Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Hi Tony, glad to hear you avoided the tariffs and are getting stuck into the build. If you change your mind on 108 hubs all those parts are available but probably best to stick to 98!
This is the right spot to share the build triumphs, frustrations and victories. If you're not sure about anything just ask as the wealth of knowledge here is amazing. You can email us Hawk Cars and we'll try to help as much as we can but this forum frequently gets you answers just as quickly and there are often differing approaches to questions!
Right, first comments - front suspension assembly, have you greased the upper pivot rod yet? If not can I suggest you do this ASAP? If you forget it and corrosion sets in it can get rusted onto the upper wishbone bushes and in the chassis tube making removal problematic later on. Assembly of all the spacers, shock absorber and wishbone is best done on a scrap cut down bolt on the bench before the pivot bar is used to push this out with the whole assembly offered into the chassis.
Headlights - when you fix the upper mounting to the bonded bracket in the top surface make sure you use the short bolts, if they're too long they will create a star crack on the top surface. Also, the vertical motor support should be bolted tight at the top but not at the bottom, it should have a little latitude to slide. If it's bolted tight the first time the car gets hot the fiberglass may be under stress and may move where the upper mount is bonded that can create a depression in the upper surface which will be permanent.
Good luck with building the light aircraft! It could be the first time a Newick Packers crate has flown without assistance!
Guy
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Hiya Tony, I?ve found this form invaluable for information, and very welcoming, I hope the build goes well, I spent quite a few years working along the Oregon coast, primarily around Tillamook / Nehalem, whilst working on some of the Subsea cable systems, fantastic scenery and good roads in that part of the world.
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Hey Tony,
I'm going to need to make the trip down to Bend to compare notes since we're so close (just 6 hours away).
I must say, that lumber from the shipping crate didn't come from Home Depot. That's some good stuff.
Jeff
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Just looked on the map to see where you two are.... I think I'm traveling with my wife to Vancouver sometime next September for a week or three to visit one of her friends and Seattle is on the visit list (assuming we can get a car across the border! If you've got the crate airworthy by then Jeff perhaps the transit time will be slightly shorter?
Guy
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Guy Mayers
Just looked on the map to see where you two are.... I think I'm traveling with my wife to Vancouver sometime next September for a week or three to visit one of her friends and Seattle is on the visit list (assuming we can get a car across the border! If you've got the crate airworthy by then Jeff perhaps the transit time will be slightly shorter?
Guy
By all means. If you're in Seattle, I would hate to miss the opportunity to get together.
Jeff
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Guy Mayers
Just looked on the map to see where you two are.... I think I'm traveling with my wife to Vancouver sometime next September for a week or three to visit one of her friends and Seattle is on the visit list (assuming we can get a car across the border! If you've got the crate airworthy by then Jeff perhaps the transit time will be slightly shorter?
Guy
Guy - Vancouver is a great spot to visit, maybe we can arrange to meet up at Jeff's as your trip firms up.
- Tony
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Great plan! Now just to sort out how with my other half!
Guy
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Congrats on getting your project started @retroracer - if you don’t mind me asking, how long was the entire waitlist and order process. I’ve been on the waitlist to get on the waitlist for a year or so and had figured on min 3 years, so just curious about your experience. I’m cautiously optimistic that the tariff regime will change before I have to worry about delivery!
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ChimC
Congrats on getting your project started @retroracer - if you don’t mind me asking, how long was the entire waitlist and order process. I’ve been on the waitlist to get on the waitlist for a year or so and had figured on min 3 years, so just curious about your experience. I’m cautiously optimistic that the tariff regime will change before I have to worry about delivery!
Thx! Once the deposit was put down / accepted, the delivery prediction from Hawk was 2 to 2.5 yrs. Turned out to be around 3 yrs with crating, shipping, etc.
From my experience, during the time I was waiting (the actual waitlist!), Hawk's prices increased around 20% across the board (think I worked out 22% from my option list) from the pricing quoted at deposit. So bear that in mind. I too am hopeful that the tariffs will disappear or be drastically reduced in the future.
I hear LB are no longer shipping kits to the US (just turnkey minus cars?), so either importing a built vehicle, a semi-built vehicle (eg. LB) or going with Hawk seem to be your options if you want to proceed. Let me know if you have more specific questions around this topic, customs procedure, fees, etc
- Tony
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Thanks retroracer, I’m actually based in Seattle but serving overseas, so maybe we could link up sometime after I return in a year or so. I’m still on the pre-wait list to even submit a deposit. I call LB first but yeah, they’re only working with a partner to commission full builds, I’m not looking for a 250k car.
Incidentally I originally enquired with Hawk circa 2000/2001, and yeah, the prices have gone up a bit…
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
I'm a 6.5 hours further south in Reno, NV and went the LB turnkey minus route, mostly because I travel every week for work and don't have the time to build a full kit. It's been 3 years now since my deposit and I was on the wait list for roughly 2 years, but LB are getting down to the final portions of the build now. Work have locations in Portland and Tacoma I regularly visit and our son lives in Vancouver BC so frequently visiting our granddaughter too.
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Joules
I'm a 6.5 hours further south in Reno, NV and went the LB turnkey minus route, mostly because I travel every week for work and don't have the time to build a full kit. It's been 3 years now since my deposit and I was on the wait list for roughly 2 years, but LB are getting down to the final portions of the build now. Work have locations in Portland and Tacoma I regularly visit and our son lives in Vancouver BC so frequently visiting our granddaughter too.
Joules - What color is your car? I was just at LB's in early October and saw a few cars in later build stages...or what looked to be later stages.
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Hey Joules - so if you 're ever passing through Bend on your work commute, give me some advance notice and you're welcome come see the build. Lots of fundamental differences between the Hawk and LB underneath the skin, but all good constructional project fun nevertheless. There is also another running (Group 4) LB Stratos here in Bend, so it might be possible to see that one at the same time. Cheers,
- Tony
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tbone1209
Joules - What color is your car? I was just at LB's in early October and saw a few cars in later build stages...or what looked to be later stages.
It would be white gel coat and is about to go in for the Alitalia livery application.
Re: Hello from Bend, OR USA
Well, I saw a very nice all white car pretty far along (what do I know though) getting prepped so that's likely your car!
