Want to see the first finished Grabercars La Bala Middy?

[sgraber]

I hope this is newsworthy in the UK and EU....

Here are some photos of my (99% complete) scratch-built La Bala for your viewing pleasure. They were taken in Southern California at the annual American Handcrafted Automobile show. It turned out to be a great show. I won the editors choice award, which the editors of the magazines vote for the most significant new product... (nice ), and the response to the shape and the format of the car itself (with the universal engine bay that accepts virtually any FWD transverse powertrain) was overwhelmingly postive! All in all a good weekend, except for the horrible sunburn on my neck and shoulders...

Photos:

In the trailer:


Down the side:


High noon on Saturday:


Overhead across the rear quarter panel:


Here is a link to a video walkaround of the car that I posted on youtube: (I hate how they compress the video so much) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZC0lDfQLBs

I several customers already underway with their construction process including a Dual Hayabusa monster (nutter), Honda B16, Honda K24 Turbo, GM Ecotec, and my fave a VW TDI running bio-diesel!

Edited by sgraber on Tuesday 11th September 23:57

[FNG]

Steve, absolutely delighted for you.

I've followed your progress on locostbuilders for years now and now you've finally finished the car, well it's great to see it come together.

Also takes a brave man to do his design and development work in public, I salute you sir!

A hell of an effort, wish you every success in selling them.

[Dr.Ickwood]

Looks stuning mate. I have to say seeing this thread and just watching the vids on youtube is the first iv heard of what ur doing but it looks excellant mate.

Personally think it looks amazing in white, but the colours uv got it posted above also look great.

Well done, keep up the good work, ill be keeping track of how it comes along

[sgraber]

Thanks mates.

I think that using the Internet during development of the car was a true asset to the project. Not only did it educate and inspire me to keep after it, but the comments and suggestions put forth by the international community contributed to make the car what it became. I am very happy with it and with everyone that gave me suggestions and comments over the years. The Internet is COOOOOL for this reason!

The white color is the car in raw gelcoat straight out of the moulds. Yes, the molds turned out extremely well.

[andygtt]

simply stunning, only wish I could see it in the flesh.

[ferg]

That really is great, Steve!

I'll have to get a t-shirt with the whole thing on now!!!!

[fuoriserie]

Steve

Congratulations to a job well done, the finished car Looks great, and I like the orange paintwork!

Ciao
Italo

[grahambell]

Congratulations Steve, you must be so pleased/proud to finally see the (nearly) finished results of all that hard work. Looks fantastic.

The last post I remember you making you were trying to sort out the windscreen wipers. What did you finally come up with?

[sgraber]

Thanks gentlemen, it's been a long trip to this point, but well worth it. I am having a ton of fun getting this thing sorted out. Like you mentioned the windshield wipers; I left room for a motorized single central wiper below the bonnet line. This particular bonnet is not cut back to allow for that, so what I have on this one (not finished of course) is a manual wiper with lever that attaches at the top of the windshield. Like the old Jeeps. Here in AZ the rain is rare and far between so there is not much need for the wiper. Really just enough to get through the inspection process.

[sgraber]

I have decided to remove the windshield and go with a small windscreen. After driving the car without the windshield I can say that it's many more grins per mile without it.

I just wonder about making it street legal without a windshield.... How does Brammo do that with the Atom2 in the USA?

My digi-dash is in (Mychron3 Plus Auto), the switchgear for lights is in. Headlamps and buckets are in but I still have to make the clear covers.