6-17-2007 -- Visit to Hurricane - Part 2

Picture 1 is of a body that is being checked on a new frame.










Picture 2 is of another build they are working on, here, checking the headers fitment. You can also get a good look at the footbox on the passenger side, the spot behind the driver where the rollbar will go, and a big improvement they've made in the cockpit tub where they have flattened out a spot where the rear wheels encroached too much. This lets them gain an extra 1 1/2" where the seats can be pushed back, and believe me, that is wonderful! The dropped footboxes are also incredibly important for tall people like me.













Picture 3 is of a finished 427 car, actually a very early one that was in for some kind of rework that escapes me right now. Behind it is the body that they are working on for a new model, a replica of the 289 Shelby Cobra. Tough to see, but there are some big differences and this will be a popular model to some builders interested in historical accuracy.















Picture 4 is of the car we test drove. It is actually the darkest blue you have ever seen, but it looks black from any kind of distance. Mike pointed out some poor painting craftsmanship to me, but frankly I would never have seen it without him mentioning it. Hint--look for waviness in light reflections.

















Picture 5 is from the passenger seat as we were leaving the shop for our test ride. Pretty comfy, actually. I was a little surprised at how long the hood seemed. But I did not feel terribly low to the ground despite its low ride height. The windwings on the side apparently do a good job of cutting down wind and noise. It was not as loud as I was afraid it would be, and Mike and I were able to carry on a conversation without much difficulty. That is until Mike did the acceleration test getting onto the interstate on the ramp. OMG!!! Words don't describe that feeling. Think an astronaut during blastoff. I was too dumb to take a video, not that I would have known how to upload it anyway. Mike lit the tires up again later on another stretch of open road where a future industrial park will be sprouting up. It just flew. He slowed down near the end and we turned the corner back at normal speed and a cop was just sitting there. Mike waved. :) He knew the cop well and said he had just been in the shop last week. No problemo.