One of the features I wanted for our build was a glove box, because the wife needs a place to stow her things, and I like the appearance. It just completes the dash. Hurricane didn't offer a glove box option at the time of my build so I decided to make my own.
I didnt have access to an original 427 Street Cobra to determine the correct glove box door size and shape, so I traced a template of the shape off a friend's ERA cobra which appeared very close to accurate. I then made the core of the door from 3/4" hardwood, cut a chromed piano hinge to length and cut a recess into the bottom edge of the door for the hinge. I then took the door core to a local hot rod uphostery shop. I provided the shop with extra vinyl from Hurricane so it would match the dash, and pictures of an original 427 street Cobra glove box door. I think they did a pretty good job. At the time I also provided a cheap drawer pull from the local hardware store. I later replaced the pull with an original style door pull.
To support the "box" of the glove box, I welded two flat steel bars into the dash support frame. This also will be the mounting points for the MSD ignition box under the dash. I treated the new added steel with black POR-15.
I made sure the upholstered door would fit into the dash opening I had already cut, removing more material to allow the upholstered door to clear the opening. I then used posterboard to create a form for a lip inside the door opening. I laid the door into the opening, protected by shop towels, to support the liberglas mat and resin while it cured. I made sure to make the bottom edge of the lip thick enough to grab the hinge screws.
After the fiberglas cured, I trimmed and sanded down the door opening, test fitting the finished door several times until it fit right. After covering the dash with the vinyl I attached the door to the dash using the self-tapping screws provided with the piano hinge. I also replaced the door pull with the correct original part from Acton Custom Enterprises.
For for the box itself, I fabricated it out of a single piece of 0.062 aluminum, and and then lined with with black upholstery fabric.
For the latch, I used a simple spring loaded cabinet door latch. and for a final touch I added an LED interior light activated by a pin switch.
So I did some modification here, for two reasons, which I will get into in this post, but first:
Storytime again!
So, the first year that I rode down with John Shelton in his Hurricane cobra to the TCC Spring Meet in San Marcos, I was still in the evaluation stage and hadn't made the commitment yet. Well, John drives his cobra up my driveway already loaded with his luggage and stuff, I have my gym bag and backpack ready for the long weekend, he opens the truck and -- the wife (SWMBO) exclaims: "What?! This is all the truck space there is? How will I fit all my luggage and shopping spree packages in OUR cobra?!?" Harrumph.. I dont know, dear! Well, I stuffed my bag in the 2 sq ft left over in the trunk, stuffed my backpack in the passenger floor between my knees, and strapped in for the 220 mile drive to San Marcos.
But thinking about that, I remember seeing some cool pictures of cobras pulling little utility trailers, some shaped like cobra asses (which was cool), some generic motorcycle-style trailers, but with enough space to drag SWMBO's stuff behind us. So I decided then and there I would figure out some kind of trailer hitch set up for the long romantic road trips we will be enjoying in our Golden Years .... ahhhh.. more on the trailer hitch idea in the next post.
The second reason for this fuel tank mod showed itself when we got to San Marcos and I saw the new Hurricane factory demo car. The new aluminum fuel tank, which would now be standard on the new 2nd gen kits from Iowa, really protruded too far below the body for my eyes. I didn't like how it looked. Hmm... what to do.
So here we go!
Okay, so installing the front hub adapters was not as easy as on the rear. The problem is the Trigo pin drive adapters will not fit over the Wilwood hub. As you can see in these pictures the adapter won't seat flush:
The solution is to turn down the Wilwood hub grease cap on a lathe. Well, I don't have a lathe. But I have a friend that has a lathe, and a shop-full of many many, more cool tools. Rick Bickle to the rescue! And his shop is only 8 miles from my house. Rick has been such a huge help on my build, and I can't thank him enough. Rick is a Texas Cobra Club member, and owner of a really nice Lone Star Classics cobra on which he has done a lot of innovative custom work.
Next step is to once again cut the lug bolts down to the prescribed length to accept the Trigo adapter pins. Now the lug bolts have been shortened and the hub grease cap turned down. The adapter now fits.
Next is the tire mounting:
So, I didn't want to take my REALLY expensive tires and wheels to just any tire shop for mounting, that had never seen a knock-off hub wheel. So I asked around the north Texas cobra community for recommendations, and ended up going to Texas Track Works in Ft Worth. I was very pleased with their service, and the cost was very reasonable.
They installed the tires while I waited, were gentle with the wheels, and because they service a lot of SCCA track cars they knew how to mount the tires, which proved to be not so simple. Because of the "balloon-ey" (is that a word?) nature of the Goodyear BB bias ply side walls, they used a portable tank of compressed air to "blow out" the sidewalls to get the bead to seat.
My tires are now home in my garage, cleaned up and mounted on the cobra! For the first time it's rolling on its own treads, and I can get rid of the cheap-o homemade Harbor Freight chassis dolly.
Resources:
Before I received my kit and started the build, the first purchase I actually made were tires! I knew I wanted 15" Goodyear Billboards because I just love the period-correct look. And a deal happen to fall in my lap: A friend in our local club is an SCCA racer and was building a track car. He bought a new seat of Goodyears for his build, but then decided he wanted bigger brakes and opted for 17" wheels and tires. So he sold me this brand new unused set for a price I couldn't pass up. They sat in my cool, dark garage in their plastic wrapping until it was time to use them. Which was next:
Next step in this journey was to install the front suspension, brakes, and steering rack.