Go-Kart Alley the Series

[Orange Krate]

Man! I been so busy I forgot to update you on Comic Con. Plus, I got a new phone and still learning my way around it. The first day was kinda slow. I was watching the people(and that was one of the funnest parts and it's like we were invisible!

Then on the second day I kicked the table out of the way and I swear, every-other person, and there were 60,000 people there, was pointing and comment and asking questions. Even one very well endowed, scantily clad sci-fi chick! I know, I didn't take near enough pics

I didn't sell much...people who go to comic con go for specific art...but I got a lot of positive response from people who "get it" and that was way worth it

Oh, and look who stopped by to check out the last of the 5 horse interceptors

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[landuse]

Thanks for the update Dennis. That convention looks crazy!

 

[Orange Krate]

Began my first leg of the Go-Kart Alley Good Will Tour Tuesday. Pitching the idea to businesses and municipalities in order to film on their locations. First stop: the Dublin Rotary Club in Dublin, Texas. Home of the infamous Dublin Dr. Pepper, an important part of my Bandit episode.

I took bandit with me and spoke as the program for this weeks meeting where I got an overwhelmingly positive response! The Rotary, Dublin Economic Development Corporation and Dublin Bottling Works are all eager to see this thing made. The president of the club even shared some go-kart/minibike stories from his youth that will definitely show up in an episode

Next stop: American Truck Driving School in Elm Mott, Texas to aquire the truck aka Bandit Two.

Ps. If you never got a chance to try Dublin Dr. Pepper before corporate DP shut them down, try Dublin's new Black Cherry (I can't make that wink big enough!)


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[itsid]

If you never got a chance to try Dublin Dr. Pepper before corporate DP shut them down, try Dublin's new Black Cherry (I can't make that wink big enough!)

I'd love to.. just send them over (even bigger wink )

'sid

 

[Orange Krate]

Working on Bullitt again. He got tabled because the Rupp spindles weren't long enough for the Bullitt wheels. Was gonna cut and re-weld a set of cheapies to the correct Rupp angle by making a jig. When I ran my grand plan past Gran Pann (who is a much better welder than me) he said, "Good luck with that!" So, I got cold feet and moved on to another kart.

Today I couldn't get anything else done so I just said F it and did it. I'll let you know how they turn out when they cool and I have time to mount them up.

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[KartFab]

when I said good luck with that, I meant it. I have no clue about steering. Steering/spindles/Ackerman has always scared me. That's the one thing that I have always been afraid of. The way that picture is taken makes it look like the spindle is half as big as the chair!

Excellent looking welds though!

 

[Orange Krate]

LOL, Me too! I was, as always, overthinking it. Was even looking at U-weld spindle kits from BMI. I guess I didn't want to cut into the new spindles but then I realized in the time it would take me to order them , I could be done. Once I started cutting, I realized they were crap! Don't let the plating fool you, these things had some gnarley rust between the spindle barrel and the axle bolt!

My quick jig transferred the angle looks like farely well. Still haven't had time to mount them to know for sure. I got pretty reckless in my 180 rule of DO - don't think. Wheel see!

 

[Orange Krate]

Well, there not perfect but will have to be close enough for now...runnin short on time! Have to see how they drive. I'm not scared to build a new set if I have to now. Also, 6" wheels don't look as bad as I feared they might.

In other news...looks like I'm getting the truck! Going down next week to take a look and hash out the deal!!

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[Orange Krate]

Manco madness! Blasted and primed, these plus Bandit make 4 Mancos I've got and they were all orange when I got down to the first layer of paint.

Also pictured is the Bullitt Rupp frame. The blaster blew a whole bunch more pinholes through the rust. I welded and bondoed as best I could but this thing is really better suited for the scrap yard! But, I'm in too deep now, just gotta lipstick and rouge it for the camera.

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[Orange Krate]

Rockford needed more pieces of flair so I quick fabbed this firebird esque nose piece out of an old wheel barrow bumper. Not what I originally planned but it turned out better than that plan would have. Loosely attached to the steering shaft it squeaked something awful! So I had to burn it in with a drill. Squeak is gone now!

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[landuse]

Good progress. I like the wheelbarrow bumper idea

 

[Orange Krate]

While I'm still pressing onward, we've hit yet another set-back.

When I got back from vacation I found a note on the door that said the city is going to be cracking down on our neighborhood for code violations... and our town can be REAAAAly strict! Our neighborhood and it's residents were never meant to live within city limits and so this is a problem for us. All of those other unfinished projects I've been putting off in favor of Go-Kart Alley need to get wrapped up before 7/14!

I'm hiring a lot of it done and I HATE to hire things done that I could do if I had time. I keep telling myself I'm buying time but DANG, time is expensive! So, I hire contractors, neighbors, who I can work with for a 50/50 solution. But it still means GKA takes a back seat for a few weeks.

Here's to hoping I can get it all wrapped up and maybe Rockford painted before 7/14

 

[landuse]

While I'm still pressing onward, we've hit yet another set-back.

When I got back from vacation I found a note on the door that said the city is going to be cracking down on our neighborhood for code violations... and our town can be REAAAAly strict! Our neighborhood and it's residents were never meant to live within city limits and so this is a problem for us. All of those other unfinished projects I've been putting off in favor of Go-Kart Alley need to get wrapped up before 7/14!

I'm hiring a lot of it done and I HATE to hire things done that I could do if I had time. I keep telling myself I'm buying time but DANG, time is expensive! So, I hire contractors, neighbors, who I can work with for a 50/50 solution. But it still means GKA takes a back seat for a few weeks.

Here's to hoping I can get it all wrapped up and maybe Rockford painted before 7/14

What codes would you be violating?

 

[Orange Krate]

It's not the code violations so much as the lack of permits that will get me. I don't pull permits because they just deny them anyway. And if you do get one the inspector comes on your place and knit picks you to death. They are seriously bad here. I have several contractor friends who refuse to work in this city because of it. So it's just best that everything be ship shape before they come around.


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[KartFab]

want to replace a broken fence post? permit required
want to paint your trim? permit required
want to put in a sprinkler system yourself? nope, you gotta pay someone to engineer one for you, then approve it, then you need a permit to install it yourself, then you can install it
want to cut down a tree? sorry, you cant, but if you really want to permit required. then you gotta plant one in its place
someone crashes into your neighbors fence, then the insurance pays your neighbor. just get someone to put up a new one right? nope, a building inspector has to come by and tell you exactly what color it is to be, and it must exactly match the rest of the fenceline. Excuse me mr contractor, do you have wood in "15 yr old faded pine?" oh wait the building inspector is on vacation so we have to wait a month or so before we can legally begin work....
want to install gutters? permit required
want to install new eaves and overhangs? permit required
and thats not even the worst of it. flower mound is ripe with home owner associations. Which are much worse. Luckily im not in one of them.

And to top it all off, the lovely citizens/government of flower mound like to feel safe, so it employs an excessively large force of policemen. Crime is naturally low not because of the large police force, but because you have to pay a lot to live there (barrier to entry is overpriced homes). So if your poor and like to live there, too bad you gotta make money, and if you make money you dont need to steal.... anyway

In 2012, the National Motorists Association released a poll listing Flower Mound as the "worst speed trap city" in North America with a population of over 50,000.

The police have already nabbed me for going with the flow of traffic 11 mph over.....in a zone that should be 55-60 mph, not 40 mph... so i just put my car on cruise control 5 mph over the limit.

Flower mound is a joke as far as government overreach goes, but it does have nice schools and has not been affected by the ups and downs in the economy. My wife really wanted to live here because of the schools, and that makes it worth it. I just made sure we didnt get into an HOA. The first day we moved into our new home, we were greeted with a few "code violations" by our lovely city code enforcer, which informed us our grass was too long, and the tree branches needed to be cut, and that they would fine us without warning at their discretion in the future if they wanted to. Thanks flower mound for such a warm welcome!

 

[Orange Krate]

Word!

One of my neighbors was getting it so bad he started challenging every infraction with a jury trial, which lost because they pulled jurors from the $500K+ neighborhoods. Then he'd spend the night in jail. No fine plus free meals! They finally left him alone because it cost the city too much to mess with him.

But it's not just us little guys. I have a rich friend with 28 acres in Flower Mound...he has the same trouble even though he knows the city manger personally.

OK, end rant and back to topic...in another week or so


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[Orange Krate]

Off topic again, concrete is all poured. Just clean up and dirt work left. But get this, I come home today from getting my free Slurpee and pull into the neighborhood right behind the code man who turns right up my street! He starts slowing down, eyeballing my neighbor's place, licking his chops!

So I get right up in his butt forcing him to move on. Then he pulls over into MY driveway! I guess to let me by but I sneak around him and pull up beside, blocking his view of my construction in progress. He then goes on down the road in a huff! It was great!

He saw enough though. I'm sure he'll hit me first Monday morning but it'll all be done....I hope


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[Doc Sprocket]

Perhaps your permit predicament (ooh- nice alliteration!) ummm... payola? I don't know what your situation is down there, but in some places it's basically known that if you don't grease a palm in the planner;s office, your permit's not going anywhere.

 

[Orange Krate]

Wow! I knew the city was cracking down but I didn't think they'd send Main Force Patrol!!

J/K I didn't get any tickets (woo hoo!) and now I'm back on the trail doing a little research for a future episode

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[Poboy kartman]

OK.....I'll bite.....who's car is that? ???.......And Whose house is it at????

I saw a house that looked similar once......but it was on a farm/junkyard. .....

I mowed my neighbor's back yard last night. ....the chiggers are thanking me for my trouble.....and my boots and pants are covered in beggar weed seeds......because this jerk can't spend 15 min. a week behind a mower.....I can't call city hall....because they would be on me like they are/were on you......

I'm going to hire Poboy Jr..... (problem child) tomorrow to drag limbs to the curb.....and if this fat-azz has a problem with us in his back yard.....I may just kick that fat thing for him......ughhhh!!!!