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1/27/04 After a twelve hour drive to Bradenton, Florida and an overnight stay at a local motel, we were greeted at Brunton Automotive by (l to r) Jon, Justin, and Dennis, along with Stalker #29. Not pictured is Pat who keeps the boys headed in the right direction. The Brunton gang perform their magic in a commercial "village" populated by some extremely interesting folk; a peek into various shops revealed everything from sculpture to boat restorations. I immediately received directions to Dennis's shop when I asked somebody "Where do I find the guy that builds the little cars?".
Here is Dennis hard at work.......he insists that Justin and Jon actually do the heavy lifting and merely provide him with a periodic paycheck. I was impressed with how Justin has assimilated all the details of the Stalker fabrication. While Dennis's statement about the boys doing all the work was in semi-jest, I have no doubt that Justin and Jon can indeed carry their share of Stalker production.
Unless you decide to have Dennis and the guys build a crate for your kit followed by a hand-off to a shipping company, a method has to be devised to get all the bits and pieces delivered to your shop. I installed a class II hitch on the Mercury Grand Marqueasy and rented a 5'x8' U-Haul trailer in Bradenton. The frame fit into the trailer with less than two feet extending past the door. There was room for the rear axle to ride beside the frame, and we just left the roll-up trailer door open. Everything else was swallowed by the voluminous trunk of the Grand Marqueasy. The frame weighs a bit over 150 lbs.
Everything is secured and Michael and I are ready for the long sojourn up I-75 then west into Alabama.
But........before we left, it was time for some FUN!
Due to some morning thunderstorms, Dennis had left #00 at home. But after #29 was tucked away, Dennis returned to the house to retrieve the Stalker. After a few minutes we heard an emphatic exhaust snort and Dennis slid the Stalker to a stop at the shop door (I got the impression that Dennis loves to drive the Stalker after a rain shower!). The driving duties were handed off to Justin, Michael slid into the right seat, and the Stalker snarled off to show Michael what this kit car stuff is all about.
A while later the guys returned and Michael was wearing the Stalker Grin! Dennis graciously agreed to take me for a demonstration ride. We agreed it would be better for him to pilot the outbound leg since the streets were still drying and I could bring the Stalker back inbound.
Here are two uh, healthy fellas trying to get the four-point harnesses.............adjusted.........
Ah yes.........Michael and I both agreed that this Stalker thing is gonna be all right! The best way I can describe the torque of the 3.4L V6 in the little car is that when you put your foot down, the car........lunges! The acceleration reminded me of the good ol' days when I would grab a handful of throttle on a Kawasaki H1, hang on as the revs started building and the exhaust started wailing, and the scenery began to rush by. This little car provides some really serious performance with the little V6 while delivering a refined and comfortable ride.
1/28/04 The morning following a 1:00am arrival from Bradenton, Michael and I deposited #29 into its new home. The cedar-strip canoes were moved to the edge of the shop, some shop debris was discarded, and a space cleared for the Stalker project
The workmanship and engineering on the kit is impressive; the welds are nice and consistent, and the bits and pieces are well thought out and executed. Several parts demonstrated clever engineering, chief among them the remote shift mechanism. I was really impressed with the preciseness and feel of the shifter in #00, even though it has accumulated a ton of road and race miles. The suspension control arms are nicely crafted and the jigging of the frame is impressive.
The fiberglass components possess a smooth, blemish-free gel coat with nicely consistent resin thickness. Some of the aluminum parts have bends already formed. A couple of baggies held various bushings and fittings. The guys even include a piece of plywood with the pattern of the windshield on #00 inscribed. The dash with carbon fiber trim is new standard. I requested Dennis procure an S-10 rear axle onto which Justin welded the suspension brackets.
Are these enough parts to create the suspension of a car? I requested Dennis provide spindles that have been modified for the quick steer option. I detected no reason during the test drive to not incorporate the quick steer option. The steering geometry is so good that the car will track beautifully hands-off and behaves itself very well when running over the inevitable road repairs.
Continue to Assembling the Suspension Components
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Stalker Chassis #29 Arrives at the Shop
