It Lives!	Short Cuts
by: Ron Hollatz - 5/2004	Navigation Menu JeepWire JeepWire Tech JeepWire Reader's Rigs JeepWire Feature Rigs 4x4Wire 4x4 Parts 4x4 Tech 4x4 Trails OutdoorWire ORN Site Index Links Index Off-Road Gallery Destinations Gallery Main Expo Center

Typical look one week before Moab trip.

Front tube work.

Last year was a busy year for the Hollatz family. In May, my wife was transferred from Washington DC to Salt Lake City, UT. With the combination of the move, getting settled in a new house, and new jobs, Project Money Pit was stuck in the corner of the garage and forgotten. One of my goals since we moved to Utah was to compete in UROC's Stock Class. Unfortunately UROC decided not to run that class this year, but there are still other competitions that do have a Stock Class. The current plans call for a rebuild that would still be drivable, but allow me to compete if the opportunity arose.

The first issue I needed to address is safety. I added a front section to my stock cage several years ago, but I decided a full competition cage was in order. To complicate matters, I needed to keep the stock geometry on the cage so my Rock Gear soft top would still fit. I also dented up my front fenders pretty good, so I figured it was a good time to replace the hood and fenders with a 1-piece fiberglass unit. A quick call to All-Pro Off-Road, and one was on its way.

All of these plans were made last fall, but an unfortunate ankle injury over Labor Day put me way behind schedule. Bending a roll-cage is serious business, so I decided to leave it to the professionals at RockLogic 4x4. They are well known in the Salt Lake area for their world-class tube work on a variety of competition vehicles, including their own. I was also going to have them add some tubing to protect the engine, radiator, and new hood. Since I was still planning on driving this on the street, I needed them to figure out how to mount flares on the front to meet local laws. The last thing I wanted them to do was add one of their hydraulic assist systems to my front axle.

With all the planning I had done, you would think things would have gone more smoothly. I had planned a trip to Moab with some friends from the Midwest the first week in May. As the time got closer, the list of projects got longer. This seems to be typical of any trip we plan. The shop is not to blame; we just suffer from scope creep every time. I'm sure everything will be finished (or finished enough) so we will make the trip as planned.

In the coming months I'll post more information about the changes.