When I received my body, the gelcoat was in excellent shape. But as I began to work on it, I learned although the body looked good, the edges were horrendous. The glass cloth had separated, or wasn’t filled, there were all kinds of voids. No where near ready for final body work. I chose to correct these. Period Correct I wanted the car to appear as an aluminum car. We have all seen persons come up to a car and put their hand under the edge of the fender well, trying to feel if it is fiberglass or aluminum. I wanted to pass this test.Read More →

Extending the edgesAfter I positioned my body, I learned the opening for my side pipes was not correct. I would have to gain more clearance on the rear but I would have to extend the forward edge back. Extending the edge concerned me since it was cantilevered. I did some research on the web and found it was recommended that to get maximum bond, the joint should scarfed about 12:1.I decided I would put this taper inside and out and then install a layer of glass at the middle. Once that was solidified, I then built the edge up using Kitty Hair. I wanted toRead More →

The body I received was very high quality – on the outside. The inner edges left a lot to be desired. Two issues; 1) voids in gel coat and underlying glass had to be repaired to insure integrity of the finish and 2) I knew that people would be feeling the edge to determine the type of body. I could emulate aluminum but I could make it as close as possible. The body openings, on the inside, looked as if they had been cut out with a dull pocket knife. In many areas, the glass laminate had separated and presented voids. The arrows point toRead More →

Fiberglass is Fiberglass The title is mis-leading. Yes, fiberglass is fiberglass but is it poly, vinyl or epoxy? And within a family, are various brands compatible? Fortunately, building two fiberglass cobras prior to tackling the GT40, I had some fiberglass experience. The good part is the GT40 was originally fiberglass so the build is consistent with this process.  Body MaterialsThe Hurricane body is polyester resin over glass fiber. I will attempt to stay with the same manufacturers, to avoid any compatibility problems.  GlassworkI chose to go with Evercoat products. Part personal preference and part due to the overwhelming use of Rage Gold as the finishingRead More →

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 →

Spindle Replacement The tapered joints of the balljoint are pulled into the spindle with 100 ft/lbs of torque. These joints are tight! To remove or replace parts, some recommend putting a pickle fork tool between the ball joint and hit it with the biggest hammer you can find. I was concerned this would destroy the rubber boot that surrounds the balljoint. A jacking screw generates the necessary forces to safely take the joint apart without destroying anything. I made the screw using a 3″ piece of 1/2-13 threaded rod and two coupling nuts. I cut a couple 1/4″ pieces of the rod and threaded themRead More →

Wheel alignment “Stringing” a car is the way racer’s do wheel alignment. You don’t need a fancy (expensive) computer aligner if you are willing to do some setup and understand basic measurements. Setup: Prior to starting the alignment process, you need to determine the desired ride height of the vehicle. Adjust your coil-overs to the height you want and the vehicle is setting at the desired ride height. You should know the rolling radius of your tires. (It is not the diameter of the tire divided in half). To do the alignment, the frame should be setting level. I cut up some 2 x 6Read More →

HUGE DAY! Took her out in public for the first time. Photos here. It is absolutely amazing how these things will draw a crowd. Three years, three months, three days. Sometimes it feels like it took forever, other times, it was just yesterday I was pulling her home from Lees Summit Let the fun begin  Read More →

Finishing up all the little details. Car essentially done, appointment made for State Police inspection Sill moldingDifferent designs offer different methods of placing a trim piece. The trick is how do you transition from painted metal(fiberglass) to carpet and cover the raw edge. I learned from some buddy’s of an aluminum extrusion, traditionally used for edging on tile counters. M-D Products part number A813 gives a smooth aluminum extruded finish with a small lip to cover the edge of the carpet and screw holes to attach to the body. The molding is easily formed to the shape of the door opening.Read More →