Kurtiss' GT-R

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 6 (Wednesday, Sept 30th) with "Super H"

• Added foam to front clip mounts. Will add fiberglass to blend to wheel well.
• Completed door striker fab and install – doors close very well.
• Bolted the front upper and lower clip together.
• Trimmed the front wheel well lip
• Installed the left front wheel well
• Working on installation of right front wheel well.
• Modified left front steering tie rod end (will provide detailed info on modification soon).
• Began working on center console install.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss good morning I would like to thank H and yourself for allowing us to follow along with your build it is a ton of valuable info for all of us in the same process

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 7 (Thursday, Oct 1st) with "Super H"

• Installed front right wheel well liner and fiber glassed around fuel filler tube.
• Completed right front steering tie rod end.
• Fiber glassed front clip mount.
• Fit checked rear clamshell. Trimmed hinges for better fit of bobtail. Still need to make adjustments to bobtail and support structure for better fit.
• For center console see next post.

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 7 (Thursday, Oct 1st) with "Super H" (continued)

• For center console:
  • Received center console yesterday.
  • Modified shifter for smaller footprint.
  • Cut hole in console to fit over shifter.
  • Welded/machined circular plate around existing shift gate.
  • Machined trim ring for shift gate.
  • Fab’d console modification to shift gate.
  • 

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 8 (Thursday, Oct 1st) with H

• Did some finishing touches (Bondo, sanding and primer) on the center console. I highly recommend H’s console – it fits and is easy to modify for your needs.
• Added gas struts to rear clamshell.
  • Added 1” extensions to each end of the gas struts.
  • Machined strut stand-offs that bolt to bobtail structure.
  • Drilled/tapped reinforcement plate that was bonded to inside of upper wheel well.
  • Installed struts and closed the clamshell.
  • Installed forward AeroCatch latches into rear clamshell.
• Installed rear clamshell and adjusted bobtail. Will leave clamshell installed over weekend and attempt to adjust body fit of clamshell and bobtail on Monday.
• Began fitting center hood section to front clip.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss maybe you should title this section of your Forum build Going Back to H School with Doctor H.

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Your right Larry!
It’s been an amazing visit and I have learned so much – I feel like a temporary apprentice. As we all know, the Forum in an invaluable source of information but spending time with H “one on one” has given me enormous insight to different fabrication methods.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss, did you exchange one of your 3/4 cylinders for a 7/8 because I have all 3/4 cylinders that came with my kit.

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Kurtiss, did you exchange one of your 3/4 cylinders for a 7/8 because I have all 3/4 cylinders that came with my kit.

Hi Larry,
No. My kit came with two 3/4” and one 7/8”.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Ok thanks for the info

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 9 (Monday, Oct 5th) with H

• Fab’d lower and upper brackets and installed forward section of rear wheel wells
• Drilled and attached front hood to radiator support stringers.
• Fab’d and bonded brackets for front hood gas strut mounts.
• Began fab for rear bobtail bracket to strengthen bumper mount.
• Installed new longer wheel studs at left front hub.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss it’s funny I now look forward to your day to day inputs from (As the H world Turns) keep them coming

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 10 (Tuesday, Oct 6th) with H

• Fab’d brackets for front hood to mount Quick-Latch QL-38 series hood pin kit.
• Installed rear wheel well, rear section
  • Fab’d bracket for upper attachment
  • Used wet fiberglass layup to fab/shape lower attachments on both front and rear sections.
  • After cure, drilled attachment holes then removed wheelwells
  • Trimmed fiberglass attachments and installed rivnuts
• Completed rear bobtail brackets to strengthen bobtail/bumper mounts.
• Adjusting/fitting rear clamshell.
  • Trimmed rear section of clamshell
  • Trimmed alignment fingers (“chocolate fingers” per H)
  • Adjusted bobtail height
  • Had difficulty with clamshell/bobtail fit due to clamshell flex with gas struts installed. Decided to add structural stiffening to clamshell – curing overnight

 

[Ron McCall]

Chocolate fingers!! LOL!

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 11 (Wednesday, Oct 7th) with H at H Craft Customs

• Rear clamshell cured overnight. Cleaned up the fiberglass, applied a light coat of black paint and installed. Mounted the gas struts and closed the clamshell - It fits so much better!
• Reinstalled front and rear sections of the rear wheel wells and installed tires - back end is complete.
• Installed front clip, wheelwells and tires for last time. Adjusted shock spring height for that great H look.
• Began working on radiator ducting. Like all body panels, the sheetmetal was bent, trimmed, fit checked, removed, trimmed, installed, marked, removed, trimmed, installed...
• Began working on front hood. Trimmed hood to match sheetmetal duct. Will install gas struts and Quick-Latch’s tomorrow (the last day).
• It was nice of H to engrave my last name initial in the fiberglass dust! LOL...

 

[Kurtiss H.]

As promised, I have assembled a detailed article on modifying the front suspension to remove the 1.5"wheel spacers.

If you have any comments or corrections, please let me know.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss and H thank you guys for allowing us to follow along, you have given everyone building one of these cars a ton of information to make their car the best it can be. Kurtiss as always your documentary of the task is spot on and your willingness to share your experience is awesome, I thank you tremendousl.

 

[Kurtiss H.]

Day 12 (Thursday, Oct 8th) last day with H at H Craft Customs

• Worked on front hood and did a little more trimming on hood to match sheetmetal duct.
• Installed gas struts on hood.
• Installed Quick-Latches and pins. Will do final alignment when I get back home.
• Cleaned dust off of car and lower onto ground – ride height is too low but will adjust later.
• H signed the spider with grease pencil.
• Loaded car into the trailer.

My wife and I both got a ride in H’s beautiful car. Amazing power and handling – gorgeous car! Had lunch (Fish and Onion Straws) at the Twisted Oar in Buford. Good food! Then went back to his shop to load the car. Before driving up the ramp into the trailer I raised the front suspension – didn’t notice till later that I left a hydraulic fluid trail. The left front hydraulic line or actuator let loose – I’ll take care of it when I get back to CA.

Was planning to leave tomorrow but would be heading into tropical storm Hurricane Delta. We decided to stay in Buford two more days and will leave for Houston, TX (to see my daughter and family) on Sunday.

 

[Larry J Kishel]

Kurtiss what a great experience for you and what is really awesome is to have a wife who is right there with you for support, can’t get any better then that, have a safe trip home

 

[Ken Roberts]

Kurtiss I made a pdf template of the front shock mount spacer if anyone is interested (set printer to 100%). Thanks for doing the write up on the process.