What's so good about Hurricane Cobras?

[DrivinWest]

Hey all,

LONG time lurker (I registered in 6/99 when I was a mere 22) here who is starting to do some real diligence on the Cobra I hope to buy in the not too distant future.

I had planned on a FFR for years but it seems that I'm not going to have the time nor space to build my own Cobra any time soon. As such, I'm looking at a turnkey-minus purchase.

I have read many posts about how great the first (two?) runs of the Hurricane Cobras was and how disappointed people were that the kit was no longer in production. That said, I found little justification for such claims. I don't doubt them, I just want to know what people like about Hurricanes compared to other makes.

Any info is greatly appreciated!

-DW

[jshel1]

DW,

In my humble opinion it is all about pricepoint. The completeness of the Hurricane build kit (compared to FFR) or Hurricane turn-key minus roller (compared to Backdraft) is more for the money.

Against both mentioned competitors and many others, the Hurricane body is more accurate to the original CSX 2xxx cars and is a true 90" wheelbase (Backdraft is slightly stretched, I believe).

Not knocking either brand in the same price point, the FFR spec racers are serious machines, and Backdraft interior and paint are masterpiece.

There are two Hurricane cars in Austin; the owners are die-hard cobraphiles. If you are unable to meet up with them in the near future, the Texas Cobra Meet will be in San Marcos, March 25-28. There should be a minimum 100+ cobras of all makes, of which, there should be six Hurricanes there.

My home page has some videos of sister rollers HM1037 and HM1038 being loaded and unloaded, a first drive of HM1038, some cockpit footage.

Best of luck with your decision.

John

[DrivinWest]

John,

I appreciate the reply! I'm going to try to make it to San Marco for the meet as I'd really like to see a bunch of makes side by side.

Thanks!

[gsharapa]

DW,

To add to John's comments, the Hurricane has been evolving over the years starting as Component Craft back in the 1990s (I had one in the mid 90s), then the original manufacture decided to retire and sold molds and it became the Hurricane Cobra with many improvements and additional options/enhancements to the car. As you said in your post many were dissappointed when the second manufacture sold out to some investors in Dallas who never got the doors of the new company open. Now we have another company up in Iowa that recently purchased Hurricane and is going to offer a new next generation Hurricane, again with more improvements, enhancements and options.........I recently ordered one of the new ones (Turn Key-Minus) coming out (which will be #3) and after having 6 cobras over the past 15 years (Kirkham FIA, 4 SPFs, and Component Craft) I like the following. First of all I agree with most that it is more original appearing then SPF, Backdraft and FFR. I also like all the aluminum work and the independent rear suspension that the first ones didn't offer, many brake options, floor pedals, original type foot boxes and many other changes again making it look more original appearing. Like you I'm at a point in my life where I don't have the space, time or desire to build a complete car except for installing the motor and drivetrain. Hurricane offers several options to build your car including a turn-key minus which is basically a complete car minus engine and transmission similar to the way Superformance sells them. Having 4 of those in the past I was about ready to order another until I heard what this new Hurricane had to offer. I haven't actually seen the new Hurricane as they are just now finishing the first car (factory demo) but I based my decision on the last Hurricane (have many friends with them), talking to some close friends that have been to the new Hurricane factory and saw the first car out of the mold and talking to Hurricane myself. I think they are going to give Superformance and ERA (both great Cobras) a run for their money as many of us beleive that will be Hurricane's new competition now. Oh one last item.... Made In The USA!!

[jwd]

I had researched all manufacturers for 15+ years, went to their shops and even attended one build school but never saw anything that didn't having glaring problems and dislikes. When I heard about Hurricane, I had an appointment to fly in to see their shop. I had talked to several Hurricane builders and then saw a completed one locally. I put my order in the next day.
I'm not going to start a pissin' match on the different cars out there. My advice is to decide what's important to you and then compare the cars the meet your requirements side by side.

[DrivinWest]

You guys are fantastic. Many thanks for the replies!

A few things are absolute musts:

- Stock wheelbase. Even a 92" wheelbase looks off to me.
- At 6'4" with a 35-36" inseam, I need to fit. I realize this makes the above more difficult but not impossible.
- Authentic details albeit not overly so e.g. MUST have a forward leaning shifter, but I don't care if the radiator is canted or not.
- IRS

Things that weigh on my decision:

- Chassis. As a complete enginerd, I like the birdcage chassis and riveted panels of the FFR a LOT. I find the chassis of the SPF to be pretty lame. Even is it doesn't make a bit of difference in the stiffness or handling of the car, I like that it's there!

Speaking of chassis, I haven't found a picture of a bare Hurricane chassis anywhere. Do you guys know of any pics online?

Thanks again!

[LMH]

the Hurricane body is more accurate to the original CSX 2xxx

John, I think you ment CSX 3xxx.

There are a couple pics in my photo's of the frame if you haven't found many others.
Larry

[jshel1]

Yes... CSX 3xxx. Thanks Larry.

Forward shifter?, yep, IRS?, covered, canted radiator?, nearly 45 degrees.

Chassis picts? Ones of the new frame mods should be forthwith from Hurricane soon.

Re the Texas Meet... scratch estimate of six Hurricanes in attendance, could be as many as ten... forgot about Tyler Mike, Waco Chris, the original 98 car, and a special guest from Louisiana.

[Gregg(What's his name)?]

Well DW,

Why dont you meet up with us Austin bunch this Saturday and you can check out HM 1037. We will be meeting up at Rudy's on HWY 360 around lunch time. I am sure Ken will be there with his Hurricane as well. You can keep up to all the latest Austin Cobra Club happenings by joining our Yahoo user group. Just search for the Austin Cobra Club. Hope to see you Saturday.

[rustyBob]

Most all of the "not so great"replica companys have fallen by the wayside..........
Its not what makes a Hurricane so much better/greater than other replicas
its the story behind the company.........Hurricane has always put out a quality
product and has been friendly with customers BUT like so many other companys
it fell into the wrong hands and Hurricane has been off the market for a while
now and someone stepped up and took a chance and pulled Hurricane back into
the limelight and set the market on its ear in doing so.
Hurricane is 1 of the 2 replica companies that came back into the marketplace
in the last year or so and so far Hurricane is building a "Demo" car and has sold 2 other cars in the last mounth alone.......so check them out along with other replica co. and bace your decision on your wants/needs......and yes they are made in the U.S.A.(Iowa)

[Bill Bess]

OK here we go again...Who's cobra is the best?...the answer, most of them are great cars and all have their own respective attributes. Anyone you choose is the best for you.

Now with that being said I will offer up the method I used to decide on which cobra I wanted.
1) Criteria: do I want to:
Buy a used cobra?
Buy a roller?
Build my own at home?
Do I want a shop to complete my build?
2) Authenticity
Do I care if it looks like the original or....slightly different? (Body shape)
What about wheel base? (90" as originals)
3) How much money do I want to spend?
4) Frame and chassey design/ performance and safety.
5) Components used in vehicle
6) Engine / trans /rearend / IR. / brakes - driveline.
7) Completeness of kit.
8) Build ease and Company support / web support
9) Which cobra "Yanks my crank",......which one do I favor based on this
objective approach.
10) Set a numerical point value for each of your criteria (1 -10) and then assign points
for each criteria based on your investigations and then add up the points to see
which cobra gives you the best value.

I've used this system for many decisions, in my case the Hurricane gave me what I wanted. Bill

[DrivinWest]

Originally Posted by jshel1

Chassis picts? Ones of the new frame mods should be forthwith from Hurricane soon.

I'm looking forward to it. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Gregg(What's his name)?

Why dont you meet up with us Austin bunch this Saturday...

I'd love to meet you on Saturday but I'm in Houston this weekend visiting my fiance. That said, I'll be meeting with a few guys from the Houston Cobra Club tomorrow. I'll definitely come out to meet you guys in Austin another time.

Originally Posted by rustyBob

Most all of the "not so great"replica companys have fallen by the wayside..........

That's a fact. Even good ones seems to have gone under. I got the Cobra bug back in the mid-80s when my dad brought me to the Contemporary Classics factory in Mamaroneck, NY (I grew up down the street in White Plains). It seems that Contemporary Classics built some great Cobras back then before going under.

Originally Posted by Bill Bess

OK here we go again...Who's cobra is the best?...

No we don't! I know there is no "best", I'm just trying to figure out what people like about Hurricanes.

1) I want to either:
Buy a used cobra
Buy a roller

2) Authenticity
Wheelbase must be 90"
I do love the FFR "perky butt" even if it isn't authentic. That said, on a scale from 0 to 10, my want for authenticity is a 7

3) How much money do I want to spend?
$35K to $45K

4) Frame and chassis design
Birdcage or tub is preferred over ladder

5) Components used in vehicle
Good ones!

6) Engine / trans /rearend / IR. / brakes - driveline.
Probably a small block, preferably a stroked one.

7) Completeness of kit.
Turnkey-minus or used. Wipers, yes. Heat, no.

8) Build ease and Company support / web support
Support matters. I don't like doing business with people who don't have their heart in their work.

9) Which cobra "Yanks my crank",......which one do I favor based on this objective approach.
SPF, Hurricane, newer well-built FFRs, ERAs

10) Set a numerical point value for each of your criteria (1 -10)…
You and I sound pretty similar!

Thanks again to all!

[rustyBob]

You mighy waht to rethink the heat part of that.........
a heater is a great thing to have on a cool spring knight
or at least heated seats............

[rustyBob]

OH and i forgot to mention that........

YES MINE IS THE BEST

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by DrivinWest

I'd love to meet you on Saturday but I'm in Houston this weekend visiting my fiance. That said, I'll be meeting with a few guys from the Houston Cobra Club tomorrow. I'll definitely come out to meet you guys in Austin another time.

I will miss the HCC lunch but my Hurricane (#6) is in Cypress (NW towards Austin just off of 290) and available for viewing Saturday. I have it up on a shop lift preparing to put new oil pan gaskets on it but we can crawl around and under it. If you want to arrange to see it, shoot me an email through the user console.

Jim

p.s. This one's for sale ready for your engine, turn-key minus.

[Gregg(What's his name)?]

DW send me a PM and I will give you my address and phone number. You can stop by any time and take a look at my car. I think you will like what you see. Have a great weekend every body. BE safe and wear those shoulder belts.

[DrivinWest]

Jim, that's a gorgeous car! As tempted as I am, I bet the 427 side oiler prices it out of my budget though you're welcome to prove me wrong

I may be in touch soon regarding simply taking a look at the Hurricane and getting a feel for the make. From what I heard from the HCC guys today, they really are nice.

Thanks again,
Aaron

[PaulProe]

Aaron
When you rank authenticity at a 7, be prepared for it to increase. When you get into this hobby, it is rare that you settle for 2nd best and all of a sudden, 7 becomes 8 becomes 9 becomes . . .

The Hurricane kit affords you the opportunity to pursue this to the level you want. The kit can be built for a reasonable amount yet you can get $tupid and pursue correctness as far a$ you wi$h. A$k me how I know.

I have pursued period correctness just about as far as you can get with my car. An example is the FE fuel filter. They typically go for $300. Way out of my league for a little tin can. But when I found one for $40, I took off the $25 filter and replaced it. Similar story with the Lucas horns under the hood.

You can't go wrong with a Hurricane kit

Paul

[dlampe]

I have been having internet issues and I wanted to chime in here yesterday but couldn't. Anyway....

I bought the first Hurricane from Lees Summit Hurricane and I bought the first
Hurricane from Iowa Hurricane. I have had some very original cars and some not so original cars. That is what is most important to me, originality. Second is value for the dollar. I would have another Kirkham but I think this is a better value for me right now.

When it comes to originality, I look at four things. The engine compartment, the interior, the body shape and the frame. Relative to other kits in this range the engine compartment is a 10, the interior is an 8-9, the body is a 10. The frame, well, it is a 2 on originality but stronger than original. Sort of like the 6 pot Willwood front brakes and the dual adjustable coil overs, a 1 on originality but better! From an enginerd stand point the box steel ladder/birdcage frame used by Hurricane and to some extent, ERA is torsionally more rigid.

I have seen the new frame and have seen the PDF but I am waiting for them to make a few more changes to the PDF before it is posted here. They have a picture on their website that is probably the second to last version of the frame.

In a nut shell, I have built/owned cobras from entry level to Kirkham and the Hurricane is a real contender.

[DrivinWest]

Originally Posted by PaulProe

Aaron
When you rank authenticity at a 7, be prepared for it to increase. When you get into this hobby, it is rare that you settle for 2nd best and all of a sudden, 7 becomes 8 becomes 9 becomes . . .

That sounds like me. As I plan on a used or turnkey-minus Cobra, the ability to tinker and add to and tweak ad nauseum is rather appealing.