Approach Angle 18.7 - Project Motivation

Story & photos by Budd Stanley

One of the great parts of my job is the amount of travel and exploration I get to experience. I’m literally on the road for two-thirds of the year, and only get to sleep in my own bed for a third… if I’m lucky. Like I said, I love that, however it also comes with some drawbacks as well.

For those of you who follow our project vehicles, you’ve probably noticed that Big Mack’s SEMA JK and Manchild’s… sorry… editor Iron’s Stinky Jeep have been filling these pages fairly deeply as of late, and that Project Eco Zuk has been noticeably absent over the last couple issues.

When you decide to dig into a project as big as Eco Zuk, it is important to get all your ducks in a row before you even turn a bolt. You need to ensure that you have all the parts needed all laid out and ready to go. You should have the finances set aside to not just pay for the work you plan to do, but to also account for all the little unforeseen issues that will inevitably arise during such a large build. But most importantly, you need to set aside the time and organize a strict schedule to ensure that the project gets done.

How many half finished project vehicles do you see languishing in people’s driveways and carports? There is a lot out there, and it doesn’t take much to kill build motivation mid stream. Running out of cash, time, or simply starting another project before the first is finished can destroy momentum and render a dream car to a pile of parts in boxes sitting in the corner of your garage.

If there is one thing I’ve found when talking to the creators of great project vehicles, and I’m talking beautifully created, hugely capable vehicles, no matter what genre they fall under, is a high level of professionalism and a disciplined determination to see a project to its finish. All the great vehicles you see at SEMA, are the result of massive amounts of dedicated hours spent in the shop after working hours, day after day, until the project gets done.

I had the great pleasure of being on hand to watch two RWB Porsches being created in New Zealand only a few short months ago. Being on the other side of the world had me missing Project Eco Zuk, but to watch Akira Nakai (look him up, any automotive fan has to respect what this guy does to 911’s) take two bare bones 911’s and turn them into absolute works of art in only four days was a mind-altering experience. To see this mans dedication, discipline and work ethic was deeply infectious. He instilled in me an intense level of motivation… just from doing his job.

And so, I’m legitimately excited to say I’m now back in Canada, Eco Zuk is now back in my hands, and its time to get back to work. In the coming issue, you can expect to see the Aqualu aluminum body removed for some finishing touches before a final fitting. We’re going to make it road legal by bolting on some Bushwacker fender flares, deal with some cooling and fuel feeding issues, dig into the axles and make them indestructible, and then we’re going to build some bumpers. While our diesel powered aluminum Suzuki Samurai is driveable, it’s time to make it a trail terrorist. Lets get to work!