My entire life I have been so results driven that timelines and constant scrutiny over deliverables (insane technical micromanagement) have nearly wrecked me. I am finally learning to come up for air and learning to finally enjoy life and appreciate those around me. Last year I took a huge step to get back on track and thus far this year, some other big personal milestones have also been realized. The future is ultra bright, and I see a lot of productivity and more importantly fun in front of me and the BenzForce family. What does that translate to? Hopefully cars, visits to the BenzForce family and more trips to share with everyone.
Here is what’s cooking on my cars:- w123. I get emails and messages all the time about my car and unfortunately, for those that don't know, my own car is down for the count. I have grown tired of bastardized transmission solutions. I have moved it onto the storage lot and plan on forgetting about it until I am done with the dyno car’s future om606/CD009. That combo will eventually live in the w123.
- Truck. I am also very interested in a truck build that may take precedence over the w123. I see this type of build as my daily; hopefully lasting the remainder of my days. My Titan lasted 19 years and is still going for my son, so it’s a realistic thought that a good build will last just as long. Here is the plan but always subject to change:
- ~1970 F100/F150 or 1963-1966 C10 (short bed fleet side)
- Om648
- TR6060
- S550 Ford IRS (Mustang rear end basically)
- Something like a QA1 or RideTech pro touring suspension
- Garage Space? I am starting to investigate building a shop to allow me to incorporate a lift (2 post), car storage (4 post maybe) and have more room overall. Building on our lot is tough. Given the cost of homes in our neighborhood and the possible impact on resale value the structure would need to meet some strict architectural standards and be appropriate for the overall site plan. Plus, building takes time and with the impending financial doom, it may be easier (and cheaper) to just buy an existing structure in about 6 months. Building/buying/owning a commercial industrial park is still of great interest and we are ready depending on the market. Regardless, the truck won’t happen until I have a place to take my time and try to focus on quality instead of just “getting it done.” I also don’t want a shit hole. It must be close to the house, clean, well-lit, well equipped, and organized.
Social Media
Facebook has put my original car’s build page in jail for no reason because they said it was confusing on what it was and will not allow me to post anymore but I still have the YouTube channel! With more and more time freeing up, I was thinking that I would love to do a couple of builds per year. This is dependent on finishing the dyno car and getting the garage space of course. I was thinking it would be fun do cradle to grave build series … each build should have some twist (odd engine swap, etc) – these are just fun builds, not show car types of builds. Episodes could be something like:- Get the car and break down the plan of attack.
- Chassis and suspension
- Drivetrain
- Interior
- Exterior
- Sale and wrap-up
Please let me know your thoughts!
Rodney