About Me

I'm a cheap S.O.B. Its not that I mind spending money, I just don't see the point of spending big bucks on something I can make myself; and what I make is usually better and stronger than what I could buy. I also don't build a vehicle with only looks in mind. I build functional vehicles. The money I spend, I spend carefully. Check out the Tech page for info about how to save money when building a vehicle.

I come from a long line of fabricators. My grandfather built all of his own custom parts. He purchased an old lathe, then taught himself how to operate it. It was old and didn't have a quick change gearbox; so my grandfather adapted an old 3 speed transmission onto it. With the pull of a lever, he had a choice of 3 forward speeds, plus reverse. He used that lathe for decades, making everything you can think of from hydraulic pistons to axles.

My father inherited that lathe when my grandfather died. My father has made quite a few parts on it already. He made a hydraulic piston for his backhoe, to replace a broken one which would have cost several hundred dollars. He turns brake rotors and drums, and makes pulleys and anything else he can think of.

When I was still in high school, I got a job as a precision grinder in the tool room of a good sized bearing manufacturer. I learned how to run OD, ID, and surface grinders. I also ran lathes and mills on a regular basis. I would have to hold tolerances to .0001" on a daily basis, and often times much tighter than that. After a few years I transferred to the machining department. I gained more experience running lathes and mills. I made a lot of my own projects also, like carb adapters, and also bored throttle bodies. After quite a few years I left that company, and worked for a short time running CNC mills and lathes.

From the time I was a kid, I was interested in off roading. I got my first dirt bike when I was 6. I rode the hell out of that thing until I was 14. Only a Honda could take the beating that XR-75 did! My next bike was a Honda XL-250. I rode that and my father's four wheeler for several years. When I got my license, my first vehicle was a Subaru Brat 4x4. I managed to take that car 'wheeling, even getting it stuck a couple of times. I actually made it through some very challenging trails.

When I was 18 I got my first real 4x4, an '85 Nissan 4x4 pickup. Needless to say, I took that truck four wheeling quite a few times. I later got rid of that truck, and drove a car for a while. I missed four wheeling though. My next vehicle was again a truck, an S-10 pickup. The problem is, it was two wheel drive. That poor truck made it through quite a few local trails, and even sported 31" Firestone ATX tires on the rear for a while!

After driving that truck for around a year, I found a Suzuki Samurai for sale in the local newspaper. I thought about it, and did some quick research, and came up with some interesting facts: A Samurai was about the same size (length and width) as a Willys flatfender. It also weighed pretty close to the same. The design was similar: 2 live axles, leaf springs all around, and closed knuckle front axle to keep mud out of the joints and keep grease in. They even had the same wheel bolt pattern! The Samurai passed my criteria of a real 4x4: live axles, leaf springs, soft top, manual hubs, folding windshield (it came with the hinges in a bag, ready to install), and a roll bar. I bought it a couple days later.

I 'wheeled the hell out of that Samurai, going off road almost every day the entire summer. I ran just about every trail in the area, and a bunch that weren't close to me. I got into it big when I put a set of 235/75/15 Wildcat EXTs on it. Man that thing would go anywhere! At least to a couple of young guys who just took off all season tires...

I got more deeply into four wheeling, going through my share of Samurais, Jeeps, and even a Toyota, F-150, Nissan pickup, and a Grand Wagoneer. The Nissan is the only one that I didn't 'wheel, only because the auto hubs were junk when I got it and I didn't bother fixing them. (That would be just asking for trouble!)

I began modifying vehicles more heavily, and started making things such as snorkels, spring over lifts, engine swaps (I put a 1.6 Sidekick engine in a Samurai after CalMini told me it couldn't be done; that was long before Rocky Road and others did it.)

After leaving the machining trade, and after getting deeply involved with auto mechanics and fabrication, I started school at a Chrysler certified school. I am currently about a month from getting a degree in Automotive Technology. Next month I will be taking 9 ASE tests (3 of them are in Engine Machining.) I currently have a certificate in Chrysler Transmission Repair & Rebuilding.

Update: 9/27/01

Since graduating from school, I have been doing freelance work when I have the time.  Family medical problems have kept me busy all summer, so full time employment is out of the question for now.  I took my ASE tests, and am now certified in: Engine Repair; Manual Drivetrain & Axles; Suspension & Steering; Brakes; Electrical/Electronics Systems; and Engine Performance.  I also received certification as a Master Engine Machinist: Cylinder Head Specialist; Cylinder Block Specialist; and Engine Assembly Specialist.

I recently passed an EPA approved Refrigerant Recovery & Recycling test, certifying me to repair automotive air conditioning systems.

Over the summer, I was able to expand my tool selection by purchasing a large lathe and a small milling machine.  I haven't had time to do much work with them yet, but I hope to begin manufacturing specialty parts as soon as time permits.