While working on the steering, I decided to incorporate the self-cancelling turn signal mod. Update to current design The kit includes a VW turn signal lever. It has the self-cancelling mechanism built into it, it only needs an actuating cam to make it happen. But whoa, little buddy, it requires a little more attention than that. The cancelling cam is a 3/4″ shaft collar, with a couple bumps on it. I placed two welds, 180º apart and then sanded the profile. The PDF file shows the finished dimensions. You need to be fairly accurate in making this. Too small and it won’t cancel properly, tooRead More →

Time to start making it look like a car. Began positioning and trimming cockpit tub. Temporarily mounted headers / side pipes. Welded pipe hanger bolt into frameRead More →

Sway bar

Installed front suspension, modifying lower A Arm to mount sway bar. The Hurricane kit does not include a sway bar in the build, relying on the coil-overs to manage body roll. They do a spectacular job but for additional handling, I decided to add a  swaybar. I wanted a bar that would not require welding the lower arm. My welding isn’t bad but don’t have the confidence in it yet to be welding on the suspension components. The width of the frame rails dictated the distance between the arms. The distance between the coil-over mounts dictate the distance between eyes. I learned a Miata bar isRead More →

Finished indexing bellhousing to  block. Finished modified motormounts. Mounted transmission and installed motor. Kool!!  Installed slave cylinder & clutch As you do your research on the internet, you’ll see kits being built with all kinds of bellhousings. Stock cast iron, aluminum, aftermarket scattershields. If you’ve ever seen a clutch blow, you’ll understand why the scattershield is the only logical answer. I used a Lakewood 15210. It comes with the blockplate and mounting hardware. Be aware, you will need a couple socket head capscrews to mount it properly. The holes are too close to the bend in the housing and standard bolts won’t fit. I wentRead More →

The basic IRS comes with Ford brake calipers from a 93-97 Thunderbird. One of Ford’s better ideas is the way the emergency brake is actuated. Normally, on a bowden cable, the inner flexible cable is pulled to create the movement. The outer cable serves as an anchor. In this application, the inner cable is fixed to the caliper and relies on the movement of the outer cable when the inner cable is shortened by by the movement of the  brake lever. Sounds good on paper but in reality, it sux. If there is any extra movement, it decreases the efficiency of the setup. In this case,Read More →

Running fuel lines and need to have motor in place to know where the clutch lever runs. Time to switch focus to finishing motor. This feature has been changed – see new approach The design of the Hurricane kit requires relocating the fuel tank fittings to the opposite side of the fuel tank. No big deal – till you start to assemble and seal the fittings. Then the fun begins. The fuel filler fitting goes to the rear as close to the rear and top as you can go. But be aware the tank is radiused in this area and you can get into anRead More →

I chose to include the IRS option with my car. Three items entered into the decision 1) I was trying to be period correct –  the original car also carried an independent rear suspension 2) I did not plan to race the car, but was interested in the best ride and handling possible 3) Re-sale value with an IRS is higher As stated earlier, I also chose to have the car provided in an “Un-assembled” condition. This adds a few complexities to the IRS. 1) Handling – it isn’t the lightest piece in the build. I found my floor jack would serve as a make-shiftRead More →