What am I doing wrong?

Every year I design a car or truck over the winter months, it is cold up here in Canada, and I have never liked the cold, so hibernating and designing go hand in hand.

A couple of years ago I came up with a design for a long nose, two seat, diesel powered, convertible coupe. A build based on the 3R's of recycling, and using green technologies, I am even going to do the welding off peak hours, and paint it with all water based paint.
This is not just another trailer queen, when done it will be driven to events, in some cases pulling my D90 on it's trailer.
A 'Real Hot Rod' not some pretty thing that never gets used.

As a builder I don't have a TV show, I don't build vehicles for celebrates and professional sport people who have more money than brains. I build and freely share what I am doing with others so they can also build a dream. I write for a couple of magazines, and I attend far more shows that the average person. My passion has almost cost me my marriage because I travel around with my builds.
I can't count the number of times I have watched someone either photographing my truck or shooting a video of it, and that encounter normally leads to talking about what I have done, and in most cases how and why.

The Aftermarket is all about the small builder who does something different that brings attention to the various sponsor's products. People buy what they see others using, not what they see on some build show on television that has every new tool and toy under the sun.

Not like I haven't done this before, I feel safe in saying my Land Rover Defender 90 is one of the most recognizable across North America, at least that is the impression I get from all the feedback.
Land Rover doesn't appreciate it however, not surprising since they have total lost sight of their heritage and seem to only want to sell bling. That however does not explain why the Detroit three can't see beyond their cubicles.
Case in point; I sent a proposal to one of them, outlining the concept for the build of the hot rod, all I wanted was a drive line. Someone in the brain trust sends me back a SEMA Show project vehicle application, including a list of vehicles available. This arrives via e-mail the day before the application was due to be submitted, and requires more information than can be put together in 24 hours. Totally missed the point, I don't want a vehicle to load up with shiny chrome bits, just another chromed everything, that will stand out, sure it will.
Apparently thinking out of the cubicle is not allowed if one works for any of the Detroit three, but we know that, recent history proved that point.

Vehicle planned, marketing planned, build and update schedule planned, all done.
Maybe I should change my name to something more famous and move the a California area code.

SEMA 09

Well it has been some time hasn't it?

So SEMA 09, an interesting show this year!
Smaller, yes noticeably so, fewer displays, wider isles, some notable companies missing, however not all is gloomy, and the state of the industry appears to be good.
I spent a lot of time talking to vendors this year, mainly on the last two days.
Every vendor that could be considered Tier One, that being the big names, not the me too vendors, reported an amazing show. Every one of them were quite astounded that they were writing orders, getting new leads, and were in fact almost run of their feet during the first couple of days.
One noticeable example was Mastercraft Seats, recognized as the leader in off-road seating for any vehicle, and the leader in quality. Mastercraft moved from the off-road area to the Hot Rod / street area, with a bigger and more open display area, and it worked, every time I passed it was full.
Several of the other seat manufactures seemed to be lacking traffic of any kind, well one did well but that was all for the former nude model.
Ford dominated the OEM display, huge, bright and always full of people looking at very cool stuff. GM's display, well you could probably hold a rugby match without any fear of running over someone. Chrysler was in it's normal place in back of the tire hall, no idea if anyone found them.
there was lots of very interesting 'new products' on display. Some 'why is this considered new' products as well; yet more exhaust systems. Why is an exhaust system considered a new product totally escapes me.
One quick walk through the off-road area, and it would be quick, because it was hard to make out from the other products added to fill out the area. New products, well a couple, more on that later.
The Green Zone had a surprise in store for anyone who might make the trip and be interested in New and Off-Road. A vehicle called a Rally Fighter, made by Local Motors, very cool indeed. Limited production calls for only 2000 units, but somewhat different. The new owner gets the opportunity to participate in the vehicle build. The Rally Fighter is a space frame design powered by a BMW diesel and it has a truly nasty looking composite body. This car will scare people.

On the dark side, the trade show police were out and patrolling the floor and causing bad feelings all round. Of what do I speak? One manufacture's rep told me of a seas and desist order he received for handing out FREE power drinks, and it came with a threatened, beyond reason fine. Why you ask? Seems the vendors charging outrageous amounts for soda are protected and the people this show is all about cannot give out drinks. The catch, none of the vendors sold any sort of power drink, none, nodda.
At another booth I asked a guy why on earth was he drinking his beer covered by a bag, trade show police again. Seems one cannot bring their own beer, even if it is for lunch, and it seems he didn't care for the type of beer for sale and being a different brand didn't want to risk the wrath of the trade show police.
Funny thing, people wonder why manufactures don't come back the following year?
Another interesting point, when moving in, if it is done on a Saturday, moving booth containers is at time and a half, seven forbid something has to be moved on a Sunday, that is double time. Booth rental is the least cost people displaying have to worry about. No wonder the show is shrinking each year.
Another bad thing I was party to hearing, OK eves dropping again. On the Wednesday morning on the train ride to the show I heard two guys discussing the decision of the Tire Association to not attend the show in '10 and to only attend the regional shows. Seems they made better use of their time and garnered better results if the buyers didn't have to travel so far. This was the second morning of the show and a major group had already planned on not coming back. Scary thought for SEMA. Several of the big players in the tire business didn't attend this years show in any case.
The AAPEX show, that is the repair part show, didn't make out much better this year. Same story really, fewer displaying, but the major brand people all reported doing very brisk business.
Seems that those at both shows who make a quality product and had very few returns did a very good bit of business, those who had quality issues, not so much.
this is good news for the consumer, the choice may be smaller at your favorite shop, but the quality will be higher if the show was any indication.

some times life just sucks

Life has been a total PITA of late, and the best way to deal is to write.

Then I got an e-mail from a friend, slide show sort of thing.

It described how 10% of your life can control the other 90%.
The 90% being how you react to situations and how that reaction will carry over and mess up the rest of your day, week, month...
That 10% being how you react, and I have decided that I have been reacting all wrong and letting the actions of other cause me no end of grief.

The key is going to be remembering this, bit of a steep learning curve, but worth the try.
So today, and just for today, I am going to not react badly, yes I know awkward sounding and poor writing. Today is going to be a good day, and everything is going to roll off like water on a ducks back.

have a great day.

Ramblings

Interesting weekend.
My wife and her sister went off to Chicago Land raceway for the Indy race and I worked on my truck.
Front replacement drive shaft from Tom Woods looks to be an improvement on the Spicer double cardon version. The difference being on the new drive shaft the follower can be greased. The Spicer version is factory lubricated, read designed to fail. Someone was not thinking the day that was designed. The drive shaft that failed was the second, and only after 9,000 miles, rather short. The first started squeaking a bit after about 3,000 miles, at which time I smeared it with grease, and lasted to 15,000 miles.
Being the front drive shaft it does not spin all the time, in fact hardly at all.
Next up on the vehicle fix-it list I guess will be the brake discs. I think that they will probably get done when I do the stretch.
I am planning a stretch from 90 inch to 106, going to use the spare frame I have to build up the rolling chassis then move and modify the body. That is the plan.
A re-power is in order as well, as soon as I can find a Cummins diesel.
Funny thing about that, two years ago I was toying with the idea of building a new truck, Cummins motors where everywhere, no problem finding one. Now however, they all seem to have disappeared. This is a total pita.
Who knew it would be so hard to find a wrecked Dodge pickup? had I known i would have bought and stored on when I started the design side of things.
Oh well.

time flys

Feels like just yesterday I was writing here and it turns out to be almost a week.
I do have a good excuse, summer has finally arrived, nice and hot all week.
Early July weather in late August, which translates into 100 degrees plus weather.
My kind of weather, spent almost the whole week out of doors every opportunity I got.
I drank about 2 gallons of water each day, and my sweat was sweating, I love this kind of weather.
I was able to leave the shop door open late into the evening it was so warm. Mosquito count was very low since the summer has been so cold to this point, very few hatched, a good thing.
Daily monsoon even help off for a week or so, this has to be good for the local trails, give them time to dry out a bit. Ottawa Valley clay can be very nasty when wet, and this year it is saturated. Walking the walk, not possible to tread lightly, so off road isn't happening for me.
I am not getting much done writing here, so I am back to the truck, I did find the problems with the electrical; isolator voltage drop was too high making full charge a thing that didn't happen, and the anti-corrosion compound I used on one of the ground points failed. No point naming who made the stuff since it is only available to electrical utilities for use in switch gear. This type of equipment is normally indoors out of the weather, under hood is hardly out of the weather, lesson learned.

have a great time until we meet again, be safe.

car shows

Been a while...
Went to the 35th annual Southeastern Ontario Street Meet last weekend, held in Emilasburg Ontario, south of Bellville on the island.
This is one fantastic show, and amazingly well organized and executed by a small group of people. Three days of nothing but cool cars and trucks for the pittance of $60.00 ($50.00 pre-registration) which includes camping, entertainment of some sort every evening, and a meal on Saturday night. Cheap food, no way, local grown vegetables and roast beef and desert, normally seconds are available if you can fit it in, good luck with that, portions are huge. The site is immaculate, no trash since there are trash containers everywhere, and they get emptied daily. Port-a-pottys aplenty, cleaned daily. Like I said amazingly well organized.
Cars from every decade from the 20's to the 80's with special interest vehicle as well, something for everyone who is into cars, or just want to look. Total car count was 286 weekenders, with day runners as well, no idea how many.
There had to be near a thousand people camping, with another thousand attending the event each day.
Don't get me wrong, the cars were great eye-candy, but my favorite part is the evenings around the campfire. I camp with a group who I knew from by street rod days and their kids and grand kids. Nothing like a camp fire on a warm evening with friend laughing and joking about.
Funny thing, for years my daughter and her girl friends never wanted to be around the camp site at night, wanted to be out prowling for the young boys. This year, now 18, seems the prowling has lost some of it's attraction, they wanted to be with the silly folk around the camp fire.

10:56 & 451F
Glowing orange with pitch striping, Dancing wisps swaying in the southerly baby's breath. Slowly, ever so slowly changing to a brushed Pewter dust. Ferry like sparks jump towards the sky, as another joins the warm embrace, only to disappear mere feet above their former warm bed.
Stay-puffs in sticks transforming from white to brown the ever so slightly black, sequels of delight from the young, and then another held out towards the furnace heat.

Nothing like a camp fire.

Small World

When I look back I am astounded by how small the world has become. I was watching the replay of the footage of the moon landing on CNN, memories flooded back of the event as it unfolded. Yes, on a black and white T.V., and the memory was as clear as if it had happened yesterday.
Fast forward to the 500 channel universe, flat screen high definition, and the internet, nothing happens anywhere without the world knowing almost as it happens.
Back in the B&W days someone visiting from Toronto ( 4 hour drive away) was a big thing. Today, talking to someone on the other side of the planet is a daily occurrence.
Times have changed, and the opportunities are immense. Not just for commerce, more importantly to learn about other people and their societies. Funny thing is they are not as different as one would expect.
Already this morning I have read e-mail from 4 US states, as well as e-mail from three countries overseas.
Good old days? Are you crazy, can't wait to see what technology is just around the corner to make our ball of dirt even smaller.