You spin me right round baby, right round, like a Halibrand.....

 Well where to start this update. Its a big one!!!

i will start with a niggle. If you are a follower of this blog you might recall my initial fuel filler hose setup. It was basically just a heavy duty rubber 50mm hose from filler cap to the tank. This is the conventional method that i believe most AK owners/builders go with. However because i had used such a heavy duty filler hose (really thick side wall) it had a little kink in it at the two most acute bend points. Although this is perfectly safe and acceptable.... it wasn't "belt and braces" enough for me.

 So i found a supplier of 2" (50mm) stainless steel 90degree bends (about £12 each) and i set about revising my fuel filler. Firstly i removed the slightly warped and kinked hose, and mocked up some templates for me to cut and fix the stainless steel tubing to. I had originally though of getting a weld at the middle point as opposed to the section of hose and clips either side. But welding isn't on my list of skills yet and this was still an experiment to improve the previous setup. The top join filler neck is held up with exactly the same procedure with a section of  2" hose, fixed nice and tight with the clips, and duplicated on the fuel tank also.

 One problem i could possibly see is that iv taken an instillation with two joints, one at the cap and one at the tank, and basically put a further 4 joins in it. Two now at the tank and cap and two at the centre point join. This potentially has the increased risk of a fuel leak now, but it looks allot better and I'm happy with it 10 times more than i was with the rubber hose. The filler hose/stainless pipe is exposed in the rear wheel arch and is open to all the road debris and weather, so the metal will stand up better in my opinion. I can (and probably will) get the centre join welded up still, and remove the need for the section of rubber hose..... "belt and braces"

And now onto something very very exciting, WHEELS!!!! i have been saving for these for such a long time and after placing my order with Wendi they have arrived!!!!! the look flipping stunning i think and they will look superb against my final body colour choice and colour theme.

I went with 17" Halibrand replica CHB from Image wheels. Finished with wheel nut cover and centre spinner. 

The rears are a deeper offset than the fronts wrapped in 255/45R17 Continental tyres. I considered the Toyo tyres than many people have and like, but i have never had them before and i have had Continantal so i was happy to pay the extra and get what i feel is a better tyre.... never be a tight arse when it comes to tyres on any car. They are the bits that make you go very fast, but more importantly the bits that make you stop just as quick. You can have the fastest engine and biggest brakes in the world, but they will both be useless with shit tyres.
 

 So the wheels all fit perfectly and really fill the arch nicely, not to big like the 18" wheels with rubber band tyres, and not 16" with retro huge billboard tyres (although i do like those allot) so a happy medium with the 17" and replacement tyre prices are acceptable for such a high performance vehicle.

Next up was a modification again..... an extremely vain and cosmetic modification, but i had to do it.

I have always loved the huge bill board tyres with "Goodyear" printed in white on the tyre wall and especially as it gets weathered in and it just looks seriously cool in my opinion. A recent topic being discussed on one of the Cobra Forums split most people into two camps... "Like" or "Hate"  but for me i was 100% in the like camp. Within the discussion a link was given to a company in America who basically replicate whatever you want it white rubber and it gets bonded onto the tyre to give the desired look. This was a done deal as far as i was concerned, and i swiftly made contact with them and placed an order. Have a look at the gallery link and try to tell me these muscle cars don't look shit hot with the white letters on the tyres TredWear Gallery

So with my letters on order i tried and failed to upgrade my tyres again so actual "Goodyear Eagle F1" tyres.... however they are unavailable in the sizes i needed, so not only is my car a replica.... but my tyres are also...... Continental ContiSport replicating Goodyear Eagle F1. hehehe you have to laugh really.

So with the front letters bonded on the look is really starting to come together. I am chuffed to bits with how the wheels and tyres all look now and the difference it has made to the appearance of the car is staggering.

I will be doing the rear wheels also with the white tyre letters..... but i was an "R" short when i got them so I'm just waiting for it to arrive and i had suffered enough of the still bloody freezing winter weather.
 Some more pictures below prior to putting the letters on...... until the next update, Enjoy!!!   

Tommy