Rolling Thunder Part 14 - Safety & Body Mods

(ANNOUNCER)>> TODAY, AFTER ABOUT 40 HOURS OF WORK, WE'VE FINALLY GOT A NEW ROLL CAGE AND SAFETY GEAR INSTALLED IN PROJECT ROLLING THUNDER, OUR '01 ALTERED WHEEL BASE LOW SLUNG SUPER CHARGED 600 HORSE TRACK READY FORD RANGER. WE'LL SHOW YOU TIPS ON BUILDING A CAGE, THEN WE'LL MAKE ROOM UP FRONT FOR OUR STICKY 295/35'S. IT'S ALL TODAY HERE ON TRUCKS!

(RYAN)>> HEY GUYS, WELCOME TO TRUCKS.

WELL WE'VE GOT PROJECT ROLLING THUNDER BACK IN THE SHOP AND BACK UNDER THE KNIFE. AND ACCORDING TO YOU GUYS, WELL PROJECT ROLLING THUNDER IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PROJECTS OR BUILDS THAT WE'VE EVER TAKEN ON. NOW EVER SINCE WE COMPLETED STAGE ONE OF THIS TRUCK, WHICH WAS BASICALLY A STOCK VEIGHT AND AUTOMATIC IN AN OTHERWISE

STOCK RANGER PICK UP TRUCK, WE KNEW WE WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE SERIOUS. SOMETHING WE COULD TAKE TO AN AUTOCROSS OR A ROAD COURSE AND

REALLY HAVE SOME FUN WITH. NOW SINCE THIS IS A COMPACT PICK UP TRUCK AND IT'S RELATIVELY LIGHT WEIGHT WITH SOME SERIOUS HORSEPOWER UNDER THE HOOD, WE KNEW WE NEEDED SOME SERIOUS SAFETY GEAR AND A PRETTY ROBUST ROLL CAGE. NOW WHILE WE CAN'T SHOW YOU THE WHOLE THING CAUSE IT WOULD TAKE 40 OR 50 HOURS, WE DO WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE

DETAILS AND EXPLAIN SOME OF THE THOUGHT BEHIND THE DESIGN, CHECK IT OUT. NOW RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO BALANCE STREET TRUCK AND RACE TRUCK FOR STAGE TWO OF THIS BUILD. AND SINCE THIS PICK UP'S GONNA BE CAPABLE OF SOME PRETTY HIGH SPEEDS, WE WANTED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND BUILD A PRETTY ROBUST AND STRONG ROLL CAGE. NOW IF YOU'RE BUILDING A CAGE TO COMPETE OR RACE IN A PARTICULAR CLASS, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULE BOOK SET FORTH JUST FOR THAT CLASS. BUT SINCE THIS TRUCK'S NOT GONNA SEE WHEEL TO WHEEL ACTION OR RACING AT ALL, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH, BUT WE STILL TOOK SOME CUES

FROM THE RULE BOOK.

THE RULES ARE THERE FOR A REASON AND THEY USUALLY MAKE SENSE. SO WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES THAT YOU CAN USE TO BUILD A NICE, SAFE CAGE FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. NOW STEEL TUBING IS STRONGEST WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT. SO YOU WANT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF BENDS YOU HAVE IN THE MAIN HOOP, HALO BARS, APILLAR, AND ANY OTHER SUPPORTING TUBE WORK. NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR XBARS IS AN AREA WE HAD TO MAKE A COMPROMISE. THE STRONGEST WAY TO DO IT WOULD BE TO RUN A STRAIGHT TUBE FROM THE MAIN HOOP HARNESS BAR JUNCTION DOWN TO THE FOOT PLATE. BUT SINCE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THESE ARM RESTS WHILE RIDING AROUND IN THE STREET, WE PUT A BEND IN THAT TUBE AND THAT CREATED A WEAK POINT. THE SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM WAS TO PUT THIS SUPPORTING TUBE IN THAT WILL SUPPORT THE BEND AND TIES INTO THE MAIN HOOP, PROBLEM SOLVED. NOW SINCE TRIANGLES ARE ONE OF THE STRONGEST SHAPES KNOWN TO MAN, IT MAKES SENSE A TRIANGULATION IS THE KEY TO A GOOD, STRONG CAGE. AND YOU'LL SEE LOTS OF TRIANGLES IN THIS CAGE DESIGN. ANOTHER THING YOU'LL SEE LOTS OF IS INTERSECTING JOINTS AND CONTINUOUS LOAD PATHS. TAKE THIS DIAGONAL BAR FOR EXAMPLE. THIS TUBE RUNS UP THROUGH THE MAIN HOOP, THROUGH THE HALO BAR, AND DOWN THE APILLAR, MAKING THIS ONE GOOD, STRONG CAGE.

NOW TO PROVIDE AN ANCHOR POINT FOR THE TUBING, WE ADDED THESE FOOT PLATES. IF WE TRIED TO WELD DIRECTLY TO THE THIN SHEET METAL FLOOR, IT WOULDN'T TAKE LONG AT ALL FOR THE WELD TO FATIGUE, CRACK, AND FAIL, NOT WHAT YOU WANT. NOW THE TUBING ITSELF, IT'S WHAT'S SPECED OUT IN MOST RULE BOOKS FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS WEIGHT. IT'S GOT AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF INCH AND THREE QUARTER WITH

A WALL THICKNESS OF POINT ONETWOZERO INCHES, JUST SHY OF AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH. NOW THE FOOT PLATES THEMSELVES, THEY ARE EIGHTH INCH PLATE AND THEY'RE CONTOURED TO FIT THE FLOOR AND THE CAB. NOW SINCE THIS IS A BODY ON FRAME VEHICLE AND THE CAB IS BOLTED TO THE FRAME WITH SIX BOLTS, WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ADDED RIGIDITY OF THE CAB AND INCREASE THE OVERALL STIFFNESS OF THE VEHICLE BY ANCHORING

THE STEEL TUBING TO THE FRAME ITSELF. TO DO THAT, WE JUST HAD THE STEEL TUBING PASS THROUGH THE FLOOR PLATES WITH SLUGS ON THE OUTSIDE THAT WE CAN ATTACH TO THE FRAME LATER. NOW ONE MORE THING WE WANT TO DO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ADDED RIGIDITY FROM THE CAGE AND THE CAB IS TO TIE IT INTO

THE REAR FRAME RAILS WITH SOME STEEL TUBING. NOW WE ORIGINALLY WANTED TO COME UP AND TIE IT INTO THE TOP OF THE MAIN HOOP, BUT THAT EXPOSED ROLL CAGE TUBING WOULD KINDA TAKE AWAY FROM THE CLEAN STREET TRUCK LOOK THAT WE'RE AFTER.

SO WE THOUGHT A GOOD COMPROMISE, WE COULD RUN THE TUBING THROUGH THE BACK OF THE CAB AND TIE

IN NEAR THE HARNESS BAR. AND THAT'LL JUST STIFFEN UP AND TIGHTEN UP THE ENTIRE CHASSIS. NOW THE APILLAR TUBING DISAPPEARS INTO THE DASH THROUGH THE DEFROST VENTS AND THEY'RE TIED TOGETHER WITH A DASH BAR THAT RUNS UNDERNEATH THE STEERING COLUMN AND BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS DASH ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE. AND SPEAKING OF TYING THINGS TOGETHER, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT

WE DID WITH THIS PLATE HERE. TIED THE APILLAR TUBING TO THE APILLAR SHEET METAL OF THE RANGER BODY MAKING THE CAB AND CAGE ONE LARGE STRUCTURAL UNIT.

PLUS THESE PLATES KINDA GIVE IT A COOL RACE CAR LOOK. NOW NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITH THE WINDSHIELD AND BACK GLASS IN PLACE. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND IF YOU'RE DOING A PROJECT LIKE THIS AT HOME. NOW LETS TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SAFETY STUFF THAT'S GOING INSIDE THIS TRUCK. NOW WE KNEW WE NEEDED QUITE A FEW SAFETY ITEMS BUT WE DIDN'T

WANT TO GO TO A HAND FULL OF DIFFERENT VENDERS TO PICK EVERYTHING UP. WE KEPT IT SIMPLE AND GOT EVERYTHING FROM SUMMIT RACING,

LIKE THIS HIGH DENSITY ROLL BAR PADDING, THIS FIRE EXTINGUISHER WITH THIS COOL ALUMINUM CLAMP WITH A QUICK RELEASE BILLET MOUNT THAT BOLTS RIGHT TO THE FLOOR OF THE TRUCK, A WIDE ANGLE MIRROR COMPLETE WITH ROLL BAR CLAMPS AND AN ELECTRICAL CUT OFF SWITCH. NOW REGULAR CAB PICK UP TRUCKS ARE ALREADY SHORT ON ROOM. ADD IN THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A ROLL CAGE IN OURS, WE'VE GOT EVEN LESS ROOM TO WORK WITH. SO OUR SEATING OPTIONS WERE KINDA LIMITED. WHAT WE ENDED UP GOING WITH WAS THIS ALUMINUM SEAT THAT WE PICKED UP FROM SUMMIT RACING. AND IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT COMFORTABLE AS IT SITS, AND

IT'S NOT UNTIL YOU ADD THE PADDED SEAT COVER. THEN IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE COMFORTABLE. IN FACT, THIS IS THE SAME SETUP I RUN IN MY ROAD RACE CAR. I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WITH IT. MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COMFORT IS THE BOLSTERS THAT HOLD YOU IN PLACE SO YOU CAN CONCENTRATE MORE ON DRIVING AND LESS ON HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE.

(KEVIN)>> HEY GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO TRUCKS. WELL WE'VE SHOWN YOU THE BED SIDES ON ROLLING THUNDER

BEFORE WITH THE MODIFIED SHEET METAL, THE QUARTER INCH STEEL ROD, AND THE INDUCTION SCOOPS IN THE BED SIDES. BUT I WANTED TO THANK TIM STRANGE FOR KICKING AROUND A LITTLE BIT AND HELPING US GET THESE THINGS INTO PRIMER AND DOING SOME BODY WORK. IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE A SKILLED SET OF HANDS LIKE HIS WHEN WE NEED HELP AND HE GETS BORED. BUT IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT WE DID UNDERNEATH THIS LAYER OF PRIMER, HERE'S THE METAL WORK INVOLVED.

I FOUND THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL ARCH, TRACED THE LINE, AND STARTED SECTIONING. NOW THE NEXT CUT I MADE WAS ABOUT AN INCH SOUTH OF THE

VALLEY THAT'S STAMPED INTO THE BED SIDE. AND IT GAVE ME A FLANGE TO WORK WITH BUT ALSO LETS ME RETAIN THIS STAMPED CORNER TO KEEP EVERYTHING CONSISTENT

AND SMOOTH LOOKING. NOW AFTER I'D CUT THE INNER STRUCTURE OUT, IT GAVE ME THE ABILITY TO PULL THE BED SIDE OUT AND EXPAND ALL THIS METAL TO CREATE THE TIRE CLEARANCE THAT WE NEEDED, WHICH GAVE ME A GAP OF ABOUT AN INCH HERE AND ABOUT AN INCH HERE. NOW FILLING IN THOSE GAPS WAS A SIMPLE PROCESS OF USING 20 GAUGE SHEET METAL STRIPS AND JUST TACKING THEM IN PLACE. AND THAT GAVE US THE CLEARANCE WE NEED FOR FULL SUSPENSION CYCLE ON THESE STUPID WIDE TIRES, BUT IT LEFT THE BED SIDES FLIMSY. THAT'S WHERE THE QUARTER INCH STEEL ROD COMES IN. I JUST TACKED IT IN PLACE AND FINISHED THE WELDS, GAVE THE

BED SIDE BACK ITS STRENGTH. NOW IT'S ONE THING TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT WE ALWAYS WANT TO SHOW YOU GUYS WHAT WE DO AND HOW TO DO IT. I'VE STILL GOT A HUGE PROBLEM ON THE FRONT, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY. TELL YOU HOW TO GET THERE FROM A BUNCH OF CUT UP METAL. NOW UP FRONT WITH THE WHEEL AND TIRE LOCKED ABOUT TWO INCHES ABOVE RIDE HEIGHT, YOU CAN SEE WITH OUR ALTERED WHEEL BASE TRICK WE'VE GOT ROOM FOR A LOCK TO LOCK TURN. HOWEVER, AT RIDE HEIGHT OR IN SUSPENSION CYCLE, IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. OKAY, AS THE SUSPENSION CYCLES UP, YOU GET THE PICTURE. IT GETS UGLY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE SIDE WALL IS STICKING WAY OUT. EVEN THOUGH THIS FENDER IS TRIMMED, AND IT'S JUST A SINGLE WALL, AND IT'S BEEN FLARED OUT, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR A SUSPENSION CYCLE OR EVEN A LOCK TO LOCK TURN. SO IT'S A PRETTY BIG PROBLEM, BUT IT'S ONE THAT CAN BE SOLVED. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE MOST BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH TO EXPANDING SHEET METAL WHICH IS THE PIE CUT. COVER UP THE EXPENSIVE WHEEL. WE'RE USING A THIN METAL CUTTING BLADE WE GOT FROM INDUSTRIAL DEPOT TO DO THE RELIEF CUTS. NOW WHAT THIS ALLOWS ME TO DO IS TO HAND FORM THE FENDER AND CONTOUR IT AROUND MY WHEEL WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE SHAPE OF THE PANEL AROUND THE WHEEL LIP. I'VE GOT AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME INVESTED IN THE SHAPE

OF THE REST OF THE FENDER AND I DON'T WANT TO SACRIFICE MY PREVIOUS WORK. TRIM A LITTLE MORE HERE, A RELIEF CUT THERE SO WE DON'T HAVE A STEP. THIS IS STILL IN GOOD SHAPE. NOW IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE I'M JUST SHREDDING THE FENDER BUT THERE'S A METHOD TO THE MADNESS AND WE'LL REPLACE THE STRENGTH LATER.

ALRIGHT, THAT GIVES ME THE TIRE CLEARANCE THAT I NEED FOR A LOCK TO LOCK TURN IN SUSPENSION COMPRESSION. HOWEVER, THIS LOOKS TERRIBLE! IT'S FLIMSY, THAT IS NOT GONNA FLY, IT'S NOT GONNA CUT IT,

BUT THIS GIVES US THE ROOM WE NEED. NOW WE BUILD BACK THE RIGIDITY. THE WAY WE'RE GONNA DO THAT IS WITH QUARTER INCH STEEL ROD. THIS IS AVAILABLE AT ANY HOME HARDWARE STORE, HOME CENTER, OR AUTO PARTS STORE SOMETIMES. OR YOU CAN BUY YOUR STEEL SUPPLIES ONLINE. THE POINT IS IT'S CHEAP. THIS IS ABOUT A FOUR DOLLAR STICK. WELL NO, IT'S SHORTER, SO IT'S ABOUT A THREE DOLLAR STICK, LET'S TRY THIS. OKAY, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS CREATE A RADIUS THAT GOES

AROUND YOUR WHEEL SO YOU CAN TACK IT IN PLACE AND GIVE IT SUPPORT. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, OUR RADIUS ISN'T ROUND. IT'S GOT A PEAK THERE, A PEAK THERE, AND I'M GONNA END UP MAKING A MESS. SO HERE'S AN EASY WAY TO USE WHAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO YOU TO CREATE YOUR PARTS.

WE KNOW THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER TO THE WHEEL IS EXACTLY THE

RADIUS THAT WE WANT TO PUT INTO THE FENDER. SO I'LL SLOWLY USE THE TIRE AND WORK IT AROUND LIKE A DYE.

YOU HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, YOU'RE ASKING YOUR STEEL OR YOUR METAL TO DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU'RE NOT FORCING ANYTHING, AND YOU'RE LISTENING OR FEELING YOUR WAY THROUGH MAKING IT BEND LIKE THIS. ALRIGHT, WELL I'VE GOT MY ARCH, IT'S CUSTOM TAILORED TO THE WHEEL.

NOW IT'S A MATTER OF TRACING, TRIMMING, TACKING IT IN PLACE BECAUSE YOU WANT THE INSIDE EDGE OF THIS ROLLED STEEL UP AGAINST THE SIDE OF YOUR TIRE JUST IN CASE YOUR WHEEL COMES INTO CONTACT WITH IT YOU DON'T CUT A TIRE THAT WAY.

(KEVIN)>> HEY, WELCOME BACK. WELL WE'RE LIBERATING A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FROM THESE STOCK FENDERS TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE 295/35 SERIES BF GOODRICH KDW'S MOUNTED ON OUR TRUE FORGED WHEELS. THEY'RE SICK WIDE, BUT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ABOUT READY.

ONE THING THAT I WANT TO DO IS CYCLE THE SUSPENSION AND MAKE

SURE WE'VE GOT ENOUGH ROOM. NOW WE'VE GOT CLEARANCE HERE BUT THE STEEL ROD THAT I'M GONNA PUT IN AS MY WHEEL ARCH IN THE NEW EDGE IS UP ABOUT A

QUARTER OF AN INCH FROM THERE. SO BY THE TIME THIS IS LOCKED IN PLACE WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM FOR SUSPENSION TRAVEL SO WE DON'T CUT A TIRE, RUIN OUR BODY WORK. WITH A QUARTER INCH ROD RADIUS AROUND THE WHEEL ITSELF, WE ACTUALLY USE IT AS A TEMPLATE AND TRACE AROUND

THE SINGLE WALLED FENDER. THIS LETS US USE THE STRONG POINTS OF THE QUARTER INCH STEEL ROD BEING THAT IT'S PERFECTLY ROUND AND

THAT IT'S QUITE STRONG. AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA COVER UP OUR EXPENSIVE WHEEL WHILE WE MAKE A LOT OF SPARKS.

THE NEXT STEP IS THE VERY SIMPLE PROCEDURE OF CLAMPING THE ROD TO THE INSIDE OF THE FENDER. SIMPLE FOR SOME PEOPLE. HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!

SEE THAT'S THE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE THAT WE NEVER LET YOU SEE. THAT'S GOING IN THE SHOW SOMEWHERE. SO A SLIGHT STRATEGY CHANGE AND I'M CLAMPING IT AS A TACK IT.

THIS ALSO ALLOWS ME TO TACK WELD AS I PULL THE FENDER OUT TO WHERE I WANTED IT TO GO.

IT HAS A TENDENCY TO RETURN BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION, AND YOU WANT TO KEEP THE FLARE WHERE YOU DESIGNED IT. IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO MIG SINGLE WALL SHEET METAL, ESPECIALLY LATE MODEL PANELS, WELL THEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THE TENDENCY TO BURN THROUGH QUITE EASILY. WELL HERE'S A TIP. START YOUR WELD POOL ON THE THICKER PIECE OF METAL, THEN GRADUALLY EASING IT TO THE THIN METAL.

USING THAT TECHNIQUE YOU STAND A LOT LESS CHANCE OF BLOWING HOLES IN YOUR FENDERS.

AND BEFORE WE GO TO FAR, I WANTED TO CYCLE THE WHEEL ONE MORE TIME JUST TO CHECK IT FOR CLEARANCE. NOW THAT'S ABOUT AS COMPRESSED AS THAT WHEEL IS EVER GONNA GET. AND KEEP THIS IN MIND AS WELL. WELL YOU CAN'T SEE BUT I CAN, IT'S CAMBERED OUT. WE HAVEN'T DONE AN ALIGNMENT ON THIS THING YET. SO IT'LL BE TIPPED IN EVEN MORE. THAT'S TONS OF CLEARANCE. SO THE ONLY THING THAT'S LEFT IS ABOUT A MILLION TACK WELDS, RYAN! NOW THIS IS A LOT OF TACK WELDING.

SO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SKIN IS REASONABLY COVERED WITH A LONG SLEEVE SHIRT OR WELDING SLEEVES LIKE I'VE GOT SO YOU DON'T GET THAT ANNOYING SUNBURN. THAT'S THE TACKING, NOW I'VE GOT TO GRIND IT DOWN AND THEN WE START BODY WORK. HA, HA, AND THEN DO IT AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE.

(KEVIN)>> HEY WELCOME BACK TO TRUCKS. WELL BEFORE WE SHOW YOU THE FINISHED METAL WORK ON THE FENDER, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE STARTED WITH. THIS IS A BRAND NEW FENDER FROM LMC TRUCK FOR A FORD RANGER.

AND THIS IS OUR ALTERED WHEEL BASE, STRETCHED, FLARED, AND TRIMMED NEW FENDER THAT SOLVES A WHOLE TON OF PROBLEMS. NOW OUR MAIN GOAL HERE WAS TO MAKE THIS APPEAR LIKE IT HADN'T REALLY BEEN CHANGED ALL THAT MUCH THE FIRST TIME YOU LOOK AT IT.

BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT'S BEEN CHANGED A TON, AND HERE'S WHAT WE CHANGED. THE EASIEST WAY TO GAIN CLEARANCE ON A FENDER LIKE THIS IS OF COURSE TO SACRIFICE THIS LIP. TRIMMING THAT, WELL WE GAINED TWO INCHES. AND BY PULLING OUT THE REST OF THE STYLE LINE, WE GAIN ANOTHER HALF AN INCH. AND BY DOING THE PIE CUTS ACROSS THE FENDER, WE GAINED ANOTHER THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH. SO THAT GAVE US A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THREE INCHES ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRUCK OF EXTRA CLEARANCE FOR OUR NEW TRACK WIDTH.

NOW THE METAL WORK ISN'T PERFECT, BUT I'M VERY HAPPY WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT. WE DIDN'T WARP THE SHEET METAL VERY MUCH AND IT NEEDS SOME FILLER. SO BETWEEN FILLERS, PRIMERS, AND SOME BLOCKING SESSIONS, WE'RE ABOUT EIGHT HOURS AWAY FROM HAVING THESE FRONT FENDERS LOOKING LIKE THE BED SIDE. AND THAT MEANS THIS TRUCK IS THAT MUCH CLOSER TO HAVING PAINT ON IT, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S THAT MUCH CLOSER TO US BEING ABLE TO DRIVE IT. I KNOW YOU WANT TO SEE IT AND I DO TOO.

(RYAN)>> ALRIGHT, WHILE KEVIN WAS WORKING HIS MAGIC ON OUR CUSTOM FRONT FENDERS, I HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON OUR INTERIOR SAFETY GEAR. NOW THESE SEATS OBVIOUSLY JUST KIND OF FLOAT INTO POSITION AND MOCKED UP FOR NOW, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BUILD SOME BRACKETS TO HOLD THEM IN PLACE. NOW WHEN WE DESIGNED THE CAGE, WE WANTED THE HARNESSES TO PASS THROUGH THE SEAT AND ATTACH TO THE HARNESS BAR AT THE APPROPRIATE ANGLE. LOOKS LIKE THINGS WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL. NOW WE'VE GOT OUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER MOUNTED HERE IN BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER, CONVENIENT TO GET TO FOR BOTH AND CENTRALLY LOCATED. SAME DEAL WITH THE ELECTRICAL CUT OFF SWITCH. JUST MADE A LITTLE MOUNT FOR IT. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS PUSH BUTTON OFF. WE'VE GOT OUR REAR VIEW MIRROR HANGING AND IT'S A GOOD THING WE WENT WITH LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM SEATS AND SHED A FEW POUNDS WHERE THERE'S SOUND DEADENER FROM THE FLOOR BECAUSE WE PICKED UP ABOUT 150 POUNDS WORTH OF CAGE WEIGHT, BUT IT'S A SAFETY ITEM. AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, IT'S A NECESSITY.

(KEVIN)>> NOW PART OF THE FUN OF ALL OF THIS HOT RODDING STUFF IS MAKING SOMETHING YOUR OWN. PUTTING YOUR OWN STYLE IN IT, AND DUPLICOLOR JUST MADE IT EASIER WITH THEIR COPPER PLATE COATING. IT ACTUALLY COULDN'T BE ANY EASIER, AND STARTS WITH A WIPE DOWN WITH DUPLICOLOR PREP SPRAY. THEN YOU LAYER UP WITH A COPPER COATING. EACH COAT GETS YOU A DEEP LUSTER UNTIL YOU'RE SATISFIED WITH THE FINISH. ONCE THAT'S DRY, COAT IT WITH THE CLEAR AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. IT MAKES IT A LOT MORE CHIP RESISTANT. AND WHAT YOU END UP WITH LOOKS PRETTY COOL. THIS IS ABOUT FOUR COATS OF THE COPPER WITH THE CLEAR ON TOP, AND THE NATURAL LUSTER OF THE CHROME

REALLY SHINES THROUGH. OR YOU CAN GET CREATIVE ON ALUMINUM. I DID A BRUSHED FINISH, MASKED IT OFF, PUT THE COPPER ON SO YOU CAN DO NICE ACCENTS. SO WHETHER YOUR SENSE OF STYLE IS A LITTLE MORE BOLD

OR SUBTLE, THIS IS A COOL PRODUCT, AND THEY GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS FOR RESTYLING. HEY THANKS FOR WATCHING TRUCKS, SEE YOU GUYS NEXT TIME.