HM1078 Mod’sMy car included the revised lower body panel, relocated roll bar, relocated louvers and rear wheel well depression, all changes in design by Hurricane to improve the kit. I have added these NOTE: The Hurricane kit builds perfectly fine on its own. I just like the idea, “If it ain’t broke, it probably still needs fixing” I love to tinker and improve everything. If I found a way to make my kit better, I jumped on it. Click on any of these titles to go to that info Trunk Latch FootBox Size Side Vent / Footbox Fuel Tank Vent eBrake Throttle Pedal and Linkage TurnRead More →

Build 2 – HM2023 It really helped to have done this once before. And having done it, there were just a few more features to add. The original details are below this update. I moved the outboard lower floor to more resemble the original builds If you’ve ever tried to change the oil and drain an oil cooler, you’ll appreciate the addition of a drain bung to the bottom of the oil cooler Having scraped the nose more than once, I added a chin guard of Stainless Steel. Not visible but it might reduce some scrapes. Build 1 – HM1078 Oil Cooler I chose toRead More →

Sound and Heat ProofingWe road-trip in an air conditioned Miata – and the footbox on it gets warm. I am paranoid about footbox heat and I don’t think this puppy is going to play nice. To counter the heat, I have gone overboard. I am optimistic it will do the trick. Firewall/FootboxThe exposed portion of the firewall is aluminum. Below it is a layer of Frost King Duct Insulation. (3/16″ dense adhesive foam with a few mil aluminum cover. Next is a layer of heat barrier film that came with the kit. Finally we get to the 3/16″ fiberglass foot tub. On the inside ofRead More →

Body on, final assembly begins. Rear Body Mount mod The Hurricane kit comes with the body “hard-mounted” on the rear. The quickjack mounts and tubes sandwich the fiberglass body to clamp it to position. I was concerned this was a long term failure point. I chose to modify the mounting to incorporate rubber bushings. Once the hole location was verified, I opened the hole thru the body to 5/8″ diameter. I then fabricated rubber bushings to make up the space between the 3/8″ bolt and this new hole size. The bushing was 1″ diameter on the outside and held into position with stainless washers. I’veRead More →

Added aluminum to trunk side of rear bulkhead. Planning to line trunk with aluminum and this piece is not accessible with body on. Installed anchor nuts into body for mirrors and demister vents.Read More →

Door Latches  ( or another dive into the modification pool) The door latches that come with the Hurricane kit are duplicates of what was used on the original cars. But that’s where the replication ends. The latch handles/boxes are put on upside down, if you follow the instructions. And the male latch part mounting – it’s just plain sloppy. (Sorry, Mike and Rich, you could have done better here). Turning the handle right side up is no big deal. Just be aware the male latch protrudes thru the catch so you need some clearance under the box. A touch with a die grinder and allRead More →

Winter is here! find projects in the shop where it’s warm. Worked on the fuel filler cap and refined fill system The Hurricane kit comes with a quick fill type cap that gets installed inside the flip-top fuel cap.  Some have reported filling problems with these. The mounting system leaves a little to be desired. Chris Doss (HM1043) modified his car by using a filler adapter from Finishline. Unfortunately, the threads on it don’t match the threads on our caps. He ended up having the adapter machined to press into the existing mounting base. It helps to be able to learn from others. Knowing itRead More →

Everyone warns you of the temperatures of the footbox. We’ve done roadtrips in our Miata and know how warm it can become – and it’s only four cylinders. I fabricated vent valves to resemble the original units. Unfortunately, after I completed them, I realized the footbox on a Hurricane kit is about 6″ taller than the original cars, required by the overhead brake pedals. Time to make set #2. Local owners recommend the use of blowers to assist in moving air. These were purchased from the local BassPro superstore. I welded a couple brackets to the cowl frame. I didn’t want to mount them onRead More →

Spent the last month fighting alignment and bumpsteer problems. I won! On Aug 4th, the total bump steer totaled almost 1″. Now it is less than .040″ Just about the time I was doing my rough alignment, the article in Kit Builder magazine by Dean Lampe regarding bump steer appeared. I should have adhered to the old premise, “ignorance is bliss”. There are many Hurricane kits being successfully driven and no complaints on the owners site. Many happy campers, huh. I studied how bumpsteer is measured and the affects it has on a vehicle. I then measured my kit, as assembled, and found it to beRead More →

Huge Milestone Day. Fired motor for the first time. SSWWEEEETT! She fired right up and ran like a champ. 45 year old carburetors still do what they are supposed to. Big Block FE – 431″ – TriPower – Hyd. Roller Cam/Roller Rockers – all the goodies. Gotta Love the sound of a Big Block Throttle: posted pictures of finished mechanical throttle linkage Glovebox: details on the glovebox build  Read More →