dbski

@chrislandy If you look close there is a good size gusset at that joint and there are also truss like structures that go side to side in the floor area. The design has been around 10 years without any problems I'm aware of.

Yes that's what I use to make my skis.

I ordered the kit just weeks before the new updated kit was announced. I would have still gone with the 33 grill over the 32. There's a zillion 32's in the hot rod world, not that many 33's. In addition there's also all the A's with deuce grills. I just like the 33 grill over the 32. The brakes are the standard ones that come with the kit, they are non-assisted. Again the rack is from Factory Five, not sure the source. Being my shop is primarily a wood shop sawdust is always a problem. The picture shows my attempt at addressing the problem. So far its working okay. I occasionally open the garage door and blow everything off with the air hose. Seems like someone should start a new thread about home shops. There is nothing like having a great shop! I'm not the most organized guy in the world but I know where everything is!

@Orlando76 It's just bolt together. Everything so far on the frame has been spot on. I've watched a few videos of the Factory Five factory and production process and so far I've been impressed with the quality. Had to bend a few mounting tabs for clearance and grind a couple of welds for bolt heads and that's it.

Making good progress on the hot rod. Suspension, brakes, pedals and steering all in mostly. One bit of frustration is that some parts are back ordered like the knuckles for the steering shafts. Have to jump around a bit waiting for parts to get her. The tie rods ends came today which was cool! It's more fun that I could have ever imagined and if you're thinking of building one at all I highly recommend it. The assembly is pretty straight forward, you occasionally have to massage a few parts but no big deal. One mistake I made is not ordering my crate motor earlier as it's going a lot faster than I estimated and I think I'm going to be on hold waiting it's arrival. Between working on the car and getting skis out I'm becoming a full time resident in my shop! I love it!

@Jaypro You'd have a lot of fun with your sons. The class is as hands on as you want it to be. There were some real characters in my class, especially a couple of crazy Canadians!

@Jaypro What finally got me off my butt to start the build is that I attended the Factory Five build school. In three days you start with the bare frame and end up with a running car. There are short cuts to get the car done that fast but it showed that with common tools and a little diligence it's not that hard. Plus the school is only about an hour from my house so if anyone attends during the ski season I'd be happy to give you a pull after class!

Fulfilling a life-long dream I'm starting the build on my Hot Rod! It's a Factory Five '33 Ford kit. It is actually more like assembling a car as the Factory Five kit is very well thought out. I give major props to guys that start out with a pile of metal and a welder and end up with a car! The neat thing with the '33 ford kit is that it allows you to easily impart your own design as there is so many different ways to build it. I'm going with a 302 small block Ford as I've owned numerous 302's over the years and I've always thought it's one of the best looking engines ever. Plus a Ford body should have a FORD engine!!!

Wow! I can't fathom what it must be like to lose your home in a heartbeat. I've built our home and it would be crushing to see that happen. My deepest condolences to all who have suffered and hoping you get some rain soon!

Sad day in MI, pulled my home boat today, ski lake boat tomorrow. But what a last day, air 85 water 71. Its been a long time the last ski wasn't in a dry suit. The reason it's the last day is the s**t hits the fan Thursday. From a high of 85 on Wednesday, Thursdays high is forecast to be 52 and no improvement on the horizon.

Think we're in a time warp here in MI. Just got in from skiing and the water temp is now 70 up 4 degrees from Sunday. Air was 82, it was like a summer evening sitting on the dock watching the sunset and enjoying a cold one! It is MI so just waiting for the other shoe to drop although its supposed to be in the 80's next week too.

I've had to unzip my drysuit by myself more than once. On a Shorestation boat lift there is a locking tap that sticks through the wheel and extends out about 3 inches. For me it's a perfect height to hook the loop from the zipper and walk down the dock to unzip yourself!

When the boat driver whips the boat around and is coming back fast!

Just got in from a freeski set in SE Michigan, couldn't been nicer air 76 water 66. Just watched the weather forecast, highs mid to upper 70's for the next week! Lots of skiing yet this year.

That's why pontoon boats were invented!

That's one of the worst OTF's I've ever heard of! Glad your boy is OK!

Yes, thinking Lauda for the next one. You'd think I was a huge F1 fan, not really. More into Hot Rods.

We've had 4 labs, Watson, Rosberg, Emerson and Nico. What's the common thread?

@ALPjr, Thanks for the props!

Hope to see all you ballers this weekend at the Malibu. I'll be debuting a couple of new products so stop by my tent and check them out.

@Bill22, She's a munchkin as is her ski, not a chance!

When you put your ski into the truck, drive to the site, put the ski into the boat and when its your time to ski realize you brought your wife's ski! To make me feel even more oblivious her ski is hot pink and mine is green.

At the end of my dock is a 03 LX and at our ski lake we have a 08 196. I drive both 3-5 days a week. I'm just a 15-22 off skier so can't vouch for shortline but to me its a tossup as far as wake characteristics. The 196's wake my be a bit softer but I think the LX's is a bit smaller. The driving position is much better in the 196, in the LX you feel like you are sitting in a hole. To me the build quality is also a tossup. If I had to make a choice between the two boats it would come down to what boat I could get the best deal on.

I had my best set of the year with my wife behind the wheel! Lucky guy. That's not to say that every pass is great, last night on one deep water she lengthened my arms by about a foot. Overall I have nothing to complain about, and even if I did I've been married long enough to know to keep my mouth shut!

Was doing some close up work on something so I set my glasses on the pontoon boat cover. The problem was I didn't have the stakes under the cover and a gust of wind came up billowing the cover up and tossing the glasses in the lake. I had just lost a $500 pair prescription glasses less than a year earlier so no f***ing way I was losing another pair. The next problem was the wind was rippling the surface of the water so I couldn't see the bottom, plus I didn't have my glasses and I'm blind. Had a sudden burst of inspiration. I went up to the cottage dug around in the kitchen and found my wife's large glass flat bottom baking pan. Went down to the lake and pressed the pan on the surface of the water enabling me to see the bottom. Finally after 20 minutes of looking I found my damn glasses!