Ok so lets really talk K-members here Folks
Hey Joe, why are you busting chops on this?
I know that you're a big RMS disciple and that's fine. Bill builds a great product. Any reason anyone else can't take a crack at it? Sure there are obstacles to overcome and details to work out, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Where would we be if people quit doing things because other folks or experts said it couldn't be done?
Next time you talk to Bill, ask him how many employees he had when he started. Ask him what his initial turn around time was. Ask him if his first design work right out of the gate. Didn't he just have to do a redesign of his upper control arms for a clearance issue of some sort?
I'm not bagging, I'm just saying to cut the guy some slack. Hell, at least he's trying. Ain't that what it's all about? Heard tell you can get across this ol' country of ours because a couple of brothers proved you could fly without flapping your arms real fast. Bet they heard a lot of folks say it couldn't be done either.
If you're wondering why I chose your quote amongst the other nay-sayers here, it's because I have a good amount of respect for your input and knowledge. You're a pretty straight up guy and I was a bit confused by your position here.
i'm not busting chops. maybe johnparts is to blame for all the hype but these guys came here saying they can build this thing so much cheaper and claiming its just as good as others out there. all i did ( if you have read through this thread) was ask how it is going to act in corners. the answer was it has been 150 mph or what ever at the drag strip.. the drag strip and in corners are two totally different things. all we keep getting is video of this thing going in a straight line. i'm just asking a couple questions that anyone should be asking since this thing is going to be on the street with innocent families. i never said this thing was garbage. also said its cool that someone is stepping up to the plate to do this. the problem is people have concerns on how this thing will behave in something other then a straight line and no one has addressed it except to post a another video of it going in a straight line. you don't question that?? hell this thing could be great in corners for all any of us know, but there is no way to tell that because all we see is a straight line video of it. sorry buy i'm not just going to take a guys word for it. atleast put some kind of numbers out there for guys to make an informed decision before buying something like this.
when i was researching these frontends. i read a ton of threads on the different tube front ends out at the time (still do actually). i met up with bill at the mopar nats one year and asked him a few questions about his set up.. he pulled out his lap top and showed me how it worked, explained it all to me ( not that i understand it all to this day) and then went to his display and showed me on an actual front end what the computer was showing me. now i'm far from a front end expert and never claimed to be one. but the fact of the matter is that he had the equipment right there in front of me to show and explain how and why it worked, if i wanted the numbers they were right there for me to look at, record and go research for myself. and that was years before i ended up buying a system. i called him numerous times and talked with him for great length over a couple year period before i bought one.
Next time you talk to Bill, ask him how many employees he had when he started. Ask him what his initial turn around time was. Ask him if his first design work right out of the gate. Didn't he just have to do a redesign of his upper control arms for a clearance issue of some sort?
as far as bill goes. i can't speak for him but i know he built his first system for his own car, built it for his street car to use on the street. he had no intentions of selling them. as people saw them they wanted them. like sated in this thread earlier he went out and bought the software to prove/improve his design. and he keeps improving his design. again like stated earlier the drag strip and the street/corners are totally different things. tube front ends with R&P have been around forever at the drag strip. i have two friends that have dusters using stock style spindles and a tube/rack front end. those cars are in the 8-10 second range at the track. they go straight as an arrow down the drag strip and work great for that, but turn the wheel and you should see the tire fold over. no way would you want to drive that thing on the street and around a corner.
and in my opinion two week turn around time is a big thing when it comes to price. to pump more systems out and keep customers happy you need employees,more equipment, more space.... etc.. it all adds to the price.
basically what i'm saying/asking is to stop all the talk and show it to us, lets see the thing in corners, lets see prices, lets see this thing produced and on the street with real world feedback. anything less is just talk and means nothing. look i don't care what frontend a guy wants to use. as long as its safe because that damn thing may just be out on the road with my family. all i need is some straight line set up trying to take a corner and no being able to do it and take out my family.. thats not cool man... thats all my question is about...
here ya go, look trough the following thread. basically the same concerns from the drag racers about the system. and they don't have any need for the thing to corner.. problem with any new unproven guy on the block is they have to go out of their way to prove themselves (which to me is a good thing) because there has been too much garbage put out there that ended up being dangerous over the years. a front end is not somewhere to play games with.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6377969&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
