Now it's getting real! Super Excited!!!

I am so excited...  As of tonight, about 5 minutes ago, I have paid the deposit on the chassis from Hendrix Motorsports!

I have enough saved up to make it happen, so off we go.

http://hendrixmotorsports.com/

My Formula Toy, 4-seat, has been ordered.  I also got a special request granted, chassis #777!

I am excited beyond words, now to plan a CA trip to pick it up.  Anyone want to go to CA with me?

More Progress on tear down

Today I made more progress on the tear down fr removal of the body.

I started the morning with the removal of the radiator.  This proved more difficult than planned because I forgot that this was a dual core radiator.  For those who may not know, that means this radiator not only flows coolant through it to cool the engine oil, but it also flows another fluid for cooling.  Most commonly, and in the case of The Spike, the transmission fluid flowed through it also.  So I drained the radiator, drained the Automatic transmission, and while I was under the truck anyway, I drained the oil (I knew this would have to be drained later anyway).

In process of removing the bolts for the fan shroud and the radiator, the final bolt was blocked by the power steering lines, which also ran through the front core support to a cooling loop on the front of the truck.  So the power steering fluid and system also had to be drained.  It needed to happen anyway, but I was not planning to do this today.  So now I had 4 systems draining or dripping after draining and I had messes of oil everywhere.  A circus theme rang through my head as I laughed at the mess I was making.  The epoxy floor on the garage got a work out today.

Everything drained and bolts removed, the radiator came out.  Success!  During the process I laughed, I cried, but most importantly, I won!

Goal 2 today was the wiring harness and the steering column removal.  I wanted to keep the harness in tact if possible, and I was successful after removing all the dash and even the front support brace.

Finally, on to the steering column.  This proved to be a bit more work, but with careful consideration and examination for where the attachments were, I removed the column.

Finally, clean up my messes and bottle the old fluids, cleaned up the shop then called it a day.

The guy for the body sale brought me the cash today, so it is sold to him for sure.  We had to wait until next week (hopefully) to get it off because I am not quite ready and his trailer for use was unavailable.

Hopefully, more tomorrow.  Until then, God Bless and thanks for reading.

A few hours, a few more parts

Last night after a long day at work, I wad able to get about 2 hours in to tear down the front dash area. Here is what's left.

Weekend progress

This weekend more progress was made both on the tear down and the financial side.

On the tear down, most of the interior was removed as well as the top, tailgate, rear bumper, and hitch. A huge thanks go to my buddy Philip for his help.

Financially, I sold some more stuff and now officially have less than $1,000 to go before I can purchase the chassis. Don't forget, a website on Gofundme had been set up and your financial help in this project would be greatly appreciated.

Hopefully, next week will give me some time to finish the interior and get it sold to the potential buyer. Keep that in prayer specifically please.

I thank you for your prayers and your donations. This is a huge undertaking but I am confident it will be completed in God's time.

Good Bless you all and don't forget, Christ died for you and for me on the cross. It's my sins that drove the spike.

Help Fund my project

The Spike officially has a Go Fund Me Account!

Please help me raise the money for this project.

http://www.gofundme.com/z5mbq3b

How will the project be funded?

     Let me start off by saying that this project is a dream and vision I have had for the past few years and I have no doubt it will be completed in God's time.  That being said, I am not made of money and I am seeking your help.

     While all the greatest plans, dreams, and vision may make this build look amazing, it can’t happen without funding and support of vendors and manufacturers.  

     I will be setting up a crowd funding site to allow anyone to not only share my vision and mission, but contribute to the cause financially.  I have put over $3,000 in the project so far between buying the 4Runner, the axle with locker, and have saved nearly half of the cost of the Hendrix Formula 4.  Without the help of others, I will not get this project done for a very long time.  

     As it sits, my goal is to be completed in time to unveil The Spike at the 2016 Crawl 4 Christ. 

     If you can spare any amount, from $5 to $5,000 I can put it to use in this ministry vision.  I will be keeping tallies of every dollar spent and am willing to show anyone who asks.  This money is NOT being used for me, it will all to go the ministry steps outlined in my previous posts.  

     If you live in or are visiting Arizona and want to lend a hand, drop me a line and I will see if our schedules match up.  I always can use another set of hands on a project.  

     Every donation will be acknowledged and every donor will be not only thanked, but acknowledged on the trailer when that step is accomplished if they desire.

     Please, take a few minutes and pray about what you can do to help me in this project.  Prayers are always appreciated, and I will ave the crown funding site up in the very near future.

Thank you.

About the buggy, step 1

This is where the rubber meets the road, or the rocks in my case.  The following is a basic breakdown of how I plan to build the buggy.  All plans are flexible and may change as I come across different solutions or other needs arise, but here is the starting point.

Frame: 1985 Toyota 4Runner

                The vehicle is currently whole and being stripped down to the frame and cleaned up to prepare for the build.

Engine: Stock Toyota 22RE

                Engine runs but will be removed and given a top-end overhaul including a basic cleaning, new injectors, and replace all the basic worn out components.  Previous owner said timing was just recently done, so I may not get that far into the engine rebuild unless I find signs that lead me to investigate further.  When rebuilding, the engine will have multiple components painted and/or powder coated by Specialty Powder Coating (supporter of UCORA) in order to make the vehicle not only perform well, but be a show piece as well.

Transmission: Stock Automatic Transmission

                When driving it home, the transmission seems a little weak.  I will give it a full flush and replace filters, but if finances exist, I may have it fully services and built strong enough for the coming use.

Transfer Case:  Stock Toyota transfer case

                The t-case should be gear driven given the year and will be verified during the tear down process.  My intent is to build a dual transfer case setup with moderate gearing in the high range gears but lower gearing in the second gears.  This will help keep the street ability of the buggy by allowing higher speeds in 2 wheel drive. When building, the transfer cases will be powder coated by Specialty Powder Coating (supporter of UCORA) in order to make the vehicle not only perform well, but be a show piece as well.

Front Axle: Stock 1985 Axle with axle truss.

                The stock axle housing will be cleaned up and used in the build. I plan to disassemble the axles and replace them with stronger shafts.  I will make the weak link in the vehicle near the wheels such as the locking hubs so trail repairs are simple in the event of breaking.  A Toyota electric locker has already been obtained for use in the front axle, and I plan to use 4.88 gears to keep some street ability but still allow lower crawl rations when in low range.  Eventually or as needed, upgraded axles may be sources such as Trail Gear or Diamond.

Rear Axle: Stock 1985 Axle

                The stock axle housing will be cleaned up and used in the build. I plan to disassemble the axles and replace them with stronger shafts. I also plan to replace the worn drum brakes with a disc brake conversion in order to enhance the safety for the driver and stopping ability against the lower gears intended to be used. Eventually or as needed, upgraded axles may be sources such as Trail Gear or Diamond.

Suspension: Stock Leaf Spring Suspension

                The current suspension is a mild lift on the vehicle.  I will build a leaf sprung suspension, hopefully with the existing springs.  If new springs are needed, these will be sourced from past UCORA supporters wherever possible. Eventually or if donations make it possible, a front 3-link and rear triangulated 4-link suspension will be set up to increase handling.

Seats: Suspension seating for 5.

                As a long-time supporter or Crawl 4 Christ and UCORA, I will be purchasing seats from PRP.  Front buckets will be matched to a 3-seat rear bench with 4-point harnesses to keep everyone safe and secure in all situations.  All seats will have pouches for water bladders to keep hydrated while wheeling.

Lighting: Street Legal requirements

                In AZ, a street legal vehicle must have working lights, turn signals, and a horn in order to stay legal.  I will be using all LED lighting and since Truck-Lite & Rigid both have supported Crawl 4 Christ in the past and are now combined, I will plan to be buying these from them.  Basic lighting with the additional rock lights and some LED light bars will all be used so The Spike can wheel both day and night with no difficulty, but also remain street legal.

Interior:

                The interior will be laid out basic and straight forward.  In addition to the seats mentioned above, storage will be designed so passengers can use a cooler in the back for snacks or lunch on the trail and water.  I also plan to have a basic dash setup with Auto Meter (past sponsor) gauges and communication radios both CB and Amateur radio on board.  I have an idea to use 12-volt headed vests for the occupants for winter trips, much like motorcycle riders use, in order to have warmth when needed.  Other basics for the interior such as fuel storage, recovery and tool storage, and any safety equipment will be determined when the basic layout is completed.

Body:

                Body panels will be fabricated out of aluminum and used to not only show the name of the buggy, but acknowledge major partners and sponsors to the build.  The hood and roof will be also built.  A Spider Web Shade (past sponsor) will be used for the roof.  I also intend to design a flat, removable, windshield for street use and have vinyl windows which will connect magnetically to keep rain out in bad weather.

That's it so far, so what did I miss.  Give me any comments below and things I need to consider.

The Plan

                While having a vision and a dream is great, every journey begins with a single step.  And so, I have developed a plan.  Though God may change it or make it happen in other ways, this is the plan He has set before me at this time.

                In order to save paperwork and having to learn a whole lot about business taxes, The Spike will be kept under private ownership, but will be dedicated to the ministry of UCORA and the mission and vision set out. If there is a ministry opportunity for the Spike and its vision and I am unable to attend, as long as there is a trustworthy way and reliable person who can move the vision forward, I will gladly send it for that purpose.

Step 1 is to build the buggy.  Acknowledging the support UCORA has seen over the past 9 years from sponsors and partners of Crawl 4 Christ events, I am seeking most of my parts and components from those supporters in order to support them as well.  Financial expenses for the project will go back to those who supported UCORA and Crawl 4 Christ first. Obviously, the buggy can be designed from basic to extreme, but I want to start with the basic running gear I have to keep costs down.  I will first purchase the Hendrix Motorsports Formula Toy Chassis designed for four passengers, a Formula 4.  Once I have completed that purchase, I will begin putting together the needed accessories and components to complete the build.  The breakdown and desired components are listed later, but simply put I want to establish a running, 5-seat buggy with full safety gear and to be street legal.  Once the rig is completed, I will move on to step 2.

 

from the Hendrix Motorsports website, Formula Toy 2-seat

Step 2 is to buy or acquire a trailer.  The trailer will need to be able to haul more than the vehicle, so an enclosed trailer is my goal.  I want to keep it bumper pull style to allow others to use it and pull when not in use for The Spike.  I already have a ¾ ton truck for towing duties, so that is taken care of. The trailer is also my main source of saying thank you to all who help me in this process.  Each and every name of donors, large or small, will be listed on the trailer.  Sponsors who support UCORA and join me in this project will not only be given space on the few panels of The Spike, but will be given space to show their support on the trailer as well.  I plan to allow Ziglin Designs, another UCORA supporter, to do the wrap when it is ready. 

Step 3 is when I start getting the food preparation supplies ready.  I will purchase a large propane barbecue and possibly a propane fryer, smoker, or other cooking devices.  I also will begin to get a couple large coolers and storage for food supplies, tables and canopies.  

From there, only God knows what great plans he has for this ministry, and I look forward to the time he reveals it to me.

What's in a name? Why "The Spike?"

     The name, “The Spike,” was not settled on in my mind until 2012.  After I rolled my 1995 4Runner with everyone on board, I was determined that my family would not go with me on extreme trails again until they all were secured by harnesses, I brought the truck home to build the buggy from, or so I thought.  

     At that time, I wanted to have a name that was a link to my final straw; my push to build the buggy.  Since it was done on the Golden Spike trail in Moab, I at first settled on “Spike.”  As I tossed that idea around in my head and prayed about it, I was reminded that this was a ministry dream.  

     Jesus Christ laid his life down for us and died on the cross for everyone.  His hands and feet were nailed, some bible translations say they drove spikes, into the cross.  Author Max Lucado as well as many scholars have said that many people relate the teaching that we drove the nails into His hands and feet and we put him Jesus on the cross.  While I know I did not drive the nails and Jesus in fact volunteered His perfect life for my sinful one, I know that he took them for me.  Each strike with the mallet represented the strikes against God that I have with each of my sins. Using a little liberty and relational thinking here, I can say I drove the nails which held the Christ to the cross.  I drove the spikes which held him crucified until he died.  I drove the spike!  This slogan of remembrance will be incorporated into the ministry remnding anyone who gets to sit behind the wheel, I drove “The Spike.”

The Dream

                So what is this ministry dream I have?  What is this project?  It’s fairly simple.  I want to show the love of Jesus Christ to people through enjoyment of his creation.  I want people who may have never driven off road, or who have never rock crawled, to see a new sport and see what we do in the safety of a fully equipped buggy.  Or, for those who want to follow and use their own vehicles, I want to spot for them and show them the capabilities their vehicles have, even with little or no modifications at all.  The Spike will be built with the goal in mind that this vehicle can handle anything you throw at it in rock crawling with the control of a well-built crawler, but the ease of driving of your family sedan.  With the growing trend for people not to be able to drive manual transmissions, I have opted to keep the Automatic transmission in the vehicle to make it truly able to be driven by anyone.  Just like I was handed the keys to a buggy in Calico, I want to hand the keys to anyone who wants to drive at events I go to.  If they rather I drive, that’s fine, but my goal is to get them in the driver’s seat.

Then, I want to feed them.  Not just spiritual feeding as mentioned above, but I want to use the buggy as a catalyst to get them there, then feed them a meal and let them enjoy an off road event after party that even their kids will enjoy and everyone will go home knowing that you can have a blast without the need for alcohol or explosives to entertain you.  The Spike will be transported in an enclosed trailer not only big enough to hold the vehicle, but also to hold the basic tools necessary for repairs, and the cooking appliances such as propane grill, tables, and coolers to transform the trailer into a food prep area when not housing the buggy.  Outside, an awning would provide shade for people to just sit and relax while they wait for friends, enjoy a meal, or work on their vehicles.  I want to have the knowledge or team of people available to help when mechanical trouble happens on the trail.  I want to be available to lend a hand and offer resources available to meet people’s needs and help them where they are.  While The Spike is being driven on the trails, I would be prepping the food for the evening and looking forward to the stories when they return.  One side of the trailer could be used to show pictures or movies in the evening as a giant screen.  These are all eventual goals, obviously, but you can see how The Spike will be my foot-in-the-door for ministering to the people in the off road setting.

My Vehicle History & why a Toyota?

      I began my off-road experience driving my Dad's 1986 Ford Bronco II around the local forest roads of Big Bear, CA.  When I moved to college, I moved with my car.  The first "off road" vehicle I owned was a 1998 Ford Escort.  I know, its not an off road vehicle, but I sure made it one.  

     Seriously though, after wheeling my Dad’s Bronco II and then my Escort on trails, I knew I needed a rock crawler.  My first 4x4 which was intended for that purpose was a 1987 Toyota 4Runner.  I did a straight-axle conversion (SAS) on that truck with the help of long time off road friend Tye J. and wheeled it for years.

     When my second child was born, my wife asked for a more family friendly off road rig so I changed into a 1998 Toyota 4Runner which I set up for longer family trips and expedition style trips with more distance and comfort in mind.

  A few years later, I missed rock crawling terribly and our family trips had not happened as envisioned.  In addition, our third child was born and after some discussion, I traded the 1998 4Runner for a 1995 4Runner which was built more for rock crawling with an SAS, lockers, and some other needed accessories.  In 2012, I added a full roll cage to my 1995 4Runner in addition to some other equipment in anticipation of the 2012 Crawl 4 Christ, which I was the organizer for, in Moab, UT.

  The project and the event were a huge success.  However, the last day of wheeling, after 2 successful trips already completed, tragedy struck.  My 4Runner rolled over when side hilling between trails.  No one still knows how or why the truck rolled at that location, but it was by the hand of God that we only rolled one complete revolution because there was much more mountains then we fell down and the only thing there to stop us was a small tree which the truck rolled over and broke off.  God stopped the roll, I have no doubt, but with my family all inside the truck, I was emotionally shaken.  My great friends, Rex, Carrie, Tye, and Jen were all with us on that trail. Through their comfort and prayer, I was able to get back in the truck and drive it out.

   The 4Runner was trailered home and sat in my garage for nearly 2 years hoping to become the buggy now known as “The Spike.”  Some financial difficulty and research learning this was not the best base for my build, led me to sell the 4Runner for parts.

     I have waited since then, over 2 years, to once again have a rig to wheel, and to build my ministry dream. In June of 2015, I bought my "unicorn" project vehicle, a 1985 Toyota 4Runner.  With my knowledge of Toyota vehicles and my love for them, this is the base I have chosen for this project.

  

  

History

In 2006, we missed the event due to a horrific accident.
Later, in 2009, more mechanical trouble would strike us.

Project “The Spike” was originally envisioned in early 2009 when my family was on an off road trip to join 4x4Him in their annual Calico Jamboree.  On the way to the event, my tow vehicle and off road rig had a mechanical failure which caused it to be limped home and parked in the garage until repairs could be completed.  This was now the second year we were missing this event.  The previous year there was a major accident which involved my entire family, and now this mechanical failure of my vehicle.  I decided I needed the fellowship of these other believers in 4x4Him and we left for the event at nearly 5:00pm.  We took my tent trailer and a borrowed tow vehicle while leaving my rock crawler at home.  After a long drive at night, we arrived in camp to warm welcomes from friends.  They had set up our camping spot with lights so we could set up easily and many even came to help so we could get my 2-year old son to bed quickly.  I knew we were in the presence of friends as soon as we arrived.

The next morning as we were cooking breakfast, one of the leaders of 4x4Him, Rick K.; aka. “The General,” came to my camp and asked if I still wanted to wheel.  I said of course, thinking he had a passenger spot open and I could join him, but instead he handed me the keys to his buggy. 

"The General"
Owned by Rick K.

“The General,” as the buggy was also called, was a modified Toyota 4Runner with a complete tube buggy around the highly modified drivetrain. Modeled after the Hendrix Formula Toyota buggy, this was a great honor. As an avid rock crawler, I have dreamed of having a buggy someday, but as a family man and on a limited budget, I had only my modified vehicle to crawl with.  It was very capable, but it was not a buggy.  This offer was more than a friend helping a friend, Rick had truly blessed me with the ability to get on the trails and get the therapy (as I like to call it) I needed to calm my nerves after the vehicle frustrations the day before.  He was blessing me in more ways than he ever could know. I went back into my tent trailer to get my son and his car seat to join me.  Kristi wanted to stay at camp, so I had the first opportunity to give a complete 4wheeling novice a glimpse of what rock crawling is.  I asked another camper who was new to the sport if they wanted to join me and ride in The General with their daughter.  They agreed and we soon we were loaded up and heading to the trails. 

It was during that time that the dream started.  It was during that drive that I saw how I could introduce people to rock crawling safely and show the love Jesus Christ has for all of us through the enjoyment of this sport. That is when my ministry off road dream began to unfold and God began to reveal the plan He had for my ministry. After a great trail ride and some great rock crawling, we returned to camp to have dinner.  The group meal that night was offered to us and we ate with everyone having great fellowship.  The trip was a huge relief for me, even with the turmoil that started it off.

The next event I attended which built this vision was one where I was simply a passenger at a large scale event hosted by a major parts manufacturer.  Rex T. had invited me to be his passenger and spotter at the famous trails known as “The Hammers,” in Johnson Valley, California.  The event was very memorable for more than a few reasons including record setting cold, but what impacted me was the trail ride.  I was observing a spotter on the trail who was taking vehicles over lines they were not capable of driving and making drivers very uncomfortable. 

Rex T. driving through the hammers with my spotting.

As Rex approached his position at the start of the obstacle, he told the other spotter he wanted me to spot for him.  I knew his comfort level and what damage, if any, was acceptable for his truck.  On the first try, I spotted Rex through the obstacle over a fairly tough line.  That ease made the next driver also ask me to spot for them.  I made brief introduction and asked them about their comfort levels both in driving and damage, and successfully spotted them trough as well.  Each vehicle in the line asked me to spot and I got to help over a dozen drivers accomplish an obstacle which many thought was impassable after seeing the first few built rigs have such trouble.  This happened two more times up the trail, and I knew that helping people and introducing them to what their vehicles could do gave me great joy.  I knew I wanted to do this more.

As a founder of the United Christian Off-Road Alliance (UCORA) since 2005, I was already a part of an off road ministry designed to bring glory to God while exploring and enjoying his creation.  We are a group who loved off road events, but not the off-road after party at camp in many cases.  Personally, I have seen camp tragedies too numerous to count, but still remember the camp fire “Mickey Bomb” going horribly wrong and seeing a group burn a fellow event attendee’s camper to the ground.  No one was hurt, thank God, but I never forgot those times and why my kids never go to non-Christian off road events with me.  UCORA was formed to bring all the great parts of the events together with a family friendly atmosphere and keep camp safe for everyone.  The mission of UCORA, combined with my dreams and desires to have an off-road related ministry, fueled my desire to start “The Spike.”

Finally the last series of events which has fueled my passion for this project is the Crawl 4 Christ. 

This event, organized by UCORA, is a national event with varying locations each year in order to bring a family related event to off-roading and introduce people to our sport and let them enjoy it with us.  We are open to both Christians and non-Christians, but camp rules are followed by all.  The first event, held in in 2007, was the launching point for what has now grown to over 100 families each year and has been held at over 5 different locations nationwide.  People travel from all over the United States to attend the event, and we love seeing God work every year.  During past events, I have had the opportunity to lead in a message service, serve food to participants, host the event, and help from behind the scenes; and I love seeing the joy people get every year through pictures and hearing event stories. This form of serving is the other side of how my ministry project will serve the people; more on that later.

Introducing "The Spike"

“The Spike” is a ministry dream that I have had for nearly 10 years and is finally coming to reality.  The project, which I am requesting public help in funding, is a plan that was revealed to me through many smaller events and experiences in my life.