kybuggy1 wrote:
Predator took the look of a frame like Mark's old one( as a matter of fact they eventually took measurements off it after building a few they werent real happy with) but totally changed the bottom of it and gave it what they felt were needed improvements. Barely ever even riding buggies at the time, I have no idea why they thought they should change it at all, but they did. They used the upper shape of it as their primary advertisement (namesake , so to speak).
Just wanted to set the record straight on some things that were said. You are right on some of what you said but some is pure assumption! And thank you for complimenting on our workmanship of which I can thank my son in law Darrin. We did pull the measurements on Marks frame because Joel Glass ask Mark if we could do that before we built his frame and if you have seen Joel's frame you will know that we used very little from that but we built Joel what he wanted. I also ask Clayton if he cared that we did that as he was the one that designed and built Marks Frame. There were two frames that were built like Marks and they both went to Oneida TN. Both customers ask that we build their frames like that with very little changes. We didn't change the bottom because we thought it was a better idea it was because customers ask for that except for the first frame that we gave away with Southern Buggies and yes that was a mistake thats why we don't do that any longer. As far as us not riding buggies long I had a buggy when I was 18 and am now 48. My son in law Darrin has been riding since he was a teenager for about 12 years. If you would have said that we were new to hill climbing that would have been a more correct statement. The fact of the matter is that we do use a basic design leaning towards Marks and Steve's buggy as so do most people that build anything that goes well uphill. There are buggies that go out of our shop that when they leave we know that they are not going to go good but that is what the customer ask for so that is what we built them. Some people are just set in what they want. And if I might add Chuck builds a mean frame and has been proven by the way they go and Chuck is a great guy! The truth of the matter is that there is so much that goes into getting a frame to climb good is is unreal. You can take the best frame that we build or Chuck builds and without it being set up correctly it wont climb worth a flip! You said correctly as well that a lot depends on the driver some people are seemingly naturals at hill climbing! We have tied to build our name in the industry and that is hopefully why everyone refers to a lot of buggies that we do not build as predators. The same thing happens all the time how many times do we hear someone call a pepsi a coke because coke has built there name in that industry. I am grateful that are name is so well know in the buggy industry so soon after we have been building frames. But I would like to give the credit to God for that as I have tried to build our business on Christian principles and good workmanship and value for the dollar. We really would like to have Darrin building frames full time that is true but there is not enough business out there just building frames to keep a person busy full time. Especially with the economy the way it is! We have hurt ourselves more than anything as with Darrin working we can not get enough time to build frames quickly like we once could. We have lost a lot of even friends frames as I was honest with them and told them it would be a long time before we could get a frame done for them but I would rather be honest with them than have a disappointed customer. There are those that feel we build the best frame out there just like some feel that Chuck builds the best frame and those that do are willing to wait to get one and we are thankful to them. Not sure if I stirred up another hornets nest here or clarified some misconceptions but really would like for credit to be due were credit is due. Every smart frame builder out there will look at different designs and try and use the best techniques and design from other ideas as well as some of their own. Sometimes you with doing this and come up with something that works well and sometimes you loose and have to make changes. But this is the only way that we will ever progress our sport and improve the industry. We all need to thank Clayton, Chuck, Bee Line, Barrien and all the other builders that started this thing and let us see their ideas. And yes everyone of us builders have taken ideas from all the pioneers of the industry and tried to improve on them. But I don't feel that this is something that anyone needs to be ashamed of or needs to set the record straight on if it was we all would still be driving model T's! Let's all thank God for progress!
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