I sure hope you will reconsider about posting pictures! You're pictures of the last build along with the captions explaining them were probably the best ones I've ever seen in the off road world! You did a lot of changes to the car, with excellent craftsmanship, and then explained why you did the mods! Please please please do the same with this build!
Thanks for the kind words, Steve. You and MDD, and many others have been loyal and respectful followers of our efforts. Marc doesn't embelish the fact that I share extensive details on our build(s). He comes from the school of hard knocks, and his successes do not come on the coat tails of others. My "wealth of knowledge" , for the most part, stems from reading books by experienced and successful engineers who published their savvy for hungry minds like yours and mine. I reccommend picking up Carroll Smith's book "Engineer to Win". He shared with us the do's and don'ts of automotive design, based on his numerous race car design successes (and failures, I'm sure!) such as Ford's GT40 assault on Le Mans in the late 60's. It was the reading and adapting of his writings into the off-road arena that allowed me to successfully build a winning SCORE class 8 truck on my first effort. First car I ever built won in its first race
overall, and it was not due to the financial abilities of the customer as much as it was the fundamental basics and disciplines that I used to guide me through that awesome experience. He (Carroll Smith) was as practical as they come. If 1018 mild steel worked as well as 4130 in a given application, he'd use it.
So, I share what I do because of his grace to us. A very wise and humble fabricator once told me early on in my fabricating career, when I'd gawk at his work that, "It aint nothin' that hasn't been done before". There are rarely any "new" ideas stemming from our dirty sport. Just re-inventions of old ones. So, my postings here sharing our build, reveals no secrets.
That being said, I am always excited to show what I believe to be sound design choices of the cars I build. I do not mean to come across as arrogant in this process, but evidentally, I have. I am flying solo this season, so I don't know how much time I'll have to document this new build. I am however, and have been for some time, collecting details and content to perhaps release a book of my own in the future. A guide on the cross over, and application of, technology from F-1 and Indycar design to the world of off-road racing. The most difficult part for a designer of SCORE-type vehicles is to effectively apply the design parameters from properly built race cars into our arena. Usually, people follow the "overkill is the key to success" rule when building for our sport. I am trying to influence change in that mentality. To encourage others to seek out the basics of design.
There! This, my UTVUG "manifesto" is now complete!!