Good day, all. I've been registered for quite a while, just now got around to posting my first post.
I've been following the component car industry since I was in my late teens/early 20's, and I'm now nearing retirement and 59 years of age. Needless to say, I've seen lots of manufacturers come and go, and likewise seen a lot of them hang on for a long time.
The long term plans are for a GT40 build, but those cars seem to be pretty complex builds, so I am giving serious consideration to building a Cobra replica first, just to make sure I have adequate skills to bring a kit to completion. I've been building motors and working on cars since 1965 (drove a K-code 1964 Ford Fairlane for a while--what a hoot!--and my most recent build was stuffing a 351-C into a 1971 Mercury Comet), so I think I can do it, but I have little experience in fabrication and that is the part that bothers me.
I've done my homework and definitely know that I'll be building a Hurricane, but not the 427 model. I like the lean 'n' mean look of the 289 models, and rumor has had it for some time that Hurricane will be releasing a 289 model in the future, so for now it's just a waiting game.
I like to do things a bit different, so here are the mechanical plans: I plan on putting an 8.2" SBF Clevor in mine. I'm going to build what I call a small port Boss 302, but it will probably end up being closer to 347/348 CID, as I'll use a 4.125" bore block and a 1/4" stroker crank. The heads right now look to be AFD closed chamber alloy Cleveland 2-V heads--I need to drive this on the street and so I am not interested in the huge port 4-V heads. Intake will hopefully be a Mas-Flo EFI system. Yeah, I know, it will need to be a custom manifold, I've already contacted Mas-Flo and they say if I send them my intake they can mod it for their system. I plan on using the Cleveland type heads b/c I'm a long time fan of the canted valve system--they provide better breathing, IMHO, and also have great off-idle torque.
So, it won't be an attempt to replicate an original anything, but it's going to be my daily ride and so I don't really care about originality. Plans include a scooped hood and under-car exhaust and wire wheels and double 427 style roll bars, but if the footwells will be visible without the sidepipes, I'll give up the under-car exhaust and use sidepipes to hide the footwells. It will be finished out street-car style with IRS.
So, guys, that's my sad story.
Be seein' ya around!
Dugly
