Willie's Builds

[Dean Los Angeles]

Willie's Builds
Here's where Willie and Sheri Buchta will post some ongoing build diaries. This board will be a read-only board so we can focus on the build. If you've got a question you can PM them.

If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

Why post at all if you don't want public feedback?

Why not just post it on your own website?

This post is not read only. Go ahead. Take your best shot. I can take it.

[bvillercr]

Willie has a lot to contribute to this site with his builds.  We all know how threads go sideways, and get off topic.  That was one of the reasons he stated.  So why not let it be?   Why do you feel the need to put him on the spot and call him out? 

[DahMurf]

I'm not interested in joining a public lashing or what not but I do have to say I'm a bit curious & disturbed by this new "read only" section. This is not meant as a personal attack on Willie because if this were Glen's section, or Noonan's section or Kent's section, or Debbie's section I would have the same concerns.

As a user/supporter of the forum I would like to know more on how it came to be. Is this a commercial endeavour whereby Willie paid to have his own personal protected posting area? If so I'd like to know that. I honestly don't like the idea of a protected area. It comes off as a bit of elitism/dictatorship. The other thing I don't like is the owner can portray themselves in a position of authority and knowledge. By locking down the thread nobody can publically comment there. If the owner designs something that is proven unsafe nobody can comment to warn others or suggest that it's not a good idea. If it's against the rules and somebody notices how would the rest of us know? Sure anyone can send them an email but the rest of the forum won't know. Ok, I suppose we can do what we did here and start another topic in a different section that points back to that area but I don't know, I think I have to agree with Dean (but don't tell him), why doesn't the owner just do this on their own personal web site if they want to dictate what they are doing and not be open to public discussion? Or just keep it private & not post at all if they don't want to have to discuss it. All we're going to do is clutter up the forum with cross posting if we want to talk about it. I mean seriously, it's a web forum, it's meant to be interactive and we all come on here to talk and interact. It wasn't designed to be a dictatorship that's what personal web pages are for. The best way I learn is by reading and asking my dumb questions and reading the good questions that other people ask.

I know this sounds extremely negative but really I just don't understand and I'm confused by it. I am eager to hear how this came to be and maybe then I'll change my mind.
Debbie

[willieworld]

Dean  dont you get it im out of shots  ---Debbie set down  take some deep breaths and relax   how about lets see what happens  . I think that beating someone down verbally is just a way to make yourself feel more important . i always feel much better when ive helped someone or taught them something than i have when ive made fun or called someone a name.
                                                                        Willie Buchta


  p. s.  If you want to trade shots -goof on each other -name call  maybe Jon will give someone a space and we can all have at it . But in the meantime this is landracing.com

[John Noonan]

I will have you one better Debbie, why was the post's that Guthrie and I deleted in his favor?  As a Mod you have that ability as well however as a member we cannot even delete our own posts...I have screen shots of the "banter and can post them if you need to see what was changed..you talk about a dictatorship...    <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Insert some smiley icon here..

Post up Willie..if I don't like it I know where to find you...

[willieworld]

Thanks John  you can find me at the SCTA banquet this saturday    Willie Buchta

[Stan Back]

Dictatorship is a bit strong.

Willie has posted some great build ideas and doesn't like to be criticized, it seems.  But Sherri has always been his "filter" and could continue to be so.

It is a dictatorship, but Jon is the dictator -- some support him, some don't.

I agree that we ought to be able to comment on what's posted -- it is a forum.

Stan Back

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Okay, how about a word from His Dictatorship, as I guess maybe I should ask to be called?

Why shouldn't I have the flexibility to try something different on the Forum, as in the case of Willile's Builds?  I sure didn't mean to engender anger -- just wanted to see if I could accede to the stated request of one of the people.  Of course you can comment on what's posted, although in the case of a read-only topic -- you'd have to make your comments elsewhere in the Forum.  And so on with that whole line of discussion.

So -- now that I've tried this -- either it'll settle into a nice easy read-only topic that folks visit and draw what they want from it -- or it'll stay a sore point and Willie and I will have to come up with a different way to have his stuff on the site.  I could, I guess, have his stuff in a separate column -- similar to Mayf's and Bill Hoddinott's, on the front page.  I haven't received any feedback about those being "read-only", so maybe that's what I'll have to do to get done with the questioning.  About the only difference in them and Williie's Builds -- is that I'll have to manually post things instead of letting Willie and Sheri put it up for themselves.  Would that style -- a "column" on the home page -- be acceptable to you folks?  You'd be able to question him and be able to copy and quote from it, although I admit it wouldn't be quite so convenient as it is in the Forum.

I'll keep reading your comments, ladies and gentlemen, and try to learn how to present the best website I can give you.  I'm attempting to do this for the common good, remember.  Making a profit has become a second-best hope, at very best.  I want it to stay happy and informative first.

Okay, back to you.  I've gotta go raise Nancy's salary.

[fredvance]

I say let Willie have his read only thread. I find his builds fascinating and informative. Him being kind of old school and me being a 'busa guy, I dont see much that is applicable to my bike. But I sure admire and envy his skills, craftsmanship, and take the time to share what he is doing. Let him go!!

Fred

[landsendlynda]

Okay, I'd like to make a comment here.  As a non-racer, I've been reading all of the postings that show up.  The good, the childish, the sibling rivalry (racers are a family, afterall), I've read all of it.  Since I have zero knowledge of what it takes to build a race-whatever, I have a hard time understanding all of the details in creating that build.  I have no prejudices for any racers on this forum, and have enjoyed some topics more than others.  However, (I know, you knew there was going to be one in here somewhere  ) I find myself looking forward to reading Willie's build, I might actually be able to follow what in the heck he's doing!  Makes it nice for me, apparently, not so nice for the rest of you.  As a "know-nothing", I want to thank Slim for giving me, and I'm sure others without experience, the opportunity to follow along on Willie's endeavour.

I appreciate all of the efforts that all of you have made in creating and keeping such an informative website, and I hope to continue learning more.

Okay, thanks for listening, and just in case I've stepped on anyone's toes... My sincerest apologies. (Unless, of course, it was at Land's End, if so, I did it and I'm glad!  )

Lynda

[DahMurf]

I will have you one better Debbie, why was the post's that Guthrie and I deleted in his favor?  As a Mod you have that ability as well however as a member we cannot even delete our own posts...I have screen shots of the "banter and can post them if you need to see what was changed..you talk about a dictatorship...    <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Insert some smiley icon here..

Post up Willie..if I don't like it I know where to find you...

I have no knowledge of posts being deleted. I'm not sure that I've ever deleted a post, at least I don't recall at the moment. I have been asked to delete a post by someone other then the author of the post and since it wasn't in violation of the forum rules I refused and suggested they should discuss it with Jon if they felt it was offensive and warranted deleting. I have on occasion changed an offensive word that was clearly out of bounds as defined by the rules of the forum but I can assure you if I've ever done any "moderating" the parties involved were either publically or privately notified and Jon ALWAYS receives a PM so he knows what I did and can undo it if he doesn't agree. Somebody else did the deleting and if it was inappropriate moderating then you should discuss it privately with Jon. I thought that was all water under the bridge. I'm not sure why you've waited this long to bring it up in a thread about someone else. You should have contacted Jon as soon as it happened. As for who can delete what posts, I really don't know as I don't delete my posts. When I click the post button I do so knowing my words will forever be in print.
Debbie

[1212FBGS]

big mistake Slim... i don't have the time to really get into it right now but let me toss a few thing out at ya....  

1st... we've all heard about "internet experts"... ya know the ones who are able to post  "facts" that ain't but some people believe 'em
2nd... "how to's".. ya know how to make a bracket! how to make a scary side car chassis to run 120mph! how to make a pipe bomb! how to go into a school with a gun and kill everyone you see! you know all those "How To's" all over the web
3rd... as long as your trying to make people happy slim i would like a cheeseburger and a Guinness beer for lunch everyday for the next week! can ya make that happen please?

Without immediate and direct debate someone will come to the "idea" and think its gospel.... putting debate off in another area will probably not be seen when someone finds the info in archives years later, possable never seeing the corrected info and possably putting someones life at danger... putting the supplied info into the side as in an info column brings expert and credibility to the material that quite possably is neither.

I have not seen any of the race cars Willie has built in the past... i believe his claim as he has been building for years and thus i am sure he has built up a vast knowledge on fabrication.. i have only seen the 2 sidecars he built at the lakebeds... i will tell you right now the 15deg steering stop rule came directly because of Willies sidecar steering flopping from side to side... also there was great debate and consessions about tires/tubes/speed ratings because of willies spoked wheels (something that was eventually gonna happen anyhow not willies fault). Sherie's comment a few weeks ago about 3 wheelers being safer than sidecars and motorcycles i believe came from willies influential comments and is as dangerous a comment than the 3 wheeled vehicles itself... (dont wives believe everything we tell em?)

I think Willie is a very talented fabricator, but i have my reservations on his ability as a designer.... slim to allow undebatable content is asking for trouble...
Willie if you want to educate people on "how to" do something you should do so on your own website, make yourself famous... if you want to post on a public forum as an expert, you should be thick skinned and open ready for comment.
Kent

[Dean Los Angeles]

This isn't about Willie. It's about the read only aspect. I appreciate the postings that Willie and Sheri have done.

But there is no such thing as an unassailable expert. If you could find the 10 smartest guys in the sport and have them post their expertise, you could still find room for alternative discussion.

fo·rum      (fôr'əm, fōr'-)  Pronunciation Key
n.   pl. fo·rums also fo·ra (fôr'ə, fōr'ə)
         1. The public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city that was the assembly place for judicial activity and public business.
         2. A public meeting place for open discussion.
         3. A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas, such as a newspaper, a radio or television program, or a website.
   2. A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation.
   3. A court of law; a tribunal.

Yes, this is a forum. There is no open discussion on a read-only topic.

If there is no open discussion it doesn't belong here.

[DahMurf]

wow, I think I agree with Kent. I think it's a low point in my life. Oh the humanity!

But yeah, what he said, that's how I was thinking but I don't feel it's personal to Willie. I think anyone given the ability to "how to" as Kent put it without debate has the power to influence those less knowing which can in the end be dangerous if not deadly in this sport. Just think, next we can have a why you must wear a parachute when piloting a motorcycle read-only section! If we never hear the perspective on why it's a bad idea some will think it is a good idea & we might all have to wear them! We should all be allowed to be informed on varying points of view on the topics. Only then can we make informed decisions on what is best and safe for us. And yes, I think if someone posts a "how to" or even a "how I did it" others will look at it as a guide.

Anyone that's ever eaten a bush while trying to turn a 3 wheeler knows first hand why they've been banned! 

Debbie

PS: That's just my opinion and if Jon chooses to let it live then so be it. I'll just go with the flow & not visit over there if I don't like it. It's all good.

[willieworld]

I didn't mean to cause such a stir, I just wanted to post some how to stuff. So that maybe some new folks on here can learn something they didn't know. And maybe some old folks too. The site has nothing to do with politics, personalities or scare tactics.Which Kent Riches is famous for doing. If he can't produce a fact he'll scare you with key words like hurt-death-bomb-destruction-unsafe..
As far as my fabrication abilities go they are what they are. Just things that I have learned over the last 50 years. I'll be 64 tommorrow-----------Three wheelers I don't think were banned. There used to be a class but nobody showed up so the SCTA dropped it, I think. If not,Kent Riches I'm sure,will correct me.As far as the front end floppin' on my bike...I don't remember any of that. I do remember breaking 7 records with it. 3 at El mirage and 4 at Bonneville. And its been 142 miles an hour....I have a trophy from the SCTA to prove it.
I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anybody on this site. The only thing I have to do is break my own records. And then I will have done something. My bike has 55 degrees of rake, my own personal preference. But if you go back and read my posts, you will see that I've never recommended anybody to do that. And I usually end my posts with...just some thoughts, so that people would understand that I was only posting an opinion,not absolute facts. Unlike some people on this site think everything they post is a fact. When in truth most of it is an opinion. Most of the time we all have different opinions because we've had different experiences. What works for one, doesn't always work for the other. But I promise you if you visit Willies builds it will be about fabrication and making things and tools. It's not going to be about death or dying or who's right and who's wrong. It's going to start out with very basic(Most of you are going to be bored here). My idea is to show the beginner "How To" do basic things with very basic tools. So some of you who know it all,may want to send me some suggestions to make this site better as we go.
I appreciate all of your opinions,good or bad,and thanks for your time.
And no you can't pisss me off anymore.
Just some thoughts..
Willie Buchta