberglassing, paint the bottoms, hook up the exhaust so I can check and modifiy and then put 'em back on. Still having fun. glad to hear some of you are getting the miles on. Keep 'em rolling.
Some time here in the near future, looks like we are going to pull the motor and trans, move it forward an inch or so and up one to one and a half inches. Too close to the foot boxes and the whole shebang is sitting too low in the chassis. Also looking like a re-do of the undercar exhuast as it probably won't clear our monster speed bumps around here.
Top filler inside trunk. LeMans cap will be a locking cap with no connection.
with tub in place. Battery will be on left, cables enter through hole. Am considering making the center section a lift up section for access to fuel level, wiring and fuel filler.
Its been along time since we did any work on 1081.
floor huggers view
Looks good Ken, you could have just added a skid plate!? or gone to a dry sump. ;D
When ya coming back for a visit?
George
I was dreading the thought of the car getting stuck on top of one with both front and back wheels suspended in mid-air...If I hit one hard enough, it will be instantly modified to a "dry" sump without any addition expense.
Been fooling around with the trunk a bit, decided to make little inspection holes for the fuel gauge and the pickup tube.
Figured out it would be a good time to mount kick down cable for auto trans, plus vacuum line to trans and found out I didn't have a kickdown cable. So sent off for one via Speedway Motors and then realized I didnt have a speedo cable.
My two threads for HM 1081 are now one thanks to Paul P. Many thanks for stitching them together Paul.
Got speedo cable today and new gears from my dear Sis-in-law, thanks Joan...got 'em in place now. Its a long way from Boscobel to Jakarta. Time to get at it and get the driveshaft back in and work on getting the seat tub in...
Trail fit:
Hey Fuzzy
Good to see you back here, with all the volcano stuff happening. you are making progress.
Now that raceing season is over I will get back on my build too.
George :)
Hey ken good to see you're working again on the Beast. I comented on your steering woes post and looked back @ your build I have 3" clearance with my oil pan and have not hit a thing in south Louisiana. Kinda deceiving going over speed bumps and floating bridges but I hav enot hit a thing yet. Loewr that puppy and cut the drive shaft. Steering is the last thing you want to Jerry Rig.
:-?
Mocked this up this afternoon, in no way is this the finished bracket.....thought this might work, will lay over the top of the foot box about 4" and be bolted from top down, move up the firewall bearing as far as it will go, then drill out a hole in the new bracket approx. where the holder is taped on. The bracket moves the new bearing about 4.5" to 5" out from the footbox and meets the collapsible shaft there. I can have three bearings supporting the horizontal shaft, two shown and one inside the footbox. The shaft would now be at a slightly upward angle and allow the collapsible shaft to be a bit higher away from the header. The bracket would also be bolted at the bottom below the current bearing mount. I could reinforce the footbox wall top and front from the inside....whatcha think of this one guys?
Paul P. had suggested I try routing under the header so I checked things out...I would have a very low exit in the firewall for the bearing and will be right about where my toes on my left foot would rest.
Ken
Don't ya just love hot-rodding :D Every day is a new adventure.
Looking at your drawing, the angle would be 40 degrees. Borgeson recommends 35 degrees max. This is a link to their site: http://borgeson.com/Designing/angles.html Looks to me like this would not work without other modifications.
I still think an email to borgeson would be in order. Your pictures would help them understand the application and they may have other ideas.
Paul
While I'm pondering my steering problems, I thought I might as well tackle another problem.
continued gear shift linkage cover.....
That looks very good. Since I will have to do something very similar, I greatly appreciate your trail-blazing pictures!
Charley
HM1107
Charley, you might want to check the seat position for your driver's seat first as it is adjustable fore and aft. I've got a right hand drive car so mine is on the passenger side. That gives me a bit of flexiblity about seat position. Mine sticks out from the hump about 1.5" into the seat area.
Looks great ! as long as your seat clears..problem solved. ;D
Bill
Mine is a right hand drive kit 8-) so this will be the passenger side: we can "adjust" the location via the mounting points if neccessary. thanks Bill
Have done a bit of work over the past month or so between the never ending monsoon rains.
Fuzzy, it looks like a good strong bracket, so should do the trick.
Sam
I had some photos that were sent to me when 1081 was mocked up in Missouri, however the headers they showed on the block at that point are not the headers I was sent. If I had the ones shown, would not have had all these troubles. The header pipe in the front, closest to the radiator comes out instead of running parrallel to the block like the rear one does, would have made life so much easier. If this is not a viable fix, I'll get the header re-done here though will not be coated anymore. Such is life.
Keep going Fuzzy i know you can do it. I'm still waiting on that plane ticket so I can help out with the bodywork and paint. Just feed me and have me a place to sleep. oh a few beers would be nice to.
BDF ;)
Looking like 2012 will be body work time....I'll start filling the piggy bank with pennies... :D
Getting sick of redoing parts of the chassis. Was supposed to POR 15 coated so we sanded and sprayed a hi-temp silver over it and started assembling. Every month or so, we find a place on the chassis that rust has bubbled up from under the POR and started to peel away. We sand, prime and repaint. Should have just stripped the chassis of parts, then stripped off all the POR and repainted ourselves. What a bummer and what frustration. Have spent heaps of hours when we could have been putting it together. >:( Hopefully the end of re-painting is near. :D
Hey Fuzzy,
My chassis was painted with what I thought was POR-15,it was coming off in big flakes when recieved. I had it powder coated and the coater said that it was only cheap barn paint.
George
Having never seen POR 15 before, hard to find here, and being a trusting person, I believed I had what I paid for. Even after sitting in crates for 6 months, it still looked good when we got it so we just sanded and sprayed. But we are almost done re-doing, got everything done but the bottom so will do that later when we put it up on a rack.
For new folks reading this, the new owners are in no way related to the ones I bought from and the ones I bought from were pretty good people, I'm thinking that there was some mis-communication resulting in changes or things being left out. Anytime you do things from thousands of miles away, that can happen. With any kit, there will be frustrations and some set backs....part of the joy :o of building any kit from 1/24 to full size. Don't let this discourage you from building a kit. I'm still glad I bought a Hurricane. ken :D
My chassis was painted with what I thought was POR-15,it was coming off in big flakes when recieved. I had it powder coated and the coater said that it was only cheap barn paint.
I guess that I should clarify that I did not order POR-15, I expected bare steel when it was delivered but it was painted. I guess to prevent rust
George
I specifically ordered mine with the frame uncoated. I had heard of problems with POR15 coming off.
When I got the frame, I found the tubes had not been blasted or sanded and covered with a fair amount of mill scale. It took a lot of elbow grease to get it ready for an epoxy frame paint.
When I was in the Lees Summit facility, I noted they didn't do much prep work on the frames, just wiped them down and painted. :-X
One of the secrets of good paint adhesion is a properly prepared substrate. Think this mark may have been missed on a regular basis.
Got an idea Fuzzy - tear it all down, sand and degrease the frame then recoat with black (or blue) epoxy paint. I bet your problems would go away ::)
Paul
As slow as I work Paul, I'd be toothless, mindless and dried up by the time I finished. We've done what we can and sure wish I would have known first but I'll never finish it we tear it down. I think we will have done almost every surface by the time we do the bottom surfaces, already got a couple done. Live and learn.
:-/
My experience with the POR-15 is just fair. I did order their metal etching prep stuff and used it prior to the original coating, but I guess maybe I did not use it well enough or let it set in long enough prior to applying the POR-15. I find that is does peel off pretty easily in places. You can see how it came off in this picture when I attached the lower fender liners to the frame. I've got some touching up to do.
My frame coating PORS 15 seems to ok, not peeling, bubbling or rusting, but it's not very tough. I scratched it a lot and touched it up with plane old Rustoleum black, matched just fine and is not coming off, so I'm happy.
One thing though...I live in the desert and the car is in the garage 90% of the time, parked on carpet and covered (my baby). :)
Best of luck...keep on "plugging away" at it, you will be crusin soon. Bill
After all the problems we sanding it clean, wiped it with thinner and then primed with ACE rust-stop primer. After a good drying period and some sanding, we coated it with ACE rust-stop oil based paint. I would imagine it will be an on going problem. We have average of 70% humidity most days here in Jakarta, quite often up in the high 70% and 80%. This is in the garage, not outside. A dehumidifier would run non-stop and probabaly not do a whole lot as it is a 3 car garage with drafty aluminum doors. Time will tell. Hopefully you guys will have better luck. I tend to think all I got was barn paint like George and not POR 15.
Been trying to clean up and check some loose ends as its about time to mount the seat tub.
Still slogging along.
Enjoy it Ken, this is the fun part making everything fit and looking cool.
Your emergency adapter piece is just what I did, my brake handle is at the proper angle now and works much easier.
Keep on havin fun, Bill ;D
Put the tub in for the last time (fingers crossed) after a liberal coating of Sikaflex-11FC on the frame rails.
Got the brake handle fitted in place to see how it would clear the floor:
Hey Fuzzy. the alternator is on the wrong side!? :)
George
I was also told the motor was in backwards 'cause the distrubutor was on the wrong end...go figure. :D
Yeah, I missed that one! Glad to see that you are making progress. With any luck I might get it on the road this summer, late.
George
Can't get back to Ohio this summer but will be back hopefully next summer, will try to catch up with you then, I'm assuming you will be done then and I should be into body work...fingers crossed.
ken
Should be done by then :-/. So hope we can connect and go up and harass the folks in Cleveland. ;D Kerrianne and Evan.
George
Made some more "fine", well maybe not the exact word, :-? but some adjustments to the steering modifications and got it all buttoned up. Everything turns just fine and all the angles are within tolerances. Not pretty but functional. Got it outside to do some cleaning. Taking a traveling break until early July then on to the brakes, radiator, wiring and such. Still hoping to go-kart before Christmas.
Ken, looking good! I know you had some challenges with the steering so I'm glad you got it sorted out. I'm hoping to get my body primed in the next week or so and am getting ready to check out the wiring. I had a heck of a time getting my brakes bled, but finally got them done.
Regards, Sam
Brakes are my next challenge Sam, I got all the big size master cylinders so am bringing my old ones back to sell on Ebay and have bought new ones, sell three, buy two, I've got an auto. I wired my old roadster from scratch so am hoping this one won't be too much of a problem. Will be interesting to see if there is any difference between left hand drive and right hand drive wiring looms. Other than the brakes, I'm thinking the rest of the kit should go sorta easy, a lot of work but not the head scratching and sitting on a stump and looking at it... :-/. Its been fun generally but don't really have anyone here interested to work with and my girls are hot and cold about getting greasy and dirty. Once we can fire it up though, they will get back into it. Both of them have done a lot of body sanding and still seems eager to help there. Of course my 10 year old wants to spray paint again so might let her have a go at the primer, can't do worse than me... :D Glad to hear you are getting into paint. Should be on the road mid summer?
ken
Ken, got to be a challenge with the right hand drive. I wouldn't think the wiring would be different except the location of the fuse panel. Don't know, haven't gotten that far yet. You have done a fine job so far. Keep it up.
George
Ken, yes...hopefully mid to late summer, if there are no more major interuptions. Lost a month in March/April when we were in Florida helping my brother-in-law after his open heart surgery and have been spending the last 2 weeks doing spring yard/landscaping work so not much progress lately on the car.
Sam
Sam and George, you make it up to the Kit Car show and you'll get inspired to work 24/7. Hope you both have time to do some work this summer, yard work over here in the tropics never stops but luckily, since I left Ohio, I haven't had to shovel snow. not one of the things I miss about home. Hope to see some update photos from both of you soon.
Ken
Fuzzy i'm still game to do your the bodywork if you spring for the plane ticket. :) just give me a few weeks heads up .
BDF
With the speed and progress I
Hi Ken,
It is looking good. Keep up the good work. My body is in the paint booth and will be painted this friday. The trunk lid and hood are done and striped. I found some heat shields for the side pipes made of stainless with a cobra snake lasered into them. They are so polished they look like chrome. ;D
Mike, where did you find the shields? If you don't mind me asking, thanks,
George
HM1108
Hi George,
I was just crusing Club Cobra and saw an ad up on the masthead, right side for heat shields with cobras on them, not sure if they are the same ones....just watch the masthead as the ads scroll through.
ken
Well guys, after a bit of a hiatus, I'm back from being "exmemeber" along with gmoose...Ken aka Fuzzy isn't a very pretty name but I can now get my daily fix of Hurricane. Thanks to Steve S. for trying to sort us out and getting us back on line and to Paul P for all the words of "encouragement". ;D
ken
Got a bit of time to work on 1081 this past week. Plumbed the brakes to the master cylinders, pedal assembly in, throttle cable and pedal attached, new under the header plug wires on, new hard cable from carb to gas lines and started on the fender liners...looks odd ? Right hand drive Hurricane so its all opposite.
Lookin good Ken, it won't be long before you put some "fire in that beast". Your getting close, and before you know it's...battery and gas time.
Great job, Bill ;D
HI Ken;
Are you concerned about how close the brake lines are to your headers?
Headers get muy caliente!
Matt
Geeze...
I've been puting all my parts on the wrong side.......
Now I have to start all over.....again....
;D
Evan
HM1103
Thanks guys,
I've been thinking about the spacing, the photo is an odd angle, the closest anything is to any part of the brake system is 2 3/4" but an considering a shield and some of the heat blocking tubing.
still got thinking time, of course if I ran it without the body it would stay cooler ::)
Evan, I can loan ya a bigger hammer to whack 'em all back in the right space but not sure if that will work with the distributor... :)
Been dashing around the past two weeks, found some bits missing so time to improvise. Also decided to make two turn signal lights instead of one so need to drill another hole. Have also added a Dakota digital gear indicator as its a tad hard to see the markings on the shifter without my bi-focals... :-/
Still need to do the glove box cutout.
Ken
is that a "custom" bucket seat I see the turn signal switch resting on?
I drove my 55 Chevy with one just like it for about a month :-[
Paul
Naw Paul, I have a lower one made out of old 2" x 4"s that's more suited, this one puts me over the windshield. However the flex in the plastic helps a bit when it falls off the jack stands during "vroom-vroom"
Keep on chuggin Fuzzy , my bowtie has 6500 miles on ya and aint missed once. I know you will have the time of your life with it once it's on the road. Dont give up and I'm still waiting on that plane ticket. ;)
BDF
Been slogging along quietly as I got password problems and stumbled along for a month or so...all back on again thanks to Paul P. and others. Been doing the dash for quite some time now. Got most of it figured out, still missing the switch shown in the manual for the headlight dimmer and a place to put it into. There don't seem to be any loose wires to attach any dimmer switch to so need to sort that out. I put in a Dakota digital gear indicator on the far right, wired in two separate indicators for left and right turn signals and added a blue LED warning light for the brights in the middle. Both turn signals are LED as I didn't get any lights for the dash at all. Mind you, that doesn't mean Hurricane didn't ship them, all my boxes got opened here at the warehouse and I lost a heap of stuff so trying to find things as I go along isn't always easy here in Indo. As if trying to find Inch size bolts in a Metric country isn't enough.
Fuzzy, didn't see this post until after replying on your glove box post, but from the pic it looks like your glove box door fit is very good. The alum glove box HM provided has to be the largest glove box I've ever seen. I've never had one this large in any of the cars I've owned. The headlight dimmer switch is just a toggle switch. I have an extra as I used a different switch for my windshield wipers and I think it is the same switch. If it is feasible (don't know how you can get stuff like this thru the mail) I could sent it to you if you can't get one locally. Let me know.
Regards, Sam
Hi Sam, the switch is no problem, there just doesn't seem to be any place to plug the one in that was shown in the manual. As far as I know, there aren't any loose wires from the lights. There are light wires going to relay and wires going the other way into the harness. Worse comes to worse, I'm going to wire my own with a separate relay and a foot switch on the floor. I have wipers but not sure I am going to put them on, don't plan on driving in the rain, never know. I might have to pull off the dash and sort through it all again, got in too much of a hurry and forgot to find that one before mounting the dash. Usual work, attach, remove, attach again. At least I'm consistent... :(
Pulled the dash today and where there should be three wires going to a switch, I have three wires dead ending at a relay with only one wire exiting, a ground wire. I'm thinking I can just pull off the relay and wire in a switch but then I didn't see any lighting wires heading in or out of a relay so I could wire in a relay and work it out on my own. Attached is what I got instead of the pictured light switch on page 125 of the manual. Any thoughts would be appreciated before the smoke starts. :-/
Note from Jan. 2015. I wired the loose wire to a switch and grounded a new wire on the other post. When you flip the switch, the high beam lights will go on or off and the low beams will work as they should.
Fuzzy, sorry mine looked like the pic in the manual. I did add relays to the high and low beams as have several others on the forum, but I had to buy the relays and add them myself. If you don't get an answer from anybody on the site, I think Ken at Haywire has access to the forum and I can call him for you and see if he can respond to your question.
Regards, Sam
I'll give them until the weekend then call if needed. If you guys wired from there, I can do the same, I have some new 40 amp relays and wired up my old beater roadster before. Just didn't want to close it all up permanently then have problems again. thanks for the offer Sam.
ken
Hey Fuzzy, hope you and your family are alright after the quake? :o :-?
Just saw the news about the quake. Hope you are not near it. If you are, hope all is ok with you and your family. Let us know as soon as you can.
Sam
Thanks for the good wishes guys, we live on the North side of Java island, about a half mile from the coast. The ring of fire follows the south side of Java so we are protected by the whole width of the island, its a big island. We do occasionally get a shake now and then but nothing damaged or cracked except a water pipe a few years ago. However, they say by 2020 most of Jakarta will be under water due to the tide getting higher each year. Its gone up at least 14" higher in the 12 years we have been here. Our house sits up about 5 feet above the high tide line now so maybe later we can put a dock out front and buy a boat. Jakarta is like New Orleans only in the way that 40% or more is below sea level but there aren't any dikes here.
I dragged out the radiator box yesterday and slipped it in, however I soon realized there were no holes drilled in the radiator top or bottom to use to bolt it in place.
Got a simple question for you guys: I'm going to run Water Wetter and anti corrosion anti freeze in my radiator, its seldom below 85 here, 90+ on the warm humid afternoons. What radiator cap pressure are any of you running trying to keep these things cool? I will start with the stock fan and my motor puts out about 350 hp out of a SBC (not a typo) 350. Any suggestions other than dropping the boat anchor first? ;)
I admit that I looked at a map after my post and realized that the quake was not that close, but glad you were not affected. Unlike New Orleans with there dikes and pumps, you get to watch as the water rises slowly. New Orleans the power goes out instant 12' of water yikes :'(
Back to Cobra stuff, I will look mine over this weekend but I would think that the rad should mount in with some sort of rubber insulator. Also if the fan mounts are the same as what Hurricane is currently using I take pics and dimensions they will be easy to duplicate just a little Z bracket. On the Rad cap, I would run around 15-16 PSI. 8-)
Mark
Fuzzy, regarding the fan brackets, another HM owner suggested that I fab the four brackets out of alum and use them instead of the plastic ones that come with the fan. He said the plastic ones broke, so that is why he fabbed the alum ones and slid them into the slots that the plastic ones went in. I didn't see any answers to your electrical question above. Do you want me to call Ken at Haywire and see if he can reply?
Regards, Sam
Thanks Sam, I got it figured out, am going to delete the extra relay and wire those into a regular floor dimmer switch.
Fuzzy, glad you got it all worked out. I cranked my engine a couple of weeks ago and last Friday took it down off the jack stands and did my first drive in the go-kart stage. So far all seems to work fine. Now for the final trial fit of the body and then final prime,paint,and carpeting.
Regards, Sam
Fuzzy, that is looking great!!! Oh and Sam, you better get to working away so you will get plenty of summer time driving in this year :D
hey Sam, good to hear you got it go-karting. I was trying to get it that far before we left for the US end of May but looks like its not going to happen. Trying to find hoses is a problem here, no parts places like back home in Ohio. Have one big area here that sells parts, like 300 shops but each is about 10' x 10' or smaller and they all have limited stock. so, you spend alot of time hunting around, sometimes, several days so still looking. No cool flex available here though was told there was a place that sold the blue silicon hoses but haven't found it yet, will be at least 50% more. Enjoy the ride...thanks dusty
Fuzzy, you and Sam need to slow down, you're ahead of me! haha :D
George
If I went any slower George, my wife would think I was ready for the old looney bin. As it is now, I have to scrape the mold off each time I go out to the garage. :D
Got my pipes figured out, they will exit just in front of the rear wheels. Hve had trouble trying to fit them the way they came from Hurricane so thought this would give me something different. Mufflers are pretty low so may be doing a lot of dragging. Was really worrried about some local speed bumps but last month, they took them all out. Now its just the pot holes.
Fuzzy, I like the pipes exiting out the side instead of out the back anyway. I think they look neater.
Sam
Things that go clunk......thought we had it already to crank over, made horrible scrreeeching noises then a bang, followed by the starting spinning freely. inspection revealed a broken nose on the starter...why, who knows, guess I screwed up, the wrong starter provided by engine builder, too much humidity, too dry...moon not lined up....either way looking for a new starter. Motor seems to turn fine and it did cough before the bang so everything inside moves just fine. More fun, challenge, tears and busted knuckles...nothing but good times.
ken
Temp solution for radiator hoses and pipes, stainless but top needs angle adjustment and new hoses for connections. Bottom seems to work fine but need to re-do clamps. Neither leaked so that is good, will see what happens after it gets hot. No NAPA or Pep boys here in Jakarta, makes sourcing parts a challenge.
Hurry up fuzz, hey what happened to the Orangutan? my wife and i loved him.
any way dear fella hurry up! ;D
from the infamous Spit
PS have fun fuzz.
eric
Fuzzy, lookin good!! Sorry about the starter problem. I'm sure it will start ok after you get it fixed.
Sam
Looks like you need a new starter nose Fuzzy,. I have about 6 extra sitting around my shop. Should I send you one or two? do you have the 153 or 165 tooth flywheel?
BDF ;)
I bought a mini Hi Torque and hand carried it back, it is supposed to be able to be used on either via changes in positions. I've found a guy over here that does a bunch of SBC 350's so am going to get him to mount it for me and save some embrassment, rather have it done right than buy one over here for $200. figure it might cost me $40 or so. I am be calling just in case, don't throw them out. ;D
So after a lot of huffing a puffing, the old girl started on the first try after sorting all the problems out. First it was the broken starter which was a "rebuilt" one, then decided to put starter on myself, worked out well and seems to be adjusted right after fiddling with the shims, ended up with one....then found out the mechanical fuel pump didn't work...wonder why? No rod behind it to make it go up and down and in and out...where ya gonna find one of those in Jakarta..? So I took my fuel pump off my other old wannabee roadster and tried that. its a bit small, made for a 2.0 liter Mitsubishi but works, but then gas poured out the fuel filter as if it was pressurized. Found out a gasket was twisted so replaced that, still wouldn't start. Would start if you poured some gas down its thoart but only for a few seconds. So.....pulled the line off the carb and ran the pump, hmm, got fuel but none in the carbie...ah, float is stuck, tapped softly on the bowl, blew some air through it and we have mist...yeah....ran the pump for a few seconds, put the plugs back in, and cranked one time....vroom...I can sleep well tonight.
Now time to finish the brakes, put in the seats, steering wheel, wire the fan and a few odds and ends and cruising the neighborhood time. Then another year for the body....... :'( progress
Wow that's great to hear! Sounds like a few issues but just proves to all the other builders out there that you can over come ;D I am sure it won't be much longer and you will be cruising around the neighborhood with all smiles! Be sure to get pictures or video and post of the first cruise ;)
Dusty
Thanks Dusty, it sure felt good to have it run, had problems getting the motor from the builder, promised me 6 weeks, ended up more over 3+ months as I got the run-around and the boss wouldn't take my calls. About 6 weeks after they shipped the motor to Hurricane in Missouri, they went out of business. Have always wondered if what is inside is as agreed upon. The only way to look at it now is it runs, doens't smoke or make weird noises so hopefully when the brakes are all complete and everything double checked, it will motivate. Transmission from the same place and no information about it other than our orginal agreement. Can't exactly send them back. Will post video when we get it out on its own.
ken
I am a point where I need to install my brake fluid resevoirs, I have seen quite a few different set ups here on the site. I'm not a purist and pefer to put things where they will stay cool and be servicable and easy to refill if necessary. Any one have any thoughts re. this? any particular reason for firewall or fender liner mount? The kit did not have the body mounted when it arrived so I am not sure of any overhangs or hidden areas. All thoughts appreciated.
ken
Fuzzy, I mounted mine on the fender liner as per the manual, but if you do this as well make sure you mount them low enough on the fender liner. I thought I did, but when I trial fit the body the last time I found out that the "bulge" that runs around the underside of the hood hit the top of the resv. caps when the hood was placed in position and I had to move the resv. down an inch.
Regards, Sam
One suggestion that I would make is to seam the left side fender liner going up vertically from the top of the cutout for the shock tower. This way you can remove the rear part of the fender liner for better access. I copied this from Craig Baker and am so glad I did. It made it much easier to switch out my MCs and remove my headers. In fact, with the steering column in there, I'm not sure I could remove my left side header with the fender panel in place. I can post a pic if you'd like.
Matt
That would help a lot Matt, when I got the shipment, the body was not on the chassis and has never been on so I'm kinda in the dark about clearances.
thanks,
ken
Hey Matt, I would like to see that pic also. I am thinking about doing the same thing. I have an FE so space is tight.
Thanks,
George
Well, its been a long time coming since 1081 was delivered to my house in Ancol, North Jakarta, Indonesia on the 23 of May, 2007. We have had the usual delays, problems, joys, sorrows and busted knuckles but today, if only briefly, 1081 backed out of the garage and then back in on her own power. Hve had a devil of a time trying to bleed and tighten the brakes and close up all the leaks. Need to adjust the idle, clamp down a lower radiator hose and then hope to take a spin around the immediate neighborhood. with even more luck, might get a bit of video action. Its only in go kart stage, have a donor car, meaning license and serial numbers will be transferred and the old car eventually gone so no inspection or approval. Shady dealing but that is how it is done here in Indo. Attached is a shot of the driver's side, its not backwards, we drive on the funny side here and this is the only right hand drive Hurricane ever built though I think Sid's might have been converted after he sold it. Thanks for all the encouragement and help, still some bugs to work out and definitely some tough body work and windshield work to start on. I feel "so" much better.
ken
Congrats!!! On the edge of my seat waiting to see video of this historic event! Hope all goes well and have a great weekend ;D
Fuzzy, congrats. I know how you feel!! I'm trying to get the last of the body and prime work done and then the final prime,sanding, and finish coat. Hopefully it won't be too long now.
Sam
Fuzzy
Getting concerned about you.
- Distributor at wrong end of motor
- Steering wheel on wrong side of car
Did they mix up the build manual they sent you? Maybe a mirror copy?
Paul ::)
Fuzz, You are our Hero ! Your continued hard work, perseverance, and skill, make all the Hurricane owner/ builders proud. To think, building a right hand drive (one of a kind) Hurricane cobra in a foreign country with all the problems involved is a great accomplishment. ;D
Well done my friend, looking forward to seeing it on the road with your smiling face grinning at us.
Good Luck, Bill ;)
Paul,
After you mentioned the build manual, I went back and had a look. Eureka, I found my mistake, the only paper I had when I printed the manual was almost clear tracing paper, seems I put all the pages in the ring binder backwards and I have been looking at the see through images, no wonder I had to hold the pages up to the mirror to read it. Too late to rework everything though, ran out of washers and rivets. :'( :o
ken
Thanks guys, its been a labor of love and a good time for some life lessons working with the girls in the garage. We edited a short video clip of HM 1081 leaving the premises under its own steam but didn't have time to post it though did send it to a couple of you via email. Hope to have it up tomorrow. My wife's first attempt at video'ing a car and our first editing experience..... ::)
ken
http://youtu.be/KFk3NDPvVwk
Here is a link to our first attempt a video of our go-kart, first time out the gate since it went in on May 23, 2007. Tough to find models over here.
ken
very cool Ken .....
Ken, cool. It runs really well with the engine in backwards! Congrats.
Sam
Its an optical illusion Sam, my wife had the camera backwards....
thanks, it was fun after all this time....
ken
http://hurricane-motorsports.com/forum/index.php?topic=2319.msg22694#msg22694
I got connected with ken from Haywire via Sam's efforts so we now have a solution to the mystery of wiring the hi/low beams with the alternative wire connecters a few of us rec'd. Check out the link or go to the electrical threads on the owner's side.
Thanks Ken and Sam
flying naked are ya well it's about time dear old Fuz.
just started rain'n here tonight still puttn' actually finished weatherizing the homestead,
it's good to see you and your family having a good time of it.
God Bless and go fast but safely ;)
Thanks CS, I've actually feel like a Cobra owner now, not to put the old girl out to pasture yet though, she still gets to stretch her legs now and then and next week she's getting all new interior recovered. Still got a lot of bits to finish before we start body work. Got some open spaces to glass up, some wires to shorten and re-run and such. Did not get any rails or runners for the passenger seat, no where in the crate, didn't have a check list so never noticed so am makinng them out of some shelving bars....will have space for a one inch deep drawer under the seat,, read a post on Club Cobra about a guy that used to keep his S and W under there in case he got car jacked....ours is for CD's and a map and probably the wife's necessities...got the glove box in with the door fitted so now to mount the CD player, will have to raise it up so the CD clears the door when it comes out...more problem solving. Have to fix it in so it would discourage anyone to "borrow" it. have two different cut off switches in for anti-theft, am also going to put in a electrical shut off for fuel pump and one for all electricity, also thought about one for power to the distsributor....have to rebuild the whole car to steal it, other than bring in a flat bed and just winch it up....not really an option in Jakarta....good times planning these things out. So far so good, hope to do another quick drive this weekend, wife said she could do better on the video so want to keep everyone happy. :). Hope you got some good miles on BA this summer. We are waiting for our rainy season, was supposed to start mid-Sept but so far blue skies. Save your lunch money to buy some tickets from George for the London cobra, then you and Robert can cruise side by side.
Earlier I had cut inspection holes in my trunk liner for servicing the fuel sender and the fuel pickup. I lost the first little cover I made so here is number two. I cut two pieces of fiber glass (from the parts I cut out for speakers) one to fit in the inspection hole and one a larger diameter so it wouldn't fall through. I glued the two pieces together and then used my glue gun to glue them in place. I'm going with the cheap carpet in the trunk so if there is a need to get to either, it won't break my heart to open them up, or another option is cut a circle in the carpet the same size and just put it in with some glue, only have to remove that one piece if need be. While the cover sticks up about an 1/8" from the trunk deck, I usually put a piece of cardboard in to keep the carpet clean if hauling dirty stuff, don't really have junk to slide in an out. Just a note, if any of you are looking for a spare tire and you have the standard US steel wheels, the space saver spare tire from my 2009 Suzuki Cross over fits right on and is near the same height as the stock tires I have, 26.5 ". I've been looking for a second hand one to use as it fits in the trunk.
I decided to put in a stereo system as the pipes aren't as loud as anticipated and you can hear the music while on the road without it being cranked up full blast. I bought a Dual CD/Radio at Walmart two years ago, has an input for a mp3 player too and didn't cost a lot as I'm afraid it will get nicked sometime so I didn't want to be out a heap of money. Also bought a good set but not top of the line Infinity speakers. When I went to mount them I realized they would hit the uprights in the trunk so they couldn't be centered in the roll bars. I'm not that particular so I put them in and figured its fiberglass, if the next guy doesn't like it he can seal 'em up and do something else. The glove box door is a bear to mount and there were holes drilled by Hurricane for fitment before it was sent over. The problem is the door does not open fully in to a flat horizontal plane so after much fiddling and hours of head scratching I did the best I could with it and let 'er be. This is something I can always go back and fiddle with when its pouring down rain days on end. Here is what I ended up with.
Ken, I know what you mean about the glove box door fit. I did get a break on mine do to the fact that HM sent me a dash with the car without the glove box hole cut out, so they said they would send me a new dash with the hole cut out. When I got the new dash it had the hole for the glove box, but no holes for the instruments so I wound up using the new dash as a pattern for the hole cut out and at that point realized that the hole needed to be lowered so that the glove box door hinge would line up with the bottom 1x1 dash bar for mounting. Even with that break it was still difficult to get the door mounted properly. Yours looks good, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Sam
At least I don't have to worry about it floppying down too far...guess that is the bright side, problem was we wanted a CD player and had to raise the height of the player so we could get the CD in without scratching it on the door. Only one here so no one will ever know for sure. You making progress any progress Sam, got pictures?
ken
http://www.automedia.com/Sound_and_Heat_Shield_Install/ccr20070701hs/1
I was wondering out loud the other day regarding installation of heat/sound deadening material. It seemed logical to me to put the shiny side down towards a source of heat such as on the floor above an exhuast pipe. However, it seems my logic was flawed. I attached a short article about installing material and if interested, open up the website above.
ken
It's been awhile since I posted but still crawling along. Our motor start/run problems have been solved after several sessions of home mechanics plus a session with my old Kiwi roundy round friend Paul. I finally asked the guys from our local hot rod shop to come over one day and help me out. After eliminating everything easy, it was determined my Distributor is shot or shorted or something. They slipped in a second hand one and she fired right up and ran smooth. Still taking it out go-karting once in a while while I piddle with little things. About ready to trail fit the body for the first time, have never had it on as it all came in separate pieces via sea freight. One of the things I did fool around with this week was the plastic (fiberglass) wheel inserts to go inside my US Wheels. As usual, they didn't fit so after some sanding and shaping and painting got one done.....
thought it looked ok, though this one is cracked in a couple of places but it passes the 50 foot though.
Still need to wire it on though....
Got the roll bars (2) primed today, going for gloss black so easy to touch up. Chroming over here is hit or miss most times.
update: decided not to use gloss and instead went with flat black, even easier....photos coming soon
Ken,
If you keep plugging away you may finish yet! Glad to see things are still progressing!!!
Dusty
At least we can go kart on occasion. When I put the roll bars back on, I'll do a video, we shot one last week but forgot to put the sd card in the GoPro, duh......like every thing, doing things twice. ::)
however, am almost to the point of doing the first body trial soon. I do have a question for anyone who can help. The edges of my doors, trunk and hood are not even. Meaning, the inner part does not match up with the outer skin. I have a lot of overhangs and gaps to fill. What material should I use to do this? I need types of products, not the brand names as they will not be available here. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Everything was completely disassembled to ship, so no idea about door gaps or such, all will be trail and error.
Sounds as though the panels never got trimmed. I am not sure of this but generally when they are cut to size you will be past the single layers and should be double thickness all the way around. If you need to fill gaps or anything such as that you should use fiberglass and resin first. If you use anything other then fiberglass then you are just filling without giving it any strength. Body filler such as bondo are just that fillers.
Ken, my doors were the same way and I had to do as Dusty mentioned and then sand them smooth to the thickness of the rest of the door.
Sam
all four pieces, trunk lid, hood, and both doors are off all the way around. I'm assuming they are cut close to size as Hurricane assembled the car and then took it apart to ship. Guess that means I have a heap of work to do. When I get the edges close to the right size and have filed and sanded, what do you guys suggest I use to fill in holes and little lines to smooth it all up? A product type is what I am looking for, like a polyester filler, not a brand name? I guess I'll be doing this until the cows come home...and I don't have any cows.
ken
Ken, cause of where you are I would be using anything I could get for fill ;D But my guess would be that you can get some fiberglass mat and some decent epoxy resin and you can get close with that. Move on to a lightweight body filler of your choice to get holes filled and smoothing it up. I am so glad we have fixed most of the molds so we don't have that issue anymore!
Dusty
Fuzzy, I remember seeing your car together in Lee's Summit. As best as I recall (and it has been some time) the doors were hung and closed though it did not have the latches installed. I don't think you have much to trim. Now nothing says that there was not a problem and they sent different doors when they shipped it. It's a slow dirty process but not hard.
Mark
I'll post some shots sometime this week, slow and dirty sounds like most of the things I have done on this project Mark. I'm not an ace body man and this is the first time I will be doing real body work so looking like a long time in the process here. Resin isn't easy to source, its out there but I haven't found the right place. Most boat shops here do not carry repair stuff and any builder will not reveal their sources in fear that you are going to be a competitor. I have a friend who can get resin in 50 gallon drums for me but that is probably a bit more than I need so I buy it in one liter bottles and work with that. No idea what type of resin it is, but it works, so will continue to use it. Do you guys use polyester filler or what for pin holes and small scratches?
Most of the books I have only tell about name brands, same with my street rodder magazines but doesn't help much. I'm getting there slow but sure. Am hoping I will still be driving by the time its finished.
::)
ken
Roll bars in flat black over grey Rust Stop
Other than carpet the interior is pretty much done. Just need to add a high/low beam switch
Got one of my garage buddies out to help put on the sealing tape. Response was, "I can do this by myself Dad," and sure enough she did, not sure we needed it there too but its all pretty straight and done well. Some times we just have to let them give it a try. Great boast for her confidence.
After doing in front of the dash, she cleaned off the old sponge on the firewall and redid that too. Way to go Meg !
Fuzzy, that's a great picture. My girls are just waiting to drive mine (they are delusional), they used to be interested in things I did in the garage, It's hard to compete with boys, horses, facebook, pretty much anything else. :o
Mark
That is amazing! You tell Meg that if she is ever looking for a job, I could use a good helper that can do things on their own ;D
BTW...Glad you are still working away at it!!!
Mark....why can't they drive it dad??? lol
Hmmm, drive it? :-\ My oldest is 13 and helped me paint our old beater Wannabee Cobra with a in-line six in it. She wanted me to paint it pink so when she could drive, she could drive it to school. The deal is, if she can paint it nice on her own she can drive it....of course its a tired out old six, reliable but slow. The Hurricane, not in her dreams even.....however, Meagan is sensible and hard working, so when she can see over the dash, she's good to go (if she has a license). She's hell on wheels in a go kart and she's just barely 9. Maybe start with track days? Hahaha, my wife would kill me.
Good luck Mark, they come to their senses soon when the boys all go crazy after they see dad's set of wheels and ignore the girls.
"Good luck Mark, they come to their senses soon when the boys all go crazy after they see dad's set of wheels and ignore the girls."
That has worked with some. I have been very deliberate about when I clean my guns with others. Some it does not seem to bother - Those are the one I don't like. Dad's cleaning guns used to scare the S#@% out of me when I was dating. Maybe because back then when some punk kid disappeared it was not national news.
Mark
My 3-year old granddaughter was here this past weekend, helping me in the garage for a few brief minutes - for a long as a 3 year old's attention span lasts. I sat her in the cockpit, where the passenger seat will be some day.
She asked me "Hey GrandBob - when will this car go?" and I said "hopefully by the time you have your driver's license."
I've told the girls that when it comes to dating, I'm hanging a sawed off shotgun in the entrance way and wearing my "Dads against Daughters Dating T-shirt". Proudly displayed on the back is the saying, " Shoot the first one, word travels fast" My eldest isn't impressed.... 8)
Finally got the body off the body buck, first time since it arrived in May of 2007. Washed off all 6 years of dust and left it outside. With luck we will do our first trail fit on Thursday.....
Need pictures of your crew or what ever ingenious way you decided to get the body on the car.
Good luck. It's one of those exciting times.
Mark
Had all these great intentions of filming the first time putting the body on but forgot to turn on the camera, usual thought process, even had it all lined up and on a tripod. Anyhoooo, here are the finished pictures, all the help left as soon as we were done as it was mid-day and everyone had to get back to work, only four of us, followed the tried and true mounting method and it went right on. Now need to try bolting it in place as it was all in pieces when it first arrived.
Well it looks like its really coming together now! Great job and keep up the good work :)
Fuzzy
Starting to look like a cobra. Congrats
Paul
ps: looks like the distributor is on the wrong end. Do you have the engine in backwards? ::)
Ya know Paul, we've taken that sucker out twice now and we just can't figure out how to put it in the other way around. Was thinking about putting a little black fiberglass box over it and buying a dummy disti and just glue it on the front.
::)
ken
Looking good - like a cobra should ;D ;D ;D
Mark
If you are thinking of ordering a kit or waiting for it to be delivered and have read through all of the HM 1081 thread, read on. However, remember this is a kit from the old molds and much has changed for the better.
Some recent lessons learned through no one's fault and 20/20 hindsight: When HM 1081 was finally delivered to the house, it was all in pieces, so when we started assembly we picked up the manual and started on page one. When most of you get your kits, its in a sort of assembly with body mounted to chassis to save space and easier shipping. You take it apart and hopefully note how it all goes together.
This is what we should have done, a partial assembly with the chassis, front sub frame, tub and mounted those things together to see how they fit, including the bumpers and such for our car.
What has happened: I started assembly last week or so and I find the rear bumper is 1/2" narrower at the mounting points than the uprights and we don't have any bolts or spacers. In addition, the bottoms of the uprights interferes with the lower part of the roll pan and will need to be trimmed. (I have 1" x 2" uprights)..cont'd
Part 2
The front uprights have to be forced on over the aluminum sides and the frame as the width is a smidgeon too narrow. The passenger's side (your driver's side) 2 x 2 mounting block for the front bumper is jammed against the side of the airduct so hard it seems it needs to be relocated. The finished distance between the upright mounting holes and the front bumper mounting holes is about 3/4" too narrow and the body holes do not line up with the mounting holes.
Now all of these things can be fixed or sorted out and are part and parcel of assembling a kit car. The point here is: make sure you do your trial assembly prior to installing all the running gear and such as its easier to modify or wiggle or sort out things early while its easy to move around.
Sometimes you are going to get frustrated and let it sit for a while, but in the end, after the labor of busted knuckles, scratched shins and copious amounts of liquid and hanging out with your friends and brainstorming , its all worth it when you first fire it up and go for your maiden go-kart ride.
ken
Ken, not sure I understand all of the issues you mentioned, but a couple I did experience. The bumper uprights at the rear that contact the rear lip of the body also happened on my body so I just ground a little off the bottom of the upright to get clearance and repainted. Also, one of the front bumper uprights was tight against the brake duct, but I was able to grind a little off the side of the brake duct to correct. Hope all the other stuff works out for you.
Sam
I've got it under control as best can be....was a bit frustrated when I realized I missed a better opportunity to do things but it will all come out ok, or least no one will notice as no one here has ever a real one or a replica. Its all good ! and i love my Hurricane.
Dang Fuzz still going at it, looks way cool, sure missn' being on here just don't got nothin' to contribute.
read every thing done everything just still got to get her Registered. My biggest Hot Wheel.
any way God Bless.
well the sunny side is it's sunny here today ;D
ems
Hey Fuzzy, hearing lots of news out of Indonesia, Flooding, Volcanos, High Murder/crime rates but no new Hurricane (1081) news. Hope all is well.
Mark
It's been a while since I posted. Been on another thread trying to figure out a starter problem. Haven't been able to get the car up enough to pull the starter so that will be the next major project. Meanwhile, wired the lights front and rear so they all work as they are supposed to. As I have a street roadster, I have double rear lights on the back, those funky round ones. Naturally when they sent the body, it was cut out for the rectangular ones so had to fill and fiddle and grind it back until it was wide enough to fit the lights. Will attach some photos here of the left side. Also did one of the head lights, can't believe that Hurricane used the junk they did back when they made 1081. Sure hope the new ones are using a different system. My holes were way off and lucky for me, there was a fix posted here on the forum. Still slogging along. Got a lot of shaping to do around the lights now so it doesn't like a frying plate. I had built up the behind the light cutouts so I could grind down enough to get a wide surface so plenty of meat left.
ken
attached is a shot of my right rear set of lights. I am in a bit of a quandary as to what to do to blend in the body work. I drew some redlines where I have thought about blending in the body so there are two clear round areas, one top and one bottom. As it is now, it looks like a flat iron griddle with a couple of half tomatoes on it. If any of you are around a street cobra with two similar tail lights, could you take a quick snap that shows what they did it on their car and post it for me here? There aren't any in Indo except one that has the usual flat tail light so no place to have a look see. Hurricane built one street roadster with the dual taillights but you can not tell from any pictures posted on line. I also have not been able to find exactly any place that describes how far about the lights should be apart so I did what I thought looked good. Please send me any comments or photos, will welcome any comments or critiques...
thanks,
ken
Fuzzy,
The flat area on the rear of the Hurricane body is the correct shape for the street cars. I've attached three different photos of street cars, CSX3235 (momma), CSX3254 and CSX3301
All of them have the flat area around the lights and no fairing between them. The Hurricane build is actually incorrect in it's usage of the single light. Those were used on the lower number bodies and not on the street cars, which the Hurricane mold was pulled from.
If you want to be "more correct" the lights should be a little closer to each other. I have access to two street cars if you need a different view.
Hope this helps
Paul
Thank you Paul, that answered my question in more ways than one. I'm not really sure I need to be period correct as no one has seen a Cobra up close over here other than one or two and those would think the rectangular lights were probably correct anyway. when I looked on Club Cobra, I found about 20 different cars with round lights and almost all of them were different either in the spacing or the rounding between the lights. I really don't care personally for the flat surface as it looks like someone forgot to finish the area as all the rest of the body is so wonderfully rounded. I would imagine the flat surface was a result of the body being aluminum and no one wanting to spend the extra time to work that small area. I had to add material inside to be able to get the right width, adding outside and trying to keep the correct curves would have been beyond my ability. I appreciate your taking the time to source these for me, I'm going to mull over this for a bit before I do anything. I might just do a small amount of rounding in and not go whole hog on it, just to add a visual curve in for the eye to follow to avoid it looking like some one forgot to deal with it.....I could put '57 Chevy lights on it over here and no one would know any difference. 8)
thanks again,
ken
Mine also came with four red tail lights, no red reflector for the bottom so mine for sure won't be 100% correct. A lot of UK and Aust cobras all run with a yellow top light on the rear, probably for compliance for legal issues. No one cares over here, particularly as I am using a Toyota Crown registration here ::). I have just turn signals on top, with running lights and brake lights on the bottom. Both tail lights can be wired for dual function. May still wire running lights into the top one also just for safety.. Easy enough to do with the Haywire Kit.
thanks,
ken
I have my Rinsey Mills books back from loan so got a chance to look at what was original as far as the UK side. He has photos of COB 6101, COX 6127, CSX 3288 and a couple of un numbered cars with twin rear lights and they sometimes look different in the spacing. I would think mine are about 1/8" to far apart from what I have seen and I don't think it makes any difference to me. I have seen a couple on Club Cobra even wider spaced. It was mentioned that these were on "a few" of the AC 289"s, no mention of the US market ones. The AutoKraft models had twin lights with the top one being yellow / orange. Ah well.....while I was skimming through the books, I was looking a quick jacks and it would seem there was no real right way to mount them though these cars: CSX2431, CSX 2494, 2301, 2345 and 2260 2137, 2128, generally had them mounted the same way, the open side closest to the body, I have sure seen a heap of them with open side pointing out, but in the books, you see a few like that too. I guess it would be tough to be a purist with a replica, would need to have the real thing and have photos of it back in the day to restore it correctly.
ken
If I understand it correctly, the small block cars (CSX2xxx) originated the quick jack and they installed with the notch closest to the body. With advent of the big block cars (CSX3xxx), they added an oil cooler. The jacks were then turned to the outside to get clearance for the oil cooler bump
The discussion will then turn to whether the vertical part of the jack plate should be on the inside or outside of the mounting bolts. ;D
Paul
A never ending discussion for sure, like a lot of things with the originals. As they were all hand built, it was easy enough to change tack any time. As with all things racing, if it don't work the way you want it, you modify until it works for you.
I'm more worried about convincing a policeman I made it from a " Toyota Crown" like it says on the registration. 😉
Finally got the body on for a second trail fit, will try to fit everything before taking it off one more time then back together. Looks like it will be painted with the body mounted, not so sure it will survive over here with being painted then fitted again. My helpers are a bit rough and we sometimes have a bit of a language barrier so will have to take that into allowance.
When 1081 was shipped overseas, it was all apart so no idea about how it will fit. It was pretty rough the first time with front mounting bars for the quick jacks miss aligned when welded and took awhile to figure that out. This time it fits better and I made some little plates to help give the side mounting screws a bit better clamping power as shown in the photo. Just a pc. of mild steel from a short piece of shelving angle iron. The mounting was already determined and cut, pretty rough but guess it lines up ok.
Last attached photo is my 14 year old taken right after she helped me put in the motor, April of 2009. She is still optimistic that I will let her learn to drive with the Hurricane. Ahhhh, to be young again, hope springs eternal.
Fuzzy, I did something similar regarding the mounting holes/slots. I just thought a little bit of backing would be helpful. It might not be a bad idea to leave the body on after you get everything aligned. I found things tend to move a bit every time you put the body on. Not much, but some. I had a hood alignment issue after I put the body on after paint and had tightened every thing and then installed the hood and found it to be off set by about 1/4" so had to mod the hinges to get it to line up. Good progress though!!
Sam
I'm a pessimist by nature and figured there would be things that go wrong after I put the body on and would have to take it off again. I'm having a nightmare trying to line up the holes in the body with the holes for the rear bumper, did not buy quick jacks as am sure I would be stopped over here without a bumper. I did not get spacers for the rear bolts and am having trouble finding thick wall tubing to make my own. Once I get the body aligned and most things done for the body, am thinking to take if off, recheck the whole works, then put the body back on and do doors, trunk and hood at that time and paint while attached. Having a street car with right hand drive and a SBC has really complicated the whole works and put some unusual stumbling blocks in my way, so far have managed to overcome most of them but sure slows down the process, that and all the dumb mistakes I have made. It sure has been a learning experience and generally a good time. I still think Hurricane was the best to buy for Stateside, I might have been better to buy from Australia or New Zealand having a right hand drive car and saved some headaches but that's hindsight. At least it drives and is starting to look like a car instead of a bunch of steel with a motor. Thanks for all the encouragement along the way. I'm getting there.
ken
Was having a problem with the car over heating and puking coolant. Talked to an old racer friend of mine and he told me to take out the thermostat and run without one, plus I finally got my coolant reservoir attached. Used a stainless steel one from Speedway Motors. I also put on a generic radiator cap made by Denso. Ran the car for an hour, mostly 30 mph around the neighborhood, including stopping twice. Never got over 185 and no more leaking on the floor. Outside temp is 85 plus most days, 78 or so most nites so it needs to run cool. Not sure what made the difference but it ran great the whole time.
Now need to see what difference having the hood on will make. Don't have any cars guys or Cobras
close by so it's reading and trail and error.
not having a thermostat is a good temporary fix. done it a few times to get home when the thermostat went bad. but I don't think I'd trust leaving it out permanently.
I'm not exactly "Mr Mechanic" so I'm always open to any advice I can get. This was my reasoning. I always thought the purpose of a thermostat was to help the motor get up to operating temperature before opening to keep from low temperature problems with metal to metal or expansion when it's cold. Help me out here if my reasoning is flawed. However, here in Jakarta, the coldest it's ever been is 72 degrees Fahrenheit and that was after 4 days of non stop monsoon rain and flooding. During the day time our usual temperatures are between 85-95 and humid. Even if we go out for a cruise in the evening, it is rarely below 82 F. In my mind I thought having a limited, crowded engine bay, often stuck in stop and go traffic and plenty of outside warm air, my poor old motor could use all the cooling it could get. If I am off, please help me out, it would cost me a fortune to get my motor rebuilt here. Also, given the fantastic array of potholes here and constant traffic, we don't go too fast nor will the car ever see track days. Please help me out if I'm off target.
Light weight hood prop overkill. On my old Cobra wannabe.
Light weight hold down for hood prop from the dollar store.
yeah, I didn't consider those temps. it may have been sticking. the thermostat regulates the temp so I don't know if it will run too cool. one way to find out I guess.
I had considered it being stuck so about 3 months ago I put in a new 185 degree Stant thermostat. Motor would run about 215 degrees constantly or occasionally start to creep up higher. Sure didn't want to get stuck somewhere. I'll have to constantly monitor it I guess. Wouldn't be my first trail and error to end up going sour. Can't buy a cap here for a American V8 so will pick up a 165 degree when I get back, maybe two. Thanks for your help, Lord knows I can use all I can get.
Ken
Got most of the car together. Need to do a couple of little things then will take the body off one last time, go though everything and then re-mount. From there, finish body position, some fiberglass work, and send it off for body work and paint. Have decided that another two years of work isn't what I want, its been 8 years already. Have been driving it around as it but time to finish it up.
Congrats! What color(s)?
Ken
this is a big event - great news. Congratulations.
Paul
ps: but you're going to ruin the pool of "when will he finish" ;D The 8 years had eliminated most.
Ken, looking good. Great job. I thought I was going to be the longest build, but I think you win the prize (whatever that is). Keep us posted on the colors.
Sam
It's not done yet so keep the wagers active....
As we are planning a shell game of sorts, our license/ registration is from another car which is listed as green so we are obligated to keep it green, hence British Racing Green, debating if we should go with some ghost stripes of a tad lighter shade of green. Can not use another color and still comply. There is a big national auto show end of Sept. Not sure we can have it done but the paint guys would love to have it in their booth.
Are all the cars prior to 1081 done for sure, thought there were one or two idling away?
It's had to tell who is still working on their cars as several have not posted for a long time, but I think there are at least 2-3 prior to 1081 still in process.
Sam
Quote from: s_reynolds on April 20, 2015, 09:02:15 AM
It's had to tell who is still working on their cars as several have not posted for a long time, but I think there are at least 2-3 prior to 1081 still in process.
Sam
I wish this forum was more active - but as far as build time, I know my HM2008 is going 2 1/2 years so far and no end in sight ...
I wish this forum were more active as well, but I guess it's just the result of fewer builds going on than there were when I was building mine 4 to 5 years ago.
But I do check in every day and happy to respond and contribute in any way I can.
BTW, my build time was 2 1/2 years.
Matt
I had PM'd Larry (LMH, HM1023) over on CC back in 2012 as I noticed that he posted over there a lot and asked the status of his build. At that point he was about ready for paint, but haven't seen any postings from him for the finished product. He said he was an originality freak, so he may still be working to get it right.
Sam
Sam
Larry was (has?) selling his Hurricane. He picked up a 289 car and is concentrating on that. Don't know if the sale ever consummated or not
Paul
Did Larry buy another Hurricane or something else (shutter).
We are still slogging along though as usual we have fallen behind on plans again. We are ready to remove the body one last time and work out some bugs and make sure everything is as is it should be, then put it back together. Had hoped to have that done by end of this month but now looking like end of summer, never get much done while the kids are home. Off to DC area next month for 3 weeks so oldest can take part in National History Day at Univ. of Maryland. Just the two of us so dad and daughter trip. Always a challenge with a 15 (going on 18) year old.
Thought I would post these updates here too, as of August 01, 2015
Looking good Fuzzy! Other than paint what do you have left, and did you figure out how to register/title there?
Mark
Getting close, Fuzzy!!
as we do not have a single piece of paper that shows the kit being imported to Indonesia, there isn't any way to register it other than paying someone off and I'm not keen on doing that. My 0ptions are to keep going and finish it, at least another 2 years or offer it for sale as is and let someone else worry about how to register it. Police have been confiscating cars with suspect rego and fake papers and that is where they would view us probably. If we can cut out the chassis number off the old Toyota Crown and the hack in the motor serial numbers in to the SBC block in exactly the same shape and size as the ones on the Crown, we might be able to squeek by though would have to completely dispose of the old Crown.
As what needs to be done: Body isn't on exactly straight or level due to the front mounting bars being welded crooked, need correct lenght tubing for front and rear bumper spacers as we didn't receive those, need to adjust right rear end of tub and right side square tubing behind door so body sits correctly, redo speedo cable, check all wiring, mount the side vents and do a fresh air system which we have all the parts for. Mostly just need time which I don't seem to be able to find much of for some reason. Always got other things on the front burner. Will so most of body work then send it out to be painted.
I will send those tubes to your brother.
Fuzzy, just a thought...I know you got the car when HM was at Lees Summit, but I wonder if the original paperwork from HM got transferred with the sale to the current HM. Perhaps Jason can do some research on this for you. Also, one of the original owners, Mike Arps, was on Club Cobra and you might get in touch with him thru CC to see if he can help find/get copies of the paperwork needed. I hate to see you do all this work and not get the car registered and enjoy it.
Sam
What happened to the "Paperwork"? Hurricane should have issued an MSO and certainly there are records somewhere considering the efforts it took to get it there. I would even consider your progress photos and your account on this site as evidence of the origins of the car.
the way the internet works to discredit or out someone (eg. Ashley Madison) why can't it be used for good showing proof that you did indeed build your car.
Mark
No problem with the paperwork from Hurricane, got my certificate, receipts and my serial number tags. It's all the import papers from Indonesia that I don't have. Someone paid off the customs guys to get it through the port as if it never arrived. Hence not a stitch of paper trail. No papers, no registration. If I bought a 90's model BMW 530 with a V8 and cut out the chassis number and welded it to 1081, and slapped some Beemer emblems on the valve covers and the air cleaner I could probably do it but would have to dispose of the body, etc to hide "evidence" of my dirty deed. The Beemer would cost about 5 grand here so guess if I really want to do that, it is a possibility.
Such is life in Indonesia. After the car was delivered, the "agent" wouldn't take calls. Never met the guy.
Fuzzy, I'm still waiting on that plane ticket to do your bodywork!
BDF
BDF, glad you are still around, I'm still trying to get far enough along to do that. local currency did a nose dive end of last month and went down 14% against the US dollar so we aren't spending much at the moment. I haven't forgotten your offer. ;D
My old beater roadster isn't much to look at but I have had several problems when I have walked away when its parked. I had some plastic replica Holden emblems on the front and back about the same size as the round Cobra emblems and positioned the same. Some one came along and popped them both off leaving scratched paint. I also had an exposed gas tank filler on the top of the trunk, behind the seats and someone put a hand full of stones down the pipe. I've come back and found people seating in the car also or sitting on the front end, just the right height. Things are a bit different over here. This time around I decided not to have a functioning filler on the exterior so mine fills when you open the trunk lid but I kept the LeMans cap on the outside for looks. However, several times folks have popped it open to see how it works. A Kiwi friend of mine who also has a Cobra in Indonesia made a lock for his cap so figured I tag along and do something similar using strap steel that was used to tie my motor down during shipping. Bent to shape to hook under the rear of the cap and padlocked to the filler handle, it keeps anyone from trying to open it. I am thinking of getting it chromed and then using shrink tubing over the parts that will be in contact with the cap.
Fuzzy, neat fix, but sorry you have to go to those lengths to keep people from messing with your car.
Sam
In the States we have a multitude of vehicle security devices. One of the most popular is Smith & Wesson, but I hear Berretta, Glock, Ruger, Walther to name a few all are equally as effective.
Mark
I have some Colt stickers but everyone wants to know if I raise horses! ::)
My Walther PPK is easy to conceal. :)
As cheap as labor is here, I could hire a full time guard with a motorcycle to follow me and then "sit" with the car when I stop. No worries about him keeping up with me, mostly non-stop traffic here.
No gun permits for private citizens in Indonesia anymore, unless u "pay". Some places, possession can get you the death penalty. Of course I could hire a police escort every time I go out like the Harley boys do to part the traffic and get priority parking. Asia is a bit different.
Ken
how do Fuzz, want to buy a nice cobra? i will start building the boat so i can send her over ;D
any hope things are fine.
tell the family hey and Merry soon to be Christmas at ya.
ems
Fuzzy, how about a build update since were getting close to the end of the year??
Mark
Hmmmm...build has stalled as i need to redo the mounts for the body as it sits cocked. I didn't have all the tubes/spacers needed to mount bumpers and after 3 or 4 months of looking, still couldn't find them in Indo. Made a trip stateside end of Dec to pick up some from Hurricane and am packing bags to leave morning of the 5th for our 30 hour trip home. Hope to get back on task in January and will post photos then. Am also going to junk the Toyota Crown we were going to use for registration donor and pick up a 530 90's model beemer to use plates from. Has V8 so not so much of a sretch when i get pulled over. 👀
Hope one and all had a great end to 2016. All the best for 2016 ....😉
Fuzzy
You have any updates on your car?? It's been a while.
Hi All,
Its been a long time since I was on the site. Everything has stalled and I've been busy with a host of other things and family. My wife has had some health issues which require us to fly to Singapore for doctors visits. All seems to be under control now, mostly false alarms. I spent a lot of time this past summer trying to get my old wannabee local cobra fixed so I could sell it which I finally did in Oct. Was sad to see it go after 14 years of cruising and cursing...Then we have been on the road back to the States since end of Sept for family things plus my 50th high school reunion and a wedding in Austin. Spent a week on the road by myself shooting photos of rural Michigan, Indiana and Southern Ohio. Decided to just do the old roads as this will probably be my last chance to ever do that.
The Hurricane has been under a car cover for a while. I did start to do some body work but still need to pull it off and figure out the body alignment. Looks like I will wait until the first of the year to do that. Have another trip for checkups in Dec and then a short family get away. Plus kids have school and exams. Problem with second families. So that's where it sits. Have discovered three other cobras here, one made by the same guy that made my Holden one and another that looks like it could have been an English kit car but sounds like a 4 banger and then one in a museum that my daughter went to out in in the East of Indonesia. Was comparing notes with a friend and from what few pictures my daughter took, he thinks its an old West Coast body. No idea about motor. Want to go see for myself sometime. There is also a rumour of a Shelby continuation being imported into Indonesia, supposedly some Indonesian kid went to the states for college, bought one and imported it, supposed to have a 427 side oiler in it but no one has seen it. Also rumoured that including the purchase, shipping and duty its up to about $500,000. Figure mine would be worth 80 grand as it sits but no takers. ;) So that is the news from here. Still slogging along.
Thanks for the update Fuzzy. Glad to hear you and family are doing well.
Russ
Fuzzy, keep us updated when you get back on the build.
Sam
I done bits and pieces when I get a chance...I did finally put in a fresh air system this past summer. Individual switches on dash for his and hers. Don't have all the fancy bits available in normal places so used what I could get or try to get in through customs. Works and looks like it should last. Also put in a cutoff switch for the fan so it will automatically come on and go off. Started on doing the door panel spaces between the outside and inside. Have put it off too long. Don't have a lot of choices here that I can find for material options so going to do her up with what we have in glass wool and resin and go from there. Not much else to do on the chassis and trimmings so looking like its time to try to fit the body one more time in the next couple of months.
since mine came all apart to pass customs regulations, its been a bit of a nightmare trying to get it all to fit. I did some modifications on the front bumper brackets, those triangle shapped pieces that connect the chassis to the front bumper. On of mine was welded on about 15 degrees off and the body was shifted about 3/4" to the left. Hoping I got all the kinks out.
Note: this is a left had drive car, Flaming River Steering rack and everything switched left to right. Had to switch to SBC cause really hard to find any Ford parts or places to help with problems. Indonesia isn't downtown Dallas for sure
Finally got some photos of HM1081 though hard to recognize it as a Hurricane. The fellow I sold it to seemed to have lost interest and re sold it to a workshop who finished it in a way that it would sell here, new 427 with manual trans, only one roll bar, changed dash, added side pipes and NOS. As parts here are outrageously priced, I am sure this is one expansive car now. Plus, apparently they managed to find some one able to bend the rules enough to register it. Haven't seen it in person yet, lot of cars in Jakarta, well over a few million. In Indonesia, there are 152 million vehicles registered on the road this year. Anyway, I'm going to post a few pictures here. The buyer wasn't interested in having anything to do with the forum so this is all there is..sorry, one repeat shot.
What 1081 looked like when I sold it:
Right after I sold 1081, my daughter suggested we buy something with no registration problems that we could work on so she could drive it to high school her last two years. We bought a local Toyota mini pickup, all 85 hp and dropped in an automatic, chopped the frame and added a home build wooden mini bed we made together. We got hit by covid and took longer than we thought as she took all AP's her last two years and had a heavy load. So, now it's more or less done, and she will be home this summer after her freshman year and will get to drive it finally.
A long journey Fuzzy. Thanks for the final update.