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Page 2 of 2 I want a vehicle that feels connected to the road, that vibrates and gurgles and reacts to my thoughts. I want to create a visceral experience out of steel and rubber. I want to grin from ear to ear as I enjoy the beauty of a perfectly carved line up some back canyon road. Reason enough? I think so.
Who designed and is building the Bala? This car is designed by me and is being constructed by myself - alone - in my 2 car garage on weekends and some weekday evenings. Every custom part has been designed by myself and then fabricated using simple hand tools. The chassis is my design, the suspension is my design, the body is my original design. I used the book "Tune to Win" by Carroll Smith as a guideline for the suspension geometry and with assistance from Alan Bertwistle. Alan has been a true inspiration and great help. Even though we are across the country (USA) from each other, he has always been willing to answer my questions with truly useful information. Check out his car, the Meerkat. The only custom fabricated part not made by myself are the front suspension balljoint pucks, which were machined on a lathe by a local machinist. I also find that the Locost_Theory and Locost_North_America Yahoo Groups are a great source of inspiration and camaraderie with like-minded folks.
What other experience do I have with cars? My Velo Rossa was the first experience I had with car building. Steve Graber
CREDITS: I don't think any project of this magnitude can be accomplished without the help of friends and family. I am not independently wealthy. OK, I'm not wealthy at all, so I need to give credit to Jim Williams for all that he has done to keep this project alive. Jim has contributed so much that I can't list it all here. Heck, I can't remember it all! Thanks Jim! Al Paciora, pool guy extraordinaire, has given me several days of his valuable time to help with all types of fabrication and he did all the hydraulic line installation. It's not everyday that an Aviation Expert helps you build a car! How does my wife Yvonne put up with my countless hours in the garage? I've heard that big, time and money draining projects can strain a marriage, but Yvonne is a real trooper (even though she doesn't care what is being built in the garage! Do ya honey? hehehehe) She really just wants to drive a hot car to the gym with her hot booty and turn some heads.
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