The Hurricane chassis in 3-D

[jwd]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

You have 'out-snobbed' me! My bad- please tell JWD we have another reason to be snobs.

He's not talking much about the H'cane frame design...

I can lift any corner of my car without any changes in panel gaps or the way the doors close. Enough said.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by jwd

I can lift any corner of my car without any changes in panel gaps or the way the doors close. Enough said.

'Tis child's play.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by jwd

I can lift any corner of my car without any changes in panel gaps or the way the doors close. Enough said.

Well... NOT enough said.

I did not go through the effort to examine the drawings in detail, post shots of my car and write up the technical differences to start a pissing contest. In fact I went out of my way to qualify my remarks by saying the drawings may be incomplete and I wasn't trying to make smart a$$ comments. None of my comments were/are derogatory to H'cane or it's customers. Or any OTHER mfgrs products on this board-ever.

I joined this thread because I saw several posts/threads like the "Why Hurricane?" thread which have had overwhelmingly positive comment. So this thread allowed me to see what all the glory was about.

Then I realized the surprising differences. Now I'm pleased that a company rescued a failing replica business and gave us all an affordable additional choice when Cobra shopping. We all have different budgets, standards and ideas about what these cars should be to please us.

But your point about jacking a corner (on your car) surprises me greatly because I just went back and studied the first drawing of Drivin's post. The door hinge post when viewed from this angle does not appear to be a post at all. Looks like a flat plate welded to a short vertical tube. And the bottom edge is attached to the dropped foot tray-which has no support structure to the outrigger tubes aft of it! And the rear latch-that just mystifies me.

The cowl bar is placed atop this partial post and perimeter welded (I hope) in place. No gussets or support structure. If your car is not stressed by racing or accident then you can sleep soundly at night. Jacking a corner doesn't prove squat-virtually every mfgr who's been a commercial success can do that parlor trick. Go 25 years without stress cracks in a car that's not a lawn queen and I'll be a little more impressed.

I know you own it already and could care less but I urge those shopping to visit the ERA site and look for the points I brought out here. ERA uses tube-in-tube, perimeter butted tigs on Z-cuts and gussets throughout. If the H'cane will support your needs-by all means own it.

Which leads to my final point. Putnam, Pete and Phil did this design 25+ years ago-Hurricane wasn't even a gleam then. They had only to view the best of all the current mfgrs chassis like JBL, FFR, KMP and ERA to have a product that's a first class effort. Seems like some corners were cut for expediency. Lot of guys seem preoccupied with the curve here and the flair there and which way the butt points for 'originality'. I'm sure there are many guys who own/crave H'canes but I wonder if they've seen what the top competition has been turning out.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Like rotating your fine wine bottles in the wine cellar.

Eh, it's been raining here in the SF Bay Area for a couple weeks, and with the Holidays just passed, my garage door hasn't opened and the car cover come off in a very long time.

My apologies to the OP. I wish I knew what you guys were looking at in terms of frame design. I can barely keep my car from running out of gas on nice breakfast cruises.

Rodney,

It was sunny on the Coast on Saturday, so I was able to take my car for a nice run up Hwy 1 past Davenport and back to Santa Cruz. You gotta try harder to get the car out man.

Yet another side track to the point of the thread. Oh well, so sue me.

[jshel1]

I feel for you guys up north... all that cabin fever brings out the "best."

Personally, I am just happy that Hurricane has come back to market... yet another quality manufacturer will only serve to improve all through competition. I feel honored that Hurricane is mentioned among such fine company in this and the other recent thread.

[cdnus]

ERA
I must agree with you, if in fact these drawings are in the final stages of completion. When I first viewed the drawings I was not impressed with the way the entire front cowl structure appears to be mounted to the sheet metal foot box's by a very weak framework. Looks like it would not be very strong & allow for excessive cowl shake.
JMHO

Craig

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by cdnus

ERA
I must agree with you, if in fact these drawings are in the final stages of completion. When I first viewed the drawings I was not impressed with the way the entire front cowl structure appears to be mounted to the sheet metal foot box's by a very weak framework. Looks like it would not be very strong & allow for excessive cowl shake.
JMHO

Craig

Thanks. I'm just glad someone is looking at the structural issues. If the mfgr or representative wants to chime in here-please do. I like to have the results of any testing and these points explained to me from their standpoint.

[gsharapa]

ERA Chas...

So what's your opinion of Superformance Chassis?

[ratsnst1]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Thanks. I'm just glad someone is looking at the structural issues. If the mfgr or representative wants to chime in here-please do. I like to have the results of any testing and these points explained to me from their standpoint.

I like your fuel tank and , most emportantly the way its mounted, oh yes and the sway bars, and I said bars as in two, front and rear, I cant seem to find any on the hurrican, and I dont use straps for my fuel tank.

[jwd]

Originally Posted by patrickt

'Tis child's play.
[/IMG]

With the jack positioned that way, it would be. Put the jack OUTSIDE of the wheels on the end of the frame to see what I'm talking about.
You ERA guy's just keep posting and proving your "holier than thou" attitude. It's too bad the rest of us peons don't have an ERA so we could be as cool as you. Quit hijacking others threads trying to prove how great your cars are and how inferior everything else is.

It's funny. Last year we had a benefit car show with over a dozen Cobras including an original 1964 all parked together, but when an ERA showed up, he refused to park with us. Is there some kind of a pact that you have to sign when you buy one that states you will always be an azzhole when it comes to interacting with others? It sure seems that way.

According to the FFR guys, the ERA frame is crap. How do you like that?

[LMH]

The verticle cowl brace and it's attachment point at the frame in the drawing isn't the same as my car. Not sure how accurate the drawings are in showing the type of tubing used. My car is square boxed tube.
Maybe a change in the newer cars? Don't know.
Larry

[elmariachi]

Hurricane is capable of conducting SFA on their existing product designs and assumedly could do the same here if they choose to. If one of you ERA owners wants to go slam your car into a dump truck and have your heirs report back the results, we'll definitely use that for comparison should they ever test the Hurricane.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by jwd

Is there some kind of a pact that you have to sign when you buy one that states you will always be an azzhole when it comes to interacting with others? It sure seems that way.

No, most of us were that way long before we got our ERAs.

[Bill Bess]

Ah yes , we all love our little toys and trying to prove that "mine is bigger than yours" is fun to say to least.
Each Cobra has their respective strong points along with weaknesses base on some fact and mostly the owners perceptions. It's easy to pick apart another car, but in reality they all do the job, unless your a real racer and compete.
If you want to find out which car is the strongest....run it into a brick wall at 100 mph and then flip it over a 1000' cliff, if the driver is still alive...that is the best car.

What about all that messy wiring on the firewall..fuses and stuff?

[dlampe]

My internet goes down for one day and there is already trouble on the play ground. Rat and ERA, you make some good points, however your tone makes you sound like an ass. Lets get a Hurricane Chassis and post some pictures then lets see an ERA chassis. Then we will see what there is to see. On the other hand, who give a sh#t if someone likes my frame or not! My Kirkham frame was the weakest frame I have ever had when it comes to torsional rigidity. I don't here people talking about that. ERA boys, is your chassis better than the Kirkham too! You guys are really something else. Patrick excluded, you have been helpful.

The price difference is so great that you can have a top of the line Hurricane complete kit and a new 24ft enclosed Hallmark trailer to put it in or you could wait 2 years for an ERA kit? Which would you choose? There have been a lot of advancements in automotive technology in 25 years even though the "skin" looks the same.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bill Bess

What about all that messy wiring on the firewall..fuses and stuff?

Bill, I agree with you on the exposed fuses point, although some ERA owners dearly love that look -- but I don't. And what's more, Bob P., as much as I love him, has a fuse cover that I don't like much better. However, 428street, who if there ever was a job entitled "Stickler for Small Details" he would be a shoe-in, found that you can fabricate the inside of the Lucas fuse covers to fit quite nicely. And that is what I did. What'cha think?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by dlampe

Patrick excluded, you have been helpful.

Now that's something you don't read every day.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by dlampe

My internet goes down for one day and there is already trouble on the play ground.

Agreed, the pissing contest doesn't really do anyone any good. I have seen this new frame prototype in person and while from a drawing perspective, one might assume the side post and footbox design is flimsy sheet metal, its not. The side posts were previously square tubing and were replaced in that area with 3/8" x 4" plate in order to afford more leg room. I am sure for those who would prefer the tubing over the single plate, you can order it that way. In my opinion, if I suffer an impact in the side the difference between the tube and the plate WILL NOT MATTER one bit. I'll take the additional leg room and in fact, an argument could be made in a light collision that I'd be better off because there could possibly be less intrusion into the leg area.

Originally Posted by patrickt

And that is what I did. What'cha think?

You didn't ask me, but I think you sure spent a LOT of money on an ERA only to clutter it with zip ties.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by elmariachi

You didn't ask me, but I think you sure spent a LOT of money on an ERA only to clutter it with zip ties.

I bet your new Hurricane overheats.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I bet your new Hurricane overheats.

Bahhahhhahhhaaaa. Thud. But my dang timing is correct. Anyway, I have a bevvy of $50 Taurus fans stacked up like cord wood. Bring on that 101* Houston spring weather.