Alright, got some pretty good progress with the build, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.
First I got the steering box in a place where I like it. No wierd angles from lock to lock. I tried to keep the steering geometry as simple as possible working with all 90 degree angles, accompanied by a heavy duty steering box mount.
Next I am beginning to make a skeleton of what the body will look like. The nose won't be removable, but I plan on making everything else detachable for easy mantainence. You can also see the belly pan. The belly pan is the roof off of a van that my dad chopped off. Can't beat 14x6 feet of 16 gauge steel for 35 bucks!
I've also put a lot of time into the roll cage and its almost complete, there are a few more pieces that will be put in there but what you see there should be all the rule book says I need. I just want to put in a few more things for comfort and strength.
And the gussets, look just like the pictures in the rulebook don't they?
So thats all the progress that I've made so far. Though I am sad to say that I probably won't be able to make it to SpeedWeek. I have the time and the drive, I just don't have the funds. Three major peices are going to hold me back; fire suppression system, personal safety things (suit, gloves, helmet and neck restraint) and tires. I have done the math and I wont make enough money to get to the big show, so I am shooting to have it out for World Finals this year which will also give me alittle more time to test and tune the vehicle.