The Hurricane
By Caburn

27 September 2000

The Hurricane has classic styling, reminiscent of the fifties and sixties and provides a very attractive and alternative vehicle at affordable cost. It is solidly constructed, and being glass fibre, does not have any rust problems .

The Hurricane is straightforward to build, being essentially a body replacement for a Spitfire or GT6. Using the hood and windows from the donor car, a truly practical and useable sports car is formed. All bodywork is of best quality GRP construction, with double skinning, box sections, and bonded-in plywood reinforcement to certain critical areas. A steel subframe gives additional strength and support for the door hinges, windscreen surround, dashboard, and steering column.

Constructing a Hurricane is the formation of a car in the classic mould. It has the design of a car which is more than 30 years old, and this gives it a certain appeal - like building a new 'old' car full of character. Performance and handling are good, and the car is exciting to drive, much more so than it's reputation would have you think. It is worth the effort to build and you will have an interesting vehicle which you can work on and enjoy.


The one-piece body floorpan unit is partially stressed and is designed to take the appropriate stresses. Wheel arches have returned edges and bonded-in inner wheel arches eliminate the possibility of surface crazing from flying stones. The actual bodyshell is constructed to the same structural layout as the original steel shell, with inner wheel arches and inner sills. The shell is supplied with all these items bonded in. All fibreglass edges are hand finished, and apertures are cut out for headlights, heater unit, radiator air intake, petrol cap, and differential inspection plate.


The forward hinged bonnet has a bonded-in tubular steel frame with adjustable mountings for accurate alignment. The kit also includes a gearbox cover in GRP, bonnet hinges, dashboard and building instructions.
Before leaving the factory each bodyshell and front end is fitted to a chassis to ensure alignment and straightforward assembly.


Easy Assembly

The Hurricane is straightforward to assemble and can be completed by anyone with basic technical knowledge and a toolkit. No welding is necessary and you don't even have to disturb the engine or suspension assemblies from the chassis. To make the assembly of the kit as straightforward as possible, it has been designed so that virtually every mechanical or electrical component from the base car will fit without modification.

Safety Features

The doors fitted to the Hurricane incorporate steel bars running their full length to protect the occupant from side impacts, and the steering column is collapsible in the event of a front end impact.

Power or Economy

There is a choice of power units from 1147cc to 2500cc so there is one to suit your requirements for power or economy. If it is decided after building a Hurricane that more performance is required, upgrading a 1147cc or 1296cc car to GT6 2 litre specification can be carried out without modifying engine mountings, chassis or bodywork. If more performance is still required there is always the 150 BHP TR6 power unit.

Comfort

With adjustable seats and steering column, there is plenty of legroom even for six-footers, and room to drive with arms outstretched.


Luggage Space

There is a good sized boot, slightly larger than the Spitfires' and some soft luggage may be stored behind the seats. The dashboard may be fitted with a glove box, lockable if required.


Hardtop

Available in black or white, trimmed or untrimmed. For the trimmed hardtop, seals are fitted to all edges, and the interior is trimmed with a cloth headlining.

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