View Single Post
Old 01-18-2012, 12:31 AM   #28 (permalink)
JackMcCornack
EcoModding Apprentice
 
JackMcCornack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 179
Thanks: 5
Thanked 39 Times in 23 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladogaboy View Post
What do I personally think? Save your $95 and do free research online. That's money that could go toward actually buying yourself a Kubota diesel, a donor car, the tools to do a swap, etc.
Well at least you didn’t suggest getting a free pirate copy. ☺

Robert Q. Riley is a designer, not a manufacturer, and he makes his living selling plans. If your objective is to make one of his designs, the plans are a bargain. If you want to make a similar design, his plans are money well spent—I don’t have his Centurian plans, but I have other works of his, and they’ve been an inspiration.

If you want to make a car completely from scratch, his book Alternative Cars in the 21st Century: A New Personal Transportation Paradigm will save you days of dead ends. I paid $49 for my copy, off his web site page…
Alternative Cars in the 21st Century (2nd Edition)
…but you can get it cheaper from the SAE bookstore, particularly if you’re a member. I bought mine from him direct ‘cause that way he gets to keep more of the money. My copy is about worn out, I’m guessing it’s cost me a dollar an hour for time not wasted going down rabbit trails.

When doing your free research on line, I hope you’ll consider…

Automobile Ride, Handling, and Suspension
Three-Wheel Vehicle Handling Characteristics

PS-- RQ is very smart and he knows it. I hope we don’t get into trashing him on this forum, just because he Actually Does Things and/or he thinks his knowledge and effort are worth money and/or his writing style lacks warmth.
__________________
Modding MAX, a Kubota-powered classic sports car
http://www.kineticvehicles.com
  Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to JackMcCornack For This Useful Post:
Frank Lee (01-18-2012), Ken Fry (01-18-2012), Sven7 (08-19-2012)